If you are considering Lap-Band surgery, you know that the weight loss operation will mean major changes in your life. As you learn more about it, you'll find that the changes actually start before surgery --- changes in your lifestyle, activity level, and most of all, your diet.
Lap-Band Basics
The Obesity Action Coalition reports that laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding, a minimally invasive procedure, is gaining popularity as a treatment for obesity. The Lap-Band, an adjustable ring made of silicone, compresses the upper part of the stomach into a small pouch, the Cleveland Clinic explains on its website. Obese patients lose weight because their new, smaller stomachs fill with food quickly and empty slowly.
Expectations
You can expect to lose about 80 to 140 lbs. following Lap-Band surgery, according to the Duke University Health System Weight Loss Surgery Center. Major side effects are fewer than with the more-invasive gastric bypass surgery. But to lessen your risk for complications, and improve your outlook for lasting weight loss, you can expect extensive counseling about the procedure and the dietary adjustments you'll need to make.
Pre-Surgery Diet
A strict weight loss diet should boost your nutrition and energy level as well as give you a head start on healthy habits for the future, the Obesity Action Coalition says. A prime goal is to reduce the size of the liver, which must be repositioned to allow for placement of the Lap-Band, the council explains. Expect to give up alcohol, sweets, high-carbohydrate meals and snacks, and fried foods. You will be advised to eat slowly and mindfully, concentrating on signs that you feel full, the council advises.
Variations
Pre-surgery diet requirements vary widely among bariatric surgeons, the Obesity Action Coalition notes. Some may put you on a liquid diet; others may require that you lose a certain percentage of your body weight. At the Center for the Treatment of Obesity at the University of California, San Diego Medical Center, patients are given a special two-week diet, but first told to cut back on fast food, avoid carbonated beverages and use smaller plates to get used to eating less.
Different Lifestyle
Following a restricted diet may be difficult at first, but it will help you get used to the smaller meals you'll require when the Lap-Band has reduced the size of your stomach, the Obesity Action Coalition advises. Other changes also may be required, such as quitting smoking and starting an exercise routine. According to the National Institutes of Health, if you commit to a lifetime of eating healthful foods and exercising regularly, you'll help to ensure that your post-surgery weight loss is successful.
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