Lap-Band surgery is a weight-loss procedure in which the surgeon places a silicone band around your stomach and creates a small pouch to hold food. The purpose of the Lap-Band is to reduce your food intake. After your surgery, you will be on a special diet for several weeks, which gives your body time to adjust and heal. While it's okay to get a little creative with your diet, as long as you strictly follow the consistency guidelines, you should discuss any dietary substitutes with your doctor.
Post-surgery
Following surgery, you should not stomach more than a sip of water or suck on an ice cube. In the first few days, you're at risk of vomiting if you take in too much liquid, which can actually stretch your stomach, according to Dr. Santiago Horgan, a gastric banding specialist from the University of California, San Diego. The official Lap-Band website suggests a diet for the first few weeks after surgery, but does not address diet instructions for the hours and day immediately following the procedure. While there are no substitutions for sipping water, at this point, you probably won't desire any food.
Week 1
You will need to give your body time to adjust to your smaller stomach in the first week after surgery by eating a clear, liquid diet. The Lap-Band website suggests eating clear broth or soup without bits of vegetables or meat. Avoid cream-based soups. You can have skim milk, fruit juice and sugar-free popsicles. Patients who have had the surgery claim that eating in the first week is difficult and uncomfortable. If soup feels heavy and overspiced, you can water it down. Orange juice is an acidic beverage. Adding water to your juice can make it easier to take in. You should also take small sips and eat slowly so you're aware of feeling full.
Week 2
By your second week, you may find yourself missing solid, more flavorful foods. While you still need to be on a liquid diet, you can get a little creative. The official suggestion is to stick with clear broth, skim milk and fruit juice. You can also buy a variety of canned soups and separate the broth from the noodles, meat and vegetables. Other items to add to your diet include liquid Jell-O, sugar-free water ice and decaffeinated tea.
Weeks 3 and 4
By week three, your stomach will be able to handle slightly textured foods that have the consistency of baby food or smooth mashed potatoes. Dr. Horgan suggests eating foods that are high in protein before eating fruits and vegetables. Official suggestions include blending skinless chicken or fish and peas. You can also eat low-fat yogurt and pudding. Other foods you can eat on your semi-solid diet include low-fat cottage cheese; pureed fruits; unsweetened instant breakfast; unsweetened applesauce; hot cereals thinned with milk and blended; sugar-free protein shakes and custard.
Week 5
By week five, you can begin eating soft solids like cooked fish and ground turkey and moist pork. Other foods you can eat include cooked eggs -- any preparation other than fried is acceptable; macaroni and cheese or tuna casserole; cottage cheese, bread, cooked vegetables, extra lean ground beef and beans.
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