Lap Band eating

today is my 2 month bandiversary , and i have to say i have had a very easy time of it ,,, i have not come across anything i cannot tolerate , i dont eat beef or fried foods , they caused me problems before surgery .  Lu

Like Tonja said , it is different for everyone , i will say i have not tried white bread but wheat toast is not a problem

Dot,    I am not that far out from my RNY and I can tell you I use any spices I used before with not problem.  I could not live without my garlic! I have had no problem with bananas, oranges, or apples.  Just can't eat a whole one like I used to, makes sharing with my grandson more fun. I only had roast so far, no steak, and find I can only eat a very small amount currently without it feeling like it gets stuck.  But, no problems with chicken, pork, fish or seafoods.

I use olive oil only now when I need some, like when I cook my fresh spinach or some breakfast potatoes and eggs. Include some onions and bell peppers too.

I can eat baked or canned sweet potatoes, but not the instant ones (yuck).  So far, the only thing I've tried that made me feel sick.  I've even tried a small amount of very cooked brown rice. I am still experimenting and find I enjoy or rather savor my foods flavors now. The RNY was the right choice for me.

I am 5 months out from RNY and I can all those things just fine.  I don't know about fried foods because I choose not to eat them.  I love milk and I drink it everyday and use it to make my protein drinks.  I also make my protein drinks with 1/2 banana and a few frozen strawberries.  LOVE IT!   I still love steak!  I had it on the grill 2 nights ago.  I had a taco for dinner last night.  I didn't eat it all but it sure was tasty.  I also hve salsa with Mexican food and it has never bothered me.   Good luck with you decision.  I personally didn't have the willpower for the lap band.  I knew right away that RNY was the choice for me.  I've lost 95 pounds as of today and I'm 5.5 months out. 

Hi Dot,          I'm one year out and I haven't had problem with any of the food that you mentioned. However, the band eating can varies from one day to another. Generally, I'm able to eat everything that I want in small amounts without any problem but othertimes, nothing goes down (not very often, some people think that it can be stress or not drinking enough water)          I love spicy food and so far I haven't had any problem with it but I really had trouble getting stuck with re-heat meals, soft  tortillas or very dried meats.      I can eat  bread, broccoli and rice but I choose not to eat them. I can eat milk, fruit, spices, steak, turkey, chicken, potatoes, vegetables  just fine  Good luck with your choice!!  Both surgery have their pros and cons, so whatever you decided, I hope that it is the best for you.  On my case, Lap band was the best option for me, it is the best decision that I'd ever made. No regrets at all.  Lis

Thanks everyone for your replies.  I went to support group last night and thought about my options all night long. When I got home, I got out my material from both seminars I went to (Dr. Gorospe and Surgical Associates) as well as a book I bought called WLS for Dummies.  I discussed my options with Josh (hubby) and showed him the illustrations of the procedures that were in the materials.  The book had pages of pros and cons for each procedure. Together, we talked and thought that the RNY would probably be my best choice.  So, I'm thinking RNY again.  I know I don't have to make my decision right this minute...  So, I'm going to keep reading up and the decision will come to me before the time has come. Thanks again Dot

I did a lot of research too, and went with the RNY.  I really wanted something permanent, and like others, did not want to be worried about having routine fills, possible band slippage, or other problems.  I've also heard from others that the willpower thing weighs in a lot more with the band than with the RNY.  My feeling is that RNY makes it so you cannot eat certain things, and not much of it because you don't have the room.  Of course, I've never had the band, so I cannot speak from personal experience for or against it.  I've been very happy with my decision to have the RNY, and actually, I couldn't have the band because my insurance didn't even cover it a year ago (they do now).   I can now eat a little bit of bread, like in sandwiches.  I try not to eat bread by itself just for the sake of eating bread, as it fills me up quickly, and has none of the nutritional value I need on a daily basis.  I love meat, and have had no problems with steak, chicken, pork, etc.   I'm not a big fan of spicy foods, but what little spicy food I have had (chili, tacos, etc) have not been a bother to me.  Of course, highly sweet foods, such as cheesecake, ice cream, chocolate must be eaten in extreme moderation, and they affect some people more than others.  The one food I still have the biggest problem with is anything fried, especially fried chicken or fried potatoes.  These foods just do not agree with me in the slightest, so I just avoid them, which is just better for me overall! I couldn't really eat pasta for several months, but now I seem to tolerate it alright, but in small amounts.  I've never had any problems with dairy products, and drink a large amount of milk each day.  Some people have said they do better with dairy or even sugary foods after they have already eaten something else.  I don't know if it helps regulate the blood sugar levels, or what.   Good luck making your choice.  You will make the one that is right for you! :) Staci

Initially, I was thinking of the band because it is less invasive, easier to reverse if need be, losing slower actually appealed to me at one point, and since I'm considered a "light weight". After researching it a bit more, I decided against it because of the routine fills, trouble some have finding the "sweet spot," worry about having a "foreign body" in me and possible rejection, and when I heard about slipping and erosion, that really bothered me!  I'm also a little weirded out by the fact that some say that they have a little "spot" where they can see the port under their skin after they have lost weight.  That is a bit of a turn off to me too. The permanence of the RNY is both a plus and a minus.  Depends on the way I look at it.  I think that dumping syndrome and my body telling me what is OK and what is NOT OK is a good idea for me since I obviously haven't had the will power on my one as of yet! At one point, I thought I could have lap band and if I wasn't satisfied with that I could convert to RNY.  But, actually now I'm thinking I'd rather have one procedure and not have to worry about the fills and such of the band. I like the malabsorptive aspect of the RNY too.  I just hope I don't have any complications either way I decide to go!