Tip for losing weight with the Lap Band!

This one is from Jeff Jones, one of our most successful patients who has lost over 150 pounds with the Lap Band. You can see his before and after Lap Band photos on our gallery page.
Jeff says he thinks about the Lap Band like an hourglass. Just like an hourglass slows down sand running through it, the Lap Band slows down food flowing through it. It doesn't stop it, but it slows it down.
What would happen if you added water to an hourglass? The water would mix with the sand and it would run through the hourglass very quickly. Jeff knows the same thing happens with the Lap Band. If you drink while you eat, the food can slide through the Lap Band quickly and you don't get the feeling of fullness and lack of hunger that the Lap Band is designed to help you with.
That is why we have always recommended to not drink while eating and waiting 30 to 60 minutes after eating until you drink again.
Remember what Jeff says, think about the hourglass, and don't drink when you eat!

New habits to help with Lap Band weight loss

I tell all of our patients that I think the key to weight loss with the Lap Band surgery is to develop new habits in our approach to eating.
You need to change how you eat, what you eat, and how much you eat.

1) How you eat.
Chew your food very well. 30 chews per bite of food. No eating quickly.
No drinking with eating. Wait 15 - 30 minutes after drinking until you eat. Then after you eat wait 30 - 60 minutes until drinking again. Think of an hourglass. Sand goes through an hourglass slowly, liquid goes through quickly. If you drink with your food, you wash the food through the Band and don't get the benefits of the Band.

2) What you eat.
You still have to watch what you eat. No high calorie drinks or shakes. Take it easy on the ice cream, and watch fried crispy foods that easily go through the Band like tortilla chips.

3) How much you eat.
Don't test the Band. This isn't about how much you can eat. It's about how little you can eat. The whole point of the Lap Band is to help you feel satisfied with small meals. When you prepare a meal, put it on a small saucer so you won;'t be tempted to eat more. If you are eating out, ask for a child's portion and a to-go box, and immediately put half of the meal in a to-go box.


Add your comment to let everyone know what tip works best for you.