Reductil V Band

[cando]

Morning everyone, there area coupkle of things still niggling me, i wonder if anyone can help?

I have a BMI of 43, so about 75/85 pounds to loose - I am only 5 ft so every pound counts and I keep feeling guilty about having the band. When I read about peoples starting weight/BMI I think 'should I really try reductil again instead'. I swing between this thought and the other one which is 'The band is the ultimate portion control and combined with a bit of excercise this is by far a long term solution and should be achieved more quickly than reductil (which i have tried before)'

The portion sizes you eat after band, are they what slim people would eat anyway?

Also, the scars and port, do they bother you?

How do all you banders feel say i month on, and 2 months on.

Please help as my head if full up? X

Lou

 

[tesmaralda]

I cant help with the banding bit as i am awaiting a date for a bypass but I found reductil no good, as eat irregularly sometimes just once a day as i am not hungry i put weight on. This was given to me by a gp who stated i would never get funding because of my back problem.
As he knows nothing about wls it showed because I got funding and my back helped. Its up to you in heart of hearts do you think reductil will work or will you need the band to use as a tool to helpyou regain your control over portion sizes.

 

[j.u.s.t.l.i.z.]

i also had tried reductil, but it made me ill and they took it off me, i also found it to be a short term fix as you cant stay on it forever, my band rules far over reductil, and is a long term solution if the band isnt cheated and the band rules are followed correctly.

as for portion sizes, thats brought in more as the fills come, i was a volume eater and loved a big meal,i now have good restriction, and i would say my portion size of the correct type of food is the same size as my 8 year old son, some times i can finish the meal others not, depending on what the meal is.

im way past the early stages and im nearly 4 years down the road being banded, i feel now as i felt in the early days, which is " i love my band ". i have no regrets and i only wish id not wasted time but did it sooner.
my scars dont bother me and they do eventually fade to small white lines, the port can be uncomfy at times but its ok.

it all depends on personal opinion what you want long term, with the right support the band results are there to be taken.

good luck

liz xx

 

[charliegirl]

I tried reductil and it never worked for me dispite the dose being increased to the maximum....like Liz said its a short term fix you cant stay on it for more than two years...xx

 

[Sambucca]

reductil gave me palpitations and cold sweats and I would lay awake nearly all night where as IM usually a heavy sleeper. I wouldnt take it again if they paid me

 

[serenitylove]

i did really well on reductil until it put my blo pressure up and lost 4 st in 3 mnth but once of it again i put it all back on plus an extra stone, i was banded in sept08 since then i have lost 2 n half stone so far hoping it will be more once i have restriction but yes i do eat smaller portions already and im looking at this as a life long weight managment thing where as reductil was a short term fix . in the first month after op i felt brilliant weight came off which has made so much difference aqny soreness from the op had completly gone, and now 3 months on i feel even better its a slow prosess as you have to wait for fills but the time waiting is helping me adjust to a new relationship with food a healthier one for me it is the desition i have made in my life
id ask yourself once you have lost weight on reductil do you think you will be able to maintain it unaided if you do then it may be worth trying again if not then the band may be a better option and good luck

 

[fatbutnot4eva]

i hated reductil it mead me moody and depressed i am now on xenical which is blood awful and i have to say does not work for me but need to stay on it another 3montsh to get my band.
the gym is what is working for me not xenical.
i wat the band then will sort out my large appetite and aso cut down the gym to 2-3 times a week instead of 5.
xx
good luck

 

[hopelesscase]

The portion sizes you eat after band, are they what slim people would eat anyway?

Lou

Lou im sorry but i found myself laughed at this question. my sister is a size 8/10 and has always eaten more than me. and i was a size 26.

Being big isnt all about how much you eat, for some people its about matabolism, for some its about wrong food choices and for others it may be down to sedentary life styles or even medications there is a whole host of reasons.

ive been bypassed so cant comment on portion size for a bander but to give you an idea of our portion size i was out for lunch with PG and lesleyweb and if lesleyweb had of already had her bypass the jacket potato with prawns and salad that we ordered would of fed all 3 of us.

as it happend lesley didnt eat but there was plenty left to of fed another bypasser.

Hth
hc

 

[Mrs V]

I was given Xenical and basically lost 2lbs in 4 months and was following an eating plan that the Dr gave me 100%, so what was going on, I dont know! Lol....not only that, but you cant burp cough, sneeze or anything else without needing a change of pants and to go to the bathroom....well....lets just say that a lot of washing liquid was used up in my House!
I opted for a band privately (I saved hard for it, as I couldnt face the idea of waiting for a decision on the NHS...too stressful for me!).
I had the op on the 29th Feb 08 and havent looked back! The scars dont bother me, as I will never be a bikini babe (having a baby confirmed this too!). The only discomfort I get, is sometimes my port moves a little or catches, but the Consultant has assured me that this is all normal and that its because I have less subcontaneous fat around my waist! (I love that!!!)
The weight comes off slowly, like as if you were doing the SW or WW plan, but it stays off and in actual fact, I am following the SW plan now just in smaller quantities. My portion size has dropped considerably, but then thinking back to what I used to eat is certainly not a bad thing!
I find that my band is tighter in the morning, so I just have a yoghurt for breakfast and then have a bigger lunch ie salad, and then if I am still hungry something for my tea.
Email me if you want to know more and I would be more than happy to share my experience with you.

Kerry-Ann

 

[cazbandy]

It was a long time ago I tried Reductil, after 1 month I could not cope with what it was doing to me. I got moody, aggressive and as for the poos, I ask you.

So I took myself of those and when the doctor weighed me, I had lost 1lb in a month.

Which was pointless.

It was years later I made he decision to have a band. As I had already tried and failed with reductil they decided not to go down that route again and because I had diabetes2, HBP and HC it was my only realistic option to tryy and sort my weight out.

That was over 2 months ago now and I have to say I am more than happy. I have had one fill and have reasonable restriction (physically and mentally)

I have lost28lbs from my heaviest weight and dropped 2 dress sizes. I can walk faster withouth getting exhausted, even run up the stairs at home. I am not so tired all the time, and to have control over my food, well thats simply magical.

I can give you an example of my daily intake (which does vary, as sometimes the band seems tight, sometimes loose) but here goes:-

Breakfast usually consists of a bowl of micro oats (golden syrup flavour) or a big banana.

I drink a cup of tea with sweetners half an hour after that.

For lunch I have a tin of soup, with 1 slice wholemeal bread. Or an omlette that fits on a side plate made with two eggs and some cheese.

Again I will have a cuppa half an hour after.

Dinner is usually say something like 5-6 sprouts, 2 small roast potatoes, 3 slices of chicken breast, 1 dessert spoon peas and carrots and some gravy.

Again after that I have a cuppa half an hour after.

Between all this I drink water but not for hlf an hour before or after I eat, or maybe fruitjuice or sugar free squash.

I rarely snack but occasionally I buy a small trial size of Quality Street or Lindor if the mood takes me. (About 4-6 small chocs)

My scars are very small, still a little purple but fading nicely. As the others have said, now and then, the port sort of makes its presence known but for the most part you forget its there at all.

I know this is the best decision I made for me, I can see myself metamorphisizing before my very eyes. The weight comes off slowly but it tends to stay off (apart from over Christmas, but hey...you have to live your life with this and there will be times where you go a little nutty) and that seems amazing to me.

So if I had to go back in a TARDIS and choose...the band or for that matter the bypass would win time after time. When you get to a certain size and all you do is yo-yo its time to take the bull by the horns and do what it takes to get healthy.

I wish you all the best with whatever decision you make - it has to be right or you.

 

[serenitylove]

It was a long time ago I tried Reductil, after 1 month I could not cope with what it was doing to me. I got moody, aggressive and as for the poos, I ask you.

So I took myself of those and when the doctor weighed me, I had lost 1lb in a month.

Which was pointless.

It was years later I made he decision to have a band. As I had already tried and failed with reductil they decided not to go down that route again and because I had diabetes2, HBP and HC it was my only realistic option to tryy and sort my weight out.

That was over 2 months ago now and I have to say I am more than happy. I have had one fill and have reasonable restriction (physically and mentally)

I have lost28lbs from my heaviest weight and dropped 2 dress sizes. I can walk faster withouth getting exhausted, even run up the stairs at home. I am not so tired all the time, and to have control over my food, well thats simply magical.

I can give you an example of my daily intake (which does vary, as sometimes the band seems tight, sometimes loose) but here goes:-

Breakfast usually consists of a bowl of micro oats (golden syrup flavour) or a big banana.

I drink a cup of tea with sweetners half an hour after that.

For lunch I have a tin of soup, with 1 slice wholemeal bread. Or an omlette that fits on a side plate made with two eggs and some cheese.

Again I will have a cuppa half an hour after.

Dinner is usually say something like 5-6 sprouts, 2 small roast potatoes, 3 slices of chicken breast, 1 dessert spoon peas and carrots and some gravy.

Again after that I have a cuppa half an hour after.

Between all this I drink water but not for hlf an hour before or after I eat, or maybe fruitjuice or sugar free squash.

I rarely snack but occasionally I buy a small trial size of Quality Street or Lindor if the mood takes me. (About 4-6 small chocs)

My scars are very small, still a little purple but fading nicely. As the others have said, now and then, the port sort of makes its presence known but for the most part you forget its there at all.

I know this is the best decision I made for me, I can see myself metamorphisizing before my very eyes. The weight comes off slowly but it tends to stay off (apart from over Christmas, but hey...you have to live your life with this and there will be times where you go a little nutty) and that seems amazing to me.

So if I had to go back in a TARDIS and choose...the band or for that matter the bypass would win time after time. When you get to a certain size and all you do is yo-yo its time to take the bull by the horns and do what it takes to get healthy.

I wish you all the best with whatever decision you make - it has to be right or you.

your diet is simular to mine after my first fill but after my second i had to have a total rethink as the bread and most meats wont now go down i do miss bread now i have

coffee
after 10 mins porridge golden syrup flavour[it yummy lol]

lunch
cream cheese on crackers 5 or 6

dinner

jacket potatoe with boiled egg and a little grated cheese

sometimes casserole if it cut finely

and pleanty of tea and water in between

snacks one week a month i have dark chocolate but only by a small bar and make it last for my pmt craving or i have baked watsit crisps as a treat i dont ever deny myself just dont go mad

 

[cando]

Thank you so much, all of you for sharing your experiences and commiting yourself to type. There is nothing like hearing it from the horses mouth, so thank you.

I guess I am getting really nervous and although I am possibly going in Sunday for the band I am also thinking, should I leave it until after my cycle ride around Cuba in March, after all my wounds will get hot and sweaty won't they? And do you know what, although I am waiting for the Co[ordinator to call back to confirm I am going in on Sunday, I sort of dont mind if she does or does not, because if she does, I will have it done, and if she doesn't I will wait until I come back. But one thing is for sure, i know it is the right thing to do, so thank you once again. You are a very supportive bunch

Lou X

 

[waynetta]

Hi Cando, I've tried all the tablets and not one was any good chucks!

 

[weight loss hopeful]

I had my band 6weeks ago. I am due my 1st fill next tues. I dont have much restriction and can eat around half what i used to be able to pre op. I will let you know how much i can eat after my fill. Your wounds are just under the bust line so they shouldnt get too hot and sweaty. Good luck for the bike ride.

You have to make the right decision for you. Good luck for sunday. fingers crossed it all goes well. I look forward to hearing your experiences post op. Take care R x

 

[cando]

Weight loss hopeful, given that youare 6 weeks in, nearly 2 stone lighter, do you fell you could be excercising right now. Cycling maybe? Certainly will let you know of my experiences post op, and thnks for you support

 

[brett30]

well im having a gastric bypass so dont know about the band ..

but reductil .... i lost 7 1/2 stones on reductil but was very ill at times with side effects but i made it work for me as at the time i had been waiting for surgery and got let down by my then surgeon who never got his funding ..

reductil was ok for a short time but after 12 months they stop giving it to you anyway and it all comes back ..

i think what u want is what you get at the end of the day your number 1 to your self in this life if you dont do it for you who will .. look out for your own health and life .. if teh band will help you long term then thats what you need to do ... its not good pumping your body full of weight loss products anyway and to deal with teh side effects i would rather do the best option ..

so u think about you and not others and do what you want ..

good luck ..

by the way i put the 7 1/2 stone back on and more xx