What you can eat with your lapband will change over time. The things you couldn’t eat the first year with your lap-band , you’ll be able to eat in year two. This is not how you should test your lapband.

Some people say, “But I don’t want to eat bread” – some insert pizza, or rice, etc. Here is the deal: the lap-band is meant to be a tool, it is not meant to be your mother. It is not there to keep you from yourself. If you don’t want to eat bread- don’t eat it. If you want to eat bread, and the band isn’t giving you a problem with it- just be careful, because the more doughy it is, it can sometimes cause a problem. Some breads, like Ezekiel bread never cause an issue – and things like a handful of goldfish crackers can clog the band easily.

Why does this happen? The first year the stomach above the band is not too active. Food sits there and it will squeeze it through easily. Then as time goes on the upper stomach gets better at pushing things through. It still can’t get through large bites of food, so be sure to keep your food to a size no larger than two tines of a fork. The opening between the upper stomach and the lower stomach in a well adjusted band is smaller than a pea (usually the size of a pencil).

You don’t need a fill. You need to understand that the band is dynamic. Food doesn’t stay above it for long (unless you have pouch dilation or a slip).

Here is how you test if you need a fill. Measure 1/2 cup of meat, or fish, or poultry- and eat that along with 3/4 of a cup of steamed vegetables. Eat it slowly over twenty minutes. Then hit a stopwatch for two hours. At two hours see if you are hungry — not before. If you are hungry at the 2-3 hour mark you need a fill. If not, your lap-band is at a great level.