[PzzldMom]

Has anyone else had a gastroplasti done? I had one done 3 years ago. It was well worth it at the time. I still consider it to be something that has been a huge part of my success so far. I got pregnant about 1 year after having it done (warning....to all those who lose weight...you husbands tend to have renewed affections.....) I gained about 30 pounds during and after my pregnancy....I was not quite done losing when I got pregnant so I have about 40 pounds I am working toward losing right now.
I am now doing WW. While the gastroplasti has become a permanant monitor on my eating I find I still must use common sense and can eat my way through this surgery if I do not take heed.
I am wondering if anyone else on this board has gone this route and what they have discovered? How are you doing now?

[NEBRNATV2]

What is gastroplasti?? Is that the stomach stapling?? How much weight did you loose after having it done?? I am hoping to get pregnant after I loose this weight. Some people tell me that I will just gain it all back when I get pregnant which is really discouraging. I hope that I don't. That Is NOT my goal. I want to have a healthy life and not be batteling the buldge if I have to My highest weight was 207 and I am at 162 my goal is 135 and I don't want to screw that up.

Chat later

Neb2

[PzzldMom]

A gastroplasti is, yes, the stomach stapling and the also uses a mesh band or a saline ring. I lost around 120 pounds after having it done. I was at 298 when I started and I was covered by insurance since my BMI was over 32. I just made it at 33.

The pregnancy is not what caused me to gain weight it was the fact that on the gastroplasti you lose weight weather you eat right or eat wrong...up till a point. Then you begin to gain again. Guess which one I chose? M&M's and a handful of chips made a much more fun lunch than a salad.

So my problem is not the gastroplasti failing me...it was me failing me by not eating wise and making wise decisions....enter WW....now helping me to make the best choices with the amount of food I am able to eat.

Pregnancy probably did a lot to help me gain weight back....but not because of the baby...it was the fact that this was my 5th....I had a lot of pain carrying this one and it was hard to deal with the other kids. I really went down hill in my food choices at that point.

I gained only 30 pounds during the pregnancy....and what was really bad was that I only lost 5 from the birth....the kid weighed 8 pounds! LOL....Mostly I gained a lot of water weight after the birth and that is what caused me the extra weight.....but only about 8 more pounds were lost....that was bad. So I was in a 14/16 and worked my way with the baby back up to a 20-22/24......so bad......
As to people gaining it all back....I wouldn't fret it...if you are wise with your choices (and a lot of women tend to be if they aren't already chasing around 4 others) you will probably only gain around 20-25 pounds....and you will probably lose about 15 during the first week after birth. If all you have is 5-10 pounds to lose....you win....and you get a beautiful baby too....believe me....you will burn that weight off.....
I think more of what people are telling you is not to expect the same body after you have the baby that you had before you went in.....funny thing about muscles.....they are kind of like pantyhose....you know how small the panty hose look when you take them out of the drawer? And it looks like you would never be able to stuff and bounce your way into them? Then you do and a few hours later (hopefully only a few hours) you take them off and they resemble deflated balloons? This is kind of what your stomach muscles like to do.....the similarities end there....you can wash the pantyhose and they go back to that tiny taught size....your stomach muscles will laugh at you and do what they want to do in the end....some people get lucky and they get that flat tummy right back (I hate them) and others ::::::rasing hand:::::: get what I lovingly refer to as butt-gut. Something that looks a lot like another rearend protruding from abdomen.....and it does get worse the older you are and the longer you wait to have a baby (unless you are one of them....the ones who could birth a whole litter and still have a flat stomach.)
So anyway, now I am looking at all those wonderful clothes everyone bought me for the whole 2 minutes I was thin and thinking I WILL GET BACK IN THESE CLOTHES. And I hope that is not just wishful thinking....from my lips to God's ears.

Hope that answered your question!

[Debelli]

PzzldMom,

Just a quick 2 cents. I had actual stomach stapling back in 1984 when I weighed 284lbs (I'm only 5ft 1 1/2" tall). Lucky you that it was covered by insurance, mine wasn't.

I lost 140lbs and gained all but about 40 back. There was no follow up at that time, no one "taught" me how to eat properly and I found that ice cream and chocolate sure did go down easily!

Thank goodness I have found a sensible WOE today and can say happily that I KNOW I have finally been able to lose this weight for good-I can feel it in my heart and know it in my mind, a feeling I've never had in my life.

Good luck to you, you can do it!!

Debbie
194/130/129
SB since 3/22/00
[email protected]

[PzzldMom]

Wow, Debbie thanks for letting me know....I know that there is a real lacking in this area and I think that is mainly what attributes to the failure after this surgery. (I have heard they are doing a study on why sugary things settle on the stomach so much better than the foods that are good for you. )

I am actually hoping or thinking that there should be a group for people who have had this done...I mean we have certain problems that we do have to live with and I think being able to have someone who understands that while I love roast beef and white bread they can put me in fits of agony for the rest of the day. So I weigh (pun fully intended) my options for the day....eat healthy and chew on tums.....eat a little unhealthy and less and be fine.....sometimes it is so easy to opt for the unhealthy option just so you do not feel like you are going to throw up for the rest of the day.

But it is a trade that I made to be in control again. At more in control than I was before I had it done.

[MrsJim]

Wow! I didn't realize how many people have had weight-loss surgery...sounds like a bunch of you.

Do you think that after Carnie Wilson had the surgery (did you see her 'after' picture on the cover of People earlier this year?!?) weight-loss surgery has become more popular - or at least more talked about?

I'd be interested to see what happens to Carnie over the years. She was quite heavy before the surgery and even with the surgery would have had to make some major lifestyle changes. I understand from the People magazine article that she is newly married and wants to have children. What do you suppose the chances are that she will be able to carry a baby to term - when she can't hold more than a few ounces of food in her system? (I'm not being a skeptic here, just curious.)

There's another site that she is the host of at http://www.spotlighthealth.com/morbid_obesity/mo/mo.htm

I think the site is actually run by the doctors who did her surgery so it's probably more of a promotional tool, but it IS interesting to read what's happening to her (she keeps kind of an online journal). You might want to check it out!

[PzzldMom]

Well as for me I had mine done 3 years ago. I carried a baby just fine afterwards....in fact almost too well since I still have the 30 pounds to lose. (But I was also way more healthy to carry that baby than I was when I carried one at 250 pounds) Carnie may only be able to hold a few ounces now....but that is what happens when you first get this done...you can hold about 2 tbs of food after the surgery (clear liquids is what you start with then blended then you move on to solids) and you work your way up to about 1-1 1/2 cups after a year. In about 2 years your stomach can hold about as much as a normal adult should eat for a meal. So Carnie should be able to carry a baby quite nicely with out a fear except that she will put on weight.

I would love to see a support group start for people who have had the surgery done....and also for people who are thinking of having it done...or about to have it done....there are some things that they just don't tell you because they haven't had to go through it. The psychological things that you have to deal with are probably the hardest.

Kyra

[MySons3]

Hello,

I also had my stomach stapled in March of 1985. And they didn't do much with you once you left the hospital either. I think I went for one or two check ups afterwards and that was about it. I also lucked out and my insurance paid for it. I also had my gallbladder out at the same time. I did well for a while. I lost about 80 pounds. But, over time the M&M's tasted better and all the junk food and before I knew what happened the weight started coming back on. And I went from my dress size 10/11 back up to my 22/24. Now, I'm doing it again. Not the stomach stapling. But, learning how to eat the correct way. And walking again and exercising.

I did carry another child after having the surgery. I had no trouble carrying Joshua in 1989. I had two other children before I had the surgery. I was so lucky when I was pregnant. With my first son I gained 19 pounds. With my middle son 2 years later I gained 3 pounds and with my last one 5 years after that I only gained 1 pound. I came out of the hospital weighing 28 pounds lighter than when I got pregnant. And I ate the whole pregnancy away. I was just lucky and didn't gain any weight. The doctor said I was weird. But, I ate all the time. And I was over 200 pounds with all of my pregnancies.

I do agree with PuzzldMom about your husbands affections after loosing weight. My husband is WONDERFUL even with me being heavy. But, boy when I lost the weight, WOW. It was something else. Can't wait to loose this again....:LOL:

I started on March 30th this year and am down 21 pounds already. He says he can tell already. That my pants are baggy in the fanny. COOL!!!! I can handle that.

You just need to watch what you eat after having it done. Don't think you can pig out on what ever you'd like. You still need to keep tabs on your intake. And exercising really helps.

Hope you don't mind that I just butted in like this. But, was reading around the site and this was interesting reading.

Good luck to all of you on how ever you loose the weight. Keep up the good work. And don't worry about putting on a little weight while pregnant. Just eat healthy and keep walking or something while pregnant and it doesn't have to get out of hand.

Talk soon.
Jacque