If you’re thinking about or seriously considering lap band surgery, you may want to know what the routine will be like after the surgery. Often just knowing this to begin with will help you make a decision as to whether you want to go ahead with the lap band weight loss surgery or not. Of course you will want to find out the cost of lap band surgery also.

These are the usual recommendations that bariatric surgeons or lap band doctors suggest for patients; these also apply to all gastric banding patients:

Only eat 4 ounces of food at a time. And if you still feel full after 30 minutes, you may need an adjustment to your lap band. Leftovers should not be eaten – they are often hard to swallow. Reheating any leftovers can dry them out so they can get stuck easier. Don’t eat any well done steak or any type of doughy bread.

If you haven’t lost any weight in the last month – yes this happens – then are you eating too much food? If this is so, then you may need an adjustment. The esophagus doesn’t really come alive until noon or so. If you somehow can’t tolerate a solid breakfast, then fix a healthy all-fruit smoothie. You can make this with bananas and a combination of fresh and frozen fruits.

The adjustment of the band depends on how you feel at night. If you’re starving at night, then you may need an adjustment. If you find you’re vomiting a lot then you need to decide whether you’re eating too much food, eating too fast, not waiting between bites or taking big bites, or not chewing your food thoroughly.

No one should eat if they are upset or anxious, even more important for lap band procedure patients. Stress in the esophagus makes swallowing difficult. Now if you find you haven’t been able to eat a certain food the last three times or so that you tried, then you probably still won’t be able to eat the food tomorrow either.

Microwaved food can become very “rubbery” and difficult to swallow. Microwaved food is missing many nutrients also. So it’s best not to eat any microwaved food.

It’s important to understand that you can’t eat like you did before you had the lap band system surgery. And it’s very important to exercise even if you have the gastric band.

This may seem unusual but it is highly recommended that lap band or gastric banding patients take up a new interest or hobby. A hobby not related to food is best. This will keep you focused on something else other than food. If you can – start a new hobby that is physical like power walking, playing tennis, playing golf, yoga, hiking, joining a health club, dancing, square dancing, playing basketball, etc. Anything that will keep you up and moving and away from sedentary activities like TV, cards, bridge, computer games, etc. Get outside and get charged up by the energy in the air and sun.