Weighting Line

May 15th, 2008

Product Review: Lean Cuisine Steak Tips Portabello

I tried a new frozen meal for lunch today and it was so good that I wanted to rush over here and tell you all about it.

I’ve been doing frozen meals for lunch, then eating a healthy, home cooked meal for dinner in the evening. I usually buy the same ones every time. I’m a big chicken about trying new things, especially when it comes to frozen stuff because they don’t all taste good.

The Lean Cuisine Steak Tips Portabello, in the Cafe Classics line, is WONDERFUL! The beef tips are in a rich, flavorful burgundy wine sauce with portabello mushrooms. It comes with a side of steamed broccoli florets. This is a terrific-ly yummy meal that really filled me up. Best of all, every single bite was delicious and it only contained 4 Weight Watchers points.

When I bought this Lean Cuisine meal, I honestly didn’t think I would like it. In fact, it’s been in my freezer for a few weeks, simply because I couldn’t bring myself to try it yet. However, this one will definitely be on my must-buy list next time.

Lean Cuisine Steak Tips Portabello gets a hearty 2 Thumbs Up!

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By Hope Wilbanks -- 0 comments

May 15th, 2008

More Meditation Tips

Yesterday I shared some ways to deal with depression and weight gain. I think the suggestions I offered may have not been what some of you might have expected. Nevertheless, they work.

One of the tips I offered yesterday was meditation. Now, I know some of you are probably turned off by even the idea of meditation as a way to help you lose weight. But it’s about much more than just losing weight. It’s about living a healthier, stress-free life.

I just stumbled across a post on Good Life Zen that elaborates on meditation and offers more simple steps on how to start meditating. It includes some basic, but important, tips on how to get started. Go check it out: How to Start Meditating - 10 Important Tips.

Image: stock.xchng

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By Hope Wilbanks -- 0 comments

May 15th, 2008

Weight Loss Blog Contest: Healthy Lifestyle Changes

J.J. Flizanes, Director of Invisible Fitness, provided some great tips for making healthy lifestyle changes. While I blog here about losing weight, I want to be sure that I’m clear about one thing: I believe in healthy living, not just losing weight as fast as you can, or any way you can.

I’ve dealt with my own weight issues long enough to know that losing weight isn’t necessarily difficult. But losing weight and keeping it off is. The biggest reason keeping it off is so hard to do is because a lot of us have a tendency to want to go on the next fad diet that promises we’ll lose an insane amount of weight in an even insane-er short amount of time. It just doesn’t work that way. Not if you want to lose it and keep it off (which is my goal this time around).

All that being said, I’m launching my first official contest here at Weighting Line today. To be eligible, please read and follow the instructions below.

How To Enter

Leave a comment in this post telling me what ONE healthy lifestyle change you’d like to make for yourself before the end of this year.

Review J.J.’s list again if you’d like. Maybe something she listed is something you’d like to work on for yourself.

The Rules

1. Leave your comment in this post before midnight, Friday, May 23rd (Central Standard Time). Only one comment per email address allowed.
2. Every comment (excluding trackbacks) will be entered in a drawing. One winner will be randomly selected from entries.
3. You must leave your name and email address in the box below when you leave your comment (otherwise, your comment will be invalid).
4. The winner will be announced on Saturday, May 24th, and emailed. If the winner does not reply within 48 hours of notification, he/she forfeits her winnings and an alternate winner will be chosen.

The Prize

Here’s the juicy part! Wanna know what’s up for grabs? J.J. is giving this FREE PRIZE PACKAGE to one lucky winner:

Telecoaching Initial Consultation: $250.00 Value (60-90 Minutes)
Includes: Health History, Stress Profile, Nutrition Patterns, Current Program Review, Goal Setting, and New Program Design

For more information about J.J. Flizanes, or Invisible Fitness, visit InvisibleFitness.com.

Image: stock.xchng

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By Hope Wilbanks -- 2 comments

May 15th, 2008

Tips for Making Healthy Lifestyle Changes - Guest Post by J.J. Flizanes

By J.J. Flizanes, Director of Invisible Fitness

Lifestyle Change. Yes. Life STYLE change. What you are doing now got you to where you are. If you were happy with that, you would not need to read this. This is a learning process. If “fast and easy” worked, we would have stopped looking for new ways. Lifestyle means the foods you eat, the kind of stresses in your life, the kind of exercise you do, your habits….about anything relating to food and exercise. Or lack of it…

Do you want to take care of your body? Are your body and health important to you? If you answered yes to your body being important, what are you doing on a daily basis to take care of it? If you are doing nothing, then why not? These are the MOST important questions you need to answer before getting started. If exercising isn’t YOUR idea, you might not stick to it very long. And if you are looking to get motivated, ask yourself who gets affected when you get sick or aren’t here anymore. Are they important enough to you for you to take care of yourself?

List for yourself 5 reasons your body and health are important. Then list 5 things you are doing to take care of it every day. Most people can’t do a life makeover in 48 hours and have it last long term.

Follow these steps to start making a permanent change–now.

• Know where you’re going: Do you have your goals clear in your mind about how they look and feel? Do you have listed what is important to you and what is not? If you don’t know where you going, you may not get there.
• Stop stepping on the scale. Do it ONCE and then put it away for at least the entire month- or 2. Scales throw off your emotions and give you feedback that is inaccurate to what you are looking for. It’s not worth the upset and it’s a narrow focus. I have clients on the 90 Day Health and Body Makeover weight in at the beginning and then commit to not stepping on the scale at all for 3 months.
• Start logging your food. Most of us do not really pay attention to what we eat so we are “shocked” when we gain weight, even on an exercise program. Logging your food will also bring conscious awareness to how you feed yourself. This awareness can help you change your patterns and get you to your goals. Carry a note pad in your purse or car so you can log your meals in a timely manner after you finish them so you do not forget. If you wait til the end of the day, the task feels more overwhelming and you’re likely to forget something.
• Schedule your workouts. Put them on the calendar or in your palm pilot or blackberry just like any other meeting or event. If you do not make time for it, time does not just “appear”. We all have the same 24 hours in a day-blocking out time for you is not only important for your health but also in setting an example of your importance to your family, friends and colleagues.
• Post pictures of yourself or a fitness and health example of what you would like to achieve as a reminder and motivator. You can also make a vision board to inspire you. Pictures and images translate energy to us subconsciously. If you intend something to happen and then support your efforts with energetic triggers such as a vision board- you will get there faster.
• Stock up on fruits and veggies for snacks and make them VISIBLE and AVAILABLE in your refrigerator. If you don’t see it immediately, you will forget it’s there! Make them finger foods at your disposal.
• Drink water! The body converts fat into energy and releases fat IN WATER. Your body fights disease and toxins in water. All of your body’s functions have to happen in water. If you are dehydrated, you are slowing down your body’s ability to change. Drink at least 4-6, 10 oz glasses or bottles a day.
• Get your 7-8 hours of sleep EVERY night. When your body is stressed and not completely rested, your cortisol levels increase and the body holds onto fat as well. Your body changes ” in rest”, not in work. When you sleep less you also overeat. Your body needs energy so you think food will satisfy that and it doesn’t. Not getting enough sleep can sabotage a weight loss plan.
• Add resistance training to your workout plan. This is your long term investment for strong bones and a healthy metabolism. You increase your resting metabolism ONLY by adding lean muscle. Fat is inactive tissue and does not need energy. Muscle requires energy and also helps get that sleek, sexy, tight look in your body.
• Use a heart rate monitor when doing cardio. This should be one of the most important tools you use. If you are doing cardio without a heart rate monitor- how do you know if you are being effective and efficient? How else can you tell when it’s time to increase your intensity? Why waist time and plateau? I recommend and carry the Polar F6.
• Read labels. Know what you are eating. Read the ingredients- do you know what everything is? The more natural and clean you can eat- the better you will look and feel.

About the author
Named Best Personal Trainer in Los Angeles by Elite Traveler Magazine for 2007, J.J. Flizanes is the Director of Invisible Fitness. She has appeared on NBC, KTLA, CBS, and FOX 11 as well as has been featured in many magazines such as Shape, Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, Elegant Bride and more. Invisible Fitness offers Fitness Training, Fitness Coaching, Workshops &  Seminars and Corporate Programs.

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By Hope Wilbanks -- 0 comments

May 15th, 2008

Healthy Recipe Thursday: Santa Fe Soup

This is probably one of my most favorite soups. I discovered Santa Fe Soup before I even went on Weight Watchers the first time. During one of our meetings, the leader gave me a stapled stack of Weight Watchers recipes and Santa Fe Soup was one of them.

My recipe calls for ground beef, rather than chicken. I’ve never made it with chicken, but I’m sure it’s just as good as my version. (I’ll make a video recipe of my Santa Fe Soup the next time I cook it to share with you.)

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By Hope Wilbanks -- 0 comments

May 14th, 2008

Weight Loss Blog Links

I thought I’d share links to some good stuff I’ve been reading online the last couple of weeks. There’s no shortage of weight loss blogs online, and I’ve been finding some really great ones lately. Enjoy! (Links open in new window.)

• Getting Started - 4 Mind Traps To Avoid - Getting started on a fitness program is often one of the hardest steps. It’s daunting, confusing, and scary to consider all the work that goes into a healthy lifestyle, but when you finally realize that you need to make a change all you have to do is push forward. Here are some common mind traps that had previously prevented me from my goals…
• Top Five Health Benefits of Garlic - It’s the subject of countless festivals, ancient folklore and entire cookbooks, and is a flavor that people either love or hate. Garlic — the beloved small vegetable, or “stinking rose,” that’s been cultivated for over 5,000 years — is not only tasty, it’s incredibly good for you.
• 16 Straight To The Point Fat Loss Lessons - There are many different goals you can set when considering a fat loss plan. Some people still see themselves with a long road ahead of them, while others have already reached a healthy fat percentage but don’t mind losing a little more. Whatever your fat loss goal is at this moment, I’m sure there are several lessons still left to be learned.
• 3 Basic ways to determine if organic produce is right for you - We all have to choose what we’re willing to risk in our lives. So how does risk play into organic vs. conventional produce? The next time you’re in the produce department, scrolling through your iPhone trying to have the decision made for you on organic vs. conventional, think of this simple question: Is it worth the risk that the folks who say the chemicals are safe, might be wrong? My answer to that is Maybe - depends on how comfortable you are, and what you can reasonably afford.

Share your favorite weight loss blog article with us in the comments below!

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By Hope Wilbanks -- 3 comments

May 14th, 2008

How To Deal With Depression and Weight Gain

This month’s Health & Wellness Channel Theme Day is hosted by Alicia at Mental Health Notes. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, so we’re celebrating with a round of posts about mental health.

As someone who has lived through a period of depression, I understand what depression does, not only to your mind, but to your body as well. Depression is a nasty thing that can cause you to gain a lot of weight in a very short amount of time.

Depression is one of the most common mental health disorders today. Nearly 20 million Americans (ages 18+) have been diagnosed with some type of depression. Women are twice as likely to have depression than men.

While these numbers may be startling, it’s important to note that even if you do suffer from depression, and you’ve experienced weight gain because of depression, there are things you can do to not only stop the excess weight gain, but control it, and even start shedding some of those pounds.

I went through a period of about three years of suffering with depression. I battled it and just when I thought I had it licked, something would happen and I’d feel like my entire world was crumbling around me. I turned to food a lot during those years, so I understand how difficult it can be to push away the plate and step away from the table.

The following are things I learned to do to help myself. I hope you’ll find some of them useful if you’re going through depression and it’s affecting your weight.

Relax.

One of the underlying causes of some types of depression is anxiety, which is brought about by stress. Stress can come from any number of things, including:

• work
• family
• friends
• other responsibilities

Meditate To Relieve Stress

Meditation is a terrific way to get rest for your mind. It’s a way of harnessing your thoughts and quieting your mind. I began practicing meditation when I was a teenager. It helped to quiet my mind during many years of mental abuse.

Follow these steps to practice a simple form of meditation:

1. Separate yourself from noise and activity. A quiet corner of the house, or even in your bedroom with the door shut (and locked, if necessary), will work. Turn off the T.V., radio, computer, or anything else that would cause audible distractions.
2. Sit in a comfortable position. The formal position would normally be sitting cross-legged on the floor. You should choose a spot that is comfortable, but not too soft. The bed, a yoga mat, or a semi-soft chair would work as well.
3. Close your eyes and practice deep-breathing as follows. First, inhale slowly through your nose to the count of ten. Hold your breath for a couple of seconds, then slowly exhale through your lips. Do this several times until you feel yourself begin to relax.
4. Consciously push every thought out of your mind. The purpose of meditation is to quiet yourself. So any thoughts entering your mind during this quiet time should be considered intruders. Visualize yourself literally pushing every intruding thought away from you and bring yourself back to a restful, quiet state of mind.

I recommend starting out with just ten minutes of meditation, then work your way up to 20 or 30 minutes twice per day. If you’re busy and aren’t accustomed to being quiet, it will be challenging at first, but you can do it.

Meditation is great for your mind, but it’s good for your body, too. Learning how to calm yourself while in the midst of stress-filled situations can be a very powerful tool, especially if you are an emotional eater. Rather than turning to food for comfort when you’re feeling stressed, retreat to a quiet place and meditate for a few minutes.

Journal.

As an emotional eater, and past sufferer of depression, I can tell you without a doubt that my journal has been my lifeline through some really difficult times. There were moments when I felt like I was all alone. I’d grab a pen and my journal and write out everything in my mind–good and bad. For about two years, it was mostly bad.

Keeping a daily journal did several things for me. It…

• taught me to rely on my own intuitions.
• gave me a safe place to talk about anything and everything without worrying about how it might affect someone else.
• provided the space to work through problems I was having.

Most of all, my journals became my outlet where I could vent my frustrations. Instead of eating, I could grab my pen and go sit outside on my swing and write about everything that was eating at me.

My journals also helped me to visualize what I wanted my life (and myself) to be like. Rather than staying stuck in depression, anxiety, and stress, I was able to literally talk to myself about what my ideal life might look like. Visualizing what my “perfect” body weight might be, or how I could deal with certain situations that were killing me (inside) helped me to create tactical plans to “save” myself.

Choose wisely.

Finally, choose the foods you put into your body wisely. The foods you are eating could not only be contributing to your weight gain, but could also further induce symptoms of anxiety and depression as well. I know this first hand.

A few years ago, after the birth of my son, I decided it was time to lose some weight. Just before my husband was deployed to Iraq, I decided to join Weight Watchers. For a few weeks, I lost weight.

To further boost my new weight loss, I decided to cut sugar out of my diet. I started using Splenda instead. Unbeknownst to me at the time, I was about to propel myself into several years of mental torture…all because of a little yellow packet of sweetener.

At first, things were fine. In fact, things were really good. I started losing more weight. Not only did I stop using sugar, but Splenda was so much sweeter-tasting than sugar, that I was able to slash my intake of that as well.

Throughout this entire time (remember, I’d just had my son a few months earlier), I started experiencing some symptoms of anxiety. My husband had received his orders that he was going to be deployed. My daughter would start Kindergarten while her Daddy was in Iraq. My baby boy wouldn’t get that one-on-one time with his Daddy like my daughter did. I was trying to lose a lot of weight that I’d been packing on for years. I had a lot going on all at one time.

After my husband left for Iraq, my stress level went through the roof. My son became gravely ill and was even hospitalized at one point (RSV). At times I felt like I couldn’t take any more. And yet somehow I managed to keep going every day.

Now, let me back up for a second and tell you that just a few weeks after my son was born, my doctor put me on an anti-depressant for postpartum depression. I was crying all the time. I couldn’t even hold my baby. And I knew something wasn’t right with me.

I took this for a few months, then took myself back off it because I was feeling better (don’t ever take yourself off any medication unless the doctor says it’s okay to!). Not long after my husband left, I was right back at the doctor crying again. He put me back on the medication again.

The year that my husband was gone was probably the worst year of my life since I’ve been married. I realized just how much I relied and depended on him, and the loss of him not being there, coupled with what he was going through, put me under so much stress that I nearly caved. If it hadn’t been for my children, I probably would have totally lost it.

Fast forward a few years back the present…

A couple of years when my husband came back home, a whole new list of stressors entered both our lives. We’d been talking about moving away the entire time he was in Iraq, and it looked as though everything was working towards pushing us out the door. After a lot of prayer, we decided to just go for it, and moved two states away.

For the first several months, I fought the depression tooth and nail. I’d have a few good weeks and then out of nowhere, it would smack me in the face. And like most people who suffer from depression, I didn’t want anybody to know what I was going through.

I started having anxiety and panic attacks again. And this entire time I was still using Splenda. One very early morning, after a long sleepless night, I lay on the couch thinking about everything I’d been going through. I knew that mentally and spiritually I was in a much better place than I’d been in a very long time. So I couldn’t understand what was bringing all this back again. I didn’t feel depressed, but I certainly felt a lot of anxiety and was hardly getting any sleep at all.

Something that morning told me to do some research on Splenda. Call it God or intuition. Whatever it was that made me think that, I got up and got on the computer right away. After doing a lot of reading on it and finding myself in a lot of the stories on this website, I made the decision to stop using Splenda altogether and see if it would have any affect on how I was feeling.

Boy, was I shocked, and relieved.

Within as little as a couple of days of not using Splenda, I felt like I was a totally different person. Every ounce of anxiety was gone. The intense feeling of constant anger subsided. I really couldn’t believe how much different I felt, especially in such a short amount of time.

You see, it really does matter what you put into your body. And we’re not just talking about food here, although healthy eating is important. But you should pay attention to everything you put in your mouth. Is it healthy? Does it give you energy, or make you sleepy? Is it life-sustaining?

Choose wisely.

More Ways To Deal

There are numerous things you can do to help yourself if you’re gaining weight due to depression. Here are some other ideas…

• Exercise 30 minutes per day.
• Call a friend for a gab session.
• Find a support group.
• Seek professional help.
• Talk to a professional counselor.
• Pray.
• Go for a swim.
• Plant a flower garden.
• Forgive.

Roundtable:

• Are you depressed right now?

• Has depression further stimulated weight gain for you?

• Are you taking anti-depressants that have caused you to gain weight?

• What are some ways you’ve found to deal with depression without turning to food to soothe yourself?

Images: stock.xchng

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By Hope Wilbanks -- 1 comment

May 13th, 2008

Casola’s Final Thoughts On Banding Surgery

Here are Mr. Casola’s final thoughts on banding surgeries in the U.S.

FYI: Currently there are two “bands” approved in the United States. The Lap Band, and the Realize Band (formerly known as the Swedish Adjustable Gastric Band). There is not too much difference between the Swedish Adjustable Gastric Band (SAGB) and the (regular) Lap band. The way I simplify it for most people is I tell them one is a Honda and the other is a Toyota.   

Here is brief band history of the two.

In 1985, the Swedish Adjustable Gastric Band (SAGB) was released within Scandinavian countries, but it was not done laparoscopic. In 1992, the SAGB was tested to be implemented using laparoscopic techniques in Switzerland, Italy and Germany. In 1993, The BioEnterics company released the LAP-BAND (Adjustable Gastric Banding System), and was quickly FDA approved. In 1994 the SAGB was done through-out Europe.

Around 2004, Johnson and Johnson began working in conjunction with the SAGB parent company. In 2007, the FDA finally approved of the SAGB - which by then was renamed by J & J to the Realize Band. My research showed there were fewer issues with the SAGB then with the Lap-Band (i.e. port inversion, inflammation, etc).

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By Hope Wilbanks -- 0 comments

May 13th, 2008

Thomas Casola Personal Banding Story - Part 2

I recently ran across a few articles about a new type of gastric bypass surgery, called the Realize Band system. I was interested in learning about how the Realize Band is different from the Lap Band surgery. Mr. Casola shared his personal story with me about his surgery, and now he’s sharing it with you.

Click here to read Part 1.

The question was: “who should do it”? After interviewing approximately 15 strangers (they were basically friends of friends), and more on-line checking, I decided to go with Advance Laparoscopic Surgeons, located in Florham Park, New Jersey. In all my research (on line, and word of mouth) Dr. Abkin’s (and his partner Dr. Bertha’s) names were always regarded very highly in the field. On October 24, 2007, I went to their seminar at the Parsippany Tara Hotel. What I really liked about Dr. Abkin was his straight-forward honestly. He listened to what I had to say, and respected the surgery I wanted. He never talked me, or any other participant, into one procedure or the other.

Come mid-November I had “all my ducks in a row”, and was ready to have the operation. I decided to wait until after the “New Year” – because I thought I would be in too much pain to enjoy the holidays. If I knew then, what I know now - I would have had the operation in November.

I had the Realize band operation on January 29, 2008. I arrived at the hospital at 7:00 AM and left 2:00 PM. The operation itself took approximately 45 minutes. The only discomfort I experienced was a feeling that I could only equate to when someone does a lot of sit-ups, and a inner chest pain (which I later realized was caused by the intubation). No other pain.

The next day I still had the “sit-up discomfort”, and chest irritation, but felt relatively normal. By the 2nd day after the operation I was back to normal. If I wanted to I could have gone back to work, but I decided to stay home because I had vacation time coming to me. Since the operation, I realized I haven’t had any hunger pangs that I used to experience before the Realize band.

It gets to the point that I have to “force” myself to eat, because I don’t feel hungry. I also realized (no pun intended) any “hunger” I did feel, would quickly disappeared when I drank something. It was a wonderful feeling, and is an experience I never thought was possible. Plus, I would have never expected 4-6 ounces of “protein”, and some vegetables would fill me, and keep me satisfied for hours. In addition, my General Practitioner Doctor has taken me off of one of my meds. She stated while there is no guarantee, if all goes well I will be weaned off of most (if not all) of my meds.

My weight loss has been called remarkable. On my two week review I lost 17 pounds. On my one month review I lost an additional 30 pounds, for a total of 47 pounds. On my three month review I lost an additional 28 pounds, for a grand total of 75 pounds.

When the Nurse took all my vitals, he didn’t seem too impressed by the lost until he realized I had a band operation, and not a bypass. He asked me, “Are you eating enough?” I laughed and reassured him that I was.

Then I saw the Nurse Practitioner she was very pleased at my results. She said my weight loss was more common with Bypass patients. She asked “What have you been doing do loose all this weight”. I proudly said “Not much. Just eating and some exercise”. Then I went on to explain I was still following the Let’s Do Lunch philosophy of eating correctly, and that I am doing exercising. She asked if I would mind speaking at some of the seminars. Told her I would be honored.

Since the operation, I consider myself an “unofficial” walking testimonial commercial for the Realize Gastric Banding procedure. I tell everyone about me, and I highly recommend this operation to anyone who asks about Bariatric Weight Loss surgery. In fact, one friend got the operation because she saw how happy I was, and the success I am having. Another friend is still “on the fence” about it, but for him, it’s more financial than anything else.

[Hope’s Note] Bottom line…do your research. Ask lots of questions. Find out what would be the best option for you, if and when you need any type of similar surgery. What works for one person may not necessarily work for you. However, the little bit of research I’ve done has convinced me that the Realize Band system may be a better option than the Lap Band.

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By Hope Wilbanks -- 0 comments

May 13th, 2008

Guest Thomas Casola Shares Personal Gastric Banding Story - Part 1

I recently ran across a few articles about a new type of gastric bypass surgery, called the Realize Band system. I was interested in learning about how the Realize Band is different from the Lap Band surgery. Mr. Casola shared his personal story with me about his surgery, and now he’s sharing it with you.

I was born and breed in Brooklyn NY. And like most Italians, I had a “nickname” growing up. Since there were two Tommy’s on my block (and in my family), I was tagged as either “fat Tommy” or “fatty-boy“. So it only goes to show you I have always been overweight. I fought the “battle of bulge” my entire life. Many times I’ve won the battle, but in the end I eventually lost the war.

About 5 years ago I started to think about weight loss surgery. In the past (we’re talking late 70’s-early 80’s), I knew people who had their “stomach stapled”, and some had disastrous (almost fatal) results. I knew that was definitely out. So I needed to do my homework before I choose anything. It took almost another two years before I really started to research all the different options out there.

In the meantime, I did an eating plan called Let’s Do Lunch. It was a wonderful plan, and I lost about 70 pounds. However, even with that success, last summer my doctor said that I really should think about doing something surgical. She stated I am young enough and healthy enough to do it NOW, but who knows what a year or two may bring. So that’s when I decided to seriously consider weight loss surgery.

After all the research, I decided that the lap-band was the best choice for me. While it is true people see faster result when having a Gastric Bypass however research shows that over a 3 - 5 year period, Bypass and Banding folks tend to loose the same amount of weight.

Here are the reasons I decided to do a Band instead of Gastric Bypass.

(1) I did about 5 years of research in regards to which operation I wanted. I noticed that more favorable medical articles concerning the band

(2) I’m a big sissy when it comes to pain. The folks who I knew who had the gastric bypass done - most had pain for about a week. The folks who I know who had the band done was back to work in a few days - and were (relatively) pain-free.

(3) I always had a dreaded fear that something may go wrong with the procedure. In the research that I did, I know the band is the easiest “reversible” procedure. Also, if need be - the band could be removed. It’s very difficult to reverse the gastric bypass.

(4) The benefits of the band outweighed those compared to other bariatric surgeries (i.e. quick recovery, lower mortality, fully reversible, no stomach cutting/stapling, no mal-absorption issues, etc.). This made banding more desirable.

(5) In all my research, I found that patients who had the Swedish Adjustable Gastric Band had better results then those who had the mid-band (not done in the United States) or lap-band procedure. When I went for my consultation, I asked the Doctor why the Swedish Adjustable Gastric Band (SAGB) was not done in the Unites States. He was astonished I even knew about this. Then I was even more FLABBERGASTED to learn it WAS RECENTLY approved in the United States. The best news was this Doctor was one the rare Doctors in NJ who was approved to do this procedure. That’s all I needed to hear.

(6) The biggest reason I decided to go with the lap-band was personal interaction. I know about 10 people who had the gastric bypass done. Of those 10 people, 7 look great and have kept off the weight. It was the other 3 that may be rethink gastric bypass. One person (a best friend) has the operation done 5 - 6 years ago. While she looks great, she is constantly dumping (puking) since the operation. There was scar tissue, and other complications, and she was in and out of the hospital almost weekly. It’s to the point now that she is now very sick, and the doctors don’t know how to fix her. Her sister had the operation done, and you could never tell. It doesn’t look as if she lost a pound. And the final person I know (knew) died 3 weeks after the operation. So I knew this wasn’t the way to go for me.

Part 2 to follow…

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By Hope Wilbanks -- 0 comments