My sister is going to be going through this and I have a question

[CrowT 0]

My sister is planning on getting this surgery done soon. Shes had the consultations and she is required to talk to a nutritionist and a psychologist before shes cleared for the surgery.

She saw the nutritionist yesterday and she got concerned. Now according to the nutritionist she will no longer be able to have any sort of bread (Bread, crackers, tortillas, etc.), carbonated beverages (soda, beer, etc), and nuts. She says these things will make her vomit, which could loosen the band or tear her sutures. She also said she wont be able to burp for the rest of her life and if she does it'll also mess with the lap band.

I'm thinking that the nutritionist said all this meaning for like the short term, but my sister took it like she meant permanently.

They're gonna contact the doctor and the nutritionist today to try and clarify, but I wouldn't mind getting some advice from you fine people.

Is there any truth to what the nutritionist said or is she exaggerating? What can you eat after the surgery once you're recovered and begin settling into a regular routine? What can you have? What can't you have?

I'll definitely be directing my sister to this site as well this can be an excellent resource for her.

Thanks!

[greytz 4]

Both Lapbands have websites that will tell her what to eat. It appears as though the Nutrionist is exaggerating quite a bit. She will be able to have those things in moderation of course. However, I have read posts on here where there were people who could not tolerate bread and certain other kinds of foods with their bands. I haven't had any problem with nuts but I have chosen not to eat bread because I want to get to my goal more quickly. Just a personal choice. I am not sure where she got the burping information but I actually burp now more than I ever did. Carbonated beverages are considered a no no and I just don't drink them ever now because they will swell your pouch and could cause slippage. I just don't want to take the chance and honestly I don't miss them. They do cause weight gain even the diet ones. I just personally choose not to drink them. There are a lot of good alternatives out there. My choice is Crystal Light. So many flavors. I don't miss it. With the Allergan, I received a full packet of information about what to eat and I received four videos to watch called "Emmi" about my band. They were very helpful. She really needs to talk to her doc.

[kossde 6]

The nutritionist doesnt seem to understand the band. I was also told no carbinated beverages (as far as I know that's a legit no-no) but the rest of it doesnt seem to be. I dont have issues eating bread (although I dont eat as much anymore cuz it feels like Im wasting space on it when I could be eating something like meat)

Also- I (and probably ever other banded person out there) burp all the time.

[elcee 3,343]

yep don't know where the NUT got the burping info from, since being banded I am the burping queen!

[julia19642 0]

Your sister is lucky to have a patient advocate such as you....someone to help her research the major life change that she is deciding upon. *thumbs up to you and your sis*

I've been banded since April and can honestly say that when i follow the rules of eating....i can eat anything i want. Nuts, bread, Pasta, rice, steak.... It's the nutritional changes and portions that have caused my weight loss. It's LISTENING to your body... For some reason, i no longer crave sweets or fats.

I have no idea how big/small my band is, or how much Fluid is filled. I want to go completely on how i FEEL. I'm blessed to have a doctor that listens to me and my questions/concerns.

The ONLY time i vomit is when is have "user error"....either i eat too fast or too big a bite without chewing properly.

As i said...i still eat exactly what i want (lovely savory food), but the portions are much much smaller. I'm not losing weight too quickly or too slowly in my opinion.

Banding was the best thing i've ever done for ME !!!

And i can still out-burp all of my brothers which i have done since childhood. (the first few weeks after surgery, it's hard to burp, but heck...after that, i still RULE !! )

When you direct your sis to this website, please keep in mind that each person is different in their needs, weight loss percentages.... and each surgeon is different in their requirements.

This website is a wealth of information, but a world of conflicting opinions.

If she goes ahead with it....she's going to have to weed out the useless information.

Her nutritionist sounds like an alarmist to me....someone who gives the worst case scenerio.

Gather information wisely and ask questions....there's a wealth of information to digest.

The band is NOT an easy way out....it takes time, patience, exercise, dedication and best of all....good doctors/support group.

Good luck on your sister's weight loss journey

[ncarreras 0]

There are some great books out there. I recommend "Guide to Weightloss Surgery". She can buy it at Borders. It really explains EVERYTHING in great detail, including questions/issues that patients face before, during, and after surgery.

I do agree with the previous comment. Regardless of what people tell you in this forum, always follow your doctor's advice. And if she doesn't like what she is hearing, she could always consult/switch doctors.

Everyone is very diferent, and approach weightloss very differently. That is why the band works for some, but not for others...

Good luck!

[CrowT 0]

Thanks for the info everyone. My sister actually told me shes already registered here which is cool, her name is blazed. One question though ncarreras, the book you suggested "Guide to Weightloss Surgery", I looked it up and found a few books with similar names. Who's the author?

[RebeccaJ 0]

I'm not sure which book the other person was referring to, but I found the book, "Weight Loss Surgery with the Adjustable Gastric Band" to be a life-saver. It is written by Dr. Robert W. Sewell and Linda Rohrbough and was published last year. I like it a lot better than the "Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies" that my psychologist recommended at my first appointment with him. The book by Dr. Sewell is all about bands, while the other book is about bands and gastric bypass. My sister, who I love dearly, was banded four years ago. She went from 315 pounds to about 185 and I am so proud of her. I was banded two weeks ago, and I have more to lose than my sister. While the pre-op diet and post-op diets are restricted due to sutures healing and gradually adding back foods, your sister will be able to eat most things as long as they don't bother her. Some people love shrimp and have no problems, while others do have problems. It's like that about everything. Tell her to check out Dr. Sewell's book.....I highly recommend it.

P.S. What a very supportive force you are going to be during her surgery and recovery. She is a lucky girl!:laugh:

[frenchvanilla 0]

Since i was banded i can no longer eat bread, rice,pasta,or tortillas but everyone is different .I also burp like a drunk chick since i was banded lol

[ncarreras 0]

Crowt,

The book is called "The Expert's Guide to Weightloss Surgery" by Garth Davis. He is one of the surgeons from TLC's Big Medicine. The book helped me a lot in deciding which surgery would be best for me and understanding all the aspects of the band.

However, she needs to keep in mind that patient's situations vary considerably. While some are put on a pre-surgery diet, some are not. Some need certain pre-op testing, and some need other. Some need Protein shakes before, and some not. Then the requirements from insurance to insurance vary significantly as well. I am a self-pay patient because my insurance does not cover any weightloss surgery. Because of my "lower" weight, my doctors did not require many of the things that other patients need to go through (like a diet to shrink the liver, pre-op diet, etc.). If she has questions about what to eat or not to eat, go to her doctor's nutritionist with those questions first.

All that to say, that even with the book, she should take the information from the book, write down her questions, and ask HER surgeon. I questioned my doctor, why are you not doing this and that (things that other patients here talked about, or things I read on the book). He explained everything to me and made me realize that there is no one way of doing this.

But I have to say that I've learned a lot from others' experiences here...

Good luck to her and as someone else said, she is lucky to have your support!

[RestlessMonkey 7]

Almost everyone has a problem food (or two) they can't eat. I'm fortunate (or not, depending LOL) I can eat anything. White bread? I SCOFF at white bread. Burp? I can out burp ANYONE. And carbonation? at my 1 year check up my beloved surgeon told me that if I was careful and it didn't hurt me any, i could indulge in moderation!

As usual, the Nut. is an NUT. :laugh:

[Dana36 0]

I've not gotten the band yet, but my dr has told me that bread products will become a 'doughy ball' in my stomach and will not pass through the band good. He said that it is best to just avoid them. He also told me that i couldn't have carbonated beverages because it causes the pouch to expand and will cause pain and stretch the pouch.

So, I've broken my bread and soda habits. They aren't good for us anyway.

I have found that since I stopped drinking sodas and stopped eating simple carbs like bread, my burping has probably dropped 90%. I used to burp multiple times a day, now maybe once every two or three days.