"All The Weight I Didn't Lose..."

Jan 25, 2013

 

All the weight I didn’t lose - from Salon.com 

"I am the “after” side of surgery, having lost more than 250 pounds. No one gets this, at least not without an explanation, because I still weigh over 200 pounds, and the weight loss fable is supposed to end when you’re thin, not when you’re merely “an average fat American.”

Yes, some of us do "get it."  

This is a powerful article a friend of mine who happens to be a special kind of "after"  (which is not the kind of " air quotes" that indicate failure, but that she has SHIT TO DEAL WITH and y'all need to stop judging a person at first glance, you know?) posted in my BBGC support group.   Thank you, Sarah.  I GET IT.  Some of us DO.  Rawr.  

Please read it.  Please open your mind to all "afters," and stop the WLS shaming.  

"I still wonder if I should get more surgery. I have so many pieces of clothing that fit, but that I reject because they cling in one place wrong. That particular place is my right thigh and calf, which are obviously larger than the left. (I call it my freak leg.) Doctors have no real explanation, but the general theory is that a fall I suffered when I weighed 600 pounds actually broke off a chunk of fat in my calf. That place just above my knee seems swollen, and is the reason I can’t wear skirts anywhere close to above the knee. If jeans stick to the freak leg, I toss them into the back of the closet and try another pair.

In general, I have bravado about my body. I worked hard for it, and I willingly wear a swimsuit in public. I endured surgeries for this body. I lost my navel when they chopped off all my redundant skin. “Redundant.” The word reminds me of English movies where someone gets fired, “made redundant.” I have wanted to fire my whole body at one point or another, but that putrid mass of dangling gut skin, my prize after losing nearly 300 pounds, sat quivering at the top of my layoff list. It oozed and wept and smelled like old gym socks. I could lift it like an apron — not an uncommon phenomena in gastric bypass circles. The surgery to remove this old skin is actually called a panniculectomy because the latin word for apron is “pannus.”

If you’re a woman fat enough to have required a panniculectomy, and you’re not a total uggo, you’ve probably heard the best, worst compliment thin women can bestow: “You have such a pretty face!” They say it the way you apologize to someone when a pet dies. The “but” hangs in the air, unspoken, and the person who tells you about your pretty face generally shakes her head sadly before walking away..."

All the weight I didn’t lose - Go read the entire article at Salon.

 

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OAC - Your Weight Matters Magazine - Online - and saving a piec

Jan 25, 2013

 

 

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I received my issue, issues (two, because we have two memberships!) of Your Weight Matters Magazine from the Obesity Action Coalition today.  I got a little bit excited because the recap of the National YWM Convention was in there, and yes, that's me up there, OAC Advocate of the Year.  This is my digital-clipping of said event!     It's all online -  get into it -  to view a full PDF version of this issue, please click here.

Obesity and the Immune System
by Stephanie F. Deivert, RD, LDN, and Mildred K. Fleetwood, PhD
Volume 8/Issue 2 – Winter 2013 

“Why am I struggling with my weight? I am doing everything right!”
by Walter Medlin, MD, FACS
Volume 8/Issue 2 – Winter 2013 

2013 – Time to Make Some Noise!
by Chris Gallagher, OAC Policy Consultant
Volume 8/Issue 2 – Winter 2013 

Dear Doctor – I’ve had bariatric surgery. Will I ever get to normal weight?
by Lloyd Stegemann, MD
Volume 8/Issue 2 – Winter 2013 

YWM 2012 – A Look back…
Volume 8/Issue 2 – Winter 2013 

Kid’s Corner – Winter Fitness Fun
by Sarah Muntel, RD
Volume 8/Issue 2 – Winter 2013 

Deciphering What Really Works for Treating Childhood Obesity
by Eliza Kingsford, MA, LPC
Volume 8/Issue 2 – Winter 2013 

Obesity and Heartburn: What is the link?
by Nancy Kushner, MSN, RN, and Robert Kushner, MD
Volume 8/Issue 2 – Winter 2013 

Zumba!
by Audrey Turner
Volume 8/Issue 2 – Winter 2013 

Set a SMART Resolution for 2013
by Marie A. Spano, MS, RD, CSCS, CSSD
Volume 8/Issue 2 – Winter 2013

Greek Yogurt – What’s the craze all about?
by Pam Helmlinger, RD, LDN
Volume 8/Issue 2 – Winter 2013

Related articles 2013 - Day One - Community - Caring - Pay It Forward #BBGC Coca-Cola + OBESITY + Bad PR. Weight gain - calories - two crackers a day!

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BBGC Meets Al Roker and Forces Him To Sign A Book. <3

Jan 12, 2013

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“I know there is strength in the differences between us. I know

Jan 02, 2013

 

2013 - Day One - Community - Caring - Pay It Forward #BBGC

“I know there is strength in the differences between us. I know there is comfort, where we overlap.” 
― Ani DiFranco

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The WLSFA is ..."Ending obesity by empowering people to move from surviving to thriving through weight loss surgery, education and support. Performing charitable services and conducting research to find solutions, enhancing the quality of life for the morbidly obese community. Raising awareness and funds for surgery."

The Bariatric Bad Girls Club is helping by donating our money to the WLSFA.

The closest thing to being cared for is to care for someone else.” 
― Carson McCullersThe Square Root of Wonderful

All proceeds from the sales of all products in the Bariatric Bad Girls Club Shop go directly to the WLSFA until they are SOLD. OUT.

We have raised nearly $700 so far, and will continue to sell all products until they are gone.  This is a potential to raise THOUSANDS of dollars and the potential to fund someone's bariatric surgery.

A surgery funded by the BBGC.

Us.  Yes.

300
 

 

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Free Shipping on EVERYTHING Today - ALL Proceeds To Benefit WLS

Dec 17, 2012

Free Shipping on EVERYTHING Today - ALL Proceeds To Benefit WLSFA. 

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Weight gain - calories - two crackers a day!

Dec 10, 2012

 

Weight gain - calories - two crackers a day!

"The newest insanity to hit the weight loss circuit.. 1-2lbs a yr or up to 10lbs in 5 yrs if you..... Lick the peanut butter off the spoon daily, eat 2 crackers daily, lick your fingers when eating chips.... INSANITY"

Saltines
 

I know exactly what this  blogger is referring to - I attended and recorded the event where the discussion took place.  

I also ranted about it in person after the Obesity Action Coalition Event because it got me fired up, to several people.  I took it to my online support group, and likely to my Facebook page.  Because, think about it for a minute.  

Two. harmless. crackers.  I have done some serious shiznit to crackers.   I still can.  Have you seen what this girl can do to a stack of Ritz?  Do you know how many calories are in a stack of Ritz?  Do you know why I do not purchase them?

Exactly.  It's not insanity.  It's common sense.  And basic math.  I am a weight maintainer at nearly nine years post op gastric bypass.  KTHANKBAI.

I suppose it must have fired up more folks, because it's gone viral?  Are we now a circuit?  'Cause that's WICKED COOL.

OAC - Your Weight Matters Convention -  via transcription - forgive me if there are any ... concerns ( !!)  in this, it's a transcribed transcription from a transrcriber who was kind and loving to SHARE - with love -

"When it comes to combusting energy, a calorie is a calorie, period.  But are protein calories handled in the body different than carbohydrate?  Yes, when it comes to predispositions, heart disease and so on, diabetes.  It has a different empath regarding health.  From a burning point of view, a calorie is a calorie.  There are some nuances when it comes to the other ones we'll talking about later.  Second concept I want to mention to you is that it doesn't take much imbalance in calories in order to either lose weight or gain weight. 

So I'm going to have to walk you through this.  So if we take the ‑‑ if you assume that an individual takes in 2500 calories per day, that's not an unreasonable amount to assume, and you multiply it out to a year, that means that individual's taking in about 700,000 calories over the course of the year, just multiplying it out. 

If your body weight is exactly the same at the beginning of the year and at the end of the year, that means on average, if you took in 700,000 calories, that means you burned exactly 700,000 calories. 

So if you do that, you took in 700,000 calories, you burned 700,000 calories, your body weight would be zero.  There would be no imbalance.  And just think about how unbelievable that is.  If you're someone maintaining your body weight or if you know someone like that, that means they're in total harmony with calories.  What happens if you do an imbalance?  Let's assume you don't change your physical activity at all.  So the amount of calories you burned remains exactly the same.  You don't change your daily routine and so on. 

However ‑‑ I'm just going to go back and forth because we don't have a pointer.  But however, let's say the amount of calories you take in slowly increases, so that you're kind of out of balance a little bit.  So here's the interesting point. 

If you are just .5 percent in an imbalance, which it comes out to 12 calories more per day, so every single day, whatever you burn, you take in 12 more calories per day every day for a year. 

You would predictably gain about a pound of fat.  It turns out Americans gain about a pound or two a year.  So you could almost say Americans about .5 percent imbalanced every year. 

That's really small.  Say it was a 1% error, taking in 25 more calories every day.  You're predictably gain being 3 pounds of fat and in error of about 5 calories, that's about 13 pounds gaining per year.  It's so imperceptible if you're imbalanced by 125 calories or not.  It's no wonder why people come see me every day, I don't know why I'm gaining weight.  I'm really not changing anything.  But if you're in that kind of an error every single day, you're going to gain weight.  What does that equal to?  This.  If you are taking in these many more calories every day of the year, you're going to predictably gain weight.  Who could possibly be that good to know that you are in that kind of imbalance. 

It's no wonder given our society that you're going to be in error toward taking in more calories, equivalent to taking in two saltine crackers, that's what that is, every single day to potentially gain weight.  So the difficulty primarily lies in knowing your calorie balance. 

What's the value of this bill?  It's easy.  It says it on it.  What's the value of this coin?  Pretty easy, $.25.  What's the caloric value of this burger? 

I mean, where's it written?  Where's the number on it that you really know what the calorie level is.  It's 990 calories.  And what's the calorie value of this taco salad.  Well, it's about 700.  Did you say 700?  You get an extra chop stick.  Part of the problem is it is absolutely truth that calorie balance matters, but who the heck knows how many calories are in foods.  That's the intake side.  How about the outtake side?  What's the calorie value of brisk walking for 30 minutes if you're 180 pounds?  How do you know that?  You can calculate it.  It turns out to be 246 calories.  Did you say that?  You guys are good.  (Laughter)."

Audience:  We've done this. 

 

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BBGC + WLSFA 2013

Dec 07, 2012


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All proceeds from the sales of BBGC - Bariatric Bad Girls Club - Weight Loss Surgery Support Bracelets will go to the WLSFA, to be presented in Las Vegas, at the WLSFA Event!  

WLSFA 2012 photo I'm on the floor. LOL.  
Each year, the WLSFA has a massive get-together to fundraise within the bariatric community.  It is a huge hit - and we raise money while having a lot of fun.

What is the WLSFA?

The WLSFA is a nonprofit organization powered by Weight loss surgery patients & their supporters, Bariatric Surgeons & their practices, Hospitals and Corporations. Together we raise funds and gather resources to give away in the form of Surgery Grants to people denied access to the medical treatment of obesity.

The WLSFA defines the WLS Community as people who need or have had weight loss surgery of any type and the people who support them. Formed by and for the WLS community the WLSFA focus will always be on helping people in the WLS Community with their special needs. 

Carnie Wilson with WLSFA WLSFA BOD with Carnie Wilson! She'll be in Vegas! 
  • Watch for MORE fundraising + contests coming soon!  Thank you!

 

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Weight Loss Surgery Doesn't Cure Diabetes, Forever - Sorry

Nov 30, 2012

 


Weight Loss Surgery Doesn't Cure Diabetes, Forever - Sorry.

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"I had weight loss surgery and beat diabetes, FOREVER!"  Not so much.

Don't buy that tee shirt just yet.

Type 2 Diabetes Finger Stick
 

NYT -

Many people whose diabetes at first went away were likely to have it return. While weight regain is a common problem among those who undergo bariatric surgery, regaining lost weight did not appear to be the cause of diabetes relapse. Instead, the study found that people whose diabetes was most severe or in its later stages when they had surgery were more likely to have a relapse, regardless of whether they regained weight.

“Some people are under the impression that you have surgery and you’re cured,” said Dr. Vivian Fonseca, the president for medicine and science for the American Diabetes Association, who was not involved in the study. “There have been a lot of claims about how wonderful surgery is for diabetes, and I think this offers a more realistic picture.”

The findings suggest that weight loss surgery may be most effective for treating diabetes in those whose disease is not very advanced. “What we’re learning is that not all diabetic patients do as well as others,” said Dr. David E. Arterburn, the lead author of the study and an associate investigator at the Group Health Research Institute in Seattle. “Those who are early in diabetes seem to do the best, which makes a case for potentially earlier intervention.”

Study - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23161525
Obes Surg. 2012 Nov 18. [Epub ahead of print] A Multisite Study of Long-term Remission and Relapse of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Following Gastric Bypass.

Source

Group Health Research Institute, 1730 Minor Ave, Suite 1600, Seattle, WA, 98101, USA, [email protected].

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Gastric bypass has profound effects on glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The goal of this study was to examine the long-term rates and clinical predictors of diabetes remission and relapse among patients undergoing gastric bypass.

METHODS:

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of adults with uncontrolled or medication-controlled type 2 diabetes who underwent gastric bypass from 1995 to 2008 in three integrated health care delivery systems in the USA. Remission and relapse events were defined by diabetes medication use and clinical laboratory measures of glycemic control. We identified 4,434 adults with uncontrolled or medication-controlled type 2 diabetes who had gastric bypass.

RESULTS:

Overall, 68.2 % (95 % confidence interval [CI], 66 and 70 %) experienced an initial complete diabetes remission within 5 years after surgery. Among these, 35.1 % (95 % CI, 32 and 38 %) redeveloped diabetes within 5 years. The median duration of remission was 8.3 years. Significant predictors of complete remission and relapse were poor preoperative glycemic control, insulin use, and longer diabetes duration. Weight trajectories after surgery were significantly different for never remitters, relapsers, and durable remitters (p = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS:

Gastric bypass surgery is associated with durable remission of type 2 diabetes in many but not all severely obese diabetic adults, and about one third experience a relapse within 5 years of initial remission. More research is needed to understand the mechanisms of diabetes relapse, the optimal timing of surgery in effecting a durable remission, and the relationship between remission duration and incident microvascular and macrovascular events.

 

 

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Gastric Bypass Surgery: Follow Up As Directed To Lose More - Do

Nov 24, 2012

 


Gastric Bypass Surgery: Follow Up As Directed To Lose More - Double!

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Gastric bypass patients who follow through with their post op appointments in the first two years lose nearly twice as much weight as those who do not, suggests a study from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing.

Imagine what could happen with even more follow up.

Gastric bypass surgery: Follow up as directed to lose more

Gastric bypass patients who attended five follow-up office visits in two years as recommended by their surgeons lost nearly twice as much weight (113 lbs. vs. 57 lbs.) as patients who attended only two follow-up visits, according to a University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing study in Obesity Surgery.

 

In this study, gastric bypass patients who attended the recommended five follow-up visits with a healthcare provider lost an average of 113 pounds by two years after the surgery. Patients who kept only two follow-up visits lost an average of 57 pounds by the two-year mark.

"For optimal weight loss after gastric bypass surgery, follow-up with a clinician is important," said lead author Dr. Charlene Compher, a professor of nutrition science at Penn Nursing. "These findings demonstrate that contact with healthcare providers is key in motivating patients to achieve optimal weight loss. The findings also suggest that patients with greater motivation for personal health are more likely to attend office visits."

Study - University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. "Gastric bypass surgery: Follow up as directed to lose more." ScienceDaily, 20 Nov. 2012. Web. 24 Nov. 2012.

 

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Living On Borrowed Time - Health Benefits Of Gastric Bypass Sur

Nov 23, 2012

 

Living On Borrowed Time - Health Benefits Of Gastric Bypass Surgery Persist For Six Years

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Health Benefits of Gastric Bypass Surgery Persist for Six Years -  I guess I am living on borrowed time, seeing as I am working on year nine, as is Mr. MM, and Mr. MM's mom, and Mr. MM's sister.  We're all screwed.  - MM.

Gastric Bypass
 

The health benefits of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery in severely obese patients persist for six years, according to a prospective, controlled study (JAMA 2012;308:1122-1131). These benefits include weight loss and improvements in major cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors.

Continue reading "Living on borrowed time - Health Benefits of Gastric Bypass Surgery Persist for Six Years" »

 

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