Last night me and my husband search youtube for videos on the do's & dont's of a lapband. We found one video of a woman who was sitting in her car and she gave a short list of the dont's only. It look as if she was reading from a book she recieved from a lapband meeting. Unfortunetly I will not be able to attend a meeting in my area because they are all durning my work hours. Can someone please provide a list of the DO'S & DONT'S.

So glad you made this post I was just about to post something similar. I'm scheduled to be banded in August but I'm concerned about failure rate, I definitely want my band to be a success. How do you avoid band slippage? I'm not sure if band erosion can be avoided?

Don't have a full list, but carbonated beverages are a DON'T. You are supposed to avoid drinking your calories. I have also heard that walking after the surgery helps with the gas/pain, etc. My surgery is not scheduled yet, so I am not speaking from experience.

Heidi

the only information I've heard about for spilage is to avoid VOMITING! erosion is new to me I hope someone answers those questions

tflemon67 & Heidi-I read somewhere flavored water & steak is a dont' do you know if this is true?

Maybe the lap band site has what you are looking for?

http://www.lapband.com/en/live_healthy_lapband/months_beyond/lifestyle_guidelines/

CentrixBeauti I'm not sure if flavored water is out but it seems carbonated anything is out. Of course I'm driving myself crazy reading all the horror stories related to the band, I'm sure it's normal to be concerned. I want to make sure I'm doing the right thing.

The information session I went to, the surgeon mentioned that some people have trouble with some meats, especially well done. He mentioned chicken and bread as well, but he said everyone is different, but it seems to be if the meat is dry it can cause problems. From what I have seen on this forum, different doctors have different post op diets.

The key is to eat slowly. If you eat fast and only junk it will hurt and fail. Remember protein first. Lean meats and veggies. Sugar free stuff if you want somethign sweet. Eating fast may cause you to feel like you swallowed a golf ball and have to wait it out until it passes. If you follow the guildlines you will be fine. Working out more is a bonus to kick start and help lose faster. Its a tool not a magical cure. You work with it and it will greatly reward you down the road. Good Luck to you and if you have any qustions ask me. I'm always happy to share my experiences.

There is so much information out there about living with the lapband and some of it is contradictory. Take advantage of the advice you will get on here but remember that your medical team should be your primary source of information.

With that disclaimer in place....

• Eat slowly
  
• Chew lots
  
• Take very small bites
  
• Follow your doctor's dietary rules both pre-op and post-op. They are there for a reason
  
• Just because you can eat something, (anything, everything!) doesn't mean that you should
  
• Experiment to learn what foods you can tolerate. It is different for everyone. For me, I can't eat red meats and most breads.
  
• Plan to exercise. Not only will it aid your weight loss, it also becomes fun!
  
• Have a real life champion. My husband is my biggest cheer leader and my hero. Without him by my side, on my side, I doubt I could have been as successful as I have.
  
• Plan on making this a lifelong journey. It's not an overnight fix.
  
• It's not always easy but it is definitely worth it.
  
• Look out for, enjoy and Celebrate NSVs (Non-scale Victories)
  
• Stay in touch with your medical team. Follow up visits are a major key to your long term success.
  

Good luck!

I don't eat chicken breast, but thighs done very moist , chewed well are my go to protein. Fish has a high protein count and I make sure it is not dry. Eat tuna made with LO fat mayo, again chewed well. I try to avoid bread, unless toasted. ' Slider foods" for me is pasta, goes down too easily....well cooked veggies are great. I find that for breakfast, I have a high protein smoothie with a banana added. Just can't tolerate eggs. But, I will have cream of wheat made with milk sometimes for breakfast.

No carbonated drinks, no caffeine and no juices.... Too much acid

I kind of get a kick out of hearing my stomach gurgling when it is empty!!!!! A new experience!!!!!

Eat slowly, chew chew chew! I had a stuck episode early on with corned beef on st Patrick's day..... Lesson learned!

The issue w/ meat can be potentially resolved by dipping it in a light ranch dressing 1st. What you'll find in the months after, when you're not as restricted as the wks after surgery, is that your band will tell you what works for you. They say avoid broccoli, but if steamed soft enough it can be ok. Depends on the person. Everyone is different. They say no drinking at meals, some do (successful ppl), but it can fill you up & you need "nutritional calories". Its up to you. The fail rate, I believe, is folks not wrapping their minds around how "mental" this process is. So much is in our heads, why we eat, how much, what we choose, under what circumstances... If you don't face that stuff, you may lose, but you'll gain it back. What I love about my band is it gives me consequences when I don't chew well enough. It tells me when I've eaten too much and provides consequences for that as well. Sure, if I don't adapt my stomach could stretch, but I do make the change. I love my band. It is helping me a lot. Good luck to those of you preparing!