Vegetables and fruits that contain stringy fibres are particularly problematic.

• Asparagus – cut up very small or blend into soup
• Broccoli – the stalks may be problematic
• Dried fruits – will swell inside you and should be avoided
• Pineapple – juice is ok, fruit may be difficult to digest
• Rhubarb – cut up very small or puree
• Oranges – juice ok, flesh may be problematic
• Meat – needs to chopped very small and chewed thoroughly

Some food are sticky and difficult to digest such as coconut, crisps and soft white bread. Nuts (such as peanuts, almonds, walnuts) and popcorn may also cause obstruction unless they are well chewed to a paste, and are probably best avoided for this reason.

For the best diet results after your Gastric Banding Surgery you should limit the following foods where possible:

• High calorie drinks (full milk, milkshakes, alcohol, fruit squashes, juice
• Fats and fatty foods – butter, oils, snacks foods (crisps, peanuts), chips
• Creamy soups
• Cakes, biscuits and desserts
• Cereals with added sugar

From time to time you will get food stuck in your stomach which can be quite uncomfortable especially if you have not followed your eating plan. Firstly don’t panic as it should dislodge again on its own. To help the food on , try taking tiny sips of hot drink over an hour and some people recommend coke as the gas and bubble encourage you stomach to digest.

If 24hrs has gone by and you still have something stuck and nothing else is going down (or its coming straight back up) you need to attend your hospital for a temporary de-fill of your gastric band to ease the problem.

Diet after Gastric Banding Surgery

Immediately after your Gastric Banding operation has been completed, it is important to let it sit and rest so that scar tissue can form around it which is crucial to helping it fix in the correct position. If you were to eat a normal solid diet immediately after the operation your stomach muscles squeeze and churn to break down the food and put stress and pressure on the band and any stitches holding it in position.

The Gastric banding idea is to limit how much food your stomach pouch can contain, so you need to get to grips with your diet after Gastric Banding Surgery if you are going to get the best results. Whilst individual surgery centres do vary in their specific eating plan advice, here is general information and guidance for Gastric banding patients.

Your food will alter as time goes by and can be broken into two different time frames, the first being within the first four weeks and the other being beyond four weeks.

The first four weeks

You will start taking sips of water the day after the gastric band surgery and following day you will probably be able to take free fluids. Once you are taking fluids easily the next step is moving to puree.

The key point to your eating plan for the four weeks after gastric banding is to make sure all your food is pureed and that you eat small quantities (4–5 small meals per day).Here’s the key points to take note when preparing your diet:

• The texture should be something like smooth baby food and this can be achieved by using a food processor or hand–held blender, or push though a sieve to remove any lumps and remember to add a little water to make a smoother consistency.
• The size of your meals should be about 100g, or 5–6 tablespoons is the correct amount. Ensure you eat this slowly and eat in small mouthfuls.
• Stop eating as soon as you start to feel full as your pouch is at the top of your stomach, the feeling of fullness you will get is different from the feeling before and has been explained as a tightness in your chest not your stomach.
• Drink 1.5 litres of water (2 1/2 pints) every day in 100-200ml portions which is too be taken between meals and not with the meal as it could fill you up fast.

Example meals during this stage:

By controlling your diet after Gastric Banding Surgery you will gain the maximum comfort and results, combine this with a exercise after gastric banding surgery routine and your gastric surgery recovery process will be improved.