Lap Bands are an important weight-loss tool.
Lap Band surgery is one of the newer bariatric (obesity) surgeries available to overweight patients. During this surgery, a silicone tube is placed around the stomach, and a port placed below it. During the months after surgery, the patient visits his physician for "fills": saline solution is injected into the port. It then goes into the band, causing it to tighten around the stomach. It is believed that this will produce a feeling of fullness in the patient. The goal is to help him eat less and lose weight. But it is possible to lose too much weight -- sometimes you actually need to gain a few pounds to be healthy.
Instructions
1. Discuss your weight with your physician -- she should know and approve of your plan to gain weight in a healthy way. Have her take some saline out of your band so that you can gain weight by eating more. Proceed to the next steps if you do not want to follow this method.
2. Visit a nutritionist. Tell him about your plan, and have him craft a dietary outline specific to your needs, and taking into consideration any health concerns.
3. Eat larger meals -- Lap Bands are designed to prevent too much food going into the stomach, but with regular, larger meals, the stomach can be stretched out. Eat 1 1/2 cups of food if you regularly eat 1 1/4 with the Lap Band. Continue doing this until your stomach is so stretched out that it can hold more food at one time. Gradually increase the amount it can hold until you begin to gain weight -- then continue eating that amount with each meal.
4. Drink liquid calories -- high-calorie milkshakes, smoothies and protein shakes. Have one with each meal, and preferably as snacks. The Lap Band is designed to restrict solid -- not liquid -- calories; liquids go straight through the opening restricted by the band and are absorbed by the body.
