Diet after gastric banding plays an important part after surgery. Eating behavior will change after surgery and so your food. According to your stomach situation diets are designed so that you won’t feel any problem after surgery. If you properly follow Gastric banding post op diet then you can minimize lots of common side-effects and complications and to achieve the goal of weight loss. You need to follow nutritional plan after surgery. Right from surgery to 2 to 3 months strictly you have to follow post-opt diet prescribed by doctor because after placing of band it important to allow band to settle in to the correct position and become secure at that position. The period for settling in the band is for about 2 months and therefore post opt diet is designed to be follow for 2 months right after from surgery. Diet helps you in the recovery process to heal stomach structure.

Gastric banding post op diet provides an appropriate balance to patients so that there would not be the case of vitamin and mineral deficiency. It restricts you to not take more diet so that you can achieve weight loss. It is good for the stomach pouch that not gets so much stress. Diet is divided in to phase, right from surgery to 2-3 months.

Right after surgery

On the day when you awake from anesthesia, you are allowed to take sip of water and ice cube to stick. You are not allowed to take more than this. On the next day after surgery you can take more than this but should be in small amount in a day. Never try to drink more than 100ml at once. This is important to avoid nausea and vomiting which may cause band slippage.

For Week—1 to 2

For 1 to 2 week you are on the liquid diet…totally liquid diet. Only liquid is allowed to have because it is the food which can be tolerated by you. You need to keep yourself hydrated all the times to avoid dehydration. Recommended liquid diets during this week are- Fruit juice, Skim milk, Clear broth or soup, high protein liquid, water, flavored water but not carbonated etc.

In Breakfast – You should take—200ml high protein liquid or 200ml jucie or tea or coffee.

In Lunch- Clear broth with no solid food soup and 200 ml high protein liquid.

In Dinner- Clear broth with no solid food soup and 200 ml high protein liquid.

If it is required then you can take additional fluid item. Drink slowly- slowly.

For 3-4 week

Now you are allowed to take slightly textured foods. Move to fruit and vegetables but still you are on the liquid phase. You can take pureed skinless fish and chicken, low-fat yogurt or pudding, peas, mashed potatoes. While you are making puree food add some extra amount of water in it to give smooth consistency.

In Breakfast—you can take --- Soft egg or One Weetabix with milk or Hot cereal or r A tub of yoghurt or Skim milk (for cereal) or fromage frais or Margarine (optional) or Three tablespoons of porridge or Ready Brek made up.

In Lunch-- Smooth soup (about a cupful) or Pureed meat and blended casseroles or Scrambled egg or Pureed vegetable or Pureed fruit or custard.

In Dinner- Shepherd's pie or Chicken in white sauce or Pureed vegetables and mashed potato or Fish pie or Mashed potato and cheese.

Stop eating when you feel full. If you are experiencing vomiting then back on to the liquid phase.

For 5 week

Now you can introduce soft food in to your diet. Like tendered cooked food—fish and ground turkey. You can continue with some sort of food which you are taking in fourth week. Chew your food properly so that you will not experience vomiting or nausea.

6 week and onward

Now you are able to eat solid food but you need to pay more attention this time. Band is allow restricting solid food so never try to eat large chunky food otherwise it block outlet and may create further problem to you. Never try to drink water during or immediately after meal. It will flush out food and you will not get prolonged satisfaction of food and this may disturb you in weight loss. Eat only three meals a day and that must be chew properly. Keep an appropriate time period in between two meals. Eat nutritional and protein enriched food. When you feel full, stop eating.

In the Gastric banding post op diet there are some lists of food which is strictly avoid during these phase and some are allowed to have. You need to check out Gastric band diet list for that.