Postoperative Guidelines.

After the operation, you will be in the hospital for 2–4 days. At first, you won't feel like eating at all, which is fortunate, because it will help you begin the habit of eating very little at a time.

Soon after surgery, you will start drinking clear liquids. Your first meals will then be soft foods, but even when you begin eating other foods, you will be instructed to chew them to a mushy consistency. To achieve positive results, this must become a life-time habit.

Dietary guidelines include 3 meals daily with no meal skipping. Liquids should be taken between meals in any quantity and should be calorie free. In addition, you will need to eat at a leisurely pace, taking 30–45 minutes for each meal.

Once you go home, you will, of course, get hungry, but much less than before. You will find that your appetite will easily be satisfied with very little food, and you will stay satisfied much longer.

As you recuperate, you will be encouraged to resume your activity and begin to exercise. The best exercises are those that you enjoy and that consume a lot of calories, such as swimming, bicycling, tennis, golf, jogging, or even brisk walking.

As you begin to lose weight, you will have greater pep and energy than before your operation, and these exercises and recreational activities will become more and more pleasurable.