Weight Loss surgery - discussion with boundaries............

[Joanne]

Thanks, everyone. If you have something else to post, feel free.

 

I have decided to try a 100% compliant Whole 30 while I research the WLS issue further. I am not in a position to move forward with the surgery in the very short term anyway.

 

About a year ago, I participated on Low Carb friends (again) and Mark's Daily Apple. It was during the time when I was 100% low carb compliant (and my low carb is VERY healthy, full of veggies). I was not losing weight, and speculated/intuited that dairy might be preventing that weight loss. I also used moderate levels of artificial sweetners. I wasn't in a life space to try a Whole 30, but I was attracted to it.

 

Last night, I planned, budgeted and stocked up until Wednesday for a Whole 30. That gives me some additional time before my next pay event. I start today, and although I used marinade that is not compliant, everything else is good to go. I even put away the "garlic parmesan" seasoning. :lol:

 

I wanted to mention the sleep. I remember hearing about the sleep/obesity connection and it registered and stayed in my brain. That could absolutely be a contributing factor. It's a challenge, though. I get home between 9 and 10 at my last job of the day. Going to bed right away is difficult to transition to sleep plus that equal zero "down time."

 

About the doctor, I have wondered about thyroid and tried to follow up before. My mom had thyroid issues and I am a HUGE believer in genetic predispositions in terms of health patterns. I've had it checked twice, but at a mainstream Doctor who "listened" but not really, IYKWIM. I know a couple of nurses in the area, maybe I can get a referral from one of them to a Doctor who will *thoroughly* check the thyrooid issues.

 

Today, I have hard boiled eggs, roasted veggies, chicken, steak, an orange, berries, and raw veggies with guacamole ready for the day. It will be nice to be able to have some fruit, which is usually introduced much later in low carb plans. I forgot to weigh this a.m. but I will tomorrow.

 

I'll keep you posted. Thanks for the P.M.'s, and I do not mean for this update to shut down responses. :)

[laughing lioness]

to replace one addiction (food) with another (alcohol).

 

Another friend had the lap band done about 7 years ago. She can no longer eat without vomiting, and most of the time she is on liquids. She has lost about 100 pounds - she looks fabulous. She feels crummy, but she is so thrilled that she is thin, she couldn't care less about how she feels.

.

 

This was my mom, who is now dead, after have GBS. She lost a lot of weight -probably about 170 pounds- died at 98 lbs and proud of the size she wore. She was always in good shape before the surgery- though very overweight. After the surgery she was sick, stopped hiking, playing tennis, etc. and spent more time in the hospital than out. The last couple of years of her life she threw up everything she ate and had chronic diarrhea- wearing depends 24/7. She died very, very thin and very young (age 61).

 

As someone with severe difficulties losing weight I feel your pain. My mom's life is a cautionary tale, in my own life at least. The botton line is my kids have been cheated of a grandma because of her quest for thinness.

I'd recommend giving OA a shot first.

[Joanne]

This was my mom, who is now dead, after have GBS. She lost a lot of weight -probably about 170 pounds- died at 98 lbs and proud of the size she wore. She was always in good shape before the surgery- though very overweight. After the surgery she was sick, stopped hiking, playing tennis, etc. and spent more time in the hospital than out. The last couple of years of her life she threw up everything she ate and had chronic diarrhea- wearing depends 24/7. She died very, very thin and very young (age 61).

 

As someone with severe difficulties losing weight I feel your pain. My mom's life is a cautionary tale, in my own life at least. The botton line is my kids have been cheated of a grandma because of her quest for thinness.I'd recommend giving OA a shot first.

 

:grouphug: on the bolded. Mine is not a quest for thinness, but health. And since I've been obese for years now, I can't even call it a quest!

 

I'm not a fan of OA. :tongue_smilie: I truly don't believe that addiction is my problem when it comes to weight or food. Not in the classic sense, anyway.

[DawnM]

Good luck on your endeavor. I have struggled with weight loss too and finally decided to do Medifast WITH a coach. I know the discounts aren't as great with a coach, but I would rather that extra $$ go to her so that I can get some help and accountability.

 

Dawn

[Pamela H in Texas]

WAY late with this but....

 

* I have known several people to do it (and known OF people to do it) and not ONE has lost it all. All were still overweight. Most looked unhealthy, often being too thin in the face/upper body, carrying it poorly in their tummy/backside. EVERY SINGLE ONE (except the one who had it done four months ago) has gained back to the obese level.

 

* It does work by limiting food to an extreme (and doing it low carb/high protein at least at first). However, it is not solely that. The reason diabetes is often cured within DAYS with a full bypass is partially because of where they "reconnect." Additionally, some people find they are more able to tolerate certain foods and others are less able to tolerate them. Again, there are other things going on other than the extreme deprivation.

 

* The addiction thing is HUGE especially, imo, for those of us who have had past/current addictions or other mental health struggles (anxiety, depression, etc). I also think that it would be unwise to do it when life in general is more taxing, stressful, etc.

 

* Insurance is different now. My friend had BCBS and she didn't have to jump through all the qualification hoops that there used to be. However, I had BCBS at the same time and they didn't cover it.

 

All this and....I still would do it.

[AdventureMoms]

Thanks, everyone. If you have something else to post, feel free.

 

I have decided to try a 100% compliant Whole 30 while I research the WLS issue further. I am not in a position to move forward with the surgery in the very short term anyway.

 

About a year ago, I participated on Low Carb friends (again) and Mark's Daily Apple. It was during the time when I was 100% low carb compliant (and my low carb is VERY healthy, full of veggies). I was not losing weight, and speculated/intuited that dairy might be preventing that weight loss. I also used moderate levels of artificial sweetners. I wasn't in a life space to try a Whole 30, but I was attracted to it.

 

Last night, I planned, budgeted and stocked up until Wednesday for a Whole 30. That gives me some additional time before my next pay event. I start today, and although I used marinade that is not compliant, everything else is good to go. I even put away the "garlic parmesan" seasoning. :lol:

 

I wanted to mention the sleep. I remember hearing about the sleep/obesity connection and it registered and stayed in my brain. That could absolutely be a contributing factor. It's a challenge, though. I get home between 9 and 10 at my last job of the day. Going to bed right away is difficult to transition to sleep plus that equal zero "down time."

 

About the doctor, I have wondered about thyroid and tried to follow up before. My mom had thyroid issues and I am a HUGE believer in genetic predispositions in terms of health patterns. I've had it checked twice, but at a mainstream Doctor who "listened" but not really, IYKWIM. I know a couple of nurses in the area, maybe I can get a referral from one of them to a Doctor who will *thoroughly* check the thyrooid issues.

 

Today, I have hard boiled eggs, roasted veggies, chicken, steak, an orange, berries, and raw veggies with guacamole ready for the day. It will be nice to be able to have some fruit, which is usually introduced much later in low carb plans. I forgot to weigh this a.m. but I will tomorrow.

 

I'll keep you posted. Thanks for the P.M.'s, and I do not mean for this update to shut down responses. :)

 

I started a whole 30 a few months ago. It was great! I highly recommend it. Dairy is a big problem for some (and none at all for others). I didn't quite finish mine (only made it 20 days) but it was still very worthwhile to see how I felt on ONLY whole foods. I felt really, really good! I lost 15 lbs in the 20 days.

 

I'm straight-up low carb now, more Atkins in approach, and I'm finding that I'm using too many artificial sweeteners and it slows my weight loss. I'm not sure why, probably a bloating thing, but I need to go back to a more whole foods approach.

[laughing lioness]

I'm not a fan of OA. :tongue_smilie: I truly don't believe that addiction is my problem when it comes to weight or food. Not in the classic sense, anyway.

 

I get that- I could have written this. :grouphug:

[justamouse]

Thanks, everyone. If you have something else to post, feel free.

 

I have decided to try a 100% compliant Whole 30 while I research the WLS issue further. I am not in a position to move forward with the surgery in the very short term anyway.

 

About a year ago, I participated on Low Carb friends (again) and Mark's Daily Apple. It was during the time when I was 100% low carb compliant (and my low carb is VERY healthy, full of veggies). I was not losing weight, and speculated/intuited that dairy might be preventing that weight loss. I also used moderate levels of artificial sweetners. I wasn't in a life space to try a Whole 30, but I was attracted to it.

 

Last night, I planned, budgeted and stocked up until Wednesday for a Whole 30. That gives me some additional time before my next pay event. I start today, and although I used marinade that is not compliant, everything else is good to go. I even put away the "garlic parmesan" seasoning. :lol:

 

I wanted to mention the sleep. I remember hearing about the sleep/obesity connection and it registered and stayed in my brain. That could absolutely be a contributing factor. It's a challenge, though. I get home between 9 and 10 at my last job of the day. Going to bed right away is difficult to transition to sleep plus that equal zero "down time."

 

About the doctor, I have wondered about thyroid and tried to follow up before. My mom had thyroid issues and I am a HUGE believer in genetic predispositions in terms of health patterns. I've had it checked twice, but at a mainstream Doctor who "listened" but not really, IYKWIM. I know a couple of nurses in the area, maybe I can get a referral from one of them to a Doctor who will *thoroughly* check the thyrooid issues.

 

Today, I have hard boiled eggs, roasted veggies, chicken, steak, an orange, berries, and raw veggies with guacamole ready for the day. It will be nice to be able to have some fruit, which is usually introduced much later in low carb plans. I forgot to weigh this a.m. but I will tomorrow.

 

I'll keep you posted. Thanks for the P.M.'s, and I do not mean for this update to shut down responses. :)

 

When I first started low carb, I didn't curtail my caffeine intake--which was drastically affected-not in my drinking, but I had never had caffeine effect me and now it does! Pre Low Carb I used to be able to go to sleep after drinking a half a pot of coffee, now I can't drink coffee past 3 pm or I'll be up all night.

 

All this to say that I had a coffee learning curve that cost me nights and nights of sleep (I was exhausted), and during that learning curve, I didn't lose a pound, even though I was totally complaint. I firmly believe that my tiredness was the root, because when I started to sleep, the weight started coming back off.

[runbikeswim]

Whole 30 is an excellent undertaking, esp if you think that a dairy, wheat or other intolerance may be contributing to your inability to lose weight.

 

Good luck on this new endeavor and keep us updated. I'm doing the whole life challenge, which is closed to new ppl right now, and it's similarly structured. Let me know if you ever need recipe ideas, I find nomnompaleo and paleOMG great. Especially the crockpot ones bc I make huge batches that last me a few days.

 

:)

[CDO]

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this, but there is a blog and book named "The Perfect Health Diet" that has some of the best nutritional info I have seen.

 

The name sounds incredibly cheesy to me, but it is a fantastic resource. It is closely linked to Paleo (you will see references to this site/book from well known Paleo places such as Mark's Daily Apple, etc). There is a revised version of the book coming out, so I would not buy the book now, but the blog is incredibly extensive and would provide a ton of info while waiting for the book.

 

Anyway, my point is that they focus on the role that nutritional deficiencies play in health/weight issues. Just want to throw this out there in case it helps anyone.

 

ETA: I forgot to say that the Whole 30 is great, too! The Perfect Health Diet info is helpful in showing where vitamin/mineral deficiencies may be sabotaging efforts to lose weight/restore health.

Edited September 17, 2012 by CDO

[Jean in Newcastle]

Yeah, I drink plenty of water. I exercise. The swelling doesn't go away after I sleep or put my feet up, either. My mother is a retired RN and is constantly poking my feet to see how fast the swollen part pops back up and telling me that it's not good. I know something is wrong with my whole system. I just don't feel "right".

 

I have exactly the same problem you do with edema. In my case, I think it is due to inflammation. I take curcumin (the active ingredient in tumeric) to help and it does help some. I also try to drink lots. But recently I realized that while I'm not technically diabetic, my sugars have been running higher than they should be. I started to take cinnamon capsules with every meal. It is taking my blood sugars from being just borderline normal to being solidly normal. And I've finally lost some weight.

[elfgivas]

the whole30 looks great! good for you!

ann

[Lisa in Jax]

I am researching WLS. I'd like to discuss it, but with parameters.

 

1. Please don't suggest any form of "eat less, move more". I do not eat enough foods to support the calories eat/calories out theory based on fat.
   
2. My research into diet/lifestyles has lead me to conclude that exercise is important for health, but minimal in terms of weight loss.
   
3. A whole foods, healthy, balanced approach such as Weight Watchers is not a match for my body. I have tried it, with total compliance.
   
4. I have tried low carb. It worked once profoundly. About a year ago, I tried it for 3+ months and did not lose. I believe I am THAT metabolically resistant.
   
5. I don't believe in HCG.
   

 

I've long framed WLS like cosmetic surgery. A person can go there from a mentally unhealthy place, or a mentally healthy place. It can be an act of extreme, needed, self care or an act of self hatred.

 

I have new insurance, BCBS of Texas, and I think I would qualify.

 

With the caveats, I'd like to discuss WLS.

 

Two of my female relatives have had WLS. One had a gastic bypass; the other had a lap band. Both had major issues with vomiting, problems with some kinds of foods (i.e. couldn't eat beef, shrimp, lunch meat, white meat poultry, nuts, popcorn, etc.) and the feeling of food getting "stuck" in the upper digestive tract. Both deal with constant burping that smells and tastes like vomit/stomach acid.

 

The relative who had the bypass lost about 100 lbs from a high of 300 and kept it off for the last 15 years. She is constantly anemic and had major issues when she was recently in the hospital, b/c she was given oral pain medication that caused transient encephalopathy, possibly due to the slowed digestion and reduced stomach volume, according to her doctor.

 

The other relative recently had all of the fluid taken out of her band b/c she got to the point where she could not eat more than a tablespoon of food at at a time, *and she was not losing weight while this was happening!*

 

IMHO, some people look "fat" when they're actually malnourished. If your body isn't digesting/using nutrients from your food, you'll get bloated, hold onto fat, have swelling, etc., no matter how much or how little you eat.

 

You've been under a TON of stress the last few years, and stress depleted all of the body's minerals. Low zinc and low magnesium levels, for example, are related to weight gain.

 

Serotonin is also depleted when you're stressed and low serotonin makes you crave foods that deliver fast energy (often sugar, caffeine or carbs). You'll keep feeling hungry despite eating, b/c your body never gets the nutrients it needs. If that's even part of the cause in your case, surgically altering your stomach won't help; it'll make things worse.

 

I'm not a fan of SSRIs for various reasons, so I'm not advocating medicine. To the contrary, I'm suggesting that if you're eating very little and not losing weight, something else is going on -- you might benefit from a gut-healing diet, to see if you can get your body to absorb the nutrients from the foods you eat and begin to lose weight, too.

[LucyStoner]

I did boot camp and a clean diet and while I didn't get the weight loss I thought I would, I did get a big increase in health. What got me started really losing weight was self care. Sleep, stress reduction, depression treatment, meditation, good diet with supplements (mainly vitamin D and plenty of omegan3s) as reccomended by my ND. I exercise a lot and if I back off of that, I do see a gain. It is not so much the exercise though as I think it is the stress relief and benefit of the endorphins from exercise. One of the supplements I take is specifically for better adrenal gland functioning. She said that the adrenal gland helps regulate how we deal with stressful situations and that some one who has had a very stressful life essentially can have an adrenal gland that doesn't work well from over stress. All of this seems to really help. Obviously everyone is different and may or may not respond to the same things.

 

I also took Curapro for inflammation since my c-reactive protein was too high. All of the numbers and blood test results are now opiminal for my age, even though I am still losing weight. I have dropped 3-4 sizes and am wanting to drop 3 more.

Edited September 17, 2012 by kijipt

[TheTwinsMom1]

I have not read the other replies.

 

I had Gastric Bypass Surgery on 5/29/2012 of this year. For me, this has been the only thing that worked. My insurance required 6 months of supervised weight loss and several other more minor tests.

 

For me the results have been outstanding. Counting my six months before and the time since surgery I have lost 93.4lbs and am currently 75.6lbs from my goal of 150lbs.

 

The diet was hard to get used to, but it's manageable. The side effects for me have been minimal and my blood work is looking great. I am currently taking all my suppliments with out fail. I have already gotten off my blood pressure medication and am no longer diabetic.

 

But you have to remember, it's a tool. You can still cheat it, or get around it, so you must remember it's another tool in your box in this journey, not the cure.

 

Let me know if you have any specific questions as I would love to discuss it with anybody who wants to.

 

For me it's saved my life. That is all I can say.

[TheTwinsMom1]

Wanted to add a few things after reading some replies.

 

It is not true that you will suffer from nutrition problems forever, we start out with liquid meds and then can usually progress to regular tablets later. We do have some issues with steriods and nsaid medications, they are forbidden by most doctors due to the problems with ulcers they can cause.

 

Alot of people don't understand that most of us who are bigger, no longer feel full, EVER. The stomach is hungry all the time. For me surgery has killed the desire to eat and I no longer feel hungry.

 

I currently eat about 1/4 - 1/2 cup of food at a time and average about 6-700 calories a day. My surgerons plan calls for 60 grams of protein a day first, then other foods second. This prevents nutrition issues and keeps your hair from falling out, lol. I am supposed to try and drink 80-100 ozs of water a day to stay hydrated.

 

The biggest issue you have is with B-12, the stomach makes it so cutting the stomach apart makes your body make less of it, we just take suppliments for that. I also take a special multivitamin, extra calcium, and B12. My iron levels have been great so I don't have to take iron. Most do have to take extra iron though.

 

I was up and around the same day as surgery and went home the next afternoon. I had to follow a puree diet for two weeks, then semi soft for two weeks and then as tolerated foods after that, I am still not allowed raw veggies, or raw fruits like apples with a peel. They are hard to digest. Have to wait 6 months for those.

 

My Surgeons clinic is a Center for Excellence and maintains a success rate of 85% for 5 years out from surgery. To me that's pretty impressive.

 

Honestly, they are just starting to say that WLS is the most under used surgery of the day and has other health benefits besides just helping people lose weight. It can almost cure diabetes overnight, most people go home no longer on insulin after the surgery.

 

I can't recommend it enough if you have tried other things and they have failed. To me, being around and being healthy for my kids is worth the risks of having to take vitamins forever.

 

Yes, some have issues after surgery with vomiting, but honestly if you follow the diet plan you should not have vomiting. Vomiting usually means you ate too fast, or ate too much. I have vomitted for those reasons, it's not fun.

 

And No, you don't have to give up sugar. Yes you have limits because you can have dumping syndrome which is not fun. My doctor says to limit fats and sugars to less than 10 grams. I found out personally, I can tolerate up to about 15 of fat/sugar before I have problems, but everybody is different. I actually figured out if I cut out all sugar completely, I start getting hypoglycemic so I actually had to add in a little Gatoraide 2 and diet snapple to help keep my sugar up, lol.

[Oak Knoll Mom]

 

I think things like Weight Watchers, juice diets, etc., are flawed in that people generally can't keep up any kind of diet like that for long.

 

I just have to put in a plug here for WW. I'm a lifetime member and I have done several versions of the program. This most recent version, PointsPLUS, is absolutely doable for the rest of your life. I do not feel deprived (I had a Snickers about an hour ago!), and have no problems saying on plan. They really have moved toward a more balanced, whole foods kind of eating plan. I really hate to even call it a diet.

[Joanne]

I just have to put in a plug here for WW. I'm a lifetime member and I have done several versions of the program. This most recent version, PointsPLUS, is absolutely doable for the rest of your life. I do not feel deprived (I had a Snickers about an hour ago!), and have no problems saying on plan. They really have moved toward a more balanced, whole foods kind of eating plan. I really hate to even call it a diet.

 

I actually thing WW can be very healthy. I just don't believe it is right for every *body* and I think that the science of obesity is more complex than the science behind WW.

[4ofus]

My thoughts

 

~I previously worked (as an RN) in a hospital that performed many RNY procedures. We had ONE physician whose patients did poorly. Consistently. When it goes bad, it goes very, very bad. Be extremely diligent in your search for an excellent physician. It is important.

 

I have a beloved friend whom has struggled with her weight her entire adult life. She ultimately had a sleeve procedure done & mostly is happy that she did. She does say that she has to take vitamins/supplements for the rest of her life to prevent deficiencies & despite strictly taking those supplements, her gorgeous hair has started to thin & fall out :(. She ALSO says she has tons of loose skin & hates it. She doesn't have the $$ to have surgery to remove it. SOOO, she's traded one devil for another.

 

I have no real words of wisdom here. It is a hard place to be in.

[LMA]

My friend had lap-band surgery three years ago. She has followed directions to the T. She is so glad she did it and she looks great and she is healthier than ever. She will tell you it's not for everyone and it's very, very hard to decide to do the surgery.

[Denisemomof4]

A good friend of mine got a lap band and lost TONS of weight. Tis was important for her as her blood sugars were out of control. She gas been diabetic for decades.

 

It was tough after surgery. She often times threw up. She really could not tolerate meat. When we went out to eat, she coukd ony eat a few bites and woukd be done.

 

FF three years. Her lap band slipped and she had to have it taken out. She tries SO HARD but is having issues with her weight. She gained 25 pounds. :sad:

 

I worry about her because her blood sugars are getting bad again, and she does exercise and watches what she eats, though like most of us, she could do better.