If you’re thinking about having gastric banding to help you achieve a healthy body weight, you might be wondering what to eat after LAP-BAND surgery.
Similar to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy, gastric banding reduces the size of the stomach – this helps to limit food consumption and promote weight loss.
For bariatric surgery to be effective in helping you lose weight and maintain your post-surgical weight loss, you’ll need to commit to making life-long changes to your diet.
Diet During The Recovery Period
Before you leave the hospital after having gastric banding, you will receive clear instructions from a specialized Registered Nurse or Nurse Practitioner outlining what to eat after LAP-BAND surgery.
During the first few days after your procedure, you will be restricted to a liquid diet that includes water, clear broth, caffeine-free tea, and sugar-free JELL-O. Within a week, you should be able to start adding small amounts of protein-rich beverages and soft foods to your diet, such as protein shakes, low-fat milk and fat-free yogurt.
You can then expect to progress to a pureed diet that includes low-sugar, low-fat items like smooth applesauce, pureed cooked carrots, eggs, canned tuna, and other pureed fruits and vegetables. At this stage, it’s important to refrain from drinking liquids while eating, and to eat high-protein foods first.
Transitioning To Solid Foods
Once your bariatric surgeon lets you know you can start eating solid food again (about 28-35 days after your gastric banding procedure) it’s important to carefully pre-plan your meals and snacks.
Because the LAP-BAND dramatically reduces the size of your stomach down to about the size of a golf ball, when you begin transitioning off your liquid diet, you will feel full after eating just a few small bits of solid food.
Start by choosing high-protein foods that are soft and easy to digest, such as poached eggs, baked salmon, tofu, cottage cheese, and skinless chicken breast. Vegetables should be steamed until soft, and fruits should be free from skins or seeds.
You’ll need to wait 3-4 months after your LAP-BAND procedure before you can eat nuts, raw vegetables, and other foods that can be hard to digest.
Why It’s Important To Follow A Bariatric Surgery Diet After Gastric Banding
The goal of the post-surgical bariatric diet is to promote a quick recovery, and help kick-start your weight loss. Knowing what to eat after LAP-BAND also helps to avoid stretching out your newly-formed stomach pouch.
To learn more about what to eat after LAP-BAND surgery, and find out if gastric banding could help you achieve your weight loss goals, contact us today or click here to register in our free online weight loss seminar. Reach us by phone in Albertville at 256.840.5547 or Guntersville at 256.571.8734.
