Lap-Band surgery, a weight loss procedure, does not cure obesity. Instead, it provides a tool that helps obese patients learn to eat smaller amounts of food and feel full sooner. Success after Lap-Band surgery requires making healthy food choices to meet your nutritional needs and avoid regaining your excess weight.
How It Works
In laparoscopic adjustable band surgery, the surgeon creates an egg-sized pouch by looping a hollow silastic band around the upper portion of the stomach, according to Highland Hospital. Surgeons in the United States may choose between the Realize or the Lap-Band brands. The small pouch helps you lose weight by limiting the amount of food you can eat in one sitting and slowing your digestion. Unlike some types of weight loss surgery procedures, the Lap-Band does not block calorie absorption or cause unpleasant symptoms if you eat fatty or sugary foods. To lose weight -- generally an average of 50 percent of your excess weight -- and maintain a healthy weight, you must learn to make permanent dietary and lifestyle changes, according to Lap-Band.
Time Frame
To allow your body to adjust to the surgery, follow your surgeon's instructions regarding your postoperative diet. You will drink only liquids for the first few day, then gradually add more texture by eating pureed foods for two to three weeks, followed by soft foods and regular foods, according to Lap-Band. After the initial recovery period of six to eight weeks, you will eat a three meals a day of healthy foods -- high in protein, low in sugar and low in fat -- for the rest of your life.
Protein
Healthy adults need between 46 and 56 g of protein per day, an goal easily reached by eating a balanced diet, but your protein needs increase after Lap-Band surgery, says Linda Aills, R.D., lead researcher of a study published in the September 2008 issue of "Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases." To prevent loss of lean muscle mass, you will require at least 60 to 80 g of protein per day for the rest of your life. Appropriate dietary sources include lean meats, fish and poultry, nonfat dairy products and dried beans and peas, according to Lap-Band. Avoid foods you find difficult to digest, including tough, stringy meats. Add protein shakes if necessary to meet your nutritional needs but avoid supplements with high amounts of sugar, fat and calories. Select a supplement made of soy, whey, casein or egg whites, suggests Aills, as other sources may not provide all of the amino acids required by your body.
Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables contribute necessary vitamins, minerals and fiber to your diet. At each meal, eat protein first before adding small amounts of plant foods. Many Lap-Band patients must avoid fibrous foods such as celery, corn, dried fruit, oranges, pineapple, sweet potatoes and asparagus that tend to become stuck in the opening to your stomach, according to Lap-Band. Remove seeds, skins and peels may improve digestibility.
Grains
Whole grains, including breads, cereals and brown rice, add healthy amounts of fiber and nutrients to your diet. Choose high quality foods and avoid refined and processed choices in rice, cereals, bread and pasta, says Lap-Band. Many Lap-Band patients must avoid soft, doughy breads that may become stuck in the stomach opening. High-sugar and high-fat grains, including pastries and certain cereals contribute to weight gain and provide no nutritional value.
Supplements
Although Lap-Band surgery does not block the absorption of food and nutrients, your limited food intake may cause vitamin and mineral deficiencies that affect your overall health. In addition to eating a healthy, balanced diet, follow your surgeon's instructions regarding vitamin and mineral supplements. Unless instructed otherwise, take a multivitamin, a 1,000 mg calcium citrate with vitamin D supplement and a vitamin B complex supplement every day, because you will not get enough of these nutrients from your food, says the University of Wisconsin. Without supplements, you may develop leg cramps, bone loss, high blood pressure and neuromuscular symptoms.
Warnings
After Lap-Band surgery, you risk regaining lost weight if you do not control your portions, choose healthy foods and exercise regularly. Avoid high fat foods such as baked goods, sausage, fried foods, creamy soups and bacon, and limit butter and oil to three or four tsp. per day, according to Lap-Band. Sugary, high-calorie foods such as syrups, jams, honey, desserts, ice cream, milkshakes and candy contribute to weight gain, as do fruit juices, beer, wine and whole-fat dairy products. Avoid carbonated drinks that expand the pouch as well as poorly digested foods such as popcorn, nuts and seeds. Eat small amounts of food at each meal, skip snacks, chew your food well and stop eating as soon as you feel full.
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