Patient Resources
Post-Op Liquid Nutrition Therapy for Lap-Band Surgery
Lap Band surgery is designed to assist with weight loss by making it difficult to eat too much food at one time and causing a feeling of fullness after very small amounts of food are consumed. The purpose of a special diet in the early weeks after surgery is to allow the new stomach structure to heal completely in the right position. It is very important to avoid stretching the small stomach pouch during the healing phase. Consuming only liquids for the first few weeks after your surgery will help avoid stretching the new pouch. You will then progress to pureed (blenderized consistency) foods to soft foods, eventually introducing solid foods back into your diet. In order for weight loss to be successful eating habits after surgery must be permanently altered. Your long term goal is to restrict the volume of food while consuming a nutritionally balanced diet.
A Registered Dietitian will be available pre and post-op to provide nutrition education. A Bariatric Surgery Support Group meets every third thursday of every month to assist patients after discharge from the hospital.
1. Sip slowly and drink no more than 2-4 oz of fluids at one time. Your total daily fluid intake should be 48-64 oz.
2. DO NOT use any straws or gulp liquids too soon as it may cause ingestion of air.
3. Stop drinking soon as you feel full.
4. Start taking liquid protein supplements about 3-4 days after surgery if clear liquids are well tolerated.
5. Take a chewable or liquid multivitamin and mineral supplement 2 times daily and chewable calcium citrate with vitamin D (1000-1200mg) daily starting post-op day 3.
6. Start light physical activity once a feeding pattern has been established and protein supplements are tolerated.
7. DO NOT chew gum as it might obstruct the band opening if swallowed.
Clear Liquid Diet
Post-Op Day 1 and 2
- Begin sips of water, ice chips and Crystal Light
- Avoid carbonated, caffeinated and alcoholic beverages.
- Start taking a variety of no sugar or artificially sweetened liquids such as water, Crystal Light, unsweetened iced tea and flat diet soda.
- Drink salty clear fluids like broth or bouillon. Avoid very salty (>400mg sodium/serving) liquids as they may cause fluid retention and weight gain.
- Additional choices are solid liquids like sugar-free ice pops and diet jello.
- Remember to continue sipping on water approximately every half hour to help meet daily fluid needs.
- NOTE: Fruit juices are not recommended at this time even though they are Clear liquids.
Full Liquid Diet
If Clear liquids are well tolerated, you may advance to a Full Liquid Diet.
Full Liquid choices include-
- Tomato or vegetable juice
- Low fat and low salt, well-blended thick soups with no visible chunks
- Light yogurt, blended
- Plain yogurt
- Cream of wheat
- Skim milk or 1% milk
- Lactaid or soy milk
- Whey or soy protein powder mixed in any of the above
- Protein supplements containing less than 15-20gm sugar, less than 3 gm fat and at least 15gm protein per serving (typically 8 oz)
1. Limit intake of any fluids, including protein supplements to no more than 4 oz at one time.
2. Gulping liquids or drinking too much at one time can cause nausea or vomiting.
3. Continue to take your chewable multivitamin mineral supplement and calcium citrate with vitamin D daily.
4. Drink adequate (48-64oz) water to meet your fluid needs.
5. Avoid sweetened juices, carbonated and alcoholic beverages.
Please check with your doctor at your first post-op visit prior to further diet advancement. Strict adherence to dietary guidelines is key to long-term success with weight loss surgery.