“The New Normal”: Training for Your First Race

Many of my patients find that they would like to start an exercise regimen after surgery and subsequent weight loss. Some go on to run 5ks, 10ks, and even marathons! This is one of the many positive changes individuals experience following surgery – fitness may become their “New Normal.” There are many benefits to jogging or running. Apart from the weight loss that occurs as a result of the caloric burn from the exercise itself, there is an additional metabolic bump from the increased muscle mass. Muscle burns more calories than fat, at a ratio of 2.5 to 1. Over time this can add up. As you burn fat and build muscle, you are turning your body into a metabolic machine. Additionally, there are cardiovascular, or heart-health benefits. While running may not make one completely immune to heart disease, it does decrease the risk of cardiac events by lowering blood pressure and heart rate. Finally, weight-bearing activities like running can help to increase bone density, thereby lower
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Popular Diets and How They Compare to Weight Loss Surgery

If you are interested in losing weight, there is no shortage of trendy diets from which to choose. But before you start your weight loss journey, you should understand the short-term and long-term pros and cons of each of these “fad” diets. My patients generally have goals to lose 30 pounds or more, so let’s take a look at each of these diets and how they may affect this particular population. Gluten-Free This has quickly become one of the trendiest diets, with approximately one-third of Americans describing themselves as “gluten-free.” Gluten is a protein found in grains like wheat, rye and barley. It gives breads and doughs their chewy texture. For many years, this diet was adopted only by those with Celiac Disease, an autoimmune disorder in which the ingestion of gluten causes an inflammatory immune response in the intestine. This leads to symptoms that range from intestinal distress to malnutrition, and it can cause weight gain. In individuals with Celiac Disease, avoidi
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Are You Too Old or Too Young to for Weight Loss Surgery? When is the Right Time?

I am often asked by patients or their families if they are too old or too young to consider surgery. This is a question that can’t be answered with a specific number.  However, if we consider the disease prevention benefits in younger people and the advantages of carrying less weight for those who are older, there is no doubt that weight loss surgery can deliver positive  benefits to both groups. Obesity in Young Adults I often see very young adults suffering from the complications of obesity-related conditions. Type-2 diabetes, a disease in which the body becomes insensitive to insulin, was relatively uncommon sixty years ago. Its prevalence has grown by 500% since 1950. In the past, this was a disease that affected primarily adults, which is why it is commonly referred to as “adult-onset diabetes.” But today more and more children are burdened with this illness. In the last ten years the rate of type 2 diabetes has jumped 30% among this population. Likewise, the incidence o
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Love Your Body

After any type of weight loss surgery, both your body and mind will experience many changes.  Many are immediate and positive, such as rapid weight loss and improved energy.  But along with these come other, less obvious differences which are the beginnings of a positive cycle that will improve confidence, health and well-being. After surgery, most people see a 50-60% decrease in excess weight. This is substantial and, as such, will have a considerable impact on many aspects of daily life. Some medical conditions may improve or resolve all together. Diseases such as asthma, hypertension or type-2 diabetes may go into remission. Sleep apnea may no longer disturb your slumber, joint aches caused by arthritis may abate he list goes on. And as you experience these dramatic, positive changes within your body, you are likely to experience positive psychological changes as well. Many people report improved quality of life. A full night’s sleep uninterrupted by breathing difficulties
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How to Identify True “Diet” Foods for Weight-Loss

The Trend For quite a while the food industry had been capitalizing on the growing obesity epidemic in our country. From everything from low fat cookies to low carb “Paleo Bread,” companies have ridden the wave of each passing diet trend to market their foods to hopeful consumers and pack their own wallets. And where has it gotten us? In the process they’ve also packed America’s waistline. Despite the widespread availability of these various types of “diet” foods, roughly 70% of adults and 17% of children in America are overweight or obese. This can lead to lifelong health issues including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and some types of cancer. Clearly these slickly marketed products aren’t helping us. If our food has been engineered to facilitate weight loss, why has the opposite occurred? Because the majority of “diet” foods on the market swap fat for sugar or sugar for fat and also tend to be loaded with chemicals including preservatives, flavori
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The Neuroscience Behind How We Form Our Habits

HABIT: A usual way of behaving; something that a person does often in a regular and repeated way, like brushing your teeth in the morning. To automate healthy lifestyle choices like daily exercise and eating well, you need to understand the neuroscience behind how the brain forms new habits. You have to understand the “automatic mode” of your brain. There is a part of the brain responsible for pattern recognition and memories called the basal ganglia. It’s here that habits form using a trigger, behavior, and reward process that gets embedded in our brains and develops into a part of our everyday lives. And it’s here where we have to change the habits we don’t want. The process starts with a trigger that tells your brain to switch to automatic. If the habit is drinking a cup of coffee in the morning or smoking a cigarette, there is a trigger that puts your habit into action. It may be an alarm or turning on the radio. It’s something that tells your brain you want to do some
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5 Health and Lifestyle Benefits of Weight Loss Surgery

We know that bariatric surgery affects more than just weight loss. It also dramatically improves your long-term health, personal relationships, and quality of life. In my conversations with patients, many are not aware of how their lives will improve after bariatric surgery. They think it is just about weight loss. For those of you who are considering the procedure, below are five significant health and lifestyle benefits that are associated with bariatric surgery: Reduced risk of health conditions. It’s proven that weight loss surgery prevents, improves, and often resolves chronic health conditions, including high blood pressure, sleep apnea, asthma, arthritis, and Type II diabetes. Longer life expectancy. Several studies have shown that weight loss surgery will increase life expectancy, in part due to the reduced risk of health conditions. Less life restriction. With significant weight loss there is increased mobility, more energy, and the ability to do things that you haven’t b
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