LeighaMason

My Dr required me to sign a form saying that if he started the surgery and saw (based on stomach and intestine contents) that I had not followed the pre op diet, he would sew me up, not install the band and keep my $10K. That was enough for me to follow the diet to the letter.

I had .2 cc of fill removed when I got to goal so I could eat more. Now I just weigh everyday if I am closer to 130 I eat more if I am closer to 135 I eat less. Its working so far.... 139, WOOHOO!

My last 15 were the hard ones..I had to stop drinking wine completely, I was eating a very regimented diet, and I used a cross training program that was different every time I worked out to keep my body guessing (I wrote a blog on each workout). The good news is once I started getting really serious I lost the last 15 in about 3 months.

Go have .5 of the fill taken out. The more dehydrated you get the more they will have to take out to make it better. Don't wait, being too tight is a major cause of complications.

I read a study on www.pubmed.gov that said flaxseed oil has shown as good of results as statin drugs I also saw this on www.whfoods.org Flaxseed Provides Comparable Cholesterol-Lowering Benefits to Statin Drugs In a study involving 40 patients with high cholesterol (greater than 240 mg/dL), daily consumption of 20 grams of ground flaxseed was compared to taking a statin drug. After 60 days, significant reductions were seen in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and the ratio of total to HDL cholesterol-in both groups. Those receiving flaxseed did just as well as those given statin drugs! Body mass index, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, and the ratio of total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol were measured at the beginning of the study and after 60 days. In those eating flaxseed, significant reductions were seen in total cholesterol (-17.2%), LDL-cholesterol (-3.9%), triglycerides (-36.3%) and the ratio of total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol (-33.5%) were observed in the diet+flax group, compared to baseline. Similar reductions were seen in those taking the statin. Benefits did not significantly differ between the two groups. http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=81

Does your state have Medicaid coverage? That might be worth checking into. Good luck with your search.

I recommend www.pubmed.gov for research. Search "adjustable gastric banding" for actual medical studies.

If I could have, I already would have. I had spend 15 years dieting by the time I was banded. I estimate that I was physically hungry probably 300 days a year and ate like I wanted to on the other 65 (not dieting 5 or 6 days a month) and I was still obese. For me the band takes the hunger away, that is the key.

It sounds like you have a bit of swelling, the first PB started it and every time you eat you are making it worse. I would suggest 2 or 3 days of liquids to calm everything down. I have a very sensitive stomach and this is what happens to me as well.

Alisabeth-- I am very happy that I spent $10,200 for my band, I studied the surgery carefully, decided that I was ready to make the life style changes that are necessary, I found a Dr who had done hundreds of band surgeries and then had it done. I have lost 100 % of my excess weight and I have stayed between 130-135 for 3 months with no effort at all. Here is a good web site to get factual information, www.pubmed.gov it is where clinical studies are posted by the government. Use the search for adjustable gastric band. Good luck on whatever you decide.

Claire, your never a bore, every time I sign on I wonder if I am going to hear from you today, your such a nice person, though a tad too hard on yourself (in my personal opinion). I had to quit exercising because I was starting to really be mean to myself about not progressing fast enough so I am taking a break and I will start back when I can be more reasonable. Have a great weekend everyone. :thumbup:

I cured my flying squirrel arms by selling my motorcycle....:thumbup: The more you run the more efficient your body becomes doing it...

Are you measuring and logging your food? Do you drink any alcohol? And the only other thing I can think of is the more you lose the less calories you need. Have you tried 800-1000 a day? To lose the last 15 I had to eat 800-900 calories a day and I used a cross training schedule instead of just running (Ex. Run 3 min, stop jump rope 3 min, repeat for 30 min). And I had to quit drinking wine completely. :thumbup:

I was BMI 32, Dr Kim in Colleyville (Dallas) TX, $10,200. When I had my surgery the Dr's in Mexico were using the old style bands so I paid extra to get it done here.

Your Dr is right, there is a newer 2 step process to install the band that significantly reduces the chance for slips. I read about it on pubmed.gov. You can go there and search adjustable gastric band and 2 step to find the clinical study report. I personally will never go back to nothing, its forever the band or sleeve for me. Good luck with your choice.

There were things that I temporarily couldn't eat while I was in the active losing stage like bread, Pasta and tortillas. But after I reached goal I removed .2 fill and now I eat everything. I still don't drink with my meal because it makes my food swell up and I become uncomfortable but I don't even miss it anymore. I guess for me it wasn't the foods I couldn't eat anymore that bothered me, at first, it was the fact that I only ate such a small meal and I missed the ritual of eating. I have now accepted that what I was doing before was abnormal and the small portions I eat now is normal eating. It took a while for these changes to be accepted in my mind.. Don't be surprised if you go through a mourning period where you mourn the loss of food, or the loss of the eating ritual. Spend time and work through it, it will help you in the long run.

Krasc-- The reason I asked if your therapist was medically trained is because I was wondering if he/she was qualified to give medical advice, not because I thought you should change. I am a firm believer that there is a prejudice both within and outside of the medical field that says if you are overweight you have a mental disorder. My stomach was big, that is why I was obese and my big stomach was hungry, now I have a little stomach and it gets full with an appropriate amount of food and stays full for several hours. I was not obese because I had a mental disorder, I did not need therapy, I needed a smaller stomach pouch. The band helps me with physical hunger. Before I was banded it took an enormous amount of food at one sitting for me to feel full. I was physically hungry..Now I am not. I sometimes eat for pleasure, just because something tastes good but for the most part the band fixed my problem. My problem was large portions. I have also seen the band help with people who are sweet eaters and grazers as well. I have heard them say, "Now that I am not hungry all day I make better choices." I'm sick and tired of people thinking that because someone is obese they are ________ (Fill in the blank with any of the following lazy, crazy, poor, uneducated, etc....):sneaky: We don't put up with prejudice about other physical conditions! OH crap, I'm on my soapbox again... Sorry y'all!

What alternative method did she suggest? Is she anti-WLS or did she just think the sleeve or bypass would be better? ETA: Is she a counselor or does she have medical training, like a Physiologist or Psychiatrist?

Well, I didn't participate in the half, I did run the jailbreak in September but I guess I chickened out on the half. My only excuse is that I have been trying to work through some of the issues that I have from the changes that I have gone through this year. I don't guess I realized how much the weight loss was going to affect my self image, relationships, etc. I have been mad at my body for not responding as fast as I wanted it to and I really started being hard on myself so I am taking a break from pushing myself and just trying to find a place where I can workout without becoming obsessive about results. On a lighter note, my stepson placed 895 in the Chicago marathon on that day and did qualify for Boston with a time of 3:05:01.

I drink wine, I gave up beer completely, I believe any carbonation stretches the stomach (but thats another thread). When I was trying to lose my last 15 pounds I was drinking a glass of wine at night (200 calories) and I couldn't lose it, but then I stopped drinking wine and replaced those calories with food and I lost it pretty quickly. So I believe the alcohol affects your weight loss in more ways than just the empty calories. Now that I am at goal I have started drinking my wine again and I have not regained any weight.

"do she and I need to learn to live with and conquer this mental demon by sheer will and determination?" Hell no, if we could do that we wouldn't need to pay $10K and have someone cut on our body. Sometimes I wonder, Why we aren't allowed to be physically hungry? Before I had restriction I was just plain hungry. Not head hunger, not what I call mouth hunger (eating because it tastes good) but actual, my stomach is empty and needs food, hunger. When I went to see my Dr for the first time, I told him I wanted to be banded and I was low BMI, he was kind of smirking at me and I could tell he was skeptical. Then he said "OK, lets do a barium swallow and see what is in there" As soon as the picture showed up on the screen he said "WOW! That is one of the biggest stomaches I have ever seen! I cant believe you only weigh 195! You must be starving! I believe some of us are either born with a large stomach or at some time we stretch it out and then it takes a large portion of food to fill it, and if we don't fill it, we are hungry. Fills help, I do not believe in being so tight that you cant eat real food and drink your meals, however, I don't think that giving up bread, pasta and rice is too tight. If the band worked without fills the makers of the bands would save lots of money by not having a port. A band without fills is like a car without gas....you can sit in it but your not getting anywhere. OK I am getting off my soapbox now..... sheesh!

I started out using loseit.com because they have an iphone app but then I got a Body Bugg and used theirs but I sold it when I got to goal and went back to loseit.

I lost my weight by weighing, measuring and logging everything I ate. I ate between 800-900 calories a day. Now I am on maintenance and I eat 1200 calories a day and stay the same. You have to find what works for you, and you need accurate information to make accurate decisions.

FYI-- I am still looking at your cart, I have become a complete grocery voyeur. :huh2:

How many band surgeries have you done? I read a study on pubmed.gov website that complications with the band go down dramatically after a surgeon has done over 300 bands. What size band will you use? What generation? Some places have a stock pile of old style bands that they are trying to use up before they buy the newer ones. Do you use the 2 step method to install it? The 2 step method has been shown in a study to reduce the risk of slippage later. Prospective study of 250 patients undergoing lapar... [surg Endosc. 2003] - PubMed result I think poor band placement is the number one reason for people who do not have success with the band. Make sure your surgeon knows what he is doing. I would want someone who considers themselves a band specialist not just a surgeon who can do a band.