How Do I Know If My Lap-Band Pouch Still Works?
November 28, 2016OK ok, STOP being concerned. You have the Lap-Band, the ONLY operation that gives successful long-term weight loss. So, yes, your pouch still works. Of course, you have not tried to ruin your pouch with bread, rice or carbonated beverages….ever. You never drink when you eat…ever; and the only reason you seem to be able to eat more at any one time is because you now eat slow, chew well and take small bites. I am sure you also avoid all soft mushy foods and any liquid calories.
Well, truth be told if all of that describes you, you are not going to be reading this article. I suspect your pouch is fine regardless of what bad habits you may have developed over time. The Band is a great and forgiving operation. You should not throw up; any “stuff/slime” coming up is bad. Slips/pouch dilatations (some argue these are the same, others feel they are very different) WILL NOT occur if you are not throwing up. Let me repeat, do not throw up in any form. If you are throwing up with any kind of regularity you are too tight, see your doctor and get a little fluid removed from your Band.
Tips From My Own Lap-Band Success
- What to avoid: Bread (in any form: breading, toast, cake, crust, biscuits, cookies, crackers) should not be eaten while you are trying to lose weight. On Earth, if we eat Little Debbie’s, French fries and ice cream we are going to stay overweight. At goal weight, the rigidness of our choices will change, you can get to goal but it takes soooo much longer if you refuse to follow this simple rule. Also, it should go without saying, rice isn’t recommended for Band post-ops.
- Carbonated beverages: Carbonated beverages are NOT for those of us with a Band. My 122-pound weight loss, now 11 years after my Band, feels much better than any Diet Coke ever tasted.
- Drinking with meals: You must master not drinking when you eat and for at least 30 minutes after you finish eating. This is a must if you are going to be successful in the long run. Why drink and wash out your pouch and eat more? Why, why, why work so hard to keep the operation from working and to maintain your weight?
- Chew, chew, chew: Slow down and chew your small bites well!
- Soft mushy foods: It should go without saying, but soft, mushy food is like liquid calories and are to be avoided for success both immediate and long term (yes, I know, we all cheat a little once we get to goal).
Follow The Lap-Band Plan
The above changes are necessary for your Lap-Band success, both to get you to goal and to maintain your goal long-term (10 years and beyond). I have had a lot of success with the following plan to get you back on track and to get you to your goal, or back to goal, depending on where you are in this journey. You are smarter now (Band manipulation smarter) you know what goes down and tricks to get what you shouldn’t down. You may have also become great at justifying bad choices (milk in ice cream and protein in peanut butter, so presto chango that becomes a lean protein….WRONG).
My plan, I call Mary’s diet
- Go back on your pre-op liquid diet: 4 protein shakes (ONLY!, no food) a day for 5-7 days. This will hopefully get you to the point of saying “just give me food, I want food!”
- Now, I pick your food for you: a protein bar (at least 20g) for one meal.
- A frozen meal (Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice, Weight Watchers, etc…20g protein).
- A sensible Lap-Band meal (4-5 ounces of meat and a green vegetable).
- In between the above meals, you may snack on cottage cheese (don’t doctor it, i.e. add nothing). You may have all the cottage cheese you want, a half a cup at a time. You may eat a lot of it for a day or two, but a week and a half from now you will eat much less cottage cheese.
- Make sure you are drinking 64-80 ounces of caffeine-free, calorie-free liquid every single day. Trust me this really works!
- I would also recommend that you go and see your doctor and let them help you as well. A perfectly adjusted Band, as we know, is a great thing.
Follow these few simple changes so you can get all you want from your Band. If you and/or your doctor are still concerned about the integrity of your pouch, a barium swallow is an x-ray test which can give you a great visual of the current situation. A six-week un-fill to allow things to return to normal size while you incorporate the above changes into your life is also an option if needed. (You will not gain significant weight and will still be able to reach goal.)
Get back to enjoying your Band and loving life!
 | ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. John C. Mobley is a bariatric surgeon at Lake Cumberland Weight Loss Center and a successful Lap Band patient. He attended the University Of Louisville School Of Medicine and did his residency at Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio. He practiced general surgery for 11 years before being banded in February of 2006. He has focused on bariatrics since 2007. He specializes in the Lap Band and takes pride caring for his patients throughout their weight loss journey. He enjoys hiking, playing bluegrass music and spending time with his wife Sheena and their 6 children. |
