Everything You Need To Know About Gastric Bands
Everything You Need To Know About Gastric Bands. So, what is a gastric band? What are the options, the potential problems and the likely realistic outcomes? And why do overweight people get a gastric band? Many people believe that a Gastric Band will solve all their weight loss issues. For some reason, they also believe that the hoped-for weight loss will be permanent. But sadly, of course, that is often not the case.
There are several different types of bariatric (weight loss) surgery. They are basically all designed to make the stomach smaller. The Adjustable Gastric Band is one of the older and slightly less invasive weight-loss procedures. Although it is reversible, surgeons recommend that patients retain the band for life. The silicone band looks and works a bit like a cable tie! The surgeon wraps it around the top part of your stomach. This then creates a small, golf-ball-sized pouch.
Everything You Need To Know About Gastric Bands
How does a gastric band work?
So, when you eat, all the food is collected in the small pouch. And as soon as this pouch is full, that’s when you feel full. As a result, you can only eat very small portions at a time. The food then slowly filters down through a narrow opening into the main part of the stomach. Therefore the band restricts the quantity of solid food you can eat in one go, as a meal, for instance.
How To Cheat On A Gastric Band
The gastric band will generally work as long as you work with it. Unfortunately, people soon realise that it can be easy to cheat on their band! For example, if you liquidise food, it’s still possible to consume large amounts. Anyone for a burger and fries smoothie? No, that’s not a joke…! And, of course, you can still take in plenty of empty calories by drinking alcohol! How can you cheat on a gastric band? Far too easily!
Everything You Need To Know About Gastric Bands
Also, another effective way of “getting round” the band and stopping it from working is by grazing on bits and pieces rather than eating proper meals. Certain processed, high carb, and low nutritional value, sweet and savoury snacks are known as “slider foods”. Examples of these are crackers, crisps, chocolate and ice cream. Because these items will pass straight through the band, it means that there is no restriction to the quantity you can eat.
Do you have a sweet tooth…?
Nutella has apparently become a favourite of people who have had a Gastric Band fitted, but of course, this will only help them to gain weight instead of losing it. Melting chocolate and liquidising a range of foods has become popular with a number of Social Media pages dedicated to the so-called ‘Band Cheating Art’.
All About Gastric Bands
Do You Qualify For A Gastric Band?
Do you qualify for surgery, either on the NHS (very long waiting times) or privately? Well, unless you have a pre-existing health condition, your BMI needs to be around 40 to be considered by the NHS. If you don’t mind travelling abroad, however, it’s possible to find a hospital that will perform the surgery, even if your BMI is lower. Of course, this option does come with a number of additional risks. Read on to find out everything you need to know about gastric bands.
Everything You Need To Know About Gastric Bands
Is it Safe to Have A Gastric Band Fitted?
Pros and cons of a gastric band. Positioning Gastric Band Surgery as the safe and easy option is misleading. Surgery always comes with risks, and a long and painful recovery is not unusual. Sometimes the procedure is unsuccessful, with devastating complications. Other times it may need to be reversed. The mortality rate (Death) following surgery should also be considered. Of course, all of the possible risks are considerably higher if you are overweight.
Do they always work? – Is It Permanent?
Everything You Need To Know About Gastric Bands. Many people report rapid weight loss immediately following surgery. But in the long term, they often experience weight regain. Thankfully, having a surgical gastric band fitted as a last resort is not the only option available to people who need to lose weight. There are other, less invasive, non-surgical alternatives. You might like to read more on our Weight Loss Without Surgery page.
Weight loss surgery is seldom the miracle solution that people believe it to be. More often than not, people have become obese for psychological reasons. Therefore changing your whole mindset about eating, and improving your relationship with food, is far more effective for permanent weight loss than choosing risky, stomach-shrinking surgery. One extra thing you need to be aware of is how to Stop or Reverse Weight Creep following surgery – take a look at our dedicated page.
Do You Want to Lose Weight?
If you are serious about wanting to lose weight, you should read further down the page about the Award Winning, Medically Endorsed My Weigh Less Treatment. Learn why over a thousand people, both celebrities and members of the public, worked with Martin and Marion Shirran to complete the course. Read about Sarah Hart’s photo above, who lost 140 pounds on the treatment. My Weigh Less, featured on This Morning TV Show. Read our dedicated page: Alternative to Gastric Sleeve Surgery
Top Five FAQs About Having Gastric Band Surgery
FAQ 1: How much weight will I lose after gastric band surgery?
ANSWER: As a general rule, patients can expect to lose around 50% of their excess weight. If you weigh 300 pounds, for example, and your ideal weight is 140 pounds, your excess weight is 160 pounds. But on average, if you only lost half of your excess weight, your end weight would be 220 pounds, which is still significantly overweight, of course!
FAQ 2: How fast will I lose weight after gastric band surgery?
ANSWER: The rate of weight loss with gastric band patients is not as fast as with the more invasive procedures, such as the gastric sleeve or the gastric bypass. Following surgery, patients can expect to initially lose between one to two pounds per week. This will slow down over time to around one pound per week.
FAQ 3: What are the potential complications of gastric band surgery?
ANSWER: A reported 26% of patients suffer complications following the procedure. This includes blood clots, bowel function changes, bowel perforations, and oesophageal dilation. Addition problems include food trapping, gallstones, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, hernia, indigestion (Dyspepsia), food intolerance, nausea, vomiting, pneumonia, port problems and pouch dilation. (Info from Obesity News Today) That’s quite a list, isn’t it?
FAQ 4: Will gastric band surgery affect my social life?
ANSWER: Most definitely! Following your procedure, it’s possible that social events involving food will change dramatically. You may need to change your activities and timings. And, of course, some of your friends may not be keen on that. Some gastric band patients prefer not to eat at all in the company because of having to cut their food into tiny pieces and chew each mouthful up to 20 times. Also, the possibility of experiencing embarrassing “productive burping”, where food re-emerges without much warning, can be off-putting for some.
FAQ 5: What will my life be like after gastric band surgery?
ANSWER: Having weight loss surgery is a drastic, lifelong commitment which needs to be considered very carefully. It is surprising to some people that weight loss surgery is not something you do instead of diet and exercise. But it is something you do in addition. In fact, if you want to achieve successful weight loss, adopting improved eating habits and incorporating a healthy lifestyle are vital after your band is fitted. Losing weight ahead of surgery is almost always required; read this post about Pre-Surgery Weight Loss.
Conclusion
In the world of weight loss, gastric bands have been a widely adopted method, promising a smaller stomach and substantial weight loss. However, as we’ve uncovered, they come with their fair share of challenges, including the potential for cheating, complications, and the need for lifelong commitment. More importantly, the notion that they provide a permanent solution is often shattered by the reality of weight regain, sometimes called ‘Creep’.
The Alternative
But there is hope, and it comes in the form of the proven My Weigh Less programme, a non-surgical, cost-effective, and risk-free alternative. This programme offers a path to successful weight loss without the need for invasive procedures. By addressing the psychological aspects of obesity and improving your relationship with food, My Weigh Less stands as a beacon of hope for those seeking lasting results.
Not A Silver Bullet
Remember, weight loss surgery, while an option for some, is not a silver bullet. Sustainable change comes from within by transforming your mindset and adopting healthier habits. If you’re serious about shedding those excess pounds and embarking on a journey toward a healthier you, then consider the My Weigh Less programme, a proven and safe path to achieving your weight-loss goals. Say goodbye to the risks and challenges associated with surgical options and embrace a brighter, healthier future with My Weigh Less.
The Award-Winning My Weigh Less
If you’re fed up with countless failed diets that promise the world but deliver little and are searching for a medically endorsed answer, backed by extensive clinical trials, welcome to My Weigh Less, the prestigious downloadable weight-loss course, brought to you by Oxford Therapeutics Limited. Experience ‘utopia’ in the world of weight loss with My Weigh Less, where permanent weight loss becomes a reality. Our programme boasts medical endorsement, a non-surgical approach, and seamless digital accessibility – no diets, strenuous workouts, or costly meal replacements required!
A Permanent Solution to Weight Loss
During the twelve sessions that make up the award-winning My Weigh Less Course we will share with you a number of psychology-focused, unique, weight-loss interventions that you can start to use immediately. The medically endorsed treatment is based around 15,000 1:1 clinical hours, working with over a thousand individuals. My Weigh Less delivers a permanent solution.
My Weigh Less Downloadable Course
Sarah Hart below lost an amazing 140 pounds without resorting to gastric band surgery. That was twelve years ago, and she has successfully kept the weight off ever since. She has appeared on TV in the UK and in Australia, she has also had her story told in countless newspapers and magazines. Sarah is one of over a thousand people, who have opted for the alternative treatment: the Gastric Mind Band.
Martin and Marion Shirran – My Weigh Less
The story of Martin and Marion’s work has been told on TV on both sides of the Atlantic. Also, their non-surgical gastric band treatment has been the treatment of choice for many medical professionals over the last ten years. Now, for the first time, it is available online. Does It Work….? Good Question…Visit the Medical Endorsement page
My Weigh Less is explained in detail on the dedicated website. You can listen to a short audio introduction from Martin and Marion and watch an explanation video of their treatment. Their books have also been endorsed by Professor Windy Dryden of Goldsmiths University London and by Professor Philip Zimbardo of Stanford University San Fransisco.
Martin Shirran, one of first trial candidates.
If you want to lose weight for good and have looked into surgery, then take a step back before you decide to put your body through the stress and trauma of a major operation. You do not need to spend any money right now. Just take ten minutes to read the pages of the My Weigh Less website. After all, you have nothing to lose. Martin, above, lost over 80 pounds during the initial trials of their treatment. There’s additional information on Martin and Marion Shirran’s Gastric Mind Band site.
My Weigh Less Delivers…
– Permanent Weight Loss –
– No Diet or Exercise Required –
– Medically Endorsed –
– 15,000 1:1 Clinical Hours Experience –
– Fully Downloadable –
– Featured in Global Media –
– Award-Winning Treatment –
An Optimised, Award-Winning Approach to Permanent Weight Loss
Marion Shirran, is proud to be a registered Stakeholder in NICE – The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and is also pleased to be involved in the Governments All Party Parliamentary Group on Obesity.
Martin and Marion are co-authors of two, bestselling books, published by Hay House in New York.
Martin and Marion were proud to be awarded the ‘Most Innovative Obesity Psychological Therapy’ in the UK Mental Health Awards 2022.
The My Weigh Less Downloadable Treatment is provided by Oxford Therapeutics Limited
You can download the complete course, and start your weight-loss journey today.
View Short Animated My Weigh Less Video below
Although the weight-loss results and success stories shown on the site are typical, individual results will vary, and are not guaranteed. Weight-loss success depends on each individual’s level of motivation, commitment, food intake and metabolism.
Interested Investors, potential partners and collaborators may find the corporate page of interest.