My Lapband Weight Loss Success Story

Here I am just a few weeks away from my ninth birthday.  No, it’s not a typo, on 5/28/2013 it will be nine years since the first day of my second chance at life.  That’s the day I had Lap Band surgery.  On that day everything changed in a good way.  I committed to a lifestyle based on small portions of healthy food, moving my body daily as much as I could without injury, taking my vitamins regularly and best of all learning to LIVE again.  It seems like just yesterday I was waiting in pre-op as the anesthesiologist came in and asked me if I wanted something to calm my nerves.  I clearly remember my husband stating that if I wouldn’t take it he would. 

Enough of that.  I learned in the first year or two after surgery that this was certainly a process, a journey where almost every day I would noticed some change in my physical or mental being.  I also learned that it was up to me how I chose to incorporate that change into my life.  For example, when I felt physical hunger I could choose to eat.  What I chose to eat was in my control and most of the time I chose healthy, protein rich foods.  On the other hand when I wanted to eat because of stress or anxiety I could choose not to eat.  I could choose to recognize and acknowledge what I was feeling and use a behavior other than eating to deal with it.  I could take a walk, read a book, go for a drive, phone a friend…..well you get the idea.

Changes were happening quickly and I was adjusting to them just as quickly.  Along the way I changed from a sedentary person to a physically active person.  Because of arthritis in my knee I had to find a form of exercise that would not hurt my knee but would burn calories and kick my metabolism into action.  For me that was swimming laps.  Where could I go to swim laps when I still weighed in at over 300 pounds?  I finally settled on a “family” Racquet and Pool club here in town.  It was costly but not everyone was shaped perfectly if you get my drift.  I was uncomfortable but not quite mortified.  I could deal with it and deal with it I did.  I have continued to deal with it for the past 7 years.  I knew folks there.  I was accepted.  My extreme weight loss made me something of a celebrity and I just kept showing up 5-6 days a week without fail.  I swam, I used the elliptical machine.  I did strength training with a personal trainer.  I loved it.  Fitness was now an integral part of my life.  I woke up every morning and headed directly to the gym.  Fitness first was my mantra.

Then more changes happened.  At the end of last year I closed my computer business of 17 years and have devoted myself full time to supporting weight loss surgery patients and advocating on their behalf.  I needed to tighten the belt a bit.  My racquet club monthly bill was pretty steep for a gym membership so that is one place that I looked to cut costs.  I talked about it for 2 months, started going to different gyms with indoor pools the next month and then finally, I was coached into committing to trying the prospective new gym of my choice. 

Why did it take almost 6 months for me to switch my gym membership?  Wow, a good question, one that provide insight into the way I roll in life.  Three words summarize it:  I WAS SCARED!  What was I afraid of?  Let me count the ways:

• I was afraid basically because it was an unknown
• I was afraid I wouldn’t like it
• I was afraid people would look at me funny
• I was afraid that I wouldn’t make friends there
• I was afraid that I was too old for a gym populated by 20 – 30 year olds
• I was afraid I wouldn’t find a good trainer
• I was terrified that the change in facilities would somehow give me opportunity to sabotage myself and not go regularly.

What have I learned in the past 2 weeks:

• Everyone is friendly at the new gym
• The pool is a standard Olympic pool instead of a Jr and the lengths are challenging me which is great
• My new trainer knows someone I know and respect in the Ventura County fitness world, as a matter of fact my trainer was mentored by him
• I still get up every morning and go to the gym

I am still developing this new routine because the lockers are a bit different, my personal training days have changed, but I have not.  I still get up each morning and head out to the gym.  Thursday morning I had a flat tire on my car when I was heading out.  Did I quit and go back inside and throw in the towel.  NO WAY!  I left a note for my husband, took his car and off I went to start my day with fitness.

I have learned to trust myself and depend on my new habits outshining the old ones.  After all, I‘ve had almost nine years to develop them.

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When I read that Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey had Lap Band Surgery I thought, good for him! Here is a man in the public eye taking control of his health. Then I read the article. The media is claiming he had weight loss surgery so he can run for president in 2016. Governor Christie says he chose surgery because he wants to be around for his wife and kids, and someday- grandkids. I believe governor Christie. Go ahead, laugh at me because I just said I believe a politician, but this issue has nothing to do with politics. It’s all personal and personally I wish the media would keep their political speculations to themselves and congratulate the man on his choice to take control of his health.

After a while I understood that this public announcement of having undergone lap band surgery was not only good for Governor Christie because he was committed to getting healthy, but good for us as well.

Then there is Rex Ryan, coach of the Jets. He had Lap Band surgery, has lost over 100 pounds and is still coaching the Jets. He is public with his story as well. This too is good for us.

Al Roker lost lots of weight, wrote a book and is a member of the 4^th estate. He had gastric bypass, but his public statements, and his book, are good for us too.

Finally there is Carnie Wilson who had band over bypass surgery. Her story dates back over 10 years and her struggles with her weight continue. Carnie had her surgery not to be a size 2 celebrity but to be around for her two beautiful children. This is good for us, this is REALLY good for us since Carnie has come on as the Ambassador of Hope for the Weight Loss Surgery Foundation of America.

All of this media coverage is good. Why is it good when it seems like the media outlets ask ridiculous questions or make rude and/or silly comments? Because all of this coverage brings weight loss surgery, specifically lap band surgery into the public eye. People who knew nothing begin to understand that it is not the easy way out, but merely a tool that helps us gain control over hunger and satiety. They begin to understand that eat less and exercise more is not possible forever for many of us without a tool, because our physical hunger, our chemical make-up and our emotional eating (or food addictions) are different than theirs. “Normal” folks often struggle with 5-25 pounds at various times in their lives. We, who have struggled with obesity for years, get to deal with 100’s of pounds.

“Normal” folks get to see Rex Ryan, Carnie Wilson, Chris Christie and you and I lose weight by committing to a permanent lifestyle change, learning how to enjoy the taste of food instead of eating with a shovel and adding some form of movement to our daily routines. They get to see us get out of our wheelchairs, throw away our canes, quit spending on medications to treat the side effects of our obesity. They get to see that Rex keeps coaching, Chris Christie keeps governing and Carnie keeps singing. They see that there is HOPE and change out there. Then these “normal” people can begin looking at obesity differently. Who is going to be able to watch a Jet’s game and not say…boy Rex is looking good, same with Governor Christie making a speech and Carnie, how can you not have respect for someone who has always been willing to share her struggles openly and has the voice of an angel.

These “fairy tale” characters, these bigger than life figures in our society have all chosen Lap-Band surgery. When they tell their tale the same message resonates- why did they choose it? It is safe, effective, and with proper aftercare they can reach goals they never imagined possible.

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I began taking a chewable multi-vitamin a few weeks prior to my surgery in 2004, and here it is, 2013 and I still persist in taking the same brand of chewable vitamin.  Why you my ask?  My answer is simple – “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it”.  My labs are always good, I do not suffer from any vitamin deficiency, I feel great and at 64 years old am happy and active and living and loving my life.  What does all that have to do with vitamin and mineral supplementation?  I couldn’t swear to it under oath, but I know that my feeling good has everything to do with my eating healthy, getting regular exercise AND taking the right amount of the right vitamins and supplements daily.  My body stays healthy and in balance as does my head.

Prove it?  I probably can’t empirically.  However here is a little slice of life story.  For the past week or two I have been feeling sluggish and out of sorts, cranky, achy and just “not right”.  Nothing had changed for me – no diet changes, no added stressors, nothing out of the ordinary.  Wait, I had just purchased, and began taking, a new bottle of a generic sublingual B-12, B6 folic acid.  Could that be it?  Could there be a potential problem with the quality of the product?  Or, could my body just be asking for more? 

I’ll never know, but what I do know is that when I switched to one of the bariatric brands of sublingual B12, B6 folic acid tablets AND added an extra B complex that had “added nutrients, adrenal support for heightened stress and energizing superfoods and herbs (nothing that contained caffeine in any form) in about 3 days I began feeling normal again with soaring energy levels and definite mood improvements.  So there’s some life experience with me and B vitamins.

Here’s another one, way back in 2004 when I started this incredible journey I had been losing weight week after week for about 3 months after surgery when suddenly, one week I showed no loss and my food and water intake had been consistently under 1200 calories and over 64 ounces respectively.  I spoke with the bariatric nurse who referred me to speak with another patient.  She in turn asked if I had been taking calcium supplements.  I had not.  All I was taking was my multi-vitamin and being compliant about those was tough enough but I was doing it.  It was suggested that I start taking calcium.  I tried, I did it, and low and behold, 5 days later I dropped not one, not two, but 7 pounds.  Was it the calcium?  Who’s to say yes or no?

ASMBS (the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons) makes the following recommendation in their guidelines:

“It is important for the bariatric patient to take vitamin and mineral supplements, not only to prevent adverse health conditions that can arise after surgery, but because some nutrients such as calcium can enhance weight loss and help prevent weight regain…..  With all procedures, higher maintenance doses may be required for those with a history of deficiency.”

So that’s why your surgeon probably told you to take your vitamins, his/her professional organization recommends that you do….

The following is a chart provided by our friends at WELLESSE showing ASMBS recommendations by weight loss surgery type (and which of their products fits the bill) :

WELLESSE Bariatric Liquid Solutions
ASMBS Recommended Supplements by Weight Loss Surgery

You can view the ASMBS Recommendations and the chart on the Wellesse site here.

You can use these guidelines and have a look at what you are currently taking vs.  what is recommended and make your own decisions from that point.  If you are in doubt or have any questions please contact your doctor as we do not make any claims to having any medical knowledge.

The advantage of liquid vitamins as well as those other chewable vitamins that have been designed for use by bariatric patients?  It is ease of compliance.  Personally I “drink” my calcium/magnesium/D3 supplement each evening after dinner.  It is pleasant tasting and the combo of calcium and magnesium has been shown to have some calming effects.  Perfect for winding down after a long day for me.  If you require an iron supplement the biggest benefit of taking one designed for a bariatric patient is that they will not upset your stomach nor cause constipation issues as many of the iron supplements found on your pharmacy shelf do.  What sold me in the first place was the bioavailability of the liquid and the chewable bariatric supplements.  My body can absorb them easily and utilize them as intended.  Many of the “store” brands are not in formulations that make it easy for our bodies to absorb and use efficiently.  If I am going to spend money on them, spend the time taking them, and tolerate their “pleasant” tastes (some are better than others- all are within my tolerance levels) I sure better be able to utilize them, or what’s the point?

In addition to the products made by the folks at WELLESSE which are available on line through our Amazon Store we are now offering you the products by Bariatric Fusion. 

Purchasing either brand helps support, not only YOUR health, but also the health of Banded Living by covering some of our basic operating costs.  If they were not good products — you would NOT find them on this site.  That much I can assure you.  I offer NOTHING that I would not, or do not, use myself.

Do your body and your mind a favor, take your vitamins!

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Here I am.  Maintaining my weight loss and almost nine years post-op.  I promise by June 1^st I’ll change that to in my tenth year after weight loss surgery to keep us all from getting bored.  Maintenance is really not any easier than losing weight.  It takes the work.  It takes the mindfulness.  It takes the planning, the food choices, the exercise routine.  Is it worth it?  YOU BET!!!  Never again will I be unable to see my feet, let alone tie my shoelaces, never again will I be unable to walk through a store, or down the street, or on the beach.  Never again will I be plagued with the co-morbidities like high blood pressure, sleep apnea, asthma and the like.  I have kicked these to the ground and will do what I need to do in order to maintain my weight loss.

Now I am going to step off my soapbox and share some of the challenges that I face in maintenance every day.  The biggest challenge is virtually the same one I faced before and right after surgery – GRAZING!  Grabbing a handful of almonds as I wait for the water to boil for tea, or eating out of the pot as I prepare dinner, or stopping again for another non-fat sugar-free ice blended whatever at the local coffee house, or grabbing a few chips (how many calories in a few you ask), a cookie, or some crackers while at my daughter’s house.  Even the breadstick at the restaurant while I wait for dinner to be served is grazing.  A new frozen yogurt shop opened down the street from my house (1 mile away to be exact).  Three ounces of non fat sugar free is about 90 calories so that’s not bad for a snack right?  Right, however, is there just 90 calories in the cup which is one size fits all?  I think not.  Also, if my husband calls on his way back from his daily bike ride to see what flavor I want that is 90+ calories every day.  Hmm, do I really want that?

When do I graze?  When I started my weight loss surgery journey this was critical for me to identify.  I can’t imagine why I ignore it now, except for being lazy and allowing old habits to slip back in.  My prime time for grazing is just that – during TV Prime Time.  How about you?

What do I crave?  It is alternately sweets or salty things.  If I have no crackers, chips or popcorn in the house salty things become out of the question unless I want a dill pickle spear and most of the time that does not call to me at 10PM.  On to sweets.  I always have yogurt in my refrigerator and this is a good healthy choice, right?  Yes, it is healthy, but not always a good choice.  It’s a good choice when I am physically hungry, however, having eaten dinner at 7-8 PM that is not usually the case.  Am I eating because I am tired, bored, stresses about something?  Am I eating to stuff those feelings?  If my answer is yes then even a healthy choice is not a good one.  I would rather feel the emotion, acknowledge it and work through it.  Bored?  Then Sandi, get up off your rear and do something productive even if it is as simple as taking out the trash.  Tired, go to bed, your favorite program is being recorded anyway.  Stressed, this one can be a bit trickier for me.  Many can exercise stress or anxiety or nervousness away in the evening.  I can’t.  I have a problem winding down to go to sleep.  What are my alternatives for stress?  Meditation, deep breathing, a hot bath… There are many.  I just need to make the choice to select one and follow through with it.

If you have noticed what I began noticing as I was writing this, I have “substitute” behaviors for mindless grazing to help me.  I need to stay in the present moment, be mindful of what I’m doing and then I can choose out of grazing and instead choose an alternate behavior.

So here we go.  Regardless of where you are on your journey let’s identify:

• When am I most likely to graze?
• What might be prompting me to graze?
• What foods am I wanting to graze on?
• How do I feel when I am tempted to or when I am grazing?

I can make choices here.  Do I want to eat some chips or will a pickle spear satisfy me, or, best of all, shall I just spend the next 15 minutes emptying the trash around the house, or cleaning out a cupboard, or knitting or crocheting, or phoning a friend?

So you see, it doesn’t matter where you are on your journey, starting, maintaining, or almost beginning your 10^th year after weight loss surgery, old habits can easily creep right back in if you don’t pay attention.

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As May 28, 2013 approaches, the 9th anniversary of my lap band surgery, I find myself becoming reflective.  I am looking back on how my life has changed and would like to share some of this today, hoping you find it as interesting as I do.

Let’s start with the basics:

Food: 

• Prior to 5/28/04 eating light meant I turned the light on over the dining room table.
• After 5/28/04 eating light means choosing to stay within a 1200-1500 calorie range that includes 80 – 100 grams of protein.

Water

• Prior to 5/28/04 water was something I washed with, or drank ONLY if nothing else was available.
• After 5/28/04 water became a daily essential.  My body wants at least 64 ounces per day to be happy.

Exercise

• Prior to 5/28/04 exercise was what I did if I left the remote on the table in the other room.
• After 5/28/04 exercise means raising my heart rate and working aerobically each day AND incorporating strength training at least 3 times weekly.

Clothing

• Prior to 5/28/04 clothing was something I was forced to get to cover my body, whether I wanted to or not.  Shopping for it was difficult and often humiliating.
• After 5/28/04 clothing became something I had fun shopping for, enjoyed wearing, and learned what fit, looked, and felt good.  It became an adventure to “find” something specific I wanted knowing that I would eventually be successful in my endeavors.

Life

• Prior to 5/28/04 my life was spiraling downward.  It was getting more and more difficult to get around and I spent most of my days in one of three chairs – office, dining room table, or living room.
• After 5/28/04 my life began expanding and just keeps growing in depth and breadth.  What do I mean by this?  I am no longer restricted by my physical size, I can move freely through this world, and I am no longer taking medications for life threatening co-morbidities.  I have a life.  I can shop, travel, share with others.  I can hike, bike, swim, scuba dive, and walk through amusement parks with freedom.  I can plan a future rather than wonder if I will have one.

Just a few minor changes in what my reality has become since having surgery, shedding 250 pounds and learning what I am capable of.

How about you?  What is different today since you have had your weight loss surgery?

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