Q: I am a 59-year-old retired teacher. Last November I had a gastric band placed around my stomach to help with weight loss. I have become very concerned about getting adequate nutrients in my diet. I became interested in the Zone approach to food and diet after reading “The Zone.” My question is this: How can the Zone approach to eating be modified to work with a much smaller stomach? The dietician who works with bariatric surgery patients only talks about the four food groups and the food pyramid and has not been able to help me regarding what foods I should be eating to be healthy beyond "a little from each food group". Is it possible for this approach to eating to work in conjunction with gastric banding? I would greatly appreciate your advice.
Sincerely, Elizabeth K.
Dear Elizabeth,
A: The gastric banding not only reduces the volume of food but has a slight benefit in altering the hormones important in satiety. (Gastric bypass surgery has a greater effect in altering the same hormones, thus greater weight loss.) Fortunately, the Zone Diet is ideally suited for you since it is a calorie-restricted program. Rather than eating three meals of about (400 calories each) and two snacks (100 calories each), you should consider consuming five meals of 250 calories each to ensure adequate levels of protein and maximum micronutrients with the least amount of carbohydrates. That means eating primarily vegetables as the carbohydrate source. This is one of few times that I would suggest using a juicer to make the volume of the vegetables more manageable with the reduced size of the stomach.