Gastric Lap Banding?

[Sassygirl]

I have had two friends of mine have it done. My closest friend lost around 30 kilos with it and a lady who I work with had it done and she has so far lost 23 kilos. The one thing that I did notice with these two is that they still eat the wrong foods though - but both are having a slow and steady weight loss.

[Jisgone]

it works but i dont think it can be good for you, alot of people with it have to take multivitamins so they stay healthy. I guess its a quick fix for those who dont have the willpower to eat smaller meals and excercise

[Butterfly_Dawn]

One of my bloke's friends whom he hadn't seen in 10 years saw him again the other night. He had lost heaps of weight, like 130kg ish. Turns out he had the band surgery and now can't eat very much at all.

For my thinking, there are some people out there who do need it - people who are just so obese they need to drastically reduce weight NOW and who need that extreme option. Others for one reason or another may be unable to succeed with diets (I know there is a condition often associated with intellectual disability in which people just can't stop eating, I'm sure therre are other genetic disorders etc).

But the problem with it is that it opens the door for people who, for all intents and purposes can lose the weight with far less risky options than going under general anaesthetic, having yourself cut open and a band stuck around your stomach, can 'choose' to have it done. Like plastic surgery - required for people who need it - breast reconstructions, burns victims etc - but now it's so overcommodified.

For me, unless you have honestly given it a real go with exercise and eating well etc and just cannot do it no matter what and the risks of being overweight outweighs the risks of complications from surgery, then consider it, but until then it's just not worth the risk

Just my opinion

[Bandit]

Hi all,

I'm new to this forum, but thought I would chime in on this discussion, as I'm having lap-band surgery in a few days time.

There is a lots of misinformation & lack of understanding about lap-banding here, & some of the responses on this thread were actually quite hurtful.

Lap banding is NOT a quick fix, & it is NOT just for those 'with no willpower to eat smaller meals & exercise' The band is only a tool, & it is still up to the patient to exercise, eat correctly, & make the most of that tool. The idea is that you will naturally eat smaller meals, & most importantly, feel NO HUNGER. There are rules to follow, & if you do so, you will lose the weight & NOT REGAIN IT.

A lap band is not handed out freely by surgeons, you MUST have a BMI of over 35, or have other co-morbidities such as hypertension or diabetes, & you MUST have already tried other methods of weightloss.

Having a Gastric lap band is not open surgery. 'Lap' is short for laparoscopic (keyhole). It's a very similar operation to gallbladder surgery, & is only an overnight stay. It carries a very small risk, as does any surgery requiring anaesthetic.

A lap band is fully adjustable. The lap band is placed around the upper stomach to create a small pouch. There is an inflatable balloon around the inner surface of the band, attached to a small port under the skin via tubing. Saline is very easily & simply injected or removed via the port. If a patient becomes pregnant, has reached goal weight or needs to eat more for some reason, the fill is removed or decreased. If the patient is overeating or becoming hungry, fill (saline) is added to increase restriction.

I have tonnes of willpower. (OT, but I am now celebrating over 3 months smoke-free after a heavy 24y year habit) I have been yo-yo dieting for most of my life. I have joined gyms, purchased home fitness, danced, walked & swam. I have tried many diets, & lost lots of weight several times, only to regain it all, plus more. It took a lot of willpower to do 6 months of meal replacement drinks (25kg lost), but the problem is, like most diets, it is not sustainable in the long term. I hated the idea that I would have to be on a permanent diet for the rest of my life in order to keep the weight off.

I know that *enforced* small meals, without me having to weigh foods, go hungry & always be 'on' (or off) a diet.

According to the US National Institute of Health, the maximum sustainable weight loss by ANY diet, exercise or behavioural modification programme is 12 kg. If you are morbidly obese, surgery is the only long-term solution. I feel really confident of this being my last weightloss decision. It was well-though out & researched, but I sure don't think it was a 'desperate' decision.

I am also in contact with lots of people online who have had lap band surgery, & though there are trials & a learning process, there is not one regret, & lots of kg are being shed!

I hope I've created a bit more understanding about lap banding. If you enjoy reading, there is a really entertaining & interesting article about being overweight here: http://www.georgefielding.com.au/pubs/you_rule.htm Long, but worth the read. It was written by a weightloss surgeon who is himself a lap band patient. The rest of the site has more info about lap banding, before & after pics etc.

Good luck to you all on your weight losses

[Jisgone]

Its good to see another side of the story but theres one thing i disagree with

"If you are morbidly obese, surgery is the only long-term solution."

i have to completely disagree with this, i was morbidly obese when i started this journey and have lost over 22 kg's without dieting, i eat better ofcourse but i dont weigh meals or starve myself and i still eat all the things i love. i have changed my lifestyle in a way i can sustain long into maintenance (just ask kim, shes had 12 weeks of maintenance without regaining any) so i think it is entirely possible to lose weight and keep it off long-term. i excercise more and eat better so i am healthier than i have ever been and i think everyone should live a healthier life, not just to lose weight but to be happy, healthy and live a long life

[Bandit]

Congrats on your weight loss so far, & I truly do hope that this lifestyle change works for you in the long-term.

"If you are morbidly obese, surgery is the only long-term solution."
wasn't actually my personal opinion, but a quote from the US National Institute of Health (it's in the article I posted the link to)

Just as a matter of interest, we have similar stats. My starting weight is 126kg (though Ive lost a couple due to a very strict pre-surgery diet used to shrink the liver) BMI 44.8. My ideal weight is 70kg, & my lowest weight in recent years is 83kg. My first goal is also 83, as I was really happy & healthy at that weight & well-toned from exercise.

[SarahC]

Best wishes for your upcoming surgery Bandit! Hope it goes really well for you. Thanks for the info too

[Jisgone]

wow! i cant believe the us institute of health would say that, but i guess the way alot of americans are it would be the only sollution for them, even a healthy meal in the us has such large portion sizes that it becomes unhealthy!

its interesting that our stats are so similair, sooo what size clothes were u in when u were 83 kilos? i sooo wanna know when ill be wearing normal clothes hehe

[Ally]

Check out Zelma's story......she has sure lost a lot more than 12kg and has sustained it....she started at 160kg!!! A similar start to me. I was always on diets, but now I have completely changed my lifestyle...I eat healthy and exercise and althought there are still many things I have yet to change, that will come with time. I argue that these "experts" have said such a thing (only losing 12kg) to gain support for their own argument.

I wish you all the best with your surgery bandit and hope it gives you all you are hoping for.

[Bandit]

Jewles, I was a size 14 at 83kg. I was going to the gym regularly then too, so I was a little muscular, & very toned. I'd be happy just to get there again.

Zelma does look great, & really, maintaining weight does come down to finding a food intake/diet plan, & exercise that you can stick with for the rest of your life.

While researching weight loss options around the net, I did see somewhere that around 5% who have lost a lot DO manage to not regain their lost weight. Unfortunately, I was never part of that 5% I'm in my late 30's, & began dieting back in highschool,when I only had a few kg to lose. I tried so many fad & Dr reccomended diets, meal replacements, medication, hypnotherapy, weight watchers, avoiding junk food, eating healthier, etc etc. Exercise also played a big part, & I ALWAYS lost weight, & felt I'd NEVER go back to how I was. Sadly, something always happened, & I regained all the lost weight, plus more. It was always simple things that threw me off the wagon - moving out of home, or going on a holiday, meeting a new man, getting pregnant with my dd, & I went back to old habits so slowly, that I barely noticed it.

All the lap band ladies that I talk to online have very similar stories

Anyway, I got sick of the yo-yo dieting, watching everything I ate, having small meals, but still being hungry & I hated the idea that I'd never be able to eat like a 'normal' person again, without gaining weight.

At first, I did think that lap banding was pretty extreme, & the same as stomach stapling, & gastric bypass. I now know it will be the best thing I could ever do for myself & my health. I know I can live with small healthy portions, because I won't be hungry, & I will allow myself the occasional small treat. After a lifetime of it, I am so excited that my 'diet mentality' will be gone forever, along with my weight!!!

[Bandit]

P.S. Thanks for the good wishes too (Yes, I am still a little nervous as it gets closer)

[KimE]

maintaining weight does come down to finding a food intake/diet plan, & exercise that you can stick with for the rest of your life.

I think this is very true and why the health professionals try to promote healthy eating and exercise as well as slow weight loss. I think the slower the more likely you are to stick to it simply because you are creating and then reinforcing habits along the way.

I have maintained my goal for 3 months and yes I am proud of that but I know it is a drop in the ocean, so to speak, so I can't afford to take it for granted and eat whatever I like. I also realised after losing around 20kgs that I WOULD have to watch what I eat for the rest of my life, maybe not to the degree I have done but I still need to be very aware of my intake and the effect it has on me. Fortunately the change to my lifestyle means that I am now interested in what I put in my body and what I do to it so watching my food is becoming something I just do the same as exercising regularly during my lunch break.

Thanks for the info on the lap band surgery it's not something I know much about and it sounds like you have done plenty of research. All the best with the surgery, recovery and outcomes.

[Jisgone]

im interested in where these surgeons get the facts, because 5% just doesnt sound right. maybe they are using the stats of the people who come in for the lap band surgery, i looked it up on the net and didnt find any figures on the ammount of people who regain weight

[Bandit]

Kim, you've done wonderfully well. I'm glad that you've found a plan that works for you. A big pat on the back, & I hope you stick at it!

Jewles, if you were to ask all the people on this site if their current diet was their first, or they'd tried weight loss before, I'll bet for the overwhelming majority, it's a subsequent attempt. Usually it's because previous weight lost has been regained. If you think of it that way, 5% doesn't really seem 'out there'

Sadly, those on the fad diets, medication & meal replacements won't keep the weight off. Those who've made goal weight through sensible changes to eating & exercise, & understand that it is a life-long commitment (yes, that's you Kim!) have a far better chance at long term success.

In the medical community, long-term success in weight loss is measured as 5+ years.

I've found tonnes of diet info while surfing the net, but probably the most trusted reference for finding medical facts & figures (including weightloss statisitics) would be the Annals of Internal Medicine http://www.annals.org/ where they do studies & publish results. These papers seem to be quoted as the source for many medical & weight loss articles. Do some keyword searches for articles, such as 'maintain weight loss' or 'regain lost weight'
Here is one example: http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/119/7_Part_2/764 I find it really interesting reading all of this kind of stuff, but of course, I'll have to shift my butt off the computer a bit more now!!

[Jisgone]

what you just said is exactley what i mean, its pretty obvious that bar a few everyone is here to lose weight so of course it will come up with a 5% result, those who have lost the weight and kept it off dont need websites like this companies make up figures to make their product more attractive, i would be interested to see real world results so when someone knocks on my door to do a study maybe then ill believe it