Life with the Band
Your new life with the Lap Band
So much is about to change for you — in a great way! The way you eat will change. Your body will change. Your confidence will grow and your outlook will improve. It won’t be without challenges, but life is about to become very exciting for you! Your Lap Band will be a valuable tool in helping you reach your weight-loss goals and the True Results team will be with you every step of the way.
Aftercare with TrueCare
Our TrueCare program is a personalized program designed to help you reach and maintain a healthy weight. With ongoing support and nutritional guidance, you WILL get there.
Adjustments
An important part of the program is band adjustments — a unique feature of the Lap Band that lets you and your aftercare specialist adjust your band to meet your nutritional needs. Adjustments are simple office visits that only take 10 or 15 minutes, and are performed without surgery — using a thin needle to inject or withdraw saline from the band through your access port. This widens or narrows the band opening to control the rate of your weight-loss.
Your first adjustment is typically scheduled for 4 to 6 weeks after your procedure. After that, how often your band is adjusted will depend on your individual weight-loss goals and results. The most common reasons for adjustments are that you are not able to eat much without feeling uncomfortable and vomiting (your band is too tight), or that you are not losing weight (your band is too loose).
Get the support you need
Support is a critical factor in your weight-loss success. You’ll need the support of your family and friends, so make sure they understand how your needs and body are changing.
You can also find support on the True Results forum and at our support groups. Both are gathering places for True Results patients, like you, and they are an invaluable resource for tips, recipes, exercise ideas, information and emotional guidance.
Track your progress
Your TrueCare team will help you track your health and weight-loss progress as you work toward your goal, and it can be extremely beneficial for you to keep track on your own. Tracking helps you recognize trends, spot pitfalls and discover opportunities to improve — and makes it easier to share with your TrueCare team. Here are some ideas:
- Keep a journal. Writing down what you eat and when you eat, as well as when and how much you exercise helps keep you much more aware of your habits. Keep notes on how you’re feeling emotionally as well.
- Use an online tracking system like My Lap Band Journey. You can keep a food diary, track nutrition and calories, log exercise time and plot your weight-loss.
- Download an app! Smart-phone users will find several options available.
Remember these important food tips!
- Try to stick with 3 small meals a day — about 1 cup of food each.
- Chew thoroughly!
- Pack your meals with as much nutrition as possible. Go for high-quality choices that are loaded with vitamins.
- Don’t forget to splurge sometimes. One of the keys to successful weight-loss is to never feel deprived. Enjoy dessert in moderation. Balance is good.
- Avoid snacking. If you find yourself getting hungry between meals, you may need a band adjustment.
- Watch your liquids — they can be loaded with empty calories.
Being active when you’re trying to lose weight doesn’t have to mean running a marathon, pumping iron or taking aerobics every day. But to get started, put on your fuzzy slippers.
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