LAP-BAND® Blog

It’s very important to fully understand the LAP-BAND® diet before you decide to undergo this type of costly weight loss surgery. There are strict restrictions on what foods can eaten once the LAP-BAND® surgery is completed. Failure to abide by these guidelines could mean that your LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Banding System may prove ineffective and you will not succeed in losing weight. So take notice as we will fully discuss the proper diet in terms of what foods you can eat, and also when you should be eating those foods according to your LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Banding System timeline.

In general, your LAP-BAND® diet, and like any other successful diet, should consist of healthy foods – foods that are low in calories and high in nutritional value. Remember that the LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Banding System helps to control the amount of food you can eat, but at the end of the day it’s up to you to decide what food you eat. If you traditionally eat a lot of junk food and fast food then even with the LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band you will still gain weight most likely. If you want to lose weight and be another success story, it will be important to follow the diet and nutrition guidelines recommended below.

You CAN lose weight with lap band and a healthy diet!

The first 3 to 4 days following LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band surgery patients must follow a clear liquid diet. Failure to follow the prescribed diet can cause complications such as band erosion or slippage that require additional surgery. So whatever you do make sure you follow the clear liquid diet, which is:

Clear liquid diet:

Liquids that you can see through at room temperature (about 78-72 degrees Fahrenheit are considered clear liquids. This includes clear juices, broths, hard candy, ices and gelatin. The table below will help you with your choices.

If you are a regular coffee, tea, or soda drinker you should be aware that no caffeine is permitted for the first three months after surgery. Carbonated beverages; both diet and regular may cause gas, bloating, and an increase in stomach size due to the carbonation and are not recommended at any time for patients.

The second phase of the diet consists of 5 to 6 weeks of a modified full liquid diet; the key component of this phase is consuming two ounces of a protein shake every hour for ten to twelve hours a day with two ounces of other liquids such as soup, baby food, or sugar-free gelatin three times a day.

During the second six weeks following surgery, patients may eat food that is shredded in a food processor prior to eating. The basic foods on the diet include meats or other forms of protein, vegetables, and salads. The diet does not include most bread, potatoes and other starchy vegetables. The length of these phases may be altered according to the patient’s personal weight and weight loss goals.

Protein is especially important following the surgery. After the surgery, the stomach will never hold more than 4 to 6 ounces per meal, so making every bite count is essential for healthy and nutritionally rounded weight loss success.

Patients are advised to consume fifty to sixty grams of protein daily to avoid protein deficiency. Protein deficiency causes hair loss, fatigue, edema, muscle weakness, and a delay in wound healing. A lack of adequate protein may also lead to depression, anxiety, irritability, apathy, and other mental health conditions, as well as cause a number of physical health issues from gallstones to colds, headaches, low blood pressure, anemia, irregular hear rates, and, in extreme cases, death. A lab can measure the amount of protein in your blood by performing a serum albumin blood test.

Eating after the LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band surgery means taking tiny bites, and eating very slowly. You should think of your new stomach as a “baby” stomach. You’ll be drinking protein shakes and relearning eating skills much the same way as a new baby eats formula (or breast milk), and slowly add new foods from blended baby foods to chunkier baby foods.

Any medicine you take may need to be adjusted following surgery since you will not be able to swallow pills that are aspirin-size or larger, or capsules or irregular-shaped pills. Behavior therapy or talk therapy is often beneficial for weight loss surgery patients. Therapy can help you to understand what food really means to you, and to realize when you eat and why you eat. Once you can begin to recognize the events in your life that trigger emotional eating, you can start to work on finding new ways to deal with those events.

Foods to Avoid

Eating foods that are high in sugar content, high in fat content, and high in calories with little nutritional value will decrease your rate of weight loss. In order in increase your rate of weight loss, there are some foods you should avoid, including:

• Sugar and sugary foods, including: high-calorie soft drinks, syrups, honey, jelly, jam, cakes, cookies, candy, ice-cream.
• High-fat foods, including: chocolate, chips, pies, pastries, ice-cream, bacon, sausage, fried foods, cream soups, cream sauces.
• High-calorie drinks, such as milkshakes, soda, beer, orange juice, apple juice, other fruit juices, whole milk.
• Starchy and white flour foods, such as pasta, rice, and doughy breads.
• Fats such as butter or oil should be restricted to 3 to 4 teaspoons per day.
• Meats that are especially tough such as steak and pork chops. Some Lap Band patients have difficulty digesting other meats that contain gristle such as hamburgers.
• The seeds and/or skins of all fruits and vegetables.
• Oranges and grapefruits may not be tolerated unless the membrane is removed before eating
• High fiber vegetables such as celery and sweet potatoes.
• Fried foods and spicy foods.
• If you are unable to tolerate milk, it’s important to add other calcium and protein rich foods such as cottage cheese. Dry milk can be added to foods for added protein.
• Certain spices including cinnamon, pepper, or onion or garlic salt.

Some foods can be problematic with the surgery and should be avoided as well, including:

• Carbonated beverages – carbonated drinks (such as soda, carbonated water, champagne) can increase the size of the pouch and cause discomfort.
• Fibrous foods – fibrous foods (such as asparagus, celery, corn, dried fruit, oranges, pineapples, sweet potatoes) can get stuck in the stoma (stomach opening created with lap band).
• Other problematic foods include nuts, popcorn, skins and seeds of fruits and vegetables, and tough meats such as steak, pork chops, and hamburger.

Can I have alcoholic beverages with the LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band?

Alcohol is not recommended because it is high in calories, breaks down vitamins, and has no nutritional value. However, an occasional small amount of wine or other alcoholic beverage may be tolerated with a few words of caution. Carbonated beverages should always be avoided and this includes beer or champagne. Also, since you shouldn’t drink within an hour of eating, you will be drinking on an empty stomach and your tolerance will be low. The excess calories will also slow your rate of weight loss.

Can I have sugary foods with the LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band?

Sugary foods should be avoided because they increase your calorie consumption without providing any nutritional value, but they will not make you sick or cause dumping syndrome. Dumping syndrome occurs when sugar enters the lower intestine too quickly, resulting in cramps, sweating, rapid heart rate, and diarrhea. Dumping syndrome can occur with gastric bypass surgery, but not with the LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band because the stomach has not been bypassed and intestines have not been significantly altered. Although lap band patients can tolerate sweets, it is important to limit empty calorie foods in your diet to help with weight loss.

Can I snack between meals with the LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band?

After having the surgery, patients should eat three meals a day and should not snack between meals. If you snack between meals you may eat too many calories and end up not losing any weight. Remember that if your LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band is properly adjusted, you should not feel hungry between meals.