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!
Recently, United Healthcare has become the first major insurer to recognize the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy as a proven, not experimental, bariatric surgical procedure. I suspect that other insurers will soon likely follow suit. This will open up further choices and options for our patients. We have been performing the Sleeve Gastrectomy with great success over the last few years and as more insurance companies start covering it, I’m sure the procedure will rise in popularity.
Halloween marks the first major event of the year’s holiday season. This Halloween let’s remember to be mindful of our holiday celebration customs in relation to our training.With the carnivals, office potlucks and trick-or-treating, comes candy. Many of you may be wondering if candy is totally off limits this year or will hinder your training. You may be thinking, “How can Halloween pass me by without one bite of a delicious chocolate treat?”
Remember, Halloween or not, candy is not off limits. You can have 1 oz. of candy 3 times per day with your meals, if you choose to. This holds true throughout the year, but we need to be more aware of our choices around the holidays. Often when we think of Halloween (or any holiday) as a once a year opportunity or as a special occasion, I find that it gives us permission to overdo it. Keep in mind, Halloween is not just about the candy. Instead of focusing on treats alone, get caught up in the fun of decorating your house or office, buying and carving pumpkins and eating pumpkin seeds (One serving of pumpkin seeds has 20 grams of protein). If you usually enjoy giving out candy at your desk, hand out plastic spider rings instead. Center your celebration around dressing up or creating a new costume. After all, dressing up in a goofy or scary costume really IS a once a year opportunity!
Now, you may wonder, “Do the simple sugars in candy hinder our trainings?” If you want to save your candy for our long run, you can use candy instead of using your gels, sports beans, etc.However, be mindful of whether or not this really allows you to enjoy the treat. “Simple sugar” means that the sugar breaks down faster into your blood stream. In regards to your body, simple sugars tend to make you feel tired, slow, sluggish – I think you get the point. For training you want to focus on complex carbohydrates, which I discussed last week, to stay alert and energized.
Remember we are walking/running 8 miles the day after Halloween - I know you guys want to feel your best! Enjoy your Halloween candy but don’t go over 1 oz at any meal you choose.
Now that your trainings are getting more vigorous, it’s important to work on proper breathing techniques while walking/running. Proper breathing can improve your endurance and help you to enjoy your training more. Breathing incorrectly can affect your performance by causing fatigue, which in turn, shortens the distance that you are able to complete. Added stress on your body can also be a result.
There are several universal breathing techniques that can be helpful. Learning breathing techniques while walking/running may be difficult or feel unnatural at the beginning. However, like with most things, with practice it will become easier. Start off by choosing one technique at a time and practice it while seated. Work on that specific technique until it feels natural and then incorporate it into a training session.Find your favorite and most useful technique and stick with it! The following are some breathing techniques:
1.Breathe through both your nose and mouth
This practice will assist in increasing the amount of oxygen taken into your air passages.
2.Breathe from your diaphragm
Close your eyes. Put one hand on your chest and one hand on your belly. Just breathe normally. Which hand is moving?The hand on the chest or the hand on the belly? Take time to focus on moving the belly while breathing instead of the chest. If you are moving the belly you are breathing from the diaphragm and your breaths will be more complete.
3.Maintain a 3:2 breathing ratio
Inhale for 3 steps, then exhale for the next two steps. This will assist in deeper controlled breaths. A 3:2 breathing ratio is suggested for people who do a light jog pace or less.
Check out this short video on breathing for additional information:
Now that our trainings are getting longer, I wanted to discuss the importance of fueling your body. Today let’s talk about the importance of carbohydrates. There are two types of carbohydrates, simple and complex. During training you want to increase your intake of complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates break down at a slower rate which means they provide a slow, steady form of energy which is best for long distance training. A few complex carbohydrate food choices are pasta, rice, beans, vegetables, legumes and potatoes. Beans and legumes are great choices for bariatric patients since they include both protein and complex carbohydrates.
Where does the energy come from?
The energy we utilize during long distance training primarily comes from glycogen, which comes from carbohydrates. The more glycogen storage you have during training, the better you will feel and perform. The more you train, the more efficiently your body will store carbohydrates as glycogen. This means having a consistent exercise program will condition your body to convert more consumed carbohydrates into glycogen vs. being stored as fat. Because carbohydrates break down into glycogen, the more carbohydrates you take in, the more available glycogen becomes. However, don’t let this be an excuse to overdo your carbohydrate intake. For many, exercise is used as an excuse for an excessive intake of carbohydrates and typically poor quality food choices as well. Remember to be mindful of excessive intake that can sabotage your efforts for performance.
As a bariatric patient you are taught to eat 4 oz. of food a meal and I usually recommended that 3 of those oz. are protein. During training you may want to alternate your percentage of carbohydrate intake. For example, after trainings your post meal may consist of 2 oz. of protein and 2 oz. of a complex carbohydrate or 3 oz. of carbohydrate and 1 oz. of protein. The key is to pay attention to your body and find out what works best for you. Choose a combination of proteins and complex carbohydrates that help you feel your best.
Remember, complex carbohydrates are needed as part of a balanced meal plan for optimal performance and feeling great!
See this resource for complex carbohydrate options:
