I am deciding on lap band surgery and want to understand the post op diet. Do you have to give up caffeine? And what is the diet like after you can eat solid foods-- is steak out all together?

Well, let's see. Caffeine is considered an appetite stimulant. Have I given it up altogether? Heck no! Every morning, I have a vitamin concoction of which I disguise the taste with Crystal Light "Focus"...which has 80 mg of caffeine in the individual packet (Coke as 34 mg per 12 ounce can). I drink hot tea -- strong, dark, hot tea. Not every day and only 1 cup. You will have to give up carbonation, which means no beer and no sodas.

Steak? I can eat steak. So can many, many others. SOME CAN'T. Every person is different. I've gone from medium rare to rare because it is more moist (dry meat of any kind is a killer). Tough meats will be harder to chew to the proper consistency so take that into consideration as well. Steak is a little harder to digest than, say, fish or chicken, so it will stay in your pouch longer but that's not bad.

We all have things we just don't/can't eat anymore. I don't eat the yolks from hard boiled eggs, soft breads (or, actually, much bread at all) and pasta .

I eat steak well done. It is good! I take small bites (not tiny, just small, about 2/3 to 1/2 the size of an old bite) and chew it well. I just had steak tonight in fact! A prime ribeye! However I ate about 2-3 oz of it and was done. Full. Isn't that grand?

I can eat anything still, but like Parrothead Cathy said, some can't. I have good restriction and can go 6 hours or more without any hunger.

I too drink caffeine (1 cup coffee w/sugar free creamer then unsweet iced tea) because my doc too had it on the "don't" list because of appetite stimulation. It doesn't stimulate mine (in fact for some people it suppressed appetites)

I DO make sure I get at least 64 oz of water each day, though, and my morning coffee comes after my first 16 oz of water. no tea until I get the 64 oz water in.

Otherwise we eat like we did, I just don't eat much of it. Now that I have restriction I'm doing really well.

What I don't drink and may never, though, is anything carbonated. I've tried it; the first time it was sip, burp burp BURP for 5 minutes sip BURP BURP you get the picture. If I drank an ounce I'd be shocked. This last time was a week ago; I drank about 1/3 of a beer and was done. It just "almost" hurt each time I took a swallow. I don't like beer enough (or anything carbonated) to have to delicately drink it, mindful of my pouch and how I'm feeling. Some people can drink carbonation, some let it go flat first (well YUK) i just pass on it. Who knows a few years from now; but for now I can say it is truly the only thing I feel I may have given up. What I've gotten in return was well worth the trade.

Edited June 1, 200917 yr by RestlessMonkey

I didn't give up caffine -- just carbonated beverages (though the few times I've had champagne post-op, it was totally fine). I did give up Diet Coke and Pellegrino water though. .

As for the diet, I don't have any foods that I absolutely can't eat. I think that the things that give you trouble vary from time to time. The last time I had steak, it was a no-go, but the next time I try it, it may go down just fine.

I just put a long post on my blog about the pro/con list I wrote out before surgery and how (7 months later) I now feel about those things. Take a look if you're interested. I was happy to find out that most of the things I was worried about were non-issues.

Catherine