LAP-BAND SURGERY DIET

The lap band is a wonderful tool to suppress appetite and aid portion control. It is an asset that makes losing weight and keeping it off achievable. Getting sustainable weight loss results with the Lap-Band requires the adaptation of new eating behaviours. An experienced bariatric dietitian will provide you with the tools needed to excel at mastering these essential eating behaviours.

The dietitian will work with you on the following dietary areas:

  • Establishing a regular eating routine
  • Eating slowly
  • Chewing each mouthful well
  • Making the best food choices to optimise nutritional intake
  • Knowing how to build balanced meals for weight loss that are also going to easily pass through the Lap-Band
  • Taking daily vitamin and mineral supplementation
  • Learning the difference between real physical hunger and non-hungry eating
  • Ability to identify feelings of fullness and be able to stop eating at this point

 

DIETARY STAGES

In the two weeks prior to Lap-Band surgery a pre-operative meal replacement diet must be completed. It will then take 4-6 weeks after surgery to transition back onto solid foods. Dietary transitioning occurs in the following order:

  • Fluid diet for the first 2 weeks post-surgery
  • Puree diet for 3-5 days
  • Soft diet for 2 weeks
  • Solid foods from week 6 post-surgery

Everyone will heal from surgery at a different rate and will, therefore, progress through the dietary phases at a slightly different time. The dietitian will advise on the best way for you to transition to your post-operative appointments.

 

DIETICIAN SUPPORT

You will see the dietitian for at least three one on one consultations. The first dietitian consultation is held before surgery. During this consultation, you will receive a comprehensive handbook with easy to understand information and guidelines as well as recipes and sample meal plans for each dietary stage. The second dietitian visit will be at 2 weeks post-surgery where you will start to work on some of the important eating behaviours with the Lap-Band as well as being guided about the transitioning diet. The third dietitian visit is at 8-10 weeks post-surgery, the aim of this consultation is to set up a long term healthy eating plan that will ensure sustainable weight loss success with the Lap-Band.

Dietetic support is available to all patients for as many visits as needed. Many patients benefit from continuing to see the dietitian in the long term after Lap-Band surgery to help with common barriers to weight loss such as non-hungry eating, emotional eating, cravings, eating out, fitting healthy meals into a busy schedule and keeping variety and enjoyment in the diet over time.