January is traditionally the time of New Year’s resolutions. How about you? Did you make any yourself? Let the New Year inspire you to aspire. No matter whether your New Year’s resolutions are about weight or something else, here are some tips on how to make those resolutions not melt away with the beginning of February.

1. Start slowly

Habit change is probably one of the hardest things to do. Especially if the bad habit is pleasurable, and change may not seem to be as pleasant (beginnings are always hard). So how can you change? Start slowly. Habit forming is a slow process, and breaking a habit with a new habit should be a slow process too. It’s not that no one can do it. We all know someone who has quit something, or at least claims he or she did, cold turkey. Nevertheless, by attacking your habits with an all-or-nothing attitude, in reality you greatly diminish your chances. Start slowly and keep expectations modest and realistic – that’s how to best start on resolutions. Set yourself achievable goals and be positively surprised when you meet them. Don’t confuse starting slowly with setting yourself up for failure; by starting slow you’re setting yourself up for a long-term success.

Lap-Bander Tip from DayOne Health:

No matter if you have a lap-band or not, everyone has their good times and bad times. If you feel like you have fallen off the dieting wagon, the New Year is a great moment to get back on track.

• If you have a band, get an adjustment.
• If you’re eating portions that are too large or you’re just eating the wrong foods come and visit us, or talk to your dietitian.
• The best place to begin your diet is to start a food log. After a few days of keeping track of what you’re eating and in what amounts, this will give you a rough idea on where to make some cuts. Don’t change everything at once, and get tired after two weeks. Instead, make changes gradually.

2. Tell everyone around you

Depending on what your New Year’s resolution is, you may consider telling other people around you. Despite the social norm that resolutions shouldn’t be told out loud, you should definitely consider breaking that rule. After all, why wouldn’t you? Maybe you’re worried that if you fail others will know… Well, that’s the point. Your friends and family will be your external motivators. Don’t set yourself up for failure by assuming you’re not going to tell anyone because you’re afraid of failure. Boldly step up and let your friends know. You’ll see how much easier it is to make changes with the support of your closest ones.

Lap-Bander Tip from DayOne Health:

We understand that talking about your weight can be a hard thing to do. Things might not have worked out for you in the past, and maybe you’re afraid more than ever for people to judge you on the basis of prior experiences. You may really not feel like sharing the idea with anyone. Nevertheless, it is good if you have someone there to support you in your quest.

• If you don’t feel comfortable telling everyone, tell just your closest family member or a friend.
• If you are a DayOne Health patient, but you don’t feel like talking to anyone from your surroundings about the lap-band or your weight loss, call us. We’re here to help you get through all the good and all the bad.

3. Team up

Sometimes the best support you can find is in those who have made the same resolutions. Team up and support each other in your quest. Your resolution buddy will get you out of trouble when you fall back on your promises, and if your resolution requires any activities like working out, you’ll have someone to join you at the gym. If you’re planning on quitting smoking, there’s no better companion than the co-worker you’re going with on smoking breaks. If you feel like you’re already falling off the New Years resolution wagon, get out there and find your resolution buddy!

Lap-Bander Tip from DayOne Health:

At DayOne Health we have many patients who have received their band along with a friend or a spouse. Having a partner in your weight loss journey is one of the best things you can do. There is no better way to get through your lap-band experience than to have someone around you who can understand everything you’re going through because he or she was or is in the exact same place. If you don’t have anyone to team up with you, let DayOne Health and our patient advocate be your team for rainy days. Gladys, our patient advocate, is a lap-bander herself and will be more than happy to talk to you about her gastric band experience. Gladys will not only answer all of your questions about the procedure, but will be able to provide you with the insight that only a fellow lap-band patient can provide.

4. Reward yourself

Every time you’re doing good, reward yourself. Find something you like, and every time you feel you met your goal for the day/week/month, give yourself a small gift. If you’re goal is to lose a certain number of pounds, cook something or eat something you love as a reward. If you’re trying quit smoking, you may put aside all the money you would be spending on cigarettes, and once you reach a nice sum buy yourself something nice. The prize can be anything, from a time of relaxation to a material incentive. Never allow a victory to pass unnoticed!

Lap-Bander Tip from DayOne Health:

• If you are significantly overweight and you are ready to change, make 2012 your year to become a new, healthier you. Call our Chicago clinic today and schedule your one-on-one consultation with a lap-band surgeon.
• If you would just like to talk about the lap-band procedure or our DayOne Health weight loss program, call our patient advocate and a lap-band patient at 312-239-3838.

*Image from here.

Fibrous Foods

Number one on the list of foods that get stuck easily is any kind of fibrous food such as raw veggies and certain fruits (especially their skins). Usual offenders are asparagus, broccoli, celery, mango, grapes, pineapple, apple skin, grapefruit membranes, and corn on the cob. All of those can get easily stuck in your stoma, which can cause swelling and discomfort in your stomach. If you really like any of these fibrous offenders, or any other foods that are getting stuck, try to make them less strenuous on your stomach. In other words, if it’s the skin that bothers you, peel it off; if the whole veggie or a fruit is a problem, remember to chew it thoroughly before swallowing. In the case of veggies, cooking them well can also help with the texture problem.

Sticky gets stuck easier

Sticky and gooey foods can get you in trouble. Foods like peanut butter and doughy breads can plug your stoma, and even come back up. The same thing can happen with rice or pasta. Either eat them carefully in small amounts, or avoid all of those doughy dumplings, bagels, and sticky rice all together. Dough and bread may be especially difficult to deal with because it swells and becomes more sticky and stretchy once it gets into your stomach.

Tougher than you think

The kind of meat that goes down the easiest is the well-cooked kind. Undercooked, cold, or dry meats may give you a hard time while going down, or not want to go down at all. Many patients say that it’s better for them to reheat their foods on the stove or the oven instead of a microwave. Because of how the microwave heats up the food, it very often dries it up in the process. If you don’t have any other way to warm up your lunch other than a microwave, add some water to it before heating. It will keep the food moist, and make it easier on your stomach. Some patients report problems with red meat, since it’s tougher and more fibrous than the white meat. In the case of inherently tougher meats we advise our DayOne Health patients to just take their time and chew it a little more.

Say no to soda

Soda or any bubbly drink can cause gas pressure and discomfort. Try to avoid carbonated drinks all together. If you cannot completely swear off soda, try to leave the bottle or can open for a little before drinking. Letting some carbonation out from the soda before drinking will decrease your discomfort later on. Nevertheless, remember that what’s worst about soda is not the gas, but the sugar content. The sooner, you’ll get the soda out of your diet, the better.

Although the items above sometimes appear in DayOne Health patients’ stories, remember that everyone is different. As a lap-bander you may have your own list of problematic foods that may include only a few of these or different items. The list above is meant to give you an idea of what may cause you problems, but it doesn’t have to. You can always contact a DayOne dietitian to discuss your lap-band diet.

If you have any questions regarding lap-band procedure, or our DayOne Health weight loss surgery program please contact a lap-band patient and our patient advocate at 312-239-3838 or schedule a one-on-one consultation with one of our weight loss surgeons.

For lap-banders, stretching the stomach can be especially tricky, and that is why if you feel your portions are getting bigger than 4 oz, it is extremely important that you become more conscious of your serving size and try to cut back. Easier said than done, right? Well, it’s not easy to cut down on your portions once you stretch your stomach, that’s for sure. That is why at DayOne Health, we came up with a four step stomach-shrinking plan for lap-band patients to make getting back on the dieting wagon a little easier.

Step #1:  Back to Basics

Do you remember your first week after your weight loss procedure? Trying the liquid diet from time to time can be very beneficial – especially if you feel that you may have exerted your stomach too much. By no means should you treat the liquid diet as a regular post lap-band diet; nevertheless, when your stomach is in distress either due to swelling or stretching, staying on liquids is your best bet. While on liquids you must remember to monitor your calorie intake, make sure you get enough protein, and watch your carbs. Depending on how long you strained your stomach and how severe the pouch is, we advise our DayOne Health patients to stay on liquids for two to three days.

Below you’ll find a short list of things that we usually recommend to DayOne Health patients. If you have questions regarding portioning, please reference your dieting booklet or contact your bariatric dietitian. So the first step of your diet will revolve around:

• Low-carb protein shakes
• Clear or cream soups
• Sugar-free jello or pudding
• Low-sugar popsicles

Step#2:  Soft Foods

The second step is the slow progression from liquids to soft foods. Soft doesn’t mean typical “slider” foods that will go straight though the band, but soft protein and things like soft fruit and veggies that will fill your stomach and are at the same time easier to digest. During this part of the diet, you can steam your veggies as a side or a snack, or munch on berries. In terms of meat we advise our patients to stick to fish, steamed or canned. If you find your canned tuna to be rather dry, you can add some low fat mayo to ease it up, but not too much so it doesn’t slide right past through the band.

During this phase it is important that you portion your food well. To prevent overeating, measure your food and make sure your portions are between one or half a cup. The objective is to get your stomach back to its original size it was fresh after the lap-band procedure. Also, it is very important for you to keep to the rule of not drinking with your meals. Wait half an hour with your meal after drinking, and don’t drink earlier than half an hour after a meal. Drinking with your food will put the strain on your pouch again, and make the food slide faster down the band. So, keep your drinking separate from your eating at all times and continue the soft food diet for two days.

Step #3:  Firm up

After soft foods, you can start on firmer protein like ground meets and seafood. Again, make sure your portion size is appropriate, meaning four ounces of solid food three times a day, plus two 100 calorie snacks in between. By now you should feel that your stomach shrunk, and hopefully you are able to feel full after eating considerably smaller portions.

Step #4:  Back to Normal

By the end of the week you can finally start eating regular foods again. Nevertheless, you still need to watch your portions. This last step includes implementing all the golden rules of the lap-band diet while eating regular foods. Now when your stomach shrunk back, you should not have problem with getting full on four ounces of food. Remember not to drink before, during, or right after your meals, eat three meals a day, and count your calories. Also, observe whether you get full on four ounces of food. If you notice that you are still hungry after you ate the recommended portion, you should contact your weight loss clinic. Most probably your band is just too loose and you need some extra fluid put in.

We hope that this simple four-step plan will help you get back on track. Please remember that all our DayOne Health patients are more than welcome to call us any time to schedule their appointments or discuss their eating.

If you are not DayOne Health patient, but you would like to hear more about our lap-band program call our Chicago weight loss clinic at 312-239-3838 and speak to real lap-band patient about our comprehensive weight loss program. You can also schedule your one-on-one consultation with a lap-band surgeon.

1. Don’t graze

No matter if you’re a lap-band patient or not, grazing can get you into scale trouble. Grazing is dangerous because it makes you eat over time far more than you would in one sitting. In addition, foods you graze are usually high-calorie, high-fat finger foods which, as you probably know, are not considered to be the healthiest option. In other words, you should try to avoid grazing, listen to your body, and eat only when you’re hungry. If you feel like snacking, you should definitely watch the amount and calorie content of what you snack on. As we say at DayOne Health, Thanksgiving may be a special day, but a bowl of chips is no special way to celebrate it.

2. Don’t starve yourself all day

I guess everyone has tried it, and I definitely did, to promise myself that I won’t eat the entire day to save myself some spare calories for a delicious dinner. Nevertheless, I almost always end up terribly overeating! After starving whole day, finally the dinner comes and before I catch myself, I already have two plates cleaned and looking for a dessert. The way to deal with it is to treat Thanksgiving as a regular day in terms of eating. Eat a light breakfast, lunch, and then dinner. Don’t starve yourself, eat regular meals and you will see it will pay off. You’ll start your meal more relaxed, eat more slowly, and as a result considerably decrease your chances of seriously overeating.

3. One plate, no seconds

Prepare your plate, and tell yourself that this is it. Normally you wouldn’t eat three plates of the main course right? Well, try to apply the same rule during your Thanksgiving dinner. No nibbling, no seconds, be honest with yourself. You can try everything that is on the table, as long as everything stays in small few bite-size portions. If you allow yourself seconds, you allow yourself to double the healthy portion. Don’t put too much on your plate either; especially if you’re a type that hates to leave food on the plate. Simply having a bigger portion may in and of itself cause you to eat more than for what you have a room. If you’re a DayOne Health patient, your dietitian most likely showed you the preferred portion size for a lap-bander. If you have trouble with measuring appropriate serving size, you can always use a smaller plate.

4. Eat only special food

Not everything on the Thanksgiving table will be special. While roasted turkey is definitely a special dish, mashed potatoes not so much. During your Thanksgiving dinner try to focus mostly on what’s special and you can’t eat every day. This easy trick will cut the number of dishes and your portion size without leaving you unsatisfied. So, load up your plate with turkey, cranberry, sweet yams, and green bean casserole. Make the strain on your calorie budget worth it.

5. Remember about small bites

This advice is especially important for lap-banders. As we all know turkey can be a problematic food for large majority of lap-band patients. After all, spending Thanksgiving in the ER with a piece of turkey stuck in your band is not how anyone imagines his or her celebration. At DayOne Health we can’t stress enough, to prevent getting stuck remember to take small bites and chew them well. Even if you don’t have a band you should also try to eat slow and chew each bite well. When you eat slowly you can tell when you’re full faster and the food gets digested more easily. In other words, no matter if you have a band or not, try to enjoy your dinner longer and stay healthy.

6. Focus on weight maintenance

While many try to keep up with their weight loss curve, at DayOne Health we advise our patients to focus rather on weight maintenance than weight loss. While it’s mainly about self control, don’t be too strict on yourself. Instead of fixating on food and calorie counting, try to focus on friends and family. Don’t make food a central issue and torment yourself over losing another pound during the holiday – just give yourself an objective of not gaining extra weight and that should be more than enough.

7. Stay active

There is no better way to prevent weight gain than staying active. We’re not talking about some major activity here, but a solution as simple as a walk after dinner. While increasing physical activity is one of the main points of lap-band diet, there is no doubt anyone can greatly benefit from a few additional minutes of activity. Who said that physical activity counts only if you end up in sweat and tears? It all counts. So get the family together and go for a walk to burn off some of those delicious calories in fresh air.

If you have any questions in regards to lap-band diet or a DayOne Health weight loss program call our patient advocate and a lap-band patient at 312-239-3838 or schedule a one-on-one consultation with a weight loss surgeon.

Cooking? I don’t have time for that…

We live in busy times, and one of the arguments we hear from our DayOne Health patients as to why they don’t cook at home is that they don’t have enough time. Systematic cooking definitely requires good planning and some extra time. Nevertheless, once you figure out the planning part, you’ll be surprised how much cheaper, healthier, and more efficient your eating will become. Why do we say that planning is the key? It’s simple. If you plan your weekly menu you can do all the shopping you need in advance and prepare some of the ingredients right after buying. Simple things like marinating your meat in advance, or cutting and portioning your veggies can save you a lot of time on evenings when you prepare the dinner. You not only save money but also prevent yourself from buying unhealthy snacks at work– why would you need to buy anything if you have food you can bring from home? Whatever you don’t finish, you can have the next day for lunch.

DayOne Health Tip #1:

• Plan and cook your meals in advance
• Prepare some of your ingredients beforehand
• Freeze half prepared and fully prepared portions for later
• Take leftovers to work for lunch

Lap-Band Portioning

If you are considering lap-band or you are already a lap-band patient, planning your meals is an inherent part of your new lap-bander lifestyle. With all the nutritional information you will get from your dietitian as well as a diet plan that you will work on, you will learn very quickly that preparing your meals is the best and the most efficient way of staying on track. There is no better way of assessing how much protein or carbs you have in meals than reviewing and measuring the ingredients you use in your cooking.

When eating out restaurant menus don’t give you nutritional info to work with – you can rarely tell what nutrients are included, what quantities are in each dish, calorie content, or size of the portions you order. In addition, the fact that the portions served in restaurants are far bigger than what you should eat, the mere size of the meal encourages you overeat. That is also why we advise DayOne health patients to order appetizers instead of main dishes. And, although there is a way to go about it, we strongly recommend that you cook your own food. Again, preparing your own meal will give you a far better feeling about what you eat and in what amounts.

DayOne Health Tip #2:

• Prepare smaller portions as recommended by your dietitian
• Eat from a small plate
• When cooking, estimate the caloric content and nutritional value of your ingredients
• In restaurants, order appetizers instead of main dishes

How to eat with your Lap-band?

A lap-band will definitely help you with portioning, but you need to remember to also monitor the nutritional value of what you eat. Also, try to observe which foods you can eat and which you can’t. After lap-band surgery some patients say they can’t tolerate certain foods; remember to let your bariatric dietitian know if you are not tolerating certain foods. If those happen to be food items with important nutrients that your body needs, you and your nutritionist will need to discuss possible substitutes. Because lap-band is mainly directed at minimizing the feeling of hunger, it is necessary that you eat three regular meals a day with some low calorie snacking in between. If you decide to prepare your own meals, you will soon notice that those healthy main course choices will soon also influence your snacking behaviors. While in the supermarket, buy yourself healthy snacks that you can take to work. Emancipate yourself from the vending machine and your co-workers’ candy drawers. It will not only directly help your diet, but will give you the sense of self-control and propel your long-term weight loss.

If you would like to hear more about the DayOne Health weight-loss program, or lap-band procedure contact real lap-band patient and our patient advocate at 312-239-3838 or schedule your one-on-one consultation with a lap-band surgeon today!

When less feels like more

We always tell our patients that what they eat and in what order they eat it may greatly improve their overall results. Remember, a lap-band divides your stomach into a smaller upper section and a larger lower section. Once you fill your upper stomach (around 4 oz), the food slowly goes down and gets digested. The main idea behind this is to keep you full and satisfied as long as possible. While the band will always give you restriction, no matter what you eat, it definitely works much better with solid food in terms of keeping you satiated longer.

So where’s the trick? Plan your meals thoroughly and make sure that you fill your new stomach with things that will get digested and go down slowly. In other words, to make sure you get the full benefit of your band don’t eat soup for lunch, have a piece of chicken instead. We can guarantee you that after soup you may find yourself in search of a snack just an hour after, whereas a piece of chicken will give you enough fuel to get to your next planned meal. Probably to your surprise as well, you will see that a four ounce portion of a regular solid meal will keep you satisfied longer than eight ounce protein shake or a large soup. Talk to your dietitian, and prepare some good combinations that will keep you full longer and get you all nutrients you need.

Lap-band food log

While this idea may sound lame, you’ll be surprised what a great tool it is. Patients ask us what’s the purpose of a food log? They say, “I know what I eat, I don’t need to write it down.” We can tell you one thing, you’ll be surprised. Very often we don’t even realize how much and what we eat. We sit down in the evening, feeling heavy and try to summarize what we ate throughout the day that made us feel that way. I don’t know how your recapping goes, but mine usually doesn’t go too well. My self-esteem and I have some honesty issues. In other words, while my recapping tells me, “Oh my why do I feel so bad, I only had a salad and a smoothie today,” my food log clearly shows two latte’s, a bagel, yogurt, a large salad with a full chicken breast, pretzels, and large mocca on my way home. Yeah, me and my self-esteem have some things to figure out, but if you suspect that you may not be fully honest with yourself either, a food log it the best way to keep in check how much you really eat. And not only that, you will soon notice that keeping the food log will make you feel more in control by watching what and how much you eat. For me, a food log simply keeps me in check.

If you would like to hear more advice on how to keep yourself on track and make the most of your lap-band, call us to talk to our program dietitian at 312-239-3838 or schedule a one-on-one consultation with one of our weight loss surgeons.

Because monitoring liquids is so crucial for achieving overall success with the band, we decided to write a whole blog dedicated solely to liquids and their proper place in your diet.

Liquids vs Lap-band diet

Did you know that on average you should drink 8 cups of liquids per day? And no wonder, the human body is composed 70% of water. I’m sure you have heard plenty of times, but drinking the right amounts of liquid is very important not only for your health in general, but for your weight as well. Liquids are a crucial part of your diet, but you also have to remember that liquids have calories too. To be radical, eight cups of a mocca beverage with whipped cream and carmel does not equal eight cups of water, right? Although extreme, this example illustrates that you should always look at the nutritional value of what you take in, no matter if it’s solid or liquid. For instance, if you’re thinking about fulfilling your liquid serving size with orange juice, please know that your calorie intake will be about 800 calories higher than if you decided to go with 8 cups of water. Of course, drinking juice is beneficial for your body in terms of vitamins; nevertheless, if you’re on a lap-band diet schedule you have about a 1,300 calorie daily budget, and trust me, you don’t want to spend 800 or more calories on liquids alone. So, watch your liquids so as to not waste your already scarce calorie budget.

Lap-band and drinking with meals

First of all, lap-banders should always stay well hydrated, just like a non-bander would. With that in mind, as well as nutrient and calorie information, a lap-bander should always make sure to separate liquids and solids. In other words, don’t drink when you eat! The reason behind it is the simple mechanics of how the band works. Namely, the lap-band is not only supposed to decrease the volume of food you eat, but also slow down the emptying of your stomach. Let us remind you that after the lap-band procedure your stomach will strongly resemble an hour glass where the upper part is what we call your “new stomach”. Now, even if you get full on a regular solid meal but drink a lot of liquids with it, it will be just the same as if you ate a soup. The solid food will turn into mush or liquid and go straight through the opening between the two, upper and lower, parts of the stomach. In contrast, if you stop yourself form drinking while eating, your solid meal will fill your new stomach and slowly empty leaving you satisfied longer. At DayOne Health, not drinking with meals is one of the most important rules of the lap-band diet we give to our patients. Also, how well the rule is followed is often what differentiates the most successful lap-banders.

Getting full on liquids

Again, despite that we want you to stay hydrated, living on soup and gravy is definitely not what we mean by that. Just as in the case of drinking with meals, using liquid calories as a meal is a big no-no. First of all, even if you don’t have a lap-band, liquid will not make you full. Well, okay, maybe for 20 minutes. Nevertheless, the assumption behind the band is to eat well, feel full faster, and stay satisfied longer. When you stay on liquids, none of these are satisfied. Especially if the liquids you consume are high calorie and high fat content, it will just make things worse. Not only will you never feel fully satisfied but you will want to eat much more often than three times a day. Not mentioning that you will definitely surpass the 1,300 calorie per day mark. So, unless your band feels tight try to stay away from the liquid meals. To make sure you’re taking full advantage of your lap-band, you should always plan your meals well and make sure that the foods you eat will keep you satisfied longer. If you are not sure what kinds of foods will be the best choice, call your dietitian and discuss some well balanced lap-bander meal options.

If you would like to hear more details regarding the lap-band diet or Chicago located DayOne Health lap-band clinic, call at 312-239-3838 to speak our patient advocate or sign up for a one-on-one consultation with one of our surgeons.

Get your veggies in line

With more time for yourself, you can now better plan out your snacking and eating. Despite the fact that sometimes preparing your lunches the day before may seem like a dreadful chore, believe me it will totally pay off. Bringing your homemade lunches to work will not only help you stay in control of your weight, it will also save some money. As a way of coming back to your healthy eating, don’t forget about planning your snacks as well! Instead of packing your bag with candy, and hunting for vending machine snacks at work, chop up some veggies the day before and bring them along. My all time favorite here are of course carrots, but celery and cauliflower will work as well. Don’t forget that fruit is always a good alternative too. For those of you who have problems with getting raw veggies down, stack your fridge with low fat/low sugar yogurts and jello. Believe me, even this snack is better than chips and candy bars that you would normally munch on.

Schedule your meals

Nothing about summer makes you fall off the healthy eating wagon more than tons of high calorie smoothies, ice cream, shakes, and eating at the wildest times of the day. With your proper schedule back on, plan your meals well. Cut down on pizza nights and eating out and you’ll be amazed how your weight will start coming off without much effort. Good planning and preparing food at home will keep you healthy and give you the feeling of control. Feeling in control and being in charge will make you feel better about yourself and everything in general. It may not be easy at first, but once you get into the routine you’ll definitely love it.

Daily exercise

Ohhhh yeah… the big E – exercise. With the start of a new school year, why not start up a new workout routine as well? If you feel your weight has plateaued or even built up a little during the summer, get back on track with your workout. With evenings getting cooler, the weather is just perfect for jogging and taking longer walks. If your schedule doesn’t allow you to exercise daily, plan which days of the week will work best. Remember, even one day of increased activity will make a difference, and not only in terms of your weight but your well-being in general. Just try it, and you’ll see it’s a great place to start.

If you’re tired of being significantly overweight and you need someone to get on track, our lap-band weight loss program may be just what you’re looking for. Talk to a real lap-band patient today at 312-239-3838 and schedule your one-on-one consultation with a lap-band surgeon.

Is weight regain possible after Lap-band surgery?

Yes. Regaining weight is always possible, independently of what method of weight loss or surgery you choose. Lap-band is a powerful tool for significant weight-loss, but without the proper care, “the tool” can lose its effectiveness over time. But, if you stay up to date with your follow up visits and keep to the lap-band diet recommendations, it is extremely unlikely that you will gain weight. Nevertheless, if you give up and allow yourself to fall off the lap-band wagon, it is more than possible that you will not achieve the anticipated results. So, what is the best way to avoid gaining back those pounds? If you notice you are gaining weight, it is very important that you contact your lap-band surgeon or weight loss program as soon as possible. With the help of your doctor and dietitian it will be much easier to determine why you are gaining the weight and deal with the problem before it gets too serious.

What are common reasons for regaining weight after weight loss surgery?

Reasons for the weight regain can be divided into three categories: anatomic, medical, and behavioral. As soon as you notice yourself gaining weight, contact your weight loss clinic to see which of these categories could be the cause. If you’re eating right, meaning that the weight gain was not caused by your behavior, you will definitely need to make an appointment with your weight loss surgeon to see whether there are any medical and anatomical reasons that could cause. The fastest way to determine anatomic problems such as pouch dilation or problems with the band itself is to have your stomach X-rayed. After looking at your stomach, the weight loss surgeon will know whether your weight regain has come from stretching of the stomach, loosening of the band, or other band problems. If the examination with the use of fluoroscope didn’t find any possible anatomical causes of weight gain, your doctor may order some tests to exclude other medical causes such as: pregnancy, thyroid, adrenal, kidney, and/or heart problems.

What behavioral problems can cause me to gain weight after Lap-band surgery?

Behavioral problems start when you don’t comply with the recommendations of lap-band eating, by overeating or making poor food choices. While bad food choices may slow your weight loss or even cause you to gain weight, consequences of overeating may be slightly more serious. In other words, if you eat more than your new stomach can handle you may cause your band to slip. Band slippage is can easily be prevented by not overeating and seeing your doctor when you feel that your eating habits might have reverted back to what they were before the lap-band surgery. If after the X-ray your doctor notices that the upper part of the stomach has stretched, he may decide to deflate your band completely to allow the stomach to shrink back to its original size. This procedure, when performed in a timely manner, will most definitely prevent the slippage and therefore the need for additional surgery. This is also why you should always remember to follow up with your weight loss surgeon and dietitian on a regular basis. Seeing your doctor for periodical checkups will not only keep you on track with your weight, but will also allow the detection of any complications or problems in their early stages.

If you would like to hear more about DayOne Health lap-band clinic please call our patient advocate and an actual lap-band patient at 312-239-3838 or e-mail her at pcc-chicago@dayonehealth.com. If you would like to meet with one of our DayOne Health surgeons sign up for a one-on-one consultation in one of our Chicago bariatrics clinic.

Portion size vs. serving size

The distinction between portion size and serving size is key to understanding why you may not be losing the weight, in spite of all the healthy food choices you may be making. Serving size is an optimal amount of a given food, product, or a dish that you should eat based on a prediction of how much of certain nutrient your body needs each day. Ideally, the serving size should give you guidance in terms of how much you should eat. Once you know the serving size as well as nutrients and calories, it’s easier to figure out what portion size is optimal. In other words, serving size gives you information on how many servings of carbs, protein, and fiber should go into a single meal.

How much should I eat?

The main reason why we overeat is the fact that we don’t actually know how much we should eat. Since the 1970’s, the portions we eat have been steadily increasing. Where are we now in terms of portion size? Well, according to recent surveys, restaurant portion sizes are on average as much as 60% larger than the recommended serving size. Probably the most troublesome part is, that while in a regular meal veggies remain the closest to the reasonable serving size, what substantially has increased are portions of your meal that do the most damage to your waist. For instance, while a serving of steak should be approximately 3oz, you will most likely be served 12oz in restaurant. If you are like me, it’s probably hard for you to leave food on a plate. As a result, even though I’m not hungry anymore, I often stuff myself beyond capacity just because the food is still there in front of me. Consequently, my stomach stretches and with time it seems like I need bigger and bigger portions to satisfy my hunger.

What does Lap-band have to do with it?

The steady increase in portion size is proportionate with the steady increase in daily calorie intake. This increased number of calories can only result in weight gain. In order to get off the path of consistent stomach stretching, overeating and weight gain, you should work on decreasing your portion size. It is the foremost and best way to shed extra pounds, but for many it’s also the biggest challenge. And it’s no wonder. After years of overeating, your stomach is so stretched that you not only can’t tell what should be the healthy portion size, but even if you try to eat less you end up being hungry. And as we all know, keeping to the “eat less resolution” can be very difficult if you’re constantly hungry. This is why lap-band can be such a successful tool in cutting down on your portion size. With a lap-band, you will finally be able to eat less without the unwanted side effects of being hungry.

Lap-band portion size

After the lap-band procedure, your portions will decrease considerably. Once your band is in place, you’ll be able to eat about 4oz of food in one sitting. This means that from then on, your daily diet will consist of three 4oz meals and two 100 calorie snacks. All of this will add up to about 1,200 calories a day–a standard number of calories that one should consume daily. Because your meals will be very small after the lap-band procedure, you will need to make sure that each of your meals contains all the nutrients your body needs. Because this task is not easy, DayOne Health provides a dietitian who will be glad to help you in your transition to the new lap-band lifestyle. Oh and by the way, after getting your lap-band you will see that even the restaurant appetizer dishes are far from the desired portion size. By limiting these, you will not only save money on dining costs, but also on every future inch that could possibly cost you in the long run. And the best thing about it will be that you will finally decrease your portions without feeling deprived.

If you are interested in hearing more about our Chicago DayOne Health weight-loss program, call us today to speak with a real lap-bander and patient advocate at 312-239-3838. If you’d like to know more about a lap-band and see whether you’re a good candidate, schedule a one-on-one consultation with a weight loss surgeon.