If you’re considering undergoing weight loss surgery such as the gastric band, you might be wondering how much weight you can expect to lose.
The answer is that you can expect to lose a life-changing amount of weight in the months following your procedure. Studies show that 46% of excess weight is lost after just one year.
In addition, many patients suffering from obesity-related conditions see these illnesses improve or be reversed after 12 months.
However, it’s important to note that gastric band patients who see these results usually develop several healthy habits post-op.
By undergoing the gastric band and following healthy habits, you can expect to lose around 1-2 pounds weekly post-op.
Let’s look at the healthy habits that determine the success of your gastric band and how your life will look after one year.
Factors that affect the success of your gastric band
One year following a gastric band, your life will look very different, assuming you follow the advice given to you by your surgeon.
If you want your gastric band to be a success, you’ll need to adopt an entirely new lifestyle than the one before the procedure.
Your new lifestyle should include the following:
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Healthy eating
A healthy diet is essential to achieve steady weight loss following your gastric band.
The amount and type of foods you eat will be different than before your surgery. It’s essential to ensure your new diet includes enough protein, vitamins, and minerals to keep your body happy and healthy.
You will probably eat smaller amounts of food following your gastric band. So, you’ll be at risk of illness if you don’t prioritise healthy eating. A diet lacking essential nutrients can have severe consequences and lead to anaemia, heart failure, and malnutrition.
Tips for maintaining a healthy diet after your gastric band include:
- Eating plenty of fruit and veg
- Eating more oily fish
- Cutting down on saturated fat and sugar
- Stopping drinking alcohol
- Staying hydrated
- Never skipping breakfast
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Eating when hungry
Along with following a healthy diet, you should also ensure you only consume food when you’re hungry.
Following your gastric band, your stomach can only hold around one cup of food, much less than it could hold before.
This means you have to be careful not to eat mindlessly when you’re not hungry. If you do, your stomach pouch will be too full for mealtime, and you’ll miss out on vital nutrients from these planned meals.
It’s also important to listen to your band to understand when you’ve had enough to eat. If you ignore it and overeat, it can cause band slippage or your food to get stuck in your band.
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Regular exercise
Your gastric band is a powerful weight-loss tool, but it’s not a miracle cure. Regular exercise is required in addition to your new healthy diet to see the desired results.
It’s important to understand that exercise is one of the most essential tools to help you reach and maintain your best health after surgery.
Along with contributing to steady weight loss, exercise:
- Preserves lean muscle mass and muscle strength
- Increases joint stability and bone strength
- Tightens the loose skin left after significant weight loss
Another significant benefit of exercise is helping patients to manage any pre-existing obesity-related conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure. The conditions that many have prompted them to have a gastric band in the first place.
The benefits of a gastric band
The gastric band is an excellent option for anyone considering weight loss surgery in Ireland, as it is the least invasive procedure available. Patients who undergo a gastric band are generally discharged from the hospital on the same day.
Overall, a gastric band surgery only takes 30-60 minutes, during which five small keyhole (laparoscopic) incisions are made in the abdomen.
Unlike other bariatric surgeries, such as the gastric sleeve, no part of the stomach is removed during a gastric band.
Instead, your surgeon will place an adjustable silicone band around the top portion of your stomach through the keyhole incisions.
A port to this adjustable band will be placed under your skin, where it’s easy to reach. Through this port, your surgeon can loosen or tighten your gastric band without you needing further surgery.
Another great advantage of the gastric band is that it is a completely reversible procedure. If you ever change your mind about your gastric band, you’ll be able to have it removed by your surgeon.
We hope you now clearly understand what you can expect your life to look like one year after the gastric band procedure.
If you’re interested in learning more about the gastric band procedure, we would love to hear from you.
The team at Auralia has years of experience performing bariatric surgery in Ireland and can provide you with the procedure you need to feel more confident about your body.
Book a free consultation today with our leading team of Irish cosmetic surgeons.
