WASaBubbleButt

food Allergies Are Making You Fat 4/7/09 Study Confirms: Your Hidden Food Allergies Are Making You Fat Medical researchers from Dubai reported in the April '09 edition of the Middle East Journal of Family Medicine (The Effect of The ALCAT Test Diet Therapy for Food Sensitivity in Patient's With Obesity) that patients unable to achieve goal weight loss by calorie restriction alone were significantly aided in their attempts when they avoided foods that had been shown by a unique lab test to excite their immune response. The authors, led by Dr. M. Akmal of the Dubai Specialized Medical Centre, pointed out that hidden food allergies, or food sensitivities, are unique to each individual and can cause inflammatory diseases, and an inability to lose weight. Food sensitivities often provoke delayed and chronic symptoms, like IBS, migraine and arthritis, that are not as obvious as the dramatic and immediate onset of "true" food allergies, such as peanut anaphylaxis, but, over the long term, can be just as devastating and are more difficult to detect. In the course of the 12 week study, the 27 refractory weight loss patients underwent a single treatment: avoidance of foods that were shown to be immune reactive according to blood testing through a system known as the ALCAT test. The study participants showed an average weight loss of approximately 37 pounds plus an average drop of six points of BMI (body mass index) and an average decrease of 30% of body fat. Dr. Fred Pescatore, former Medical Director of the famed Atkins Center and a pioneer in the study of the hormonal and immune system effects of foods, reviewed the findings and said, "I'm not surprised by these results, dramatic as they may appear. I've used the ALCAT test with my difficult patients time and time again, and it always works." Other studies based on the elimination of food sensitivities had previously been reported. In a Baylor Medical College study 98% of subjects also displayed significant improved body composition and/or scale weight following an ALCAT test-based food elimination diet within four weeks. A matched control group that followed calorie restriction alone actually became fatter. "When I first began to lecture to health professionals about how avoidance of food sensitivities helped the weight loss process, people looked at me like I had two heads," says Roger Deutsch, co-author of the book, Your Hidden Food Allergies are Making You Fat. "Now we know that chronic inflammation, caused primarily by exposure to incompatible foods, is at the root of metabolic problems like diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity. The immune system chemicals block insulin receptors; so, guess what happens to the sugars we eat? - they get stored as fat. Cut the inflammation, cut the fat storage." Along with avoidance of food sensitivities, Deutsch and other experts also recommend paying attention to the quality of food eaten, getting adequate rest, exercise, and a healthy lifestyle. About Cell Science Systems Cell Science Systems (CSS) is a life sciences company and the worldwide market leader in food sensitivity testing as the maker of The ALCAT Test. ALCAT identifies cellular reactions to over 300 foods and chemicals. These inflammatory reactions are linked to chronic health problems like obesity and diabetes, as well as skin, heart, joint, and digestive disorders. Located in Deerfield Beach, Florida, CSS is a FDA-inspected and registered, cGMP medical device manufacturer and operates a CLIA-certified laboratory. Source: Cell Science Systems

Not sure I can be a lot of help. I was in the same boat and I just had to suck it up and get used to eating. It does get easier but if you go any lower you are probably going to look a little silly. I was pretty sick when I had my revision and was trying to maintain so I wasn't exercising. I know that isn't an option for you but the reality is you are just going to have to eat more food or eat higher calorie foods. This phase will stop, honest. But you have to learn what works for you.

You don't see the pretty nek'ed lady? Really?

You could always go down there next week when everyone else is getting it done! HA!

I wouldn't get another band for anything. The complications, the frustrations, getting stuck, sliming, foaming like a rabid dog, stoma spewing, slow weight loss, low weight loss, high complications, all the things that can go wrong with a band... never again. I've had both. You couldn't pay me to have another band. The sleeve is just safer long term and weight loss is better and faster. The band is a great way to lose about half your excess weight short term.

I am familiar with how to do it on Calorie Counter, Diet Tracking, Food Journal, Nutrition Facts at The Daily Plate only because that is the one that I use. If the serving size shows 1 cup and you ate half a serving you would enter 0.5 and it calculates it for you. One thing you have to be careful about with any of these sites is that members are the ones that add to their data base. I verify the nutritional/caloric info on the site to the product itself to make sure it is accurate. Also, the one site I LOVE LOVE LOVE is here: Nutrition facts, calories in food, labels, nutritional information and analysis – NutritionData.com You can enter a recipe here, enter the number of servings and it gives you a complete food label for your recipe.

Great source of info, Mac! Thank you!

Sonia's Mom.... Have you tried Calorie Counter, Diet Tracking, Food Journal, Nutrition Facts at The Daily Plate or FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal They are great for tracking food, protein, calories, carbs, etc. I've used the weight graph since I was banded. It is really satisfying to see your weight going down on a graph, it's a sense of accomplishment. I still look at that every now and again.

I'm afraid to make fun of you guys too much in fear it will jinx me. ;o) My Mom went through Menopause in her early 40s. After she went through Menopause she grew big boobs. It's about the only aspect of my Mom I hope she passed onto me. ;o)

The colon cleansing thing makes me twitch. We do NOT have 3" of build up in our colons. :001_smile:/ We do not have "meat" stored in our colons for 10 years. Oye veh.

You are responding to issues I was not addressing. Again. ;o))))))

You are not the board police, perhaps leave moderating up to the mods? To the OP... There is a good chance of getting your insurance to remove it. You just have to supply the right documentation. Are you a newbie that is going through buyer's remorse by any chance? If you have been banded less than a couple of months please know it is completely normal go have a desire to have it removed. As to your question, depends on insurance and location. If you have insurance you should be able to get it removed. Then it is a matter of copays. If you are cash pay then in the US the hospital/surgeons fees are about the same as placing the band less $4K for the hospital cost of the actual band. In Mexico it is $5K.

I've had both a band and sleeve. No way would I get another band. The LONG TERM risks and complications are greater with a band than they are a sleeve. With a band there is aftercare for life, with a sleeve there is no aftercare. Weight loss is better and faster with a sleeve. A hunger causing hormone is removed with a sleeve, not so with a band. A sleeve has no stoma which means you do not have to chew nearly as well as you do with a band. Sleeves are easier all the way around. Alex (owner of this forum) just opened a new sleeve forum. Read this one and the sleeve forum and see what you think. Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (VSG) Surgery Forum Think long and hard and decide what is best for you. Here is an interesting thread: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/doctor-recommeded-against-lap-band-93553/

Don't forget the Treaty with Tripoli: US Treaty with Tripoli, 1796-1797 Also, many of the founding fathers were not even Christian: Our Founding Fathers Were NOT Christians

(This will work for Mexican or US Sleeve surgeons) RESEARCHING MEXICAN DOCTORS 101 Getting a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy/Sleeve Procedure Surgery in Mexico is handled a bit differently than it is in the United States. In the US, you will receive a bill from each physician: the surgeon, anesthesiologist, internal medicine doctor, assistant surgeon, radiologist, etc. That is not how it works in Mexico. In Mexico you pay the surgeon for a "package" Gastric Sleeve procedure. He pays all the other doctors. In the US (for example) the anesthesiologists contract with the hospital and their agreements are with the hospital, not the surgeon. The surgeon does not always get to hand pick the doctor putting you to sleep. People tend to assume the most important doctor in the operating room is the surgeon. This is not so. It's the anesthesiologist that keeps you alive during surgery. He is focusing on your breathing, your circulation, your heart, everything. The surgeon is focused on one thing, the surgery. In this case I tend to agree with the way Mexico does things. Do you want the surgeon you trust to pick the anesthesiologist or the hospital's administrative contract folks, the folks paid to get the best deals? The surgeon is responsible for your surgery overall, he wants you to have the best person putting you to sleep. His reputation depends on it. His reputation means his entire career. Without a good reputation they have nothing. So, in Mexico the surgeon hires the anesthesiologist, not the hospital contract office. This is an example of why it is a "package" cost in Mexico vs. individual bills in the US from all the various medical providers. Choosing a surgeon Avoid choosing a doctor that nobody has heard of before. There is little need to do that. Why take the risk? Doctors throughout the world have discovered that bariatric surgery has the potential to be extremely profitable. Many physicians are getting in the business, so there are a lot of inexperienced surgeons around. You ONLY want someone who is very experienced. After a bariatric surgeon has done around 250 sleeves they are typically very confident in the procedure and aftercare. By that time they have seen every strange and bizarre anatomical problem, every odd issue that happens under fluoroscope, etc. So you want to find someone that has done at least 250 sleeve surgeries. Now, does that mean that someone who has done 500 sleeves is better than someone that has done 250 sleeves? Not exactly. One way to think about it: were you any better at washing dishes the 250th time you did the task vs. the 500th time? That's probably not so. Either you get it or you don't. The same concept applies here. FACS (Fellow of the American College of Surgeons) If you do not know how to verify licensing, credentials, education, history, etc., your best bet is to choose a doctor that is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. It takes about 8 months for the American College of Surgeons to do their background investigation of a doctor. If they have "FACS" behind their name then they must exceed the requirements for a US physician. Don't bank on what you are told by the coordinators, if they say the doctor is FACS then verify it for yourself. Go to Water soluble product. A few doctors pinch pennies by using barium instead of the expensive water soluble (hydro soluble) contrast. The problem is this, if you do have a leak and you drink barium, barium will leak out into your abdominal cavity. This is extremely dangerous. If you have no leak it is not an issue but remember, they are checking for leaks! Until the test is over they do not know if you have one or not. If you have a leak and you drink barium, the barium will flow out of the leak and into your abdomen. Barium is not absorbed by the body, think of cement. If you have chunks of cement in your abdomen your body would not absorb it like it would saline. So it potentially requires surgical removal. This is a huge surgical procedure that is likely to cause many complications and problems. Infection is a huge problem when barium leaks into the abdominal cavity or peritoneum. This is why it is critical to make sure the doctor uses a water soluble contrast material, if there is a leak the contrast will not harm you the way Barium will harm you. The only reason for using barium instead of the appropriate product is cost. Barium is much cheaper than the correct products. Supervision What about after you are discharged? It is quite common for patients to be sent to a hotel for an extra day of recovery while in Mexico. Some physicians do this; others keep you in the hospital the entire time you are in Mexico after surgery. What kind of supervision is there for you in a hotel? Is someone coming to visit you and check on you? Are they at least calling you? All doctors will tell you they are available but this is where you need to talk to other patients that went to that doctor. Ask them specifically, how much interaction did they have with the doctor or his staff while in the hotel after surgery. Pre-Op Diets It is common for doctors to put patients on a pre-op diet before surgery. It is to shrink the liver. The reality is that if someone is on a low-carb, low-fat, and adequate-Protein diet of some sort they will lose weight and their liver will have less of a "slimy" feeling to it. It won't slip around as much during surgery. Every 10lbs you lose before surgery it makes it easier for your surgeon to do the procedure. The easier the procedure is for your surgeon, the safer it will be for you. During surgery there are several incisions made and one of them is basically to hold the liver out of the way so the doctor can get to your stomach. If it is slippery and difficult to manage, it makes it more dangerous for you, so the pre op diet is indeed quite important. Again, it is still quite important to follow the diet for your safety. Some doctors do not require the diet for lower BMI people, others do. It comes down to surgeon preference. Some doctors only require it for a specific BMI or higher. You need to ask about the pre-op diet and you need to know specifics. Post-Op Diets Most people believe the post-op diet means that when the stomach swelling is gone they are good to go and they can eat anything they wish. That is NOT the purpose for the post-op diet! Just because you CAN eat solid foods does not mean you SHOULD eat them. The diet has little to do with swelling and a great deal to do with other issues. Your stomach is healing from a major surgical procedure, it needs time to heal before filling it with food that could cause a leak. Leaks are extremely painful and potentially life threatening, if you do not follow the post op diet is it your doctor's fault that you had a leak? Nope, that one will be on you. Surgeon's Staff How easy is it for you to reach your potential doctor's staff? Keep in mind, when you are a potential newbie they will be on their best behavior. They might return phone calls and emails much faster than after you are scheduled and have surgery. So if you have a difficult time reaching the staff before surgery, what will happen if you have a problem after surgery and need to reach them? What about the middle of the night? Who answers their phones then? Remember that if you have problems in the middle of the night after surgery you will need to have someone you can contact in a pinch. Nude/Semi Nude Photos Some doctors in the US and Mexico require pre op photos, some do not. Some require photos of you nude, some give paper undergarments to wear, some take pictures of you in your bra/underwear, and some take photos fully clothed. They don't typically tell you this until you arrive for surgery. You should probably ask if this is a requirement. If you choose to decline ask if they will decline to do your surgery. Quite frankly, that would have been a deal breaker for me. I declined to keep any photos of myself at my highest weight and those were photos of me fully clothed that I owned, I would have never agreed to nude/semi nude photos for a doctor and his research. But not everyone has a problem with this. The reasons for photos vary. Some are using them for research. Some want to be able to prove the surgery was necessary if it ever becomes an issue. But you have the right to not have nude/semi nude photos of yourself or photos of you at your largest floating around this world where they are out of your personal control. It is your body, do what you believe is right. I have yet to hear of any such photos being compromised so that isn't the issue as much as the issue of your right to privacy. Do what is right for you, not your doctor. Statistics You should ask your potential doctor's office about his stats for infection and leaks. Infection stats should be less than 1%. Keep in mind, not all infection is the fault of the doctor. There was a person I recently read that posted she went swimming in a public pool 4 days after surgery. Her post op instructions specifically said not to do that. Children urinate in public swimming pools; do you want your newly healing incisions soaking in pool water with urine? If you do that and you get an infection is that the fault of your doctor? Even though it isn't his fault it will still go against his infection stats, so keep that in mind. Even so, infection should be less than 1%; much less! Leaks should also be well under 1%. Ask how many sleeves your doctor has done and how many leaks he has had. Transportation How will you get from the airport to the hospital or clinic? What about the hotel? Does the doctor provide this? Most do. You should have no additional transportation expenses and this should be taken care of for you by the MD office. You should be able to take $50 with you for incidentals, tips (airport, etc.) and dinner before surgery. Everything else should be included in your surgery package.

But by calling it an addiction you are implying a host of symptoms that do not exist. We disagree. Ever hear of head hunger? ;o) We tend to eat until we are stuffed full. Naturally thin people eat until they are no longer hungry. BIG mega difference. Agreed, they develop true transfer compulsions. That is also true compulsion. The difference needs to be made because an addiction is not treatable, a compulsion is. Addiction means white knuckling it, compulsion means treating it. Your opinion, treatments prove you wrong. ;o)

Hi Adrienne... Welcome, it's nice to have you on board! You are doing great on your weight loss, just keep coming back here for support and we will be there for you!

Is this the same person that stopped at the food court in the airport on the way home from surgery? I thought you said she was eating solids during clears? She might not be chewing well, eating too fast, too big of bites, etc. If she had a stricture she would likely not be able to get anything down and she'd probably be quite dehydrated.

You know, I completely relate to what you are referring to. When I was originally banded I didn't tell anyone but I wanted so much to talk about it. By the time I was sleeved everyone knew and it wasn't as big of a deal. You do tend to grow close to people on message boards, they are the only people who understand.

I *think* it is about $50/month, quite a bit cheaper than in the US. Elisabeth? Is this correct? I don't use it so I'm not 100% sure. I do know that it is cheaper to buy the 40mg strength and use 1/2 tablet daily for the 20mg dose.

food, indicating curcumin did not affect appetite, but mice fed the curcumin supplemented diet did not gain as much weight as mice that were not fed curcumin. "Curcumin appeared to be responsible for total lower body fat in the group that received supplementation," said Meydani, who is also a professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts. "In those mice, we observed a suppression of microvessel density in fat tissue, a sign of less blood vessel growth and thus less expansion of fat. We also found lower blood cholesterol levels and fat in the liver of those mice. In general, angiogenesis and an accumulation of lipids in fat cells contribute to fat tissue growth." Writing in the May 2009 issue of the Journal of Nutrition, the authors note similar results in cell cultures. Additionally, curcumin appeared to interfere with expression of two genes, which contributed to angiogenesis progression in both cell and rodent models. "Again, based on this data, we have no way of telling whether curcumin could prevent fat tissue growth in humans." Meydani said. "The mechanism or mechanisms by which curcumin appears to affect fat tissue must be investigated in a randomized, clinical trial involving humans." This study was funded by a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture. Asma Ejaz, a graduate student who worked on this project received a scholarship grant from the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan. Ejaz A, Wu, D, Kwan P, and Meydani M. Journal of Nutrition. May 2009; 139 (5): 1042-1048. "Curcumin Inhibits Adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes and Angiogenesis and Obesity in C57/BL Mice. 919-925." Source: Andrea Grossman Tufts University, Health Sciences

Appetite Increased By Action Of Ghrelin Hormone Leading To Accumulation Of Abdominal Fat 5/21/09 Appetite Increased By Action Of Ghrelin Hormone Leading To Accumulation Of Abdominal Fat The ghrelin hormone not only stimulates the brain giving rise to an increase in appetite, but also favours the accumulation of lipids in visceral fatty tissue, located in the abdominal zone and considered to be the most harmful. This is the conclusion of research undertaken at Metabolic Research Laboratory of the University Hospital of Navarra, published recently in the International Journal of Obesity. Ghrelin is a hormone produced in the stomach and the function of which is to tell the brain that the body has to be fed. Thus, the level of this secretion increases before eating and decreases after. It is known to be important in the development of obesity, given that, on stimulating the appetite, it favours an increase in body weight, explained Ms Amaia Rodr?guez Murueta-Goyena, doctor in biology and main researcher of the study. However, researchers at the University Hospital of Navarra have discovered that, besides stimulating the hypothalamus to generate appetite, ghrelin also acts on the tabula rasa cortex. They observed how this hormone favoured the accumulation of lipids in visceral fatty tissue. In effect, it causes the over-expression of the fatty genes that take part in the retention of lipids, explained Ms Rodr?guez. It is precisely this accumulated fat in the region of the abdomen that is deemed to be most harmful, as it is accompanied by comorbilities, visceral obesity being related to higher blood pressure or type 2 diabetes. Moreover, being located in the abdominal zone and in direct contact with the liver, this type of fatty tissue favours the formation of liver fat and increases the risk of developing resistance to insulin. It is associated with hypertension, high levels of triglycerides, resistance to insulin and hypercholesterolemia: visceral fat favours the metabolic syndrome, the researcher pointed out. Ghrelin can show itself in acylated or deacylated form, the difference being in the octanoic acid present in the composition of the former, according to Ms Rodriguez. Previously it was thought that only the acylated form was active in the process of weight increase, but many studies point to both hormones being biologically functional. Future development of pharmaceutical drugs This discovery of the twin action of ghrelin on the organism opens the door to future treatment for obesity and which, for the time being, is limited to in vitro studies in cell and animal models, the University Hospital researcher pointed out. This inclusive perspective of the functioning of a hormone is necessary in order to design effective pharmaceutical drugs. There are many hormones that intervene in the control of appetite in the hypothalamus and, at the same time, can act on other organs, such as the liver, the muscles or fat, for example. Thus, the medication developed should block the action of ghrelin both on the hypothalamus and on the accumulation of abdominal fat. At the same time, stated Ms Rodr?guez, it has to be taken into account that this hormone also acts on the liver and favours the capturing of glucose in the muscle. They observed that the concentration of acylated-form ghreline in the blood increases amongst obese persons and particularly when these, moreover, suffer from diabetes. Thus, obese persons with diabetes have greater tendency to accumulate visceral fat than normoglycemic obese persons. This is a little-studied field which has to be investigated in order to develop pharmaceutical drugs which annul this action of ghrelin. Blood analysis and stimulation of adipocytes The research undertaken at the Metabolic Research Laboratory of the University Hospital of Navarra principally involved the analysis of the blood of 80 patients, both obese and thin, and in the stimulation with ghrelin of the fatty cells from surgical operations. First they analysed the ghrelin levels in the blood. Then, based on the biopsies of visceral fat obtained from 24 patients subjected to various operations, the adipocytes or fatty cells were separated and subsequently stimulated with hormone, which enabled the researchers to evaluate the changes generated in the genes that favoured the lipid accumulation in these isolated adipocytes, explained the researcher. Source: Oihane Lakar Elhuyar Fundazioa

I had to get down and dirty honest with myself and realize that I got fat eating white carbs. I can't quit once I start. If I start eating them I crave them all the more. If I don't eat them I don't crave them. So in the beginning I did keep ALL carbs under 20gms daily. Later I changed my mind about that and even today I typically keep white carbs at less than 20gms daily and the rest are veggie carbs.

One of the things you'll want to keep in mind and especially on the post op diet. Ghrelin isn't the only thing that can cause hunger. Blood sugar spikes can too. That's why it just seems to make it easier to cut the carbs (even good ones) during liquids. It's hard enough getting used to liquids only without having actual stomach hunger. The way I did it during the losing phase was the first few months I cut out all carbs, even the good ones. I lost well but it wasn't the healthiest way to go. Then I kept calories the same but added good carbs, I just dropped the white carbs and I lost just as well but felt better. That's what worked for me. You have to find what works for you. There are no rules with this except protein. ;o) You find what is a good fit for you and go for it. Listen to how lots of others do it and experiment a bit.

I still don't see it as an addiction, I see it as a compulsion. And it is an eating disorder if we couldn't push ourselves away from the food for one reason or another. With addictions you go through withdrawal, with compulsions you can't stop thinking about something. I did have transfer addiction, big time. Maybe a better term is transfer compulsion. For me it was exercise. I would run until the bottoms of my feet were covered in blisters and I still go back and run again the next day.