DBAGuy

Yeppers...in another thread, from a post yesterday, he says: "We tell patients to try for two weeks..." Pretty much tells me he's not only their patient...he works for them, and is gaining financial benefit from telling folks to go there...

Yeah, I was wondering...does he work for them? I don't like folks suggesting products/services in these forums when they get financial benefit...that's called a 'conflict of interest'....

The surgeon/hospital I went to is a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence, and I can't say enough about the quality of information, pre- and post-surgery care, and the overall program. They're very careful to make sure you know all the positives and negatives of the various kinds of bariatric surgery, and what kind works best for different kinds of eating habits, etc. The Surgical Review Corporation (Surgical Review Corporation) has awarded the Center of Excellence title to 225 hospitals and 465 surgeons across the country - you can find one through their website.

Well... My understanding is that many of the products (like at GNC) that advertise they're for weight gain have lots of stuff other than Protein in them...like carbs, etc. I wouldn't use those. But some pure protein products are sold for weight gain, since they help to add muscle. The only real way I can think of to tell is to look at the nutrition label...how many calories/scoop or serving? Should be very little if it is just protein. What kind of ingredients are listed? For instance...Unjury powder is 90 calories per scoop, with 0 grams of fat, 3g total carbs, 20g of protein. Pro Gainer weigh gain supplement protein powder has 645 calories/serving, 7g of fat, 110g of carbs...

I was banded on May 21st. I get my first fill a couple days from now (July 5th). I haven't had much restriction, and could probably go back to eating the way I used to eat...having 2 or 3 meals worth of food for one meal. For me, the band isn't what I'm relying upon to lose weight...it is part of the overall life-change I've decided to make. So, even though I could eat more, I'm limiting myself to 4-5 oz. of food per meal. I have to stick to my decision to change things or I won't lose weight...band or no band. The band is easy to sabotage...just eat high calorie foods that turn to liquid or slurry when chewed: chocolate, potato chips, ice cream, milkshakes, etc. Or drink non-diet sodas, beer, etc. Easy to get 3000 calories/day whether you have restriction or not. So...for me...I have to practice the mental art of weight loss...just as important as the physical restriction of the band. I have to exercise, I have to follow that quantity of food guidelines given to me, and follow the do's/don'ts of what to eat. This (the time before my first fill) was the ideal time for me to work on the mental aspect of my life-change. So far, so good.

My strongest suggestion is to research it and go in with a full understanding of what it is all about. If your surgeon or the local hospital has seminars, attend one and ask questions. Banding (as you'll see over and over again here) is not the simple solution...it is a tool that will help you but it will only work if you have the will to exercise self-control over what you eat. Since banding only relies upon restriction, many high calorie foods (such as ice cream, milkshakes, chocolate, potato chips, etc.) can go right through the stoma into the rest of your stomack and never give you the 'full' feeling that signals you've eaten enough. Banding requires focus, and following the rules - but it can really help if you follow the rules. Caveat: I've only been banded since May 21st, and have my first fill this week, so I can't really tell you what it is like long term.

I used to be a 'gourmet' beer drinker...stouts, dark ales, etc. My surgeon/nutritionists strongly recommend that I avoid beer (or any carbonated or alcoholic beverage) due to the empty calories adding up fast and the carbonation possibly stretching the pouch. They've shown that bypass patients are more sensitive to the effects of alcohol, because of the 're-routing' of the small intestine and because they actually have a much smaller stomach post-surgery. Maybe for banders it would be because of the lower body mass once you've lost weight...the same amount of alcohol would produce a higher level in the bloodstream?? (just guessing) I'm guessing that beer for me will be an extremely occasional thing...maybe when I get to goal I'll have some more often. Even in the past, I drank beer for the rich flavor...rarely had more than two in an evening, and that was usually once or twice a week. I'm paranoid about drinking and driving, so if I'm at a picnic or evening function, I never drink. My dad was an alcoholic and drove drunk all the time.

Manassas, VA for me, but I don't claim to be 'from' here...just staying until I retire, then heading to western Washington state...lived there for 13 years before moving here. (originally from Kansas)

I just checked on the Syntrax Nectar protein...looks like it is 100% whey isolate.

Actually, Protein is not protein...there are significant differences between the effect on the body of collagenic protein and whey protein. My nutritionists strongly advocate looking for 100% whey isolate protein, like you find in unjury powder or Isopure powder/pre-mixed drinks. The body building stuff quite often is a mix of different protein sources along with other stuff that, honestly, who knows what it does to/for you. And you have to read the label...I bought some 'bullet' shots that were labelled as New Whey liquid Protein, but the ingredients on the label were: "Pure deionized Water, Actinase (patent pending blend of enzymatically hydrolyzed collagenic protein isolate, whey protein isolate and caseine protein isolate), malic acid, Myovol? Complex (proprietary blend of leucine, valine and isoleucine), all natural flavors, acesulfame-potassium, sucralose, blue 1 and red 40." This means that most of the protein was collagenic, not whey isolate. I'm not a nutritionist (or a body builder), I'm just passing along what my nutritionists have told me. You get much more benefit from whey isolate protein than collagenic. For my protein, I have one bottle of premixed IsoPure, which comes in multiple flavors and has 40g of whey isolate protein, then I have 8 oz. of soy milk with Unjury or Isopure powder.

The only effect my apnea treatment had on my banding process was positive. My surgeon required that I have my CPAP at least a week before surgery and that I bring it to the hospital...if you have apnea, the CPAP helps mitigate risks of complications post-surgery.

I started at 354 and have a goal of 190. My surgeion hasn't said anything about 'required additional surgeries'...the only time I've heard of additional surgeries is if you have slippage from too much overeating/vomiting or in the rare instance of erosion. But, I am a newbie here...I'll check with my surgeon when I get my first fill on Thursday.

Hi, all - I go for my first fill on Thursday this week. I'll let you know how it goes. For the first time in 10 months, played 18 holes of golf yesterday - was a bit sore from muscles not being accustomed to it, but felt great otherwise...I was a little concerned about port pain and such, but no problems.

Just a 'heads up'...if you order a stainless steel bracelet from American Medical ID, they use 'laser engraving', which isn't as deep as regular engraving. I've had one for a year or so because I'm allergic to tetanus shots, and there's a large 'rub' spot where the engraving has worn smooth. As far as I know, they only use laser engraving on the stainless bracelets. I'm exchanging e-mails with them now, since I wanted to get a new bracelet updated with my band info, but don't want to get one that will wear away that quickly again.

Not sure who you're asking - I never was on one meal/day. I eat three meals/day, 2-3 oz. of Protein and 2-3 oz. of fruit or veggie per meal. I've kept to that regimen for both mushie food and solid food. This includes going to a restaurant, ordering an appetizer (like boneless wings or quesadilla) and only eating a portion of it, taking the rest home, and eating for other meals. I do this because my surgeon/nutrionists told me that I should expect to be able to only eat that much once I have restriction in place, and I didn't want to have to make a sudden mental shift to reduce what I ate...also, didn't want to experience much in the way of vomiting or 'PBs' once I had restriction in place. I also take 60 - 80 grams of protein, through Isopure pre-mixed drinks, soy milk, and Protein powder.

I was on full liquids ( pudding, yogurt, broth) for a week, then on mushie food for three weeks. For me, by a week after surgery, I wasn't hurting very much anymore. The only real pain I felt at that point was at my port site, and only for a few minutes when I stood up after sitting for a while. At 10 days after surgery, I was back on the treadmill with no noticeable pain. When sleeping, if I rolled over kind of on the side where my port was, I'd get a bit of a sting-type pain, but that has subsided as well.

I've lost 58 lbs, including the 23 I lost before surgery. The band has, I think, given me some restriction without a fill ( I get my first fill next week), but I think the decision to get the surgery, and the factors leading up to the decision to get the surgery, have all combined to give me more 'mental' strength than I had before...this may be the greater effect right now. Since I went on 'mush' food after surgery, and continuing with solid food now, I only eat 4 - 5 oz. of food per meal, and don't snack at all in between (snacking was never a big deal for me). That's a major change from eating (for example) a Wendy's bacon cheeseburger AND a grilled stuft burrito AND two chalupas for lunch. I also completely removed caffeine - I used to have two 20 oz. coffees with 4 shots of espresso each, and 4 or 5 diet Mountain Dews each day. Now, I drink only Isopure Protein drink, an occasional decaf coffee, soy milk, and Water. I've been told that caffeine is an appetite stimulant, so i wanted to get away from it.

My first fill is next week. I've lost 58 lbs, including the 23 I lost before surgery. I have some restriction, but also I think that the decision to have the surgery has given me more 'mental' strength than I had previously.

Critical difference that I don't see discussed much here: Two general types of overweight folks (I know, nobody is just one 'type', but the categories do work...) 1. Grazers, who snack heavily between reasonable meals and before bed. 2. Portion control problems, who don't snack much, but eat way too much at meals. The Lap-Band works best for people with primarily portion control problems. If you are a grazer, you can be successful with a lap-band, but it takes an increase in self-control. If you snack constantly during the day, you can get way too many calories even with good restriction, since the pouch is 'topped off' as it empties into the rest of the stomach. Also, if you snack on chocolate, ice cream, chips, milkshakes, real soda, etc., it doesn't even stay in the pouch, just flows right on into the stomach. The Lap-Band relies heavily upon your self-control...mostly following the eating guidelines, in order to be successful. As others have said, it isn't a magical device that allows you to eat anything and still lose weight. So, for grazers, my surgeon recommends the bypass, since it takes less self-control to be successful. Many bypass patients experience 'sugar dumping', which is a very uncomfortable feeling, sometimes leading to nausea, from eating something high in sugar...the sugar gets 'dumped' right into the system much faster than normal. Also, the food bypasses part of the small intestine, so less calories are absorbed into the body. With Lap-Band, calories are absorbed just like they used to be before surgery. Lap-Band: restriction only...feel fuller with less food. Bypass: restriction and reduced absorption. I'm not advocating bypass...I'm a portion control problem, and got the band. However, it really isn't for everyone, and I believe it requires research, education, and an honest look at yourself to make the decision. Caveat: I am not a medical professional, I'm just relaying what I was told by my surgeon.

Also, I was told to avoid caffeine because it is an appetite stimulant. Before surgery, my daily intake was two 20 oz. coffees with 4 shots of espresso (one at Breakfast, one after lunch) and 4 or 5 liter bottles of Diet Mountain Dew. I worked my way down to two regular cups of coffee a day before surgery, then took advantage of the painkillers after surgery to relieve the headaches of completely quitting.

My incentive to lose weight before surgery was that my surgeon would have cancelled the surgery if I hadn't lost at least 20 lbs. He said that it makes laparoscopic (sp?) banding much easier, since the liver shrinks and it is easier to get it out of the way of the stomach. I did have a 'last meal', though...my surgery was on Monday, and I had to do Clear liquids only on Saturday and Sunday, so AFTER I weighed in on Friday, I treated myself.

Agree with WAS...with all the social, mental, and physical factors swirling around eating and weight loss, it really does come down to simple math: "calories in - calories out < 0" is the formula for success. One typical thumb rule is 11 (for women) or 12 (for men) times your weight is the number of calories per day to sustain that weight. For me, at 296 lbs, it would be roughly 3552 calories/day to keep me at my current weight. Anything below that on a daily basis will cause me to lose weight. Add in exercise, which burns more calories, and the weight loss will be greater. Using a combination of reducing calories and exercise, a change of 1000 calories/day will cause two pounds/week weight loss. This can be eating 500 calories less and burning 500 calories in exercise, or whatever other combination. I lost 80 lbs several years ago on a medically supervised 1000 calorie/day diet, but I gained it all back by straying from the diet...wasn't mentally prepared to commit to the plan. Now that I've had the surgery, I think it is giving me that extra mental 'nudge' to control my eating. My first fill is next week, but so far I've been lucky enough to be able to keep my meals to 4 or 5 oz. of food, so I've been losing weight. I've been getting hungry before the next meal (wasn't right after surgery, but am now), so it is getting to be a bit more of a battle - looking forward to that fill next week.

Very personal decision on how much to share. I've pretty much told everyone (family, co-workers, classmates in my M.S. program) about my surgery and my goals. Some were curious about how it worked, and many were suprised when I told them that the band was intended to stay there forever, but all have been very supportive.

Granted, I'm a newbie at this...my first fill is next week. I've been told to expect to be able to eat around 1/4 cup a meal. With that little bit of food (less than a cup a day), I don't see why I'd worry about low-cal or low-fat, as long as I wasn't 'drinking' my calories with milkshakes and such. Seems like, if I follow the rules, its going to be hard to get to 1000 calories/day, and using the thumb rule of 12 for men, that would eventually put me at a equilibrium weight of...83 pounds?? (yikes) using that thumb rule, and setting a target weight of 190, my daily caloric intake would be 2280, which is going to be tough on 3/4 cup of food per day, I'm guessing.

The reason I'm willing to stick with the 4 - 5 oz. before my first fill is that I want to 'train' my brain towards thinking that is enough food. I don't want to get to 'fill' day, then suddenly cut down the amount of food I eat...I realize that the band, when properly restricted, will physically cause that to happe, but for me, a large part of my problem is mental hunger, not physical hunger. So...those that have restriction, how much food do you eat at mealtime? 1/4 cup? 1/3 cup? 1/2 cup? more? thanks much!