I am considering some sort of gastric bypass surgery. What are some medical drawbacks? -

I m 5 51/2 242 pounds and am thinking about the surgery, but a little hesitant. There are several people in my office who have had it and they have all lost tremendous amounts of weight, but some of them have lost their thick heads of hair, some have lost so much weight in their faces that they have that haunted look and some have what I call the gastric by-pass stutter-step. I don t want any of these things to happen to me, but how would I avoid them, I mean you eat food by the teaspoons after the surgery. And what about that terrible hanging skin? What if your insurance won t pay for it. Also, they say you have to go through a weight loss program for a year and fail at it before you re approved. But I want to tell my doc that I want the surgery to help manage my diabetes, and this surgery can rid you of diabetes. Do you think stating this as a reason for having the surgery would speed up the approval process?

First of all let me say, having personally had gastric bypass surgery was the best decision I ve made in regards to my health. Yes things change but when you look at what can happen as you age and gain weight the things that change are minute in compared to getting your life back. Some people do lose some hair but it will grow back the reason you lose hair is because first of all, anesthesia causes hair loss so any surgery can cause this. Secondly, the reason you lose hair is because of the rapid weight loss, this happens because your body assumes you are dying if you are losing weight this quickly and so your hair dies off but it does come back. As far as looking haunted it is also something that will pass as time goes by. You cannot go through such a drastic change without experience some drawbacks in the beginning. It could be that the people in question have lost too much weight which would make them look that way but in the long term things will even out. I don t know what the stutter step is so I can t comment on that.As far as the hanging skin what alot of people don t realize is after you have lost your weight and have maintained for a year you can have insurance covered plastic surgery you just have to document the pain and discomfort that this skin has caused you with your gastric bypass doctor and when he sends you to a plastic surgeon he will word things appropiately so that they will be covered. Not all doctors require the year long weight loss program in fact in several cases including my own there was no pre-op diet whatsoever and I even gained 10 lbs. before surgery eating all my last favorite foods. Some doctors and some insurances do require a pre-op diet but you can ask these question of the weight loss doctors prior to choosing one. You can also call your insurance company and ask them what their guideline is. Having diabetes is a really good reason to have the surgery plus you may also have other co-morbidities to go along with it. Generally, some guidelines state you must have like diabetes and sleep apnea, or high blood pressure, and diabetes, or back pain and sleep apnea...or even need to have a bmi of 40 and above. Different doctors have different criterias as do insurance companies. The process can take up to 6 mos. but there are things you can do to speed up the process. You can make an appointment with your doctor and ask to be put on a diet program now in case that is a guideline requirement, then you can make monthly appointments with him/her to document your weight. While you are at the doctor s office talk to your doctor about weight loss surgery because your family physician is the one who needs to refer you. Things you will need to have done are: A sleep apnea test, cardiac clearance which will require a visit to a cardiologist as arranged by your family physician this will include having a stress test; Pulmonary clearance which again will require a visit to this type of doctor with a referral from your pcp; you will need to have a Non-Invasive Bilateral Lower Extremity Doopler Study to rule out deep vein thrombosis done on both legs to rule out blood clots; a EEG and/or a H-Pylori antibody blood test; You will need a letter of clearance from your pcp stating you are medically cleared for surgery and you have been free from tobacco, drugs, and alcohol for six months to 1 yr. and the letter needs to say diagnosis of Morbid Obesity. You will need at least 12 to 18 months worth of your medical records and you will have to probably be scheduled for a bariatric seminar to learn about the procedure...in my state you have to go through this program in order to even see a gastric bypass doctor. I made sure to have all of this stuff done prior to even seeing my gastric bypass doctor for the first time and because of my deligence I had my surgery within 4 months of attending my seminar. I m sorry this is so long but I hope it helps you! I ve listed a website that will offer you lost of help and knowledge towards making this goal a reality. I have also included my own website which is a work in progress. Good luck to you whatever you decide!

My wife had it done in 2004 and it has had its good and bad results. Good in that she is not longer a diabetic, is off all blood pressure medication and has a lot less problem walking without having to rest every 10 minutes because she was out of breath and had bad back pain. Our insurance won t pay for the excess skin so that s a negative and she sometimes gets sick from eating chicken, steak, rice and pasta. She can only eat a little of those items. She takes a lot of supplements/vitamins everyday to make up for the loss in absorption. She lost 94 pounds but has gained about 15 back but all in all I think she would do it again. she qualified for the surgery because she had tried weight watchers and it helped only a little. She was also having problems where the fat in her upper chest would block the blood flow to her head when she raised her arms and that would cause her to get dizzy. Good luck. Its not for everybody.j

My 21 yr old daughters step-mother had a lap band procedure in Oct. 2006 . she died 3 days later due to complications. I also have diabetes and I am also very over weight but I have lost 32lbs in 2 months doing weight watchers.

Gastric bypass surgeries definitely have some drawbacks. One is dumping syndrome, which occurs when food moves too quickly through the stomach and intestines. It causes nausea, weakness, sweating, faintness, and possibly diarrhea soon after eating. These symptoms are made worse by eating highly refined, high-calorie foods. In some cases you may become so weak that you have to lie down until the symptoms pass. Iron and B12 deficiencies may occur, ulcers may develop (5-15% of the time they do), and nausea and vomiting after eating may occur (happens in 5-15% of patients). Gallstones may also develop. This is definitely a successful surgery in terms of reducing weight dramatically, and patients tend to see immediate weight loss. As for the hanging skin, exercise should help (slightly) to prevent this, but if you lose a lot of weight, hanging skin will still be present. You may need to undergo another surgery to remove the excess skin (and this is most likely not covered by insurance). Truthfully, I m not sure that telling your doctor about the diabetes situation won t do too much. Diabetes and obesity are related to one another, and going on a weight loss program may help rid you of diabetes as well. I would recommend trying a weight-loss and exercise program before undergoing this surgery (because of all the risks and expenses associated with it). Talk to a dietitian and you doctor about other possible options.

Hi. My wife had GB about three years ago. She was 355 pounds, now she s 125.Yes, one of the side effects is losing some hair. You will have to increase your protein intake to ward it off.Yes, you will have a lot of excess skin after the weight is gone. Its just the way it is. My wife had surgery to have it removed.GB is NOT a cure all for diabetes. Yes, you may get over it, but you also may not.There are a lot of other side effects as well. You can t eat as much, and if you overeat, you will vomit a lot. You ll go through a LOT of money constantly downsizing your clothes. You may even loose interest in foods that you once loved. (My wife was a big coffee drinker before. Now it makes her sick to smell it.) My wife also lost all breast tissue when the weigh came off, she had to spend more money for implants.Your best bet is to join a couple of GB online groups and talk to others. My wife is a member of this site and she loves it:http://www.obesityhelp.com/She s still a member even now, helping support others.

Have you heard of the Lap Band system? Its the same concept as the gastric bypass but not has harsh and I have not heard of any approval process for it.

I had the surgery in May 2007. I was 319lbs, now I am 159. You are limited on what you eat at first, but you can eat more as time goes on. I had some complications of a bleeding ulcer 2 weeks after the surgery, but after medication it went away. If asked if I would do it again, I definetly would! By the way, my Diabetes is gone along with my high blood pressure and sleep apnea. On hair loss, I did have some hair loss (not a huge amount), I increased my protien amount and it stopped.

Hydroxycut question.? -

Hey all, I m 24 height 5 9 weight 225 lbs. and a have big gut. I have been exercising 3 days a week for an hour for over a month now. 1/2 hour on an elliptical (minimum 350 calories) and I do another 1/2 hour of muscle training (Monday = upper body - Wednesday = lower body - Friday = heavy on glutes and abs) I went from 235 down to where i am in that ammount of time but i hear the first 10 is the easy part. I take Centrum Performance but i m switching to GNC Mega Men when I run out. My big question is, I am looking to join the Air Force at this time next year and I want to get down to 190 lbs. before i even go see my recruiter. I was reading up on Thermogenics, Hydroxycut in particular. Do these types of products work and I should really look into using one or should I do my weight loss the natural way.. If anyone has used this and had good results please tell me about it. I am looking for fast healthy weight loss. Thanks ^.^

My boyfriend has taken hydroxycut hardcore and it has worked wonders for him. He went from 230lbs to 200lbs in about a month and half. I m actually taking the womans version, hydroxcut max, and i love it. I have already lost 3lbs in a little less than 2 weeks.Theres nothing wrong with supplements to HELP you in reaching your goals. Notice that all supplements states something like along with proper diet and exercise

I would highly advise against any diet pills. They are very bad for your heart and can do long term damage to your organs. Green tea is a natural diet supplement, drink 2-3 cups a day. If you don t like it I believe they do sell it in other things like juices. Don t forget to detox your body. Boiling pure Jamiaca root in water and drinking about a quart (with NO sugar just pure Jamaica juice) will do the trick.

If you are watching what you eat and working out that much you should be able to easily lose the weight naturally by then

Hydroxycut works well. I used it and it gave me a lot of energy and I felt good when I used them. Do not use them for more than three months. Also, do take only one at a time for a few days not the recommended 2 because it will make you poop.Check with your doctor to make sure they are okay for you to take.

one of your major problems is:long, less or moderate intense (aerobic) workouts breakdown MOSTLY muscle and water stores, along with a little bit of fat. so you may lose a large amount of weight, but only a small percent of that weight is fat loss.you need to do HIGH INTENSITY, SHORT (anaerobic) workouts. they burn more fat even AFTER the workout is over and--best of all--they preserve your muscle. which is important b/c if your strenght training to get more muscle and breaking it down simultenously, that s pointless. also having more muscle on your body means you burn more calories on a regularly basis.if you do some sorta HIIT training 3-5 days a week for 15 minutes MAX a day along with regularly weight training i guarentee you you ll lose the weight you need without having to resort to a diet pill.HIIT training would be sprinting (be it on a treadmill, bike, stairmaster, etc) for 30 seconds then resting for 60 (or 90) seconds, then sprinting for 30, then resting, etc., etc. and you do this for as long as you can last. if you can last for more than 15 minutes, then you need to up the intensity.your heart rate during the sprints shoulder be like at 75-85% max (220 minus your age is your max HR. multiply that by 0.75 or 0.85 to find your target HR).good luck.

hydroxycut hardcore is the best. but then after being on it for about a few months, my body started rejecting it and i got sensitive to it! one pill would make me so nausea even when i worked out after. so if u take it, maybe sure ur ready to use up all that energy cuz if u dont it ll linger in u and make u feel sick. that stuff will keep u up though, so dont take it anytime before bed!

Make exercise a habit mate and you can do this.Try taking a short black coffee.. no sugar half an hour before a cardio training in the morning, Drop some L-Carnitine 20 minutes before your weights session, supplement mega men and Big B combined, and take a look at Powerfull from usplabs ....... I ve used it this month and really feel a difference. With the excess fat comes oestrogen. It is your enemy!I ve had a gut full of thermogenics over the last 12 months. They mostly contain active ingredients of caffeine and L-carnitine anyway, but thermogenics are really expensive.The most important thing for losing body fat is your diet.... it s about 70% responsible for fat loss whereas training is only about 30%. For the airforce cardio strength will help you through it... do tonnes of cardio.

Weight loss is all about your exertion exceeding your intake. So if your body uses 3000 calories in a day, and you take in 2000, you have a deficit of 1000 calories a day, which converts to 2 pounds lost in a week... since:3500 Calories = 1 pound of fat.All of the weight loss gimmicks that are on the market may cause periods where you are energetic and burn calories, but everything that goes up must come down, and you will come down too, and sleep it off... It will throw you exercise schedule and your life off balance. Don t use them. Instead, pick high protein low fat foods, don t eat pastas, and continue your current exercise regimen. You will continue to lose weight. There is no magic 10 pounds that are easier than others, they all come off by using more calories than you take in. Burn 500 calories a day for a week and that s a pound... If you can t cut your diet, exercise more...It s really very simple.

its works differently on everyone.. i tried it.....and got bad side effects. The headaches...chest pains and what not..so i threw them away. So i dont recommend it....but if u do just be careful because diet honestly doesnt work that well at all....you can lose as much weight without them in the same time frame if u just excercise and cut out junk food.

Weight loss tips? -

I m 5 6 and 118-119 pounds. I m 13 and almost 14. Do you know any good weight loss tips? I would like to loss weight kind of fast if possible. Thanks everyone!

Many people struggle hard to reduce their weights. Right now, there a lot of programs created to help such people in their respective weight loss endeavor. And to help them fully, here are some important weight loss tips beginners should follow to make sure their chosen program work for them flawlessly:1. Make sure that you reduce the quantity of your food.In order to lose weight, you have to watch your meal servings. And it won t matter if you re at home or dining out. But you have to be most especially watchful when eating inside restaurants. You might order big chunks of meat because of the juicy ad you see in the menu. The rule of thumb is this: eat just enough to address your hunger. Never stuff yourself with food. 2. Exercise is key. Exercise causes the body to burn fats. And no diet works without the help of a good exercise regime. All weight loss tips appearing in health magazines and over the internet will tell you that regular exercise could help you a lot in reducing your body mass index. A handful of people can t be wrong. So don��t skip an exercise routine at the gym. More info Check out :http://fast-weightloss-plans.blogspot.co��

Eat healthily, don t under eat and excersize about 30 minutes a day doing things such as jogging, press-ups and sit-ups.

Excercise...Jog for 10-20 minutes.PushupsSitupsLift weightsetc.

I need a QUICK amp; EFFECTIVE diet now!!!? -

I am on a weight loss program i m doing good; however, I have a social event coming up next Saturday (May 14th) I need a quick weight loss plan. I know its not a good way to lose weight but this is very important. I will continue with my old diet AFTER the engagement i m attending. Please help...i m desperate. I need to lose um like a quick 10 lbs maybe!!! Thank you all :)

The Best thing that you will do is don t eat anything except drinking some water or juice after 6:00 pm that its a perfect daily diet habit.

Excercising and dieting--No results? -

I ve put myself on a diet and excercise plan with a goal to loose 20lbs before the end of August. I m 20 years old, 5 5 , 160lbs, and havent excercised regularly in over two years.Usually, when I change my diet and work out moderately, I drop weight like crazy. However, I ve been biking 40 minutes a day to the tune of 340 calories per day; plus rigorous weight lifting 3 times a week. I lowered my calorie intake to less than 1200 per day, cutting high fructose corn syrup completely out of my diet.What am I doing wrong?I m on a textbook weight loss program, not willing to starve myself, working out every day and have not seen results in 2 1/2 weeks. I had assumed I d drop 1-3bs a week, minimum.Suggestions, please?

Two things:At your height, weight, and exercise level, 1200 calories probably is too low. Hard cardio 7 days a week, hard weight lifting (which burns lots of calories hours and days after lifting because your muscles begin to repair), if you were a man I d tell you closer to 2500 calories was appropriate, though you re probably not lifting to gain large amounts of muscle massThe normal thing that happens when someone who hasn t worked out ever or for long starts to try to burn fat and hit the weights is that their weight stays constant for a while as they lose lots of fat but gain muscle, then will actually increase as you gain muscle and lose fat slowerEven lifting low weight and high reps will have you gaining muscle at first on account of having so little when you started. It s not your weight that s important, it s your body composition.Also, 2.5 weeks really isn t a good indicator. In any exercise program it s common to look at your results MONTHLY. It s perfectly normal for your body weight to fluctuate as much as 3 or so pounds. Plus I m worried for that level of activity that 1200 calories is practically starving you which will slow your metabolism and your body will desperately hang on to your fat

are you sweating and getting your heart rate up. and drinking water to flush your system. everyone has something that makes them gain weight/not loose. example for me its dairy and soda. so when i cut those out i loose weight. try to cut out anything white bread,rice ect... eat lots of veggies and fruit is good but in moderation. good luck

Well maybe you are gaining muscle instead? If weighs more than fat. Try measuring yourself... and I bet you are losing inches.

you have nothing to worry about. One year ago I was 1621bs (I am 21 and 5 5 ) and I decided that it was time to lose weight. The beginning is always the most tough. I didn t see results for two weeks either and then out of nowhere (if you stay strong, eat right, and exercise) the pounds started dropping which motivated me to keep on going. It took a life style change for me to lose weight as I always eat junk and fast food. I am now 119 pounds (I have been for over 6 months) and I still exercise most of the days. I do eat healthy for the most part but I also allow myself to enjoy certains foods that I like. So keep on working hard...you ll get there.

Sometimes you can t lose weight if you eat too few calories. It seems like you are overbalancing and eating too few with the biking. Also, quit looking at the scale. I m assuming you are putting on some mean muscle in your legs so that is showing up on the scale. Keep a log on your measurements in your legs, waist, arms, and hips. Also, what kind of diet are you on? Diets can be unhealthy ways to lose weight and the best way in my experience to lose and keep it off is just a change in lifestyle. Eat healthier, less sugar, sodium, and no fried foods. Lots of whole grains and lots of fiber!

Can smoking make you lose weight? -

I ve started smoking cigarettes recently and I ve lost about 5 pounds in less than 2 weeks. I m not on any kind of weight-loss program, don t exercise, and haven t changed my eating habits at all. Is this is a bad sign? Is it the cigarettes or should I see my doctor?

i think the nicotine in cigarettes can effect your matabilsm.... so it is possible for smoking to make u lose wieght... it really isnt a gd way to lose weight though

Every smoker I know begins to lose weight then they become dead looking so you should stop

yeah bro it can BUT DON t. Smoking is hella addictive and you will hate it in about a year when you re throat feels all clogged and you have luggies n shyt up your throat. Weed is better, smoother, but just as addictive. I only smoke weed.DON t SMOKE PERIOD. If you wanna use weed than get a VAPORIZER and inhale water, not smoke.OH BRO... The way smoking affects your eating habits is this: Sometimes you will smoke stoges and then after you will have a nasty taste in your mouth and then it will get to your stomach. your stomach will feel crappy and when you eat it doesnt feel good so your lifestyle changes and you stop eating as much. Foreels, you will even have feel like you gotta throw up sometimes. But its yur life. do what you will.I am a stupid teenager as well (18) and yeah lol. I m just giving you my personal experience. I used to smoke ciggs. I swtiched to Smoking Purple and Im alot happyer :0)

Well, thats just great! Think how much you ll lose when you re on chemotherapy for lung cancer.

yup. A little. But so does running.

smoking increases my appetite, i get real hungry after i smoke

stop smoking its a disguisting habit! EW EW EW! its the cigs..they kill your appetite. but ew! DONT SMOKE

yes it can it kills the eating habbit. smoking isnt good for no one see a .dr. ...

Nicotine speeds up your metabolism. If you stop, you will probably gain the weight back. As long as you aren t underweight I wouldn t worry about it.

yes, it is known for its appetite supressant effect...but just imagine how much weight you will lose when you get on chemo-therapy!! You will be a bag of bones with no hair. Worth it?

Lets put it straight. Losing weight is not that hard, You will never hear me say that it is. All it takes is dedication, motivation and hard work !--There are some fairly simple changes that will greatly improve your chances of weight loss success. Check this out to loss weight,http://weightlosspro.awardspace.com/The best, most effective way to lose weight and keep it off is to simply eat right and exercise. Good diet, minimize saturated fat, use monounsaturated fat-- Always check in gradients of everything you are buyingRelaxation, stress and strain never allow people to be slim.

that s not too drastic a weight loss. cigarettes lower appetite, tar coats the tongue, food doesn t taste as good.

Nicotine is a stimulant - it will suppress your appetite.Cigarette smoke has a lot of other fun stuff in it, too.

Some of my friends claim this to be true; but u gotta smoke before u eat, so i takes away ur appettite. Well...anyways, I have enormous friends who smoke too LOL

I came across this great product for weight loss and it was excellent for me. Together with a good diet and exercise I am finally happy with my body and the way I look. You should check this product at http://www.easy-diet-fun.us , they have a free trial and you only pay $4.95 shipping and handling. A must!

You d bet better off with that extra five pounds than with the cigarette addiction.WHY do people start smoking in this day and age? My husband was a hospice nurse- go see all the people suffocating and dying from smoking all their lives- it will make you so sick you ll want to quit immediately and that five measly pounds won t seem quite so bothersome.

Smoking doesn t help you lose weight. You can chose to smoke a cigarette instead of eating and after time you may lose weight. I would not suggest that you should do this, after smoking for a while your teeth will start turning yellow, it makes you stink, and it causes very bad respiratory problems, and as many people say that they smoke b/c it makes them lose weight it wont work for everyone. Taking 20 minutes out of your day to exercise and eating healthier will help you lose weight without the side-affects of smoking.

Wow!. Smoking a cigarette burns about 20 calories, so smoking a pack a day burns about 400 calories. It s probably increasing your metabolism even more to lose 5 pounds.

Cigarretts are NOT a diet fad. they SUPPRESS your appitite and ergo, you eat less and you start to lose weight.Just about the time you are down to a svelt 180 lbs and the ladies start to go for you, you develope lung cancer and die.As a weight lose supplement it works, but the long term side effects are not pretty.

yeah.smoking make u lose weight. just like my grandpa. u should stop smoking.my grandpa died because of that.yeah. it is a bad sign.ask your doctor for more information.

Great post! I totally understand how you feel. I m also trying to lose weight and I found this great product which is working for me. You can check the website at http://www.be-happy-diet.us , I had a free trial and paid less than $5.00 shipping and handling. Best of luck!

Yes, it definitely suppresses your appetite. Don t see a doctor, you know what you have to do - stop smoking! Would you rather be thin and ill, coughing all the time, with yellow teeth etc, or healthy? It may be nice to be skinny but personally I think the people who lose weight by smoking have a pinched, wrinkled look rather than looking better.

lol no way. I think if anything it makes you gain weight.

You d be surprised at how often that cigarette replaces food. That s why when people quit smoking they gain so much weight. Instead of grabbing a cigarette, they grab a bite to eat. I smoke a cigarette in the morning instead of eating breakfast and I don t even think about it. I have been trying to quit for so long and it s the hardest thing I ve ever tried to do. Quit now while you can. Instead of lighting up another one, go for a walk around the block. You ll lose the weight and be healthier.

Smoking keeps me really skinny and sexy. I love not having to work out. Congrats on starting.

Fasting for a month? -

I will be fasting for 30 days(for religious reasons) stop eating and drinking (even water )from 4:30 AM till 8:00PM(sunset) I have been on a weight loss program which is combination of diet and exercise, and I want to keep my program even during the fasting month. Do you have any ideas what can I eat before I go to the gym( I will not be able to work out before breaking the fast which is at 8:00PM). Do you think I can still lose weight by eating at night? What to eat? when to work out? Oh, and that means I have to fast, so please either answer me if you have the answer or don t.

Quite the stretch of will power to fast, diet and exercise. Good luck to you.My recommendation would be to be sure to eat something before exercizing. If you typically break your fast with a feast, I would recommend trying to eat something lighter before trying to work out. A completely full belly would not help you get your work-out done. You could then follow up with your feast a little later.Also, be certain to watch the quality of the food you consume in your breaking-fast-feast. Be sure to eat a healthy variety, and no more calories than you would normally consume on your diet throughout the day.Good luck.

im not sure, as long as you dont overeat you should be fine, you get to eat after 8? your metabolism is really slow then, if i were you i would make sure to get in excersize whenever you can.

will you fast for the day to get the right answer about fasting for 30 days or not? drinking no water ...how long have you study the word or gone to church? you might just be fasting at the hospital.. its ok to fast but you have to do it the right way..the healthy way..Gods way... ask a minister /past/rev about all this.. because he can see your age,height, weight etc.. to determine whats the best fast for you and eating at night is most known to gain weight.