By Gloria Samuels and Sandi Henderson

As you are preparing for surgery, you may want to practice eating like a banded person for thirty to sixty days before surgery.  This can be a great way to begin developing new habits, and begin preparing your home prior to surgery. 

Now before you say to yourself "if I could do that I wouldn't need this surgery", consider this, most of us have dieted successfully in the past, at least for short periods of time.

So what do we mean by eating like a banded person.  Here are some suggestions: 

• Don't drink with your meals. Wait at least thirty minutes before and after each meal to drink.
• Eat your protein first and try to get at least sixty to eighty grams of protein each day.
• Allow twenty to thirty minutes for each meal and leave the table. You're done eating.
• Don't drink your calories such as: high calorie coffee, alcoholic drinks, as well as soda.
• Find a protein drink you can live with during the liquid phase of your post-op diet. This is the one exception to drinking your calories.
• Eat small portions and eat slowly. Use small dessert size plates and children's utensils. Practice putting your fork down between bites, and chew each bite at least twenty times.
• Plan three to five meals high quality meals each day. Focus on portion control and getting quality, low calorie meals. Make sure you get your protein.
• Journal. Practice keeping track of what you are eating and drinking. Find a method that works for you, writing in a book, or using an on-line tracker. Log everything you eat or drink. At the end of each day, total your protein grams and calories. Also make sure you are drinking plenty of fluids.

Share what you are doing and what you've learned, including what's most difficult for you at your next pre-op appointment.

Of course, as always, check with your doctor and make sure to follow their pre-op instructions.

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