Stage 1 – Liquid Diet (Weeks 1–2)

The Early Days: Relearning Hydration

The first few days after surgery are all about gentle hydration. Your stomach is swollen, so even a sip of water feels unfamiliar. Gulping isn’t an option anymore – every drink has to be slow and deliberate.

For the first few days, we managed only small amounts:

• Two Actimel probiotic drinks per day
• A few sips of water here and there

It doesn’t sound like much, but that’s completely normal at this point. Your new stomach needs time to calm down.

Don’t Overbuy Before Surgery

Before surgery, we spent around £250 on protein water. It seemed like the sensible thing to do – stock up, be prepared.
But once we got home, we realised our tastes had changed completely. The protein water we once loved now made us gag.
We ended up throwing most of it away.

Lesson: Don’t bulk buy anything before surgery. Taste changes are real and unpredictable – what you love pre-op might make you feel ill post-op.

Introducing Juice and Protein Shakes

A few days in, our clinic’s nutritionist suggested adding apple juice – pure, not from concentrate. It helped stabilise blood sugar and ease light-headedness.
By the end of week one, we started introducing protein shakes, focusing on high-protein, low-sugar options. Our go-to was UFIT 50g – easy to find, affordable, and surprisingly palatable.

We also added strained homemade soup broth (thanks to James’s dad, who made us 40 tubs!). It was comforting and gentle on the stomach – exactly what we needed.

How Long We Stayed on Liquids

Although most patients stay on liquids for two weeks, we extended ours to three weeks due to James’s complications.
That extra time gave our stomachs a better chance to heal fully before introducing thicker foods – something we’d recommend if your surgeon agrees.

The first stage teaches you two things: patience and mindfulness. Every sip counts, and your relationship with food starts to change for good.

Stage 2 – Puréed Foods (Weeks 3-4)

This stage is often described as “the hardest,” and we’d agree.
Puréed chicken or blended vegetables don’t sound appealing – and they’re even less enjoyable when you’ve been dreaming about real food for weeks.

We tried, but the texture was difficult to stomach (literally). So we adapted.

Soups Became Our Lifeline

For the first week, we survived almost entirely on soups – mainly tomato and chicken noodle soup (strained or lightly blended).
Chicken noodle soup, with its slightly thicker texture and mild flavour, quickly became our go-to meal.

At first, we could only manage a few spoonfuls before the soup cooled. Gradually, we built up to half a can in one sitting.
That slow progression kept us comfortable and helped prevent nausea or bloating.

Expanding Gradually

Once we could tolerate chicken noodle soup, we added variety with Scotch broth and lentil soup.
These offered more texture and nutrients without overloading our systems.

💡 Tips for This Stage

• Start with smooth soups – they’re easier on your stomach.
• Eat slowly – a small meal can take 30–45 minutes.
• Don’t rush. Let your body lead the pace.

By the end of this stage, we were ready for something that felt a bit more like eating again – soft foods.

Stage 3 – Soft Foods (Weeks 5-8)

Moving onto soft foods felt like freedom. After a month of liquids and purées, being able to chew again was genuinely exciting – though still full of surprises.

Starting Small: Children’s Meals

We began with Little Dish children’s meals – perfectly portioned, balanced, and easy to digest.
Favourites included:

• Cottage Pie
• Mac & Cheese
• Fish Pie
• Chicken & Veggies
• Pasta Bolognese

Even though the portions were small, we couldn’t finish them. Sometimes, we’d share one between us and still have leftovers.

It felt strange to waste food, but it was a powerful reminder that our stomachs had changed – and our idea of “enough” needed to change too.

Learning the Body’s New Signals

We quickly learned that our bodies tell us when to stop eating – just not in the ways we expected.

• James got loud hiccups when full.
• Kirsten’s nose would start running.
• Others in our support group mentioned sneezing, burping, or a tightness in the chest.

If we ignored those early signs, nausea and vomiting followed. The lesson? Stop at the first signal, even if your brain says “just one more bite.”

Experimenting and Setbacks

We experimented with mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and even protein Weetabix – but most ended up wasted.
Beans and spaghetti hoops were also a no-go.

The big success? Slow-cooked curries.
We’d make a batch of chicken curry, then eat just a few small chunks at a time.
Unfortunately, not all went smoothly – James tried a jalfrezi that was far too spicy and ended up back on liquids for a week to let his stomach recover.

That experience taught us that healing food isn’t just about nutrition – it’s about tolerance and timing.

Stage 4 – Regular Foods (Week 8+)

Finally reaching this stage feels like finishing a marathon. You can, in theory, eat most foods again – but “normal” takes on a whole new meaning.

Portion Control Is Everything

The biggest challenge now isn’t what you eat, but how much.
We followed the 20–20–20 rule:

1. Take a bite.
2. Chew for 20 seconds.
3. Wait 20 seconds before the next bite.
4. Stop eating after 20 minutes.

This helped prevent overeating and that awful “too full to move” feeling.

Meal Prep and Routine

We quickly discovered that cooking every day was too much work – so we switched to batch cooking.
Every Sunday became meal prep day. With large woks, we’d cook around 90 meals at once, enough for a month when split between the two of us.

It saved time, money, and most importantly, waste.

Reintroducing Takeaways (Carefully!)

Three months post-op, we began trying small takeaway portions again.

A typical “before” Chinese order might have been:

Chicken curry, egg fried rice, salt & pepper chicken, 10 spring rolls, and 5 wontons.

Now? Just three ribs each, and we’re done.
We treat takeaways as occasional treats, maybe once a month, and we genuinely enjoy them more.

What Changed Most

• Hunger disappeared. The surgery removes the part of the stomach that produces ghrelin, the hunger hormone. It’s surreal – you still want food mentally, but the physical hunger simply isn’t there.
• Pizza is gone. We tried it on holiday in Tenerife – managed one slice and felt sick all night. Never again.
• Snacks are simpler. Cheese strings, Babybels, and Fridge Raiders are our go-to.
• Carbonated drinks don’t sit right. Cans of Coke Zero make us feel bloated and uncomfortable, though we found we can tolerate draft Coke Zero occasionally when on holiday.

Fun fact: We used to spend hundreds of pounds a month on fizzy drinks. Now, that money goes towards holidays instead.

Five Months On

At the five-month mark, we’re still discovering what works and what doesn’t. Our relationship with food has changed completely – for the better.
We eat mindfully, prep smarter, and focus on fuelling our bodies rather than feeding cravings.

Key Takeaways from the Food Stages

• Don’t bulk buy before surgery – your tastes will change.
• Patience pays off. Healing takes time, and rushing stages causes setbacks.
• Listen to your body. Hiccups, sneezes, or nose running are all signs you’ve had enough.
• Portion control matters more than food type.
• Avoid fizzy drinks and heavy carbs; they’re rarely worth it.
• Enjoy treats occasionally – but mindfully.

From those first painful sips of water to finally enjoying a proper meal again, this process has been one of rediscovery. Food no longer controls us – it fuels us.

Each stage has taught us something vital: patience, gratitude, and respect for our new limits.
If you’re about to start this journey yourself, know that the hard days are temporary – but the results can last a lifetime.

Please Note: This guide is based on our personal experience after gastric sleeve surgery and should not replace medical advice. Always follow your bariatric team’s guidance.