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My 15 year old son needs gastric band

Posted , 5 users are following.

michelle64524
michelle64524

Been to hospital and been told my son needs gastric band we are both terrified as don't what to expect we would preferably like to try and loose his weight with diet and exercise and help 

could anyone advise as feel so lost as what to do

0 likes, 17 replies

17 Replies

  • Rocketman_SG6UK
    Rocketman_SG6UK michelle64524

    Posted

    I have a friend who had a gastrick band fitted - it worked, he lost weight, but he is now slowly putting weight back on.

    I did it by changing my diet entirely - but you need strong willpower.

    The pain in my hip joint finally persuaded me to do it -  I have now had a hip replacement, and am SO glad I lost weight naturally.  

    I did it without extra exercise due to the hip pain.

    I was 23.5 stone, and now down to 17.5 stone (a 70 pound loss).

    Carrying on with it to reduce the strain on my other hip - I don't want to go through this pain of having an operation and months of recovery again.

    Best wishes

    Graham

    • Rocketman_SG6UK
      Rocketman_SG6UK ash1976

      Posted

      I think he didn't have the commitment, plus his wife is also very overweight and I suspect does not help as much as my wife.

      Having good support from those around you is so good - my wife kept an eye on me, and I visited my surgery nurse every 2 weeks to get weighed.  She was fantastic, and was genuinely excited every time she weighed me, which in turn fired me up to keep on with the admittedly very tough dieting.

      I kept strict records of my weight, blood sugar, pressure cholesterol etc. on a spreadsheet, and a target line set on it.  I have all my old belts, which I had to punch extra holes in every few weeks - a great boost to my ego that was.  18 months later I am 8 inches smaller around the waist, and 70 pounds lighter - I had to buy all new clothes.  My shoe size even dropped due to less pressure on my feet.

      You have to find something that will work for you - I used to take cheese sandwiches, pork pies etc to work, I changed it to salads with a little lean meat.  Pickles are low calorie to spice it up a bit.  Add in some fruit, apples are a good stomach filler. Eventually the stomach shrinks, and you do not want to eat so much.

      Keep an eye on the food packaging, 'low fat' is not necessarily the best, 'low calorie' is better.  Some yoghurts are low fat, but high calorie content.

      Hope this helps.

      Regards

      Graham

  • Bandid
    Bandid michelle64524

    Posted

    i have a band some 7 yrs or more - its not a magic wand but a tool to aid wgt loss - your son will need to be committed to losing wgt and work with the band - has your son tried to lose wgt by changing his diet and exercising - if so and this has not worked perhaps counselling would help to determine the reasons why - if your son has not tried to lose wgt by diet and exercise perhaps he should try that first however the hosp has presumably his best interests at heart and they know his medical history which is poss why the band has been suggested.  Its a big step and he is young - for me it was a last resort as i had tried every wgt loss method under the sun - have you considered attending a support group or wgt loss surgery forum in order to get a broader selection of view points - wlsinfo offer such groups or you could try your local hosp who may run a self help or support group - good luck

    u

    • michelle64524
      michelle64524 Bandid

      Posted

      Thank you we haven't properly tried diet and exercise to be honest and if I'm 100% honest I don't want him to have the band because I know once he starts losing weight and sees the results he will want to continue

      Thank you so much for the advice

    • ash1976
      ash1976 michelle64524

      Posted

      Michelle start him at slimming world n let him follow that diet n maybe the gym also x
  • ash1976
    ash1976 michelle64524

    Posted

    I'm not sure of ur sons weight but I can say if he has tried properly to lose weight by healthy eating and exercise and has failed this is his last resort... I have lost 2 stone since August but he will b eating healthier food and his diet will change forever..I would be preparing him for this before making a decision.. His eating pattern will be very different to pre op x
    • Bandid
      Bandid ash1976

      Posted

      at 15 though can he have tried all the other types of wgt reduction - and is he old enough to cope with the commitment wgt loss surgery brings with it - that would be my concern if he was my son -  it is true that his eating pattern will change forever but it is possible to eat around a band and to also eat unhealthily - the band doesnt chose healthy foods - you still have to do that yourself - at 15 is he ready for that cos a whole pot of ice cream will go down easy peasy with a band but a dish of salad isnt so easy with full restriction 
    • michelle64524
      michelle64524 ash1976

      Posted

      He doesn't want to have it done it's the hospital who have have the decision for him just hoping I can have a say and try other methods before this as this is last resort just hope I'm not too late thank you for the advice
    • Bandid
      Bandid michelle64524

      Posted

      obviously us here on ths forum do not know his medical history and it could be that is the reason for this recommendation from the hosp but personally if he does not want to have it then I think that could be a stumbling block cos it will be down to him to work with it and if he is having this surgery against his will then I cant see that he is going to get the best out of it - obviously you both need to talk more with the consultant i would say and get as much info as possible - also talk with the dietician and learn about the kind of diet he would need to follow if he were to have a band
    • Rocketman_SG6UK
      Rocketman_SG6UK michelle64524

      Posted

      Michelle,

      Some very good advice from Bandid there - if only your son could have seen the pain I was in before my total hip replacement operation, and see what I am having to go through now (3 to 6 months of painful rehabilitation), it might change his mind.  I only wish I had lost weight earlier in life.

      Regards

      Graham

    • michelle64524
      michelle64524 Bandid

      Posted

      Thank you some really good advice he doesn't want it done so going to try every other possibility 1st as he's so young I want him to enjoy life and he's has really only beginning

      Will speak with hospital and see what other alternatives there are

      Thank you

  • dianne91970
    dianne91970 michelle64524

    Posted

    Dear Michelle. You should be proud of yourself for being such a supportive mother. My suggestions would be to cut down on portion size. There is a guide online giving recommended calorie/fat/protein portions but I am at a loss to remember the name. Cut right back on fizzy drinks, cake, biscuits, crisps etc etc. Check the sugar content of cereals. As for exercise, if there is anything he really likes doing encourage it 100% if not walking is the best thing. I wish you every success. D Ps let us know how you get on.
    • michelle64524
      michelle64524 dianne91970

      Posted

      Thank you so much but I feel such a failure as a mother x and we are trying desperately to cut down on intake and quantity of food

      We are also making better choices I've cut out fizzy drink apart from fizzy water x just hope I'm not too late to help my son x

    • dianne91970
      dianne91970 michelle64524

      Posted

      No Michelle it's not too late. I have a 16 year old grandson who has weight problems and we as a family all know what we ought to do but the temptations are very hard to resist.

      Ask for a referral to a dietician/nutritionist and see how that goes. Good luck. D

    • Rocketman_SG6UK
      Rocketman_SG6UK michelle64524

      Posted

      It's never too late .... having said that, it was for me.

      Fizzy drinks are the worst - they expand the stomach, I even cut out beer and switched to wine which helped as you tend to have less quantity too.

      Regards

      Graham

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