Weight Loss Surgery
The challenges of dieting, exercise and even medications can be overwhelming at times when you are trying to keep weight off. As a result, you may be considering weight-loss surgery as the best long-term option. But before making that difficult decision, you need to ask yourself some questions.
• Which type of weight-loss surgery is right for you?
• What's involved in the procedure?
• Are there any risks associated with weight-loss surgery?
So let's do a quick review of a few surgeries available to you:
Gastric Bypass Surgery - makes the stomach smaller and allows food to bypass part of the small intestine. You will feel full more quickly than when your stomach was its original size, which reduces the amount of food, you eat and thus the calories consumed. Bypassing part of the intestine also results in fewer calories being absorbed. This leads to weight loss. The most common gastric bypass surgery is a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.
Lap Band Surgery - the idea behind the operation is to create a small pouch in the upper part of the stomach with a controlled and adjustable stoma, without stapling, thus limiting food intake. A gastric band device is introduced through tiny incisions in the abdomen and is placed around the upper part of the stomach. The resulting pouch or the new stomach dramatically reduces the amount of food that the stomach can hold. The band has a balloon from the inside that is adjustable and can reduce stoma size, thus prolonging the period of fullness.
After either surgery, your stomach will be reduced to about the size of an egg. Because your new stomach will be much smaller, you will need to:
• Eat small, frequent meals throughout the day, because your stomach will be too small to hold large meals.
• Chew all foods slowly and thoroughly even if it takes you up to an hour to eat a meal or snack.
• Drink fluids 30 minutes after your meal. Be sure to drink in sips. Do not drink fluids with your meals or 30 minutes before your meals. Your new, smaller stomach may not be large enough to hold fluids and food at the same time.
• Eat fewer fried, added-fat, and high-fat fast foods including chips, candy or cookies.
In order to get the appropriate nutrition that your body requires, at first you may need to eat about 5 to 6 small meals a day. Over time, your stomach will stretch more and allow you to eat slightly larger meals. Eventually, you will be able to eat 3 meals and 1 to 2 high-protein snacks a day.
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