5 Day Pouch Reset Diet: A Detailed Guide

This article has been medically reviewed by Dr Deborah Brunt: BHB, MBCNB, MHSC, FRNZCGP, ASLM, IBLM.

Are you gaining weight after your bariatric surgery? Or, is your weight stagnant? This is a common problem with many bariatric patients during the weight loss journey. It happens! Sometimes you just plateau and struggle to bounce back. That’s where the 5 Day Pouch Reset Diet comes in. But what is the Pouch Reset Diet?

Here is a detailed guide to the 5 Day Pouch Reset Diet for weight loss surgery patients.

Contents

What Is a Pouch Reset?

gIf you have had If you’ve had gastric bypass surgery, you know that your stomach is cut away leaving you with a small pouch that your food goes into. This gastric pouch is small which means you feel full much faster.

As time goes on, however, this pouch can stretch and increase in size. When this happens, you will need to eat more to feel full.

When you eat more food and more calories you will inevitably gain weight. If this happens you may want to follow the Bariatric Pouch Reset Diet to help get your weight regain and eating habits under control.

Following a Post Bariatric Surgery Diet

After weight loss surgery, typically around the 6-month point the stomach heals and your gastric pouch will have settled in size.

The new pouch is typically around 1.5 ounces for a gastric bypass patient and 5-6 ounces after gastric sleeve. After 6 months, there is no permanent stomach stretching. So, the pouch reset diet does NOT change the size of your pouch.

A 5 Day pouch reset diet is a short-term, high-protein diet that is low volume. It works to recalibrate your hunger point. The goal is to recalibrate the feeling you get when you eat a certain amount of food.

Bariatric patients worry about stretching their pouch but, in truth, the main issue is often that they have gone back to poor eating habits and no longer feel full with smaller portions.

Can the Pouch Reset Diet Help Me After Weight Loss Surgery?

When you restrict the volume of food, as you do with the pouch reset diet, you can lower the point at which you feel full.

The proper pouch reset diet will provide you with low calories and low-volume foods while providing your body with adequate amounts of protein to keep you feeling full. This will help aid weight loss and prevent weight regain.

How Does the 5 Day Pouch Reset Work?

When you hit a weight loss plateau or begin gaining weight, you can use the 5 day reset diet to get you back on track. The bariatric reset diet is a condensed version of your post-op diet.

Difference Between Post Op Diet and Bariatric Reset Diet

The difference between the post-surgery diet and the Bariatric reset diet is that it is done in only 5 days.

Through this bariatric reset, both gastric sleeve surgery patients and gastric bypass patients can get back on track and begin losing weight again.

Following a proper nutrition plan as part of the 5 Day pouch reset will help restart weight loss and help ensure you are not eating the wrong foods.

After you complete the 5-day cycle, you can continue the diet or you can switch back to the healthy foods diet that your dietician and the bariatric team gave you.

The goal of this 5-day journey is to help you get back to successful weight loss by getting you back on track and eating smaller amounts of food.

This will ultimately help you lose weight again. The bariatric reset diet will help you get back in control of any unhealthy eating habits and recalibrate your hunger point.

How to Follow the Pouch Reset Diet and Prevent Weight Gain

There are a few variations of the pouch reset diet but they all typically involve 5 days of high-protein, low-calorie meals with four to five stages. This is a restrictive diet with limited snacking and fluids between meals.

Reset Your Hunger Point

This bariatric reset will ensure you are eating healthy foods whilst resetting your hunger point.

It is important to drink liquids and lots of water throughout the day to prevent dehydration and hunger.

Always Get Medical Advice

It is important to follow a bariatric reset under the guidance of your dietician or bariatric team and make sure you are getting enough protein, vitamins, and minerals. It is also important not to extend the pouch reset diet beyond 5 days as it can lead to malnutrition and other health issues.

Will This Diet Cause Rapid Weight Loss?

It is not uncommon for people to see rapid weight loss during the pouch reset.

However, it is important to remember that this diet is a short-term solution and should not be continued long-term as it may lead to malnutrition.

The goal of the bariatric reset diet is not necessarily to lose a large amount of weight in a short period but to recalibrate your hunger point and get back on track with healthy eating habits.

It is important to remember that weight loss surgery is a tool, not a solution. This pouch reset diet can be used as a tool to jumpstart weight loss or breakthrough weight loss plateaus.

Pouch Reset Diet Menu

Here is a quick guide to the 5 Day Pouch Reset Guide by day.

Bariatirc Reset Diet Day 1: Clear Liquid Diet

Day one of your pouch reset diet should consist of only clear liquids. So no solid foods! If you are unsure of what an all liquid diet consists of, here are some options:

Water
Broth (chicken, beef, or vegetable)
Tea
Sugar-FREE drinks such as Crystal Light, Vitamin Zero Water, Gatorade Zero, Mio, or Propel.

Bariatric Reset Diet Day 2: Thick Liquids

On day two, your bariatric diet should consist of thick liquids. Here are some options you can choose from for thick liquids:

Protein drinks such as Protein Shakes.
Soup – Remember to eat the soup slowly.
Water and sugar-free beverages
Sugar Free sorbet.

Bariatric Reset Diet Day 3: Soft Solids

After the first two days, you can begin to eat soft foods. Eat these high-protein foods in addition to your protein shakes and fluids. Foods that fall under this category include pureed foods from the pureed diet:

Cottage cheese
Yogurt
Beans
Eggs
Tofu
Jello
Mashed Fruit
Very Thin Hot Oatmeal

Bariatric Reset Diet Day 4: Firm Solids

On day 4, you can add some firm solid foods slowly. You want to have 2 servings of lean protein and two servings of fat. Your food intake should include protein shakes and fluids. Here are some options for day three of the bariatric reset diet:

Protein

Chicken
Fish
Tofu
Eggs
Canned Tuna

Fats

Avocado
Almonds
Peanut butter, butter, oil

Bariatric Reset Diet Day 5: Whole Solids

By day 5, you can start eating a healthy diet which includes whole solids. You want to continue your protein shakes and fluids to stay hydrated and help combat weight gain.

You should also eat 2 servings of protein, two servings of fat, and some other healthy options such as:

Beans
Berries
Quinoa
Sweet potato
Vegetables

Keep in mind that each serving should be four ounces or less. If you choose to eat eggs, you should only have two at a time. You will want to drink at least 64 fluid ounces of water or sugar-free drinks per day.

Who Is the 5 Day Pouch Reset Diet For?

The 5 Day Pouch Reset Diet is typically used by bariatric patients who have had weight loss surgery and are looking to jumpstart their weight loss or get back on track with healthy eating habits.

If you are considering a pouch reset diet, you need to make sure this is the right step for you. The 5-day pouch reset diet may be for you if:

You have hit a plateau in your weight loss goals
You have begun to gain weight
Your portion sizes are exceeding 6 ounces at a time
You stopped tracking your intake
You want to take control of your weight loss diet

Can I Follow the Pouch Reset if I Have Had Gastric Sleeve Surgery?

Yes, the bariatric pouch reset is for both gastric sleeve surgery and gastric bypass patients. You can even do the pouch reset diet if you are a revision surgery patient.

If you are a gastric sleeve patient then follow the bariatric pouch reset the same as a gastric bypass patient. This gastric sleeve reset or bypass reset works well for both types of surgeries.

How to Prevent the Gastric Pouch From Stretching

Although it is rare for your pouch or sleeve to stretch, there are ways of preventing it from stretching. Following your post-op bariatric surgery diet and staying in touch with your nutritionist or dietician will help. However, here are some tips to prevent your pouch or sleeve from stretching:

Tips for Continued Weight Loss

Do not overeat – This will cause you to regain weight.
Try to stay away from carbonated drinks.
Always chew your food slowly and completely.
Follow your immediate post-surgery diet at all times.

After the 5 Day Pouch Reset Diet

After you have completed the 5 Day Pouch Reset Diet, it is important to continue eating a diet that promotes weight loss. If you need to, you can set up a meal plan to help keep you on track as you lose weight.

Be sure to include a good source of protein and healthy fats at each meal. Try using protein powders to help supplement your diet. You can also include low-calorie foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

If you want to continue losing weight after your 5-day reset diet is over, you will need to decrease portion sizes again. Pay attention to the amount of food you are eatng and remember to eat slowly.

Remember Bariatric Surgery and the Reset Diet Is a Tool

The 5-day pouch reset diet is a great tool for bariatric patients to use when they start gaining weight or plateauing on their diets. It can also be used as a jumpstart back into a healthy diet if you have eaten the wrong types of foods.

Can I Do a 48 Hour Pouch Reset or 3 Day Gastric Sleeve Reset Instead?

There is no specific time frame for a reset diet, but the 5 Day Pouch Reset Diet is most commonly used by bariatric patients. You can do a shorter reset if needed, just make sure you are following the guidelines and not overeating during the reset period.

5 Day Pouch Reset Recipes to Prevent Weight Gain

While following the 5-day reset diet above, you may want to add some flavor to your diet. Here are some great bariatric recipes that are high in protein, low in calories, and low in volume for you to try.

Jello with Fruit: This is a great option for Days 3-5. It is high protein and low calorie.
Poached Eggs: In this recipe, you will learn to make a perfect poached egg full of flavor and protein.
Instant Pot Taco Soup: Have a little more than just plain old chicken noodle soup. This recipe makes you feel full and satisfied.

track. If you are not losing weight, continue to decrease your food intake until you do.

Even if you aren’t having weight gain or a plateau, pin this post so you can find it later!

You may also find the following posts helpful: