Posts Tagged ‘las vegas’
Thursday, September 17th, 2009
The Annual Healthy for Life Celebration Picnic is this Saturday, September 19, 2009 from 11:00 am to 3:00pm at Centennial Hills Park. The Healthy for Life picnic is a special event for patients to celebrate their successful journey to becoming healthy along with their families, fellow patients and the Gastric Band Institute staff.
Also, the next lap band support group meeting is Tuesday, September 22, from 6:00-7:30pm in the seminar room behind our office. All patients pre and post-op are welcome, as well as persons considering the lap band procedure. If you are a patient and have yet to attend a support group, I highly recommend it. It’s a great opportunity to meet other patients, voice your thoughts and learn tips for how to be successful with the gastric band.
–Dr. Darren Soong
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Tags: Allergan lap band, Bariatric Surgeons, Dr. Darren Soong, Ethicon Realize band, Gastric Band, Gastric Band Institute of Las Vegas, Gastric bypass, lap band adjustment, lap band surgery, las vegas, Las Vegas Weight Loss Doctors, Weight Loss Surgeons, Weight Loss Surgery
Posted in Bariatric Surgeons, Gastric Band, Gastric Band Institute Events, Gastric Sleeve, Gastric bypass, Las Vegas Weight Loss Surgeons, Realize Band, Weight Loss Support, Weight Loss Surgery, lap band |
Wednesday, September 16th, 2009
I know a few of you mentioned at training on Sunday that you usually train on a treadmill and how much more difficult it was for you to train outside. Both the treadmill and the track serve a purpose during your training for the half marathon. With treadmill training you are given many constants like running surface, forced pace, assisted momentum from the track, wind resistance, etc. A treadmill can be great for conditioning and easing you into running/walking outside. When you train outside, there are a lot of unknowns that affect your training and mental focus, making your workout more difficult. There is no assisted momentum from below you moving you along and assisting you to keep up with a certain pace. There are up and down hills, wind resistance, etc. It takes more effort to train outside on a track than on a treadmill.
Overall, a combination of both treadmill and track training is great. You can use the treadmill to assist you into increasing your speed and creating a pace for yourself and you can use the track for an experience that will be more similar to the half marathon. Please do not do all your training inside on a treadmill as you will have a rude awakening the day of the half marathon.
Until next time,
Prudence
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Tags: Allergan lap band, Bariatric Surgeons, Ethicon Realize band, Gastric Band, Gastric Band Institute of Las Vegas, Gastric bypass, Half Marathon Training, lap band surgery, las vegas, Las Vegas Half Marathon, Las Vegas Rock n' Roll Marathon, Las Vegas Weight Loss Doctors, Marathon Training Tips, Rock n' Roll Marathon, Weight Loss Surgeons, Weight Loss Surgery
Posted in Bariatric Surgeons, Gastric Band, Gastric Band Institute Events, Gastric Sleeve, Gastric bypass, Half Marathon Training, Las Vegas Weight Loss Surgeons, Weight Loss Support, Weight Loss Surgery, lap band |
Monday, September 14th, 2009
Congratulations to all for completing your first week of training! These next 12 weeks will go by fast so make sure you are fueling your body properly. I want to remind you that you will not need any type of electrolyte drinks or beans, gums, etc… until you have started training more than 90 minutes at one time. The most important thing to remember is to hydrate yourself during your training as well as in-between. Remember you need an additional 12oz. of fluid for every 20 minutes of exercise. You can start adding additional sodium to your food if you think you need the additional electrolytes.
What to eat? As your training increases you may find that you are feeling hungry, craving salt, etc. Make sure you listen to your body. Make sure you are getting 20g of protein at each meal - this will help you stay satisfied longer as will choosing whole grain foods for your 1 oz. For your meal following you trainings, 1 oz. of potatoes would be a great choice!
Let me hear from you! Do you have any concerns or questions with food intake?
Bring it on for week 2!
Prudence
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Tags: Allergan lap band, Bariatric Surgeons, Ethicon Realize band, Gastric Band, Gastric Band Institute of Las Vegas, Gastric bypass, Half Marathon Training, lap band surgery, las vegas, Las Vegas Half Marathon, Las Vegas Marathon, Las Vegas Rock n' Roll Marathon, Las Vegas Weight Loss Doctors, Marathon Training Tips, Rock n' Roll Marathon, Weight Loss Surgeons, Weight Loss Surgery
Posted in Bariatric Surgeons, Gastric Band, Gastric Band Institute Events, Gastric Sleeve, Gastric bypass, Half Marathon Training, Las Vegas Weight Loss Surgeons, Realize Band, Rock n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon, Weight Loss Support, Weight Loss Surgery, lap band |
Friday, September 11th, 2009
Hi everyone,
I hope your first week of training went well! I wanted to provide a small suggestion that you may want to pair up into the buddy system – support groups of two or more. Don’t be afraid to share your phone number, email etc. with the other team members so that you can continue to motivate one another. Also, be sure to follow the Gastric Band Institute’s Facebook page and tell your friends and family to become fans too! They can also help to encourage you along the way.
Don’t forget to tell your friends and family what you have decided to achieve. Encourage them to be there when you cross the finish line.
It will be a moment you will never forget!
Talk to you soon,
Prudence
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Tags: Allergan lap band, Bariatric Surgeons, Ethicon Realize band, Gastric Band, Gastric Band Institute of Las Vegas, Gastric bypass, Half Marathon Training, lap band surgery, las vegas, Las Vegas Half Marathon, Las Vegas Marathon, Las Vegas Rock n' Roll Marathon, Las Vegas Weight Loss Doctors, Marathon Training Tips, Rock n' Roll Marathon, Weight Loss Surgeons, Weight Loss Surgery
Posted in Bariatric Surgeons, Gastric Band, Gastric Band Institute Events, Gastric Sleeve, Gastric bypass, Half Marathon Training, Las Vegas Weight Loss Surgeons, Rock n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon, Weight Loss Support, lap band |
Thursday, September 10th, 2009
Hi everyone,
It’s time to get started! I want to discuss some ideas on simple and safe warm-up exercise to get everyone started. Before walking you should make sure your body is warmed up as it increases the temperature in your muscles and joints and will increase blood flow. In addition, it will reduce of the risk of injury.
Check out the America’s Walking website link below for warm-up tips from Mark Fenton.
http://www.pbs.org/americaswalking/health/healthprewalk.html
This week the training schedule calls for the following:
- 2 – 60 minute walk/runs
- 1 – cross train / strength train
- 1 – long walk – 3 miles (Group training Thursday or Sunday)
- 3 – Rest days
Be sure to make sure not to over do it this week! Incorporate those rest days and plan around your schedule.
See you at training!
Prudence
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Tags: Allergan lap band, Bariatric Surgeons, Ethicon Realize band, Gastric Band, Gastric Band Institute of Las Vegas, Gastric bypass, lap band surgery, las vegas, Las Vegas Half Marathon, Las Vegas Marathon, Las Vegas Rock n' Roll Marathon, Las Vegas Weight Loss Doctors, Marathon Training Tips, Rock n' Roll Marathon, Weight Loss Surgeons, Weight Loss Surgery
Posted in Gastric Band, Gastric Band Institute Events, Gastric Sleeve, Gastric bypass, Half Marathon Training, Rock n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon, Weight Loss Support, lap band |
Tuesday, September 8th, 2009
Prudence Ticknor, GBI’s Dietician and Health & Wellness Coach, here! Training for the Rock n’ Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon has officially started and you have already finished your first day (and for you early risers, your second)! Congratulations!!
Be sure to start each week knowing which days and times you are walking/running and which day you are strength training. When you know the days, time, location and what you will be doing, you have created a clear image in your head and you have set it into motion. The clearer the image you have of your training schedule, the more likely it is that you will accomplish your weekly training goals.
Now, believe it or not you have already done the hardest part: commit. You came to the first meeting and have committed to doing the training and the race. A lot of times making that first move is just putting aside the fear of something new and all of the possible negative internal dialogue that goes along with it to step up to the plate and commit.
I hope you are all proud of yourselves because you should be. Look in the mirror each day and say, “I can do this; I am doing this!”
Happy healthy walking/running,
Prudence
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Tags: Allergan lap band, Bariatric Surgeons, Ethicon Realize band, Gastric Band, Gastric Band Institute of Las Vegas, Half Marathon Training, lap band surgery, las vegas, Las Vegas Half Marathon, Las Vegas Marathon, Las Vegas Rock n' Roll Marathon, Las Vegas Weight Loss Doctors, Marathon Training Tips, Rock n' Roll Marathon, Weight Loss Surgeons, Weight Loss Surgery
Posted in Bariatric Surgeons, Gastric Band, Gastric Band Institute Events, Gastric Sleeve, Gastric bypass, Half Marathon Training, Las Vegas Weight Loss Surgeons, Realize Band, Rock n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon, Weight Loss Support, lap band |
Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009
A common misconception is that hair loss is a symptom of weight loss surgery. The truth is that hair loss is caused by rapid weight loss, NOT weight loss surgery. Patients undergoing crash or starvation diets will also experience temporary hair loss like some of our patients do. The hair loss stops and grows back when the weight loss slows down. Our gastric bypass patients experience more hair loss than our gastric band patients because the weight loss is more rapid with bypass. To minimize hair loss we teach our patients to make sure they are getting enough protein, about 60 grams daily. Some believe that prenatal vitamins or Biotin can also help although this has not been proven. For questions on this topic, please call us at 702-384-8446.
– Dr. Darren Soong
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Tags: Allergan lap band, Bariatric Surgeons, Dr. Darren Soong, Ethicon Realize band, Gastric Band, Gastric Band Institute of Las Vegas, Gastric bypass, lap band surgery, las vegas, Las Vegas Weight Loss Doctors, Weight Loss Surgeons, Weight Loss Surgery
Posted in Bariatric Surgeons, Gastric Band, Gastric Sleeve, Gastric bypass, Las Vegas Weight Loss Surgeons, Realize Band, Weight Loss Support, Weight Loss Surgery, lap band |
Tuesday, March 10th, 2009
Have you ever watched The Biggest Loser reality television show and wondered how real weight loss experts thought about it as a real weight loss program for obese patients? In my professional opinion, it is an unrealistic and unsustainable weight loss program and it’s only real value is entertainment.
One reason it is unrealistic is that the participants are screened and selected from tens of thousands of applicants and only the most highly motivated, most educated, most physically fit and healthy are selected. If they were randomly selected from the entire pool of applicants, their results would be less successful. Also, the average, obese, American adult can not quit their job, move away from their family, live isolated in a dorm room, hire a personal trainer, chef and dietician. Some of our patients have arthritis, back pain, or health issues that prevent them from exercising even 30 minutes a day.
Weight loss experts know that in order for a weight loss program to work long term, not temporarily, the lifestyle changes that the patients have to make must be “sustainable”. The show has created an artificial lifestyle which cannot be continued lifelong. It’s not surprising that magazines are reporting that within the first year of returning to their homes and normal lifestyles, participants gained their weight back. The commercials on the show try to sell their own brand of weight loss products, which when done away from the studio-created, “artificial lifestyle”, have the same long-term failure rate as all other nonsurgical weight loss programs for morbidly obese patients: greater than 95%!
When we give our seminars, the last slide I show is an encapsulation of the lifestyle changes we expect our patients to make after their surgery. I always conclude by telling the prospective patients that if they don’t believe they can make those lifestyle changes permanent, they shouldn’t go through with surgery.
Please remember that The Biggest Loser program is intended strictly for entertainment. From my experience treating obesity, I can tell you that the lifestyle changes portrayed on the show are neither practical nor sustainable.
– Dr. Darren Soong
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Tags: Bariatric Surgeons, Gastric bypass, las vegas, Las Vegas Weight Loss Doctors, Weight Loss Surgeons, Weight Loss Surgery
Posted in Bariatric Surgeons, Gastric Band, Las Vegas Weight Loss Surgeons |
Tuesday, February 17th, 2009
Recently, many patients and prospective patients have been asking about the “sleeve” procedure or the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. We have been performing this innovative bariatric procedure and seeing amazing results. The weight loss result from gastric bypass has always been excellent, but because bypass was never designed to be an operation specific for weight loss, there are some long term complications such as internal hernias causing bowel obstructions, anastomic stenosis, dumping syndrome, gallstones, and nutritional deficiencies. The band, designed specifically for weight loss, eliminated those issues but because it is a foreign body, created some new potential issues like slippage and erosion.
The sleeve procedure, like the band, 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%. The hunger control after the sleeve procedure clinically appears to be very good. It is thought that the gastric cells which produce the hunger hormone Ghrelin are removed during the gastrectomy and Ghrelin levels after the sleeve procedure have been reduced to lower levels than after bypass or band. The pylorus muscle controls the outlet from the stomach pouch rather than a band or anastomic opening. The band remains and will likely continue to remain the safest of the weight loss procedures and with the quickest recovery. I foresee the sleeve procedure rapidly becoming more popular as more and more insurance plans begin covering this procedure for their members. Likely, the band will remain the most popular choice especially for lower BMI patients because of its safety profile.
There are certain groups of people who we’ve seen the sleeve most appeal to: patients with “needle phobia” for whom the adjustments would be very traumatic, patients who live very far away and would have trouble following up for adjustments, patients who have had previous antireflux surgery like a Nissen fundoplication where band and bypass may be difficult due to scar tissue, and patients who have failed adequate weight loss and hunger control with their band, but don’t want a revision to a procedure as radical as a bypass.
– Dr. Darren Soong
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Tags: Bariatric Surgeons, Gastric Band, Gastric bypass, las vegas, Las Vegas Weight Loss Doctors, Weight Loss Surgeons, Weight Loss Surgery
Posted in Bariatric Surgeons, Gastric Band, Gastric Sleeve, Las Vegas Weight Loss Surgeons |
Wednesday, February 11th, 2009
There are 3 ways I see patients unknowingly sabotage their gastric band surgery and cause a plateau in their weight lost. I see this often enough that I have written a handout to serve as a guide which can help remind patients how they can stay on track. Sometimes patients are unaware they are doing these things and seeing it written down helps the light bulb go on. I’ll post these tips over the next three days. Please comment if any of these have worked for you!
Snacking or eating in between the three scheduled meals
The band keeps you from eating large portions of food at each meal, but we can’t adjust the band so tight that you can’t eat small meals. Snacking or small meals between breakfast, lunch, and dinner defeats the goal of the band, which is to reduce your daily caloric intake. If you’re snacking because you’re hungry, maybe an adjustment may help and you should come in to see someone from our adjustment team. If you’re snacking because you’re bored or stressed, YOU must take a minute to reassess why you’re having the urges and help yourself avoid them, unfortunately, the band doesn’t help with that.
More tips to come tomorrow and Friday!
–Dr. Darren Soong
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Tags: Bariatric Surgeons, Gastric Band, las vegas, Weight Loss Surgeons, Weight Loss Surgery
Posted in Bariatric Surgeons, Gastric Band, Las Vegas Weight Loss Surgeons |
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