Dr. Duc Vuong

he is a very nice guy and very good.

National Gastric Band Conference Houston, Texas August 7-8, 2009 South Shore Harbour Resort: Clear Lake, TX waterfront hotel, golfing, visit NASA, see Kemah Boardwalk Theme: Body, Mind, and Spirit Friday August 7: Meet and Greet with Free Wine Tasting and Lesson by Three Oaks Wine Bar Saturday August 8: Great Vendors! Dynamic and Inspiring Speakers Mystery Celebrity Professional Clothing Exchange 4-Star Sit-Down Luncheon served Lap-Band Giveaway Winner Announcement Silent Auction benefiting Snowdop Foundation & Wounded Warrior Project Limited to 250 participants - register today! Visit Lap-Band Support | 2009 Gastric Band Conference | Morefrommyband.com to register. Some of the motivational speakers at the Conference: Mary Jo Rapini, LPC--Therapist on Big Medicine & author John LoMonaco, MD--Plastic Surgeon on Big Medicine Erik Wilson, MD--Chief of MIST at UTHSC-Houston Craig “Big T” Thompson--Founder of WLSchannel.com Christopher McClintock--Founder of Personal-Best-Fitness Cher Ewing--Host of Bandbanter Radio Talk Show Hope to see you there!

National Gastric Band Conference Houston, Texas August 7-8, 2009 South Shore Harbour Resort: Clear Lake, TX waterfront hotel, golfing, visit NASA, see Kemah Boardwalk Theme: Body, Mind, and Spirit Friday August 7: Meet and Greet with Free Wine Tasting and Lesson by Three Oaks Wine Bar Saturday August 8: Great Vendors! Dynamic and Inspiring Speakers Mystery Celebrity Professional Clothing Exchange 4-Star Sit-Down Luncheon served Lap-Band Giveaway Winner Announcement Silent Auction benefiting Snowdop Foundation & Wounded Warrior Project Limited to 250 participants - register today! Visit Lap-Band Support | 2009 Gastric Band Conference | Morefrommyband.com to register. Some of the motivational speakers at the Conference: Mary Jo Rapini, LPC--Therapist on Big Medicine & author John LoMonaco, MD--Plastic Surgeon on Big Medicine Erik Wilson, MD--Chief of MIST at UTHSC-Houston Craig “Big T” Thompson--Founder of WLSchannel.com Christopher McClintock--Founder of Personal-Best-Fitness Cher Ewing--Host of Bandbanter Radio Talk Show Hope to see you there!

National Gastric Band Conference Houston, Texas August 7-8, 2009 South Shore Harbour Resort: Clear Lake, TX waterfront hotel, golfing, visit NASA, see Kemah Boardwalk Theme: Body, Mind, and Spirit Friday August 7: Meet and Greet with Free Wine Tasting and Lesson by Three Oaks Wine Bar Saturday August 8: Great Vendors! Dynamic and Inspiring Speakers Mystery Celebrity Professional Clothing Exchange 4-Star Sit-Down Luncheon served Lap-Band Giveaway Winner Announcement Silent Auction benefiting Snowdop Foundation & Wounded Warrior Project Limited to 250 participants - register today! Visit Lap-Band Support | 2009 Gastric Band Conference | Morefrommyband.com to register. Some of the motivational speakers at the Conference: Mary Jo Rapini, LPC--Therapist on Big Medicine & author John LoMonaco, MD--Plastic Surgeon on Big Medicine Erik Wilson, MD--Chief of MIST at UTHSC-Houston Craig “Big T” Thompson--Founder of WLSchannel.com Christopher McClintock--Founder of Personal-Best-Fitness Cher Ewing--Host of Bandbanter Radio Talk Show Hope to see you there!

Here is a little quiz that I give to people who attend my seminars: How many calories a day is the average person supposed to eat? Most of my prospective patients will significantly underestimate this before they start my program. They will guess 900, 1200, or 1500 calories. Ans: 2000 calories a day is the recommended daily allowance. When you read the nutrition information on the back of a food product, the percentages of recommended daily allowances are based on a 2000 calorie a day diet. If you join Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig or other commercial program, how many calories do they have you eat a day? Some of my prospective patients guess 1200 or so, but many have no idea. This is because the programs do not tell you. Foods are divided into categories and assigned letters, numbers, or colors. The programs do this to sell you their services and make you dependent on their coding system. If you leave their program, you regain the weight and then join them again. Sound familiar? They do not want you to be educated, because if you learned proper information, they might lose your business for good. Ans: On average, these programs bring you down to 1500 calories a day. This is also about the average for South Beach, Slim Fast, and other popular diets. Atkins is actually one of the lowest at about 1350 cal/day. How many calories equal one pound? Many people also underestimate this number, guessing about 2000. They expect weight-loss from dieting and exercise to be rapid. Many diets do appear to help you lose weight rapidly, but often you are merely losing Water weight at first because you are consuming less sodium. The ten pounds you might shed during your first week on some diet plans are not comprised of fat. Ans: 3500 calories equals one pound. So here is the Math behind weight loss. If I regularly eat the recommended 2000 calories a day and join a program that has me eat 1500 calories a day, I create a deficit of 500 calories a day. After seven days, the deficit is 3500 calories. So the various weight-loss programs tell you, "If you join our program, you can expect to lose one pound a week." Sound familiar? That is how that number is derived! Now that is just an average statement. Your own particular weight loss rate varies from this, depending on many factors including your age, gender, muscle composition, health problems, etc...But hopefully understanding the basics will help you further on your journey. Best of luck, Dr. Vuong If you would like to learn more, check out my new book Ultimate Lap Band Success: The Support Surgeon's Guide to Getting the Most From Your Gastric Band at www.MoreFromMyBand.com/resources

Why "Chew To Liquid" is Absurd I've been trying to avoid this one for a while now, but I have read or heard this quote a couple of times this past week, so I thought I needed to address this topic. Most of the time I know where "Lap-Band Guidelines" come from since Lap-Band surgery is the focus of my practice, but I have no idea where this "rule" came from. I'm not sure if it was started by a well-intentioned patient, a misinformed dietitian, a part-time surgeon, a cruel jokester, or what. Other than possibly reinforcing the notion of eating slowly, "Chew to Liquid" is absurd because: 1) You would have to chew all day long in order to really get something from solid to liquid form, wouldn't you? That's what cows have to do. They chew, swallow, regurgitate, and repeat--all day long. And all they eat is grass; they don't have to deal with Aunt Polly's dry pork chop. But we are not designed like cows - we don't have extra stomachs and ginormous teeth. I, like you, also have a busy day, and I can't take all day to chew. 2) If you take a big bite of something solid, I don't care if you chew it a thousand times. When you swallow it, you will most likely swallow a big blob (granted now a well-chewed blob) of something formerly solid. 3) "Don't drink your calories"--everybody has heard this rule at some point, I'm sure, and I think it is a very good rule. You shouldn't add empty calories to your day by drinking sugary drinks, sodas, etc... But if you chew your food to liquid, aren't you technically drinking your calories? Now granted, the time effort required to chew something to liquid form ensures that you will not be able to consume a lot of these "liquid" calories, but isn't it wrong to put a pork chop or chicken or a snickers bar (or whatever else) into a blender and puree it to ensure that you are able to consume these foods? How is chewing to liquid any different from using a blender? Some patients want their bands so tight that this is the only way they can eat. I think that is just wrong. Consuming solids helps us feel full, and it's a lot more satisfying. 4) I don't know about you, but the thought of "chew to liquid" is just disgusting. 5) Here is the real point against "Chew to Liquid"--The Lap-Band is designed to sustain you after a small meal of nutritious food of solid form. The idea of Chew to Liquid totally goes against this. Banded patients should actually eat foods that "give them trouble" or "make them feel full" rather than "go down easy" or "slide right through." This is because the former means they are eating food that actually sits in their pouch. It's a "reverse" concept than what is thought--where you think you should eat things that go down easy, but you should really be eating things that sit a little longer. So if you find yourself dipping the "chicken in gravy" or the "beef in sauce" or "everything gets stuck except...", ask yourself if you are doing the right thing. You might actually be too tight. Eat real food. Eat a variety of foods. Be happy. Best of Luck, Dr. V If you would like to learn more, you can order my new book Ultimate Lap band Success: The Support Surgeon's Guide to Getting the Most From Your Gastric Band by following this link www.morefrommyband.com/resources, or www.amazon.com

Answer this question before you read my response! 1) Why is salad not a good choice for banded patients? Answer: Everyone thinks that salad is a healthy choice, but as a bandster, it is very important that you unlearn this. SALAD IS NOT A BAND-FRIENDLY CHOICE. In the first place, it violates the number one rule of Lap-Band eating: Protein First, since salad is served first. But here are a few other reasons to avoid it on a regular basis and tips for doing so. Most salad is VERY LOW in nutrition. The plain iceberg lettuce that is the foundation of many salads is mostly Water and some Fiber, which can be tough on a band. If you choose a salad, the greener and darker the better. Choose the mixed field greens or spinach salad. Eat the tomatoes. They are high in a nutrient called lycopene that may help lower certain cancer risks. The salad dressing can pack a big caloric punch! Choose the vinaigrette if possible. Avoid the creamy and cheesy ones, like ranch, buttermilk, or peppercorn, that are very high in fat. Even their low-fat versions still have a lot of calories. If you just can’t give up ranch dressing, then ask for the dressing on the side and use just a little bit. Ask them to bring the salad with the main meal and eat your protein first. Chances are, you won’t feel like eating the salad afterwards. Ask if you can substitute the iceberg salad for something else with protein in it, like bean salad. The preceeding was an excerpt from my new book, Ultimate Lap-Band Success: the Support Surgeon's Guide to Getting the Most From Your Gastric Band. If you found it helpful, you can order the book directly from my website at www.morefrommyband.com/resources. I will also autograph it for free! Or you can email me at morefrommyband@gmail.com to get a 15% savings! Best of Luck, Dr. Vuong

The 1-2-3 Rule makes sense for bandsters because most tend to be tighter in the morning and looser in the evenings. And yes, while this rule falls slightly short of the 60 gm/day goal, it gets close depending on what you eat. The Rule is a guide for the actual "meat" portion of your entree. You will also get extra Protein from other nonmeat sources like milk, cheese, Beans, and whole grains. If you eat this variety and stick to the 1-2-3 Rule, you should have no problem meeting the protein requirement. Best of luck and thank you to everyone for your posts, Dr. Duc Vuong THE Support Surgeon

It sounds like you are too tight. My patients can eat a wide variety of foods, including meats...and they lose weight to boot! They are happy! If you sat down at dinner with my nurse, you'd never know that she was banded. Best of luck, Dr. Vuong

I honestly believe that ALL other rules, guidelines, suggestions, hints, complaints, tricks, cheats, compromising, bargaining, justifications, woes, etc, regarding the lap-band comes down to this First Rule. This is because I lead support groups three times a week in my clinic and I see first hand the struggles people have, whether internally or externally. Best of Luck, Dr. Vuong

Answer this question first before reading my response! What is the minimum number of calories you should consume to avoid metabolic slowdown? How can you combat a slow metabolism? Here is my answer. What is the minimum number of calories you should consume to avoid metabolic slowdown? How can you combat a slow metabolism? The medical field is pretty sure now that when caloric intake drops down to around 1100-1200 calories per day, human metabolism will slow down. This is a natural, evolutionary response. Think back to the Caveman again. When humans had to scavenge for food that was not always readily available, our bodies became very efficient at storing energy in the form of fat to tide us through times when we might not be able to eat much for a few days. When food became scarce, our metabolism would slow down in order to conserve energy, at least until food became plentiful again. Typically your body will go into this energy-conserving mode if you drop your caloric intake to around 1100-1200 calories per day. Since a well-adjusted Lap-Band should take you down to around this amount, your body will want to go into hibernation mode. Your job is to keep this from happening. How do you do this, you ask? With two simple steps: ·Make sure you are getting the best nutrition you can. This means eating real food, avoiding empty calories, preparing fresh meals, and buying organic foods whenever possible. This will give your body all of the micronutrients and building blocks it needs to perform its normal daily chemical reactions that keep us feeling good. ·Exercise. This will keep your metabolism going by releasing natural hormones that control our “fight or flight” response. Ever heard of a “runner’s high?” Sometimes getting started with an exercise routine is tough, but think back about how great you felt after a work out—not just the feeling of accomplishing something, but how energized and alert you were. That’s a natural response. It had very little to do with your expensive gym equipment, your personal trainer with rock hard abs, or your perfectly set iPod tunes. It had everything to do with what a wonderful machine the human body is. The preceeding was an excerpt from my new book, Ultimate Lap-Band Success:The Support Surgeon's Guide on How to Get More From Your Gastric Band. If you found it helpful, you can order it now, even before it is available to the general public, if you will send me an email at morefrommyband@gmail.com. Best of luck, Dr. Vuong

I would agree and say that a thin person who is miserable or have an eating disorder, is clearly not at their "happy weight." I also think that if you've lost a lot of weight and your BMI is, say, still 28, but you really want to be BMI under 25, then this person is also not at their happy weight. It is great that someone has been able to achieve such stellar weight loss, but why stop there? As a general rule, a normal BMI=a healthy BMI, so why not be healthier? Regards, Dr V.

NCsQueen, email me at morefrommyband@gmail.com and I will send you a more complete overview of the book, including its cost. ok? Best regards, Dr. Vuong

Katja, Thank you for your kind words. I don't really understand why being a normal weight would be considered "torture." I bet you were even more "tortured" when you weighed 300 lbs. I think it is a frame of mind, which you are right, is the hardest part to conquer. I have a whole section in my book on social-eating with the lap-band that i think is soooo important. I bet you would really benefit from it, and I think you would learn so much that weight loss would no longer be viewed as "torture." email me at morefrommyband@gmail.com if you would like more info. Best of luck, Dr. Vuong

Answer this question first, then read my response below. What do I mean by Ideal BMI? What do I mean by “Happy Weight?” How are they different? ***************************************** What do I mean by Ideal BMI? What do I mean by “Happy Weight?” How are they different? It is not meaningful to say “I am overweight because I weigh 250 pounds,” because there is a difference between a woman who is 5 feet tall and 250 pounds and a man who is 6 feet 2 inches tall and 250 pounds who also happens to be a linebacker. BMI, or Body Mass Index, is a medical term to approximate a person’s ideal body weight that factors in height. An ideal BMI is considered to be between 19 and 25; anything higher is considered to indicate being overweight. It is not a perfect measure, but a good starting point. Most of you know your BMI already, but in case you don’t, there are many BMI calculators on the internet that are free to use. You can find one on my website at Texas City Surgical. Your Happy Weight, on the other hand, is the weight at which you are not struggling with your relationship with food. You look good, you feel good, and you have a fun social life. You’re confident, you’re active, and you’re out there participating in life. This might be a BMI of less than 25, but it could also be a BMI of higher than 25. It just depends on YOU and YOUR particular journey, and where YOU are at this point in YOUR life. That means that your Happy Weight could change, depending on what you want from your life and your health, but more importantly, what you want to DO with your life. So think about your Happy Weight often. The preceeding was an excerpt from my new book, Ultimate Lap-Band Success: The Support Surgeon's Guide to Getting More From Your Gastric Band. The book will be available in April. It is a synopsis of the very important perioperative support groups that I personally lead for my patients in order for them to be happy, successful patients! If you found the excerpt helpful, you can preorder the book by sending me an email at morefrommyband@gmail.com. Best regards, Dr. Vuong, the Support Surgeon

always do what YOUR surgeon tells you. having said that, you can see from the posts the wide variance from one surgeon/patient to the next. that is why i have devoted my practice to only lap-band surgery. thanks.

Soy is an amazing source of Protein, and there are about 1 billion skinny Asians who eat it regularly to prove it. chicken and beef (unless certified organic) contain lots of hormones and antibiotics. Cpendlet--sounds like your caloric intake is too low and your metabolism has come to a crawl. I would suggest you increase your calories to around 1100 (depending on your size), focus on protein, and take a break from the gym for 1 week--then hit it again. I actually cover this in my new book. Thanks to all, and best of luck! Dr. Vuong

Rose, the amount of Protein (in grams) in one ounce depends on the source of the protein. some foods have more protein than others. that is why the example i gave with the deck of cards is more practical. soy is a very good source of protein. also beware of the fat content in some meats, so pick leaner cuts of meat. best of luck with your Dr. visit. Dr. Vuong

Answer this question before you read my response. Are you eating enough Protein? How many grams of protein a day should you eat? * * * * * * * * * * Are you eating enough protein? How many grams of protein a day should you eat? Remember the First Rule of Lap-Band eating? “Yes, Dr. Vuong. Protein First.” Great! But how much is enough? Most physicians recommend 60-70 grams per day of protein for the average person, but the necessary amount is probably even more for bandsters. “Yes, I know the number of grams, but how much should I EAT?” Putting the knowledge into practice is a struggle in itself. As a guideline, I recommend the “1-2-3 Rule for Protein.” You should eat 1 ounce of protein for Breakfast, 2 ounces for lunch, and 3 ounces for dinner. Ok, now how much is an ounce, you ask? A good approximation is that a deck of cards is about the size of 3 ounces of protein. One of those slim Motorola Razor cell phones is also about 3 ounces. Now you have a guide to go by. To get two ounces, just approximate a portion size about 2/3 the size of a deck of cards! Another easy trick is to remember that one boiled egg is about one ounce of protein. That should make breakfast a cinch! The preceeding was an excerpt from my new book, Ultimate Lap-Band Success: The Support Surgeon's Guide on How to Get More From Your Gastric Band! The book will not be available until April, but if you found the excerpt helpful, you can get on the waiting list by sending me an email at morefrommyband@gmail.com. By preordering, you will get a 10% discount! Best wishes, Dr. Vuong

I am currently hosting a poll to see which cover design is best. Join me on Facebook.com at Dr.V's Gastric Band Group and vote for your favorite cover design. The winning design will be the one chosen for my new book, which is due out in April. Continue to read this board because I will post another excerpt from the book soon. You can also email me at morefrommyband@gmail.com

not enough Protein to counteract the salt and sugar content most bar nuts have. a lot of bars these days have also gone to "trail mixes" which are usually a hodgepodge of various salty treats. regardless, it still violates the First Rule

Try to answer these 2 questions before reading my comments. 1) What is the first rule of lap-band eating? 2) Give an example of where this rule applies in a social setting Here are my answers and comments. 1) What is the first rule of lap-band eating? Protein First. This means that at each meal you should eat protein before you eat carbohydrates or fat. 2) Give an example of where this rule applies. This means that you have to wait until your “main dish” or “meat dish” arrives! What happens when you go to a Mexican restaurant, for example? They bring out chips and salsa, of course! “Protein First” means that you have to pass on the chips and salsa. “Protein First” means you have to say no to the warm, hot bread that many restaurants bring you after you order. “Protein First” means you have to pass on salads. It means that when you are waiting to be seated at a restaurant, you cannot try the bar nuts. You have to wait until your protein comes before you eat. This was an excerpt from my new book, Ultimate Lap-Band Success:The Support Surgeon's Guide on How to Get More From Your Gastric Band. This book covers many topics that I believe a banded patient needs to master if they are going to be happy and successful long-term. The book will be available April '09. If you found it helpful, you can preorder this book at a 10% savings and be the first to get it, if you will send me an email at morefrommyband@gmail.com Thank you, and best of luck.

The erosion rate is very, very low now--about 1% or less, but I am sorry to hear it happened to you, Carol. Best wishes

Due to an application glitch, I have decided to extend the deadline for my FREE lap-band giveaway until April 1, 2009! If you are looking into the band, don't go any further until you visit my site, www.MoreFromMyBand.com for details. If you already have the band, then tell a friend or loved one about my Giveaway. I am the Real Deal. If you don't believe me, then just ask my friend, Coach Cher Ewing! Or visit my website at www.TexasCitySurgical.com.

thank you for your kind words. please tell your friends and loved ones. come see me in NYC in March at Coach Cher's conference and Houston in July at my conference!