Time to Fill or Unfill Your Lap Band?

Day of the fill: 

• Do not eat for at least 2 hours before a fill.

• Clear liquids ONLY for 24 hours after the fill – NO CARBONATED DRINKS FOR 48 HOURS. 

 

Day after the fill 

• Thicker liquids -count calories- no more than 800-850cal, liquids add up fast! 

 

Day 3

• You may start soft foods. If you have trouble, go back to liquids. Take no longer than 20 minutes to eat and get up from the table. Remember small bites and chew well. 

 

Day 4 and after: 

Regular foods. Seek the denser proteins and breads to fill you and keep you full so you will eat less and lose weight. You must take small bites and chew very well. If you can’t proceed to this step, you are TOO tight. If you stay in soft foods, you won’t lose weight because you will eat more of them and they usually contain more calories. You must be able to eat denser proteins and breads. 

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It’s perfectly normal to have days when you feel tighter than others, and times of the day when you feel tighter. For many people, the morning is the tightest part of the day. Don’t force food when you’re not hungry. 

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Make a list of denser foods that fill you up the best on the least number of calories when you are hungry… and a list of softer ones that work when you are tighter. 

Liquid calories will keep you from losing weight and you may even gain weight. Liquid will completely defeat your weight loss. 

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Buy a small plate and serve yourself portions appropriate for a 6-year-old child. Stop eating when you hiccup, burp, or feel tightness in your upper abdomen.

 

You should be able to eat ½ chicken breast, 3 inches of a sub sandwich, half of an adult hamburger with both sides of the bun. 1 piece of pizza on traditional thin crust.

 

If you’re eating large amounts of soft foods, you DO NOT need a fill, you need to change what you’re eating. If you’re too tight to do that, you need an unfill. If you ate half a tuna sandwich for lunch and felt hungry in 2 hours, change out the tuna for half a turkey and cheese sandwich or half a cheeseburger before calling for a fill.

 

If you are having trouble keeping food or liquids down, or you are having lots of acid reflux, especially at night, you may need an unfill. Stop trying to force food or liquids for at least 6 hours to let some swelling go down. Then go to only tiny sips of clear liquids for at least 24 hours. You may be able to avoid an unfill if the irritation goes away. If not, you will need to call the office at (501)747-1099. 

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If you get an unfill, the after care is the same as for a fill. It’s very important to stay on clear liquids for that first 24 hours to avoid esophageal spasms which can resemble the feeling of a heart attack. They are very painful and require sips of ice water to cure. 

 

Wellborn Wisdoms – Top Ten Rules To Live By 

 

1. NEVER DRINK WITH YOUR MEAL. WAIT AT LEAST 60 MINUTES BEFORE YOU START DRINKING. 

2. NEVER DRINK YOUR CALORIES!! 

3. NEVER EAT WHEN YOU ARE NOT HUNGRY BUT EAT AT LEAST 2 MEALS A DAY. 

4. ALWAYS PRE-FILL WITH NON-CALORIC LIQUID BEFORE EATING. 

5. USE CAUTION WITH FOODS THAT MIGHT GET STUCK, SUCH AS RAW BROCCOLI STALKS OR TOMATO SKINS. 

6. ALWAYS EAT YOUR PROTEIN FIRST. 

7. EAT PROTEIN AT EVERY MEAL. AT LEAST HALF OF EACH MEAL SHOULD BE PROTEIN. 

8. GOLD STANDARD IS TO GET 10 GRAMS OF PROTEIN FOR EVERY 100 CALORIES. 

9. COUNT YOUR CALORIES – NO MORE THAN 800-850 CALORIES PER DAY.

10. REMINDER: BREAD IS YOUR FRIEND AND AN IMPORTANT PART OF HELPING YOU FEEL SATISFIED AND FULLER LONGER WITHOUT ADDING A LOT OF CALORIES.