Before the ORBERA® Program

Once you have made the decision to commence the Orbera® program, it involves more than just one doctor and you as you will soon see.

 

The first consultation with Dr Luke Crantock will involve discussions about:

  • Your medical history.
  • Your previous attempts at losing weight.
  • Your personal goals.
  • Your commitment to the programme.

How comfortable you feel about the whole process is an important part of the journey.

Once you have decided to go ahead with the insertion of the balloon, a date can be booked for your procedure. But before then, you must meet another of the professional support team and start learning the principles that will become the basis of your success.

 

Helen Bauzon is G I Health's on-site dietician who will provide nine direct one-on-one consultations over a 12 month period.  Helen will discuss dietary expectations and the need for a fluid transitioning to pureed soft diet in the week to 10 days following balloon insertion.

Orbera® Principles:

Eating guidelines

  • Eat slowly and chew thoroughly.
  • Use small dishes to help with portion control.
  • Always stop eating when you feel full.
  • Gradually introduce a variety of foods into your meals, especially those high in protein like meat, poultry, fish, dairy and eggs.
  • Have a protein-rich food with each meal.
  • Uncooked food should be weighed without the parts you cannot eat.
  • Choose well-cooked vegetables; raw vegetables should be chopped into small pieces.
  • Avoid foods difficult to digest such as raw cauliflower, raw onions and fried foods.
  • Moderate your use of artificial sweeteners and diet soft drinks.
  • Avoid things with high caloric density such as sugar, honey, sweets and lollies, sweet drinks, dried fruits, fat based dressings and nuts.
  • When you are using salad dressing, olive oil is preferred, or try balsamic vinegar instead.

Drinking guidelines

  • Drink at least six glasses of water each day.
  • Remember to sip slowly.
  • Drink one glass of water at least 45 minutes before each meal.
  • Drink two glasses of water 30 minutes after each meal to ‘rinse’ the balloon.
  • During your meals try to drink as little as possible.
  • Drink as few carbonated and caffeinated drinks as possible.
  • Restrict your alcohol consumption.  Half a can of light beer or half a glass of wine each day will account for approximately 200 kilojoules (50 calories).

Important things to remember

  • Avoid eating late at night and do not eat for at least two hours before going to sleep – the balloon tends to move up when you lie down and may cause reflux and nausea.
  • If you do have reflux in the evening avoid coffee, tea, alcohol, tomatoes, oranges or other acidic foods and do not smoke.  If the reflux persists try raising the head of your bed 20cm.
  • In case of vomiting, stop eating for at least two hours then drink a small amount of water and proceed with soft foods as tolerated.
  • Take vitamins and minerals as prescribed.

Over the next six months it will be critical to meet with your doctor to measure your weight-loss progress and your support team for education and training. This period is important to prepare you for maintaining weight loss after the intragastric balloon is removed.

 

Lifestyle guidelines

  • Meet regularly with your medical team to stay motivated and committed to the programme.
  • Experience shows that those who attend the scheduled follow-up meetings have the best results.
  • Keep a diary of what you eat and how much you exercise.
  • Make your new nutrition plan a long-term lifestyle change.

Food guidelines

Food groups

Foods allowed

Foods to avoid

Beverages

Water, seltzer, club soda, decaf diet soda, decaf tea, decaf coffee, unsweetened calorie-free drinks, herbal tea, diet iced tea

NOTE: Carbonated beverages are tolerated differently by each ORBERA® System patient while the intragastric balloon is in place.

Regular soda, sweetened juices and beverages, alcohol, caffeinated tea and coffee, all beverages with caffeine

Milk

Skim/low-fat milk, low-fat butter- milk, non-fat sugar-free yoghurt

Whole milk, milkshakes, chocolate milk, cream, half-and-half, hot cocoa, non- dairy creamer, regular yoghurt

Meat, fish, eggs, cheese and beans

Broiled/roasted/barbecued/steamed chicken, turkey, fish, veal, lamb, low-fat or non-fat cheeses, eggs and egg substitutes, and beans

Fried meat, fish eggs, frankfurters, sausages, high-fat cold cuts such as bologna, corned beef, pastrami and bacon

Fruits

All, including diluted or low-calorie fruit juice

 

Vegetables

All, except those listed in the ‘Foods to Avoid’ column

Intakes greater than 1 cup of parsnips, corn, squash and peas

Grains and Starches

Whole-wheat crackers, brown/grainy bread and toast; mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, rice, soups

Bagels, doughy breads, white bread, waffles, pancakes, croissants, popcorn, high-fat cream soups NOTE: Pasta may not be tolerated by ORBERA® System patients while the intragastric balloon is in place.

Fats

Low-calorie or non-fat margarine, mayonnaise and salad dressings

Butter, oil (unless olive or canola), regular margarine, mayonnaise and salad dressings

Sweets and Desserts

Diet gum, diet Jell-O®, low-calorie/mini cakes and pies, sugar substitutes

Sweets and lollies, ice cream, fruit ice, pastries, ice milk, frozen yoghurt, regular sugar, honey, salty snacks

REMEMBER: You do not need to give up the foods you love entirely. You must however become conscious of the portion size and frequency of consumption. Weight management is about just that, management.