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I saw only a single review of the Obalon balloon...
I saw only a single review of the Obalon balloon here on RealSelf, basically rating the procedure a waste, so I thought that I would post my own personal experience. Please remember that everyone is different. The other review is something you should seriously consider because you will not know what your experience is going to be like until you commit to the procedure.
I had my first balloon inserted on May 11th, 2017. My starting weight was just a little over 190 lbs and today, November 17th, at the end of my sixth month, I had them removed. My end result was a loss of 30 lbs total. Some might consider 5 lbs per month dismal but I’m quite pleased with the results.
The balloons were placed two weeks apart so at week six, all three were in. It was a little uncomfortable. The doctor who I originally worked with is no longer with the group, she was new to the procedure so all the balloons were placed with an Obalon representative present. I felt a little like a guinea pig but it’s a relatively new type of balloon so I took it in stride.
So here is my take on the balloons, what they did for me and what you should be considering if you are thinking about the procedure. One of the first things they did was assign me a nutritionist to work with, I didn’t use mine. I also did not use their portal they provided me access too. I consider myself pretty savvy, it wasn’t that I didn’t know how to eat right and lose weight, I just wanted something to help.
I had no pain during my experience. There were some mild periods of discomfort that always passed. The only thing that was constant during the entire length of time was that I could not sleep on my right side or my stomach. The balloons would become uncomfortable so I was forced to sleep either on my back or my left side.
I did not get any diet restrictions or any recommended diet plan. My doctor said to let my body tell me when to eat. It took a while to really get the hang of that. I am so used to eating at set times and meals. It is important to note that despite having the balloons, I could still eat as much as I was eating before if I wasn’t careful. The balloons help with a sense of fullness but don’t think for a second that they are just going to make the hunger go away. They are there to help.
If you are not listening to your body tell you when to stop eating, you will not lose weight. Despite the doctor telling me there was no set diet, I did everything I could to eat healthier. I reduced my eating out, brought in my lunches, stuck to lean meats, veggies, light on the carbs, and healthy with the fats. Tracking my intake, I was taking in 1000 – 1300 calories a day. My exercise consisted of hiking four miles on Saturday and Sunday with a lightly weighted (10lb) backpack and I actually did not see any real gains until my second month.
In summary, I found the balloons a benefit. However, I will add that I could have done everything I did without the balloons. I think anyone who is thinking about this procedure should consider that. The formula for losing weight has never really changed over time – eat heathy, reduce caloric intake, and add exercise. But the balloons were a help against the hunger which has always the hardest part of any weight loss for me.
The true test will be the next six to twelve months. I do not expect that I will eat as little as I did. I think I will eat more like 1300 – 1600 but I hope I have created sustainable habits from the regimen I was on.
I had my first balloon inserted on May 11th, 2017. My starting weight was just a little over 190 lbs and today, November 17th, at the end of my sixth month, I had them removed. My end result was a loss of 30 lbs total. Some might consider 5 lbs per month dismal but I’m quite pleased with the results.
The balloons were placed two weeks apart so at week six, all three were in. It was a little uncomfortable. The doctor who I originally worked with is no longer with the group, she was new to the procedure so all the balloons were placed with an Obalon representative present. I felt a little like a guinea pig but it’s a relatively new type of balloon so I took it in stride.
So here is my take on the balloons, what they did for me and what you should be considering if you are thinking about the procedure. One of the first things they did was assign me a nutritionist to work with, I didn’t use mine. I also did not use their portal they provided me access too. I consider myself pretty savvy, it wasn’t that I didn’t know how to eat right and lose weight, I just wanted something to help.
I had no pain during my experience. There were some mild periods of discomfort that always passed. The only thing that was constant during the entire length of time was that I could not sleep on my right side or my stomach. The balloons would become uncomfortable so I was forced to sleep either on my back or my left side.
I did not get any diet restrictions or any recommended diet plan. My doctor said to let my body tell me when to eat. It took a while to really get the hang of that. I am so used to eating at set times and meals. It is important to note that despite having the balloons, I could still eat as much as I was eating before if I wasn’t careful. The balloons help with a sense of fullness but don’t think for a second that they are just going to make the hunger go away. They are there to help.
If you are not listening to your body tell you when to stop eating, you will not lose weight. Despite the doctor telling me there was no set diet, I did everything I could to eat healthier. I reduced my eating out, brought in my lunches, stuck to lean meats, veggies, light on the carbs, and healthy with the fats. Tracking my intake, I was taking in 1000 – 1300 calories a day. My exercise consisted of hiking four miles on Saturday and Sunday with a lightly weighted (10lb) backpack and I actually did not see any real gains until my second month.
In summary, I found the balloons a benefit. However, I will add that I could have done everything I did without the balloons. I think anyone who is thinking about this procedure should consider that. The formula for losing weight has never really changed over time – eat heathy, reduce caloric intake, and add exercise. But the balloons were a help against the hunger which has always the hardest part of any weight loss for me.
The true test will be the next six to twelve months. I do not expect that I will eat as little as I did. I think I will eat more like 1300 – 1600 but I hope I have created sustainable habits from the regimen I was on.
Provider Review
New York Bariatric Group