The Buzz

The Buzz around blogland is about the Dr. Oz show. I haven't had a chance to see the show but get the general gist of what was presented. Basically a question arose whether the band is good for someone with only 50 pounds to lose (OMG that was ME!).

Well duh! If you want to pay for the surgery then why not. Is it any different from signing up for WW, Jenny, Optifast, Herbal Magic or any of the other expensive "weight loss" products out there and putting your body through a tormenting time. I am here to say, they do not work for the long term. There was also the comment about the two women with the band who basically ate nothing.

As I have blogged in other posts, I have tried almost all the types of diets mentioned above (including some companies that are now bankrupt). Yes my sweets, I been around for a long time and have been "on a diet" for 44 years before choosing the band. If any of these diets worked don't you think after all those years I would have had some success! I am a firm believer that it isn't about the food. I have a lot of brain work to do to lose and keep off this weight. The band is my buddy, my conscience, my friend.

My feeling about diets is the following from Albert Einstein (who in my opinion was a pretty smart guy)

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Now here I am, 1 year 2 months from being banded so maybe do not have the right to say the band is a success for me. Yet. 

• My starting BMI was 34. Now it is about 27.
• I was self pay to the tune of $16,000. (I get a few thousand back from my income tax)
• I pay $50 for each fill (free if I go back to my clinic but it is too far to drive, although Gilly is nearby)
• I have lost just over 40 pounds (started at 209 lbs (highest was 215 lbs) and am now ~168 lbs)
• My goal is under 155 lbs but will see how my body feels about that.
• I had high BP and still do.
• I had high liver enzymes from a fatty liver and they are not as bad now.
• I can move around a lot better than I used to. 

I eat what I want but the band stops me from eating too much. When I have proper restriction, I can eat about 1/2 -1 cup of the following:

• Breakfast: scrambled eggs, omelet, fiber bar, milk, cheese slices 
• Lunch & Dinner: chili, chicken stew, beef stew, fish, grilled cheese, mostly leftovers, cooked veges, most fruits except I usually have no room. No "dry" meats/chicken

Junk food: almost everything (chips, chocolate, ice cream) but with the band I don't get the cravings if it is adjusted right.
The absolute NO's: pasta, bread (I used to so love a nice warm baguette), raw veges, hamburgers, sandwiches, pizza (unless it's crispy crust, then maybe a small piece).

Guess what: Most of the NO's are ones that are refined starches that we are supposed to cut out anyway.

I chew for probably a minute for each bite until it is almost liquid. It is the one thing I do well.

I had an unfill of 0.5 cc in early March. I think the flying to and from Mexico caused the band to slam shut. It's been over a month and I can eat almost all those NO foods above, even a nice warm baguette. I am going back for a small 0.2 cc fill on Monday morning so hope to get that green zone/sweet spot back.

So to those wondering if it is good to have the band when you are at the lower end of the BMI scale, I say go for it. I know I will live so many more years without a disability because I chose this route. I may not be what some people think is skinny, but I am still a work in progress. It isn't magic but it sure is nice to walk in a store and buy a top in medium.

(YUP! NSV alert: I can wear a medium top! Down from a XXL).

I think Dr. Oz (and Oprah) need to read some of our blogs.

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