dr oz & the lap band

I am watching dr oz today & his focus was the band. He had 2 ladues on who gave before & after info on their weight & how they eat (now). Wow i cant believe the size of the meal they reportedly eat...i am just over 3 months out, losing, @ 5 cc in my band & i have to say i eat more than what (at least one of the two) eats...so am i way off course in my thinking that (something) is wrong (with me)... or how can i be losing weight? I know i am also a gastric bypass patient but far enough out i dont believe that (many) of my calories are not absorbed any more (did i say that right?) And i am not heavy on exercise at all, wish i was losing faster but am losing so should i be eating only 5 tsp (or did she use tbsp in her example?) Of food? Did anyone else see the show? What are/were your thoughts?

Are you a revision patient? BOB? If so your results may not be typical, but I would think a lap band patient who IS properly restricted and has reached OPTIMAL restriction at 6 months post op probably will only eat about a few ounces per meal....NO ONE WILL EAT THE SAME AMOUNT OF FOOD EVERY SINGLE DAY with the band, also something to keep in mind, the band WILL NEVER STOP someone from eating it is designed to help you stop and pull away from the table, most people who follow rules will carefully listen to their soft stops and stop eating at about a few spoons of food per meal, eventually as time goes on, and the further out someone gets they will start to eat more.

This IS the honeymoon period for lap banders and their opportunity to lose most of their weight. It is NOT encouraged to eat more than a few ounces of food per meal especially in the first year. But I don;t think it's healthy to eat only yogurt, pudding and broth every day, I think most bandsters should eat more soft proteins like pureed tuna, or egg salad and refriend beans, cheese, cottage cheese, and incorporate some soft fruits and veggies at times also, and soft fish especially in the first year to keep weight moving and healthy.

Again, MOST banders are encouraged to exercise MORE than bypass patients, since the lap band lifestyle and diet is more natural weight loss since there is no malabsorption involved.

I was VERY upset with his show. Seemed like someone was paying him to advertise the lap-band. He only gave a few hints on the cons and dove right into the pros.

I've have the lap band for 4 years, have not had ANY weight loss. I've had fills and more fills. I even had fluid taken out a few times.

I eat just the way I use to eat before the surgery. I diet the same as I did before the surgery as well.

 That could be the problem why you have not lost ANY WEIGHT in 4 years, you mentioned that you eat the exact same way you ate prior to surgery, also remember the band REQUIRES FREQUENT EXERCISE and diet....the band is a only a tool to help with portions and NOTHING ELSE, if I did not work my band and got off my @ss I would not have not have lost a pound either, trust me I tested it with no exercise and I got no results..it's not a miracle cure...wishing you greater luck with your DS.

I agree, its not a miracle cure. I go on and off my yo-yo diets. I loose 10-20 pounds, gain it back.

Trust me, I get my exercise. I go to Curves 3-4 times a week and I have 5 kids to take care of. If I didn't do this, I would probably be bed-ridden.

I just think that every one is different. Different people need different tools to help them. Some tools work for people that may not work for others. Any WLS is just a tool. I just think I chose the wrong one for my body. I could just give up and be obese forever, but I choose not to sit around and do nothing about it.

Thanks for you well wishes, I will need them, haha

Well, with the RNY malabsorption is not permanent (as with the DS) so it is safe to assume we (as BOBers) absorb all of our calories being so far out from our RNYs.  That diet she talked about was basically soft liquids...and that is NO way to live!  I love and eat food, REAL food...not pudding and cottage cheese all day!  LOL that was ridiculous and extreme.  Sounds like maybe she needed a slight unfill.  I have been maintaining for almost 15 months now and my diet is rich is dense, satisfying foods...just no sugar or white flour carbs and I eat a VERY balanced diet to lose and maintain weight.  Just my 2 cents.

That woman who is 6 months post op and claimed that she eats 1 cup of broth and 9 teaspoons of yogurt/pudding a day is way off base in my opinion.

She is either too tight, or being misguided by her health care professionals.

Once you are past your post-op regime --- and on to real food, you should be eating 3 oz of protein and 1/2 cup of produce, healthy grains and low fat dairy -- several times a day.

You should be eating 900 - 1200 calories a day and losing weight without significant hunger.

She had no real protein, fiber, quality carbohydrate in her diet -- it was a total mis-representation of post-op band eating.

Thank God for your post, Kath.  I am 7 weeks lapband post op and eat more than that woman on Dr. Oz yesterday and am down 28 pounds since starting liquid pre surgery diet.  My first thought was "where did they find her?"  I eat lean mean, poultry, as many vegetables as I can AND yoghurts, cottage cheese, fish, etc.  I just don't eat the crap or as many carbs and of course, portion size is dramatically reduced.  I may be losing slowly but I AM losing and I just know she eats more than what we saw yesterday or she would have lost alot more weight by now!  Just my thoughts - not judging. 

I'm with Kath.  My doc wants me to eat real food and especially dense proteins.  Thought I couldn't, till I got some good advice on OH about cutting the dense proteins into pea size bites, and chew, chew, chew.  I really can eat them that way.  I'm such a slow learner on smaller bites, but I'm a work in progress.

 wish there were a number to call in when that show was on...we all could have enlightened the people of what we all eat. One of the Drs.Garber that was on the show did surgery on one of the men at work. I was going to go tohim when I learned from someone else that he had some law suits against him.  But anyway,,my doctor says 3 meals  on 9 in plate, no slider foods soups, yogurts. 3 or 4 ozs, pro. 1/4 veggie He doesn't want me to have  breads not pastas. I have issues with some meats too dense so I avoid them. Now after 3 and half months I'm platau at my weight losss and for a month and half I've been the same up and down a few. I'm frustrated and got 2 sma;; fills. Today I had way too much food. All I can say is I'm in the process of learning and each person losses at differnet paces. I'm slower and I will get there sooner or later. but which we could tell Dr. Oz....
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