I was talking to my friend yesterday about her sister. Her sister has had a thyroid condition her entire life, which in turn has been the basis of serious overweight. She's always been a big girl, since I met her 20 years ago, she's been big.
Lap Band surgery is turning her life around. She's lost a lot of weight - to the point where she'll wear a bathing suit in public. She has a job refereeing (lots of running up and down the field). Her self-confidence has exploded and she's doing things she never would have dreamed of doing before because of the excess weight.
On FaceBook, I'm keeping up with the wife of a cousin who had gastric bypass. She's lost 120 lbs now and is running and feeling good. There is still more weight to lose, but she has cheekbones now - and a waist. Her daughter, who is 4, asked her where all her fat went.
For both of these women, weight-loss surgery has changed their lives. I wondered... can I change my own life this way? Or can I do it by following the same kind of diet they have to, with the restricted amounts of high quality food to sustain them?
I googled it - "diet after lap band surgery" and thought, I could do this. Except that there apparently shouldn't be any fibrous food consumed due to the constriction of the stomach. And there are rules about when you can drink water around meals. And you have to REALLY chew your food. But for the lack of fiber, I think I could do this though. Which makes me wonder - is the surgery really necessary? I know you can get really sick if you overeat - so does it act like that drug you take so that you won't drink alcohol? Is weightloss surgery strictly a control measure along those lines?
And yes, I did check... with a BMI of 39, I am definitely a candidate for Gastric Bypass/Lap Band surgery. With as much work and attention to diet I've put in - how could I possibly be that fat?
What are your thoughts on the restricted post-surgical diet idea? Plus fiber, of course.
Lap Band surgery is turning her life around. She's lost a lot of weight - to the point where she'll wear a bathing suit in public. She has a job refereeing (lots of running up and down the field). Her self-confidence has exploded and she's doing things she never would have dreamed of doing before because of the excess weight.
On FaceBook, I'm keeping up with the wife of a cousin who had gastric bypass. She's lost 120 lbs now and is running and feeling good. There is still more weight to lose, but she has cheekbones now - and a waist. Her daughter, who is 4, asked her where all her fat went.
For both of these women, weight-loss surgery has changed their lives. I wondered... can I change my own life this way? Or can I do it by following the same kind of diet they have to, with the restricted amounts of high quality food to sustain them?
I googled it - "diet after lap band surgery" and thought, I could do this. Except that there apparently shouldn't be any fibrous food consumed due to the constriction of the stomach. And there are rules about when you can drink water around meals. And you have to REALLY chew your food. But for the lack of fiber, I think I could do this though. Which makes me wonder - is the surgery really necessary? I know you can get really sick if you overeat - so does it act like that drug you take so that you won't drink alcohol? Is weightloss surgery strictly a control measure along those lines?
And yes, I did check... with a BMI of 39, I am definitely a candidate for Gastric Bypass/Lap Band surgery. With as much work and attention to diet I've put in - how could I possibly be that fat?
What are your thoughts on the restricted post-surgical diet idea? Plus fiber, of course.