GBLady41

My "definitive" statements had everything to do with my experience. Believe me, if I wanted to apply what I have gone through to everyone, I would have. I was explaining what has happened to me, what I have learned through my own experience about what head hunger is for me. What I have learned that is the difference between when my body is happy receiving protein and what's going on chemically in my brain when I crave carbs or sweets. I don't need 1000 calories to thrive. I never have, even before I had weight loss surgery. And I don't get hungry. I never said that no one gets hungry. I said I don't experience actual hunger. I have a schedule that lets me know when to eat. There are weight loss patients who experience this, sometimes for the rest of their lives. I have read way too many posts about people who had surgery over 15 years ago who still don't feel actual hunger. That means that when they had surgery, it affected ghrelin, which is what causes one to receive the signal in their brain that they are hungry (the stomach growling, etc.) If I don't have a schedule, I can go for hours without eating, only experiencing extreme tiredness. So, for me, I know the difference between real hunger, which I don't have, and head hunger, or emotional eating. When I lost weight after surgery, I was not hungry. My body was fulfilled with what I ate everyday. I got in more than the suggested protein and fluids. Not only that, I was exercising 5 to 6 days a week, weight training and cardio. My body simply burnt off what it no longer needed. I was not dieting. I was eating the most important calories. Recently, with the pandemic, I allowed bad habits to return to my life. I compromised, and gained weight. Even though it's been more than 4 years since I had surgery, I still don't need anywhere near 1000 calories, proven by eating that amount or more, and gaining weight. So, now I am breaking those bad habits and going back to getting the right calories, not giving in to emotional eating. Going back to eating on a schedule, so that even if I'm not exercising as much as I used to, I will still lose weight, because I have done away with empty calories and only eat until I get the first feeling of fullness. I allowed the pandemic to get the best of me. But my tool still works. And I will use it.

Actually, you seem to be frustrated, offended and angry for the same reasons you're accusing me of. Interesting... By the way, most of you are not talking about scientific or proven statements. You're talking about your experiences.

I am calm. How about you calm down? 😉😎

First of all, I didn't assume anything. I also know that my experience is not everybody else's experience. I never said it was. I don't feel actual hunger. That's my experience. I only experience head hunger, and it's always for the wrong food. You are assuming that everybody feels both types of hunger. Everybody doesn't. So while I actually wasn't assuming anything, you are. I'm not offended. I'm frustrated at being accused of something that other people are actually doing.

Elimination of emotional eating is very possible. Has nothing to do with wet dreams. Thanks. Since I don't get hungry, I only deal with emotional eating. At the end of the day, it's a choice. Either I emotionally eat or I don't. No spell involved. I'm in control. I'm dealing with the underlying reasons why I feel the need to emotionally eat. And as I deal with that, I say no now. I drink more water/fluids.

It's about the type of calories. Not all calories have the same energy or benefit our bodies the same way. That's what I meant by that, which is pretty self-explanatory. Chips don't give the same amount of energy as protein does. And depending on the protein, you can intake less calories eating protein than you would eating chips. More energy. Less calories.

It's not assumptions. It's my life. There's nothing wow about it. I'm living it. Don't you DARE attempt to lessen my experience. Wow for your life. Thanks

I'm sorry but when you're losing weight, your body is not hungry. You're losing weight because your body is using the energy and calories you take in and getting rid of what you don't need. Nine times out of ten, you are NOT actually hungry. It's head hunger. Weight loss surgery gives us all a chance to relearn our bodies and the difference between actual hunger and head hunger, between what our bodies need and what our brains crave. The truth is that our head does indeed play tricks on us, if we let it. We don't need 1000 calories to survive. It's not about calories, it's about energy, eating the food that actually fuels us, and knowing the difference. Now some of us don't actually get hungry but we deal with head hunger, which has nothing to do with nourishing our bodies. It's to fill the chemical need of our brains. That's the truth. Get the necessary protein. Get the fluids. Understand we need less "calories" than we think. Don't count calories. Count nutrients. Be victorious!!

It’s also important for you to know that not everyone ends up looking haggard at all. I still look many years younger than my age. Even when I achieved below my goal weight, there was no haggardness. As a matter of fact, I started getting compliments that I looked even more years younger than my age. It also depends on how you lose the weight. Getting more than 86 oz of fluids (mostly water) and 90 grams of protein daily will help your body to heal correctly. It can be a struggle but it is also possible. I’m a living witness. I also worked out 5 to 6 days a week, cardio and weight training (when I was released to start working out). I lost over 160 lbs in 10 months. You can do it!!

It’s entirely too early post op to eat spicy stuff. Probably the reason for bile and acid reflux. Most important things to concentrate on are fluids (mostly water) and protein. Your pouch is still healing and will be healing for at least 6 to 8 weeks.

Hi, He definitely does do VSG. Maybe it’s just not listed as a subspecialty. And the surgeries are done at BariatricPal Hospital.

Hi there, i had surgery through BariatricPalMX and Dr. Illan in December of 2016. He is definitely Board Certified and a very good surgeon. You can have someone go with you and stay with you.

Not having had a revision from VSG to MGB, I’m honestly not sure if there’s any lack of acid. I know when they make the pouch, they don’t remove the remaining stomach, so that you still get the acids needed for the food. It just gets to the food further down the way, therefore making the malabsorption. I would say that keeping an eye on your vitamins and nutritional supplements. 😃

Actually, it is not a sleeve. The acids do not meet the food until after the food has made it some way down the small intestine, just like the RNY. The pouch is very similar to the pouch that is with the RNY. Both pouches will only allow 2 to 4 oz of food or liquid at a time, right after surgery. It is the same malabsorption as with the RNY. The MGB is considered to be less chance of complications, less than the RNY. Weight loss is better than with a sleeve and comparable to the RNY. An experienced surgeon can do the MGB in a way that eliminates the chance for bike reflux. MGB takes care of acid reflux like the RNY. Some bariatric surgeons suggest that the MGB is better than the RNY in pretty much every way. So people choose MGB over RNY because it is just as effective and safer. People choose MGB over sleeve because of the malabsorption and because it can get rid of acid reflux issues. I answered the question of malabsorption and the need for vitamins in my first post. As far as weight loss, it is comparable to the RNY. Both the MGB and the RNY cause more weight loss than the sleeve.

Hi Mikeyy, The MGB and the RNY are different in that the MGB only has one joining, or anastomosis, not two joinings (anastomoses) as with the RNY. Because both are bypassing feet of the small intestine, they are both malabsorption surgeries. And the malabsorption is the same for both. Here is a demonstration of the MGB: Here is a demonstration of the RNY: Hope this helps!

I don’t either but it happens.

That’s not true for everyone. I didn’t have diarrhea during my liquid diet.

Hi hk1100, I had MGB survey outside the US on 12/12/16. Bile Reflux - in my research before surgery, I found that most MGB patients do not suffer with bile reflux. Surgeons who are really experienced with MGB can make sure their patients don’t experience bile reflux. Foul-smelling stool - all bariatric surgeries cause both foul-smelling stools and gas. For some people, taking probiotics can help with that. But it is a trade off for being healthier. Malnutrition - most MGB patients don’t suffer from malnutrition as long as they follow their surgeon’s post-op instructions. Other than vitamin patches, I’m not doing anything extra other than making sure I get my protein and fluids. I would recommend MGB surgery to anyone looking into having weight loss surgery.

That really wasn’t science. That was a statement. So you really didn’t say anything. I don’t need to do any homework. I have lived exercising and weight training for longer than you’ve been out of high school. I have worked with personal trainers on and off for years. And... most importantly, I have experienced it for myself. I physically saw a reduction of my loose skin after I started working out and as I continued to work out, still losing weight, but not increasing in loose skin as I would have had I not been exercising. That’s my science. My life. Say what you want, but nothing beats real life experiences. So...unless you’re going to call me a liar, respect that I know what happened to my body, and I have seen countless posts from people like me who have experienced the exact same results. I’ve been here for a while, way before I had surgery in 2016.

Sorry. That’s not science. Show me the science please. I’ll wait...

Man...that’s just dumb. Are you a child?

Any good surgeon will abort a surgery if the liver has not shrunk enough. The surgeon won’t put his patients’ life in danger.

Well you may notice that this thread is over 4 years old. I might look for another more recent thread before making your decision to go with this doctor.

You are not alone...but you CAN DO IT! Remind yourself that if your liver is too big your surgeon won’t do the surgery. It’s that important. Why go through all this to end up not getting the surgery? YOU CAN DO THIS!!

Yes. I have been using patches since I got home after the surgery. I have had blood work and it has come back completely normal. Please don’t believe articles that state that vitamins don’t absorb through the skin. They are saying that because they are being paid by one or more vitamin companies and don’t want you to buy the patches. I am almost 11 months out.