I am in the process for getting my surgery date and I get to meet with my surgeon for my first consultation in a few weeks. I've been researching lap bands now for about a month and I am pretty comfortable with the idea and lifestyle it will lead to. I've tried liquid diets before and I've done insane 21 day all veggie and just whey protein cleanse. I know how to restrict - I really should have a PhD in diet and exercise by now with all the facts that I know. I just keep gaining things back because I love to eat a LOT. My question is - What do I have to permanently give up, food wise? Besides eating low calorie/low fat (which is something we should all do anyway, right?), are there permanent restrictions on certain foods? I love to go wine tasting with my husband a few times a year. Can I do this on lap band? I also love to travel and it is hard to imagine not being able to try things abroad. Granted, I've come to the realization that I'm not happy having all the food that I want in the world right now, so why should I be worried that eliminating things will make me more unhappy. I just want to prepare myself for what I'm getting into with my future cuisine options. Thanks for all the advice in advance!

I am in the process for getting my surgery date and I get to meet with my surgeon for my first consultation in a few weeks. I've been researching lap bands now for about a month and I am pretty comfortable with the idea and lifestyle it will lead to. I've tried liquid diets before and I've done insane 21 day all veggie and just whey Protein cleanse. I know how to restrict - I really should have a PhD in diet and exercise by now with all the facts that I know. I just keep gaining things back because I love to eat a LOT. My question is - What do I have to permanently give up, food wise? Besides eating low calorie/low fat (which is something we should all do anyway, right?), are there permanent restrictions on certain foods? I love to go wine tasting with my husband a few times a year. Can I do this on lap band? I also love to travel and it is hard to imagine not being able to try things abroad. Granted, I've come to the realization that I'm not happy having all the food that I want in the world right now, so why should I be worried that eliminating things will make me more unhappy. I just want to prepare myself for what I'm getting into with my future cuisine options. Thanks for all the advice in advance!

The only thing you would permanetly give up would be carbonated beverages,including sparkling wines,sodas,beer. As far as food goes... nothing. I still eat Chinese, Italian,Thai .Mexican. Just make smart food choices,and of course you'll be eating smaller amounts.

well, in relation to the sparkling beverages, that's dependant upon your surgeon. My surgeon here in Australia suggests we try to give up soda but is only completely against it if you are drinking it in ridiculously large amounts. I drink a 600mL bottle prob 3-4 days a week which is about 2-3 glasses and have no problems, only 15kg from goal weight which is a mere 71kgs (I think that's about 30pounds to go and goal weight around 140pounds)

You don't have to permanently give up anything. There may be some things you never tolerate very well and some things that are hard to eat sometimes, those food items seem to vary from person to person but honestly there is nothing I can think of that I absolutely can't eat. I can only eat a little bread, my restriction fluctuates so when I am tight bread is not worth the effort. I can have carbonated soda every once in a while (but I avoid it when I can) and enjoy a beer at the hockey game when I want. My only serious stuck episode was on watermelon and that just completely turned me off so I don't eat it anymore but I probably could.

As for eating out, now that I am at goal I often do so without any problem. I can always find something that works for my band, the only problems are the portions; I can only eat around 1/3 of what is typically served in a restaraunt.

i had to wait 6 months post-op before i could have carbonation and alcohol... after that i had no restrictions.

you just have to always remember... you should NOT eat and drink at the same time. even almost 3 years post-op that is hard for me.

when i go out for work happy hour, i have to choose whether i'm going to eat or drink... and honestly, i usually choose drinking lol

it might make things more difficult when you travel... but you can start drinking again about 30 minutes after you eat!

i'm a believer that you can have anything in moderation... but it might cause you to lose slower.

I've given up absolutely NOTHING. You can get all scientific about diet, in fact we have quite heated debates about it at times on here. But its really all about portion control. You can lose weight eating nothing but absolute crap, just as you can get pretty fat on a healthy diet - truly weight and health are two separate issues, its all about calories.

You will find there's foods your band doesnt tolerate very well - often that's breads, Pasta, rice, red meat, but it wasnt the case for me, I struggled more with cold stuff like yogurt and things like fresh fruit.

wine tasting? For sure you can do that, in fact my doctor's practice, from which the book The Lap Band solution comes, has actually found statistically that moderate drinkers do better than teetotallers. There's nothing wrong with anything in moderation. All I find when having a glass of wine is to watch the accompanying foods - stay away from the nuts and the chips unless you want to skip a meal to afford the calories for them. Its true you shouldnt eat and drink at the same time, but wine's a different matter, you dont gulp wine in any quantity, sipping wine whilst eating is just fine.

Will you lose faster on a scientific, precision controlled low carb up the eyeballs in rules diet? For sure. But you'll probably be miserable and there's a great chance you'll be a complete pain in the ass to live with and socialise with too. I preferred to eat more moderately and normally and make up the difference with a good long run every day. Worked fine for me. But its each to their own.

Thank you everyone for the replies! This is very helpful and even more encouraging. I have my doctor's consult on Friday (the 18th) and I'm excited to get in there and ask questions and learn more about this lifestyle. From what I can gather, the Lap Band is not a magic bullet, but a tool to help someone achieve their goals on a healthy eating plan. I feel like it is going to be a good addition to my eating and exercising. I feel like, this time, I am going to be able to actually see some of the fruits of my labor, which will be such a relief! I've been yo-yo dieting since I was in high school - simply because I would dedicate myself for months at a time, only to see minimal if no results. Each time I would relapse into frustration eating or anger. I'm crossing my fingers that the lap band will give me results sooner so that I can keep up the willpower and feelings of accomplishment to keep me on track and motivated!

Oh yeah - and YAY FOR WINE! I'm a big fan of wine (I'm allergic to beer and corn syrup, so I could give a flip about soda). It's such a relief to know I can still enjoy it. I'm traveling to Scotland this summer so it's nice to know I can partake at the pub.

Like the others have said, what you can and can't eat really depends on how you react to your band. Also, every surgeon has vastly different criteria for things they will limit or restrict. For instance, my surgeon doesn't want me to drink any carbonated beverages, pasta, rice or bread. However, lots of banders have no issues with those items. I'll say that I've only been banded about a week and a half now, so I don't have a lot of first hand experience. However, after being on a liquid and protein shake diet for essentially 3 weeks (2 weeks pre-op + 1 week post-op) and a few days into a thicker liquid diet - I did find something that had me regretting a decision. This evening I went to grab some coffee with a friend and had a iced latte. Warning: TMI!! All the wonderful soup I ate for dinner, combined with whatever amount of sugar and caffeine from the coffee, gave my tummy a rumble and I almost had an accident running to the bathroom! Explosive diarrhea would be putting it lightly. Not to mention a very tense drive home afterwards. I'm going to check this as "positive reinforcement" and will NOT be drinking that ever again.

The band doesnt stop you from living, it helps you live longer.

I am Canadian but I live in Korea and travel to a different country once ever 1-2 months. The band has never stopped me from trying new foods, drinks etc in different countries ( though I have learned what things I can't wat while in other countries like dried apples when I was in South Africa)

Flying on a plane has never been a problem and I am even able to eat during flights ( sometimes 12 hours long).

When it comes to alcoholic beverages, I can drink carbonated but I don't really enjoy it. I prefer to stick to wine and little sips of wine while eating my doc has said is ok occasionally but not a lot and not often.

Good luck