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Gastric Band Diet

The decision to undergo gastric band surgery is a major life decision that requires patients to commit to lifestyle changes. Patients must make major dietary changes because a gastric band limits the amount of food a person can consume at a time.

  1. Immediately After Surgery

    • Patients are required to follow a diet that consists of about 800 to1100 calories and 40 to 60 grams of protein every day. During this time, patients must follow this diet strictly, drink plenty of water and take daily multivitamins and mineral supplements such as calcium, iron and zinc to ensure the body receives the nutrition it needs.

    Long-Term Diet

    • In the long term, patients must maintain a low-fat diet that is high in protein. It's a good idea for patients to consume five to six small meals per day and stay away from high-fat foods completely, as these foods cannot be digested properly after gastric band surgery.
      Patients should continue to drink at least 64 ounces of water a day and take multivitamins and minerals to maintain proper nutrition levels in the body.

    Foods to Avoid

    • Gastric band surgery drastically reduces the size of the stomach. Because of the reduction in size there are foods that patients should avoid in the three to six months following the surgery. These foods and beverages include tough, dry meats, fruit and vegetable skins, shredded coconut, fibrous vegetables such as corn, fried or high-fat foods, soda, whole milk and fresh breads.

    Adding Exercise

    • In addition to maintaining a specialized diet, patients should adopt an exercise routine that consists of at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise at least three times per week. Exercise can help patients increase their physical fitness and help avoid blood clots and other health risks post-gastric band surgery.

    Special Considerations

    • Patients who opt for gastric band surgery go through a lot of changes to their bodies. It's best that patients start their post-gastric band surgery diet at least four months before surgery. This will allow patients time to adjust to their diets and get used to their new eating habits instead of shocking their bodies with the changes after the procedure.

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