Lap-Band Placement Diet

The primary purpose of the lap-band placement diet is to ensure that you receive adequate nutrition while keeping your lap band in place and your stomach at a desirable size. Immediately after your surgery, the lap-band placement diet will guide you back to eating solid food and adopting healthy eating habits. However, be sure to consult with your physician and dietitian for instructions that are specific to your unique needs.

Immediately After Lap-Band Placement

• As soon as you leave surgery, you can suck on a small ice cube or have one to two small sips of water. Have a sip or an ice cube whenever you are thirsty, but be sure not to ingest any more than this amount in a single setting during the first day after surgery (or as long as your physician prescribes).

One to Two Weeks After Lap-Band Placement

• The next day after surgery, you can graduate to a liquid diet with your physician's permission. The liquids that you ingest should be clear (consist mostly of water), contain no solid particles and be served at room temperature. Appropriate liquids are broth, juice, skim milk and other liquids that are low in sugar and fat.

  The serving size should be no larger than 1 oz. Ingest 6 oz. of liquid a day to be sure that you are staying hydrated and that you consume an adequate amount of calories.

  While you should not drink water during your liquid mealtime, be sure to stay hydrated by continually drinking 1 oz. servings of water throughout the day.

Three to Four Weeks After Lap-Band Placement

• Two weeks after your lap-band placement, you are ready to graduate to pureed foods with your doctor's permission.

  The consistency of your pureed food should resemble baby food (a chunk-free paste or thick liquid). If you are not buying baby food (which is perfectly acceptable), make your pureed meals by putting the food you intend to eat in a food processor and adding water until the consistency is smooth and there are no visible chunks or lumps.

  The foods that you eat should be protein-rich (like meats, dairy products and eggs) and low in fat and sugar. Again, the serving size should be 1 oz., and you should have six servings per day.

Five Weeks After Lap-Band Placement

• During the fifth week after your lap-band placement, your stomach is ready to handle soft foods. A soft food is any food that is easy to chew and digest such as fruit, re-fried beans, cottage cheese, cooked vegetables, and well-cooked and finely diced meat.

  When reincorporating solid foods into your diet, be sure to chew your food well. Improperly chewed food can cause vomiting, stomach upset and swelling. If you feel that you have chewed your soft foods well and you still get nauseous or vomit, return to a liquid diet and consult your physician.

  As you transition to soft, solid foods, you are also ready to slowly increase your portion size. If you feel that your appetite will allow for it, try increasing one or all of your six daily servings by 1/2 oz. However, be sure to listen to your stomach and never eat past the point of feeling full.

Lap-Band Placement Dietary Guidelines for the Long Term

• After five weeks, your stomach is ready to handle solid foods and a healthy well-balanced diet. Over time, your stomach's capacity will stretch to be able to accommodate 2 oz. of food per meal. Slowly increase your portion size, letting your appetite dictate the pace. Once you reach 2 oz. of food a day, you can decrease your meals to three a day.

  Your dietitian will work with you to plan a well-balanced diet tailored to your specific dietary needs, but every lap-band placement diet should follow a general set of guidelines:

  Your diet should be packed with a variety of nutrients that draw from all of the food groups. Avoid high-fat and high-sugar foods.

  When eating a meal, be sure to eat your protein first. If you become full before your meal is done, you will have consumed the most important nutrients. Never continue eating after you feel full.

  Spend at least a half-hour eating each meal, and be sure to chew all of your food thoroughly.

  Do not drink liquids with your meals. You may fill up before you have consumed all of the nutrients that you need. Wait at least 30 minutes after eating before drinking.

  Be sure to drink six to eight cups of water per day.