Lap-Band Diet Recommendations
Virtually Scar-Free Lap-Band Procedure
A key element to enjoy the full success of the lap-band program is to eat using a recommended dietary plan. Your first week after the surgery, you will continue your pre-operative liquid diet. Subsequently, you will move on to pureed fruits and vegetables and soft foods. This is followed by incorporating a normal, “healthy diet” plan into your everyday living. Remember, eating healthy and staying hydrated is a basis of successful lap-band eating.
Lap-band dietary plan before the procedure
A pre-op lap-band dietary plan for the lap-band should start about two weeks before the surgery. During that time you’ll be requested to stay on a liquid diet which means that your daily meals will consist of low sugar drinks and strained soups. The pre-op dietary plan aims at liquids with a high protein level and low in calories, carbs, and fat. Although a liquid diet doesn’t sound like much fun, its main purpose is to prepare you for the surgery. And to be more specific, shrink your liver to give the surgeon more space in the abdominal cavity while putting the band around your stomach. Don’t worry; the liquid diet is not the diet that you will have to stay on once you have a lap-band in place. A week after surgery you’ll be more than ready to start eating full liquids and mushy foods to slowly progress toward regular solid food.
Lap-band dietary plan after surgery
After the recovery time, when you’ll start your “regular” diet, you’ll be advised to have small, frequent meals (not more then three times a day), to chew the food well, and to eat slowly. It is very important for the lap-band patients not to drink during the meals and to wait for half an hour after to take in any liquids.
An ideal lap-band diet includes everything like depicted on a traditional food pyramid. Namely, the majority of your diet should consist of whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, and selected proteins, while avoiding products rich in fat and sugar. As a lap-band patient, you should try to permanently avoid unhealthy snacking, sweets, caffeine, alcohol and carbonated drinks.
If you are planning your meals well, you should not need any additional vitamins or supplements. The lap-band does not alter your digestion; a lap-band will considerably decrease the size of your portion, but will not influence the way nutrients are absorbed. Nevertheless, if you’re not sure you are getting all the nutrients you need you can always invest in a chewable multivitamin. Nevertheless, we can tell you right away that all nutrients you need can be found in your grocery shopping bag.
Talk to a Lap-Band Nutritionist in Chicago Today
DayOne Health in Chicago is offering in you a free lap-band consultation with an experienced lap-band dietitian that you can turn to for nutritional advice at every step of your weight loss journey; we are here to help! If you ran out of ideas or simply want to learn more about the lap-band nutritional guidelines, please do not hesitate to contact a Chicago dietitian at 312-239-3838.
