Tag Archives: weight loss surgery

Line Your Intestines, Lose Weight!

I am constantly amazed at the things we as human beings will go through to try to lose weight. Being overweight drains us emotionally and physically, it drags down our self-esteem, it keeps us from doing everything we’d like to, and it’s just so hard to overcome. It’s really no wonder that the weight loss industry is raking in the big bucks, but this one really make me shake my head. There is now a removable liner being developed that you can have inserted into your intestines that mimics some of the positive aspects of gastric bypass surgery. However, the … Continue reading →

Weight Loss Surgery and Mind Games

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Changing your beliefs systems about yourself is just as big a part of losing weight as exercise and diet. The most dramatic example of the enmeshed mind/body relationship as regards weight loss is the unfortunate stories that emerge from people who have undergone radical procedures such as gastric bypass surgery. Although procedures such as gastric bypass, gastric banding and liposuction can result in dramatic weight loss, and in some cases, even save the person from an early death, unless the reasons for overeating are identified and addressed, the weight often returns. Where food has become an addiction, surgery only solves … Continue reading →

Suddenly Skinny

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I’m not a big Oprah watcher but one recent show she did, entitled “Suddenly Skinny”, was very important for me to see. While the folks on Oprah’s message boards are up in arms about it, I thought it was well done and high time that somebody finally brought this issue out into the open. The show focused on women who had gastric bypass surgery and then suffered from addiction transfer. The show did not imply that all people who undergo gastric bypass surgery suffer from this but it did bring the issue out into the open and get a healthy, … Continue reading →

Suicidal After Weight Loss Surgery?

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I know, I know. You’re probably thinking: “Hey, you aren’t obese anymore, you’ve lost 100 pounds and all your health problems have cleared up. What have you got to be suicidal about?!” The University of Pittsburgh recently completed a study that showed that among people aged from 25 to 34 who had weight loss surgery, the suicide rate was considerably higher than that of the general population. Having had a gastric bypass in 2001, I’d like to address this from my own personal point of view. When you’ve been overweight all of your life, it becomes part of your identity. … Continue reading →

Morbid Obesity and Weight Loss Surgery

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There comes a point where a person has become so obese that weight loss simply stops and other health issues arise. When you get to that point, diet, exercise programs, appetite suppressants and behavior modifications are just not effective any more. When you weigh 264, losing 5 pounds is a drop in the bucket. When I took this before picture, I was eating a healthy diet (and much less food than my husband who weighed far less than me) as well as walking for an hour on a treadmill every day. I couldn’t run because the weight was too much … Continue reading →

Learning How to Eat After a Gastric Bypass

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Everything about eating changes after you’ve had a gastric bypass. Your new stomach is about the size of a shot glass (yes, it’ll stretch like your old stomach over time) and part of your small intestine that used to be responsible for most nutrient absorption has been bypassed. Because of these major changes, and your recovering from surgery, you’ll have to go on a special diet for your first few months after surgery. Doctors’ orders can vary. I wasn’t allowed to eat for a couple days after my surgery in 2001 but my friend who had surgery in 2004 was … Continue reading →

Before You Have Bariatric (Weight Loss) Surgery

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Personal Issues I spent about a year soul searching and researching bariatric surgery before I ever spoke to a doctor about having a gastric bypass. I recommend that anyone else do the same. This isn’t a decision to jump into lightly. If you aren’t ready to make a serious commitment to your continued health and fitness then going under the knife for a gastric bypass is just foolish. Once you see a doctor, there is an extensive screening process. If your doctor believes this is a viable option for you, he’ll refer you to a bariatric surgeon. The surgeon will … Continue reading →

Is Gastric Bypass Surgery for You?

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If you can still lose weight by following a healthy diet and exercise then bariatric surgery is not for you. If you think you’d rather just have surgery to make the weight go away so that you can get on with your life then bariatric surgery is definitely not for you! Having a gastric bypass is not the easy way to weight loss. It simply provides motivated individuals with a second chance to do it right. Even after the surgery you’ll have to eat right and exercise to meet your goal weight. The surgery itself just resets your system so … Continue reading →

Weight Loss & Star Jones

Do you know who Star Jones is? She’s one of those women on the View. She used to be a pretty hefty woman and then she wasn’t. She won’t tell people what she did – whether it was a diet, a surgery or some miracle zap that turned her from a size 20 to a size 4 (or whatever she was to what she is) – but the point is – why do we all care so much? Celebrities Influence Our Culture First and foremost, it’s because Star Jones whether we like it or not is a celebrity. She’s on … Continue reading →

What is Gastric Banding?

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I told you yesterday that I would discuss gastric banding later in the day, I need to stop using that phrase. Every time I do, it turns out I don’t discuss it until the next day! So you have my apologies for the delay. So as mentioned in Weight Loss News Bites yesterday, gastric banding seems to be gaining popularity as a less invasive surgical procedure for individuals who are only moderately obese. So What Is Gastric Banding? Gastric banding is a surgery that restricts the size of a person’s stomach so they need only consume small amounts of food … Continue reading →