The BIG Book On The Lap-Band
Everything You Need to Know to Lose Weight and Live Well with the Adjustable Gastric Band
About - The Big Book on the Lap-Band
The BIG Book On The Lap-Band is the definitive guide for your lap-band journey for weight loss. Like so many other patients who have struggled with obesity for many years, you may find that the lap-band is the tool you need to eat well and finally lose weight for good. You can't make the journey all on your own, though, and that's where the book comes in. It starts from square one and explains every step along the lap-band process. The BIG Book On The Lap-Band treats you with the respect you deserve and provides facts and analysis in simple language.
The BIG Book On The Lap-Band doesn't just have facts and figures. Its discussions help you think for yourself and make reasoned decisions. It's a source of advice and motivation, too. Some of the highlights of the book are stories from real-life lap-band patients, told in their words. You get to read their challenges, achievements and tips in each chapter of the book. If you're ready to start learning about using the lap-band to get over your obesity, pick up a copy of The BIG Book On The Lap-Band and get reading!
About the book's authors:
With every page of "The BIG Book on the Lap-Band" you will learn important details such as:
- The options for surgical weight loss and what is involved with the Lap-Band.
- How to make your decision and what questions to ask before surgery
- What your diet and exercise will look like following the procedure
- How to adjust to your incredible new body
- And so much more
Lifelong weight loss and better health can be yours with the help of this book!
About the BookThe Book is also available on:
Title
Content
Here you'll learn about how dangerous obesity really is. Just a few of the health problems that it contributes to are type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, sleep apnea and osteoarthritis. It can make you depressed, and you might already be familiar with social stigma, such as people looking down on you, that comes with obesity. Even though obesity is dangerous and uncomfortable, one-third of Americans are obese and another third are overweight. That's due, in large part, to an environment with too much fast food, too much junk food, not enough opportunities for exercise and too much time sitting around.
This chapter takes a look at your options for losing weight and helps you understand why they might not have worked for you before. You've probably tried a bunch of diets and possible a few exercise programs and weight loss drugs. Diets don't usually work in the long term if you don't make them true lifestyle changes; you'll gain the weight right back if you try extreme diets such as low-carb diets or diets that only let you eat boxed meals or shakes. Exercise programs are healthy, but they don't usually burn off enough calories to motivate you to continue them. And, weight loss drugs can be dangerous and are not necessarily effective. Weight loss surgery, or bariatric surgery, is an alternative option for losing weight and keeping it off. The major types in the United States are:
- vertical sleeve gastrectomy
- roux-en-Y gastric bypass
- sleeve plication (or curvature plication)
- laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (brand name: Lap-Band)
We all hear about the lap-band and have a vague idea that it's a treatment for obesity – but do you really know much about it? This chapter clearly explains what the lap-band is and what it does. It's a device that goes around the top portion of your stomach to form a stoma, or small upper pouch, above the band. The band helps you feel full faster because your stoma fills up faster than your entire original stomach did. A surgeon inserts the lap-band in a laparoscopic procedure, or minimally invasive surgery, which usually takes less than an hour. Along with the gastric band, there's also an access port, which goes in the abdominal muscle next to your belly button, and a thin connection tube that connects the port to the band. Your surgeon adjusts the fill of your gastric band by injecting into the port a liquid solution which then goes through the tube into the band.
Now that you know what the lap-band is and how the surgical procedure works, it's time to decide whether you really want it. This chapter talks about the risks of getting the lap-band, from problems that can occur during surgery to complications that can happen later on as you recover from surgery and lose weight on the lap-band diet. You can balance the drawbacks, or complications, against the potential benefits. Is the amount of weight you can expect to lose worth the risks of the surgery? The chapter helps you determine whether you meet the requirements for getting the band, and lists several possible reasons why the lap-band may not be the right choice for you.
The focus after deciding to get the lap-band is on planning for your surgery. It's a good idea to do all of the background research you can – online and by asking around – to learn more about the lap-band. Selecting a surgeon is an important step, and we give you tips about what to look for. You'll also get to meet your healthcare team's other members, such as a mental health professional and dietitian. Financing is always a tough issue, but the chapter lays out your options and explains what the steps of getting reimbursed for insurance. Since each year thousands of patients go to Mexico to et the lap-band, the chapter also gives some tips on medical tourism.
You've decided to get the lap-band, you're excited about getting it done and now there's a ton to do! Where do you even start? Take a deep breath, relax and dig into Chapter 6. You'll meet with your surgeon and get to discuss any concerns you have. Also, you'll get psychological testing and a battery of medical tests to make sure you're ready for the surgery. A dietitian may work with you on a pre-surgery diet as well as some plans for your post-surgery lap-band diet. Other preparation for your surgery includes getting time off work, making sure your kitchen is well-stocked and packing for the hospital. We've got you covered – down to a list of items to bring and not to bring!
Aftercare starts as you wake up from surgery and regain your awareness as the anesthesia wears off. You'll feel pain in your abdomen, and walking around the hospital or your home can make you more comfortable. You may also feel nauseous. Your first food will be ice chips to suck on and swallowing can be difficult. This first week is all about recovery. It's a tough week to get through, but persistence and support can go a long way. Most lap-band patients can return to work within a couple of weeks, and you can gradually add regular activities back into your life as long as your surgeon approves. The aftercare program includes regular visits to your surgeon during the first weeks, months and year after surgery. You might also see a dietitian. Support group meeting with other bariatric patients can keep you on track, too.
The first four to six weeks after your lap-band surgery are for focusing on recovery, not on weight loss. It's critical at this time to follow your post-surgery diet so that you don't risk having lap-band complications later. Lay a solid foundation now by getting used to measuring your portions and eating slowly. The first stage after surgery is the liquid diet; you can't have any solid foods, and you'll get some of your nutrients from protein shakes. The second stage is the pureed foods diet; you can eat pureed or blended foods but nothing with chunks. The third stage is the semi-solid or soft foods phase. Drink plenty of water throughout the day but not at meals. This chapter has food lists for each phase plus suggested meal plans and other tips to get you through these first several weeks.
You get to start the solid foods diet after you successfully complete the semi-solid phase. The solid foods phase is designed to be your long-term diet; it'll help you lose weight and maintain your weight for as long as you choose to follow it. You can eat most foods on the lap-band diet, but stay away from super-stringy foods, such as asparagus, and sticky foods, such as caramels. The chapter has lists of foods and their serving sizes for each food group plus suggested meal plans and tips for following the lap-band diet. Since high-protein and healthy choices are so important, you'll get to read about how to choose your foods. It'll become natural if you practice it constantly!
Physical activity, or exercise, helps you burn calories and control your weight, and this chapter has a list of common activities and the calories you can burn doing them. Regular exercise has other benefits, too. It reduces your risk for the obesity-related chronic diseases discussed in Chapter 1, "Introduction," and improves your mood. You can start, after getting your surgeon's approval, with light exercise, such as slow walking or water aerobics. Then progress as you are comfortable. In the chapter, you can find recommendations for amount and types of exercise and ways to fit it in when you're short on time. Of course, sticking to an exercise program is even harder than starting one – and there are tons of tips in the chapter so that you are able to stick to your program – and enjoy it!
The changes during the first year can be overwhelming – unless you're prepared for them! The BIG Book On The Lap-Band gives you a nice overview of the changes to expect – keeping in mind, of course, that each individual's lap-band experience is slightly different. During the first year as you stick to your lap-band diet, you can expect significant weight loss and changes in your body. You'll probably feel better about yourself and notice that others treat you differently as you lose weight. Almost all lap-band patients have a few complications, even if they're minor, so this chapter helps you recognize some of the more serious symptoms that may require a call to your surgeon. The chapter provides tips on staying motivated, too. Cosmetic surgery to remove extra skin is something that you may want to consider as you lose weight, and the chapter outlines the most common options.
There's always more to learn. You can read The BIG Book On The Lap-Band , call your surgeon and talk to all of the members of your support groups, and you'll never know every detail about the lap-band that you'll be wondering about eventually. That's where online resources come in; there's a nearly infinite array of sites that can answer your questions. LapBandTalk.com is an online community with more than 100,000 members, many of whom have been in your shoes and can provide advice from personal experience. Members are encouraging, too, so you can feel comfortable there. Membership is free and features include regular newsletters, a profile page with space for your photos and a blog, a surgeon directory with member ratings and reviews and a live chat room.
The BIG Book on the LAP-BAND ®
Is the definitive guide for your lap-band journey for weight loss. Likeso many other patients who have struggled with obesity for many years, you may find that the lap-band is the tool you need to eat well and finally lose weight for good.
Table of Contents:
- 01 - Introduction
- 02 - Options for Losing Weight
- 03 - All about the Lap-Band
- 04 - Is the Lap-Band for You?
- 05 - Planning Your Lap-Band Surgery
- 06 - Preparing for Surgery and the Hospital
- 07 - Aftercare
- 08 - Post-Surgery Diet
- 09 - All about the Lap-Band Diet
- 10 - Starting and Keeping up with Your Physical Activity Program
- 11 - What to Expect
- 12 - Online Communities and LapBandTalk.com