Hi all...possibly wondering if I could get some assistance. My nurses and dr aren't the best at helping me which is very depressing. I chose this journey bc I ate like garbage all the time. But when I ask rhe dr or call rhe nurse for help they speak to me like I'm an idiot and shoild know. This is hard....my question is...what should I be approximately and approiately eating. Any advise will help at this point. Thank you

How long have you been banded Jessika?

I had to try several things to find a good diet that worked for me. What I ended up settling on was a mixture of Atkins/South Beach/Mediterranean diets. Basically, high protein and high fat. Lot's of Meats, cheeses, eggs, olive oil. No bread, rice, pasta, fruit juice, soda, sweets, etc. I did have potatoes but I try to limit it and only eat them after I've finished my protein. That might be a good start for you. Good luck!

Make an appointment with your nutritionist. They can help you establish food guidelines specific to your individual needs and point you in the right direction.

My dr insists on 60 g of protein/day and the rest is bonus. I stick to lean meats and fresh veg/fruits (mostly). In general, I try to follow a general South Beach kind of plan, which pretty much amounts to high Protein, low/good carbs (e.g., 100% whole grains only/lower sugar fruit such as apples), low/good fat (e.g., olive oil). After living with my band for 7 years, I still need to weigh and measure my portions. I just cannot "eyeball" a good portion size for me. I will always put more on the plate than I should. When I weigh and measure, I find that even then I may not be able to eat everything on my plate, so when I don't measure, I end up with waaayyy too much (and since I'm a life long member of the happy plate club, that's bad for me). To get the amount of protein I need, I have to eat protein first - every time.

I agree with Missy - consult a nutritionist. (I have never met with a nutritionist, but then again, my dr was very forthcoming -read "bossy" - about what I should be eating). Have you considered talking with another dr and possibly changing? If he/she is a bariatric specialist, it should come as no surprise that eating healthy and proper proportions is not your strength. For them to be condescending and unhelpful about it sounds strange.

Shelly

Some generic guidelines you hear are 60-80g protein minimum, 3 meals a day 1/2-1 cup per meal, no drinking w/ meals or 30 mins after. Sometimes the band restricts what we can eat (ie I do not do well with starches). There are plenty of menu ideas both on this site and if you do a generic google search for lapband menus. Many bariatric centers post their post surgery menu and ideas as well to give you a good starter list for what to buy at the grocer and what foods to focus on. If you are simply eating out, eating 'normal' ie high fat/carbs than the band will in no way help you. Food selection is paramount. Also, getting to green is equally important otherwise 'dieting clean' becomes very difficult as it was pre band. I too recommend seeing a nutritionist or changing doctors.

Attached is a link that helped me

http://www.endofobesity.com/lapbanddiet1.html