After the lap-band procedure you will soon notice that not all foods go down easily. While some foods will slide right through it, some will take longer, and some may even get stuck. The feeling of getting stuck is very unpleasant, and may even cause the food to come back up. While for everyone the list of potentially problematic foods is different, the ones that are getting stuck most often are the ones that are sticky, fibrous, or doughy. Below you will find a more detailed discussion on the possible offenders.

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.