Gastric Banding Sucks

Let me qualify that statement before I go any further. In 2001, I had a gastric bypass. That procedure involves stapling off most of the stomach pouch so that you end up with a stomach the size of a shot glass. You eat less food, suffer serious side effects when you eat greasy or sugary foods and thereby lose a lot of weight. With the help of a good diet and regular exercise, I lost 90 pounds. A couple friends of mine have since had the same procedure and lost a great deal of weight. None of us suffered from … Continue reading

Learning How to Eat After a Gastric Bypass

Everything about eating changes after you’ve had a gastric bypass. Your new stomach is about the size of a shot glass (yes, it’ll stretch like your old stomach over time) and part of your small intestine that used to be responsible for most nutrient absorption has been bypassed. Because of these major changes, and your recovering from surgery, you’ll have to go on a special diet for your first few months after surgery. Doctors’ orders can vary. I wasn’t allowed to eat for a couple days after my surgery in 2001 but my friend who had surgery in 2004 was … Continue reading

Is Gastric Bypass Surgery for You?

If you can still lose weight by following a healthy diet and exercise then bariatric surgery is not for you. If you think you’d rather just have surgery to make the weight go away so that you can get on with your life then bariatric surgery is definitely not for you! Having a gastric bypass is not the easy way to weight loss. It simply provides motivated individuals with a second chance to do it right. Even after the surgery you’ll have to eat right and exercise to meet your goal weight. The surgery itself just resets your system so … Continue reading

Why am I Writing this Weight Loss Blog?

I have never found an online forum on weight loss where the moderator/writer was someone who had been obese and made it to “the other side”. Who better to talk with people who want to lose weight than someone who has felt their pain and been through everything that they are going through? I am passionate about this topic because I live it! At my heaviest, I weighed 265. I’m not proud of that, but I don’t mind saying it because I know that there are other people out there who have gone over that 200-pound mark and they may … Continue reading

Weight Loss Blog Week in Review July 16 through July 22

This past week has been exciting in the weight loss as I’ve personally declared war on nonsense diets. To lose weight the equation is simple: eat less + move more = weight loss. Join me in my Mission Impossible series as I chronicle my weight loss journey to show everyone that it is not necessary to starve yourself in order to lose weight! July 16 Mission Possible: My Confession This is the first in the mission possible series and I confess that I need to lose weight. But I am determined to prove that you do not need a fad … Continue reading

What is Gastric Banding?

I told you yesterday that I would discuss gastric banding later in the day, I need to stop using that phrase. Every time I do, it turns out I don’t discuss it until the next day! So you have my apologies for the delay. So as mentioned in Weight Loss News Bites yesterday, gastric banding seems to be gaining popularity as a less invasive surgical procedure for individuals who are only moderately obese. So What Is Gastric Banding? Gastric banding is a surgery that restricts the size of a person’s stomach so they need only consume small amounts of food … Continue reading

Some Teens are Having Bariatric Surgery

Teenagers who are obese might have the option of having bariatric surgery. Previously, this type of weight loss surgery was only offered to adults. Although it isn’t the best choice for every teenager, there are some teens who can greatly benefit from it. The New York Times reported in February of 2017 that the number of adolescents who are overweight or obese has leveled off in recent years. But the number who are severely obese – heavy enough to qualify for bariatric surgery – has nearly doubled from 1999 to 2014. Previously, 5.2 percent of adolescents were severely obese. That … Continue reading

Part One: Interview with Neil Tejwani, Past Contestant on “Biggest Loser”

Last week I enjoyed a wonderful and inspiring conversation with Neil Tejwani from season four of “Biggest Loser.” I am very excited about sharing his story as I know it will encourage and motivate others. Neil’s journey to the “Biggest Loser” began in his high school years when a freak injury propelled him to begin overeating. By the time he was 19 or 20 years old, he was up to about 400 pounds. A couple of years later, during a routine doctor appointment, he discovered that he had hit 460 pounds. His doctor informed him that he had high blood … Continue reading

DJ AM Dead at 36

I came home from a night out with friends and read the headline that DJ AM (Adam Goldstein) was found dead in his Manhattan apartment. Friends reported not hearing from him for two days and police broke the door down to find his lifeless body. Great, Ted Kennedy, Dominick Dunne, and now DJ AM – the death in threes theory continues! Yes, the same guy that seemed lucky to survive the fiery plane crash in South Carolina last September is dead at the age of 36. He was found both unresponsive and unconscious in his apartment on Friday afternoon. The … Continue reading

Line Your Intestines, Lose Weight!

I am constantly amazed at the things we as human beings will go through to try to lose weight. Being overweight drains us emotionally and physically, it drags down our self-esteem, it keeps us from doing everything we’d like to, and it’s just so hard to overcome. It’s really no wonder that the weight loss industry is raking in the big bucks, but this one really make me shake my head. There is now a removable liner being developed that you can have inserted into your intestines that mimics some of the positive aspects of gastric bypass surgery. However, the … Continue reading