Patients with gastric cancer may still experience weight loss even as they enter recovery. For example, in patients who have had part of their stomach removed during surgery, the remaining stomach may not be able to digest food as well as before. Patients usually need to follow the following dietary principles:
- Eat smaller, more frequent meals;
- Take vitamin supplements;
- Eating liquid foods to increase energy intake.
Get enough energy from your food by replacing low-calorie drinks like water, tea, or soda with high-calorie drinks like hot chocolate, shakes, and juice; keeping high-calorie foods close at hand; trying to avoid drinking too much liquid at meals; and increasing your energy intake by “drinking” meal replacement supplements.