Post Gastric Banding Diet

Dietary guidelines for the first 5 weeks

Gastric banding surgery is designed to help you lose weight by reducing the size of your stomach. This physically restricts the amount of food you can eat by making it difficult to consume excess kilojoules/calories.

For your laparoscopic gastric banding surgery to be successful in achieving weight loss, it is important to:

  • Choose a balanced, low-fat diet.
  • Eat slowly.
  • Eat only enough food to feel satisfied.
  • Avoid distractions while eating (e.g. TV, reading) so you can identify when you’re full.
  • Avoid drinking with meals.
  • Avoid alcohol.
  • Avoid snacking/eating between meals.
  • Exercise regularly, at least 3-4 times a week. Build up the duration slowly.

First two weeks – strictly liquid diet

Day of Operation – only sips of clear liquid or ice to relieve dry mouth.

Day 1 Following Operation – you will be offered a variety of clear liquids to drink, including water, tea, coffee, fruit juice or clear soup. Even the small amounts offered may be too much initially. It does not matter how much you eat, but that you learn to stop eating when you are no longer hungry.

You need to drink these fluids slowly and steadily, rather than quickly gulping them down. Once the ward staff is satisfied that fluids are moving through your gut properly, you will be allowed fluids without restriction on total volume. However, it is important to only drink small amounts at a time to avoid inducing nausea or vomiting. Care in this area is important so that the band settles into the proper place.

Day 2 after Operation – you will be offered more nutritious liquids at meal times in addition to the clear liquids. These must be consumed very slowly.

Diet at Home

You should continue with nutritious fluids for the first two weeks. This allows the band to settle and to prevent vomiting, or the band from being moved. It is important to include foods from as many of the food groups as possible:

  • meat,
  • vegetables,
  • fruit, and
  • dairy.

After the operation your doctor may advise you to take a supplement during the first week.

Third and fourth weeks – you should be taking a transitional diet as advised by your surgeon, moving from liquids to solids, and be taking solids by the end of week 3.

Fifth week – you should be having solid foods under the instruction of your surgeon.