Several patients were in the office today who have done very well with their weight loss using the gastric band.Losing the last 15-20lbs is usually more about food choices, exercise and avoiding high calorie snacks than it is about finding a perfect band “adjustment.”Most patients learn this by having their bands adjusted too tight and needing a little bit taken out.When I see patients undergo a series of tiny fluid adjustments and complaining of stagnant weight loss, usually they are depending too much on the band and need to depend more on their food choices.Our support groups and Mindful Eating classes, taught by our nutritionist Prudence Ticknor, are a great way to refocus for those last few pounds.To sign up for the Mindful Eating series or to find out more about our support groups, give us a call at 702-313-8446.
One topic brought up in the last support group was that some patients noticed that their restriction was tighter in the morning than later in the day and at night.For some the change is dramatic enough that they have trouble with solids in the morning and have to eat soft foods like yogurt, but seem to have too little restriction at night.Some patients don’t notice this difference at all, but for those that do, it can make finding the “perfect” adjustment more difficult.
We believe that the morning tightness is from increased blood flow to the stomach and intestines during sleep which increases the stomach wall thickness temporarily.Remember, any swelling can lead to increased restriction.So, if you are experiencing this, be sure to discuss it with our physician’s assistants, Brian or Melissa, during your adjustment visits.Also, patients considering the band procedure are welcome to attend support groups to meet other patients and learn more about living with the band.For more information on our support groups, please call 702-384-8446.
After surgery, most patients start off weighing their food with a food scale every meal and being very successful with their weight loss. When patients plateau or stop losing weight, it almost always corresponds to when they stop using the scale and “guesstimating” or eyeballing their meal portions.
In order for your brain to keep your body from being hungry, it will portion out enough food to keep your weight stable, or keep you from losing weight. The food scale makes sure that your portions are small enough that your body can lose weight. Also, that’s the most accurate way gastric band patients can know if they need a band adjustment. When the same size meal that used to fill them up, no longer does, an adjustment is needed. If you are eating different size meals you won’t know for sure when it’s time for an adjustment. Also, because the band is a mechanical device, it doesn’t change or adapt until we change it. It is very hard to adjust the band properly if the patient is eating inconsistent amounts. Sometimes the band may feel too tight and sometimes not tight enough if you are eyeballing the portion size and eating inconsistent amounts.
Almost everyone who stops losing weight after surgery will admit that they stopped using their food scale to weigh their 4oz meals. Please remember, the time to stop using the food scale is when you reach your goal weight.
Like I mentioned last Friday, we filmed a patient’s gastric band adjustment, or “fill” as we often call it, for those of you who want to see and understand how an adjustment is done.Below is a video of one of our patients, Ericka, with one of our physician assistants, Brian, undergoing a simple, five-minute fill.
We’ve also created a video of Brian demonstrating an adjustment on a model of a lap band and port for a more detailed explanation.If you have any more questions about gastric band adjustments, please post them here, or call the office at 702-384-8446.
Today we filmed a patient’s gastric band adjustment for those of you who have never seen an adjustment done and want to know how it works. You will soon be able to check it out here and at our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/LVGBIpatients. Stay tuned!
