Hi all,

I am hoping to get banded later this year (by Mr. Andrew Smith), and attending my information session with The Avenue clinic this Tuesday night.

I have been doing a lot of research before finalising my decision to go ahead with the lap band surgery, and so far I think it seems to be the right option for me.

This forum is great, but all of the products mentioned for the post op recovery phase seem to be American products, like 'gas x strips', 'sugarless popsicles' and 'crystal light'.

Does anyone have any recommendations for products available in Australia that would suffice for this post op recovery week?

thanks,

Merryn

Hi there

Did you want to know what to eat pre surgery or after surgery???

Hi tomjerry,

It's the after surgery part I am worried about. Any suggestions for products for the week after surgery in particular.

thanks,

Merryn

In Coles the other day I bought a sports drink - I think it was Powerade (might have been Gatorade but dont think so) and it was called No Sugar. It was GREAT. All the benefits of an electrolyte replacing sports drink without the calories and sugar in Gatorade (6 cals from memory) - I powered through my spin class! There's also low calorie cordial

We have De-Gas - again that is available in the supermarket or the Mintec tablets from the chemist work well too.

Sugarless pospicles - well really, WTF would you bother? There's barely any calories in a plain old lemonade icypole anyway - about 40. I've never seen artificially sweetened ones anyway and to tell the truth, although I bought that powerade, on the whole I avoid artificially sweetened stuff - I'd rather have the sugar than artificial sweetener - there's all sorts of low calorie/low fat ice cream.

You'll find our docs dont have this low carb obession that is all the rage on this board, small amounts of sugar are quite OK to consume.

And seriously, post op you want to concentrate on real foods in liquid form - proper Soups, fruit smoothies, V8, yogurt - really nourishing liquids, not processed artificially sweetened crap. I got through the post op phase quite well without jelly, popsicles and gagorade apart from if you need to occasional sweet treat.

We're also not generally encouraged to view Protein shakes as an entire food group either. But GNC has a good range.

Good luck!

Great advice!

thanks Jachut!

My dietician gave me the following advice and I hope this helps you.

After surgery your on a liquid diet for approximately 2 weeks. Must be in liquid form, thin enough to pass through a straw, smooth, has no lumps and no fizzy.

Suitable fluids

Commercial Protein drinks

Plain Water

Coffee/tea

Drinking yogurt

fruit juice

Vegetable Juice

Tin strained soup/stocks

They also recommend you take a liquid Multivitamin.

For constipation take prune juice or benifiber.

Hope this information helps you, I could email you the information which will be in more detail if you like, just email me your email address.

I've helped compile this list on an ozzie site:

Immediately post op you wont be able to have much for a few hours, and you must sip slowly!!! perhaps 50mls at a time for a while. (everyones experience is different but this is pretty much what you can have)

anything you have must be thin enough to fit up a straw, and have NO LUMPS. if you need to Water things down try doing it with milk which helps with Protein .

liquid Vitamins are important (Iron is essential)

immediately post op -

ice chips or water

next day- (after baruim swallow if that is your surgeons thing)

clear broth

apple juice

peppermint tea (good for the wind)

jelly?

day 2 you should be able to start milk drinks -

sustagen, up n go, tea or coffee, milo, etc

Soup but still thin

drinking yoghurt

vegie juice

prune or pear juice if you are having issues moving your bowels.

Low fat frozen yoghurt in little 100gram tubs

ww custard with extra milk to be thin enough(yummm)

ww mousse

smoothies

snack pack

ice cream

Put anything you're not sure of through a sieve.

by day 4 or 5 you possibly could drink 250ml in about half an hour to an hour.

by then end of your 2 or 3 weeks of liquid you can start thickening up your things in preparation for mushy stage.

thanks all, your advice/suggestions are very helpful.

I attended the information session and have decided that this is definitely the right decision for me. My first appointment with the surgeon has been brought forward to tomorrow morning (was meant to be at the end of this month) due to cancellation so I am keen to see what the surgeon thinks.

regards,

Merryn.

Hi all,

I am hoping to get banded later this year (by Mr. Andrew Smith), and attending my information session with The Avenue clinic this Tuesday night.

I have been doing a lot of research before finalising my decision to go ahead with the lap band surgery, and so far I think it seems to be the right option for me.

This forum is great, but all of the products mentioned for the post op recovery phase seem to be American products, like 'gas x strips', 'sugarless popsicles' and 'crystal light'.

Does anyone have any recommendations for products available in Australia that would suffice for this post op recovery week?

thanks,

Merryn

HI Merryn, I am being banded by Dr Paul Burton from Avenue Clinic on the 17th of April. I know very soon. I cant wait. I would be happy to let you know how it all goes. Cheers Sam

Hi Sam,

That's today! How exciting and scary!

Hope all goes well and looking forward to hearing about your experience when you are back online.

Merryn.