Odd Eating Habits After Lap Band
by Concerned daughter
(Lincoln, NE, USA)
My mother had the lapband surgery two years ago.
I would consider it a success due to the fact that she lost around 125 pounds! It is wonderful to have my mother back to be able to do things with her again. She is free of her high blood pressure meds and no longer considered diabetic!!
However, I have noticed her strange eating habits now. She can not take vitamins, she will gag and probably vomit. I have tried to get her several vitamin chews or drinks but none seem to work that well for her.
She cannot eat anything until 3pm due to the band being so tight she cant keep anything down...that is what she says. I notice a lot of coffee consumption and just overall foods and drinks that don't seem to fulfill her vitamin intake she should recieve.
I am so proud of her for losing weight and to want to be healthier but the eating habits she now has are not healthy. I am looking for advice or even a nutritionist in the area who specializes in post lap band diets. Please help.
Your mom's story is not uncommon!
I see eating habits like this every day. You are right to be concerned.
I have a few suggestions:
Have her try a hot liquid or a TINY bit of carbonated beverage in the a.m. to help "open up" the band.
If she tolerates liquid/soft food better than solids, encourage her to drink protein shakes prepared with skim milk as the base (for calcium and vitamin D), protein powder, and frozen fruit (for the fiber and antioxidants). See a few protein shake recipes and my favorie protein powders here.
She could even try a high protein frappuccino type drink if she likes coffee: Blend skim milk + cold coffee + vanilla protein powder + ice.
She could also use (nutrient rich) low sodium tomato soup or butternut sqush soup and sprinkle in a little protein powder.
Yogurt and cottage cheese with canned fruit (without added sugar) usually go down pretty well when solid foods are hard to tolerate.
I provide phone consultations if you're unable to find a dietitian in your area to work with. You can contact me here to discuss details.
