Helen Bauzon

Hi Carolina Great work. I am glad they were of help. Just in case you are not aware, I also have online support group meetings. The first is on the 4th March if interested. It will take the detail from the videos another level.

I can't beleive so much time has passed since I posted an article explaining that you can drink and eat with the Lap Band. This did create a lot of discussion. The link to this article is as below for those who wish to review or read for the first time. http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/144189-yes-you-can-drink-and-eat-at-the-same-meal-time/ So why bother bringing this up again? I worked with Allergan soon after this post. Together we developed some great 1-2 minute video presentations, providing an update regarding the research surrounding the band including how and what to eat. The videos can be viewed at http://lapbanddiet.com.au/long-term-diet/ . Please refer to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th clip from the top. Hope you enjoy. Any questions of clarrification please just ask, I'm only a few clicks away. Or you can also attend a FREE online support group meeting if you prefer. http://lapbanddiet.com.au/lap-band-support-group/

Are you looking for ideas to make your diet more interesting with various flavours and textures? Most importantly variety!!!! Variety is crucial to help you move further and further away from feeling like you are on a diet, which will help you stay on track. I would like to change your thinking and open your mind up to migrate away from looking for cook books specifically tailored for the Lap Band. Instead learn how you can quickly and easily create your own Lap Band friendly meals yourself. This will enable you to eat in all social settings freely. To achieve this there are two key take home messages, to creating Lap Band friendly meals. Avoid biting into food Modify the food prior to cooking or food served to you, as though you were feeding a one year old to prevent them from choking Let me reassure you, this will make sense if you understand how the band works as a "funnel" concept rather than a small stomach. Professor Paul O'Brien who I also work with has produced a great 2min clip explaining this at http://lapbanddiet.com.au/lap-band-surgery-how-the-band-works/ (the second clip on the page) Lets extrapolate the above two points further. 1. Avoid biting into food As adults we have big teeth and big mouths. If we bite into food we are likely to exceed a teaspoon portion. This is likely to result in inadequate chewing and over filling the "holding bay" before the esophagus pushes the food through the Lap Band. Pick with your fingers and eat with a knife and fork to portion control instead. Try an oyster fork. 2. Modify the food prior to cooking or food served to you on a plate, as though you were feeding a one year old to prevent them from choking Removing tough skins, strings and food cut into small pieces, makes an amazing difference in being able to tolerate a big variety of foods. The third mouthful syndrome is less likely. For example, salads can be challenging because they are usually present in large chunks of vegetables which have leathery skin. An alternative example would be a cherry tomato cut into half is much harder to eat compared to being cut into 4-8 segments. Diced salad is easier than an untouched chunky salad as an alternative. Another example would be at a food court,. The falafal wrap looks appealing but there is no way you would attempt to eat this because the chances of a food blockage is high. Well with the above two suggestions to creating Lap Band friendly meals, all you would need to do is place the wrap on a plate, unravel it and cut into small pieces before eating with a knife and fork rather than biting into it. Voila, the meal has become band friendly. With the above two key messages you can create meals and snacks appropriate for you with only a 5% modification. So the best Lap Band Cook Book is the one YOU create. To help you, I have uploaded a large number of recipes and made comments in red how to modify them that tiny 5% to create Lap Band Friendly Meals. Take a look and enjoy increasing the variety in your diet. http://lapbanddiet.com.au/dietary-advice/

This is what I have found also guys with my clinic. People would like to attend support group meeting but find it difficult due to travel, work and family commitments. So this is why I am about to start online support groups. Would you find this helpful to have live interaction with other banded individuals accompanied with education and accountability ?

Clients do come to me frustrated that they are not losing weight quickly enough. My response always is; what is holding you back? The band or you? Most people who choose to undergo Lap Band surgery, do so because they want to change their body and improve their health. Most people understand what to eat to lose weight, however you need to understand how to do this in conjunction with the Lap Band. The Lap Band can behave slightly differently each day creating variability in the food you can tolerate. The most important consideration is to ensure that the Lap Band falls within the green zone. That is, the Lap Band is not too tight. Clients do come to me frustrated that they are not losing weight quickly enough. My response always is; what is holding you back? The band or you? I often get a confused looking client in front me. This question can be quite confronting and forces one to self-reflect and be honest with themselves. I believe honesty is the best policy. With this article I would like to discuss a common challenge faced by most lapbanders, how much and how often one should eat? My philosophy is to keep things simple and easy to digest. Realistically I like to see a minimum of three meals a day consumed. Rather than focusing on how much to eat, try and place the focus on eating quality healthy food that would fit on a small toddler portion plate. This portion should take 15 to 20mins maximum to eat, after which you should feel disinterested in eating more food and be happy to stop eating. Remember, it is not the role of the Lap Band to stop you from eating, this is your responsibility. Ask yourself, are you really using the Lap Band to its maximum potential? Happy eating Helen Bauzon If interested, on Wednesday night 27th November, I will be running a 30min live webinar where you can ask me any question, plus learn a key activity you can do to prevent weight gain during the festive season. http://weightlosssurgerydiet.com.au/index.php/online-webinars

No need to pop any tablets, you can eat them. Ouch!!!! Food blockages are the biggest pain of a lap banders life. We must prevent this situation occurring daily, as this is crucial to help avoid a pouch forming. A pouch results in a dysfunctional lap band and weight gain is common.Ouch!!!! Food blockages are the biggest pain of a lap banders life. We must prevent this situation occurring daily, as this is crucial to help avoid a pouch forming. A pouch results in a dysfunctional lap band and weight gain is common. Therefore, our primary focus is to avoid food blockages and secondly learn how to manage them. To understand the top three key points that will help you avoid food blockages, get your free ebook at www.weightlosssurgerydiet.com.au with all the answers. In this article, let’s discuss how to manage your predicament once the food has been dislodged and unfortunately you will likely feel a little raw and uncomfortable internally. But why? Improvise with me. If you were to walk slowly through a rose bush forcing your way through, I am 100% confident you will come out worse for wear. Your skin will feel raw, sore, grazed and irritated. Guess what! A similar situation could occur internally, as the food tries to squeeze through the lap band also. The area may get a little swollen and the lap band may physically feel a little tighter and more restrictive. Foods which you would customarily tolerate well may become a little challenging. You must avoid further irritation, by following the next 3 steps: Step 1. Relax the diets texture to soft, wet and easy for the remaining part of the day. Suggestions include soup, casserole, cottage pie etc Step 2. Take your internal anti-inflammatory. This will include icy cold water or ice cubes. Yes this is correct. No need to pop any tablets, just help ice the area and reduce the swelling ASAP. Step 3. Uncover what caused the food blockage and try to prevent this in the future. Wishing you luck Helen Bauzon Dietitian www.weightlosssurgerydiet.com.au

Absolutely, that's what it's there for. Also I have just recorded more with Allergan, when they are available I will upload these and let you know also. Should not be too long. I have proofed them.

I do like to change the labelling to help stop people forcing food through the band too early in the day. What ever helps people get the results and unerstand the band.

Thank you,I have checked and I have foud it to work ok, without it the program asks me to fix the link. Within my Bio, the https:// present or not did not help to make the link live It's a constant learniing curve to me Thanks again Cheers Helen

Forget BREAKFAST!! Rename it to the first meal of the day instead. The Wikipedia definition of BREAKFAST states: Breakfast (literally meaning "breaking the fast" of the night) is the first meal taken after rising from a night's sleep, most often eaten in the early morning before undertaking the day's work. Do individuals with a Lap Band need breakfast? I don’t believe so. I often see clients reporting getting food stuck in the morning. As they literally try to force food through the lap band. Why? They have been told it is the most important meal of the day to get the metabolism going. So they persist and change if toast or fruit get stuck, to a liquid meal such as a fruit smoothie or a weight loss meal replacement. In addition, they often report they are not even feeling hungry. So why consume these calories. My solution / recommendation. Forget breakfast. Stop forcing calories through the lap band when you are not feeling hungry. It is more common that the lap band feels tighter in the morning. Hence the greater pressure on the receptor sites, this suppresses one’s hunger. It can sometimes take 1 to 3 hours on waking to become interested in food as the pressure lessens on the receptor sites. This is when I recommend we have our first meal of the day, not breakfast!!! Consider removing breakfast, lunch and dinner from your weight loss journey vocabulary. Replace these to the first, second and third meal of the day instead, consumed at times that suit your lifestyle.

We are looking at a meal. As more Fluid goesin the band the more time consuming the meal becomes. Just workout for as an individual what amount of fluid suits your lifestyle. Today I saw a client who was not keen to eat so slowly to avoid blocks, so I suggested she remove 0.2ml to help avoid her frustrations,but the band will still provide adequate control of her appetite. At times it can all be too much. I am passionate about ensuring the band is not too tight. This needs to be a personal decision.

I had to laugh,what a tongue twister,I am impressed. So we agree on the functioning but choose to use it in a way that suits us personally. Perfect.

Hi Jean, Thanks once again.

Thanks so much. I'll keep them coming. food for thought.

Hi Amanda, To answer your question I'll refer you to the Lap Band Surgery page on my website. I have created a PDF file which is a cut and paste from my book which explains how the lap band works in very simple non-scientific language. Have a read then ask further questions. You will find the file at the bottom of the page. http://www.globalgastricbandsolutions.com.au/expert-advice/lap-band-surgery/

Hi Guys, Lets just keep it simple. You may like to try an exercise. Have a simple meal such as a dry biscuit and some low fat cheese or tinned tuna on top. Take 1 tsp portion, chew to a paste and wait one to two minutes and then take a sip of Water. If the water goes straight through, the upper part of 'funnel' concept is empty. It supports the research being conducted by CORE. Also keep in mind if someone has a pouch and oesophageal dilation, it's likely to take longer for the food to pass through. This is a whole other discussion. Once an individual loses their desired weight, removing the band or removing all saline from the system, will result in the hunger returning most likely. I see this in my practice when Fluid is removed short term for a variety of reasons, weight gain is common. In theory, each mouthful will take that 1-2 minutes to pass through the band all variables controlled. So whether it is the first or last mouthful it should be the same. I'm glad we are having a great conversation around this topic, because once the mechanics of the band is understood, from my experience more people will use the band correctly and minimize regurgitation and maximize their weight loss and well being. As a dietician specialising in the management of Lap Band patients I feel it is important to discuss the management holistically. Just like in my general practice, I explain what coeliac or diabetes is as a disease state prior to explaining the required dietary changes. Point taken, research articles will be included with the original post from here onwards. I feel very fortunate to be working so closely with the team at CBS and CORE to be made aware of the most recent research as it occurs. It is all about working together. Happy chewing.

Hi Guys, Lets remove nutrition from the discussion and focus on what texture of food that passes through the gastric band that will make you feel more satisfied. These foods include the more solid options such as a frittata. A frittata would be a simple meal of eggs, low fat milk blended with some carb free vegetables and cooked in a dish in the oven. No need to be high in calories, far from a quiche which I agree is a disaster in calories. It's amazing what impact different different terminology can have internationally. Elcee lets compare a meal such as a soup even of a thick consistency. The theory suggests that this texture would pass through the band easier compared to a salad and steamed fish which requires much more chewing to pass through the band. At the recent OSSANZ conference there was even a very small study showing participants felt fuller for longer on a solid Optifast bar compared to the optifast shakes. The nutritional value/content is exactly the same but the texture is different. The more solid the food is in the original form prior to consumption, the greater the satiety effect with the lap band. More studies are required with larger numbers at this stage to consolidate the finding. However I receive this feedback all the time from my clinics.

WOW, what great discussions, thanks so much guys. When ever evolving research challenges our belief system, it will always stir the pot. Let me address all of your concerns. (1) I have a Bachelor of Science degree and a Masters in Nutrition and Dietetics and an APD in Australia. I have worked with lap band patients since year 2000 and have counselled over 3000 individuals. I currently work with the Centre of Bariatric Surgery which is run by Professor Paul O'Brien, the founder of the lap band in Australia. I also work closely with Centre for Obesity Research and Education (CORE). I have been involved in research assessing the best nutritional make up of the diet and the ideal frequency of meals to lose weight with the lap band in association with CORE. As Cocoabean has linked above the new research regarding how the food passes through the lap band has been determined by Mr Paul Burton via CORE. I hope this helps show people I understand and practically apply the most recent research in my practice and recommendations. Thank you Jean for the clarification on why my Bio was not uploaded, much appreciated. More details can be seen at http://www.globalgastricbandsolutions.com.au/helen-bauzon/leading-bariatric-dietitian/ (2) The research surrounding the movement of the food bolus through the lap band was conducted on a texture of porridge with a well adjusted and well functioning lap band. So there would be no indication of a pouch or oesophageal dilatation. Hence the bolus of food would ideally be pushed through within the 1-2 minutes. If the area of above the lap band is empty completely of food, then there is no harm in taking a sip of Water for example. I have attached three articles by Dr Paul Burton which has some great graphics to view. I was unable to attach them here so you can view them at http://www.globalgastricbandsolutions.com.au/lap-band-diet-drinking-and-eating-with-your-food/ (3) If the food passes through that quickly if pain is experienced, then some possible explanations could be: A too big of a mouthful of food was consumed Not chewed adequately Did not wait long enough between swallows Possibly tried to eat a food that is generally difficult to consume with the lap band Had a previous blockage and swelling /irritation has resulted (4) These solid research findings by CORE have been implemented into a video presentation produced by Professor Paul O'Brien and is well circulated in Australia. I am aware that more footage is being prepared and once available I will inform everyone. (5) These recommendations are far from reckless and have research to support them. My passion and what I am known for is getting lap band patients to eat normal solid food pain free, but making them understand how the lap band really works. The lap band does not create a small stomach but rather a 'funnel' concept. The role of the band is to slow us down and make us feel more satisfied on a smaller portions of food by placing pressure on the receptor sites via the lap band itself and pressure from the food. (6) Please do not confuse this discussion with the impact of consuming liquid foods compared to solid foods and the effect on satiety. These are two different topics. (7) It is well respected that everyone with a lap band belongs to a particular weight loss surgery clinic with their own views and opinions. It is for this reason that I ended the article with two options for you to make a personal decision that would suit you best, highlighted below. Choose either option, or blend them both when it suits you as summarized below: 1. Wait enough time between mouthfuls before consuming a sip of your drink 2. Consume a glass of water before the meal, eat your meal then begin drinking again once you feel comfortable. I wish everyone luck with their own drinking and eating. Lets discuss further as required to clarify.

I just wrote an article, LEARN HOW TO EAT PAIN FREE, this will give you some ideas. After viewing this feel free to clarify anything.

Hi Guys, Thanks for your feedback guys. I'm not sure how it got to the thread, my apologies. I just submitted it as an article as with all my others as other health professionals not specifically as a thread. I'll have to look into it. Carole there are numerous reasons why one may feel pain on eating such as a food getting blocked or over filling the 'funnel' concept above the gastric band. These could include: too big of a mouthful, inadequate chewing swallowing too soon time of the day stress previous blockage to mention a few. Great news if you have not experienced discomfort on eating Carole. Keep up the great work.

You can avoid the discomfort of eating healthy food with the gastric band and dealing with unwanted blockages easily once you are shown the tricks how. In essence we all understand which foods we need to eat more from to lose weight. That’s correct the more bulky unprocessed foods such as fruit, vegetables, fish, meats etc compared to the those wrapped in a plaster wrapper with bright colours displaying a variety of nutritional claims such as muesli bars, chips, cakes etc), which are much higher in calories. Unfortunately these higher calorie foods typically pass through the gastric band more easily and the more unprocessed foods can create discomfort on eating with the gastric band. This can easily be rectified by understanding two simple elements: 1. How the gastric band works 2. Modify how you chew your food This will enable you to eat more nutritious food pain free and maximize the effect of the gastric band to make you feel fuller for longer. Step 1. Let’s understand how the gastric band works in very simple terms. View the area above the gastric band as a funnel not a small stomach. The total capacity of the funnel holds 1 tbs of food only. Step 2. Modify how you chew your food. Consume maximum 1 tsp of food per mouthful, grind this into a paste before swallowing. Focus on the flavours and textures of the food by placing the food initially onto your tongue. The saliva released will help soften the food and make it easier to grind the food into a paste before swallowing. Once you have swallowed this first teaspoon of food, wait 1 minute before you swallow your next single teaspoon of food. This will enable you to: 1. eat the right balance of foods pain free 2. maximize the effect of the gastric band and you will feel fuller for longer and 3. ultimately lose weight For more details of my recent three articles can be accessed from the book, The Gastric Band Nutrition Essential, by yours truly.

To maximize the effect of the gastric band and limit your calorie intake and feel satisfied for longer, by eating more solid than liquid meals. Once on a full unrestricted diet, your goal is to work in partnership with the gastric band to limit your calorie intake and feel satisfied for longer. This will be easy for you to achieve by following the first key principle, chew your food do not drink them. The more solid in texture the food is on your plate that requires chewing to convert it into a paste, fewer calories will be consumed and it will help place pressure on the signal points with the gastric band to trick your brain and feel satisfied for longer after a smaller amount of food. Are you wondering what I mean by this? Let’s compare eating your fruit to drinking the juice. I glass of fruit juice would contain the calories of four whole oranges. The gastric band will allow you to drink these calories reasonably easily in a very short space of time. However to sit and plough through and chew up to 4 whole oranges, I know you would give up, it just takes too long to achieve. Liquid calories such as juice, soups, mashed vegetables and casseroles should be kept to a minimum for maximum weight loss results. The discussion needs to be taken one step further. To enable you to consume as many dry and solid textured meals as possible successfully with the gastric band, often you need to modify your food preparation slightly to make the meal more gastric band friendly. There are many foods we could use as an example, however lets use a few protein rich foods, such as a hardboiled egg, left over dry chicken and fish which can create havoc with the gastric band. Slightly better alternatives would include scrambled egg or a frittata, tinned chicken and tinned fish. These textures are still dry and solid but easier to eat pain free with the gastric band. This ever so slight modification to your meal preparation will enable you to eat more pain free. In summary, to maximize the effect of the gastric band and limit your calorie intake and feel satisfied for longer, by eating more solid than liquid meals.

Yes you can drink and eat at the same meal time. There is no concern in flushing the food through the gastric band. That is the old thinking. There is no concern in flushing the food through the gastric band when the area above the band is empty. Recent research has provided a better understanding of the how the gastric band works, conducted by CORE in Melbourne. We now understand that food only remains in the area above the gastric band for approximately 1 minute, it is then pushed through the gastric band via the oesophageal pressure. This takes about 3 to 6 peristaltic motions. You can eat and drink at the same time; however it is essential you allow sufficient time between swallows to ensure the area above the gastric band is completely empty, before you consume a sip of your drink. However, be careful to not drink liquids with your meal to assist the movement of food through the gastric band, this is cheating. Focus on tasting and enjoying the flavours and textures which will enable your saliva to soften the food and make it easier to grind the food into a past prior to swallowing. Many people feed back to me that they often do not wait long enough between mouthfuls and take a sip too early and get into trouble. So you may wish to consider an alternative option to not drink and eat during your meal, but rather eat your meal and begin drinking again once you feel comfortable. Choose either option, or blend them both when it suits you as summarized below: 1. Wait enough time between mouthfuls before consuming a sip of your drink 2. Consume a glass of water before the meal, eat your meal then begin drinking again once you feel comfortable.

The less perfect you are, the more weight you will lose. Change your thinking and lose weight successfully with the Gastric Band, by proportioning 80% of your time follow eating well and being physically active and the remaining 20% let the rules relax. The Gastric Band does not stop emotional eating or grazing, you must do this yourself. Which categories do you relate to? 1. I experience good or bad days with my eating 2. Once when I start eating the wrong food, I can’t stop 3. I often crave food I shouldn’t be eating A great starting point is for me to help you stop feeling guilty about your food choices and stop you from starting yet another diet, as this mentality makes you crave and over eat the wrong foods. That is foods that slide through the Gastric Band very easily. The 7 steps below, illustrates what I describe as the dieting cycle. When this is broken, you can control your habit and stress eating with more ease. Dieting Cycle (1) You decide to start losing weight (2) You stop eating “Bad” Food (3) You crave “Bad” food (4) Eat some “Bad” food (5) Feel guilty and unhappy with self (6) Feel like broken diet & over eat (7) Will start again on …….. and the viscous cycle begins of trying to start again How To Break The Dieting Cycle. SOLUTION: Step (1) We need to stop the cravings, and the only way to do this is to STOP viewing food as being either “good” or “bad”. You may hear yourself making comments such as, “I can’t have that; it is bad” or “That is a bad food” for example. Instead, you need to describe the food for what it is. If there was a blind person who had also lost their sense of taste and smell and they asked you what chocolate tasted like, your description of: “oh, it is a bad food!” would leave them with no idea or understanding of the food. Rather, you should respond, “It is plain dairy milk chocolate in the shape of a small square, which has a rich chocolate taste”. Even having read this last phrase, have you felt your shoulders drop? Chocolate is just a food. Describe the food in a neutral manner. SOLUTION: Step (2) The second mistake we need to correct is to stop giving yourself permission to overeat. You must stop making the comment, “I will start again on …” This must be changed to, “I am not starting anything; I am not on a diet!” Then, you do not give yourself permission to continue eating the easy foods. Implementing both Solutions, Steps (1) and (2), takes practice and commitment. The more often you try to see the benefit of how it works, the faster you will obtain control of your weight with the Gastric Band. Slowly with practice you will gain more control confidence and you will begin to shine.

Hi Kellie, Let me clarify something first, before I answer your question. Making the assumption that there are no food blockages, no pouch (stretching of the stomach), the band is not over inflated, the food will remain in the small stomach for a very short time, 30 to 60 seconds, depending on the texture of the food consumed. Following this, there is no need to fast before an adjustment. For the 24hrs post an adjustment, ear soft liquid based foods, as there can be swelling and irritation post a fill. There are others who take an additional few days to receive the full effect of the adjustment. I hope this helps and good luck with your journey, it is very exciting. Kind regards Helen Bauzon Leading Bariatric Dietitian