Bending the Rules to Customize your Journey -- BUT THERE IS A UNIVERSAL LAP BAND RULE

LAP-BAND Surgery: Bending the Rules

Monday, 01 March 2010 22:58

Lap-Band patients often wonder how strictly they need to adhere to their doctor's instructions following surgery. Is some leeway allowed? Can you bend the rules and still successfully lose weight with the Lap-Band system, or will it work only with strict adherence to diet and exercise guidelines?

Universal rules

There are a handful of rules that every Lap-Band patient should follow. These include drinking at least 64 ounces of water a day, not drinking with meals, getting enough protein, chewing thoroughly, and taking your vitamins.

Beyond the basic universal rules, doctors may disagree about post-surgical guidelines. Some require patients to stick to 800 calories a day and limit themselves to only three meals. Others may allow patients to consume 1200-1400 calories a day. Some doctors may make suggestions, but leave it up patients to determine how to make the band work best under their individual cir****tances.

Your doctor may advise you to measure your food for portion control or to keep a food journal to chronicle what foods work well for you or help you identify patterns that could create problems. How strictly you adhere to these rules is up to you. Generally , patients who follow their doctor's advice will achieve the best results with the Lap-Band. However, many patients report successfully losing weight even without sticking to a strict set of rules. Some patients may be able to eat whatever they want in moderation, while others may need to keep a list of foods that are to be avoided at all costs.

Individual Choices

Just as we all have different reasons to choosing Lap-Band surgery, we all have different needs following surgery. For some patients, having a solid set of guidelines to follow may make it easier to adjust to their new lifestyle. Other patients may resist the idea of constantly measuring, weighing, and journaling their foods. For them, the only necessary rules may be to not overload the stomach and stay active, but this approach doesn't work for everyone. Some patients report that they are more likely to cheat if they are allowed to set their own rules, and they do better if a set of guidelines is provided for them.

Part of achieving success with the Lap-Band is finding out what works for you. If you are a person who works best with structure and guidance, work closely with your doctor to determine the best treatment program for you. Even if you don't normally do well with rules, don't automatically discount your doctor's orders without trying them first. If you take it one day at a time, you may find that guidelines that seemed impossible can become habitual. If there is a band rule that you absolutely don't think you can live with, talk to your doctor to determine a suitable course of action. Remember, your doctor is a bariatric professional with a great deal of experience and wisdom. Use that experience to your advantage. Though you may resist a long list of instructions, your doctor has witnessed what works best for different patients, and may have some insight into your unique situation.

Making exceptions

Following the rules doesn't mean you can't make allowances under certain cir****tances, but do so wisely. If you are genuinely still hungry after a meal, you may decide to allow yourself an extra half-cup of protein. But make sure that you are truly hungry, and don't try to fill the hunger with unhealthy food choices. You may also decide to allow yourself birthday cake or pumpkin pie, but only on your birthday or Thanksgiving, and only three bites.

The patients who experience the greatest weight loss success are typically those who learn to eat differently than they did before surgery. As you adjust to a new way of eating, you may find that foods that tempted you in the past are now simply not worth going off-plan for. If you plan and enjoy your food choices rather than indulging, you are less likely to regret your choices and find it easier to adhere to a plan.