joatsaint

Just saw the article on this new device today. I'm thinking with enough determination I could install a Hefty bag in my colon all by myself! :-P Printed from: Boston Herald (http://bostonherald.com) Device aids weight loss Saturday, March 8, 2014 -- Anonymous (not verified) Replaces surgery by lowering blood sugars Healthcare Sections: Sunday, March 9, 2014 Author(s): Marie Szaniszlo Doctors at three Massachusetts hospitals are recruiting people battling Type 2 diabetes and obesity for a clinical trial of a medical device that has been approved in other countries to reduce blood sugar and body weight without the need for the kind of weight-loss surgery that more than 200,000 Americans undergo each year. Made by Lexington-based GI Dynamics, the EndoBarrier is a thin, flexible, tube-shaped liner placed via the mouth during a brief endoscopic procedure and inserted in the duodenum, the first section of the small intestine, just beyond the stomach, said Dr. Lee M. Kaplan, the trial’s lead investigator and director of the Obesity, Metabolism and Nutrition Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. “The food you eat goes down the middle of the tube,” Kaplan said, “but the tube blocks interactions between the food and hormone secretions,” which can affect insulin sensitivity, glucose metabolism, satiety and food intake. In commercial use outside the U.S., the device has been shown to achieve as much as a 30 percent reduction in glucose levels within the first week and a 10 percent to 20 percent body-weight loss within the 12-month period for which it has been approved for use in countries including England, France, Germany and Australia, said Stuart Randle, GI Dynamics’ president and CEO. “No one yet knows why, when you bypass the first section of the intestine, these hormones change so dramatically and so immediately,” Randle said. The U.S. trial, which currently is enrolling people at 22 sites, including MGH, Boston Medical Center and UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, will end in two years and, if it shows that the EndoBarrier is safe and effective, the Food and Drug Administration could approve the device in about a year. If it does, the EndoBarrier could offer new hope to the 26 million people who have been diagnosed with diabetes in this country, including approximately 360,000 adults in Massachusetts, where the disease each week causes an average of 22 deaths, 38 lower-leg amputations, 13 new cases of end-stage renal disease and five new 
cases of blindness, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. “Obesity and diabetes are twin epidemics that remain out of control, and while we have good medical therapies for diabetes and some good therapies for obesity, they don’t always work,” Kaplan said. “For those patients who need additional therapy, this device may provide a valuable new option. But testing it is critical.” Source URL: http://bostonherald.com/business/healthcare/2014/03/device_aids_weight_loss

I'm 15 months post-op and I think I'm undiagnosed with depression - felt depressed for years. Some days I could care less about exercising and weight loss, and other days I feel great and want to get out there and walk, walk, walk. I can only say that this new way of eating and exercising has become a habit and I keep on doing it because the old way was slowly killing me. It does get a bit easier as the weight comes off. I don't like to exercise, but I do miss it when I'm not able to get out and walk.

Pre-surgery, the only part of me that ever got cold were my arms and hands. Now I have to wear theramal underwear to keep warm. :-) But I wouldn't go back to the old me for nuthin!

What do you call those that practice the rhythm method? Parents! :-P

I had the sleeve and at least 2 ladies I work with have had bypass, we are all satisfied with the weight we have lost. I can say that weight loss seems to be easier for the ladies who had the bypass. But for me, I thought the bypass was too extreme, the thought of having my intestines rerouted and the requirement to take Vitamin supplements for the rest of my life was not appealing. The sleeve seemed less "extreme" and more like having a haircut - "Okay doc, just trim a little off the stomach. And can you make it look like Bieber's?" :-) In the end, you have to go with what makes you feel the most comfortable.

I can tell you from 13 months of experience post-op that you do not have to eat perfectly to lose weight. I believe too many people are under the assumption that they can't have this or a bite of that ever again. I can't live with that kind of thinking. It only makes me obsess about what I can't have. Do you think you have to be perfect in your diet and exercise goals? Try this experiment: Being rigid is similar to holding your breath, keep holding it, don't blow it out yet, hold it, okay, now blow it out. You probably blew it out with a lot of force because you held it for longer than you felt comfortable. Rigid dieting and exercise are like a tightly wound spring that eventually has to release. It's very important that you begin your healthier lifestyle with an understanding that there will be days when you will stray from healthy eating and exercising. You will not be perfect in your diet and exercise program, nor should you be. Before you begin a diet and exercise program, tell yourself that no matter what happens, rather than abandoning your new lifestyle, you'll resume your healthy habits as soon as you can. You do not have to wait until the following Monday, the first day of the next month or next year. Don't want until the next day; start again with your next meal. You always have an opportunity for a fresh start to get right back on track with your healthy habits continuing to move to your weight loss goals. It is equally important that you feel confident, not guilty, about doing so. Whatever the temptation or obstacle is, keep in mind that it's not wrong or bad to eat fattening foods once in a while or to miss a workout. Just remember to resume your healthy lifestyle as soon as possible afterward. If you keep moving forward and you don't let guilt and discouragement stop your program all together, you'll eventually have improved eating and exercise habits - with great results and success in your weight loss and health goals. With this approach, there is no such thing as "cheating." When we feel we are cheating, we often punish ourselves; we will feel guilt, frustration and as though we've failed. We also get into the perfectionist thinking. We can't have this or that ever again and if we stray, then we've blown it. Replacing the negative concept of cheating with the idea of "straying temporarily from healthy habits" takes away the all-or-nothing emphasis of right and wrong. If you treat every deviation from your plan as a failure, you won't get very far. Substituting the idea of a brief straying away from your plan instead of feeling guilty, and learning to return more and more quickly to healthier habits, is more realistic. It's also easier and more enjoyable - today and in the long-run. If you don't allow any opportunity to vary your eating and exercise and go into all or nothing thinking, you don't practice moderation and balance. Healthy habits of diet and fitness are most success when you don't think of them as success or failure. It is progress and not perfection. Practice healthy habits more times than you don't. Think in terms of the 80/20 guidelines. 80% of the time, you eat according to your healthy nutritional program and are active; 20% of the time, you relax your guidelines. This allows for balance and living your life in a healthy, easier mode of moderation. Cathy Wilson is a certified life coach specializing in weight loss. Cathy lost 147 pounds seven years ago. Her passion is to help clients achieve weight loss and life goals. Cathy works with clients to create a weight loss life plan custom to each client. Cathy is a member of the International Coaching Federation, International Association of Coaches, and Obesity Action Coalition. Visit Cathy's website: LoseWeightFindLife.com

I almost finished my first one without stopping, it was so good. The chocolate shakes deserve 2 thumbs up in a Z formation! Very good taste, no grittiness. I like them better than the EAS chocolate carb control shakes. Although I do wish both brands were a little thicker. I've tried Muscle Milk, EAS, Pure Soy and Premier Protein chocolate shakes and Premier Protein has been the best for flavor and smoothness. Very yummy, almost as good as chocolate milk. Price wise, they are a little more expensive than EAS. EAS are 4 for $5 at Walmart. Premier Protien was 12 for $19 at Sam's Club (my Walmart didn't carry Premier). But as good as Premier tastes, I will won't mind paying a little more. I only wish Sam's had the Premier Protein bars as well - but they were sold out. Maybe next trip.

This is a quick review of the Omron HJ-112 Pocket Pedometer. I've had it for a few months and if you're looking for basic, accurate pedometer with no frills, this one works well. But it does have a few drawbacks. Update 12-19-2013: I've had a chance to compare the accuracy of my Omron to a GPS device. It was very accurate, considering that my stride changes in length depending on how energetic I feel. Over the last month, I have done 3 mile hikes several times a week, the Omron was only 2 tenths of a mile less than the GPS on average. If you like/dislike my videos, please thumb up or down, and leave a comment about how I could improve the content. Your input helps me become a better Youtuber. :-) Keep Pimpin' that Sleeve! Google Plus https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/102076899634252886094/102076899634252886094/posts/p/pub Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Frankensleeve-Vertical-Sleeve-Gastrectomy-VSG-Community/289332951205311 Twitter https://twitter.com/frankensleeve

Weight Loss Surgery Frequently Asked Questions "What is a slider food?" For everyone that has had weight loss surgery, there is a slider food. Basically a slider food is anything that you can eat a lot of without feeling full and the feeling of fullness does not last. For me, my slider foods include; nuts of any kind, popcorn, peanut butter and fruit. I have to keep careful watch over how much I'm eating of a slider food, I can easily blow the calorie count limit I've set for the day. If you like/dislike my videos, please thumb up or down, and leave a comment about how I could improve the content. Your input helps me become a better Youtuber. :-) Keep Pimpin' that Sleeve! Google Plus https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/102076899634252886094/102076899634252886094/posts/p/pub Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Frankensleeve-Vertical-Sleeve-Gastrectomy-VSG-Community/289332951205311 Twitter https://twitter.com/frankensleeve

My 1st Vlog entry "How To Explain Weight Loss Surgery Scars" or "Girl! You Ain't Gonna Believe This!" Many people have asked this question, it must come up a least once a week. In this video, I have some creative ways to explain away your weight loss surgery scars. Like the famous man said, "If you can't dazzle'em with brilliance, baffle'em with B.S!" I think my favorite weight loss surgery scar explanation is, "knifed by an exotic dancer, they're nasty that way!" If you like/dislike my videos, please thumb up or down, and leave a comment about how I could improve the content. Your input helps me become a better Youtuber. :-) Keep Pimpin' that Sleeve! Google Plus https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/102076899634252886094/102076899634252886094/posts/p/pub Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Frankensleeve-Vertical-Sleeve-Gastrectomy-VSG-Community/289332951205311 Twitter https://twitter.com/frankensleeve Google Plus https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/102076899634252886094/102076899634252886094/posts/p/pub Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Frankensleeve-Vertical-Sleeve-Gastrectomy-VSG-Community/289332951205311 Twitter https://twitter.com/frankensleeve My Favorite Youtubers: VSGKirk - https://www.youtube.com/user/vsgkirk/videos 7Bites cooking show - https://www.youtube.com/user/SevenBitesShow/videos

At work on Wednesday they fed us lunch and I couldn't resist the free food. I had a single serving of pototo chips (160 calories) and 1/2 of a big cookie that came with the meal. If I hadn't already eaten earlier I wouldn't have felt so bad about it. So I tried to make up for it by walking an extra mile the same day. Sometimes the temptation is there, it's hard to make the best food choices, but I don't think I went too far overboard. I woke up 2 lbs lighter this morning. You have any tips to avoid temptation?

Frequently Asked Questions - Weight Loss Surgery - What is the honeymoon period? For about 6 to 10 months post-weight loss surgery is the time when it is the easiest to lose weight. Outside of the dreaded stalls, weight generally tends to fall off magically. But eventually the body becomes adjusted to the lower caloric intake and adjusts it's metabolism down. So it's vitally important to take advantage of this "honeymoon period" to stick to your doctor's dietary guidelines and lose as much weight as possible. After the "honeymoon period" it is still possible to lose weight, but it will require more vigilance on caloric intake and diet, being careful not to fall into old habits, and increasing exercise levels to maintain your metabolism. If you like/dislike my videos, please thumb up or down, and leave a comment about how I could improve the content. Your input helps me become a better Youtuber. :-) Keep Pimpin' that Sleeve! Google Plus https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/102076899634252886094/102076899634252886094/posts/p/pub Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Frankensleeve-Vertical-Sleeve-Gastrectomy-VSG-Community/289332951205311 Twitter https://twitter.com/frankensleeve

Even this far out from surgery, I still have problems eating slowly - especially if it is something that goes down easily like peanut butter. By accident I found a way to train myself to eat slower. It's chicken! My stomach doesn't seem to like ground up chicken and I can feel the gurgles and gas building after a bite or two. So I figure, why not use that to my advantage? So I'll be eating more chicken. Knowing that I have to stop eating after a bite is going to force me to lay the spoon down between bites. Anyone else have a food or foods that cause them to have stomach gurgles and gas?

13 months ago I had high blood pressure (then 150/102, now 122/92), don't know what my triglycerides were and had sleep apnea (I stopped using my CPAP at 9 months post-op, after losing 105lbs) So I think it turned out well for me. I chose the sleeve because I didn't want to deal with being required to take Vitamins for the rest of my life, plus having my guts rerouted really creeped me out. :-) Fortunatley, the doc I chose only advocates the sleeve. If he had been pushing for RNY or some other surgery, I'd have found another doc. But that's just me, I had done my research and I knew what I wanted.

For the 1st 9 months post-op, I panicked every time I hit a stall. Now I know that if I stick with my exercise and diet that worked before, it will work again. It just takes time for my body to adjust. You will continue to lose weight, just stick to what you know works.

Congrats on your NSV!!!!!!

For the 9 months, my stomach made noises like rocks in a garbage disposal every time I drank or ate. Now it only grumbles a bit on occasion. When I accidentally overeat, I still get the gurgling sensation as air bubbles move around the food in my stomach, but the bubbles were never painful.

Are you my long lost twin? I was sleeved on Dec 27th, 2012. I never have that "full feeling" either, just a sense of pressure and a poking sensation at the bottom of my throat when I eat till I'm full. I wasn't able to really tolerate solid foods for about 6 to 8 weeks. I stayed with a diet of Protein shakes and cream of mushroom Soup and a few bites of solid food a day for about 3 months - then I was able to move to solid foods with less stomach upset. But it was months later that my stomach would tolerate fibrous foods like: beef, chicken breast, pineapple, grape skins, apple skins, whole wheat bread, lettuce, tomatoes... ect. Just keep with your program. I have had many stalls over the past year. The one thing I learned is, if it was was working before the stall and I just stay with it, the weight will start falling again. Congrats on your success.

Congratulations on your success!!!!!!!!

Put a colored pillow case on your pillow - makes it easier to spot and remember when you're heading home. Remember - don't drink anything post-op till you're cleared (I was allowed only ice chips till my leak test) and when they come to get you to walk, get up and walk - it really helps with the gas pains.

Don't feel alone. It was about 3 weeks post-op before I felt "back to normal" again. There have been lots of threads on here reporting how well and energetic people felt right after surgery, but I wasn't one of them. After all, this is major surgery - no matter how "everyday" the media makes it seem. Your body has sustained a major trauma and needs time to recover. Keep getting your fluids, Protein and Vitamins. Things will get better day-by-day. 7 days post-op, I felt 100% better than I did the 1st 3 days. To get my protein in, I added extra Protein powder to my shakes. I my favorite is Premier Protein chocolate and I had some powdered chocolate protein Meal Replacement. I would add 1 scoop of the powder to my shake. It really made a difference in texture and taste - more like silky chocolate milk. And it added 7 grams of protein. :-)

My doc's written instructions say anything that is semi clear - like chicken or beef broth (nothing with chunks or even little seasoning particles) - is considered a clear liquid. Basically if you can run it through a strainer, it's okay. For the 1st week I was allowed clear liquids and all the protein shakes I wanted.