Best Surgery For Weight Loss: July 2013

Weight Loss Surgery, Vegetarians and High Protein Diet - Putting it All Together

Vegetarians who are suffering from morbid obesity and undergo Weight Loss Surgery (WLS) for the treatment of obesity are challenged to follow the weight loss surgery high protein diet when they do not partake of red meat, poultry, fish, or seafood.

The first rule of a bariatric diet is to eat protein first in an effort to consume as much as 105 grams of protein a day. The balance of dietary intake should be at least 60 percent protein with the other 40 percent food intake being low glycemic carbohydrates and healthy fats.

These are the standard guidelines for patients of all gastric weight loss surgeries including gastric bypass, adjustable gastric banding (lap-band), and gastric sleeve.

To the diet savvy, eating a high protein diet is no magical secret. We know that a high protein, low carbohydrate diet prompts weight loss. The body is made of protein. Muscles, bones, skin, hair and virtually every other body part are essentially protein, which consists of basic building blocks called amino acids.

Amino acids help the body heal from surgery and fuel metabolic life processes around the clock. With the elimination of animal proteins from the diet vegetarians must turn to plant and dairy food for their protein needs. Legumes, low-fat dairy foods, soybeans and soy products, and nuts and seeds are all viable sources of protein for WLS vegetarians.

Legumes: Dried or canned beans such as kidney, cannellini, black beans and navy beans are nutritional powerhouse foods that may be enjoyed daily. One 7-ounce serving of beans provides 15 grams of protein.

In addition beans are an excellent source of dietary fiber and they are mineral rich providing B vitamins, iron, zinc, magnesium and phytochemicals. Beans are versatile and can be added to soups, salads, casseroles and stir fries.

Low-fat dairy foods: Dairy foods are another excellent source of protein, but patients of weight loss surgery must eat dairy with caution. Some surgical procedures affect a state of lactose intolerance in patients: it is wise to consult with a bariatric nutritionist if symptoms of lactose intolerance occur.

When dairy is tolerated WLS vegetarians can enjoy a 1 cup serving of skim milk, a 6-ounce serving of low-fat yogurt or a 1-ounce serving of low-fat cheddar cheese each providing nearly 10 grams of protein along with calcium and vitamins A, B, and D.

Soybeans and soy products: Soybeans are protein dense: a 7-ounce serving provides 24 grams of protein as well as iron, zinc, vitamin B, and phytochemicals. But Americans have been slow to make soybeans a dietary staple, perhaps because of a few too many tofu-experiments gone bad.

New soy-based products take tofu from the strange health food cart to mainstream meals in the form of veggie burgers and veggie tacos. Calcium fortified soy-dairy products such as milk and cheese are commonly available in most supermarkets and make suitable replacements for animal dairy products without lactose impact.

Nuts and seeds:A small 1-ounce serving of nuts provides about 5 grams of protein and a rich source of antioxidants including vitamin E and selenium. Nuts are high in fat so the portion must be carefully measured. Under these conditions nuts can provide a healthy snack, or a crunchy topping for salads or desserts.

Weight loss surgery vegetarians must mindfully monitor their dietary intake to ensure adequate protein needs are met. When protein intake is not met weight loss will stall or weight gain may occur.

WLS vegetarians should eat a wide variety of protein foods each day to supply their amino acid needs. This can be accomplished by keeping a pantry stocked with legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds and soy products, and a refrigerator filled with low-fat dairy.

Kaye Bailey is an internationally recognized writer, speaker and weight loss surgery advocate. She is the author of the highly successful weight loss surgery back to basics plan: 5 Day Pouch Test and the 5 Day Pouch Test Owner's Manual. Her follow-up book, Day 6: Beyond the 5 Day Pouch Test, was published in December 2009.

It provides guidance for long-term weight and health management with all bariatric surgical procedures. Ms. Bailey is known for her powerful "You can do this!" manner and her belief in the power of personal responsibility. She is the founder of LivingAfterWLS, LLC parent company to the LivingAfterWLS.com and 5daypouchtest.com websites.

Supporting both websites is the LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood, an online compassion-driven community for weight loss surgery, gastric bypass and gastric banding patients.

LivingAfterWLS

5Day Pouch Test

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Will I Be Able to Lose Weight After Thyroid Surgery?

The thyroid is an important gland for regulating cell growth and metabolism in the body. This small gland is situated just below the Adam's apple (or larynx) in the throat. It is somewhat butterfly-shaped, consisting of two halves that are connected by a small piece of tissue called an isthmus.

The job of the thyroid is to absorb iodine and then convert it into two types of thyroid hormone: T3 and T4. These hormones are released into the blood and travel to every cell in the body, helping cells convert oxygen and calories to energy for use by the body. This entire process is controlled by the pituitary gland.

In the case of some people, the thyroid gland can become diseased, causing it to not produce enough thyroid hormones so needed by the body for its normal functioning. This is called hypothyroidism.

Alternatively, thyroid problems can lead to the gland producing too much thyroid hormone, which is called hyperthyroidism.

Common symptoms of hypothyroidism include excessive weight gain, depressions, anxiety, hair loss and sexual dysfunction. Weight gain is one of the problems because the body is less able to metabolize energy and oxygen without the help of the thyroid hormone.

Meanwhile, symptoms of hyperthyroidism can include heart palpitations, inability to tolerate heat, breathlessness, and trembling hand - among others. Excessive T3 and T4 hormone on the blood can cause the body's cells to "speed up," making the heart beat faster and causing related symptoms.

When serious thyroid issues arise, your doctor may recommend that part or all of your thyroid be removed via surgery. Once the surgery is complete, your thyroid will no longer be equipped to produce the same amounts (or any) of thyroid hormone that it did in the past. At this point, you may ask, "Will I be able to lose weight after thyroid surgery?".

The answer is: yes, provided that you take the proper thyroid supplement and otherwise live a healthy lifestyle. A supplement is simply a synthetic thyroid hormone that is usually taken once per day before or just after breakfast. The supplement will provide you with the thyroid hormone your body needs.

If you have not already talked with your doctor about whether you will need to take a thyroid supplement after surgery, be sure to initiate the conversation yourself: taking responsibility for one's own health is always the best policy.

If you are currently overweight due in part to a thyroid problem, it is not the case that the pounds that you have been gaining over the years will just start to shed off immediately. That is because it can take some time for you and your doctor to find the right thyroid supplement dosage (e.g., 125 micrograms, etc.), which could take a matter of months.

However, once the right dosage mix is found, your thyroid hormone levels (T3 and T4) will return to the normal, pre-thyroid condition, levels. At that point, you will find it much easier to lose the pounds that you want to lose.

Facing thyroid surgery can be a little bit scary, but in actuality it is a common procedure that thousands of people undergo safely every year. If your interest is in losing weight after surgery, you will. Just give it time, take your thyroid supplement, and live a healthy, active lifestyle.

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Bad Side Effects of Weight Loss Surgery

Bariatric (weight loss) surgery is an effective weight loss procedure performed on people who are dangerously obese and have failed to lose pounds with a healthy diet and exercise.

Bariatric surgery is billed as the life-changing procedure that improves an individual's physical and mental health as well as appearance. According to the American Society for Bariatric Surgery (ASBS), major developments in the field of bariatric surgery, particularly laparoscopy, has made it the most effective treatment for morbidly obese patients.

There are a variety of weight loss surgeries, including gastric bypass, gastric sleeve and gastric banding, that aim to reduce the amount of food you can consume at a given time by reducing the stomach size or/and bypassing some of the small intestine so that fewer calories are absorbed into the bloodstream.

These weight loss surgeries have been seen as an increasingly attractive option for obese patients in recent years. But people who have had any kind of bariatric surgery could experience side effects that can be dangerous and even life-threatening.

Common Side Effects

Nausea, Vomiting and Abdominal Discomfort

Eating too quickly, taking large bites, not chewing well enough, eating foods that are too dry or tough or consuming food in large quantity at one time can bring on abdominal discomfort in many people after weight loss surgery. Eating less than 'mindfully' can cause nausea, vomiting and other complications.

Dehydration, Constipation

Ingesting water inappropriately after bariatric surgery can lead to dehydration. It is essential to drink about 2 liters of liquid a day during the first few weeks after weight loss surgery.

Consuming fluid in larger quantity could create complications as well. Constipation is another bariatric surgery complication that may occur due to lack of water consumption. So, be sure to maintain adequate fluid intake after bariatric surgery.

Dairy Food Intolerance

There is also a possibility that you may develop intolerance to some foods, mainly to dairy food items like milk and milk products. Some patients struggle to digest cheese or ice cream, or any other gummy foods like bread, pasta, and rice as well as steak and pizza.

Hair loss or hair thinning, fatigue, dry skin, abdominal pain and mood swings are other bariatric surgery side effects.

Dangerous Side Effects

Dumping Syndrome

Many bariatric surgery patients can experience "dumping syndrome," which occurs as the result of rapid emptying of undigested stomach contents into the small intestine. This complication mostly happens following gastric bypass surgery.

Although the condition itself is not considered a serious health concern, the associated symptoms can be extremely unpleasant. They include nausea, shaking, weakness, sweating, faintness, tiredness, nightmares, rapid heart rate, excessive hunger and stomach cramping after meals.

Malabsorption and Malnutrition

The potentially severe complications can include malabsorption, where body fails to absorb nutrients from the gastrointestinal tract effectively. The deficiency of calcium and iron in the body can cause anemia, diarrhea, and even bone disease.

Nutritional deficiencies after the surgery can have an everlasting effect on your life. The NIH statistic shows that nearly 30% of bariatric surgery patients develop nutritional deficiencies like anemia or osteoporosis.

NIPHS

Although rare, but some patients may deal with a serious complication called Non-Insulinoma Pancreatogenous Hypoglycemia Syndrome or very low blood sugar levels. Bariatric patients with this complication may experience severe neurologic symptoms, including frequent episodes of confusion throughout the day, visual disturbances and seizures.

Suicide

A review of nearly 17,000 bariatric operations performed from 1995 to 2004 in Pennsylvania suggested that weight loss surgery patients can also be at greater risk of suicide.

Risk of Death

Some studies have associated the weight loss surgery with a higher-than-expected risk of death. According to the study results, not only the older patients, even the younger patients may die after the surgery.

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How Gastric Band Surgery Works

Gastric Band vs Gastric Bypass

Gastric band surgery has quickly replaced gastric bypass surgery as the primary weight loss surgery for extreme obesity. the procedure is not only less invasive, it's a shorter procedure, fully reversible and adjustable for life.

Moreover, less time is spent in recovery and surgical complications occur in less than 1% of patients (as opposed to 19% of the gastric bypass patients).

How does it work?

Gastric band surgery essentially works by using a silicone band to create a smaller pouch above the stomach, which acts as the new, smaller stomach. The patient eats substantially less, almost half the amount as they would have prior to the procedure, and feels full sooner.

Doctors are not sure how the mind is tricked, but they do know that the procedure is effective in helping obese patients lose weight slowly and consistently.

What is the procedure like?

Specifically, gastric band surgery involves minimally invasive surgery, or keyhole surgery, to place an adjustable band manufactured with biocompatible materials around the stomach, creating a smaller pouch above the stomach.

This essentially narrows the passageway into the patient's stomach, which makes the patient feel full while consuming 50% less calories than they would have prior to the procedure. A tube attached to the adjustable band is connected to a port which is used to adjust the band tightness as the patient loses more weight.

This injection port is placed under the skin, and the band tightness is adjusted by adding saline to make it tighter, or removing saline to make it looser. This port is placed under the skin so the patient's surgeon can access it easily to make adjustments to the band.

What are the benefits of Gastric Band surgery?

The primary benefit of gastric band surgery is the customizable weight loss the band can provide. By inserting the port, the patient's surgeon can quite easily insert or remove saline to adjust the width of the band.
Weight loss occurs slowly, at a healthy rate. The patient will lose approximately 50%-60% of their initial weight, over a consistent amount of time.
The procedure is reversible, unlike gastric bypass. Once the gastric band is removed, the stomach returns to its original form and function.
Since there is no stapling or removing of any parts, there is no change to the patient's anatomy. The patient continues to digest food normally, it is the rate at which food is processed that is now slower which makes the patient feel full faster.
The gastric band surgery as a weight loss procedure has less risks, fewer side effects and a shorter recovery period, not to mention less scarring, than other procedures such as liposuction, tummy tucks and gastric bypass.

Surgeons and patients alike are turning to the gastric band procedure as the best choice for weight loss surgery. The procedure can have a dramatic impact on a variety of obesity-related conditions, including:

Type II diabetes
Asthma
Hypertension
Sleep apnea
Infertility
Back pain
Mobility
Depression and anxiety

If you suffer from obesity, and obesity-related conditions, consider consulting a specialist at a surgical centre to learn more about weight loss surgery.

Jackson Bradford is a health and business enthusiast who writes about a variety of different topics. To learn more about gastric band surgery visit the Western Surgery Centre.

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Summer Soups - A Healthy Choice For Weight Loss Surgery Dieters

Summer is a time of abundant vegetables available locally grown at affordable prices. Through the hot summer and into fall farm stands dot America's byways as local growers bring to the public an abundance of freshly grown vegetables, fruits and berries.

People who control their weight with bariatric weight loss surgery (WLS) can benefit from a stop at the farm stand for fresh vegetables to transform into healthy soup.

A recent study from Pennsylvania State University indicates that people who include a daily serving of soup in their diet are more likely to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight than those who do not enjoy soup in their diet. A homemade vegetable soup is considered a low-energy-density food that is rich in fiber, vitamins, and nutrients.

It is "low-energy" because the calories (energy) in the food are low in comparison to the volume of the food. For example, a 1-cup serving of vegetable soup is seldom more than 100 calories, depending on the amount of fat used in preparation.

On the other hand a 1 cup serving of ice cream contains 300 calories making it a high-energy-density food with little nutritional value.

The study found that soup as a first course, or a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack, is filling to the point that further calorie consumption through the day decreases. It is believed that soup helps sustain satiation because the fiber from vegetables slows digestion.

In addition, carbohydrates from homemade vegetable soup tend to be low-glycemic and do not adversely affect glucose response in the same way simple processed carbohydrates do. As a result our metabolic process is steady and we do not feel an energy surge or drop that is often experienced when eating simple carbohydrates.

Many weight loss surgery patients who complain of "carb-cravings" find that eating a 1-cup serving of soup is an effective way to stop those cravings and curtail feelings of "head-hunger." People who feed "head-hunger" with simple processed carbs tend to eat significantly more calories without satiating those cravings. This eventually leads to weight gain, even after weight loss surgery.

A good homemade vegetable soup can be put together quickly and keeps for up to a week refrigerated. Consider soup making as a series of layers, starting with savory onions and garlic. Heat a healthy monounsaturated fat such as olive oil or peanut oil over medium heat. Add one chopped onion and a clove of minced garlic and cook and stir until soft and translucent. While the onion and garlic cook wash and chop the vegetables for your soup.

Select fresh seasonal vegetables that are crisp and unblemished. Vegetables that are good in summer soup include zucchini and summer squash, fresh tomatoes, green beans, carrots, turnips, spinach, napa cabbage, green onions, and fresh herbs. Fill the soup pot with as many fresh vegetables as you like, add the herbs during the final minutes of cooking.

For liquid add low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, tomato juice, or seasoned vegetable juice such as V8 diluted with water. Simmer the vegetables and liquid just until the vegetables are tender and flavors combine. For weight loss surgery patient a thick soup is desired to provide a denser meal and avoid a "slider food" that slips through the stomach pouch too quickly.

Portions should be carefully measured at 1-cup per serving and this should be eaten in 15 minutes or less. Taking longer to eat soup will result in greater consumption and a decreased feeling of fullness.

In general, a 1 cup serving of vegetable soup will provide 3 grams of protein and 15 grams of healthy carbohydrate in addition to fiber and beneficial phytonutrients including vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. While our dietary focus with weight loss surgery is to eat a high protein diet, a freshly made vegetable soup is a healthy nutritional compliment to that diet.

Vegetables are known to lower the risk of many cancers, heart disease and stroke and strengthen the immune system. For many with weight loss surgery raw vegetables or salads may cause gastric distress, but most WLS patients report a high tolerance for vegetable soup.

For more terrific weight loss surgery friendly recipes link to LivingAfterWLS Kitchen

Join the LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood: Your safe haven circle of friends making the most of their weight loss surgery experience.

LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood

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Unable to Lose Weight After Knee Surgery? Here Are Ways to Lose Even If You Are Immobile

I encounter a lot of clients who have bad knees or have recently undergone knee surgery who fear that they will now be unable to lose weight because they are so immobile. This challenge does not have to stand in the way of your weight loss, it simply means you will need to shift your efforts to what you can do.

If you have been challenged by bad knees and want to lose the weight then I encourage you to read on.

Unable to Lose Weight After Knee Surgery

1. You will want to shift your carbohydrate intake. Carbohydrates are looked at by your body as energy foods and when your body needs energy it burns them up efficiently. When you are less mobile you need to be smart with your carb intake. Feed yourself carbohydrates (bread, cereal, pasta, potatoes, corn, rice) early in the day when your metabolism and energy needs (even when you are not physically active) and then keep them out of your diet later in the day.

2. Keep refined carbs out of your daily diet. If you are eating refined carbs such as baked goods, white bread and candy at anytime of the day you are making it harder for your body to lose weight. These foods break down quickly in your body and cause a spike in your insulin level. When your insulin is on the rise your body turns more of the foods you eat into fat and burns less fat.

3. Any activity is good activity. If you are having trouble with your knees you can still exercise your upper body. By exercising with weights you help your body preserve your muscle mass. This is key to keeping your metabolism running strong and helping you control your weight. Every pound of muscle you have on your body burns about 50 calories a day so by training with weights every other day you allow your body to burn more calories even when you are resting.

Do not give up hope and think that you are unable to lose weight after knee surgery, there are always things you can do to get the pounds off and of course this can only improve your mobility.

Do you want to learn more about how to do it? I have just completed a brand new free guide. Download it free here: Weight Loss Blueprint. Do you want to learn how to speed up your fat loss? Speed Fat Loss.

Dr. Becky Gillaspy is a respected weight loss coach ranking among the top 100 contributors for Ezine Articles.com.

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The Basics of Lap-Band Weight Loss Surgery

If you're the type of person who simply doesn't have the discipline to follow a strict weight-loss diet regularly, then weight-loss surgery would be the next best solution for you.

There are a lot of weight-loss surgical procedures out these days but the problem is, what if you shudder at the thought of some surgeon cutting your body up and coming up with really ugly scars after the procedure? The answer? Lap-band weight loss surgery.

But that's still surgery!

With the lap-band weight loss surgery, you would still end up going under the knife. The good thing about this procedure is that it's the least invasive and it produces the smallest scarring. With this surgical procedure, the doctor just makes 6 really small (about 1 cm) incisions to insert a silicone ring around the upper part of the stomach.

Placing the ring around the stomach produces a smaller pouch for the food you take in so you would feel full even after eating small amounts of food. You eat less, ergo, you lose weight.

The small incisions mean minimized post-operative pain and lesser trauma compared to other weight-loss procedures. In lap-band weight loss surgery, full recovery takes 6 weeks although most patients can actually go home immediately after the procedure.

The ring is adjustable according to the preferences and needs of the patient. Immediately after surgery, the silicone ring is empty. Over time especially when a weight-loss plateau is reached, the surgeon can insert saline inside the ring to tighten the stomach.

So if you feel that you haven't really lost the expected amount of weight, then you can have the surgeon adjust the band to make your stomach smaller. The same goes when the desired effect has already been reached.

The saline can also be lessened or removed according to the effects on the patient's weight. The fact that it's reversible ensures that you wouldn't lose more weight than what is safe.

So after lap-band weight-loss surgery, now what?

Patients who went through lap-band weight-loss surgery follow a strict diet. For the first 3-4 days following the surgery, you are only to take in clear liquids. Caffeine and carbonated drinks are not allowed as they cause the stomach to bloat thereby increasing its size. This could make the silicone ring slip which would require another surgical procedure.

For the next couple of months, you can only take in modified liquids. Modified liquids include soup, protein shakes and baby food. After that, you are free to take in food that was shredded by the food processor.

Your diet should contain only fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately, you'll also need to say goodbye to meat because it's going to be difficult to get this through your stomach's small opening.

Protein is very important after the lap-band weight loss surgery. The stomach can only hold a relatively limited amount of food so each morsel counts. It's better to take in food containing balanced amounts of nutrients and fiber as well as considerable amounts of protein for energy.

You must also remember to eat slowly and carefully after undergoing lap-band weight loss surgery. Your stomach is much smaller than before so it can only take so much pressure.

If you're going through certain medications where you need to swallow pills, you may want to talk to your physician about alternative methods because pills and capsules are usually too big for the stomach opening to take in.

Exercise will still be essential after the lap-band surgery. About 30 minutes a day should do it on the first few months following the procedure. Make sure to at least rest for 2-3 days before going through any activity that would require a lot of movement like driving or working.

It goes without saying the lap-band weight-loss surgery would require a drastic change in one's lifestyle. People who enjoy eating in large amounts may find it difficult to adjust to the diet after the procedure.

Therapy and support groups would be a big help for patients who find it hard to focus on their motivation for weight-loss.

To lessen the shock due to a change in diet, try to adjust your diet to prepare yourself for what you would encounter after going through the lap-band weight loss surgery.

Phillip England is a weight loss [http://www.theultimateweightlosssecret.com] expert and Author of the popular report "The Ultimate Weight Loss Secret".

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What Weight Loss Surgical Options are Available?

Weight loss surgery, or Bariatric Surgery, is a surgical method that is used to aid in weight loss through alteration of the digestive system. Only those who are considered morbidly obese can have weight loss surgery and morbidly obese is defined as those who are at least one hundred pounds overweight.

For those who qualify for weight loss surgery, there are several options that are available. But first there are three classifications.

The classifications

The classifications of weight loss surgery are as follows:

o Biliopancreatic Division - This procedure is commonly referred to as BPD, but is rare. Many also know it as gastric bypass surgery. The reason why it is not performed frequently is because patients were found to experience malnourishment. How it works is that a smaller stomach pouch is formed out of part of the stomach.

Then a small part of the intestine is connected to that pouch. This completely bypasses the jejunum and the duodenum. Patients who undergo this procedure must take supplements to compensate for the loss in nutrients from food.

o Vertical banded Gastroplasty - This is a procedure that is also called stomach stapling. A part of the stomach is permanently stapled to create a smaller pouch out of part of the stomach. This smaller pouch is considered to be the new, smaller stomach.

o Jejuno-ileal Bypass - The top part of the jejunum is connected into the ileum, which is located at a place that is further down the smaller intestine. This is another procedure that is known to cause malnourishment because the food does not pass through all of the areas of the jejunum that absorbs food.

Without proper nourishment, a person can also experience liver failure. This is one procedure that is no longer performed on patients.

o Vertical Banded Gastroplasty - This is also referred to as lap band surgery and many are familiar with this. This procedure also forms a small stomach pouch, but it is done by an adjustable band.

The band is adjusted through a "vale" or "opening" in the stomach that the doctor can easily manipulate to make the band fit comfortably.

The most common

As stated above, the Jejuo-ileal Bypass procedure is no longer performed, so that should not be a procedure that is requested. It is also stated that the Biliopancreatic Division surgery is not as common anymore either.

However, this procedure can be performed on a patient if it is found that it is necessary.

As for stomach stapling, this term is actually a loose term that describes a number of weight loss surgeries in which a small pouch is permanently formed. This process cannot be reversed and it is very important for the individual to take supplements to make sure adequate nutrition levels are achieved.

However, the most popular of these surgeries is lap band surgery because of its ability to be adjusted. If the patient is not getting enough food to sustain themselves, the band can be loosened to make the pouch larger. It can be adjusted until optimal weight loss is achieved while taking in adequate nutrients.

Those who have the lap band procedure done lose weight about as fast as someone doing both diet and exercise. However, there are some who are not able to incorporate exercise until they eliminate some of the weight.

But out of the available procedures, it is up to the patient which procedure they would like to have done and which the doctor recommends. Every individual is different.

Where one person may be able to have a stomach stapling procedure, another may not and have to go with the lap band procedure. Either way, weight loss isn't just a dream but a reality.

There are many options available to obese people seeking permanent weight loss to help reduce their weight and live a more healthy lifestyle. Perhaps the safest procedure with the most reliable results is lap band surgery.

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Slider Foods Spell Weight Regain For Weight Loss Surgery Patients

For most people eating sliders is a good thing. Popularized by the American food chain, White Castle, a slider (originally slyder) is a miniature grilled hamburger or cheeseburger on a steamed bun often served with onions and dill pickle and other condiments.

They originally sold for a nickel a piece in the 1940s making it affordable to add a side of fries for just pennies. By all accounts this is a good kind of "slider" food.

To the weight loss surgery patient slider foods are the bane of good intentions and ignorance often causing dumping syndrome, weight loss plateaus, and eventually weight gain. Slider foods, to weight loss surgery patients, are soft simple processed carbohydrates of little or no nutritional value that slide right through the surgical stomach pouch without providing nutrition or satiation.

The most innocent of slider foods are saltine crackers, often eaten with warm tea or other beverages, to soothe the stomach in illness or while recovering from surgery.

The most commonly consumed slider foods include pretzels, crackers (saltines, graham, Ritz, etc.) filled cracker snacks such as Ritz Bits, popcorn, cheese snacks (Cheetos) or cheese crackers, tortilla chips with salsa, potato chips, sugar-free cookies, cakes, and candy.

You will notice these slider foods are often salty and cause dry mouth so they must be ingested with liquid to be palatable. This is how they become slider foods. They are also, most often, void of nutritional value.

For weight loss surgery patients the process of digestion is different than those who have not undergone gastric surgery. When slider foods are consumed they go into the stomach pouch and exit directly into the jejunum where the simple carbohydrate slurry is quickly absorbed and stored by the body.

There is little thermic effect in the digestion of simple carbohydrates like there is in the digestion of protein so little metabolic energy is expended. In most cases patients in the phase of weight loss who eat slider foods will experience a weight loss plateau and possibly the setback of weight gain.

And sadly, they will begin to believe their surgical stomach pouch is not functioning properly because they never feel fullness or restriction like they experience when eating protein.

The very nature of the surgical gastric pouch is to cause feelings of tightness or restriction when one has eaten enough food. However, when soft simple carbohydrates are eaten this tightness or restriction does not result and one can continue to eat, unmeasured, copious amounts of non-nutritional food without ever feeling uncomfortable.

Many patients turn to slider foods for this very reason. They do not like the discomfort that results when the pouch is full from eating a measured portion of lean animal or dairy protein without liquids.

Yet it is this very restriction that is the desired result of the surgery. The discomfort is intended to signal the cessation of eating. Remembering the "Protein First" rule is crucial to weight management with bariatric surgery.

Gastric bypass, gastric banding (lap-band) and gastric sleeve patients are instructed to follow a high protein diet to facilitate healing and promote weight loss.

Bariatric centers advise what is commonly known among weight loss surgery patients as the "Four Rules" the most important of which is "Protein First." That means of all nutrients (protein, carbohydrates, fat and alcohol) the patient is required to eat protein first.

Protein is not always the most comfortable food choice for weight loss surgery patients who feel restriction after eating a very small amount of food. However, for the surgical tool to work correctly a diet rich in protein and low in simple carbohydrate slider foods must be observed.

The high protein diet must be followed even after healthy body weight has been achieved in order to maintain a healthy weight and avoid weight regain.

It provides guidance for long-term weight and health management with all bariatric surgical procedures.Ms. Bailey is known for her powerful "you can do this" manner and her belief in the power of personal responsibility.

She is the founder of LivingAfterWLS, LLC parent company to the LivingAfterWLS.com and 5daypouchtest.com websites. Supporting both websites is the LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood, an online compassion-driven community for weight loss surgery, gastric bypass and gastric banding patients.

LivingAfterWLS

5 Day Pouch Test

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Headaches With the Weight Loss Surgery High Protein Diet

Why do we suffer from headaches when we transition from a high-processed carbohydrate diet to a high protein diet? Many weight loss surgery patients are asking this.

There are, actually, several reasons for headaches when abiding a high protein, low carb diet. More importantly, there are several little things we can do to relieve the headaches:

First, when we transition from a processed carbohydrate diet to one rich in protein as advised by most weight loss surgery (bariatric) doctors and dieticians we increase our intake of tryptophan. A short list of foods high in tryptophan includes cheese, meat, nuts, and soy.

Ingestion of tryptophan releases serotonin in the brain, which is considered a vasoconstrictor: it tightens our blood vessels. In modest amounts this helps us feel good; but in greater amounts to which we are not accustomed it causes headaches.

To balance the increased tryptophan (an amino acid - good thing) intake we should include appropriate complex carbohydrates in our weight loss surgery eating rhythm: 2B/1B (2 Bites Protein/1 Bite Carbohydrate). Here are some smart food choices for your weight loss surgery diet::

Carbs:

apples

artichokes

basil

bean sprouts

beets

carrots

celery

cranberries

cucumbers

green beans

pears

spinach

squash

Fat:

olive oil

Protein:

lamb

lentils

tuna

turkey

Next, we absolutely must be certain to supplement our diet with essential vitamins and minerals, and in this list I personally include herbal supplements that centuries of human use have proved beneficial to our health and well-being. Please review the list of supplements:

Feverfew: 200-300 milligrams daily

Ginger: 1,500 milligrams taken in 3 (500-milligram) doses daily

Magnesium: 1,000 milligrams a day (WLS post-ops are known to be deficient of magnesium)

Calcium with Vitamin D: 1,000 milligrams daily

Vitamin B6: 50-100 milligrams daily

Vitamin B Complex as prescribed by your doctor, oral, sublingual or injected

If you wake in the morning with a headache I encourage you to have a serving of Emergen-C. I strongly believe Emergen-C is healthful to us because in a single dose you get 60mg magnesium, 200mg potassium; 60mg sodium; 50mg calcium carbonate; (your electrolytes); in addition to vitamin B6 and B12; vitamin C, niacin, thiamin, zinc, and few others.

Our little gastric bypass and gastric-banded tummies can absorb this supplement rapidly and it is not difficult or painful to take. If you have not tried Emergen-C please do. As a note, continue your regular vitamin regimen when taking Emergen-C. Use this water soluble product to get just a little extra nutrition.

If your headaches are chronic and you suspect more than the weight loss surgery high protein diet please keep a headache diary in an effort to identify the cause of the headaches. Dr. Alex Duarte suggestions tracking these things:

Diet - Diet and food allergy is the most prevalent cause of headache.

Hormones - Fluctuating hormone levels are known to cause frequent headache.

Weather - Changes in barometric pressure and other weather conditions can trigger headaches.

Stress - Frequent cause of headaches.

Change in Routine - Disruption of regular routine (such as change in diet) is known to cause headache.

Dental Problems or Endodontic surgery are known to cause headaches

Sensory Stimuli - sight, smell, and hearing can cause headaches.

Hypoglycemia causes headache.

Herbal remedies for headaches are, in my opinion, more effective and less disruptive than chemical OTC remedies. Try supplementing your diet with Feverfew, Ginger, Ginko Biloba, Chamomile, Capsaicin, and/or Valerian.

Learn from others who are battling headaches as a result of the weight loss surgery high protein diet: LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood

Her follow-up book, Day 6: Beyond the 5 Day Pouch Test, was published in December 2009. It provides guidance for long-term weight and health management with all bariatric surgical procedures. Ms. Bailey is known for her powerful "you can do this" manner and her belief in the power of personal responsibility.

LivingAfterWLS

The LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood Online Community

5 Day Pouch Test

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Weight Loss Surgery and Its Different Types

For morbidly obese people, losing weight can be a never-ending battle. There are a number of people who have struggled for years to get rid of the extra bulging flesh from their body but to no avail.

Such obesity sufferers who have failed to achieve their goal weights by diet, exercise and slimming pills, can substantially benefit from a variety of weight loss surgery procedures available.

Obesity is fast spreading like a forest fire around the globe, and in many countries including the United States it has become a grave health concern. It is estimated that nearly 64.5 percent of adult population in the Unites States or about 127 million are obese, and 5 to 10 millions of them are morbidly obese.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has predicted that nearly 2.3 billion people will be overweight and over 700 million of them will be obese by the year 2015.

In the past decade, the explosive growth in obesity and morbid obesity rate has given a significant boost to the popularity of bariatric surgery.

There are various kinds of bariatric surgery procedures that can give you respite from the excess flab you have accumulated on your body over the years. These weight loss surgeries have a history of proven success in helping obese patients achieve substantial and long-term weight loss.

Listed below are different surgical weight loss procedures:

Gastric Bypass: It is a popular weight loss surgery which is alternatively known as Roux-en-Y (RNY) gastric bypass surgery. The surgery calls for the reduction of the stomach size and the length of the small intestine.

During the surgery, a bariatrician attaches a Y-shaped section of the small intestine directly to the newly formed smaller upper pouch, which allows food to bypass rest of the stomach and a large portion of the small intestine. That helps in limiting the absorption of calories and nutrients, thus allowing the patients to feel fuller sooner.

Gastric bypass is the most frequently performed weight loss surgery in the United States. Gastric bypass beneficiaries can expect to lose up to 65% of their excess body fat. Following the surgery, patients may be able to leave the hospital after two days and it may take them 1 to 2 weeks to return to light work.

Gastric Sleeve: Gastric sleeve surgery or sleeve gastrectomy as it is widely known is a procedure of stomach reduction in which a bariatric surgeon permanently removes about 85 percent of the stomach. Following the surgery, the stomach takes the shape of a tube or sleeve.

This banana-like tube creates a restrictive process that restricts the amount of food patients consume. After the gastric sleeve surgery your stomach becomes smaller, you feel full a lot quicker than you are used to, and consequently you lose weight.

Gastric Band: Also called laparoscopic gastric banding, this kind of bariatric surgery is second most commonly performed weight loss surgery, after gastric bypass. Lap band surgery is a reversible and relatively less invasive procedure, in which a silicone band is secured around the upper part of the stomach, dividing it into two parts.

The newly created stomach pouch can hold little amount of food at one time, which helps patients lose weight. Lap band surgery is much safer than gastric bypass and gastric sleeve and has fewer risks. Gastric banding patients can expect to lose 50 to 60 percent of their excess weight.

Gastric Plication: It is a laparoscopic procedure that reduces the size of the stomach without removing sections of the stomach or re-routing intestine or implanting devices. During the laparoscopic gastric plication, a surgeon reduces the stomach volume by folding the stomach inwardly.

The surgery reduces the stomach volume by 70%, therefore limits food intake. The gastric plication is reversible bariatric procedure and can be converted to another procedure if needed.

Duodenal Switch: The duodenal switch (DS) is a restrictive and malabsorptive weight loss surgery procedure in which approximately 70% of the stomach is removed to create a cylinder-shaped pouch, connecting the remaining portion to the top of the small intestine, instead of the duodenum.

Commonly referred to as the BPD/DS, or simply the Switch, the duodenal switch has proven to be successful in previous studies. Some studies have confirmed that DS could effectively treat diabetes and sleep apnea and could be more effective at improving the hypertension as well.

If you are in need of significant body mass reduction and seeking cost-effective solution to your weight-related miseries, getting weight loss surgery in Mexico could be a wise idea. For a number of people who've failed to lose weight through non-surgical weight loss methods, undergoing lap band surgery in Mexico is quite helpful.

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