It will be a four-stage diet and it is crucial that you follow the guidelines for each stage in order for your surgery to be and continue to be a success.

Stage one of the diet consists, strictly, of clear liquids such as water and apple juice. Sugar free drinks such as diet soda are acceptable, as long as you allow them to become flat first. You may also snack on broths, or sugar-free gelatin. It is very important to start small, taking little sips and working up from there. Do not allow yourself to feel overly full. If you tolerate stage one for a day or two, you may go on to stage two, semi-clear liquids.

Semi-clear liquids is stage two of the post-surgery diet and is similar to stage one in that is still liquid but uses items that can be thickened or thinned down to the consistency of watery mashed potatoes.

The blender will become your friend in this stage and so you can blend fruits and veggies to be consumed. At this time, you can also start to drink milk again, but be sure it's skim or low fat. Soups and yogurt can be well tolerated but again, you should blend them to be sure all solids are broken down. You may be in this stage for up to 3-4 weeks depending on your tolerance.

Stage three will begin about 3-4 weeks after surgery, as noted above. You will begin to consume foods that are more solid, but still rather easy to digest. This stage consists of eggs, cooked anyway but fried; cooked vegetables; cottage cheese, low fat of course and any other semi-solid foods. Introduce these foods one at a time to be sure your digestive system can handle them and if not, continue onto something more stomach- friendly.

Finally, stage four begins when stage three has been well tolerated for some time and also your doctor may tell you to wait until he gives you the go ahead. You will begin to eat solid foods again, such as meats, beans, green leafy salads, breads, etc. but again you'll want to introduce these one at a time for toleration purposes.

It is very important that throughout each of these stages you still get the protein that your body needs to aid in the healing after surgery. You can add non-fat dairy powder to most things to add this protein, without sabotaging the diet or endangering your health.

Because this is a very low-fat diet, you will need to be monitored for fat-soluble vitamin deficiencies, and your doctor may suggest nutritional supplements.