anyone have Dr. Thomas Chua

Lois it was great seeing in person! Wow you look great! The seminar was very imformative.

I went to a comprehensive weight managment clinic today in the same building my family doctor is in. Well this is what I learn from our hour visit today. I weigh in at 317.5 my bmi is 51.2
Well he came in and told me that there are so many diets out there. He says cutting down on what you eat and what you eat is important. And with me being diabetic. He recommend to his patients is low carb diet. Here is a list of foods/drinks we should remove from our diet but not over night of course.
Alcohol
Breads
Cereal
Chips
Corn
Juice
Pasta
Potatoes
Rice
Soda (regular)
Sugar/Sweets

He told me I can have my diet sodas there are no calories in them! I told him what Richard Simmons said and also what the Biatric surgeon said to avoid all sodas regular and diet.

He even said that many of his patients don't exercise to they have lost over 100 lbs. He says you can lose weight without exercising with this low carb diet. But you can also benefit more from exercising with the diet. Today visit was talking about getting started with the diet and just by cutting down and eating less carbs. Not about counting calories. He says it is making life long changes and it takes time. He recommend that I look at the Atkins diet or the sunset beach diet to get ideas as well. He told me to mention at our next monthly meeting about why carbs are so bad for me and about exercise.

He was going to mention about diet pills and he ask me if I had try the in the past and I have used phen-fen and phenetermine. Lost like 20 lbs each time. So today he put me back on the phenetermine along with this low carb diet. hmm to give up my poatotes! help! I can see how many times I am having them a week. And what kind of potatoes. He said try by starting reducing how many times having them. And if I go out to dinner to not have french fries with a burger to have a vegetable or soup and only eat half of the bun on the burger or not eat the bun at all. But to drink as much diet soda with lemon as I want.

he gave me a quick lesson in calories. There are calories from carbs, protein and fat. And the one to stay away from is carbs! He said to eat more protein as well. 

 

Hi Robin,
I say follow whatever feels comfortable to you, but if you intend to have baraitric surgery, all soda and carbonated beverages have to go.  They are empty foods that actually increase your appetite.  Although I don't agree with the taking of pills, since I've tried nearly everything out there and had no lasting results, you need to do what you feel is right.  The basics are always the same:  to lose weight, calories in must be less than calories out, Everything in moderation,  and tons of other cliches.  If you pursue bariatric surgery, the nutritionist will tell you things other than what this person tells you, but that's because the nutritionist is preparing you for a lifetime of healthy eating with a surgical procedure as a tool.  Your success for life is Dr. Chua's goal.  Good luck! Lois

Well I cut my consumption of diet cokes right now. And have added water with lemons and splenda sometimes i add lemon juice over crushed ice. Well since I started the phentermine a week ago I have lost 7.5 lbs. I have gone from 317.5 to 310 lbs. I have cut out all junk food out.

You Go Girl!! Keep up the great work!  It's all about change, and the most successful changes happen in baby steps. Keep me posted to your success. I wish you all the best!!!! 

I am in the process of moving to the Milwaukee area and was wondering if there is a Dr. in the area who does aftercare & support meetings ?

any help would be appreciated

thanks

Thanks I have been so busy with appointments. Went to my family doctor gave her the stuff that needs to be filled out by her. And the copy of the necessity letter as well. She also sending to me to phsycial therpy for my back and knees. I told her my back was doing better and today I wake up with a back ache. Yesterday it hurt to walk my knee gave out in walgreens waiting for my pain pills. Pharm tech ask if i was ok I was sitting in the chair holding my knee I had some sharp pain going thru my knee. I did the cortizone shot they don't help. I am going for mri of both of my knees on Wed as well as being evaulated for phsyical therapy on the same day. I can't take any antiflamatory's, aleve or advil due to my kidneys. I have some increase in creatine and went to see a kidney dr going for kidney ultrasound. And to repeat blood work one month after stopping the advil. Also checking vitamin D level as well.
I had my sleep study Thursday night by the sleep well institute. I had hard time falling asleep and I think I woke up 6 times during the nite. They told me if I stop breathing they were going to put me on the cpap machine. Well in the middle of the night they came in and woke me up to hook me up to cpap machine. They did not tell me anything. I see them again in one week for the results. But a few hours after I left there went to my family dr told her that they had to put the cpap machine and she said then you have sleep apnea! Great just what I need another thing on my medical list. I was so exhausted yesterday beside the pain I was in.
I hope when I get done with all these appts I can have time to exercise to at least do the sit tight dvd by richard simmons. At least I won't be standing and won't be bothering my knees and feet.
I am starting to eat 3 meals a day now. I was one to skip breakfast and sometimes lunch. Yesterday I did skip lunch because of my appt at 10 son appt at 11 and we didn't get out of there until 1. And then spent 1 hour waiting for my prescription. So got home after 2. I was to exhausted to make lunch. So ate dinner by 5. But I did have small breakfast.
Well time to have my breakfast and start my day. talk later!

I'm going to the April 1 seminar myself.  I've been reading up on the different programs and hospitals in the region, and I'm impressed with what I've seen so far.  I've been seriously considering lap band after researching different things. 

I just had arthroscopic knee surgery on March 18th. I am finally feeling better. I seen the dietician on March 13th and I am seeing the psychologist tomorrow. And Tuesday I am seeing there physical therapist as well. So not sure what the next process is. I have been seeing a weight management doctor since jan 8, 2009. So I have almost 3 months in of the 6 months insurance requires you to do. I have been on diet since I was a teenager. I am scared of course. My hubby didn't want me to have it. He is listen to his family who says that people they know had complications or gain the weight back or other things happen to them. So they are trying to scare him about it. I told him that I have research it and went to the 2 hour seminar. And I meet Lois and others who had great success with the surgery. I want to do the gastric bypass. I know that lap band and other surgies are most like not covered by insurance. I have united health care t-19. And i know the gastric bypass surgery is covered. I have so many health issues that I need to lose this weight quickly to help me be more mobile and hopefully get off all these meds that I am on. I am hoping the physical therapy from the bariatric surgery will also help me get more mobile and exercise more. Between my knees and my feet with the plantar faciitis it gets in my way of being able to exercise regularly. I want to be able to be here for my kids and my husband. I want to show my kids that it is not ok to be obese or overweight. Both the kids and hubby are overweight as well. I want us to become a healthy family together. But I need to concentrate on getting myself healthy so I can be there for my family and hope to get them on board in healthier lifestyle too.
So I am not sure what the process is but I start with the weight management dr on Jan 8, 2009  I see him monthly been on phentermine since then. This month not doing so well as Jan and Feb I lost 13 lbs each month so total of 26 lbs lost. But March been up and down alot and plateau as well. So not sure what my finally weight will be but i do see the weight managment dr again on april 3rd. Also see the dietician again on April 13th. So if anyone can tell me what will be next greatly appreciate it.

thanks

dr chua is doing my surgery on april 8th and from the little bit of time i've met with him he was seriously funny and extreamly smart.  i feel like i will in good hands while i'm knocked out. 

HI Kimberly,

Please let me know how it goes with your surgery. Are you having the RNY? What I hear about the lap bands and how some people have them reverse. I want something that will help me lose weight more rapidly so I can hopefully end the pain in my knees, feet and all the medical problems I have. I went to pt and because of my knee surgery they want to strengthen it right now and takes things a little slow. It is still swollen. She said I have lost alot muscle mass with my hips, quads, knees. So she show me the exercises to do at home. Then she put me on the recumbent exercise bike. I could never do the exercise bike but this one was different and was putting less stress on my knees. So she had me do 2 minutes on it while she print up the exercises and she return I was at 3. We continue talking and she saw that I was at 4 minutes and told me to stop. She don't want my knee to swell up more then it is today. I did feel it tonight.

So how long did it take you get to this point of the program? I started on Jan 7 and gone from there and still working my way up the program ladder. I hope there isn't much pain after wards. I just want to be healthy again and able to get around without so much pain. I want to do things with my kids as well. They are 11 and 14. Would be great to play basketball with my son in the backyard. Or go for a long walk with them both at the zoo. Last year I went on free day and omg I couldn't walk for a week. I hurt so bad. And there is free day at the zoo on April 4th. I am having friends take my kids there as it is too much for me right now.

Well anyways good luck with your surgery please keep us updated. Please feel free to add me as a friend. Keep in touch. Robin