Losing Weight with Lap-Band®
By design, Lap-Band® surgery limits how much food you can eat and how quickly you digest it. The procedure involves placing an adjustable band around your upper stomach, which reduces the stomach opening and creates a much smaller “pouch” than what you had before. With a smaller stomach pouch, you only need to eat a few bites to feel full, and you will also feel full longer. The result, of course, is that you lose weight – and while the change is far from instant, if you stick with the eating and activity guidelines given to you after surgery, you will continue to drop those excess pounds week after week over a period of months.
Weight loss with the Lap-Band® is virtually guaranteed, but you still have to participate in the process. The general guidelines for Lap-Band® etiquette include eating three modestly sized healthy meals each day; avoiding snacks; sticking to low-calorie drinks; and trying to include exercise as a regular lifestyle choice. By sticking with the program, the average patient can expect to lose up to two pounds per week. This can mean that an obese person can lose roughly half their excess body weight during the first year after getting the Lap-Band®.
Of course, even with a Lap-Band®, it’s possible to cheat – and sabotage your progress. Even though you’re physically limited to eating less food, it is still possible to consume a high number of calories and fat grams through foods in small portions. Liquids and soft foods like ice cream and milkshakes, especially, can slide right past the gastric band and derail your weight loss plan quickly. Here are a few more foods to avoid if you want to lose weight with the Lap-Band® and keep it off for good:
- High-sugar foods, such as cookies, candy, chocolate, pastries and sugary beverages
- Fatty foods, including fried foods, bacon, sausage, and chips
- Starchy foods, like white rice, bread and pasta
- Caloric beverages, like regular soda, milkshakes, and alcoholic drinks
If empty calories aren’t reason enough, you may also want to avoid carbonated drinks because they can expand and put pressure on your “new” stomach pouch, causing extreme discomfort. Similarly, while fresh produce is super healthy, fibrous foods, like celery, asparagus and certain fruits, can get stuck in the smaller stomach opening and cause abdominal pain. Many post-op band patients also find it hard to digest dense meats, like hamburger and steak, as well as popcorn, nuts and dried fruits.
Although weight loss with the Lap-Band® is almost inevitable, it can involve some trial and error as you find the diet that works best, in terms of providing you enough variety and nutrients while keeping the calorie count low. Regardless of whether you choose to have weight loss surgery with Dr. Lee, be sure to stay in close contact with Southern Minnesota Surgical Inc. during this learning curve.