Lapband surgery, if they eat so little why cant everyone?
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FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »WLS was designed as a LAST DITCH effort to SAVE YOUR LIFE. Of course, it is now used as a 'tool' for anyone 50lbs overweight. Eating 800 calories/day and losing weight is way better than dying.
But is that what you are going for? JUST 'better than dying'? Or are you trying to improve your health and quality of life? If you are able to improve the quality of your life in a healthy manner, why wouldn't you?
I use to ask the same questions...I have now learned the answers, for myself, personally.
That is far from true.
It's very true. Lap band surgery is performed on people that are not morbidly obese. You don't even have to be close really provided you have a contributing factor like high blood pressure.0 -
People that get the lap band surgery or gastric bypass--the reason of the surgery is to help the people eat less. They don't take in very many calories at all, so my question is if they are allowed to eat so little and still lose weight and it's consider healthy----then why do so many people frown down on eating less calories or calorie restricting? Because that's what these surgeries are---calorie restriction--I think these people get in less than a 1000 calories a day................
Anyways just a question I have...I'm just watching a show about the lap band procedure and what its about and they don't eat a lot. Don't worry I eat 1200 healthy calories a day and I'm not thinking about doing it...It just struck me & Im really curious why that's considered ok....
I'm not sure if most of you will say if because they are under doctor supervision it is safe or is it safe because of vitamins and medication they take?? Do most people look down on calorie restricting because you believe if you lose the weight so fast, you won't be able to maintain it??
medical supervision. also, i don't think it's considered "healthy"...just generally necessary as candidates for this surgery have bigger fish to fry than worrying about the consequences of a VLCD.
It is also my understanding that they do increase their calories slowly.0 -
I know eventually people who have had the surgery increase there calories, but the first few months after most of the weight loss is because they cant really eat anything.. So why couldn't I or someone else just decide to do it on there own without surgery... The only real difference is because of the doctor monitoring correct? Or am i missing something.0
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A reputable surgeon has multiple requirements. I had to have a BMI within a certain range, co-morbidities, and do 6months of visits with a nutritionist before I was eligible to even schedule my surgery!FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »WLS was designed as a LAST DITCH effort to SAVE YOUR LIFE. Of course, it is now used as a 'tool' for anyone 50lbs overweight. Eating 800 calories/day and losing weight is way better than dying.
But is that what you are going for? JUST 'better than dying'? Or are you trying to improve your health and quality of life? If you are able to improve the quality of your life in a healthy manner, why wouldn't you?
I use to ask the same questions...I have now learned the answers, for myself, personally.
That is far from true.
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Ditto! 5 years out and my meals are still 1/3 the size of normal meals and 1/4 the size of most over proportioned restaurant meals.kamakazeekim wrote: »FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »
It took my more than 6 months before I could tolerate most foods. I was drinking ensure a lot. I'm one year out and can typically take 6 or 7 small bites of food before I get full. I can drink about 1/4 of a 16 oz bottle of water at any one time.
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I had gastric bypass recommended to me by my GP, and I even got so far as to putting my name down on the waiting list for the surgery. My Dr. recommended to me to not try to lose weight while I was waiting for it, but concentrate on not gaining any more. I said 'f- that.' Well... not to her face. At the time I was facing a serious problem with my mobility, my knee was starting to give out on me and a few weeks of having to hobble from my car to my desk at work scared the *kitten* out of me. I didn't want to have to use a cane, or be disabled.
I simply could not wait. I started cutting immediately, and junk food/most fast food went out the window and I started using MFP to calculate what my calorie limit should be, and to track my foods. I knew it wasn't going to happen overnight, but to my surprise I was able to police myself over a long period of time, and I honestly didn't go through much in the way of 'withdrawal'. It was like... this is just the new way now.
I'm coming up on my 500th day of logging in MFP and have lost 120 lb to date, without surgery, just through controlling my diet. I'm still obese, and could stand to lose 120 more before I am in a healthy bmi range.
To anyone considering surgery, PLEASE try on your own first. Surgery is going to change your life, and you'll never be able to eat the same way again. Don't let them cut you open if you have not legitimately tried anything else because you'll think you'll fail. Because you might be stronger than you think.0 -
So why couldn't I or someone else just decide to do it on there own without surgery... The only real difference is because of the doctor monitoring correct? Or am i missing something.
People have tried. For the most part, they have ended up making themselves sick, because it is incredibly easy to become malnourished & electrolyte-imbalanced on a very low calorie diet. Without physician supervision & blood work, you have no way of knowing if things are starting to tank.0 -
I know eventually people who have had the surgery increase there calories, but the first few months after most of the weight loss is because they cant really eat anything.. So why couldn't I or someone else just decide to do it on there own without surgery... The only real difference is because of the doctor monitoring correct? Or am i missing something.
As has been mentioned here dozens of times, VLCDs are for the morbidly obese who are medically supervised. If you are morbidly obese, discuss it with your doctor. To advocate it here under any other circumstances would be against the rules as I understand them.0 -
FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »WLS was designed as a LAST DITCH effort to SAVE YOUR LIFE. Of course, it is now used as a 'tool' for anyone 50lbs overweight. Eating 800 calories/day and losing weight is way better than dying.
But is that what you are going for? JUST 'better than dying'? Or are you trying to improve your health and quality of life? If you are able to improve the quality of your life in a healthy manner, why wouldn't you?
I use to ask the same questions...I have now learned the answers, for myself, personally.
That is far from true.
It's very true. Lap band surgery is performed on people that are not morbidly obese. You don't even have to be close really provided you have a contributing factor like high blood pressure.
I work in the medical field. I can assure you that any reputable bariatric surgeon would NEVER in a million years perform WLS on a patient who is 50 pounds overweight (unless they have serious life-threatening medical conditions). It is also not performed just because you have hypertension. There are multiple requirements that you must fill in order to be considered for bariatric surgery.0 -
blankiefinder wrote: »I know eventually people who have had the surgery increase there calories, but the first few months after most of the weight loss is because they cant really eat anything.. So why couldn't I or someone else just decide to do it on there own without surgery... The only real difference is because of the doctor monitoring correct? Or am i missing something.
As has been mentioned here dozens of times, VLCDs are for the morbidly obese who are medically supervised. If you are morbidly obese, discuss it with your doctor. To advocate it here under any other circumstances would be against the rules as I understand them.
Im not advocating anything, its just something im curious about after watching a show on it... I went to the main website & that website says if you are 30pds overweight you could qualify, 30 pds ,doesn't sound morbidly obese to me...I dont know what other requirements there are & im not really considering doing it. My main reason for posting was to ask why I couldn't just do it on my own, which has been answered. Thanks everyone.
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I have to say, (and this isn't aimed at you, OP, just at the site you just mentioned) - if you're only 30lbs overweight and would consider intrusive, potentially dangerous, life altering surgery to lose those 30lbs, you're a moron.0
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FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »WLS was designed as a LAST DITCH effort to SAVE YOUR LIFE. Of course, it is now used as a 'tool' for anyone 50lbs overweight. Eating 800 calories/day and losing weight is way better than dying.
But is that what you are going for? JUST 'better than dying'? Or are you trying to improve your health and quality of life? If you are able to improve the quality of your life in a healthy manner, why wouldn't you?
I use to ask the same questions...I have now learned the answers, for myself, personally.
That is far from true.
It's very true. Lap band surgery is performed on people that are not morbidly obese. You don't even have to be close really provided you have a contributing factor like high blood pressure.
I work in the medical field. I can assure you that any reputable bariatric surgeon would NEVER in a million years perform WLS on a patient who is 50 pounds overweight (unless they have serious life-threatening medical conditions). It is also not performed just because you have hypertension. There are multiple requirements that you must fill in order to be considered for bariatric surgery.
Never said they were very reputable. But it's clearly stated on the lap band website that you can qualify with lesser weight if you have additional issues. there are people that serve as evidence that you can have it done at a lower bmi. Since its not covered by insurance for people with lower bmis it tends to be those with wealth to pay for it.0 -
In my opinion those surgerys dont work long term anyway. I have 3 family memebers who had gastric bypass including my mom, and 1 friend who had gastric bypass. I have 2 family memebers who had lapband done and 1 friend who has lapband.. I feel they lose most of their weight on the liquid diet they do before and after. All of these people i know except 1 have gained all their weight back, and the one who hasent now has a eating disorder she dosent eat!! So I would still look down on anyone doing a huge calorie deficit surgery or no surgery because its either not going to last, or its going to become a disorder!!0
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i should rephrase that i dont look down on anyone, i would be concerned for anyone doing a huge calorie deficit surgery or no surgery0
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Anyone can go on a VLCD on their own, but it requires more willpower. Weight loss surgery is like a VLCD that comes with very harsh repercussions for eating too much (vomiting in the restaurant parking lot, severe abdominal pain, etc.), that is, until you recover and realize you can still eat lots by sprinkling it throughout the day, and your calories in > calories out even after surgery, and you're back to square one. Unfortunately, many view it as a cure, rather than a way to develop life-long habits. Its usefulness shouldn't be discounted, but I think it's used way too liberally for the wrong reasons. Even with all the training, counseling, and supervision, many people still have their mind made up that the surgery will fix them, but it won't.0
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I actually got the lapband, and this is my understanding. When you have the band, it portions off the top section of your stomach to a small pouch. That's why if we overeat, we throw up, our small stomachs cannot handle much food. Because of this we take many supplements. These are controlled by the doctor, we cannot eat or drink anything for a half hour before or after taking supplements to ensure our body properly absorbs them. Same goes for eating. We've been instructed not to drink with meals or drink anything before or after eating. This is especially true when consuming protein. We are told to stay between 1000-1200 calories.
Now, you asked why can we eat less. There are many weight/bmi requirements to even be considered for the procedure. Because of my weight, my doctors are confident that I can eat less and still not feel a deficit. I have so much fat stored up, my body can use this for energy and not crave food for energy. Basically, my body has the calories already so I do not need to eat them.
Plus, the shows you are watching probably only follow the people for a short period of time. Immediately following surgery, most people eat less than they normally would. Calorie intake builds up over time (as recommended by the doctor)0 -
weight loss surgery is just a tool, they can all be eaten around but for the super morbidly obese it can be life saving and the time spent proving you can comply with the programme and the inital 6 - 12 months can help to learn stratagies to form a healthy relationship with food
im a gastric bypass patient, i could easily eat 2000 calories if i wished and yes i had to when i was pregnant (lost unfortunatly)
requirements here are documented proof of diets tried, doctor prescribed medication and 18 months spent seeing dietitians and a phyciatric assesment
i spent a decade dieting with slimming world, weight watchers, rosemary connely, atkins, 4 hours a day 5 days a week gym sessions (that i was eventually banned from when my health tanked) consultant approved vlcd that left me deficient in many nutrients, orlistat and a med eventually pulled from the shelf for causing suicidal tendencys. i lost on all of them but stuggled to sustain and once my health flew out the window and i became bed ridden i shot up to 387lb and would have been lucky to make it another 5 years
i then was placed on a 1500 calorie diet and did as much exercise as possible thru the pain and in that 18 months i lost 20lb
it wasnt until the battery of pre op tests that they realised i had an underactive thyroid and rhumatoid artheritis along with pcos and insulin resistance. i owe the surgery for getting me my life back. after getting 100lb off i could move much easier and ditched the stick and joined the gym again. another 65lb has now joined it
weight loss has now slowed since the miscarriage, so portion size is being watched and gym intensity is being upped just like the rest of the population
getting off the last bit of weight and then maintenence will be done just like the rest of the weight loss population0 -
WLS was designed as a LAST DITCH effort to SAVE YOUR LIFE. Of course, it is now used as a 'tool' for anyone 50lbs overweight. Eating 800 calories/day and losing weight is way better than dying.
But is that what you are going for? JUST 'better than dying'? Or are you trying to improve your health and quality of life? If you are able to improve the quality of your life in a healthy manner, why wouldn't you?
I use to ask the same questions...I have now learned the answers, for myself, personally.
This is beautifully said, and matches what I was thinking too - lap band surgery is for people who face such serious consequences that 800-calorie diets are a less bad option. Many serious health problems - diabetes, hypertension, etc, are substantially reduced when someone loses 10 percent of their body weight, so the severe diet restriction is often an attempt to reduce their symptoms before they die from them.
Now that I've cut sweeteners and wheat from my diet, I have low-appetite days. I use those to experiment with foods I don't know well or need to try to like more, like salad greens, anchovies, kale, olives, plain yogurt, Harissa, raw tomatoes, etc. if I hate what I made with them, no big loss since I wasn't hungry anyway, but I might like them more of I haven't already loaded up on my favorite foods. That's how I learned I love raw tomatoes now.
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@kamakazeekim , I don't think I can drink that much at a sitting. I sip all day and if I drink anything at meals it is with a shot glass.
OP, what you are missing is the associated risks from a VLCD diet. Morbid means deathly. The surgery option is to engage in a risky action to prevent an untimely death.
Other possible risks include deficiency diseases, weakness, fainting, gallstones, kidney stones, weakened heart, osteoporosis, hair loss, or brittle nails.
The under supervision part is critical as well.
This is not a "try this at home, kiddies" sort of diet.
I upped my calories as soon as I could, and I still lost weight. Why not eat as much as you can, for vitality and health?0
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