Lap-band Surgery

Once you have decided to have lapband surgery, you should begin to prepare for your surgery by eating an Adkins style diet at least 2 weeks prior to your procedure. This will help your liver to shrink to avoid problems during your lapband surgery.

You will want to practice eating like a person with a lapband, eating very small amounts, chewing very well and avoiding breads, rice, pasta, potatoes and other white starches. Practice eating small of amounts of fish, chicken or other lean proteins, along with vegetables and fruits, with little or no added fats. It is very important that you learn to drink 60 or more ounces of water per day preferably before your lapband surgery. Limiting sweets including sweetened beverages in order to become accustomed to your new life style is important. Many people do not realize how sweet tea, soda pop, Gatorade or other beverages boosts their caloric intake impacting the success of their lapband surgery.

It is important to incorporate 30 minutes daily of some type of aerobic exercise you enjoy into your lifestyle. If you can find an activity you enjoy, you will have a much better chance of sticking with your exercise program over a period of time which will improve your lapband weight loss results.

When choosing lapband surgery you may not want to tell family members or friends that will not be able to support your choice. You need support during this time, not someone who will sabotage or question your decision to build a more healthful lifestyle for yourself. Unfortunately, you can never 'untell' someone. If someone asks how you are losing weight, it is perfectly acceptable to tell them you are eating less and exercising more (you are); they don't necessarily need to know the details of your weight loss procedure.

The Lapband procedure itself is very simple, will take less than an hour and is not really painful. You will be sore afterwards; most of the discomfort will be from inflating your abdomen with the gas used to expand the surgical field. Also, where the port is fastened to the abdominal fascia will be tender for a couple of weeks after the surgery.

Walking the first hours after lapband surgery will help the gas used during surgery dissipate and will help you recover quickly. At first it will be uncomfortable to walk but once you are up and moving you will want to alternate periods of rest with walking and this will help the discomfort immensely.

Each day post operatively from your lapband, you will feel better, at day seven most of us are 100% and are able to go about our daily lives with the exception of lifting more than 15 pounds due to the risk of incisional hernia. You may begin lifting again after 4 weeks; you should also limit tub baths or hot tubs to 4 weeks post op also.

If you are able to incorporate the basic diet and exercise changes prior to your lapband surgery, you will significantly enhance your opportunities for success post operatively.

home | lap-band cost | lap-band mexico | lap-band surgery