Archive for the ‘Bariatric Surgeons’ Category
Thursday, 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 |
Thursday, 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 |
Friday, 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 |
Friday, 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 |
Monday, 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 |
Monday, March 29th, 2010
 Photo from Morethings.com
I saw an interesting article on the Internet the other day which looked at how our meal portion sizes have changed over the past generations and throughout history. Old paintings like The Last Supper were studied and the meal portion sizes were analyzed and compared to meal sizes today. Based upon this analysis, it was determined that the average American main course meal portion size has increased over 60% in the past millennium! The size of our plates have also increased by the same amount. Meanwhile, all our modern technology, i.e., cars, cell phones, computers, etc., has changed our lifestyles so that we burn MUCH less calories than prior generations. It’s no wonder the percentage of overweight Americans approaches 70%.
It’s simple math: If our daily energy intake (the number of calories we eat) exceeds our daily energy output (the amount of calories we burn), then our excess of consumption is going to catch up with us and cause us to gain weight. The average adult needs to eat between only 1,500 and 2,000 calories a day. For those that are more active, 2,500-3,000 is typically sufficient. If you have questions about your personal caloric intake and what you need to reach or sustain a healthy weight, I suggest you seek the advice of your personal physician or a dietitian who can evaluate your daily activity, age, height and weight to determine what your body requires.
– Dr. Darren Soong
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Tags: Allergan lap band, bariatric patient, Bariatric Surgeons, caloric intake, Dr. Darren Soong, Gastric Band, Gastric Band Institute of Las Vegas, lap band surgery, Las Vegas Weight Loss Doctors, portion sizes, The Last Supper portion sizes, 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 |
Monday, March 8th, 2010
When most of us take time to analyze ourselves, we focus on our weight, skin or signs of aging. We rarely think about our mind; how we feel, how we make decisions or how we view the world. However, it is actually our mind that is the key to an overall healthy lifestyle.
“To look and feel your best, you MUST first think about and optimize your brain.”
– Daniel G. Amen, M.D.
Your mind is in charge of everything that you do. Every bite of food, every critical thought you allow yourself to dwell on or every workout you choose to complete or skip are all choices that start with the mind. Once you begin to change your focus from the external to the internal by focusing on your mind, you will start to notice changes in your behavior.
There are two things you can begin doing to assist you in taking charge of your mind and health:
1. Get mind gratitude! Take time to appreciate your mind and all the power and abilities that it has.
2. Begin a daily mindful breathing or mediation practice.
Meditation is a great way to exercise your brain. It activates the parts of the brain that are the most thoughtful. With daily meditation you make more thought-out, self-controlled decisions. Research has shown that focusing on the mind by practicing basic meditation and/or breathing techniques can relax your entire body and put it into a calm state. Simply focusing on breathing from the diaphragm can decrease stress levels. If you are an emotional eater, for example, similar mind exercises are more successful for assisting you as you work through a food craving than willpower alone. When you begin to focus on the mind you will be amazed at how you will transform to an overall healthier, more energetic and more satisfied you!
For more information about mindfulness, meditation and your mind, contact me at PrudenceT@bandandbypass.com.
- Prudence
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Tags: bariatric patient, Bariatric Surgeons, Gastric Band, Gastric Band Institute of Las Vegas, lap band, lap band surgery, Las Vegas Weight Loss Doctors, Weight Loss Support, Weight Loss Surgeons, Weight Loss Surgery
Posted in Bariatric Surgeons, Gastric Band, Las Vegas Weight Loss Surgeons, Nutrition, Psychological, Weight Loss Support, lap band |
Monday, March 1st, 2010
At the most recent support group meeting, several patients who have not yet had gastric band surgery were in attendance. To the approximately 40 gastric band patients in attendance, these pre-op patients posed the question: “What was the hardest lifestyle change they needed to make to be successful with their weight loss?”
Not a single post-op patient raised their hand when asked if better food choices and avoiding junk food and sweets was the hardest lifestyle change after gastric band surgery. No one raised their hand when asked if exercising and being more active was the hardest lifestyle change they had to make. But all forty patients raised their hand when asked if eating slower and taking smaller bites was the most difficult change. If you are thinking about having surgery and know someone who already has a gastric band, ask them this question.
If you are preparing to undergo a weight loss surgery, please consider all the changes you will need to make to be successful with your weight loss and maintaining that weight loss. If you feel you may struggle with instituting those changes, you should seek the support of others who have done the same. If you are not willing to make those lifestyle changes, then weight loss surgery is not for you and will not be able to help you. Weight loss surgery is a tool, not a miracle cure. If you are interested in attending the Gastric Band Institute of Las Vegas support groups, please call us for a schedule at 702-313-8446.
– Dr. Darren Soong
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Tags: bariatric patient, Bariatric Surgeons, Dr. Darren Soong, Dr. James Atkinson, Gastric Band, Gastric Band Institute of Las Vegas, Gastric Band Institute of Las Vegas Support Groups, lap band, lap band surgery, las vegas, Las Vegas Weight Loss Doctors, lifetsyles changes post weight loss surgery, Weight Loss Support Groups, Weight Loss Surgeons, Weight Loss Surgery
Posted in Bariatric Surgeons, Eating, Gastric Band, Las Vegas Weight Loss Surgeons, Weight Loss Support, Weight Loss Support Groups, Weight Loss Surgery, lap band |
Tuesday, February 9th, 2010
Recently I read a story about golfing legend John Daly who had a gastric band and lost 115lbs. If you do not know much about John Daly, he admits to not having the healthiest lifestyle or eating habits. His smoking on the golf course and alcohol binges have been well documented by the golfing press, so it may be surprising to hear that he has done so well with his gastric band and weight loss. In general, we tend to see even better results among patients who were or who are athletic and have participated competitively in sports. I’m not sure if this is related to their competitive nature and goal oriented personalities, or if it is because they tend to exercise/train more with their new found energy from their weight loss. Either way, we find patients who were athletes prior to their weight gain, tend to be quite successful with the gastric band.
– Dr. Darren Soong
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Tags: athletes and weight loss surgery, bariatric patient, Bariatric Surgeons, Dr. Darren Soong, Gastric Band, Gastric Band Institute of Las Vegas, golf, John Daly, lap band, lap band surgery
Posted in Bariatric Surgeons, Gastric Band, Las Vegas Weight Loss Surgeons, Weight Loss Surgery |
Friday, January 22nd, 2010
Recently, there have been reports about Gastric Band Hypnosis. Basically, a hypnotherapist recreates a gastric band operation on a patient while under hypnosis and when they awake they believe that they have actually had the procedure. Some hypnotherapists go to great lengths to recreate an actual operation scenario, including placing the patient in a hospital gown and mimicking the operating room setting. I find it flattering that the success of the gastric band has lead to this “pretend” band procedure. The description of the procedure that I read actually takes longer than the 20-30 minutes it takes to perform a real band procedure. In my professional opinion, nothing can compare to the long term success of the real gastric band. For now, Dr. Atkinson and I will continue only performing real gastric band procedures.
– Dr. Darren Soong
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Tags: Bariatric Surgeons, Dr. Darren Soong, Dr. James Atkinson, Gastric Band, Gastric Band Hypnosis, Gastric Band Institute of Las Vegas, hypnoband, lap band, lap band surgery, Las Vegas Weight Loss Doctors, Weight Loss Surgeons, Weight Loss Surgery
Posted in Bariatric Surgeons, Gastric Band, Las Vegas Weight Loss Surgeons, Weight Loss Surgery, lap band |
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