Lap Bands and New Lifestyles

Read some of the many, many Lap Band blogs and you can easily come away with the idea that seeing a Lap band doctor and having weight loss surgery – in the form of a Lap Band – leads to an entirely new lifestyle.

 

And it may not be the one you had in mind!

 

For instance, changes are on your horizon if you are a regular consumer of:

 

• Coffee
• Tea
• Soda

 

On your way to a new and slimmer self, you must give up caffeine for the first three months after your surgery. Ditto carbonated beverages because both diet and regular sodas can cause gas, bloating and an increase in your stomach size.

 

Your first month and one-half is another trying time: depending on your Lap Band doctor, you will be on a virtually all-liquid diet. Usually, you must consume several ounces of a protein shake hourly for up to 12 hours.

 

Once you have made the change to more solid food, there will still be some common foods that Lap Band patients do not digest well.

 

Those once favorite Eats usually include:

 

• The more two-fisted meats like pork chops and steaks
• The membranes on some citrus fruits is also troublesome
• Veggies and fruits are great but not the skins or their seeds
• Some other fibrous vegetables like celery and yams.

 

It’s hardly ever a case of going bald, but many Lap Band patients notice they are losing some hair.

 

For instance, Tracy, an Australian Lap Band patient, blogs that she had Lap Band surgery four months ago and has been losing hair. She’s worried about being a thin, 36-year-old bald lady.

 

Actually, hair loss is a symptom of several things that many patients normally encounter after weight loss surgery such as:

 

• Not consuming enough protein
• Experiencing more than normal stress

 

Malnutrition can cause hair loss and can happen anytime you consume a diet low in certain substances like protein and folate. Lap Band patients can counter that effect by taking in about 60 grams of protein daily.

 

Experts say Lap Banders notice some hair loss three to four months after surgery. Be sure and ask your doctor about it, but the usual counter measure is taking several multi-vitamins daily.

 

The result? Any hair loss is very likely to grow back!