Customer Reviews

Fighting Weight: How I Achieved Healthy Weight Loss with "Banding," a New Procedure That Eliminates Hunger--Forever

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I originally bought this because it was one of the few books available about Lap band surgery. I'll admit I was prejudiced against it at the outset because the writer is a celebrity, so how much similiarity to my own experiences could she possibly have? Well, I was wrong in my preconceived notions. Khaliah's journey before the Lap Band is similiar to those of many overweight folks - though I am thankful that mine wasn't as prominently displayed in the limelight as hers. Her story is very personable and I found that learning about her failures and learning curve in obtaining and living with the band were the most informative sections of the book. Her doctors interject their chapters in between hers and are very informative as well. I found a goodly bit of information that's available in other books, but it was Khaliah's personal journey that I learned the most from. I hope that she comes out with a second book for living with a lap band - something with her average menus, receipes, workouts, eating out experiences, etc. Thank you for writing this book, it was a very pleasant read indeed! :^)

This book is less about biology and the specifics of the surgery and more about one person's struggle with weight loss through the band. It's a personal story and it is well told. I can't imagine how difficult it must have been to grow up in such a physical family and be the fat one.. this book is very honest and if you are struggling with your weight and are considering making a change, this is a great read. It's not a medical journal, it's a personal journey.

I highly reccomend this book for anyone who is thinking about Lap-Band surgery. I had my surgery on May 21st and I found this book very interesting from a story point of view and a learning experiance. Get the book!

From: www.BasilAndSpice.com

Author & Book Views On A Healthy Life!

Book Review: Fighting Weight: How I Achieved Healthy Weight Loss With Banding by Khaliah Ali, George Fielding,Christine Ren, Lawrence Lindner

Khaliah Ali's book, Fighting Weight showcases her debut about her life and struggle with weight loss. After years of worrying about her morbidity, the author underwent gastric banding. Dr. George Fielding, of the New York University School of Medicine developed the technique that is used today for band implantation.

Fighting Weight states the benefits of gastric banding to be:

Removable--the band is simply placed around the stomach and periodically tightened, and may be withdrawn if necessary.

Lower Risk--associated with gastric banding than a gastric bypass. 1 in 2,000 versus the bypass's 1 in 200.

Lower Rules--pre-op weight loss and psychological evaluation are "less stringent" because the surgery is safer.

Patient Follow-Up--you'll see the doctor more often because the band will need to be tightened periodically. (Ms. Ali states that this is performed without anesthesia as an outpatient.)

No Hunger--the band tightening keeps the hunger away. The stomach will not stretch out as it may with the gastric bypass.

Dumping--there is no blood sugar drop after eating a little sugar as appears after a gastric bypass. (no sweats or nausea)

Nutritional Deficiencies--a multivitamin is recommended after banding. A gastric bypass patient will take supplements for his lifetime.

Pregnancy--the band is loosened and considered safe.

Surgery--less than an hour, back home after one day in the hospital; 1 of 5 weight-loss operations in the USA is a banding procedure. It's been utilized in Europe since the 1990's and was approved for the USA in 2001.

For those unaware of this type of weight loss, there is a comparison of it with the gastric bypass, offering the banding alternative. The procedure is thoroughly explained and includes of course Khaliah Ali's patient viewpoint.

5 Stars

This book is not so much about the lapband, living with the band, or the surgery its self, its a biography. Its all about Khahliah Ali tooting her own horn, and contains no info. on managing life with the band, helpful tips for living with the band, information about the surgery, or tips on food choices. If you are interested in Khaliah's life story then this is a good book to read, but if you want a book that will help you, and give you information about living with the band, keep looking.

I bought this book because it was co-written by my surgeon, but I didn't get much out of it. Not terribly inspiring or well written.

This book was recommended to me after I had my surgery. Since I had done a lot of research prior to the event, the book was just a good read for me.

However, I feel that Ms. Ali wrote a very informative book and managed to keep it entertaining. Had I the opportunity to have read it before my proceedure, I think that it would have eased some of my fears. I saw Ms. Ali on Dancing With The Stars, and after reading this book, I must admit that I would have never thought she had a problem at one time with weight.

I have since passed the book on to another lapband candidate.

The title of this book is misleading, if not completely false! I have a gastric band around my stomach, and I can tell you that it does NOT eliminate hunger forever. I know many lap-band patients through a support group, and we all agree that the band has definitely NOT taken away our hunger. The band is only a small tool in the struggle of weight loss, and you still have to "do the work" of weight loss by suffering with deprivation and hunger, like everyone else. Plus, all of the "bad" foods like cookies, candy, potato chips, cake, slip right through the band, as if you never had surgery. This book falsely elevates the band to be a miracle cure for hunger and obesity. As a lap-band patient for the past two years, I can tell you that it's simply not true.

Its nice to hear about her personal struggles. However, the Lap Band doesn't eliminate hunger- it helps you feel satisfied. There is a HUGE difference. You still need to deal with the emoitonal issues and mistaken beliefs about food. It is a TOOL not a miracle. The misleading approach messed me up for a couple years until I finally got it.

Khaliah's story touched my heart, and I enjoyed reading about her experiences. The way her feelings were openly expressed gave me new insight into my own struggle with self-worth and weight control. (Perfect title, by the way!) The information shared by Drs. Fielding and Ren was easy to understand and very helpful, too. I would recommend this book to others.