Let's Lose Weight!

Method: good glucids and bad glucids. You should not count the calories and do not limit the glucid ingestion.

It is composed of three phases:

Phase 1 where you can eat all what you want except carbohydrates which are banned and cannot drink alcohol, beer, etc.

Phase 2: reintroducing some of the prohibited food, this phase lasts as long as you wish or have to lose weight.

Phase 3: maintaining your new weight.

When adopting this diet plan, you are not supposed to feel hungry. On the other hand, that kind of weight loss diet plan can be rather expensive.

Calorie restriction is the easiest diet to understand.

In this kind of diet, you must remove some types of food. It is a healthy diet, a better quality of life which brings a good health, few hyper or hypotension problems.

The problem with this diet is that you can feel hungry, you must always count the calories and know perfectly the contents of each food. You will also have to restrict the meals at the restaurant...

Hum... not so fine, isn't it?

The Zone is a simple but restrictive diet plan.

Here's what you can eat:

Carbohydrates

Proteins

Fats (olive oil, butter)

What you cannot eat:

Fruits and vegetables that are high in sugar

Potatoes, rice, pasta, bread, etc

What you cannot drink:

Alcohol

Sodas, etc

The Zone Diet is a quick weight loss plan but unfortunately once the diet is finished, one is likely to gain weight again.

I do not recommend it.

This kind of quick diet method enables you to lose weight very quickly.

It is easy to follow and you may eat a great number and a large variety of food.

While following this mode, you will not be hungry. It is a very positive point.

On the other hand, since you take few carb, it can produce a loss of energy and vitality when it is prolonged. If you take glucids, you will gain weight and alcohol is completely prohibited.

If you want to feel more fresh, lighter or more energetic, choose Detox/Cleansing Diet.

Detox Diet will cleanse your liver which will metabolize the food more quickly and allows you a long term weight loss. However, that kind of weight loss program is not easy to follow without being hungry.

For this reason, it's hard to stick to that diet plan more than two weeks at once.

Tip: have a Detox Diet just before leaving on holiday.

The Green Tea weight loss diet is the easiest diet to do!

It is highly appreciated by the professionals and seems being really effective.

Drinking green tea not only helps you to lose weight but it is also very good for your health. But pay attention to the fact that the loss of weight is not as spectacular as with reducing diets.

And you have to like to drink green tea ;-)

If you take weight loss pills you can boost their action by changing your way of eating.

You could make it healthier by limiting your portions and reducing the amount of fats that you consume.

There are also other excellent ways to boost the effect of pills while maintaining your body in a good health: for example, walking and cycling.

Breakfast

Tea or Coffee without sugar
1 piece of cheese (cantal)
3 figs
3 toasts with butter

Lunch

150g steak with tomatoes and zucchini
3 prunes

Collation

60g cheese with bread (Comté)

Dinner

90g limoned beets
110g steamed sole
80g rice with tomatoes
60g sweetened raspberries

Breakfast

Tea or Coffee without sugar
5 tablespoons Muesli with skimmed milk
1 grape juice
1 toast with butter
1 piece of cheese (Emmenthal)

Lunch

100g grated celery
150g rabbit in mustard sauce
130g boiled fennel with a tea spoon light butter
1 banana

Collation

60 g dry figs

Dinner

1/2 avocado
110g lemoned calf collop
100g steamed cauliflower with butter
40g cheese with bread (Roquefort)

Breakfast

Tea or Coffee without sugar
5 tablespoons Muesli with skimmed milk
1 grape juice
1 toast with butter
1 piece of cheese (Emmenthal)

Lunch

100g grated celery
150g rabbit in mustard sauce
130g boiled fennel with a tea spoon light butter
1 banana

Collation

1 low calorie cookie

Dinner

1/2 avocado
110g lemoned calf collop
100g steamed cauliflower with butter
40g cheese with bread (Roquefort)

Click here to get a free 8 weeks diet plan :)

Energy for 100 g:

Artichokes (energy: 40 cal)
Asparagus (energy: 25 cal)
Broccoli (energy: 35 cal)
Cabbage (energy: 28 cal)
Cauliflowers (energy: 30 cal)
Chinese Cabbage (energy: 12 cal)
Green Beens (energy: 40 cal)
Lettuce (energy: 18 cal)
Mushrooms (energy: 28 cal)
Pumpkin (energy: 30 cal)
Spinash (energy:25 cal)
Tomato (energy 20 cal)
Watercress (energy: 20 cal)
Zucchini (energy: 30 cal)

The first "inflatable" lap banding.

Nine years ago, I decided to lose weight one time for all and never have to try the "miracle diet X" or the "wonderful weight loss program Y" nor the "terrific lose weight in 10 hours while you sleep" any more.

So, I opted for the weight loss surgery and consulted a doctor in order to have information about the different weight loss surgeries available in my country and their cost.

As everybody knows, Belgian citizens have the "social security" paying for their medical costs and surgeries but all weight loss surgeries are not covered by the social security. For example, the "fasten" technique is reimbursed up to 75% (it costs +/- 600 euros to the patient and 1800 euros to the social security) but the inflatable lap banding such as Kusmak are not refunded by the social security.

I also wanted to know what surgery is reversible, what are the risks, how big will be the scar after the surgery - hey, if I lose weight, I hope well to be able to put a bikini at the beach ;-)

Here is the info:

Fasten = large scar on the entire abdomen, is likely to make jump fasten them when one eats too much, great risk of infection after the surgery; risks of rejection, liquid food during three weeks. Not for me, thank you :)

Inflatable Lap Banding = laparoscopy and very small scars, inflatable at will, solid food the very next day after the surgery and 80% less risks of infection ; 99% less risks of rejection.

In Belgium the only well known inflatable lap banding was the Kusmak lap banding, which was produced in Santa Barbara, California and cost 1600 euros. Two new inflatable lap bandings were just created but there was no feedback yet on their subject.

(This is the Kuskmak lap band, unfortunately, catheter is not in the right position) ===>

March 1998. The operation occurred well; I had a gastric probe that I removed immediately. I received nothing to eat. I was gone at the hospital restaurant and drank some soup. I also drank 1 1/2 litre of water. Then, all the day I read and smoked.

The next morning, I required that the doctor leave the green because I wanted to know if the joining that connected the lap banding to my stomach was healed. If yes, I could eat! Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Good news: 24 hours after the operation, I can eat! Never seen before, according to what the doctor said. I received a beautiful plate with turkey net, mashed potatoes and mushrooms. Hum... The ring was working really well: I ate two pieces of turkey, a mashed potatoes spoon and a little sauce.

Three days later, I was home. The first month, I lost 10 kilos (20 pounds).

That was great!

Let's recap.

The benefits of the inflatable lap banding in MY case:

- no bleeding
- no liquid food
- 3 days hospitalized
- can eat after only 24 hours
- no side effects
- fast weight loss

That was great!

Losing weight was some kind of resurrection!

My life changed, my character also changed but sometimes my body seemed strange to me. I could feel my bones under my skin and that distressed me.

Having taken information, I learned that it was necessary to wait one year before being accustomed to my new body.

During the year 1998, the lap banding was inflated twice until reaching 3cc. It was deflated once because the food did not pass any more.

It is disadvised that the lap banding functions during a pregnancy, therefore, between July and October 1999, the lap banding was inflated and deflated one more time.

This apparatus is practical: it can be handled as we want! I really thought that it was the best decision than I took in my life.

But the year 1999 was also the time that the troubles started!

The doctor did not like the meetings of inflation and deflating: that annoyed him. He was irritated and broke the lap banding.

May 2000: new surgical operation to replace the catheter; this time, the scar was painful (and still is!) and horrible (20 cm long)!

From May 2000 to December 2001, the consecutive problems of this surgical operation continued gradually: the food did not pass any more ; I passed imperceptibly from solid food to liquid food ; I had belly-ache, my skin was grey (people who did not know me thought that I took drugs), I was unable to remain sitted on a chair (even my boss was anxious and he gave me another desk and a better chair) or in a sofa, unable to sleep on the left side, my health deteriorated completely...

The doctor, did not find (or did not want to) the problem.

I thus consulted another doctor and in December 2001, the result of the medical examinations was catastrophic: the lap banding had to be removed urgently!

Diagnosis: I was dying...

The lap banding was removed this morning.

It's the night before Christmas and I am in a hospital instead of celebrating this holiday with my son that I miss so much!

The doctor told me that, last year, when the surgeon repaired the lap banding, he forgot to fix the box.

This case is used for the physiological salt solution injection. It had to be fixed on one of my coasts.

Being unfixed, the case moved in my body and the catheter was rolled up around my intestine and made a node. That justified the pains as well as the fact that the physiological salt solution still in the catheter has been imprisoned in the lap banding.

Thus, the lap banding became completely closed.

The other observations were the following:
- mega oesophagus,
- erosion of the stomach
- the lap banding entered my stomach

The risks:
The DEATH.

I have been lucky!

Six years later:

I still have pains at the place where the case and its catheter were tied. I also have a 20 cm scar and it looks like a "Y"; the scar is inflated and painful; I still have oesophagus problems.

In Belgium, we did not have any recourse to the justice in the event of medical errors. Since two or three years, there is a fund dedicated to the medical errors victims but there are only a few compensations.

No lawyer would dare to be opposed to a doctor and the "Belgian Order of the Doctors" protects its members.

Belgium is the country where "The wolves do not eat themselves".

I thus wrote to the Kusmak lap banding manufacturer in Santa Barbara. The USA justice protects the patient. The manufacturer agreed to transmit the file with their instructions to the Belgian distributor.

Unfortunately, Belgian staff refused to endorse any responsibility and closed the file without even reading it!

The lawyers I consulted refused the file.

My lap banding experience enables me to say that it is absolutely necessary to consult several surgeons before undertaking such an operation.

Make a list with the pros and cons, the risks; consult a lawyer to know more about your rights in the event of a problem.

There are several other lap bandings like the Kusmak (a Swedish and an Italian, for example); inform yourself about them. The doctors say that they are less dangerous.

I personally did not try them. And never will.

However, once you know the risks and that you choose the good material and a good surgeon; the lap banding is an excellent solution to lose weight without being hungry.

There are also lots of advantages with this kind of weight loss method.

Cream of the crop: you will not be hungry any more! We are not frustrated; the feeling of hunger does not exist with this method.

The secrecy lies in the quantity we can eat: the equivalent of a coffee cup. Not much, isn't it?

For example, you will not feel guilty to eat fries since you will only be able to eat two, three or four fries at once; at the end of the meal, you will not need to eat a dessert because you already have eaten too much.

During one year after the lap banding was removed, I did not feel hungry and eat the same quantities than when I had the lap banding.

Do not cheat: drinking a water mouthful after each meal mouthful helps the meal to pass the ring and enables you to eat more. So, do not do it: drink before eating.

However, there are some inconvenients:

- you will have to chew your food lengthily (24 times for the meat) ;
- do not eat beefsteak, it will pass with difficulty through the lap band ;
- also avoid the chicken net for the same reason ;
- prefer chicken legs, turkey, ribs, etc ;
- eat in a calm place ;

I am a honest person and, in spite of my bad experience, I must acknowledge that the lap banding surgery is the best solution to lose weight.

I do not know any other such effective solution.