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Intestinal Weight Loss Surgery Today

Sat, 17 Jul 2010 08:44:00 +0000

In the past, weight loss surgery was always regarded as an extreme course of action for the morbidly obese. Weight loss surgery was mostly a risky proposition often involving slicing into the intestines and re-routing or stapling. Even nowadays, it is true that several types of weight loss surgery are invasive, difficult to reverse and can cause serious complications. But, as more technology becomes available to surgeons, weight loss surgery is now easier and less risky than ever and thus, more common. Attempting to lose weight for, many people, can be exceedingly frustrating. No matter how much dieting or exercise they do, nothing seems to help. Whether it is due to a genetic component, a malfunction of the metabolism, or some subtle imbalance in the body, willpower and dedication are not enough. Weight loss surgery has become a more mainstream option as new procedures and technology make it less invasive and safer. A number of types of weight loss surgery are commonly performed on obese patients. One of the more recent surgery procedures is the Lap-Band. The Lap-Band apparatus, an adjustable rubber ring, is positioned around a patient’s stomach in order to restrict the amount of food and liquids that can enter the stomach. This Restrictive type of weigh loss surgery does not affect the normal digestion of food or nutrients, unlike Malabsorptive surgery types. Malabsorptive weight loss surgery is more invasive, in other words, it requires more internal surgical work, than other types. Malabsortive surgery shortens the digestive tract and limits the amount of calories that can be absorbed into the body. Amalgamations of restrictive and malabsorptive weigh loss surgery procedures are also typically used. These surgeries restrict the amount of food in the stomach as well as reduce amount of calories that can be absorbed in the body. Carrying around too much weight can cause myriad health and emotional difficulties. The overweight are more liable to experience heart problems, high blood pressure, diabetes and other health problems. People who are morbidly obese often have a shorter lifespan, as well. You may want to consider weight loss surgery, if traditional weight loss methods have failed. Each one of the three above types of weigh loss surgery has its own benefits and drawbacks, so it’s important to speak to a weight loss surgery specialist to find out if one of these surgeries is a good solution for you.

Tips to Help Lose Weight

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 03:41:00 +0000

When it comes to shedding a few extra pounds it may not be as difficult as you once first thought. However with the huge range of slimming products and pills on the market today many don’t know where to start. This may seem obvious but the best thing you can do is start eating healthy foods. Eating healthy means you have to monitor and watch the foods that you eat. Many people think eating less is the answer but the real solution is to eat the right kind of foods. As an example a portion of chips or fries could easily be replaced by an apple or some other fruit, cutting down on any foods with high calories will certainly help. If you are unsure exactly what healthy food is you could do a search on the internet, there are hundreds of great sites out there with lots of healthily meals and cooking instructions. Try to find meals you like and then replace it with one of your unhealthy meals. Once you start to look about you will find there is thousands of different meals to try and something for every taste. As well as eating healthy meals taking regular exercise is also essential help lose weight. Exercise is very important as it helps your body burn off calories. If you haven’t done any exercise in a while it is very important to take things slowly at first, you don’t want to pull a muscle or damage your body in any way. If you don’t at present have an exercise plan or program or don’t know where to start it is a good idea to find a free instructional workout video on one of the popular video sites like google or youtube. When exercising you can use special equipment such as weights and exercise balls but it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money, although many people enjoy going to a club you can just as easily exercise at home using the things found in your house such as the stairs to do step ups on. When it comes to exercising many people are just plain lazy and require some kind of motivation, if you have any friends or a partner see if they are interested in working out with you. Keeping a log or journal is also a good idea; you can even use a online blog. Keeping a track of your progress can help boost your confidence as you see your weight dropping.

Count Colors Not Calores to Lose Weight!

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 21:39:00 +0000

If you need to drop and few kilos and don’t know where to get started, stop counting calories and start counting colours. When it comes to losing weight, make sure your plate is piled high with a range of colourful fruit and vegetables. You’ll naturally create more balance and health-filled menus. Why? Colour not only brightens your mood – but also your diet. Load your plate with fruit and veges like a box of crayons in colours such as red, yellow, orange, blue, purple, white and green and you’ll also be filling up on power packed phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are naturally occurring chemicals which combat disease, including cancer. Go easy on the beige and brown foods such as pasta and startchy carbs. When there are too many of these drab colours on your plate, weight gain is almost certain. That’s because these beige foods often are high in calories and can leave you feeling hungry later. A cup of beige or brown beans can be over 200 calories….but a cup of red or green vegetables is under a hundred! Add fresh greens, deep purple-reds and bright yellow-orange to a meal, and water the nutrient content go up, while calories go down! Plus, you’ll get more enjoyment from eating when there’s a variety of colours and flavours on your plate. According to Dr David Heber, M.D., Ph.D. and author of “What Color Is Your Diet” the key to designing your colourful diet is to choose from a range of different colour groups: Blue/purple fruits and vegetables contain varying amounts of health-promoting phytochemicals such as anthocyanins and phenolics. Choose from a range including blueberries, blackberries, eggplant, plums, raisins. These assist in memory function. Green group includes broccoli; Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and bok choi. These foods stimulate the genes in your liver to turn on the production of enzymes that break down the cancer-causing chemicals in the body. The yellow/green group includes green peas, avocado and honeydew melon. These promote eye health. The yellow/orange group includes carrots, mangoes, apricots, rock melon and pumpkin. These contain carotenoids (beta carotene is one), fierce antioxidants that help prevent cancer and assist to lower heart-attack risk. The white group includes bananas, white peaches, cauliflower, garlic, ginger, mushrooms and are helpful to maintain heart health. The red group includes tomatoes, pink grapefruit and watermelon all of which contain lycopene. Lycopene is associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer and cardiovascular disease. The red/purple group includes grapes, grape juice, prunes, cranberries, strawberries and red apples. These foods contain anthocyanins which have a beneficial effect on heart disease by inhibiting blood clot formation.

Get mentally fit for weight loss!

Sat, 08 May 2010 17:23:00 +0000

There are literally thousands of diets and weight loss systems throughout the world; pills, shakes, soups, fads, carbohydrates, calories, fats, sugars, you name it. They are all available to you in the interest of helping you lose weight, change your body shape or size or changing the way your body feels. What most people don’t realise that they all pretty much have one thing in common. You need to change your mental state before you can make any of them work! Yes, you may find it a surprise but pretty much 99% of people looking to lose weight have actually subconsciously “chosen” the state their body is in. At the end of the day, YOU alone are responsible for putting the fried chicken in your mouth, YOU are responsible for NOT going for a walk this morning and, most importantly, YOU are responsible and have control of your thoughts, emotions and motivation. Changing your mental state will help you change your physical state, as the old saying goes “you have to change what is on the inside to change what is on the outside”. Many people don’t actually give a lot of thought to what is going on inside, about how they are stopping themselves from doing things and how they can make changes (small or large) that will create a positive difference in their lifestyle. Find out what pain you have to break through to create more pleasure within your body and your mind. Not physical pain, but mental pain. What is it you have to deal with in order to remove the excess baggage (weight) you carry around with you? When you find out what is holding you back from making changes in your life, body and diet, you will find that dieting no longer becomes about food and exercise, it becomes a lifestyle. With the right mental changes you will find that you CAN drink wine, go out for dinner and eat cheese, ice-cream and chocolate, however you must also use balance and thought and consume only in the right moderation. Everyone has the ability, motivation and power to make almost any change positive and successful. Tapping into your mental state, deciding to make a few changes and acting out these changes is what will make all the difference!

Dangers And Solutions To Emotional Eating

Sat, 08 May 2010 06:11:00 +0000

Food is a source of nourishment and energy. Without food we would not be able to perform our daily activities. Our muscles would wither, our nervous system would fail. So, we all need food. However, food also has another role in our lives – a role of comfort and entertainment. Culturally and instinctively we prepare and serve foods to comfort those who have experienced loss, to celebrate joy or to show friendship and love. So what exactly is emotional eating? Seeing food as more than just a source of energy and enjoying it simply for the satisfaction it gives is not wrong. In fact science shows that food can promote good feelings by chemical reactions caused in our brains. What IS a problem is when an individual cannot experience pain, anxiety, joy or even boredom without turning to food as means of dealing with those feelings, or they are obsessed with food, weight and dieting. Emotional eaters turn to food as a source of distraction from dealing with feelings. However, eating these foods leads to feelings of guilt which can only be soothed with more eating, restrictive dieting, excessive exercise or purging. Emotional eaters tend to value themselves based on their weight and how closely they’ve stuck to their ‘ideal’ diet. Because of this distorted relationship with food, foods are labeled “GOOD” and “BAD”. Emotional eating can also lead to serious eating disorders and depression. – How to tell if you’re an emotional eater. Do you turn to food for reasons other than hunger? Are you obsessed with thoughts of food – whether you plan to eat it or are concentrating on restricting yourself from eating it? Do you regularly try diets and fail – leading to guilt and further over eating? Do you think about or attempt to purge excess food by throwing up or using laxatives? Do you exercise compulsively when you think you’ve eaten too much? If you can answer “YES” to any of the above questions then you may in fact be engaging in this dangerous habit. – Overcoming emotional eating. Since emotional eating is caused by looking to food as a coping strategy for emotional distress dieting can actually create more problems. When the emotional eater fails to stick to a diet they suffer feelings of guilt that can only be soothed with more food and in turn, more guilt or punishment. Instead of trying to focus on what they are eating, the emotional eater needs to learn new skills for coping with stressful emotions. Often this requires the help of a Personal Coach or Therapist who deals with emotional eating. It is only by finding replacements for the comfort food provided that the individual can put food into its rightful place and learn healthy eating habits that last a lifetime.

Is Binge Eating Making You Feel Alone?

Wed, 05 May 2010 21:38:00 +0000

If you have Binge Eating Disorder, you understand the feelings of loneliness. You know what it is like to live in a secret world that no one knows about. You have a big secret, but no one is allowed to see that side of you. At restaurants with friends, you order just the right amount of food and can’t finish it all because you are so full. Little do your friends know that you had already eaten enough food for three people just two hours before meeting them for another dinner. You talk to your friends about why you are overweight. You don’t know why, you say. They are just as stumped as you are. They see what you eat and it is small portions. Not even unhealthy foods most of the time. But what they don’t know is that you have Binge Eating Disorder. You have something that is constantly looming over your head. Food. Food is a dream and a nightmare mixed into one. Food makes you feel better and then makes you feel worthless the very next minute. You don’t want to let your friends into your secret world though. This is your world and they will not understand. They may just tell you to stop eating so much. They won’t understand. But, if they are your friends, they will understand. You cannot let any self-limiting beliefs stand in your way anymore. Your friends love you and will stand by your side when asked for help. You mean everything to them. The first step that you can take is to tell someone that you trust. Stop dealing with this big problem on your own. Ask a friend to just listen to you when you need them. Often talking about problems and just getting things off of your chest will make you feel so much better. Plus, if you are hanging out with someone and talking about it, you are less likely to turn to food. It isn’t as available and you are not alone. You are forcing yourself out of your comfort zone and that is okay. Get help and find a trusted confidant. Expose your secret world to them little by little, or by however feels right to you. Listen to yourself and let that be the judge. Once they know where you are coming from, they will be able to help you to where you hope to go in the future. Don’t let binge eating disorder get the best of you; seek a friend to talk to and watch you start to feel better about yourself and your situation. By: Kristin Gerstley http://www.endbingeeating.com Notice to publishers: you have rights to republish this article on your website as long as you keep all links in tact and clickable. Thank you.

Why Can’t I Lose Weight?

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 21:54:00 +0000

That’s the question many people ask when their weight loss plan isn’t working. Asking yourself ‘Why can’t I lose weight?’ is actually one of the best things you can do for yourself. It says you know that what you’re currently doing isn’t working for you. You’re at the place where you’re ready to look at alternatives – try something different to get a result you want. So why can’t you lose weight? Here are 3 possible reasons you may not be losing weight – and some suggestions on what you can do about it. #1) Medical Reasons Now this is not the same as saying you’re genetically programmed to be overweight. That is hogwash. In fact scientists estimate that even if you do have a genetic propensity to gain weight, your genes only account for 15 – 25% of your current weight. So forget the genetics excuse. But there are medical reasons that some people can’t lose weight. Low thyroid, adrenal exhaustion, insulin resistance and other medical conditions can make losing weight near to impossible. That’s why before starting any weight loss plan, you should talk to your doctor first. Have a full workup and make sure that you don’t have any health issues standing in the way of your weight loss. There’s nothing more frustrating that trying to lose weight, doing all the right things and not losing an inch – all because of a medical condition. Get the medical condition cleared up first and then address the weight (in fact, the weight may just go down on it’s own once you get the medical condition addressed). #2) Emotional Eating I recently read an article where a nutritionist estimated that 75% of overeating was due to emotions. 75%! Can you imagine what would happen if you learned to eliminate emotional eating and cut out all those calories? What a weight loss impact! The weight would be falling off. Unfortunately, in today’s world, emotional eating is on the rise. Most people today are feeling the pressure of an increasingly hectic lifestyle. We hardly have time to tie our shoes, never mind deal with our emotions. Because of this, our emotions get stuffed down and ignored until finally they explode and we’re face-down in a bowl of Rocky-Road ice cream with extra chocolate sauce. Here’s the bottom line: you are human and you have emotions. Your emotional needs are important and need to be addressed properly with love. You need emotional nurturing and proper emotional care. If that means you take a 5 minute break every few hours at work to regain your emotional balance, do it. If that means you need to unwind by doing a mall walk and window shopping after work – don’t let anything stop you. Learn to nurture your emotional health and you’ll nip emotional eating in the bud – and start losing weight FAST. #3) Mismatched Weight Loss Plan There are many different ways to lose weight and dozens of weight loss programs to choose from. Some plans emphasize a change in diet, others emphasize a change in exercise, others focus on the inner reasons for overeating. Every person is different and will lose weight in their own unique way. If what you’re doing now isn’t currently working, it may be a simple case of personality-plan mismatch. Maybe instead of a diet-focused weight loss plan, you would feel better with a fitness-focused weight loss plan or a psychological weight loss plan. There are lots of plans to choose from and you deserve to take your time and find one that fits your personality and lifestyle best. If you think this is the case, take some time to review different diet or weight loss plans. Find one that you can get excited about, one that makes sense to you and that fits your belief system and personality. That’s when you’ll make real weight loss progress! So those are 3 possible reasons for your weight loss plateau. You don’t have to stay stuck in a weight loss rut. You don’t have to keep asking yourself the frustrating question: Why Can’t I Lose Weight?’ Keep believing in yourself and in your dreams. Don’t give up and you will get there!

Why Most of Your Diets Always Fail

Sat, 10 Apr 2010 04:24:00 +0000

Over the years, there has been millions and millions of people who have tried countless numbers of different diets to try and lose weight. Equally so, there has been millions and millions of people who failed at these diets. If all of these diets are supposed to be designed to make you lose weight, then why do most of them fail to do that? Why is it that no matter what diet you try, it never seems to work? Perhaps the diet itself was no good. Maybe it was too expensive to stick with. It could be that there was no support. Possibly, it just seemed to take too long to lose weight. The fact is, not one of those reasons is why most diets don’t work. Surprised? Don’t be. In reality, it all boils down to one simple yet complex reason. Yes, there is really only one thing that stands between you and your weight loss and that one thing is; your desire to eat was stronger than your desire to lose weight. It may sound too simple and may be a little hard to swallow, the truth often is, but that, my friend, is the plain and simple truth. The only real reason diets fail is because people decide to let themselves go back to their former eating habits rather than making the changes necessary to lose the weight and keep it off and maintaining those changes. Dieting is a long and oftentimes difficult journey that must be done step by step, little by little. There can be and often are all kinds of setbacks and pitfalls that can trap you, particularly during an endeavor that takes so much time and effort. Just one slip, one temptation given in to, and your whole struggle for weight loss can be sabotaged. In order for any diet to be successful, it must have a strong foundation. With a strong foundation, it will be a bit easier to hold your ground when those little pitfalls come along to tempt you. There also must be a solid plan. Without a good, solid plan, you will just be grasping at straws and going in all different directions. You need a plan to help guide you in the right direction at all times. One thing that has helped many people who were successful with their diets was having the support of family members and friends. This can be a major asset that can help you stay with it. Probably the most important thing to remember is, never starve yourself, make sure you make room to eat the foods you like from time to time and make a little time for some moderate exercise. Your diet does not have to fail, and with a little help from you, it can succeed and that means, you can succeed.

Stop Exercising And Start Playing

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 11:30:00 +0000

Have you ever berated yourself because you didn’t exercise yet again today? Have you felt that creeping guilt in the back of your mind when you climb into bed knowing you didn’t follow through on your workout plan? Well, it’s possible that you are not at fault. You may just be acting like a normal human being. Take a moment to imagine how it feels to be… 1) In a hot, sweaty gym full of people who are grunting through their routines, sweating all over the equipment, and strutting their bodies around in front of the mirrors. OR 2) Rounding a curve in the trail with a light breeze gently caressing your skin in the soft evening air. How about the difference between… 1) Running around an oval track gasping for air and feeling your lungs burning. OR 2) Racing up and down a soccer field fully challenged by the game and having a blast with your friends. It’s not difficult to decide which choices would be more enjoyable to most people. Our culture has taught us to suffer as we exercise. “No pain, no gain” has been the mantra for years. The only problem is that for most people, “pain” is not a daily choice we’re willing to make. The natural human tendency is to do things that are fun, things that feel good. Forcing ourselves to do miserable exercise routines goes directly against our own nature. An easy way out of that trap is to play more. Find ways of moving the body that are wildly fun or rewarding to the soul. Dance around your house. Take a nature walk. Fly a kite. Go to the park with the kids and play some tetherball. Make the choice to move every day because it’s fun and feels great. Choose to move because it make you feel healthy and strong and vibrant. You’ll find you’re getting a lot more “exercise” without even thinking about it in that way. Life is meant to be an enjoyable journey not an endless round of suffering. Choose to have more joy and you’ll feel the difference in your body and in your spirit.

Why Do We Cheat On Our Diets?

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:36:00 +0000

If only we could solve this question, the world (for many) would be a better place! Well, the reality is that there are real answers to this question that will apply to many people. It will take a good dose of reality and a brave heart to stop denying what really happens. Read on to discover some answers that may change your life forever and give you the impetus to lose weight and keep it off! Justification? Being overweight can be used as an excuse for being unhappy, especially when you do not do anything to help yourself. Subconsciously, over-eating is a comfort for many people and this then allows them to hide behind their weight problem and helps them to justify rejection and avoid being hurt. They can then shift the blame of rejection on their weight-problem, without addressing other aspects of their fears. Sometimes it seems easier to hide behind your “weight problem”, than address other matters where you may have a greater fear of failure. Eating Without Thinking? If you are concentrating on another activity while you are eating you are more likely to overeat because you are not fully aware of how full you are feeling. This factor can be difficult to change because it is not a conscious action. Try to only eat when you don’t have a lot of other distractions. Sit down, eat slowly and enjoy the food you are eating, and remember that it is not always necessary to go back for seconds. It takes 20 minutes for food to reach your stomach and for your brain to register that you are full. Cravings? The famous “Pavlov’s dogs” were conditioned to eat at the sound of a bell, and we human are much the same when it comes to habitual cravings. If you wonder why you always feel like a chocolate when you sit down to watch a movie, or you have to have a box of popcorn….think again. You are not necessarily craving these foods because you are hungry, but rather consider force of habit. During the time when you have a craving, try to ask yourself whether you are really hungry or not. If you are hungry, reach for a low fat snack rather than a chocolate bar or bag of crisps. Indulging? Eating or thinking about food can be a distraction from your troubles and you may therefore be unnecessarily over-eating. Emotions and hormones can trigger certain cravings, for example, if you are feeling low, chocolate and carbohydrates assist the production of serotonin in your brain. Serotonin helps you feel happier. This is why we might crave sweet or starchy foods during times of sadness or stress. If you identify with any of the above factors, you could be on your way towards discovering what is triggering you to overeat.