Tina/A-New-Me394 ?

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-01-2004
Tina/A-New-Me394 ?
7
Thu, 03-29-2007 - 7:44pm

Tina,


How is everything going with the lapband?

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-27-2006
Thu, 03-29-2007 - 8:31pm

Hey Marci,


I am doing good. The weight is slow right now but that is the way

     ~ Tina ~

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-24-2007
Fri, 03-30-2007 - 12:29am

I know a few people who have the lapband and they love it. I guess it is all a matter of preference, more of a personal choice as to what you decide to choose. I have decided to go with lap RNY (gastric bypass) mainly because I need more restrictions, calorie and food wise. With RNY sugar and fatty foods can make you feel pretty sick (at least it does to most people). Sweets are my BIGGEST weakness. Calorie wise I will be eating 600-800 a day for the 1st 6 months and 800-1000 from 6 months to one year. Right now I am on a pre-op diet and am taking in 1100-1300 calories a day, in 5 months I have lost 27 lbs. But I need to lose fast then that due to some health problems. Most people I have met have said they do not get hungry, some say they have to time their meals even use an alarm to remind them to eat. Others don't feel hunger pains at meal time but feel general pain when they go beyond the time they should have eaten. I have been told by many that they started to get hungry after a year or so, but by then they are in control of their food.

Head hunger is the same for RNY also, that is a mental health issue more then anything. I was told to work on that with my t-doc.

Sometime in the next week and a half the doctor will be sending my paperwork for approval from the insurance. So I am almost there!! :-D

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-20-2007
Fri, 03-30-2007 - 11:55am

Hi Marcia, Tina and everyone,

Just looked through this thread with interest because I work on the other side of the equation i.e. I am a dietitian who helps assess people for surgery.

Just wanted to say "good luck" on your journeys. Many of my colleagues see surgery as a "cop-out" position, but I know from nearly 5 years of working in obesity related care that is far from an easy option.

Helen

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-01-2004
Fri, 03-30-2007 - 12:10pm

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-27-2006
Fri, 03-30-2007 - 6:13pm

Hey Marci,


I am glad you made it to band2gether board and sined up. I'll look out for you. My name is Greeneyetiger on there. I chose the lapband too because it is a slower weight loss. I was also very concerned about not absorbing nutrients. You don't absorb calories with the RNY but you also don't abosorb nutrients and you have to eat alot more protein and take more vitamins than with the lapband. I am not against RNY and I strongly believe each person has to choose what is best for them. The lapband was just the right choice for me. No matter what surgery you get done there are rules to follow and it isn't easy by any means. You still have to watch your calories and protein intake with all wls's. Everyone has their own journey to follow. I support everyone who takes a chance on all weight loss surgeries.


I know what really convinced me more was seeing a memorial site on the old board I went to and all the people that died from RNY. I had read some of their profiles and seen how excited they were that they were getting the procedure done and how they just wanted to be healthy and weigh less, hoping to live longer and they either didn't make it out of the hospital or died a couple weeks later from complications. It made me cry.

     ~ Tina ~

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-22-2006
Sat, 03-31-2007 - 2:12am
I have an un-PC question- so does weight loss mean you are no longer BP? Because you've found happiness?





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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-27-2006
Sat, 03-31-2007 - 8:40am

By no means does weight loss change clinical mental illness...ever. However, being depressed because of being over weight can ease up when the weight is gone, but what has made us gain the weight in the first place has to be dealt with. So, the answer is, yes you are still BP even though you lost weight. Losing weight is not the end all to happiness. There is more to life than our weight. Someones weight is a by products of issues inside that need attention with other treatemnts other than food. Now there are people who are over weight due to medical problems such as thyroid and medications which does not mean they have problems with food as a vice. Good question because some people think if they get weight loss surgery all their problems will disappear...not true. They will get healthier and feel better though and it can make it esier to cope. Weight loss surgery of ANY kind is just a "tool" not a miracle procedure. There is still work...alot of work that needs to be done on the patients end after surgery. You can't eat whatever you want after surgery and still lose weight. You still have to make good food choices. The surgery just helps the ones who have a hard time and who have exhausted all other avenues to lose weight, such as, diet, exercise, diet pills from doc, WW, jenny craig and such. Most insurance companies and docs request a 6 month doctor supervised diet before giving the ok for weight loss surgery. Mine did not request this but I was working with my doc for 2 years on weight loss with little success. I did lose 12 lbs on my own before surgery though. Also, it is a requirement that you see a psychologist or psychiatrist for an evaluation to make sure you can mentally handle the surgery and you must see a nutritionist before and after surgery...at least that is how it went with me.


I do see some people who get surgery and had no clue what the surgery was all about and then are asking questions after surgery. Not good !!!! Everyone needs to be responsible and research and know what they are getting into before they jump into any weight loss surgery.


Again, good question!


Tina




     ~ Tina ~