July 12th, 2010
Do you have clothes sitting in your closet that don’t fit anymore? Are you tired of buying new clothes to keep up with your changing body as you reach your goal weight?
The Gastric Band Institute is excited to announce that for three days in August we will be hosting another, popular Clothing Exchange event in our seminar room. On Friday, August 20, Saturday August 21, and Monday, August 23, from 11:00am – 3:00pm, you can bring in your non-fitting clothes and leave with some new ones! If you’re not interested in the clothes, feel free to just come and visit with your fellow weight loss surgery patients. The seminar room is at the Gastric Band Institute offices at 3810 Meadows Lane on the southeast corner of the Meadows Mall.
We hope to see you there!
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Tags: bariatric patient, clothing exchange, clothing swap, free clothes, Gastric Band, Gastric Band Institute of Las Vegas, Gastric bypass, lap band, lap band surgery, Las Vegas Weight Loss Doctors, Weight Loss Surgeons, Weight Loss Surgery
Posted in Gastric Band, Gastric Band Institute Events, Weight Loss Support |
June 30th, 2010
Bringing fun, color and health together is the perfect cooking combination! Adding natural herbs and spices into your recipes to add flavor, color and health benefits is truly something to celebrate. Try the recipe below this 4th of July weekend to create your food fireworks! Also check out the fun cooking health facts below.
Festive Fruit Sauce
This delicious dessert sauce is perfect for any summer event or occasion, and it’s so easy to make!
Ingredients:
½ can (15 ounces) peach slices in natural juice
¾ cup fresh blueberries
¼ cup Just Like Sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon almond flavoring
4 to 6 large fresh strawberries, sliced
Preparation:
Drain juice from peaches into a saucepan. Combine Just Like Sugar and cornstarch; stir in to juice. Cook over medium-low heat until thick. Add almond flavoring and cinnamon, reserved peach slices, sliced strawberries and blueberries; heat throughout.
Serve over angel food cake for guest or add to cottage cheese, Greek yogurt or ricotta cheese for bariatric patients for a high protein and tasty treat! Gastric bypass patients, please note that a 1oz serving will keep you below 15g of carbohydrates and help prevent dumping.
Serves approximately 4
Fun Cooking Health Facts
· Adding color to your meal can increase the production of feel good hormones increasing your over all sense of meal satisfaction
· Just Like Sugar has 0 calories, scores a 0 on the glycemic index, is made from all natural food derivatives and contains fiber. It is a perfect alternative to regular sugar or sugar substitutes that can actually decrease hunger as you eat it.
· Blueberries are a good source of antioxidants and fiber that assists with healthy skin, a healthy body, and the feeling of hunger satisfaction?
· Cinnamon can reduce nausea and can increase insulin sensitivity to help focus burning of fat.
Happy 4th of July!
Prudence
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Tags: bariatric patient, Cooking Facts, Fourth of July Recipes, Gastric Band, Gastric Band Institute of Las Vegas, Gastric bypass, Health Facts, lap band, lap band surgery, Las Vegas Weight Loss Doctors, Prudence Ticknor, Recipes for bariatric patients, Weight Loss Surgeons, Weight Loss Surgery, Weight loss surgery recipes
Posted in Eating, Gastric Band, Gastric Sleeve, Gastric bypass, Nutrition, Weight Loss Support, lap band |
June 21st, 2010
Do you find that you are physically hungry between meals? While many patients have become aware of their mindless snacking patterns throughout the day, others may actually be experiencing physical hunger. If this applies to you, please take a few minutes to think about the recommendations below to assist in alleviating hunger between meals.
Are you getting enough protein?
I know many of you have been told to eat 60 grams of protein per day, 20 grams per meal. Sixty grams of protein is for minimal health, not optimal health goals. Research is now showing that for optimal weight loss and minimal muscle loss, the magic number is 90 grams of protein per day. Keep in mind that for every pound of muscle, your body burns calories 4 times as fast. Many of you may have lost an initial amount of weight but cannot seem to lose the rest. This could possibly be due to muscle loss.
How does a bariatric patient get 90 grams of protein?
Following the 4 ounce rule (3 ounces in protein + 1 ounce of additional food) you receive approximately 60 grams of protein per day. We are now recommending that you have 3 meals plus the addition of a protein shake each day. The shake will add the extra 30 grams of protein you need to your diet. Please note that the protein shake is not equivalent to a fourth meal.
After bariatric surgery it is difficult to get the recommended fiber intake of 21 – 35 grams per day.
Fiber has the great benefits of filling you up and assisting you with staying satisfied between meals. Bariatric patients can consume the recommended amount of fiber by adding Chia seeds to their meal plan. Chia seeds expand in your stomach pouch making you feel as if you are full. We recommend consuming one tablespoon 3 times per day to reach the minimum requirement of 21 grams of fiber. Remember, when eating Chia seeds you need to make sure you are drinking water. Chia seeds can be added to water, protein drinks or other foods. You can purchase Chia seeds in the GBI office or at Whole Foods.
Are you still experiencing hunger in-between meals?
After assessing your protein and fiber intake, band patients who still feel physically hungry may need to make an appointment for a fill.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions, or post a comment here!
Prudence
PrudenceT@bandandbypass.com
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Tags: bariatric patient, Bariatric Surgeons, between meals, chia seeds, Dr. Darren Soong, Dr. Donald Tice, Dr. James Atkinson, fiber intake, Gastric Band, Gastric Band Institute of Las Vegas, lap band, lap band adjustment, lap band surgery, Las Vegas Weight Loss Doctors, physical hunger, protein intake, Prudence Ticknor, staying full, staying full between meals, Weight Loss Surgeons, Weight Loss Surgery
Posted in Eating, Gastric Band, Las Vegas Weight Loss Surgeons, Nutrition, Psychological, Weight Loss Products, Weight Loss Support, Weight Loss Surgery, lap band |
June 3rd, 2010
Hello. You may have heard about the new medical weight loss center at the Gastric Band Institute. My name is Dr. Donald Tice and I am the Medical Director of the WhyDiet Weight Management and Wellness Center, an all-encompassing weight management institute to serve individuals of all medical backgrounds and body types in efforts to promote healthy weight loss options. You will learn more from me about the new center in a video introduction soon to come. I will be joining Dr. Soong and our nutritionist, Prudence Ticknor, in lending my professional expertise on obesity and weight management here on this blog. Take a look at my first post and feel free to share your thoughts, or ask questions, by leaving me a comment below.
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Tags: Dr. Donald Tice, Gastric Band Institute of Las Vegas, Medical Weight Loss, Medical Weight Loss Doctor, obesity, WhyDiet Weight Management and Wellness Center
Posted in Bariatric Surgeons, Psychological, Weight Loss Support, obesity |
June 3rd, 2010
The rising rate of obesity in the U.S. adult population creates a need for more attention to be given to sexuality and sexual function. There are many myths and misconceptions concerning women and higher body mass indexes. It appears there is a notion of a negative relationship between hip and waist size and sexual frequency and that women with larger body sizes have a more difficult time finding partners than leaner women do. Several studies have looked into these notions and found they are NOT true.
The conclusions of a study reviewed* are as follows:
1. Overweight and obese women do not report a decrease in the frequency of sexual encounters as compared with their leaner counterparts.
2. Overweight or obese women are not shunned more by their sexual partners.
3. If you are one of those women who feel that your weight is interfering with your sexual activity, according to the studies, it has less to do with your weight than you might think. The numbers in almost all sexually based categories studied between women with BMI’s less than 25, between 25 and 30 and higher than 30 are the same. There is little to no statistical difference in the age range under 45 years of age that was studied. In one category, “Lifetime history of sexual intercourse with a male,” the women with a BMI of 25-30 and higher had a significantly higher percentage than women under a 25 BMI.
*Kaneshiro B, et al. Obstst and Gynecol. 2008
The point I take from this is that a woman is, or can be sexual, according to her own attitude and self-confidence. If you are having difficulty with how sexually attractive you feel, consider whether it could have more to do with your own perception of yourself as reinforced by society, Hollywood and advertising, than it is with fact. Feel free to share your thoughts or questions here.
– Dr. Donald Tice
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Tags: bariatric patient, Bariatric Surgeons, Dr. Donald Tice, Gastric Band, Gastric Band Institute of Las Vegas, Gastric bypass, lap band, lap band surgery, obesity, obesity and sexuality, sex and weight, Weight Loss Surgeons, Weight Loss Surgery
Posted in Bariatric Surgeons, Psychological, Weight Loss Support |
May 21st, 2010
A new law tucked into the U.S. health reform bill requires that restaurants with 20 locations or more display calorie counts on menus, menu boards and drive-throughs. Although many restaurants already display calorie counts on a wall, or their website, the new law makes this information more visible. The purpose is to make sure customers see calorie information as they are ordering to help them make the most informed decisions.
I am very excited about this new requirement and I think it will be a huge eye- opener for most people when they see calorie counts start popping up on menus. I believe it will make people stop and think about the choice they are making and hopefully reconsider opting for the unhealthy items. Oftentimes we don’t understand why we weigh as much as we do. We may think that we are making healthy choices, but then learn that the cappuccino we regularly pick up from Starbucks or the salad we ate for lunch at Wendy’s could be hindering us from having a healthy, low-calorie, diet. My hope is that this new law will also force restaurants to provide more low-calorie, healthy menu items for their patrons because of customer demand and a reduction in the sale of the unhealthiest items.
Fighting our nation’s obesity epidemic requires health education. I see this as a great step in leading our country to become better educated about the food they are placing in their bodies. Of course, unhealthy food options will still be available in restaurants, but we will be more enlightened to make the best decision possible if we seek to make healthy choices.
More on the new health law can be found here.
– Dr. Darren Soong
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Tags: Bariatric Surgeons, calorie counts, Dr. Darren Soong, fast food, Gastric Band, Gastric Band Institute of Las Vegas, Gastric bypass, health law, lap band, lap band surgery, Las Vegas Weight Loss Doctors, restaurants, Weight Loss Surgeons, Weight Loss Surgery
Posted in Bariatric Surgeons, Eating, Gastric Band, Gastric Sleeve, Gastric bypass, Healthcare, Las Vegas Weight Loss Surgeons, Nutrition, Psychological, Weight Loss Support, Weight Loss Surgery, lap band |
April 28th, 2010
 Photo from www.watoday.com
A new study found that patients who have lost weight after bariatric surgery breathe easier and take 50 percent fewer prescription breathing medications. The study was published in the April issue of Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
Researchers reviewed the medical records of 320 patients for one year before and after they had bariatric surgery at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. The patients filled a total of 324 prescriptions for breathing medications in the year before surgery, and 154 prescriptions in the year after surgery.
We have seen many Gastric Band Institute patients struggle with asthma and other breathing problems prior to weight loss surgery. A great deal of these patients experience a reduction or total elimination of breathing issues after successfully losing and keeping off weight. This not only improves their quality of life, but also cuts down on prescription costs. This is just one of several ailments that we see patients cured of after they undergo gastric band surgery.
– Dr. Darren Soong
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Posted in Category1 |
April 21st, 2010
In the past few months, more insurance companies have begun adding the Sleeve Gastrectomy as a primary surgical weight loss procedure in addition to the gastric band and gastric bypass. Sleeve Gastrectomy, also known as the Gastric Sleeve, was specifically designed for weight loss and is a purely restrictive procedure. The restriction is created by surgically decreasing the size of the stomach by about 80-85%. United Healthcare, Aetna, and Health Plan of Nevada now allow their covered members to choose Sleeve Gastrectomy, making the procedure more available to patients. I expect that other insurance companies will soon follow suit.
In our practice, we see patients who previously would have chosen gastric bypass now opting for the sleeve because of the lower metabolic and surgical complications. Patients with needle phobia, for whom band adjustments would be very stressful, have also successfully undergone Sleeve Gastrectomy and a few band patients who had chronic problems with their bands have been successfully converted to the sleeve procedure. The gastric band will likely remain the most popular surgical weight loss procedure because it remains the least invasive and most easily reversible, but now that insurance companies are approving the Sleeve Gastrectomy as well, our patients have even more options and flexibility with their decisions.
To learn more, sign up to attend one of our free informational seminars. You can also learn more about the Gastric Sleeve by reading a previous blog I posted on the procedure.
– Dr. Darren Soong
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Posted in Category1 |
April 9th, 2010
 Photo from www.thedailygreen.com
In support group meetings the experienced band patients frequently tell the newer patients to drink more water and that water is their new “best friend.” Here are some interesting facts about water that I recently came across:
- About 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated and don’t drink enough water.
- Even mild dehydration will slow down a person’s metabolism by about 3%.
- About 37% of Americans have a weak thirst mechanism and mistake thirst for hunger pangs. Interestingly, this is also about the percentage of obesity.
- A University of Washington study found that on dieters, one full glass of water shut down night hunger pangs on nearly 100% of study participants.
The average person should be drinking at least 8 glasses (8 oz.) of water each day. Of course this amount should be increased with physical activity, hot weather, illness or pregnancy, or any other factor that can increase dehydration. An extra 1 ½ to 2 ½ cups of water should be enough for short bouts of exercise, but intense exercise lasting more than an hour requires more water intake.
– Dr. Darren Soong
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Tags: bariatric patient, Bariatric Surgeons, Dr. Darren Soong, Gastric Band, Gastric Band Institute of Las Vegas, Gastric bypass, lap band, lap band surgery, Las Vegas Weight Loss Doctors, water intake, Weight Loss Support Groups, Weight Loss Surgeons, Weight Loss Surgery
Posted in Bariatric Surgeons, Eating, Gastric Band, Gastric Sleeve, Gastric bypass, Las Vegas Weight Loss Surgeons, Nutrition, Weight Loss Support, Weight Loss Surgery, lap band |
April 5th, 2010
I read an interesting article last week while on vacation in Hawaii that stated that researchers in Germany have found that eating slower leads to a greater feeling of satiation or fullness versus eating the same amount faster. They believe that endorphins released when eating fast stunts the satiation feeling so people end up eating more. When we eat slowly, we are better able to recognize the signal in our brain that tells us we no longer need to keep eating.
We always tell our lap band patients to eat slower, mainly so that they mechanically do not get food stuck, but this is yet another reason for everyone trying to lose weight to learn to eat slowly.
– Dr. Darren Soong
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Tags: bariatric patient, Bariatric Surgeons, Dr. Darren Soong, Gastric Band Institute of Las Vegas, lap band, lap band surgery, Las Vegas Weight Loss Doctors, Weight Loss Surgeons, Weight Loss Surgery
Posted in Bariatric Surgeons, Eating, Gastric Band, Las Vegas Weight Loss Surgeons, Nutrition, Weight Loss Support, Weight Loss Surgery, lap band |
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