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Weight Loss Solutions – Our Procedures Explained

Gastric Banding

Does my diet have to change?

Around the time of surgery, you will be asked to alter your diet, temporarily, to ensure you gain the best results from your procedure.

Before surgery: Optifast phase for 2 weeks

During your initial consultation with our dietitian, you will be asked to replace your regular meals with Optifast for 2 weeks prior to your surgery. The reason for this is to shrink the fat out of your liver, which will greatly improve access to the top of the stomach. This allows your surgery to be performed as safely and accurately as possible. It also provides and opportunity to properly visualise and repair any weakness or hernia in the hiatus area at the same time as placing your band.

There are a number of things you can also eat during this phase to keep it more interesting- vegetables, soup, yogurt, calorie free drinks, etc. Our dietitian will provide you with a handout explaining everything clearly.


In order to allow the Gastric Band to settle in, it is important to have liquids only during thefirst 2 weeks. This is usually quite easy as most patients find they are not hungry after surgery because of the normal swelling. You may have any type of fluid you chose, provided you drink it slowly. Our dietitian will provide you with clear instructions to guide you through this period.

Week 3 & 4 after surgery: soft food phase

During the third and fourth week after surgery you may increase the variety of your intake to include soft and pureed foods, as the swelling will now be settling. Our dietitian will see you again at the beginning of this phase to help and guide you. Remember this phase is only temporary- you will be able to eat a wide variety of regular foods from week 5 onwards.

Long-term Diet

Long term, you’ll find that you’re able to return to eating a wide range of everyday solid food, such as:

  • Chicken
  • Fish
  • Soft meats
  • Pasta
  • Rice
  • Fruit & vegatables

The three key guidelines for success are:

  1. Only eat when you’re hungry. Never eat just because of the time, because others are eating, or to prevent hunger later.
  2. Stop when you start to feel full. Generally a cup of food, or an entrée sized meal will be enough to fill you up.
  3. Avoid liquid calories. As solid food passes through the Gastric Band area, you will notice a sense of fullness building up. Liquids do not give the same sense of fullness as solids. It’s as if solids rotate a little turnstile as they pass through the band area, whereas liquids simply slide through without paying. You should try and keep alcoholic drinks, juices, cordials, milkshakes, ice cream and chocolate to a minimum for this reason. Calorie-free drinks such as water, tea, and coffee are fine- It’s important to keep well hydrated.