Gastric band

[Inadither]

Hi,

I have a bmi of 32, so not massive but definitely obese at a size 18-20. I have struggled with my weight since mid to late 20’s and am now 40. I have tried counselling, the usual diet groups, fasting etc. There’s definitely a disordered eating habit. I binge when sad, tired, lonely, bored, happy or any emotion really.

I had gestational diabetes with my first child and while this disappeared post birth and I am not prediabetic yet, my blood sugars are closer to it that health professionals would like and I’m really worried about this and the health repercussions if I do develop diabetes.

Basically I think I’ve tried most of the non invasive solutions (weight watchers, slimming world, 5:2 diet) and am beginning to consider a gastric band as a preventative measure for diabetes and I’ll be honest for appearance too. When I am lighter I feel much more active and happier but always seem to sabotage my efforts. There is definitely a physiological element to my eating.

I’ve just had a telephone consultation with a private company (I’m under no illusion that I’ll qualify under the NHS). They seem to think I’m a suitable candidate.

If anyone has had this procedure and has any advice or any other comments please help! Also any recommendations for companies. I’m based in the north west/midlands borders. Thanks

[Inadither]

Psychological, not physiological!

[Lostmymarbles1985]

My husband had a gastric band in 2012. He lost 8 stone. He has put about two stone back on but stayed there. It doesn't stop you eating the wrong things entirely. Indian takeaway is his weakness and is something he can eat fairly easily.
He cannot eat bread, potatoes need to be mashed and struggles with meat. From my perspective he can be a right pain to cook for and I often have to cook him something else BUT it was a success for him. He thinks twice about food now.

[Inadither]

Thanks lost. Sounds like it’s been successful. I’m just worried I’ll find a way of sabotaging this too! It sound like he has but to a limited amount so the damage done is less than it would have been. I do most of the cooking, so that probably won’t matter too much.

[IhaveChillyToes]

I am thinking about getting a gastric band but bmi is > 60

Don't want option of stomach stretching like with sleeve etc

Don't really know where to start or how to choose which operation to choose

[PerfectlyDone]

I'd not recommend it to a patient who is your kind of weight/BMI.

Why?

• Surgical risk - it is not zero
  
• NEVER being able to eat without thinking about it again
  
• life-long need (potentially) for supplements/malabsorption
  
• Yes, you can sabotage it. I have known people liquidising Mars bars so they could tolerate them better.
  

I'd also be vary of private services as they tend to not offer the dietetic and psychological support pre- and post-op.

Consider LCHF - changes my life.

ChillyToes, at your size, bariatric surgery could literally be a life-saver . Speak to your GP.

[notapizzaeater]

What are the Nhs guidelines ? I’ve a bmi of about 42 - bloody thyroid screwed up my metabolism

[ladybird69]

Hi Op I am considering a Gastric band too. God knows my BMI but I am very big and have border line diabetes and the weight doesn’t help with my disability. I’ve tried everything I even did LIGHTER LIFE 4 shakes a day for 9 months but it went back on i have messed up my metabolism with 40 years of yo-yo dieting. My dr put me on my first diet whilst in junior school!
I think that it’s the only way left to go.

[IhaveChillyToes]

@PerfectlyDone thanks

My problem is that I think I want a gastric band cos I really do not want to be able to have "just a bit more food" on my plate but keep reading horror stories of the bands going wrong

My worry about sleeve is that I could stretch it with "just another bit of food on my plate"

Bypass scares me with disconnecting and reconnecting tubes

I had my gallbladder out around 2010 by laparoscopic op and no problems after that

I am also worried about excess skin and what will happen to it or how to prevent it

I am disabled so can't go out on long walks or runs but can swim

[IhaveChillyToes]

@notapizzaeater I think they are over 35 with other issues or over 40 alone but better check on NHS website cos might have got it wrong

[Inadither]

I’ve just read about a gastric balloon which is removed once target weight reach and (hopefully) eating habits altered. It’s not done under a general anaesthetic and is suitable for people with a slightly lower bmi. I just don’t think I can do this on my own. I also have done lighter life with psychological support and lost 3 stone but once I started eating I couldn’t stop and the weight gradually increased again and 10 years down the line my bmi is 2 points higher than it was originally. I also tried hypnotherapy afterwards.

The company I have looked at for the band offer 2 years of follow up but this is for adjustments to the band, not psychological support. I just don’t want leave it until I have major health issues, which is where I’m heading. I’ll have a look at the LCHF stuff mentioned. I seem to have tried everything else!

[Inadither]

Just had a google of lchf. I have already tried a low carb diet with the blood sugar diet but that restricted calories to 800 per day and while I lost weight quickly i was miserable (possibly sugar withdrawal). I’ll perhaps give it another go with a higher calorie intake initially.

[AndNoneForGretchenWieners]

chilly i had the sleeve in 2012 and have lost 10st. I wanted the bypass which was agreed but the surgeon couldnt do it when he opened me up because of a large hernia, so he did the sleeve instead. It does stop you eating - i eat off a side plate now, and always leave a bit of food. I can't eat potatoes unless they are mash, bread is difficult unless toasted, I eat a much smaller portion of meat but my diet is very protein heavy.

I wouldn't recommend the band for someone with a really high BMI. I initially swayed towards the band right at the start of the NHS approval process (which took 5 years!) But only because it seemed less intrusive and less permanent. But really I wanted a permanent solution to my food addiction - who wants to go back to being obese once they have lost the weight? So I spoke to people who had had the bypass and the band, including a good friend who had had a band done in Belgium and it hadn't ever restricted her so she lost no weight. She eventually had a sleeve and when they removed the band it had slipped and wasn't effective.

[TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince]

I had one. The most important thing about it, and what people often don't understand, is it kills your appetite stone dead.

Sure you can still shovel all the crap in the world down, but you don't want to eat anything at all.

[TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince]

But l take anti depressants on a long term basis. These increase your appetite. The only time l felt it working properly was when l wasn't on them. The meds sort of cancelled out the effects. So just be careful about any medication you take.

When it works it's great though.

[Inadither]

I am also on antidepressants emoji. I haven’t particularly found they’ve increased my appetite but think I’m slower losing weight. I even started vaping to try and shift my addiction to something hopefully less damaging. It worked well for a couple of months but I was disappointed in the lack of weight shifting (I think due to the citalopram) and so the net result is that I gave up and I now overeat and vape.....not really the plan!

[50Sometimes]

I had one. The most important thing about it, and what people often don't understand, is it kills your appetite stone dead

This is what I understood, when I watched a documentary on gastric band surgery recently. My first thought was thats amazing. My second thought was how did that arise - it seems to affect the messages (hormonal?) being sent to the brain re. hunger. My third thought was - how did this imbalance arise - the programme never went into that but it seems to be a definite problem that the obese person can't seem to solve by themselves.

I thought it all sounds so easy and so easy to solve why doesn't everybody do it. But then I looked up the surgery (can't remember if it was gastric band or bariatric surgery) and realised it was not an easy option. For a start the procedure was permanent and had side effects re. absorption of food (so the patients had to take vitamins for the rest of their lives, etc).

I don't know exactly what your specific problems are OP, but size 18-20 it doesn't sound terrible to me - I've been there and am now a reasonably happy size 14-16. Would love to be 12-14 (hence why on these boards) but realise its going to take a while to transform my habits. Slow but sure. I have also tried every diet known to man.

[Oblomov17]

Very interesting. Dh wants one. I don't really want him to have one. I think it would affect his life forever, our lives, what he eats, when he eats, how he eats, loose skin, needing vitamins and supplements. and more.

It is such a tricky subject. Our relationship with food is quite damaged and weird, for nearly everyone, don't you think? the psychological reasons why we eat are very complex.

[TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince]

It presses on the Vagus nerve which deals with appetite. That's how it works

[fempsych]

Do explore local NHS tier 3 weight management services which provide specialist support and referral onwards to surgery (following a process). Mistletoe criteria is above BMI 30 with recent onset type 2 diabetes, 35 with Co-morbid I ties and 49 without but services all do this slightly differently. Some offer huge amounts of nutrition and psychological support regardless of whether you then want Bariatric surgery or not.

[BerylStrEeek]

I've considered it before, but it seems like such a drastic and mutilating thing to do to one's body. I'm a similar size to you.

There are 2 programmes that I found really effective for weight loss - the Harcombe Diet, and The Whole 30.

I lost about 10 kg in 6 weeks with the Whole 30 and kept it off for about 2 years. I have had a recent and significant (unexplained) weight gain which is really disheartening. It affects my confidence so much - to the point that I avoid social activities because I feel so ashamed .

Harcombe Diet's principles are that lots of people, especially those who suffer from weight issues and cravings, have either 1 or more (or all 3) of food intolerance, hypoglycaemia, and / or candida overgrowth. No processed foods.

Whole 30 works on fairly similar principles. It is pretty much an elimination diet for just 30 days, with a structured reintroduction after to identify foods that don't work for you. No grains, dairy, alcohol, sulphites or MSG. It's mainly about addressing food intolerances which can lead to leaky gut and systemic inflammation.

The other thing to consider is getting your thyroid tested.

[Jasminedes]

Why don't you talk it over with your GP for an unbiased opinion?

[Kleptronic]

Have you tried Low Carb High Fat (LCHF) - not the Blood Sugar Diet, though it is similar, but not restrictive in calories.

You eat to satiety. You eat when you want. You eat low carb, moderate protein and high fat.

The high fat and low carb moderates your hormones, the protein and fat keeps you feeling full - your appetite decreases markedly, without restricting food.

There is a longstanding Low Carb Bootcamp on here about 3 times a year run by a Mumsnetter called BIWI, they are currently in week 5, anyone can join at any time, with recipes, support, resources, support and support. This is the general category and there are people on the thread who began at bigger sizes than you, OP. The Diet Doctor site is also a very good resource - scroll down a bit, it's all free, you don't have to sign up to anything.

[littlebillie]

Kleptronic is right I’ve lost 23lb and my bmi is normal now with one riun if the boot camp I feel fine and the healthiest in years. Try it before you have surgery it really works

[OliviaD68]

@Inadither

I would avoid an operation at all costs. You are removing healthy tissue. It makes no sense.

In your case I would try a strict LCHF plan. It will work.

There is no need to restrict calories. In fact I would not not do that for the first two weeks. I’d be on 1800 kcal in your case.

Once you’ve gotten into ketosis you can slowly dial calories down to promote a body fat burn vs dietary fat burn. Doing it this way is safe and comfortable.

But the key is starving your body of carbs. You urgently need to do that. Not everyone does but you sound like you do.

At some point I’d introduce intermittent fasting to accelerate. There are plenty of health reasons to do IF in addition to weight loss but women need to approach IF in a special way.

Let me know if I can help you. I’ve done this for quite a few people successfully both on MN and off.