Rules for Lap Banders
Once you start on a healthy diet of solid food there are a few very important points to remember. These are detailed in the guide below.
Any lap banders’ golden rules include using smaller serving bowls and plates for life. Put away your usual dinner plates and soup bowls, and buy a smaller set. Serve your main meal of a bread and butter plate. Serve cereals, casseroles, and pasta & rice dishes in a small bowl that holds one cup of food at the most. If you pack leftovers for work then get smaller plastic tubs – again, one that holds 1 cup of food at the most.
By serving off smaller plates you automatically account for the fact that the newly created stomach pouch hold only half a cup of compressed food. If you blend or puree food it seems to shrink a lot. The same shrinkage and compression happens in your mouth when you chew, which means that you will learn to judge how much food squishes into about a half-cup. There is lots of air and space in food when you really start to think about it.
Take bread as an example – there is a lot of space for air, and when you squash it down all the air is removed. The staring menu provided gives you an idea of how little food you should eat – these starting amounts for breakfast and lunch will not fill the pouch completely. Over time, gradually build up your intake to satisfy true gut hunger and nutrition.
The most common ‘problem’ meats include beef steak, chops, roasts, cubes or chunks, or any dry or tough meat/chicken breast. Once you mince the meat, or cut it into tiny thin pieces ready for chewing, the problem seems to ease. I would definitely not start with steak or chops until you are confident that you are a good chewer and a slow eater. Fish is a very easy first choice. If meat gets stuck then expect a strong pain – like someone ramming a metal spear through your chest. The pain may last just a few minutes, but could last a couple of hours.
Fresh bread and bread rolls commonly cause severe indigestion. Start with cracker biscuits, rusks and crisp breads, then try uncooked toast before attempting untoasted bread.
Some people say that pocket breads, Lebanese-style flat breads, Indian roti and Mexican tortilla-style breads are reasonably well tolerated.
You may also need to peel potato skin, and avoid raw carrot.
Pasta and noodles may need to be overcooked – if they are too chewy (al dente), it will be too gluey for consumption and will stick and cause indigestion.
Rice is a tricky food. Some lap banders find they are better with fried rice (seperate grains), others are better with mush rice. Whatever you do, chew rice really well and never send a big spoonful of rice down your throat without chewing.
Always seperate food and drinks. Do not drink with meals. Wait at least 30 minutes after a meal before starting to drink. You may be okay to drink something up to 10 minutes before a meal. Any closer on either side you risk flushing the food through the band, which basically defeats the purpose of said band – you will be able to fit far more food in than you need and will get hungry too quickly after a meal.
