LapBand on 12/13 - holiday recovery advice please!

 Hey, congratulations on your decision! I had a very useful tip (I think it was Jean M.): if you can, try and take a pillow or a big pullover to the airplane, which you can put in between you and the seatbelt. I had a pillow on my car ride home from surgery (I was picked up), and I was so, so thankful for it, because it is going to be sore for you. 
Of course for us food addicts I can imagine that this will be super-tough- watching everybody on christmas eating while you stick to liquids. Whatever happens- PLEASE make sure you do stick to liquid. If you think oh, one potatoe/piece of meat won't harm...do not take the risk, please keep this in mind. During my time on liquids I found out what excellent soups I can make and how easy they are. If you can eat pureed food by that time- how about you have some mash potatoe and gravy on christmas? This is halfway a christmas meal :)

Hopefully your surgeon will give you a very specific diet progression to follow.  What ever you do, don't cheat.  The reason for the structured food progression is to allow for healing, not to lose weight.  If you advance too soo you could endanger your band placement because the staple line needs to heal and it takes a while.  Introducing foods that are too solid can cause stress to the surgery site, etc.  It's just not worth the risk.

Your Dr. will tell you what kinds of foods to eat during each stage.  You will probably be on liquids only for 1-2 weeks, (my surgeon does 3 weeks), and liquids generally mean liquids.  No cream based soups, pudding, etc.  Some don't even allow popcicles or SF jello.  (Mine did).  Then on to soft/pureed foods.  This can be challenging during Christmas, but remember if you cheat you're only cheating yourself.  I would recommend small, controlled portions of mashed yams, or white potatoes if you're going to eat simple carbohydrates on your new diet.  Soups and finely chopped chilli will be good too.  I also enjoyed egg salad with olive oil mayo, FF refried beans with melted cheese too.  It's possible.  My first day of soft foods was Thanksgiving 3 years ago.  I had potatoes and gravy 1/3 cup and some pumpkin pie without the crust.  You won't be that hungry so the small portions will be enough.

One thing to keep in mind.  You won't have much if any restriction until you have a fill or 2 or 3.  Up until that time the band is helping control hunger but YOU need to control portions.  Don't go crazy and expect the band to control how much you eat this early out.  My advice is to have a plan and stick to it.  Measure portions to get used to the amount of food you SHOULD be eating.  Track your food choices and calories to learn what you are putting into your body, nutrients as well as calories, protein, etc.  You doctor should give you a calorie goal but it varies greatly.  I did 800 calories a day for 9 months and was fine; never hungry or deprived.  Some do 1200, some to 1500.   Bottom line, now is the time to think about and plan what you want to change about how you eat today.  Some change portions only and eat the same type of foods.  Others, (like myself), radically change the quality of food as well as the quantity.

I highly recommend the book call 'Bandwagon'.  It was written by an OH member that participates on this forum.  It's a great encyclopedia of information for living the banded life.  She also just launched her cookbook which is great too!  You can order direct via [email protected].  Sign up for her free weekly newsletter too.  It's great!

Best of luck to you on your new, exciting journey!  Keep asking great questions.  We're here for you!

Lisa O.

All my good tips have already been mentioned, and you really got some good ones!  I just wanted to add congrats on your surgery date, and I will think about you on that date cause it's my birthday.  Have a great surgery and holiday.

Thank you everyone for all your ideas & encouragement! One week & counting... Much to do between now & then. I'll keep you posted.