Lap Band Diet Guidelines

​If you are considering getting a Lap Band, you will need to remember certain guidelines when it comes to eating following your surgery. The key to having a successful Lap Band experience will be choosing nutritious and healthy foods that are low in calories.

While a Lap Band will help you get your portion sizes under control and will limit the amount of food that can fit in your stomach, you are the boss when it comes to deciding what kinds of foods you eat. Your doctor or nutritionist can help you create a plan to follow the recommended guidelines when it comes to eating with a Lap Band for the most effective weight loss and greatest nutritional benefit.

While you have a Lap Band, you should avoid certain foods. These foods are high in fat or sugar and low in nutritional value. Choosing to eat the foods on this list will impede your weight loss and make it more difficult for you to be successful:

-- Foods that are high in sugar, including cookies, cake, sweetened syrups, candy and ice cream
-- Foods that are high in fat, including bacon, chips, fried foods, ice cream and cream soups
-- Drinks with a high caloric value, including soda, milkshakes, fruit juices, beer and other alcoholic beverages
-- Foods that are starchy, including white breads, pasta and white rice

Some foods can actually cause problems because of the physical limitations of the Lap Band. To prevent discomfort, stretching of the pouch and other issues that may require further surgery to adjust or replace your Lap Band, avoid the following foods:

-- Carbonated beverages
-- Foods that high in fiber, including fibrous vegetables, dried fruit and corn
-- Tough or crunchy foods, including steak, hamburger, nuts, popcorn and the peels and seeds of fruit