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Thursday, September 20, 2012

Pamela’s Advice: Get the Information

Pamela is 45. She’s a paralegal in the New York area. Here’s her story:

“I was quite active when I was younger. I never was a plus-size until I hit my mid- to late 30s.

“When I was 28, I fell down some stairs, and I have a permanent back injury. Over the years, I’ve battled with that off and on. And as I’ve gotten older, it got worse. It became a vicious cycle: The less you can do, the more sedentary you become, the more weight you gain. And once you hit your late 30s, your metabolism changes. It just got harder to get the weight off.

“I used to see the New York Bariatric Group ads every day on the subway. At first, I was against surgery. I thought I should be able to lose weight myself through diet and exercise. But my problem was I couldn’t exercise any more. Every time I got on the elliptical machine, I got sciatic pain down my leg after 10 minutes.

“As my weight went up, my back problems got worse, and I was on that merry-go-round. I had to get off. It was a downward spiral. The more you gain, the less you can do, you get depressed, you gain more . . .

“One day, I was climbing up the subway stairs, and I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I thought, I’m 42 years old; this is ridiculous. I have to do something. Then I thought, if I see that ad one more time, I’m calling — and there it was! So I called.”

That was in March of 2010. For the next few months, Pamela went through the process of qualifying for and preparing for her weight-loss surgery. She had the surgery that November.

“I got on the table. They put me out. I woke up. It was like nothing happened. In fact, when I came to, I had to ask, ‘Did you guys actually do anything?’ I had a very good experience.

Since then, Pamela has lost 90 pounds. “I have about 30 more to go,” she says.

“I’ve had a couple of back episodes since then, but since I’ve taken the weight off, I recover faster. And now I’m at the point where I have no sciatic pain. I haven’t felt this good in a very long time.

“I’m able to walk and run all my errands without being in pain or having to take pain medication. Exercise has been a challenge until recently, but my orthopedist has just cleared me for physical therapy.”

Pamela described her current diet.

“I usually have coffee and yogurt in the morning. For lunch, I might have tuna salad, egg salad, a mixed green salad, soup or sushi. For dinner, I might have grilled rotisserie chicken with a salad or sushi. I eat a variety of foods.  It depends on the day, but I always go with smaller portions. And I don’t feel like I suffer because of it.”

Pamela says she appreciates that people are wishing her well when they notice her weight loss, but “I get embarrassed,” she says. “My purpose was to get my health in order. That’s why I did this.”

Her words of advice for others in the same situation:

“Get the information. I have three friends right now who have gone to the seminar and are going to make their first appointment. I was their guinea pig. They saw how well it worked for me.

“For me, it was a wonderful experience, but it’s a very personal decision because of how society treats you when you’re overweight. People are so sensitive to it. It’s the world we live in.

“It’s not for everybody, but at least get the information. The experience couldn’t have been better. And I’m not a person who likes going to doctors, so for me to say that is a big deal.”

Thanks, Pamela, for sharing your story.

If diets and exercise have not worked for you, we invite you to make an appointment to see one of our surgeons by calling (516) 616-5500 or, if you prefer, click on “Live Chat” in the upper left corner of your screen to have a conversation now.

Category: Health Benefits, Obesity, Post Surgery, Procedures, Weight Loss

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Friday, July 27, 2012

Half the Woman She Used To Be

Lisa Lucchese is 135 pounds. Five years ago, she weighed 285.

She had her weight-loss surgery on Sept. 11, 2007. Last weekend, she went sky-diving. “It was awesome,” she says. She’s been ziplining, too.

Lisa is a nurse. She co-leads a support group for people who have undergone weight-loss surgery. We’re delighted she has agreed to share some of her experiences and tips here:

“My weight had been up and down my whole life. I started my first formal diet in the sixth grade. At first, I would lose and gain 15 pounds. Then, as I got older and had my children, I would gain and lose 50 pounds, then 75, then 100. It was a vicious circle that kept getting worse.

“When I reached 285 pounds, I decided to have the surgery, My husband said it was voluntary. To me. it wasn’t. It had to be done, or I wasn’t going to live a long and happy life.”

It’s been almost five years since your weight-loss surgery, does it get easier to keep the weight off?

“Over time, it’s gets easier, and it gets harder. Some people do put weight on, because over time, your body compensates to the surgery. But I truly feel that if you learn the rules at the beginning and follow them through, you will be successful.

“Yes, there are rules you need to follow after you have the surgery. It’s not like you can have the surgery and just go out there and eat anything you want. You have to adjust.

“There are still a few things I don’t do. I have not had any kind of sugar since my surgery. I don’t eat any kinds of candies, cakes or cookies. I do have carbohydrates. I will eat natural sugar — in a fruit. I feel like sugar is a drug to me. If I have it, I could go off the deep end. I’ve just learned to accept that. To me, it’s well worth it. I don’t miss it.

“It is a bit of an adjustment — always drinking your water, trying to follow the rules, making sure you’re taking your vitamins and supplements. I’m very diligent about this, because I want to be healthy. You just have to be sure you’re working the tools your doctor gave you to the best advantage. I think that’s how I’ve been so successful.

“For me, not eating sugar is not even an issue. It doesn’t faze me at all. Everything is sugar-free now. There are 4 million diabetics in the world. People ask, ‘How do you do that?’ It’s easy. I’m like a diabetic. I do not eat sugar. I will not have it.

ziplining“I’m not gaining weight, because I try to do what I learned. I think that’s key.

“I would tell anyone who just had the surgery that the tool is what they gave you with the surgery, and you have to use it and do what’s right and learn how to eat again.

“On a normal day, I eat cheese a lot, because it’s high in protein. For breakfast, I might have cheese and crackers, or scrambled eggs, or a supplement — a high-protein meal always.

“For lunch, some days I’ll eat a sandwich — or chili. I’m a big chili fan, especially since the surgery. It’s high-protein. Today at work, we had Mexican food, so I had a part of a burrito. I saved the rest for tomorrow.

“For dinner, last night we had barbeque, so I had steak, some corn and some salad.

“I try not to obsess over what I’m eating. In between, if I’m hungry, I’ll have a piece of cheese or a handful of almonds. There are a lot of high-protein, low-fat, low-carb snacks out there.

“I try not to graze all day. If I’m going to have a snack, I try to plan it and make it healthy.

“With my support group, we have a book, and people will bring it labels of items that they have come across that provide good ideas of what to eat. Through that, I’ve learned so much.”

Any bits of advice for those considering surgery?

“Listen to your doctor. Follow their rules. Know what they’re talking about. Support is the key to success. Attend your support group meetings. Ask questions. People who have the surgery and have been successful are willing to help — especially new people.

“If people could see my life today, they would know there is a light at the end of the tunnel.”

* * *

If you have any questions or would like to make an appointment to see one of our surgeons, call our office at (516) 616-5500 or click on “Live Chat” in the upper left corner of your screen to have a conversation now.

Category: Exercise, Health Benefits, Obesity, Post Surgery, Weight Loss

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Thursday, July 12, 2012

His and Her Stories, Part Two

Last week, Bob Reynolds shared his weight-loss success story. This week, it’s his wife Vicky’s turn:

Vicky: “I went on Weight Watchers two years ago and lost 35 pounds in a year, which wasn’t bad, but it’s not a lot either. Then, I decided to rest a bit. Of course, you end up cheating a little here and there, and before I knew it, I gained back 27 pounds. I said to myself, I can’t keep doing this.

“I had never heard of the sleeve gastrectomy until my husband Bob went to a seminar with a friend. When he told me about it, it sounded like something I would want to do.

“So then I talked with Dr. Angstadt at New York Bariatric for about two hours. He was the greatest. He answered every question I had. He never once looked at his watch, checked his computer or rolled his eyes. I left there convinced that this was something I could do and, in the long run, it would be worth it.

“Six months later, I’m down 55 pounds, and I’m excited.

“I was 213 pounds the day of the surgery. Now I weigh 159. I had the procedure the week before Christmas. Bob had his the week before Thanksgiving.

“When Bob went through it, I noticed he wasn’t asking for pain medicine. He said the most it felt like was as if he did a few too many sit-ups. The hardest part was drinking. When you’re thirsty, you tend to gulp, but after the procedure, you can’t do that. But you get past that, and you learn how to drink right.

“We eat healthier now. It’s not that we don’t eat junk food, so to speak — but we eat protein, then vegetable, then carbs. I used to have a bite of meat, a bite of vegetables, and a bite of potato, mixing it all up. Now I eat all my meat first, then my vegetable, and if I’m still hungry, I’ll have a little bit of starch or carbohydrate.

“Potato chips happen. The funny thing is that now I can have three or four chips and be satisfied. Before, I would eat the whole bag. You just need to learn your limits. That’s the whole story. Portion control and limits.

“How do I feel? Like a million bucks. I’ve never felt so great. I exercise every morning. Nothing drastic. I ride a stationary bike, and I do a few arm exercises.

“I’ve had to battle with my weight since the seventh grade. I’ve lost it, gained it, lost it, gained it. But this time, I’m still losing.

“Before, when I went off a diet, I would eat a lot of junk. Now, I wouldn’t feel right if I did that.

“Now when I go to a party where there are a lot of chips and dips, I’ll have a couple, but if I have one too many, I feel it right away. I’m hoping that stays forever.

“I don’t have a target weight. I’m just going by how I feel and how my clothes feel. I’m going 10 pounds at a time right now. To aim for a certain number is hard, because I could look awful at that number. I’m not in my 20s, I’m in my 50s. I don’t want to look like an old lady. I still see the fat lady in the mirror.

“But my friends tell me differently. I have one friend that I’ve known for 30 years, and she says I look like I do in high school. I say, “Really? What about these wrinkles?” She says, “Well, other than that.”

“I’ve noticed now that job interviews are longer. They actually listen to what you are saying. I think there is a prejudice against people who are heavy.

“But as far as my friends go, they’re just so excited.

“So if you’re considering the procedure, I can tell you it would be the best move you ever made. There’s little to no pain afterwards, and you feel so good once the weight really starts coming off. There’s no words to describe it.”

* * *

Thanks to Vicky and Bob for sharing their stories. If you have any questions or would like to make an appointment to see one of our surgeons, call our office at (516) 616-5500 or click on “Live Chat” in the upper left corner of your screen to have a conversation now.

Category: Health Benefits, Obesity, Post Surgery, Uncategorized, Weight Loss

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Friday, July 6, 2012

Happy Anniversary, Bob and Vicky!

New York Bariatric sends best wishes to two of our patients — Bob and Vicky Reynolds, who are celebrating their fourth anniversary this week. Bob’s a production manager/machinist. Vicki is a secretary. They love to ride motorcycles together, and they’re active in their church. Bob had a sleeve gastrectomy the week before Thanksgiving last year. Vicki had hers the week before Christmas.

We checked in with both of them to hear their stories. Here’s Bob’s. Check in next week for Vicky’s.

Bob: “I turned 52 in February. I’ve been overweight most of my adult life. In the early ’80s, I tried prescription pills, as prescribed by my primary doctor at the time. I lost a lot then, but knew that I was a lot lower than I should have been. I wasn’t comfortable. They had me down to 165 pounds and wanted me to get to 150. I said, listen, when I was in high school running cross-country and track, I wasn’t below 150, so there’s no way I’m going there now. As soon as they took me off the pills, I blew up to 185, where I stayed for a while, until life changed.

“I originally started looking into weight-loss surgery a couple of years ago. I went to a seminar at another hospital. There were about 100 people in the room. And of course, with that many people, you get some who start asking questions just to hear themselves talk.

“I was borderline at that time. I’ve had discussions with my doctor. I don’t binge eat, and I don’t eat massive amounts. I just made poor choices, and it progressively caught up with me.

“I’m 5-foot-6. My weight and my blood pressure were getting up there. My sugars were pre-diabetic, and I was already diagnosed with sleep apnea. So I left that seminar with a bad taste in my mouth. I figured, OK, let me try to do what I can.

“I started going to the gym and working with a trainer. I lost almost 30 pounds. Then I had a car accident. That put me back to square one. I had 14 herniated discs, I couldn’t work out, and when you become sedentary, you start gaining more weight.

“Little by little, I got back to the gym, but for some reason or another, I hit a plateau. I was not  getting anywhere.

“Then Pastor Ski at our church, Rushing Wind Biker Church, told me he was going to a seminar and asked if I wanted to go with him. I listened to Dr. Angstadt from New York Bariatric and was impressed with what he had to say, especially about the new sleeve procedure.

“I had more discussions with Dr. Angstadt and did a lot of research. I was happy with what I learned, so I made an appointment, went through all my clearances, and had my operation Nov. 16, 2011.

“Before the operation, I was over 295. Now I’m around 220. My goal is to get to 180 or 185 pounds.

“The procedure? I wouldn’t think twice about doing it again. Dr. Angstadt explained everything. It went exactly as he described. No complications. I have a high tolerance for pain. I didn’t need medication. I was out of work for about two weeks.

“I’m feeling so much better today. I have my plateaus every now and then with food. They tell you outright — surgery is not the answer: you have to change your life. It’s definitely true. It’s a tool. They give you a tool, so that you can feel good about yourself. You train yourself to eat all of your proteins, 4 or 5 ounces of food. You learn what you can and can’t eat, but as in everything else, you have to find a way to change psychologically.

“So I keep a good outlook. I went from a 3X shirt to a large. My wife Vicky had the same operation four weeks after me, and she’s doing phenomenally, too.

“Vicky looked into weight-loss surgery a couple of years ago, too. But when I explained to her about the new sleeve procedure, that made the difference for her.

“Again, this is a tool. It’s not the answer. It’s going to help you get better. If you approach everything with that idea, you’ll be all right. You go to a party, and potato chips are going to happen. But you can have one or two chips. You don’t have to have the whole bowl. Because if you deny yourself these things, then it becomes a craving, and when you get to the point of giving into cravings, you’re going to binge and get sick.

“You learn your body. Everyone has different symptoms when they’re starting to get full. Myself, I start to burp. I know someone who sneezes when they start to get full. My wife has other symptoms. You need to be aware of the signals.

“Yes, it helped to go through this with my wife. But I also rely on my other friends, too. Vicky is hypoglycemic, so she’s the opposite of a diabetic. The operation can reverse diabetes; but it won’t with a hypoglycemic. She still has to watch her sugars. And she still needs a snack before going to bed, so her sugars will get her through the night. We do approach things differently. I tend to drink more liquids than solid foods. That works for me.

“We had a big family barbeque last night. I had one hamburger with no bread. That filled me up.

“These days, some people don’t recognize me. I went to a church that I used to go to a couple of years ago, and the pastor had to hesitate before he was sure it was me.

“I’m happier now. And a lot of people are happy for me, too. God bless.”

Category: Health Benefits, Post Surgery, Procedures, Uncategorized, Weight Loss

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Friday, May 11, 2012

Don’t Be Afraid To Take That Step

That’s the message that Shiv Sahani of Queens has for people considering weight-loss surgery.

Shiv comes from a close-knit Indian family. He’s 28 years old, and for the past six years, he’s been working with his father as a New York Life Insurance agent. Previously, he owned his own recording studio and was one of the engineers who recorded Lady Gaga’s first album.

“I’ve been overweight my whole life,” says Shiv, who is 5-foot-10 and once weighed 358 pounds. “I grew up in New York City public schools and was always being made fun of. It really hurts when someone picks on you because of your weight. I don’t think people understand that.”

Weight-loss programs? He tried them all. “I’ve seen a nutritionist, a personal trainer, tried every diet in the book, pills — nothing ever worked for me. Or if it did, I would drop 20 to 30 pounds, but it wouldn’t sustain itself. The weight would just come back on.” He describes himself as goal-oriented. “I asked myself, what are my goals for my life? I knew I wanted a family. I want to have kids. Being overweight doesn’t keep you from that, but it sets limits on your lifestyle. I wanted to be able to run with my children, to go to the park and throw a ball around with my son. I realized I needed to take some sort of action to better my life situation.

“I did my research and came across lap band surgery. I brought up the idea to my parents, and right away, they shot it down, which was disappointing. My parents are very old-school, but we are a tight unit at home, and out of respect, I always tell them everything. They didn’t like the idea of surgery. They didn’t understand that I’ve tried everything else.

“I decided to do a little more research, and learned about two great doctors — Dr. Sean Garber and Dr. Spencer Holover. I saw that they did seminars about the lap band system. One day, I decided to attend one with my sister and brother-in-law. It was an eye opener.

“I made an appointment to meet with them personally, and they told me I’d be a perfect candidate. From there, we started the process. I went back and told my parents that this was something I needed to do to get my life back. Whether they liked it or not, it was going to happen, so please give me your blessing. At that point, they were more supportive. They saw I was willing to take the risk.

“But there really wasn’t any risk. Lap band surgery is one of the safest procedures out there. My only regret was not doing it sooner.

Shiv had lap band surgery on Oct. 25, 2010. Since then, he has lost more than 110 pounds.

“That’s like losing a whole person. Imagine the amount of energy you gain back with that. It builds your confidence. It gives you your life back. Before, I could hardly keep up with my dad when we went to see a client in the city, and my dad is 40 years older than me. Now he’s having a hard time catching up with me.”

Why does the surgery work? “Think of the lap band as a signal — like a red light, green light,” says Shiv. “If you’re overweight, it’s not your fault. For some reason, because of our body chemistry, we just don’t get the signal to stop when full. Now after the surgery, I do get the signal. My stomach tells my brain: Shiv, you’re full. Don’t take another bite. It’s really a cool thing. The surgery helps you realize your limits. It’s controls your food intake.”

Describing the surgery, Shiv says, “It wasn’t scary at all. There were a lot of friendly faces in the operating room. I went in around 10 a.m., and around 11:30 a.m. I was waking up in the recovery room. When I woke, they put me in my hospital room, and within 30 or 45 minutes, I started walking again. The hospital stay was actually fun. I was there less than a day.”

Shiv now weighs 234 pounds and is working to get down to 185. “I go to the gym two times a week — four if I’m lucky. I went from a size 58 pants to size 42. My shirt size went from 4XB to XXL from a regular store. That’s a good feeling.”

About his diet, Shiv says, “I enjoy food, and I enjoy life, but it’s all about control for me. If my family goes out for pizza, I’ll have a slice — or a half a slice — and I’ll be happy with that. But I make sure I also get a salad with some chicken, and I have that first, so I get my protein in. I love salads. I don’t stay away from anything. If you want to give me a nice piece of steak, fine. Just understand that I’ll probably eat four or five bites and I’ll be full.”

And about his new life, he says, “It’s the little things that mean something now. I like to dance, I like movies, and hanging out with my friends. Before I wouldn’t always want to go out, wondering what to wear and how I would look. Now if there’s any opportunity, I jump on it.”

To those considering surgery, Shiv says, “It’s a big decision, not something you take lightly. But it’s a chance to get your life back, so why not do it?”

Category: Health Benefits, Obesity, Post Surgery, Uncategorized, Weight Loss

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