The key to being successful after having bariatric surgery
is committing yourself 100 percent towards the goal of losing weight. Many
people who initially got a Lap Band confuse this advice to mean that
they should stick with the Lap Band, no matter what. The reality that many
weight loss surgeons do not like to admit is that the Lap Band far too often
causes problems for patients down the line, in addition to the fact that it
does not help patients lose weight as quickly as those patients who opt for a procedure
such as the sleeve
gastrectomy. Luckily, Dr. Amir Mehran at University Bariatrics is an expert at performing band to sleeve revision procedures that allow patients to
keep going on their weight loss journey, but with a more effective procedure.
Your long term health is far too important to give up on
your weight loss journey. For any patient looking for a surgeon who is skilled
and knowledgeable about revision bariatric
surgery in Thousand Oaks, they should look no further than Dr. Mehran and
the rest of our dedicated team at University Bariatrics.
Since issues of obesity and weight loss are part and parcel of what we do here at University Bariatrics, we spend a lot of time discussing the two ends of the energy equation. Specifically, that means the amount of energy, i.e., calories, we take in as food and the amount we expend through various forms of physical activity. While far from everything is known about why and how we gain weight, this equation is clearly central to our weight and overall health.
At the same time, however, a debate has been going on in medical circles about which part of the energy equation matters most when it comes to obesity. On the one hand, the many health benefits of exercise are extremely well documented -- people who exercise definitely suffer from fewer ill effects of excess weight. On the other hand, many individuals on a fairly intense exercise regime may still find themselves very overweight or even very obese. Apparently for most people, it's a lot easier to increase exercise than it is to decrease our food consumption.
Fortunately, such procedures as sleeve
gastrectomy and gastric bypass have been proven effective many times over in terms of helping individuals fight the intense hunger-like feelings that make sustaining a major weight loss over the long term so difficult for the vast majority of individuals. If you've been exercising, perhaps feeling better, but are still facing the very real dangers of severe obesity, then it's possible that bariatric surgery in Thousand Oaks may be worth exploring. Give us a call any time at 805-379-9796.
One Google search for “weight loss tips” will yield thousands of tips written by everyone from doctors to bloggers advocating for one way or another as the best way to
lose weight. And, while some of these tips may be helpful, the true way to lose
weight is to take in fewer calories than you burn in a single day. The key to
succeeding in this is portion control. The only problem is that throughout the
day our hunger cravings are often much stronger than our willpower, making it
especially difficult to lose weight.
But now, thanks to advanced weight loss
procedures like the sleeve
gastrectomy, obese patients are able to feel satisfied and free of cravings
by eating a much smaller amount of food. While weight loss surgery with University Bariatrics still
requires discipline on the part of the patient, this discipline is much easier
to achieve and maintain.
And, when you have made the decision to undergo weight
loss surgery, you always want to make sure you have the very best surgeon like Dr. Mehran performing your bariatric surgery in Thousand Oaks.
At University
Bariatrics we’ve long warned of the dangers of “quick fixes” when it comes
to weight loss. No matter what the new fad you hear about, the truth is that
weight loss only occurs as the result of hard work and effort. Particularly for
those suffering with severe obesity, weight loss is particularly challenging
because traditional methods like diet and exercise are ineffective 99% of the
time. Nevertheless, alternative “tricks” and “hacks” continue to dominate
headlines, perhaps none more so than diet pills.
First and foremost, what everyone should understand about
diet pills is that they just don’t work. Medical science consistently backs up
the fact that weight loss pills will not result in any actual weight loss on
their own. To make matters worse, recent reports indicate that many common
weight loss pills can actual result in serious side effects. Some pills contain
fenfluramine which has been banned in many places due to its association with
negative effects on the heart and lung. Sibutramine is another common ingredient
which has been linked to heart attack and stroke. Considering the reality that
weight loss pills don’t work anyway, we feel it’s clearly not worth these
risks. For patients suffering from severe obesity, a sleeve
gastrectomy performed by an experienced professional is a much better
choice. As a popular center for bariatric
surgery in Thousand Oaks our team is proud to provide the outstanding
treatments our patients need.
The phrase "use it or lose it" is one that is usually associated with physical exercise. However, here at University Bariatrics, we have found a new meaning when it comes to patients who have the Lap Band or one of the other banding procedures. We recommend against these procedures because they have a lower rate of success than other procedures, can result in a number of unpleasant complications, and typically require in follow-up operations. At the same time, however, we also acknowledge that a significant minority of patients do respond well to banding procedures. Hence, our "Use it Or Lose It' campaign.
Basically, our goal is to remind patients who are having success with their bands to "use it," i.e., keep on taking the steps that will be necessary for success. These include carefully following all of their doctor's instructions and receiving all of the needed adjustments for their band. However, for those who are experiencing a marked lack of success of complications, then our advise it to "lose it" and, ideally, replace it with either a sleeve
gastrectomy or gastric bypass, depending on which is called for.
The important thing for weight loss patients is to make sure they are taking the steps needed to ensure their long term health. Whether you are interested in obtaining an initial bariatric surgery in Thousand Oaks or would like to discuss whether it's time to "use" or "lose" your banding procedure, we're here to help. For details, check out the video below.
