Just like individuals addicted to alcohol or drugs it is often necessary for the morbidly obese individual to hit bottom before they do anything about there own addiction.  I hit bottom or you might say got my wake up call on January 2, 2001.  On this day I was at a clients residence when I was hit with a deep pain in the chest and was having difficulty breathing.  For the last week or so I had been fighting a cold and thought that I may have developed a touch of pneumonia.  I figured it would only take me another half-hour to complete my work and then I could go see a doctor so I continued.  After about another minute I realized that I should go to the doctor now and finish the job later.  Embarrassingly I went to the client explained to her the problem I was having and asked to use her phone to call my HMO, Kaiser Permanente.  The client whose daughter is an emergency nurse asked, “Should I call 911?”  I replied, “No, I think I will be able to drive to a clinic.”  I phoned a Kaiser health nurse who asked me to describe my symptoms. The advise nurse told me that it could be my heart and not pneumonia, to hang up and call 911 and have them take me to St. Vincent’s Hospital emergency.  With continued embarrassment I asked the consumer to call 911 for me so that she could give directions to her house, which was out in the country.

Here I was, possibly suffering a hear attack and I was embarrassed because I had to stop before completing my job and was leaving the job in an ambulance.  Embarrassment was an idiotic reaction under the circumstances but that is what I felt.  Within minutes medics from the fire department arrived and were giving me oxygen and treating me.  Within a few more minutes an ambulance crew arrived.  On the way to the hospital the medics on the ambulance were finding symptoms that indicated to them that I had experienced a heart attack and were treating me as they could.

Arriving at emergency I was immediately moved into a room and test were started.  This came as a big surprise to me for a few months later I had driven my wife to emergency as I felt she had experienced a stroked and it took them two hours to see her.  What I learned from this, if you think you have an emergency call 911.

At emergency an EKG was performed, blood test taken, a chest x-ray was made, constant monitoring, nitroglycerin patch applied.  The testing went on for an hour or so and the doctor stated that I did not have pneumonia and that they had not found any positive indications of a heart attack.  I have a hyatal hernia and the doctors stated that they thought I was experiencing a gastric reaction but they were going to keep me overnight for more testing and monitoring.

I was moved into a hospital room.  I asked the nurse to bring me some pajama bottoms and she brought 3 pair but none were large enough to go around my waist.  A bit later I called home to speak with my wife Lynda.  Lynda had been hospitalized recently for a stroke and they had inserted a catheter as she was confined to the bed and could not get up to use the bathroom.  Lynda asked me if I had been castrated? Now I knew that this was a slip of the tongue and she meant catheter, but I still kept my legs crossed the rest of the night.

During the night I require oxygen off and on.  A 24-hour monitor was attached to me, A variety of heart test were performed that night.  They also rolled a huge scale into the room to take my weight (301.1 pounds) Three hundred and one was bad enough, why did they need that point one?

The next morning I saw a doctor who stated that all of my test for heart problems had been negative but they were going to perform an echo-ultrasound and if that was negative a treadmill test.  The echo was negative and I was taken downstairs for the treadmill test.  Now this test is embarrassing in itself.  Here I am a bloated whale with globs of fat hanging around my midsection.  Wires are hooked up to me and I am gasping like the totally out of shape person I was.  Still, I was going to do my best to hit the maximum on the treadmill, as I don’t quit easily.  Huffing and puffing through this test I keep saying continue.  Finally the doctor tells the technician to stop the test.  The doctor then says to me, “You looked down and when someone looks down I figure they are about to get off so I stop the test.”  While I was tired I was disappointed as I felt I could have gone a bit longer even if it killed me.  The doctor informed me that he had stopped the test at 86% of a normal heart range and he saw no indication of a heart problem.

Back in my room my doctor comes in and informs me that I don’t have a heart problem at this time but if I don’t do something about my weight and exercise he can not guarantee that I wont. I was told that I could go home.  The nurse removed the i.v. from my arm and left the room.  He had not removed the heart monitor so I figured no problem I will remove it myself.  Just as I took it off the nurse enters back into the room and says what have you done they will think you died.  I said what do you mean, wasn’t the monitor turned off?  No he replies as he runs out of the room to inform them that it was all a mistake and I was still alive.  When the nurse returned to the room I asked why they had not ran into the room to try and save my life.  The nurse replies, “Sometimes they fall asleep at the controls.”  While I hope that he was kidding, I certainly don’t want to find out at some later date.

This was my wake up call.  I had been given a scary and expensive warning.  I had suffered embarrassment at the clients, my wife had asked if I had been castrated, I had exposed my flabby fat for all to see, and had flat lined (accidentally thank you).  I do not want to face these experiences again and the best odds I have are to get and keep the pounds off and get some exercise.  My doctors and many others had warned me but it took hitting close to bottom.  Bottom is six feet under and I do not want to hit it.

My wake up call was also a wake up call to my wife.  Lynda has diabetes and a lot of problems of her own and was in and out of the hospital twice this past year.  Even so, she had difficulty controlling what she ate and drank even when I would try to control what I ate.  These changed things, we were both on a diet now realizing that if we want to reverse any terminally it would have to be now.

Back home we started our diet.  We also gave up coffee, which for me was difficult, as I looked forward to its jolt.  The doctors had previously encouraged me to give up coffee as they felt that it was contributing to my prostate problems, high blood pressure and hiatal hernia problems.  Withdrawal was not as bad as I had figured it would.  While we did switch to decaffeinated coffee I was still getting some caffeine through ice tea and an occasional diet soda.

Today, several years after writing that article I look back and think of the constant yo-yo diet that I continued on after hitting bottom. At the time Lynda passed away, shortly after my own hospitalization I has lost a few pound but soon went back up to about 300 pounds before heading back down again. You see, though I had hit bottom I had not learned how to control my emotions and with those the food would go in and the pounds would go on. Since gastric bypass surgery in July of 2008, I have not become thin but have held my weight at a comfortable level and the doctors tell me I am very healthy. For those of you that hit bottom on your weight loss diets, are tired of yo-yo dieting weight loss surgery is an option that you may want to consider. Surgery alone will not do it though for you must also learn how to control your emotions for even with surgery the weight can be put back on.

So what is acid reflux disease? Acid reflux disease is short for gastro esophageal reflux disease often referred to as GERD. Acid reflux occurs when the acid content found in the stomach returns to the esophagus. If this happens several times weeks then you have to deal with this issue which is very common among many individuals of any age today. As a matter of fact, infants and elderly people are prone to having acid reflux and this is particularly due to the diet regime that the individual goes through during the day.

I suffered from this disease not realizing what it was until rushed to the hospital in an ambulance after experiencing a severe case of it while at a client’s home. This client was a registered nurse and she thought I was having a heart attack. At the hospital I went through about 3 days of testing before they determined it was GERD and not a heart attack.

From personal experience I can tell you that GERD can be very painful. While antacids can often bring comfort to a mild case of acid reflux they can also create a worse condition.  The only thing that can be done to attenuate this illness in some way is by following a specific diet avoiding certain foods and drinks that could trigger the acid to form such as citrus, caffeine, alcohol, anything fried or full of fatty substances like onions, garlic and fried potatoes. You know, all of those good things so many of us enjoy.
Not only foods and beverages are to blame for this health issue, but even the kind of lifestyle one chooses to live in. For instance, people who smoke, drink or who are constantly overweight are more prone to suffering the devastating consequences of acid reflux. Following the right change in the lifestyle habits of these individuals could save them from having a burning sensation in the stomach and ease the complications that consequently come out of it.

There are some other activities that one takes for granted too that could bring forth some uneasiness in the esophagus such as lying down after having a meal in the middle of the day, eating big meals all at once instead of pacing it a little at a time. Even bending forward or picking up heavy weights are all acid reflux triggers to pay very particular attention to.

One must also consider the genetic factor which plays a fundamental role. Some individuals belonging to the same family could have the same issues related to this health symptom that if not treated or put under control could worsen and be more serious condition known as heartburn. This is a grave form of acid reflux in which the excruciating pain can be felt in other parts of the body such as in the upper chest area.
After spending several years on medications to control my GERD I had gastric bypass surgery, not because of the acid reflux but because I just could not control my weight with diet. I was told that weight loss surgery helped control GERD, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea and a lot of other health problems. Having had my gastric bypass surgery over a year ago now I can tell you that I have not experienced GERD since. Additionally my cholesterol is not completely normal, I no longer use a CPAP machine for sleep apnea, my blood sugar levels are normal and my high blood pressure is completely under control. I may be nearing 70 but I am in better health today than when I was 50.
Am I telling you to have weight loss surgery for your GERD? Absolutely not, weight loss surgery is serious business and not the best way for everyone to lose weight. While I am please that I had the surgery and have experienced so many benefits from it you still want to know all of your options before you go under any type of surgery. Once you do I am sure you will make the best choice for yourself.

Qualifying for a gastric bypass is not as difficult as some would lead you to believe  and you certainly don’t have to be terminally obese to qualify for it. On the other hand it is not as simple as just consulting with a physician and requesting one for it is only for those that are morbidly obese or super obese and even then you may not qualify. There are several guidelines that limit the administering of a gastric bypass procedure to someone. Some of the more common things that restrict any prospective recipient of the procedure are the following: the patient must have been obese for more than five years; the patient must not have a history of alcoholism and psychological disorders.

With gastric bypass surgery there are age restrictions. Commonly the person should not be younger than eighteen years of age or older than sixty-five years old. Even age requirements are changing all the time and do differ among surgical centers, physicians and your physical health, as an example, I was one week short of my 67^th birthday when I underwent gastric bypass surgery.

Most surgical centers and surgeons also require that you have exhausted all other weight-loss measures for yourself. You go under a psychological examination to make sure you are a good candidate for the procedure. You will also undergo a thorough physical not only to determine if you have qualifying conditions such as diabetes, high cholesterol, sleep apnea or high blood pressure but also to make sure that you can handle the surgery for gastric bypass is still a major operation and cannot be taken lightly.

If you do pass all of these tests and have either the insurance coverage or money to cover the surgery you will usually be set up for the procedure. The good news is that many insurance companies along with Medicare do cover much of the cost of gastric bypass surgery for qualified patients.

Here’s a simple explanation of gastric bypass surgery: Gastric bypass surgery is essentially, having your stomach capacity lessened and making your digestive tract skip a part of your small intestine. The procedure creates a small pouch in the upper part of your stomach, usually via surgical staples or a plastic band. This stomach pouch is usually small – it can get to the size a walnut for some procedures. After this pouch is created, the middle of your small intestine, the jejunum, is connected to it. This means your food will skip the main part of your stomach and your duodenum, the upper portion of your small intestine. The result is lower stomach capacity and a lower calorie intake. You will be able to satisfy your appetite more quickly and have fewer calories inside your system, creating a consistent and quick weight loss for you until your body has adapted to it. Over time you will find yourself starting to eat larger amounts than when you first had the surgery so you must continue to be careful for even with surgery you can gain your weight back.

It may sound easy but still it’s a long road after a gastric bypass. After about a four-hour operation you will be under observation for the next few days, while being limited to liquids only so that your stomach can heal. Some people stay in the hospital for up to a week after surgery. My stay was 2 days and 4 days later on my 67^th birthday I was already walking over a mile.

Following surgery you will spend the next several weeks on liquids and soft protein foods. As your new pouch gets use to the strain you will progress to more solid food. The length of time nor the prescribed diet will not be the same for all. You will also be taking many additional vitamins and nutrients for life.

Some individuals will continue to experience side-effects for their whole life. You must still continue to exercise for lower energy intake can be detrimental to your health. Over-eating or eating the wrong foods can cause you to vomit or feel great pain. Gastric bypass is a great tool but not the best tool for all. As a gastric bypass surgery patient that is happy they had the surgery I do here stories of those that are sorry they had it and some say that they would go with the gastric band if they were to do it over. Each and every person considering any type of weight loss surgery should first try diet and exercise, and gastric bypass surgery should be a last resort for anyone who’s suffering from obesity.

CALM ENERGY
Calm energy is a state of low stress and high controlled energy. Small issues remain small and do not develop into more than what they really are. They therefore do not get in the way of things that are more important. Your physical and mental reserves are at a high level, giving you the serene confidence of an ideal flow state where you feel in continuous control.Your sense of well being and a positive outlook are in place. Due to this positive vantage point, your perception of attaining a successful result is much greater.Everything you do seems to go easily and smoothly. This is by far the energy you need to have on a regular basis.

TENSE ENERGY
Tense energy is the opposite. It can be the result of artificial stimulants such as caffeine, a situational effect of anger, stress or by merely being in a general rush. This type of energy cannot be maintained without a price. It interferes with the optimal neurotransmissions in the brain and in the long run leaves you exhausted; depleted mentally and physically. Continuing on this way will have negative consequences on your overall performance and will also erode your health over time. This type of energy is commonplace in many people’s lives, so much so that it seems normal. It is a sad testament to our current fast-paced culture that this seems to be the case. But this does not have to be. Here are ten steps to a positive, productive flow state that will support your efforts, making your life easier and more fulfilling.

THE TEN STEPS

1) Start with a good nights sleep, eight hours if possible. Without proper rest, it is difficult to maintain any kind of consistent energy level the next day. Be sure your bedroom is as dark as possible. Any light will interfere with your sleep cycle by suppressing the production of melatonin, a hormone released at the end of the day that signals your body that it’s time for sleep. Avoid a heavy meal at the end of the day, the process of digestion forces your body to stay active, not allowing it to settle into a good sleep pattern. Likewise, avoid caffeine or alcohol close to bedtime.

Let go of any worries and frustrations you may have. It may be helpful to come up with an affirmation you can say to yourself as you settle in each night. Something to the effect of: “This day is finished. I release any worries or concerns to my higher power and I am allowing myself to relax into a peaceful, healing sleep”.

2) When you first wake up in the morning, train yourself to think about what you will be looking forward to for the day, not what you are dreading.Focus on thoughts of gratitude for all the good things in your life, feel the warmth of this emotion glowing inside you. Give your day a positive purpose from the start.

3) Stretching is one of the most important things you can do each day. Stretching  energizes the body and makes you feel great. When you first wake up each morning allow yourself a few minutes before rising to slowly and gently arch your back, stretch your arms and legs and turn your head from side to side. When you get up, leave your arms loose at your sides and shake them. Do the same with each leg, first one than the other. For me I like to also lay flat on the floor and stretch my back arms and legs. If you have ever had a back or neck energy stretching as allowed by your physician makes daily movement so much easier.

If you are up to it, drop down and do a few pushups, stand up and do a few kneebends or forward lunges. Then take three to four slow, relaxing breaths. Imagine breathing in energy that instantly courses throughout your entire body, invigorating and strengthening every cell. As you exhale slowly, breathe out all tension, fatigue and negative feelings. Any activity for just a few minutes first thing in the morning triggers your brain to produce signals to release tension and to begin the process of increasing your overall alertness. Try it, it’s amazing how little it takes to jump start your day with these simple movements.

4) Do not skip breakfast, no matter what. It does not have to be anything elaborate. For those of us that have had weight loss surgery the word is protein.  A balanced protein diet as prescribed by our physician keeps us buzzing with energy. Perhaps it will be some cheese, cottage cheese, a protein drink or one of many other protein foods. For the traditional dieter starting each day with a low-fat, high fiber breakfast is critical to continuing to develop the calm energy to carry you through the day. A toasted multi-grain bagel with low-fat cream cheese can provide a quick tasty meal, for example. Another easy to prepare breakfast is muesli. Before you go to bed, put 1/2 cup of old fashioned oats into a bowl and add just enough water to cover them.Cover the bowl and put it in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, add 1/2 cup of your favorite low fat yogurt and one to two teaspoons of brown sugar or honey. Top it off with pieces of apple, banana or any other fruit that strikes your fancy. This is a delicious, satisfying breakfast that has everything you need to start your day off right.

5) For the traditional dieter eat 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day. If you are a weight loss surgery patient like me, you will find that some physicians also like several smaller meals and others will encourage you to stick with breakfast lunch and dinner. For me, I have found that several smaller meals have kept me best energized as is keeps the body’s energy furnace stoked without overwhelming it with fewer, “larger” meals that leave me sluggish. If you are a gastric bypass patient or lapband surgery patient you know that you need to get your protein first and then we can do like the traditional dieter and include a mix of carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats such as those found in fish and nuts. This combination will provide the fuel, maintain your energy and will leave you feeling satisfied. Also be sure to keep yourself well hydrated through the day by drinking plenty of water.

6) Focus for a few moments on your normal breathing pattern. You’ll notice that while you aren’t in an active state, your breathing may be quite shallow. Throughout the day take a couple of minutes to do some concentrated belly breathing to take more oxygen into your system. By doing this you will be assisting the oxidation level of your metabolism. First, sit up straight and face straight ahead. Take a slow, deep breath through your nose, expanding your abdomen first rather than you chest, but don’t force it. Exhale slowly and evenly, try to take twice as long breathing out as breathing in. Again, don’t force it. Repeat this sequence four times.

7) You can change your energy level instantly by ACTING energetic. Quicken your breathing pattern slightly, move more quickly and speak at a faster pace as if you’re really excited about something. Your body will respond with a noticeable surge of energy. Try this, you may be surprised at how well this works. Emotion is indeed directly influenced by motion.

Beware of the energy vampires! These are the people around you that siphon off your energy in several ways. Non-stop talking, continuous complaining and whining, asking an endless series of questions, incessant bragging to gain approval are just a few ways this can happen. Except for young children you may be raising, you are not responsible for anyone’s life or feelings but your own. When you can fully accept this and apply it in your life, you will find it much easier to politely end the conversation or walk away from the circumstance that would otherwise sap your energy.

9) Get into a regular exercise program. Go for a walk,develop a stretching routine, get a cardio exercise DVD suitable for your fitness level and follow along with it. Any exercise is better than none at all. Try for at least 20 minutes of activity three times a week to start.

10) Find ways to serve others and express thanks for all that you have during the day. By openly showing gratitude, you will attract more things into your life that will reinforce this feeling further. Likewise, by being of service to others you will give your self esteem and level of happiness a big boost. Either do a Google search for “volunteer” or contact your local church, school or nursing home for opportunities to serve. By taking action to be of service, you will find that good things will come into your life in unexpected ways almost as if by magic. If you continue on this path, your energy level will take on a life of its own and by supporting it with the previous suggestions, any lack of energy for you will be a thing of the past!

As fat people most of us have heard over and over again that learning self control is the best way to control our weight. This is no doubt true yet many of us still have difficulty controlling our weight by self control alone.

For some people there are medical conditions that make self control alone more difficult. I am a true believer that heredity and the environment we grew up in also plays a very big roll in our ease or difficulty in losing weight. Even with these conditions if we are able to maintain self control and eat less we are going to lose some weight and maintain a lower weight.

We can also lose weight by eating more instead of less. The trick here is eating more of the right foods and less of the wrong foods.  By having a better understanding of what we are putting into our mouth and learning to take control we can certainly do a better job of controlling our weight.

Exercise is another way of controlling our weight. With or without weight loss surgery exercise is one of the most important things we can do to improve our health, lose weight and maintain our weight. We need not work out at the gym for 3 hours a day.  Exercise is easy really, just physically do a few of the things that you would use an exercise machine for. Get a push mower instead of a ride on. Wash your dishes by hand instead of using the dishwasher. Walk to McDonalds for your diet coke and Big Mac instead of using the car. [well just skip the Big Mac and fries] Vacuum the house yourself instead of using a maid service. Use the stairs. If you like to go to the gym stop looking for a parking spot next to the front door and instead warm up by walking from a distant space in the parking lot. Avoid the gym and instead take an evening walk after dinner.

The third easy way to lose weight is to worry and fret about it. No, scrap that, but how about setting realistic goals for yourself that you can easily achieve. Do not use huge unachievable steps but little incremental advances to your goal weight. Do not cut out everything at once but break down your goals into daily and weekly things to do. For instance, how about replacing your snack chocolate for a nice healthy apple and going for a 15 minute walk every morning before breakfast. You are the best person to decide on these things but discipline yourself to do it and carry it through. As you succeed at each goal you will gain more confidence and be more assured of success. That is why it is so important to use small achievable goals. Forget about trying for the impossible.

What ever way you choose, just do it and you will be glad that you did!

For many weight loss surgery is highly desired but they believe it to be financially out of their reach.  In the United States, bariatric weight loss surgeries can costs anywhere from $15,000 to $30,000 or more.  Most of us do not have that kind of cash and if we do it is probably in our retirement fund or in a fund for the education of our children. Yes we want and need that lap band or surgery but need options to cover the expense. The good news is that there are options available to us.

Insurance:  Today many of our health insurance plans will cover the cost of weight loss surgery.  Having your insurance paying for it is not as easy as just asking for the surgery. There are rules and restrictions that will determine if the insurance company will cover the costs.  For example, if your doctor is only suggesting surgery, you may be denied coverage.  On the other hand, if your doctor is stating that it is a lifesaving procedure due to morbid obesity and you have conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol your insurance is more likely to cover the costs.

Today many insurance companies are looking not only at the cost of healing they are looking at the savings of prevention. As an example, if you are 25 years old, the cost of diabetes supplies and checkups can easily exceed the onetime cost of weight loss surgery, making it a wise choice for your insurance provider.

Medicare: Medicare covers the cost of bariatric weight loss surgery on a limited basis. The three types of surgeries that Medicare will cover are:

• The Roux-en-Y bypass. This surgery uses surgical staples to create a small pouch in the stomach that is connected to the bowel by a piece of the small intestine, bypassing most of the stomach.
• Open and laparoscopic biliopancreatic diversions. These surgeries involve surgically bypassing a significant amount of small intestine thereby diverting digestive juices from the liver and pancreas to the lower part of the intestine.
• Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding. Lap band surgery involves the use of an adjustable band to pinch off a small piece of the stomach.

Weight loss surgery is an option for Medicare beneficiaries with a body mass index (BMI) of 35. The procedure must be medically appropriate and the surgery is to correct an illness that has caused or aggravated by the obesity such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure or sleep apnea among others. Many bariatric practices set the limits of qualification for weight loss surgery between the ages of 18 and 60 (65) as bariatric weight loss surgery is controversial outside of this age group. I was one week short of age 67 when Medicare and my Medicare Advantage plan covered my own gastric bypass surgery.

Medicaid: Medicaid is a federal government’s health care plan for certain low-income individuals and families. The Medicaid coverage of weight loss surgery varies on a state-by-state basis. Some state Medicaid programs are extremely progressive and proactive while others are not. A local weight loss clinic or surgeon can tell you if Medicaid coverage is a possibility in your state.

Loans for Weight Loss Surgery: Bariatric surgery financing is available through many lenders. You will need to make monthly payments on the weight loss surgery loan. As a homeowner you may also want to consider refinancing your home to pay for the surgery if your insurance will not cover the cost of the surgery.

When a patient opt to pay for weight loss surgery using cash, check, or debit card, they are considered a cash patient.  This is opposed to a patient with medical insurance. Ask your surgery center or surgeon for a cash discount.  While the discount may not be as large as you would hope it will help to cover the cost of the financing or lost interest on the savings you are using for the surgery.

Saving For Surgery: If all other options are out you may need to save for the surgery.  Even if you are on a budget, it is still possible to save money for surgery.  Start by eliminating unnecessary purchases, such as your morning stop at Starbucks. Carry your lunch instead of dining out. Start carrying bottled water that you bottle at home instead of buying sodas.  These steps will not only help you to save they will help you to start losing weight and preparing for the surgery. You may be so successful that you find that you no longer need weight loss surgery.

Remember to discuss all options not just with your family practitioner but with a qualified weight loss surgeon or bariatric surgery center. There are many options available for covering weight loss surgery and my bet is that they will help you find one.

Truth or Myth

Body fat is reduced by drastically reducing your calorie intake?

Myth: By drastically reducing your calorie intake you will lose weight but the weight loss is primarily water weight. When you drastically reduce your calories your body goes in search of energy placing it into starvation mode. In the starvation mode the metabolism is slowed and muscle is burnt instead of fat. Once you return to your regular eating pattern the weight is quickly regained.  This is another reason why it is very important for those of us that have had weight loss surgery to exercise, eat lots of protein and take our nutrients and vitamins.

Truth or Myth

Through exercise we can accomplish spot reduction of fat?

Myth:  The info commercials on television and internet can certainly have us believing that we can reduce selective areas of body fat. The truth is that it is impossible to force your body to spot reduce areas of fat regardless of the workout you choose. Doing crunches and leg lifts to reduce belly fat frequently reduces the muscle mass rather than the fat beneath the abdomen. This does not give you an excuse not to exercise but instead of working a single area of your body tone your entire body. Exercise is important to all of us traditional dieter or weight loss patient for it speeds the metabolism and burns fat.

Truth or Myth

Cardio exercise is the best way to lose weight!

Myth: Sorry to disappoint you again but cardio exercise alone is not the best way to lose weight. While a combination of cardio and aerobic exercises will certainly help you lose fat you need to add weight lifting.  Weight lifting promotes fat burning during and following the workout that makes it superior to cardio and aerobic exercise for pure weight loss. For all of us including the weight loss patient and traditional dieter a balanced exercise program is important. To properly keep our body tuned we should follow a balanced routine of cardio, aerobic and weight lifting. By the way, don’t forget that ever so important stretching!

Each of us needs to understand that despite the success of weight loss surgery there are not only advantages but also disadvantages to take into consideration. We need to make an  informed decisions before jumping into extraordinary weight loss measures.

The most common procedure today are gastric bypass surgery and lap-band surgery where the individual’s stomach capacity is made smaller. Following surgery food intake is drastically lessened and as a result we lose weight due to smaller food intake and the effects are quick.

The benefits can be enormous. Troubles with medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol and sleep apnea are  reduced and often eliminated. Exhaustion due to high body mass is also lessened. The main benefit would be a more secure sense of well being which could result to greater opportunities for social interaction.

Despite the benefits an individual still has to take into account that because of lower food intake one has to make sure that daily nutritional intake remains balanced. While we find that we are generally taking less medications after surgery we will find ourselves taking more vitamins and nutritional products.

Like any other surgery, sufficient time is also needed for the body to recuperate and to adjust itself to it’s new condition. We eat the wrong foods such as too much sugar or pasta and will many of us will experience  what is known as dumping. With dumping we will experience symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. Dumping can be very painful and as such are awareness of it will often help keep us on track and eat the right foods.

Medical tests are required to ascertain if surgery is possible for an individual. Surgery could have serious consequences if sufficient analysis has not been performed.  Following my own gastric bypass surgery I had a complete blood work up 6 months and 12 months following the surgery. From these tests your physician is able to determine if you are getting the proper nutrients and if not prescribe what you need. Generally these tests will continue on an annual basis.

Individual lifestyle is also taken into account. If a person has not reacted favorably to weight loss programs the underlying reasons has to be analyzed. The mental health of the individual also needs to be tested. Does the patient have the mental agility and strength to meet worst outcomes?

Even after surgery I find that I often still have the tendency to cheat and eat the wrong foods.  This can result in weight regain if it becomes excessive. Having the support of other weight loss surgery patients will help you achieve and maintain your weight loss success.

Even prior to surgery it pays to attend seminars and to talk to other people who have undergone a similar surgery. Many weight loss centers actually ask patients to be involved in a weight loss program prior to becoming eligible for surgery. These are meant to allow you to be more at ease with what is to come.

While surgery provides a quick fix it is best to find out if such is your best option. A thorough and open discussion with your doctor is extremely important when considering weight loss surgery.