Gastric Band Diet
Having a gastric band fitted is a great tool to help you manage your food intake. You will feel fuller faster and for longer, therefore be able to reduce your portion sizes and snacking, so that you will lose weight.
However, sensible healthy eating is all the more important with restricted food intake and following some simple rules will ensure that you get great results from your gastric band weight loss.
Your gastric band diet works in 4 distinct stages:
- Pre-operative low calorie diet
- Post-operative 0-2 week liquid diet
- Post-operative 2-4 week soft diet
- Post-operative 4+ week normal diet
You will be provided with The Hospital Group's Patient Information Booklet, which provides comprehensive dietary advice and meal suggestions for each stage of the diet. The information below gives you an idea of what to expect.
Pre-Operative Diet
Following a low fat healthy eating plan before your procedure is essential to reduce the size of your liver in order to help the Surgeon perform the surgery more safely and efficiently. It also enables you to kick start your weight loss and good nutrition will help your recovery post-operatively.
You will have to follow a strict pre-operative diet for approximately 7 days before your surgery. Your Surgeon will specify your pre-operative diet and the duration for which you must follow it. We generally recommend a 1,000-1,200Kcal/day diet and the most common one is a “milk and yoghurt” diet, which is based on milk and fluids only to effectively reduce the size of the liver and ensure good protein consumption.
Sample Pre-Operative Diet
- 7am All milk coffee (250ml)
- 9am Glass of milk (250ml)
- 12noon Diet yoghurt and cup of tea with milk
- 3pm Diet yoghurt
- 5pm Oxo drink
- 7pm All milk coffee (250ml)
- 9pm Vanilla flavoured milk (250ml)
Post-Operative 0-2 Week Diet
You will only be allowed fluids for the first 2 weeks following your operation. This will ensure optimum healing from the surgical procedure.
As you will be only consuming fluids it is essential you follow all the guidelines. They are designed to provide you with a balanced intake of energy, protein and other nutrients, to ensure you have a good recovery, kick start your weight loss & boost general well-being.
Sample 0-2 Week Diet
- Breakfast - Slimfast, Ultra Life or Clinikcal shake to provide 200-250 kcals
- Snack 1 - Smoothie
- Lunch - nutritional hearty soup pureed into liquid
- Snack 2 - Cup a Soup
- Evening meal - pureed nutritional hearty soup with added milk
- 7pm - milky coffee
- 9pm - vanilla milk
2-4 weeks Post Surgery - Soft Food
You will now be ready to start a “soft diet”. This means that you can introduce normal foods, but aim for the consistency of cottage pie/ well cooked caulifl ower cheese/scrambled egg - foods easily broken with a fork.
You must avoid all crunchy foods such as potato skins or salads at this stage while you are still healing from the procedure.
Sample 2-4 week diet
- Breakfast - Weetabix with semi-skimmed milk
- Snack 1 - yoghurt
- Lunch - soft pasta with tomato sauce
- Snack 2 - thick fruit smoothie
- Evening meal - lean minced meat and blended casserole, mashed banana and low fat custard
- 7pm - milky coffee
Serve on a tea plate, drink plenty of fluids throughout the day. ONLY EVER drink fluids before your meal, not with your meal, allow at least 1 hour after a meal.
Always ensure a good protein portion at each meal- as a guide this should be the size of the palm of your hand.
4 weeks and onwards
Once you have reached this stage you will be able to resume ‘normal eating’ i.e. all textures of food. You will have been seen by the dietitian or will have been sent an appointment to be seen in the near future. You will then be followed up by the dietitian on a regular basis who will monitor your progress, help, support and guide you towards eating a healthier diet for life.
At this stage you may be consuming smaller amounts than you did prior to the procedure, but can move onto a normal post-operative diet.
You will be given a series of guidelines, including:
- Aim for small portions. Your stomach pouch has a smaller capacity which should not be stretched. Try using a child’s plate or a tea plate to control portion size
- If you feel hungry and your appetite is increasing this may indicate that you may be ready for a band fill
- Drink plenty before a meal and leave at least one hour before your next drink
- Eat very slowly & chew you food well - aim to chew 20 times per mouthful!
- Avoid BREAD, MEAT / CHICKEN (minced meat is allowed), & RICE until your first follow up appointment with the dietitian after your fill - these foods sometimes cause problems of blockage which can lead to a slippage
- Continue to avoid fizzy drinks
- Imagine a plate divided into 4 - one quarter should be protein, one quarter carbohydrate and half the plate vegetables
Food Diary
Our dietitians ask all patients to keep a food diary to record their food and liquid intake, exercise and any comments. This is reviewed on a regular basis to help you get the greatest benefit from your treatment. Any bariatric procedure is a tool, or a starting point for your weight loss journey - you do the work in terms of managing your diet, but the bariatric procedure will help enormously.
