Just a reminder that we will be holding support group at the Indianapolis clinic this week.
When: Tuesday August 18 Time: 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. Location: Clarian Bariatrics (6625 Network Way, Suite 100 - Indianapolis)
Group Topics:
Band: “Managing Cravings”
New Bypass and Sleeve: “ Body Image: Living your Personal Before and After Picture”
> 1 Year Bypass and Sleeve: “Recipe and Food Tip Exchange” (Come with an idea or recipe to share!)
Don't forget that we also have our weekly "Walk the Talk" support group each Friday that is free to all patients. More information can be found on our Web site in the "Ongoing Support" section. See you then!
This article from Endocrine Today, highlights one of the ongoing discussions about how bariatric surgery has been proven to cure Type 2 diabetes. We've discussed this topic on the blog before and I would encourage anyone with the disease to talk with your physician about how weight loss surgery may help your condition. The first few paragraphs are below and full text can be found here.
A surgeon argued today that the criteria for bariatric surgery should be changed, allowing more overweight people to undergo the procedure.
Even though there is a 92% reduction in diabetes-specific mortality risk after gastric bypass, only a small percentage of patients who could benefit are eligible to undergo the procedure, Francesco A. Rubino, MD, said. Those with a BMI greater than 40 are eligible for the procedure; those with a BMI greater than 35 are eligible only if comorbidities are present. “These criteria should change,” he said.
Rubino, chief of gastrointestinal metabolic surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College and head of the Diabetes Surgery Center at New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical College, also argued that the success of gastric bypass surgery “challenges the idea that diabetes is chronic and irreversible.”
The outcomes of the surgical procedure suggest an intestinal contribution to diabetes pathophysiology. Diabetes may be a “dysfunction of the bowel,” he said.
It was much easier for our ancestors to burn calories all day long, because there weren’t as many sedentary activities back then. If you think about it, they didn’t have access to hundreds of TV channels or internet to keep them seated all evening long! Since these things are readily available nowadays, it requires us to make an extra effort to burn calories throughout the day…especially if we are looking to lose weight! In addition to a structured exercise program, we can tap into some of the physical labor that our ancestors used to do while we continue to do our daily activities. Check out some of these ideas from the American Heart Association:
Do housework yourself instead of hiring someone else to do it.
Work in the garden or mow the grass. Using a riding mower doesn't count! Rake leaves, prune, dig and pick up trash.
Go out for a short walk before breakfast, after dinner or both! Start with 5-10 minutes and work up to 30 minutes.
Walk or bike to the corner store instead of driving.
When walking, pick up the pace from leisurely to brisk. Choose a hilly route. When watching TV, sit up instead of lying on the sofa. Better yet, spend a few minutes pedaling on your stationary bicycle while watching TV. Throw away your video remote control. Instead of asking someone to bring you a drink, get up off the couch and get it yourself.
Stand up while talking on the telephone.
Walk the dog.
Park farther away at the shopping mall and walk the extra distance. Wear your walking shoes and sneak in an extra lap or two around the mall.
Stretch to reach items in high places and squat or bend to look at items at floor level.
Want to know more about how to be successful before AND after weight loss surgery? Come to Clarian Bariatric’s Cooking Class! Learn about disease-fighting power-packed foods, and how to make them taste delicious. Come have a blast of an evening with us! Just sign up….IT’S FREE!
Where: Clarian Bariatrics When: Thursday, June 25 at 6 p.m. Why: To learn healthy cooking habits for you and your family How: Just sign-up! Send an e-mail to Annessa at: achumble@clariannorth.com or call 317-275-6067, and leave a message with your name and reservation. Please contact Annessa with any questions!
“The support of family, friends and medical professionals is crucial to the success of patients,” Samer Mattar, MD, FACS, Medical Director for Clarian Bariatrics, said. “It is important that these individuals understand that morbid obesity is a disease and they can be part of the treatment through positive thinking before and after the procedure.”
The comparisons between car racing and bariatric surgery are plenty. Think of the patient as a car in disrepair. A surgeon – or mechanic – can come in and fix the inside to improve function, but without dieticians – or fuel specialists - to provide proper education the work would be for naught. Additionally, exercise consultants and psychologists need to be available to help the patient adjust to a new life and habits, just as the tire changer rotates wheels for optimal performance.
Similar to race car drivers, patients are members of a team, which includes other post-surgical patients. It is essential that individuals regularly participate in team building exercises, like support groups and cooking classes, as a way to share struggles and success stories. They can also rely on their friends and family as their cheering section.
Mattar suggests that patients should attend at least four support group sessions each year post surgery, meet with a family physician regularly and visit with his or her weight loss surgeon at least once a year depending on how long the person has been post-operative.
“Just as if a patient owned a race car, they should regularly visit with ‘mechanics,’ undergo maintenance checks and get tune-ups if needed,” he said. “This way, potential problems are diagnosed early and any difficulties that a patient may have, whether medical, mental, social, financial, domestic or spiritual, can be addressed.”
Click on the "Victories at the Track" image at the top right to learn more about the pit crew concept.
Whether you have decided to seek bariatric surgery or have already had bariatric surgery you are likely experience a period of adjustment to new responsibilities. How do you cope with these responsibilities and make yourself more successful? How can goal setting increase your success before and after bariatric surgery?
It is not always easy sticking to the recommended diet or getting the suggested amount of physical activity. Goal setting is a time-tested and research-proven way to succeed. Setting goals for what you want to accomplish and writing the goals down are critical ingredients.
Keep it visible, place reminders about the goal in your car, on the refrigerator, on the bathroom mirror, anywhere you may need a reminder. Plan how you want to follow-through with the goal. Think about the steps that you need to follow in order to see progress toward your goal. Write down the plan and reference back to it regularly.
I was flipping through the television channels late on Monday evening and a program on the Discovery channel caught my attention. The show was talking about the ways we “beat” ourselves up.
It made me stop and evaluate our daily processes. Clarian Bariatrics has a multidisciplinary team that can help with many issues that are not visible to the average person. I have spoken several times about the way a weight loss surgery patient is viewed before and after the surgery. Dr William Hilgendorf is leading several pre and post-operative classes with varied topics from body image to addictions and several in between.
It is hard sometimes to deal with reality and what we view as reality. The people to handle the situation are here, and all you have to do is ask. We pride ourselves in leading the way in the the Bariatric field. The difference between our program and others is we are dealing with more than a person’s stomach.
For you to be successful you must look at all layers of who you are and why we are the way we are. Programs such as the one on the Discovery Channel give out misinformation that I (not psychologically trained) find frustrating. These people need help on several levels and do not know where to turn.
Do not be one of the many individuals that does not seek out the appropriate professional to help you with a very difficult decision, problem or treatment plan for these issues. Clarian Bariatrics staff are professionally trained and leaders in their given field of study. Do not let anything sabotage you on your road to success. Seek out the help, and view Clarian Bariatrics' mental health team is one more leg to help support you.
After weight loss surgery you lose weight even in your feet. Yep, that's right, your shoe size might get smaller. As you continue to lose weight from your bariatric weight loss surgery, you might to ask your sweetie for a new pair of shoes instead of forbidden items like chocolate and other sweets.
Do you have an additional question about what to expect after gastric bypass surgery or health problems with obesity? Then leave me a comment below. I'd love to hear from you.
How do you know if Indianapolis Gastric Bypass surgery is right for you? There are many non-surgical treatments for people suffering from Obesity Related Problems and only a physician from Indiana Bariatric Centers can properly determine the right course of action for you.
Bariatric surgery is often consider when a patient has a body mass index of 40 or more or if you have a BMI of 35 and other weight related health problems like diabetes or arthritis. Gastric Bypass weight loss leads to lower blood pressure and other obviously beneficial outcomes.
Keep in mind that one may still be obese or overweight after Gastric Bypass Surgery as it takes several months - or years - to achieve a healthy weight depending on the individuals weight before surgery.
Because you will only be eating a few ounces of food at a time, expect some dramatic changes to your lifestyle that will contribute to a healthier you. Nutrition for patients of morbid obesity surgery will need to take vitamins and supplements and of course avoid high calorie sugary drinks.
Our Indiana bariatric doctors offer consultations and advice to those seeking help. Attend one of our upcoming FREE informational seminars to learn more. Simply click on the image at the top right of this page. See you there!
The following blog post was written by Jennifer Gregoline, a registered dietitian at Clarian North Medical Center, who works closely with gastric bypass weight loss patients post-operatively. Below she discusses the important role calcium plays in a patients recovery from weight loss surgery.
So often, patients come back in post-operatively for a follow-up visit and we notice when reviewing their vitamin regimen that many patients are not taking any or not taking the right amount or right kind of calcium supplement.
There are usually several reasons for this including: patients feel the pills are too big, too many pills to take at one time or they don’t remember to take them. Unfortunately, none of these are good reasons to put your bones at risk. Calcium is needed before and after surgery to prevent calcium deficiency and osteoporosis. After surgery, foods rich in calcium are not enough to prevent calcium deficiencies and osteoporosis.
When patients undergo gastric bypass surgery, the preferential sites for the absorption of calcium, the duodenum and proximal jejunum, are bypassed placing patients at increased risk for low calcium levels thus necessitating lifelong supplementation to maintain adequate serum levels.
I reached out for help from my primary care physician many times and was repeatedly shot down. The cure all in my doctor’s opinion was that I needed to push myself away from the table and start running five miles a day. If I had a dollar for every time he had given me that response I’d be a millionaire.
I had three family members and two close friends that had bariatric surgery a few years prior to our move to Florida. I spent those years as a support person for my family and friends knowing that surgery was something they desperately needed to survive. I researched all surgical options and educated myself as much as possible so I could become their best support person. I searched the Internet for countless hours reading every Web site and study I could find pertaining to surgery, the life changes, eating habits and why people chose to have bariatric surgery.
I became infatuated with the Web sites designated for weight loss patients. I couldn’t wait everyday to read their personal stories, view before and after pictures, see discussions about the WOW moments and the everyday trials and tribulations. I was overjoyed at how this surgery had such a positive effect on so many lives. My family and friends were benefiting from weight loss surgery and they deserved it after all the years of countless yo-yo dieting and co-morbidities (diabetes, high blood pressure and other health problems related to obesity) too long to list.
Driving into work one morning, a voice came over the radio. It was a young woman discussing her health, how it had deteriorated, her co-morbidities and how it was affecting her physically and mentally. I could hear the desperation in her voice when she described how she felt when she couldn’t do certain things with her family and how upsetting it was.
When the commercial was over there was a phone number to call to obtain a copy of her story in the mail. With no hesitation I picked up the phone to call and ordered a copy. I felt like I knew this person’s voice on the other end of the radio, and her story was so familiar but I couldn’t figure out why. When I received the video I waited until everyone was a sleep, popped in the DVD and sat in my recliner with a bag of popcorn eager to learn more.
Check back soon to hear the rest of my story. You can see my "before" picture in this story. If you would like to see me now, please click on my name under the post title!
A few weeks ago I introduced you to Brook. One of the reasons Brook said that her surgery was successful was because of the massive support she received from individuals at Clarian Bariatrics both before and after surgery. Below she explains a little more about what happened after surgery.
After losing 120 pounds through weight loss surgery, Brook Wessel-Burke was able to reclaim her life. But even before she underwent the procedure, she knew that surgery was only one component of the program.
A solid support system is crucial to the continued success of bariatric surgery. A circle of friends, family and bariatric professionals who support, encourage and counsel the patient are invaluable in achieving the dramatic and permanent weight loss and improvement in health. Support groups are ideal forums for pre and postoperative patients to both glimpse into the future and learn from the experience of more mature patients.
“I had gone to support group several times before surgery, so I had heard people talk about what to expect,” Brook said. “Six months after surgery things started getting tough, and I was becoming emotional and turning to food temptations.”
Through support group, Brook was able to connect with other individuals and together they were able to produce solutions to these challenging situations. These solutions augmented and improved her health and self-esteem.
“It was helpful for me to have friendships with people that were in the same situation,” she said. “We could admit to one another that we didn’t have a perfect week and then talk about the ramifications. It was what I needed to get back on track.”
Because support is so vital to weight loss success, Clarian Bariatrics, a designated Center of Excellence, offers support groups for all bariatric surgery patients, and those contemplating surgery.
With a variety of group formats, interested individuals are able to meet regularly for counseling and support. They can also take advantage of occasional lectures and presentations by experts in various areas of obesity and weight loss, including physicians and makeover professionals. Several activities are also regularly held, such as, fashion shows and group excursions.
Two years after surgery, Brook still turns to the support groups at Clarian Bariatrics to stay on track.
“The patients and staff at the clinic are like my extended family now,” she said.
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things are readily available nowadays, it requires us to make an extra effort to burn calories throughout the day…especially if we are looking to lose weight! In addition to a structured exercise program, we can tap into some of the physical labor that our ancestors used to do while we continue to do our daily activities. Check out some of these ideas from the American Heart Association:
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