The Weight is Over. Choose LapBand®
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) May 22, 2013
Those who have already gone through a lap band surgery may be surprised to find that the hardest work is yet to come. As of April 24, 2013, an ABC News report indicated that lap band patients have special health needs that should be addressed in nutrition and fitness plans (“Tips to Keep Weight Off Post Lap-Band Surgery” abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/food_coach&id=9078455). Bariatric surgeon Dr. Madan offers four tips to those who have gone through LAP-BAND® surgery, so that weight can be lost and kept off.
First, lap band patients should understand that diet and exercise are just as much a long-term goal as weight loss. This perspective helps patients deal with a conscious or unconscious “quick fix” mentality, says Dr. Madan. It also helps provide discussion points with health care workers, such as a nutritionist and the original physician, who understand that lap band patients often experience the most weight loss at least a year or two after surgery.
Two, a slow and steady tortoise approach can do wonders. For example, in the ABC News report, a lap band patient named Heather Hutchins was quite clear that her 297 pounds were not reduced to 160 pounds overnight. She began an exercise program by walking, and “serious exercise” didn't begin until a few months after surgery. This is in no way unusual, says Dr. Madan, and patients should expect that it may take months to get into a regular routine, in both diet and exercise. Just dealing with an initial lack of energy, due to reduced food intake, can take between four to six weeks.
Third, it may be an idea to seek help outside of just follow-up visits with your physician. Although Dr. Madan certainly recommends a strict adherence to follow-ups, especially for necessary lap band adjustments, that's not the only weight loss tool. Heather Hutchins' involvement with a nutrition class, and a weight loss support group, is an indication that life habits and emotional issues can be just as important to weight loss as insertion of the gastric band.
Fourth, there is the excess skin issue after lap band surgery. Lost weight is often reflected in pouches or folds of skin that appear to hang off the body's frame, which can be embarrassing to some lap band patients. There are options for plastic surgery, but this would be more of a temporary fix. Long-term, a strength training program (such as weight lifting) or water aerobics can help firm up certain areas, so that excess pouches are kept to a minimum as the weight comes off.
Fifth, strength training will have the best results with lap band patients who also eat high amounts of protein. The type of protein certainly has an effect, says Dr. Madan, since pork tends to add on high amounts of fat and calories, but fish and chicken tend to have less – depending on the preparation style. Small amounts of carbohydrates can help ease people into a workout, which helps the burning of 'easy' calories without prompting an energy drain, and eating protein after 20 minutes can aid in the burning of fat rather than muscle tissue. It's also worth noting that, since lap band patients have usually had a long-term issue with carrying around extra weight, strength training targeted toward balance issues and the upper body can have better results, since these tend to be weak areas.
Having performed over 2,000 weight loss surgeries, and written over 175 articles, Dr. Atul Madan may well be considered an expert in his field. Not only has he acted as the Chief of Laparoendoscopic and Bariatric Surgery Division at the University of Miami, Dr. Madan was also first in Memphis to perform a laparoscopic gastric bypass, which reduces hospital time for the patient. He was also the first to offer an incision-less treatment for weight gain after surgery, and has received the 2007 SAGES Award as a Young Investigator. Dr. Madan's positive patient reviews culminated in the 2011 and 2012 Patients' Choice Award.
For more information on bariatric surgery, the LAP-BAND procedure or Lap Band cost , call 1-800-472-4900, or visit http://www.thelapbandcenter.com/.