Does anyone watch Big Medicine on Discovery Health?

[Dreamjeans 0]

I kinda like that show but medical shows interest me, I know they can gross some people out with the plastics. Anyway, the last episode there was a woman who wanted the band and the doctors said no because it wasn't quick enough weight loss and she needed to get hers down quickly to remove a hernia. He said that you only lose about five pounds a month.

It got me thinking, is that really the average weight loss? I know that losing weight is losing weight but that is how much I am losing by myself on my own. I would like to think that it would be a little more, like eight or ten.

Has anyone felt the loss was a lot slower than they thought?

Thanks guys!

[jlray 0]

I kinda like that show but medical shows interest me, I know they can gross some people out with the plastics. Anyway, the last episode there was a woman who wanted the band and the doctors said no because it wasn't quick enough weight loss and she needed to get hers down quickly to remove a hernia. He said that you only lose about five pounds a month.

It got me thinking, is that really the average weight loss? I know that losing weight is losing weight but that is how much I am losing by myself on my own. I would like to think that it would be a little more, like eight or ten.

Has anyone felt the loss was a lot slower than they thought?

Thanks guys!

I've had weeks where I haven't lost or even gained. However, when I average it out, approximately 44 pounds lost over 14 weeks (that's including the pre-op diet), I get a little over 3 pounds per week. That may be high due to quick loss on pre-op and liquids, but it's still well over 5 pounds a month. We'll see how it slows.

[Dreamjeans 0]

WOw jlray! That is seriously cool! Do you mind if I ask you how much you lost on the pre op and what your diet was and how much you ate? I'm still working on my last 12 or so pounds so that I can get my six month pre pre op done for insurance and I'm always looking for ideas!

[jms462001 9]

It's often more early on, but I have averaged 8 pounds a month the past few months.

[jms462001 9]

You will notice that many people with 100+ pounds to lose, do lose 100 within a year so that is well over 5 pounds a month. At any rate, it all adds up in the long run!!

[jlray 0]

WOw jlray! That is seriously cool! Do you mind if I ask you how much you lost on the pre op and what your diet was and how much you ate? I'm still working on my last 12 or so pounds so that I can get my six month pre pre op done for insurance and I'm always looking for ideas!

Well, pre-op (I lost 12 pounds pre-op) my surgeon advised a liver-shrinking diet, which is really just low-carb. I ate a lot of meat, beef, as much as I wanted. Beef fajitas were my FaVoRiTe!! (which, sadly, I can't eat anymore). Then I was on liquids after surgery. My favorite liquids post op were frozen lime bars (popsicles) made with real fruit juice and Protein powder from powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury - it was chicken Soup flavored. I had that powder every morning until I ran out - it was so easy you just mix it with hot Water from the tap. On the go, I packed cup-a-Soups, which I can't reccommend because of the sodium but I will reccommend for flavor. Teehee. BTW I lost 11 pounds on liquids.

My favorite Breakfast or quick lunch is a Protein shake I make with strawberry flavored powder from GNC (it's not the best, but it's what I have). I mix it with about a cup of skim milk, a banana, and a squirt of vanilla in the blender. Yum! and it's so filling. It is liquid, though, so it doesn't keep me full for very long.

Unfortunately, I haven't exactly been the poster child for lapband. In the past couple of weeks I've gained instead of lost. I've been slumping back into bad habits and I'm struggling to get out. I started eating more Protein yesterday. Then I screwed it up when I went to a birthday party and had a hot dog, a few nachos, and some cake. (I'm pretty loose in the evening). I think it's time for a fill. Summer's are hard, though - especially with kiddoes.

For me, the main thing to remember is not to let the scale get to you TOO much. If you gain, remember you can lose it again. And when you lose, don't get too over confident, because you can gain it back!! Yikes!

Good luck!!

[Padanelle 2]

I am almost 3 weeks post op and have lost 28 lbs since the pre-op diet (total 5 weeks). I lost 10 lbs pre-op on a liquid only diet (shakes & Protein water), barely lost anything the first week after surgery (same liquid diet), but since I am on mushies I've been loosing more steadily. Today I start solids. YAY!

[pennreporter 12]

Big Medicine isn't on here anymore on DirecTV in NE Pennsylvania. My daughter had her lower body lift done by Dr. LoMonaco from there. what a sweetheart of a guy he is and so far (only three weeks out) does really great work, but it's still early.

Daughter started at 265 and is at 170 but is five-ten, will probably go for another 10 and then she's done but she lost at a good healthy Weight Watchers recommended weight loss, 1-2 lbs per week. I will be thrilled if mine keeps that pace. Even five pounds a month would be better than I did before, especially if it stays off.

Good luck all

trisha

[Sue Magoo 71]

Jenzea:

I watched the Big Medicine episode you're talking about. I was pissed when they were telling her that a banded patient will only lose 5 lbs. per month. That woman was well over 400 lbs. and she had a huge hernia. It seemed like they were trying to encourage her to get gastric bypass instead of lapband by telling her that the lapband will only have her losing 5 lbs. per month. That woman needed to loose as much as fast as she could because of that huge hernia. I believe that lapband losses average 1 to 2 lbs. per week. When I started my weight loss program (pre-surg 3 mos) I weighed 324. Surgery date 287. One year after surgery I weighed 182. I got as low as 174, but am in the 180's now. I'm happy to be there.

Some people will be closer to one pound per week and will loose 50 lbs. in a year, or they could be like me and loose 105 lbs. in a year. Exercise will help too.

I love my band and my new flat tummy!

Sue

[pennreporter 12]

my hospital/surgeon will not approve lap-band for higher BMI patients. I'm not saying I agree with them. But anyone with over a hundred pounds to lose, they will not approve for banding. I've asked them why and don't ever get a straight response. I think they just believe that with the higher weights, they need to faster weight loss of the bypass. I personally would have never agreed to the bypass even if I had been in the higher BMI range. I would have saved my last penny and gone self-pay elsewhere. But even with my lower BMI, every time I went in for an appt, I had to always make them aware that I was only going for banding because they would always ask if I was doing bypass. I even wanted to write on my stomach BAND ONLY just to make sure they didn't make a mistake. So there are doctors out there with that mindset out there.

Trisha

[mary on a mission 0]

Question: JLray, you mention Protein Shakes for Breakfast or lunch. My surgery is scheduled for 7/7, and the nutritionist told me that the shakes will be a thing of the past once the 2-4 week post-op period is over because the shakes will not make me feel full since they will slide thru the band. Did anyone else get that?

[teachermommy832 0]

Dr. Garth Davis of Big Medicine is my surgeon (I'm 2 wks post-op), and he was reluctant at first to do the band due to my high BMI. I wasn't too thrilled after the 1st consultation, because it seemed like he was pushing his preferred surgery--gastic bypass. However, after my husband and I made it perfectly clear that the gastric bypass was not an option and explained that we had done a lot of research, he changed his mind. At my pre-op visit, he actually told me that he was impressed with my effort and felt that I would be be motivated enough to "work the band." While I can understand why he wanted the bypass (quicker/more weight loss), I felt the band was a better choice for me. He did a good job of explaining the pros and cons, including slower weight loss. The weight loss with the band is slower--I've lost 30 lbs from the pre-op liquid diet to now--, but I still feel it's going to even out in the end.

[jlray 0]

Question: JLray, you mention Protein shakes for breakfast or lunch. My surgery is scheduled for 7/7, and the nutritionist told me that the shakes will be a thing of the past once the 2-4 week post-op period is over because the shakes will not make me feel full since they will slide thru the band. Did anyone else get that?

Well...........They do pass through quickly. But for breakfast, I think they're filling enough (for me, anyway). I do sometimes have one for lunch if I'm in a hurry. It keeps me from getting hungry for 2-3 hours, instead of the 4-5 hours you get from "regular" food. The shakes might not work for everyone, but they've been what works for me.

[Padanelle 2]

Question: JLray, you mention Protein shakes for breakfast or lunch. My surgery is scheduled for 7/7, and the nutritionist told me that the shakes will be a thing of the past once the 2-4 week post-op period is over because the shakes will not make me feel full since they will slide thru the band. Did anyone else get that?

Its true that liquids will go thru the band easily, but a lot of doctors recommend still having a shake a day for the Protein. Many people can't tolerate solid food in the morning, so a shake can be a good protein source for breakfast.

Also, whenever you have a fill, most surgeons require you to do one or two days of liquids afterwards, and 1 or two days of mushies.

[itschoice 0]

Its true that liquids will go thru the band easily, but a lot of doctors recommend still having a shake a day for the Protein. Many people can't tolerate solid food in the morning, so a shake can be a good Protein source for breakfast.

Also, whenever you have a fill, most surgeons require you to do one or two days of liquids afterwards, and 1 or two days of mushies.

Yeah, I cant do solids in the morning so I do a shake for breakfast, and mushies for lunch. Then I have solids for dinner. I dont want to keep doing shakes but I need the calories in the morning or I cant function.