Gastric Bypass Tips: Switch to a Healthy Lifestyle after Weight Loss!

Obesity has been one of the major health issues in the United States for a very long time. For the past two decades, the number of obese and overweight people has been growing fast in more than 30 states of America. Beyond the statistics is a more pressing problem: the health problems that come with obesity. Sleep apnea, diabetes, chronic fatigue syndrome, and hypertension are just some of these health conditions that are often associated with excess weight.

How does one lose weight aside from diet, exercise, and medication? Gastric bypass surgery is a well-know solution for overweight people who need to shed at least 100 lbs. However, surgery alone is not enough to maintain an ideal weight. It must be accompanied by post-surgery lifestyle changes that involve diet, exercise, and mental and emotional adjustments.

The Right Diet after Weight Loss Surgery

The most important thing that a patient should watch out after the surgery is his diet. The surgery involves changing the structure of the stomach and small intestines. The reduced stomach volume following the surgery limits that amount of food that the stomach can hold, which is roughly about 1 ounce. Thus, the patient must be careful with the kind and amount of food he eats. The patient needs to eat small meals at regular intervals everyday. Weeks after the surgery, the patient is required to eat pureed or soft foods for better digestion and to avoid complications such as nausea and vomiting. Examples of foods that can be eaten after surgery are pureed fruits, pureed vegetables, soups, oatmeal, and steamed desserts.

Formal Exercise Program

A day following the surgery, the patient can do some light walkingbut not regular exercises yet. Two to three weeks are needed for rest and healing, and a formal exercise program can start as soon as the patient has fully recovered. Usually, weight loss surgery patients can start low-impact aerobic workouts four to six weeks following the surgery. The recommended exercises for those who have undergone weight loss surgery include yoga, Pilates, water aerobics, resistance band exercises, speed walking, and light jogging.

Psychotherapy

While it seems that weight loss surgery involves only the physiological aspect of the patient, the mental and emotional aspects must not be overlooked. Most surgeons recommend psychotherapy that people who are considering weight loss surgery. Psychotherapy prepares a persons mind and emotions before the surgery so that he could cope easily with the bodily and lifestyle changes after the procedure. Failure to undergo psychotherapy prior to the surgery may lead to post-procedure problems such as eating disorders, constant food cravings, and emotional troubles.

Stress Management

To many people, eating is a great stress reliever. The diet limitations after surgery can be very stressful for many patients. Whats the best way to beat stress after surgery? Not food, not drugs, and not treatments. Simple changes in lifestyle can turn stressful days into comfortable and worry-free ones. Stress management techniques for people who have gone through weight loss surgery include deep breathing and relaxation techniques, acupuncture, yoga, massage therapy, and meditation. Trying a new hobby and joining support groups in ones community are also good ways to manage stress after weight loss surgery.

Gastric bypass surgery is the best remedy for obesity when diet, exercise, and medications fail. But even the most successful procedures wont lead to weight loss without the right lifestyle changes. To help achieve a healthy lifestyle and effective weight loss, one must seek professional help from health care professionals, dieticians, and psychotherapists.

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Are you considering gastric bypass surgery to get rid of excess weight? Perhaps, you are wondering how much the procedure would cost you and if it is covered by insurance.

Prepare to spend much to be able to lose weight. Nowadays, weight loss or bariatric surgery costs around $20,000 to $35,000. In fact, the cost of weight loss surgery has gone down significantly in the past years. It varies depending on the quality of procedure itself, the experience of the surgeon, the medical team that will help in the operation, and the additional post-surgery services that a patient availed of.

Insurance Coverage for Weight Loss Surgery Patients

Is the cost of weight loss surgery covered by insurance companies? If a patient has insurance, he may pay part of the cost or nothing at all. A lot of health insurance companies have considered obesity as a serious health problem, so they cover part of or all the expenses incurred in weight loss surgery. This is because weight loss surgery can actually save them money in the long term. Insurance coverage for weight loss surgery depends on the insurance firm itself, the particular insurance policy, and the state where the patient is located (since there is no insurance coverage in some states). Also, insurance coverage is given only to qualified candidates or those who meet specific criteria set by an insurance company.

The following are the criteria that a weight loss surgery patient must meet to qualify for insurance coverage:

Obesity for at least five years before the surgery

Minimum of 100 lbs. of excess weight

Showed serious efforts to lose weight through diet and exercise but to no avail

No history of alcoholism

No history of depression or other mental disorders

To be able to enjoy the insurance benefits, the patient (with the help of the surgeon or clinic) is required to file some forms to the insurance company. One of the necessary forms include a Letter of Medical Necessity that usually indicates the patients weight or body mass index, obesity-related diseases (e.g., diabetes, hypertension, etc.), and the duration of the patients obesity, among others.

On the other hand, weight loss surgery patients who are not covered by insurance must shoulder the costs themselves. These self-pay patients may apply for personal loans to be able to pay for the surgery, but this payment option involves interest rates.

Post-Surgery Costs

The cost of weight loss surgery must also include the expenses following the procedure. A change in lifestyle after the surgery results in certain expenses such as gym membership for the exercises and new sets of clothes, which will need to be replaced several times during the year.

Besides the financial costs, there are emotional and physical costs involved as well in the weight loss surgery. For one, the patient will need to adjust to the new lifestyle and the changes in his body, which can trigger high levels of stress and anxiety especially in the few weeks following the surgery. The physical cost of gastric bypass surgery involves being committed to the recommended diet plan to avoid serious complications and weight gain.

In particular, it means the patient must stay away from foods rich in fat and sugar, as well as avoid unhealthy habits such as skipping meals and overeating. Sticking to a regular exercise program is also part of the surgerys physical cost.

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There are numerous studies showing us how gastric bypass surgeries have improved the lives of those who suffer morbid or severe obesity. Patients who have underwent the procedure were able to lose about 50 to 60 percent of their weight a year after a surgery. Some would even report an astounding 80 percent weight loss after two years.

About 140,000 gastric bypass surgeries are conducted every year. Obese teens could also undergo the medical procedure as long as they are within the guidelines set. Those who are qualified to undertake the surgery should at least be 100 pounds overweight and failed to reduce weight in the last six months through monitored weight loss programs. But every coin has two sides. Gastric bypass surgery also has its downside.

Some patients would often report depression after the gastric bypass operation. Some of the patients would often pinpoint the procedure itself as depressing. While others think that it is the low-calorie diets triggering this depression. Gastric bypass patients are recommended to follow a special diet that would ensure them the best and sustained results. This special diet is about low-calorie, low-sugar and low-fat foods.

The Thinner Times website, stated that about 5 to 10 percent of deaths occurred to patients after the gastric bypass surgery. This happens just within a month or two since the procedure and the primary cause would be psychological challenges. To address this, experts recommend that adequate supplies of calories should be ingested daily.

There are studies showing that those who suffer depression and anxiety after the gastric bypass surgery is less likely to lose weight compared with mentally healthy people. There are many methods on how doctors and experts would know if their patients are mentally prepared for the surgery. There are medical centers who would employ or require their patients to undergo rigorous metal health evaluation.

A patient candidate for weight loss surgery is to undergo psychological evaluation to ensure that they are prepared mentally for the operation and the lifestyle changes that will follow after the surgery. If a person is found out to be suffering from depression prior to the surgery, they will not be automatically disqualified. Those who have history of drug and alcohol abuse are the ones who are disqualified.

Some medical centers would require patients with depression go through treatment before gastric bypass surgery. Treatment could include taking of antidepressants, psychotherapy, and help from their family, friends and support groups.

It is not uncommon to find weight loss surgery candidates to suffer from depression, since they would have to deal with being ostracized because of their weight. Candidates for weight loss surgery would oftentimes suffer from a history of depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress or panic/anxiety attacks.

Having mental health problems are not preventing people from getting the treatment that they need to improve their lives and their health. Just like in any other surgery, it is important to gain support from friends and family to recover well and to get the desired results. Gastric bypass surgery would require a lot of change in lifestyle, it could be difficult but having loved ones will help a patient get through with it.

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According to studies, gastric bypass surgery can help get rid of excess body weight by as much as 90 percent. Sounds too good to be true, right? But thats possible if a patient follows a strict diet plan to avoid regaining weight and to enjoy the full benefits of the surgery. The aftermath of the surgery requires certain lifestyle changes, and that include eating habits. Make sure you get the proper nourishment you need by following these guidelines.

1. Follow your physicians or dieticians recommendations on vitamin and mineral supplements after the surgery.

The surgery causes most of the stomach and part of the small intestines to be bypassed. This, in turn, causes your body to have difficulty taking in some nutrients, which leads to vitamin and mineral deficiency. To keep your body from losing its much-needed vitamins and minerals, make sure that you take proper supplements regularly. Usually, the supplements include multivitamins, vitamin B-12, vitamin D, iron, calcium, among others.

2. Dont take huge meals.

That would defeat the very purpose of your surgery. Just because you have achieved weight loss, that does not mean you can go back to binging or other unhealthy eating habits. Rememberfollowing the surgery, your stomachs volume has been reduced. Your tummy can hold only 1 ounce of food. Overeating wont do your tummy any good. Aside from adding unnecessary calories, eating too much can cause body pains, vomiting, and dizziness.

Be sure that you eat only small amounts of food. Follow your doctors recommended food amounts. Soon after the surgery, you can eat about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of food in every meal. And before you feel full, resist the urge of taking another bite.

Over time, your stomach stretches and can contain more food. Thus, you can adjust your food intake as time progresses.

3. Chew up thoroughly.

Make your digestive systems job easier by chewing your food thoroughly. Why do you need to do so? After the surgery, the small opening between your stomach and your small intestine may be blocked by large pieces of food. When that opening is blocked, food will remain in the stomach and will not be able to pass through the small intestine. This will definitely cause nausea, pain in the abdomen, and vomiting.

Dont swallow food that you cannot chew well. To make eating easier and more comfortable, take smaller bites and chew them until their texture becomes pureed before swallowing.

4. Dont eat and drink like theres no tomorrow.

Avoid eating too fastthis will only lead to sweating, diarrhea, nausea, dizziness, and vomiting. These are the symptoms of dumping syndrome, a condition wherein foods enter the small intestine quickly and in abnormally large amounts.

You must eat and drink slowly. Eating a meal should take at least half an hour, while drinking 1 cup of liquid should take half an hour to one hour. Also, avoid foods that have high sugar and fat content.

5. Dont drink liquids while eating.

Drink only before or after your meals. Otherwise, you will feel the symptoms of dumping syndrome. In addition, drinking liquids with meals make you feel full immediately, and this stops you from eating more nutrient-rich foods.

6. Try one new food at a time.

After your gastric bypass surgery, avoid eating just any food. Certain foods and beverages like milk, soda, meat, rice, and pasta may cause pain, nausea, vomiting. Try just one food at a timeand if it causes discomfort, do not eat it.

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