Blog Archives
How Much Is Too Much Weight Loss Too Fast
With the advent of ever-improving bariatric techniques and technologies and the GLP-1 medication craze in Wegovy and Zepbound, many people are losing weight more quickly than ever. While this may seem like a great “problem” to have, it is possible to lose too much weight too fast. Let’s dive into why we want to moderate our weight loss and how to do so.
Choosing Between Bariatric Surgery & Weight Loss Medication (Wegovy & Zepbound)
Patients have a choice between multiple effective weight loss options for the first time in many years. Until recently, bariatric surgery was the only way for most obese patients to experience dramatic and sustained weight loss. However, our armamentarium has another option with weight loss medications like Wegovy and Zepbound, also known as GLP-1 receptor agonists. While these medications represent a very different weight loss modality compared to bariatric surgery, both can offer significant weight loss and are particularly effective when selected for the correct patients.
Getting Your Protein – From a Patient’s Perspective
By Chad Reott, SADI patient
Few of us understand how vital protein is to the human body until we need it to stay healthy. I’ll be honest—I did not. However, throughout my bariatric surgery and the ensuing process, I have learned a lot about protein and how it interacts with the body.
One of the things that stuck out to me most, and I had no fundamental understanding of, was when my sister, who is an ICU nurse, advised me that I needed this protein to help my body heal following my surgery and to prepare it before surgery. She was frustrated I wasn’t eating enough protein and suggested I may be increasing my risk of complications.
Alright, enough about me.
About Medical Weight Loss Options – Wegovy®, ZepBoundTM
With the availability and popularity of modern weight loss drugs like Wegovy® and ZepboundTM, patients have an ever-expanding tool chest for losing weight. We understand how difficult it can be to manage excess weight and obesity – we’ve helped tens of thousands do it for the past several decades. Until now, most patients have resorted to bouncing between diets (most tend to fail) as their only non-surgical weight loss option.
Those looking for an alternative will be pleased to know there are two weekly injectable weight loss drugs currently on the market. Wegovy is a derivative, high-dose version of the popular diabetes drug Ozempic®. Zepbound is the weight loss-approved form of MounjaroTM, a diabetes drug as well. The former is a Semaglutide, while the latter is a Tirzepatide. While they have different names, they essentially do the same thing. Both are GLP-1 receptor agonists. In other words, when injected into belly fat, these drugs stimulate an increase in beta cells within the pancreas and subsequently induce satiety and weight loss.
How to Succeed After Bariatric Surgery if Cardio’s Not Working
Your bariatric journey is lifelong, and you must stick to a diet and exercise routine to lose weight since these are the integral parts of every successful weight loss journey, regardless of the tool used. Recommendations after bariatric surgery boils down to following a defined and healthy diet punctuated by moderation and regular cardio and resistance exercise.
For some in early recovery after surgery, cardio exercises strain their joints or hearts too much. Some patients may need to lose weight or get a joint replacement to be more active. With luck, the weight loss afforded by bariatric surgery will improve joint pain and mobility. Getting to that point takes a lot of effort.
If cardio exercises aren’t your thing right now, don’t worry. Other effective ways to support your bariatric journey include diet and non-cardio exercises.
SAMPA’S Surgeons Are 2024 Nappie’s Finalists
It’s that time of year again – Nappie Time! We are thrilled to announce that Dr. Barry Ballard Jr., Dr. Forrest Ringold, and Dr. Dusty Smith have been nominated for Best General Surgeon, while Dr. Jeffrey Hannon, Dr. Timothy Mansour, and Dr. Forrest Ringold have been nominated for Best Weight Loss Doc-Surgical. We take immense pride in our nominated doctors and wish them the best of luck.
We invite you all to vote and help spread the word about this excellent team of care providers. We appreciate all of your votes, each one truly does make a difference.
How Often Should You Go to the Gym (And What to Do) After Bariatric Surgery?
After bariatric surgery, you enter an exciting time in your life. You’ve had surgery, and the weight is starting to come off, probably quite rapidly. Most patients wish to build on this excitement by hitting the gym hard and enhancing their results. That said, it’s often difficult to know, especially if you weren’t a gym-goer earlier in life, how often to go and what exercises you should perform when you get there. Mind you, early on after bariatric surgery, we do not want you going to the gym and lifting heavy weights. It will take about 6 to 8 weeks before you are cleared to do so. We also know many patients will be intimidated by the gym. This is perfectly normal. Just getting up and going is an achievement in and of itself. Even if you do minimal strength training in the beginning, you’ll soon feel comfortable and start building up your routine.
With this in mind, it’s important to set proper expectations. It takes about 4 to 6 weeks of consistent gym work to see the results of your efforts. Unfortunately, many people quit before they reach that point. You’ll also want to note you will likely gain weight in the early days of your strength training regimen. This is because you are building muscle at a faster rate than you are losing fat.
Five Questions to Ask at Your Bariatric Consultation
We see hundreds of patients yearly who go on to have very successful metabolic surgery with one of our bariatric surgeons. Each operation is unique in that every patient is different; their care plan must be tailored to their motivations and ultimate goals. To that end, no consultation is ever the same, even if some of the questions are. To help you prepare for your first consultation, we have listed five questions every patient should ask their surgeon. Remember, the answers to these questions will vary between patients, so if your spouse, friend, or family member has had bariatric surgery, the answer may differ slightly from yours. The answers below are generic but offer a great starting point for a deeper discussion.
Can Long-Term PPI Use Cause Dementia?
Acid reflux is one of the most common digestive concerns occasionally experienced by people the world over. Most people will experience some acid reflux in their lifetime, especially after a heavy meal or eating spicy food. However, acid reflux becomes problematic when patients experience it regularly, at which point it can be considered chronic – known as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease or GERD. This condition can be very troublesome for the discomfort it causes – often a burning sensation in the chest and throat. Sometimes, the burning in the chest is bad enough that patients believe they are having a heart attack. Beyond that, GERD can cause yellowed teeth, premature wearing of tooth enamel, a persistent dry cough, esophageal stricture, and more. It can even lead to a pre-cancerous condition known as Barrett’s Esophagus. In some cases, this can lead to esophageal cancer, which can be very aggressive and challenging to treat.
What’s Your Ideal Post-Bariatric Surgery Weight? It Depends…
While the term “weight loss surgery” describes a baseline benefit of the bariatric procedures we perform, it doesn’t fully represent the most critical parts of the result – improvement or elimination of obesity and its related diseases or comorbidities, including high cholesterol, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea and much more. However, weight loss is such an obvious and easily measured benefit of surgery patients are often primarily concerned with that more than anything else. It would be safe to say most patients bring up their ideal post-surgical weight within the first few minutes of their consultation.