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Everything posted by Leila
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sbaker check out this thread in the faq it gives definitions of abbreviations.
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37, together with my husband for 14 years, married for 11. Childless by choice. I've always loved kids, but never wanted my own, I knew that even as a young kid, and have never felt any differently. I enjoy my many neices and nephews. Happy that I met a man that felt the same, also really loves family and children, but also does not want to have/raise any. Happily had my tubes tied at 25. We make a great Aunt and Uncle team! We enjoy a lifestyle that wouldn't be really compatible with having a family. For those of you hoping to start a family post lap-band, I've heard that a lot of people become more fertile in the period they are losing weight, as hormones that are stored in fat are released as you lose. Sometimes that hormonal shift causes a shift in fertility... so be aware! :confused: XO Leila
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Do carbs, just don't do processed carbs. I eat my carbs mostly in the form of whole grains, vegetables and fruits that are high in fiber and low on the glycemic index. I love red river cereal, which is made of whole cracked wheat and whole cracked rye and cracked and whole flax seeds. I eat it with stevia when I feel like a sweet cereal, but I also eat it savory as a replacement for rice or other starches with a regular meal, I refridgerate it and add a little olive oil and low fat mayo and some lemon and salt and pepper and make a 'salad' out of it. Or I eat it hot with some butter spray and crushed garlic and soya sauce. Whole grains of any kind are awesome for you. The less processed the better. I also eat a lot of fruit, mostly berries as they are really low on the glycemic index. Yams/sweet potatoes are another low glycemic super healthy fiber rich carb, I just microwave them and mash them lightly with a little skim milk and butter spray. Sometimes I mash them with ginger and garlic. If I want 'regular' potatoes I often mix half and half yams and potato to make it a bit healthier. If you google the glycemic index, and pick carbs that are low on the glycemic index, and if you lean towards the least processed carbs, things in their most natural state, that are high in fiber, you can't go wrong. Carbs are an important part of a healthy diet.
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I can't remember where I read it, but I do remember hearing somewhere about some surgeons wanting to have lap-band surgery approved as a treatment for people with severe ongoing reflux.
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Experienced Bandsters, what are your tricks of the trade?
Leila replied to ChicagoCoco's topic in LAP-BAND Surgery Forums
I have to disagree with you Maryland about Jacqui's garbage bin comment. It may not be how your mind works, but it is how mine works, and obviously how Jacqui's works too. I suspect we can't be the only two. I remember a couple of years ago reading in a book written by a psychologist on over eating that exact statement. You don't need to clean your plate, you are not a garbage container, the food on the plate is done, you can store it in the trash, or you can store it on your body, the choice is yours. Do you want to be the garbage container? You are not 'saving' food by putting it in your body. It was a breakthrough thing for me to read. It may not have been everything I needed to lose and maintain weight loss, but you know what, there have been many many times, more than I can count, that I've gone to clean my plate, and then thought "I am not a garbage can" and pushed it away. It helped me change one of my more destructive eating behaviours, and I suspect I would be much larger today without that "I am not a garbage can" mantra. Typical cognitive-behavioral modification techniques used in therapy that are the most effective, are often the most simple. They are usually just about making a change in how you think about something thought=cognition, the changed thought, leads to a changed behaviour. When I was doing my MA in counselling psychology one of the things I took away in terms of effectiveness of therapeutic techniques, is simplicity or complexity, traditional or alternative... doesn't matter, the only thing that matter is - does it work? The bottom line is, does it help you get the job done. Everytime I face a plate of food that has more on it than I need to eat, that simple reminder "I am not a garbage can" works, for me, the majority of the time. We need all the tools we can get, and different tools work for different people, take inspiration, and make use of those tools that other people suggest that work for you, but recognize too that just because something -doesn't- work for you doesn't mean it won't work for someone else. Let's all support one another as best we can, in as many areas as we can. XO Leila -
congratulations Time to Love Me! I'm so happy for you! XO Leila
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Can post, can read, can dance! woo-00!
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I was banded my Dr. Cobourn on the 14th of June. I had no problems with water/liquids post surgery, I could feel ice cold Water go right past the banded area into my lower stomach. You know the feeling when you drink something really cold and you can feel it going down? So I didn't have to just drink small amounts slowly sipping, it just went through as normal, so I could drink regular amounts regularly. The best to you! I'm sure it will go great! XO Leila
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I was about 215lbs at that time in my life, and I was not dieting/restricting calories, and I did cardio excersice, but not aerobic, a lot of anaerobic - I was doing kickboxing, and the intensity level is so high that you're not really working 'in oxygen'. When I went to the gym, the trainer they had to guide you through kept telling me that as a woman who wanted to lose weight, I should do light weight, and focus on more repititions, so I didn't 'bulk up'. At that time in my life I wasn't too worried about muscle bulk (muscles are added intimidation factor in kickboxing, I had a shaved head, I wasn't too worried about not looking girly). Also I really hated low weight lots of reps, I found it boring, it took longer, and I really liked the feeling of straining my muscles with the maximum load they could carry. So instead I trained like a power lifter, my goal was not to bulk up and build muscle, my goal was to build strength and power, to make me a better martial artist. I was focused on building muscle, not on fat loss. So I trained short and super hard, low reps, high weights, the opposite of the typical advice given women. I consistently gained muscle and lost fat for the 4 month period I was training for. Over time the muscle gain and fat lost slowed, but I definitely was doing both consistently. Body builders do build muscle and cut muscle, and burn fat at the same time when they are getting ready for a competition. But I do believe it is harder to do both simultaneously, usually they alternate periods of focus. It worked well for me, and I never did build bulky looking muscles, even though I trained very hard. When I am able to start a weight training routine again, I plan to do the same. In some ways, it's hard not to burn more fat when you are building a lot of muscle. Muscle revs up your metabolism, muscle takes energy, it's like building a hotter furnace for your body, muscles burn up energy - calories. As long as you are taking in adequate protien to maintain and repair, having more muscle mass will cause fat weight loss, building new tissue, repairing muscle constantly takes a lot of energy, and that burns a lot of calories. I always figured if I started to feel any particular muscle group was getting too large, I could always stop training that muscle group... and of course it would stop increasing, and probably start to deterioriate. It's not like building muscle mass isn't easily reversible. I always thought the concern over women potentially 'bulking up' was over hyped. Worse case scenario... hmmm, I think my bicep is getting too big.. no more curls for me - problem pretty much solved. As someone who hates cardio/aerobic excersize, weight training, other than martial arts, was my workout of choice.
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As per requested, a bit about me. I turned 37 on June 14th, same day as I got banded! So my banding birthday and my real birthday are the same. I'm married 11 years to a great supportive guy that I've been with for 14 years. Childless by choice, we have two pugs. I live a weird alternative lifestyle... and will say nothing more about that than that. I am on longterm disability with severe depression that is under control, I'm functioning pretty good right now, I can't handle major stress, and as long as I take good care of myself and my medications life is manageable. Since I'm from the West Coast of Canada, Vancouver, and my Dr. of choice was on the East Coast, in Ontario... we decided to pair the lapband surgery with a long continental exploration adventure and went gypsy. We sold our condo, bought a small RV, and have been travelling in it for over 2 months now. Currently I'm in Newfoundland in a Provincial Park area on a private campground with great wireless internet. My hubsand works online, so we can travel and do business at the same time. We plan to keep travelling until October, going back west this time through the U.S. instead of Canada side and then spend a few weeks back in our home town, and then head South for the winter, California and Florida primarily. After that, we'll see. I used to be a kickboxing instructor, and am hoping to be able to train and teach again one day, my depression was connected to a great deal of my weight gain, as well as deteriorating health (I was hospitalized for long periods). I'm mostly focused on getting healthy again, body, mind and spirit. This forum has been very helpful. XO Leila
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You see a lot of people on here losing really rapidly, and huge amounts. I know it's hard when we've been so heavy for so long and we want it gone, and gone fast! The thing is, I've decided I want to lose ideally 2lbs a week, and a maximum of 10lbs a month, that's right, a maximum. Why? because losing two fast has some side effects, you're more likely to have sagging skin, you're more likely to shock your body and experience issues like hair loss, you release excess hormones stored in fat as you lose, and losing to fast can throw you hormonally out of whack... The data for lap band says to expect an average weight loss of 1-2lbs a week, and I think as long as that's what's going on, then things are going just as they should be. Don't worry about what is happening for anyone else, and focus on you, your health, and your journey. You're losing, and that's what is important. XO Leila
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Leila - H 295/ S 280 / C 270 (-25 lbs total, -2 this week)
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Time to love me, I think we're essentially saying the same thing. Checking with your Dr. to find out what their policies are is always the best plan. In a way you did have a pre-op diet too, to lose 10lbs. A lot of my Dr.'s patients, like me, are from far out of town, I only did several phone consults with my Dr. pre surgery, and only had a chance to meet him in person the day before. He had my family Dr. examine me, and send in all my blood work and test results pre surgery. He may very well have some patients he does not require a pre-op diet from, but as far as my understanding goes, his personal choice is to have all patients go on a pre-op diet, some a two week program, like I did, and some even a three week program. I know there are tests you can do to find out how fatty the liver is, I believe it's a scan or x-ray, they have to be able to see the physical mass of the liver. I remember seeing a thread from a potential bander here in the forums that had a Dr. who did have him go for some kind of x-ray/scan to see how large his liver was, and then subsequently told him he could not have surgery due to liver enlargement. It sounds like your Dr. has a very good approach to pre-op diets, as I'm certain not all patients would require one. My Dr. is super cautious in everything, pre-op diets, post-op diets, sneaking up slowly on fills, etc, that's his style, and the one I'm most comfortable with myself, one of the reasons I chose to go with him. Every Dr. has their own style with pre-op diets, post-op diets, and fills. Mine is on the extreme end in terms of cautiousness. Other Dr's seem to be on the opposite end of the spectrum, some Dr's seem to have a blanket no-pre-op diet approach. I think it's really important for people to find a Dr. whose approach they are comfortable with. I also think it's okay to go with a Dr. who you think may be not cautious enough, or too cautious, and then modify your own behaviour to what your preferences are. I think as long as we educate ourselves well, discuss things well with our Dr.'s we have a right to take charge of our own health and well being processes. XO Leila
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Everybody here has given great advice, and I would second it all. I would look carefully at what you are eating, and remember what you eat is more important that what you are not eating. Make sure you get enough Protein every day, I shoot for between 80-110 grams. Make sure you are getting adequate nutrition, I take a chewable Multivitamin, a chewable Calcium plus minerals, and sublingual b12, and chewable Vitamin C every day. I hope it's nothing serious, and that you start to feel better soon. XO Leila
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Hey there. As per the request, I'm 5'9" and I'm currently 270, my goal is 160. My mini goals are to lose 2lbs a week, and a maximum of 10lbs a month. Yup, you heard me right, I do not want to lose more than 10lbs a month. I think losing too fast has some drawbacks, I think you are more likely to end up with loose skin. I think you are more likely to end up with problems like hair loss. I know also when you lose weight you release the hormones that are stored in your fat and that can cause issues too. I did this because I want my health back, and so I want to lose as healthy as possible, I think 2lbs a week is ideal. I would be happy with 1lb a week too. My goals are about making healthier choices every day. Trying to pick the healthiest foods, getting all my nutrional goals met, focusing on natural foods, trying to shop organic when possible, and cut out chemicals and additives, it's going to take time, but I'm going to stay focused. XO Leila
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The reason for pre-op diets isn't to jump start weight loss, it's specifically designed for the maximum loss of fat off of the liver. In lapband surgery the Dr. has to navigate around the liver to place the band. Most overweight people have enlarged fatty livers. A low calorie, low carbohydrate, low fat high Protein diet will work to shrink the liver rapidly. The smaller the liver the easier it is for the Dr. to secure the band properly around the stomach. If your liver is too large, several things can occur, if it is very large, they may not go through with the surgery. People have had their surgeries cancelled because the Dr. could not work around the liver. Usually they don't know until they actually get inside you and look. You could potentially wake up without a lapband. The liver may be small enough for them to place the lapband, but they are able to secure the lapband with stitches only part way around the stomach, if the liver is on the larger side, they may not be able to secure the band all the way around. What this means is it is you are more vulnerable to having a band slip than if you are secured all the way around. They may have to switch from a laproscopic procedure to an open procedure (large scars as they go in with their hands) in order to be able to place the band. I would ask your Dr. what he would do if he discovered when he went in laproscopically if he cannot work around your liver because it is too big, is his policy to cancel the band placement, or to proceed with an open procedure? Also your liver may be small enough that they can place the band laproscopically, but you may end up with bigger scars as they will need to navigate more around a larger liver. I would be interested to see if Dr.'s who don't require a pre-op diet have any difference in their rates of complication than Dr.'s that do require a pre-op diet. Are the Dr's that require a pre-op diet telling their patients that it really makes for a safer more effective surgery exagerating? Why would they bother? I would do everything I could to make sure the procedure is going to be as effective as possible, and give it the best chance possible for success. If it were me, even if my Dr. did not require it, I would choose a pre-op diet. I would err on the side of caution. I would always wonder if I didn't do it, and I did end up with some complications, whether I could have avoiding them simply by making different choices for a week or two out of my life. Take care of yourself, do the best you can for you, and all will go well! XO Leila
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I wouldn't classify cool whip as healthy -at all- I eat it only rarely because of that reason, it's a totally processed food. It's a whipped edible oil product, they make a regular version, a light version which has less fat, and a sugar free version which is sweetened with artificial sweetner. I love the stuff though, and use it occasionally as a whipped topping, eat it frozen on it's own in place of icecream, or in recipies, but on occasionally.
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yogurt pops: Ingredients: 1 8-oz. container of your favorite flavor of yogurt Directions: Pour yogurt into small paper cups. Fill them almost to the top. Stretch a small piece of plastic wrap across the top of each cup. Using a popsicle stick, poke a hole in the plastic wrap. Stand the stick straight up in the center of the cup. Put the cups in the freezer until the yogurt is frozen solid. Remove the plastic wrap, peel away the paper cup, and eat your pop! peach freeze Ingredients: 1/2 c. milk (skim, 1%, 2%, soy, coconut... pick your poison!) 1 c. sliced peaches (they can be either fresh or canned; if using canned peaches, use peaches packed in their own juice instead of syrup) 1 tsp. sugar or sweetner ( I recommend herbal sweetner stevia ) Directions: Pour the milk into an ice cube tray and freeze until solid. Pop the "milk cubes" out of the tray and put them into the blender. Then put the peaches and sugar into the blender. Put the lid on the blender and blend on high speed until everything is all mixed together and very smooth. Pour your peach freeze into serving dishes and serve right away. Pineapple pops: Ingredients: 2 c. plain yogurt 1/2 c. canned crushed pineapple (packed in its own juice instead of packed in syrup) 1 can frozen pineapple or orange-pineapple juice concentrate, thawed Directions: Drain the can of crushed pineapple so all the juice runs out. Put all the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and mix them together. Spoon the mixture into small paper cups. Fill them almost to the top. Stretch a small piece of plastic wrap across the top of each cup. Using a popsicle stick, poke a hole in the plastic wrap. Stand the stick straight up in the center of the cup. Put the cups in the freezer until the mixture is frozen solid. Remove the plastic wrap and peel away the paper cup. You'll have pineapple pops to eat and share!
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Any suggestions for giving up soda?????
Leila replied to Meow=^..^='s topic in LAP-BAND Surgery Forums
I totally second the suggestion of making your own flavored teas/waters and using stevia as a sweetner. I like many people, find that artificial sweetners make me crave sugar/sweets, many people also find they cause fatigue/low energy, or other health issues, and there are some studies that indicate they make slow your metabolism. Stevia is a calorie free all natural herb that is sweet, it's glucosoids are not digestible, so it has no calories, it is also believed to help speed metabolism. I drink water with lime juice concentrate and stevia all the time, or iced tea made with green tea and stevia and some lemon. Love it, not missing the diet cola I used to be hooked on at all! -
the Optifast was provided by my surgeon, I don't think you can buy it in any stores. I had no problems with fatigue or low energy on the optifast myself. Everyone is different, you may not be able to function well on it. Most people have no problem. Now to make sure I get adequate Protein in daily I use a Protein powder called ISOWhey Breezer, I got it at a supplement specialty store here in Canada months ago, it's tropical flavored, and it doesn't thicken in Water, it just mixes to form juice, but is pure protein, and it tastes great, you can just mix it with water, or with a juice if you want extra flavor. there are a lot of good products out there. I've found most people that feel unwell when dieting are often because their protein intake is not high enough and they've dropped under 900 calories. Some people can't tolerate much lower than 1200 calories without feeling ill. Some people can't do well on less than 1400 for long periods of time. Sometimes it's better to alternate a day of 900, then 1300, then 800, then 1400, type thing so your body has some days where it's getting a larger calorie load and doesn't feel it's starving. If I drop below 80 grams of protein in a day I find I feel hungry all day, if I eat between 80-110 grams of protein daily I find I can do just fine all day on as little as 800 calories and I feel great, totally energized, particularly if I'm eating a lot of fresh food. Best of luck in whatever you decide to do, and don't worry! you've got a great adventure ahead of you! before you know it you'll be banded and healing, and a new life will begin! XO Leila
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slim fast may not be your best option, out of all the meal replacements out there I remember in another thread someone saying the carb to protein ration wasn't the greatest. I would really check out the liquid meal replacements in a big supermarket that has a really wide selection, and also check out a fitness/health supplement speciality store and look at their protein powders. What most of the pre-op diets seem to have in common is high protein, low fat/sugar, usually around 900 calories a day. and usually at minimum of 70 grams of protein. my pre-op diet used 3 liquid meals of optifast meal replacement, and as much fresh veggies (no added fat) as we wanted. we could have a small amount of low cal dressing daily. I had big salads with low cal dressing and added lemon juice to stretch the dressing more, and I loved steaming cauliflower in fat free chicken or vegetable broth, and then mashing it up with some of the broth. also no root vegetables - too high in carbs, or advocado (technically a fruit, very high fat). I would look for meal replacement drinks that are really high in the protien department, or get protein from fat free cottage cheese, or fat free artificial crab, and just keep track of your total calories, try to stay around 900 a day, and make sure you get adequate protein, I find fitday.com helpful to keep track of things.
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It's a bang on article for me, my depression and weight gain came hand in hand.
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The band won't stop binging. Anything liquid will slip past the band, I know some people struggle with binging on ice cream which slips right past the band. The band is a tool, but it still requires the person banded to be able to work with it. Dr's don't want to band you, because it's not the right tool to help with your problem, and can cause you to have even more health problems if you try to binge with the band. I would keep on with the therapy, and don't give up, the only solution for you is an internal one. XO Leila
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I'm not sure what other reason one would need a lap band for if not obesity?
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Accountability in Mexico? (convincing loved ones)
Leila replied to Constance's topic in LAP-BAND Surgery Forums
That's a tough and very personal choice. I have heard great things from a lot of happy people who were banded in Mexico. There was also a poll and/or thread I saw on here somewhere on erosion and slippage statistics, and it seemed many of the people with complications seemed to be Mexico patients.. now, that may simply be because of numbers, maybe more people overall are being banded there, so maybe it's not really a higher percentage proportionately, I don't know. As far as cost goes.. I know that the cost of the band alone is about 5500$, that's what the surgeon pays for the band from the manufacturer. Then there are the costs of all the items used in the procedure, sterilization, the costs of running the operating room, paying the staff, etc. When I see a price difference of several hundred dollars between surgeons, I often ask myself.. why? Does that mean that the person charging me 5000 dollars (or more) less is going to give me the exact same level of care as the person charging me 5000 more? Will there be one less pair of helping hands in the O.R.? What is included in my costs? Is it -really- going to be the exact same procedure with the exact same level of care in both places? Honestly, who knows, but it is something I wonder about, maybe you really do get what you pay for? If I was going to get the procedure done out of country, which for me meant outside of Canada, I would definitely research my legal rights, etc, what would happen if something went wrong? What is different in terms of getting it done locally or in a foreign country? What happens if it turns out that this Dr. who has been doing hundreds of these surgeries is a fraud or a quack, and 3 years from now there are hundreds of people with major problems? Is it likely... no. Is it possible, maybe... I'd want to know about all the 'what if's'... Mind you, I'm just a tad paranoid, and mind you, a person I respect a lot once said "paranoia is just another word for longevity" XO Leila