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.
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.
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.
Patients who suffer from Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, or GERD, often find that their symptoms are immediately and dramatically improved after receiving the gastric band.Many of them no longer need to take daily medications like Nexium, Prilosec, and Protonix.It seems that the restriction of the band helps prevent the backflow of acidic fluid made in the stomach to aid digestion from refluxing back into the esophagus.Also, if our patients have a hiatal hernia, which most of the patients with GERD do, we can easily repair the hernia defect at the time of surgery with just a few minutes added onto the operation time. If you have questions about your reflux and potential for improvement after surgery, be sure to ask at your consultation visit, or give our physician assistant, Melissa Moyer, a call at 702-313-8446.
One of the latest potential weight loss techniques currently being evaluated in clinical trials is the TOGA System by Satiety, Inc.Recent news articles have raised awareness about the device and early results show at least some initial benefit following the procedure. The transoral gastroplasty is done by inserting a stapling device through the mouth into the stomach and creating a smaller pouch to hold food.The advantage of this technique is the avoidance of the tiny laproscopic abdominal incisions needed to perform gastric banding, bypass, and sleeve gastrectomies.However, like the other procedures, general anesthesia is still currently required with the TOGA procedure.
Whereas the durability of the weight loss from bypass, gastric band, and sleeve gastrectomy is well documented, whether this will hold true for the TOGA procedure is still very much undetermined.The TOGA procedure is most similar to the gastric stapling procedure, which was abandoned 20 years ago because the majority of patients regained their weight as the staple lines eventually reopened.This does not occur with a properly performed sleeve gastrectomy or gastric bypass as the stomach is completed divided, not just stapled.
It is still too soon to tell if the TOGA procedure will have long term benefits.As we have always done, Dr. Atkinson and I will continue to monitor the newest weight loss techniques to decide if they can be of benefit to our patients in Las Vegas.
Several patients were in the office today who have done very well with their weight loss using the gastric band.Losing the last 15-20lbs is usually more about food choices, exercise and avoiding high calorie snacks than it is about finding a perfect band “adjustment.”Most patients learn this by having their bands adjusted too tight and needing a little bit taken out.When I see patients undergo a series of tiny fluid adjustments and complaining of stagnant weight loss, usually they are depending too much on the band and need to depend more on their food choices.Our support groups and Mindful Eating classes, taught by our nutritionist Prudence Ticknor, are a great way to refocus for those last few pounds.To sign up for the Mindful Eating series or to find out more about our support groups, give us a call at 702-313-8446.
After several months and many, many short run/walks, group run/walks and strength training sessions, Team GBI crossed the Half Marathon finish line December 6, 2009. Excitement, accomplishment and even a little relief were felt as each GBI patient finished the 13.1 mile Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon course. Below are some photos from race day.
On Friday, December 11, 2009, Dr. Atkinson, Dr. Soong, Marathon Coach Prudence Ticknor and Team GBI gathered to celebrate and share stories about their marathon training and race experience. Food, support and friendship were shared at this congratulatory event! Below are some photos and a video from the dinner.
Congratulations team and good luck in your future trainings and races!
Congratulations on completing your half-marathon training for this year’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon on the Las Vegas Strip! We are very proud of you, your weight loss success and your dedication to healthy lifestyle changes. That’s what Gastric Band Institute’s philosophy is all about.
Remember to have fun on race day and keep your friends and family close by for extra support. Also, be sure to share your training and marathon success stories with others.Your journey is an inspiration to us all.
Congratulations to everyone for making it to this point. I know many of you did not make it to the last few group long runs but I am happy to hear you were training on your own. Way to stay focused and determined!
My blogs this week will focus on getting us ready for race day. Today, let’s make sure we all prepare our feet properly to have an enjoyable 13.1 mile walk/run. Below are tips to get your feet ready for race day and to prevent black toenails and blisters.
1. Your running shoes should be half a size larger than what size you would normally wear. Hopefully you already have been wearing a good pair of supportive running sneakers.
2.Trim your toenails as smooth as possible along the natural shape of your toes. Make sure the nail is not hanging over on any toe. I know some of us are worried about our toes being cute – but trust me, a trim will look much cuter than a black toe nail!
3.Keep your feet dry by wearing the correct socks. If you have not already done so, purchase wicking material (Teflon, cool-max) socks. NO COTTON SOCKS.
4.Do not treat yourself to a pedicure prior to the marathon. Any calluses that you may have are a protection from future blisters.(Save your pedi for an after race bonus!)
5.Make sure you lace your shoes tightly to prevent sliding around in your shoes.
6.Use body glide, blister powder or athletic tape over areas of your feet that are prone to blisters. Be mindful not to use too much body glide or if you plan to use tape, it needs to be smooth and wrinkle free.
7.Stay off your feet as much as possible the day before the race.Other than going to the expo, let Saturday be a rest day.
“Running is the greatest metaphor for life because you get out of it what you put into it.”
-Oprah Winfrey
For months Team GBI has put forth amazing training efforts that include stretching, cross training, cardio training and distance training.Go Team GBI! However, today I’d like to remind everyone that what you put into your training also includes what you do on your rest days. Rest days are important in order to allow our muscles to relax and rejuvenate as injury is the #1 mistake of beginning marathon runners. Remember that our muscles are resting on these days but our nutritional habits should remain consistent.
The brain is a powerful thing which can help or sometimes hinder us. For some of us when we hear the word “rest” we think “take a break” and sometimes this includes a break from being focused on what you are eating. Keep in mind that rest days are not meant to be rest days with food. You may even need to focus more on nutrition during rest days because while your body is not exercising, beta endorphins are not being produced. The production of beta endorphins causes the “feel good” rush you have after exercise. Another reason you may need additional nutritional focus on rest days is that you may have more down time during rest days. This can create an environment for possible snacking. Remember that mental stamina is an essential part of training.
What to do during rest days:
1.Stay mentally focused by reading motivational books, taking the time to do a meditation, journal your training progress or stretch.
2.If you have injuries or sore muscles do light swimming, biking or stretching. Keeping the body in motion may alleviate the soreness. Remember to be mindful not to overdo it.
3.Continue to stay focused on hydrating yourself and eating foods that will support your goals like complex carbohydrates and healthy proteins. Remember, what you eat on rest days will affect how you run the next day. A perfect example may be our last long run on Sunday. It was our smallest turn out since we started training. Halloween was the day before. I trained that day but I have to say that was the hardest training day for me since we started the training. I ate more candy on Saturday than I usually do which I know affected my run on Sunday.
It’s all about awareness and making choices that will support your intentions as well as creating an environment for enjoying the process of training. Let’s keep up our good work and give it all we’ve got!
