Why is Lifting Weights Important for Weight Loss?

The popular notion is that weight loss is a matter of simple mathematics: calories in and calories out gives you the "net" calories you've had, and leads to weight loss, gain, or maintenance. However, renowned bariatric surgeon Dr. Michael Feiz knows that weight loss is more than a game of counting calories, and that it also takes more than just getting off the sofa to lose weight. Of course, Dr. Feiz would not discourage any form of physical activity that benefits the patient, but he would also like to encourage one oft-forgotten form of exercise that many may dismiss when it comes to losing weight: strength training. 

The fact of the matter is, our bodies are finely tuned to maintain our weight, and losing weight goes against the body's natural tendency to keep us from losing weight. To fight that, it's of course important to exercise, and to "trick" the bodies metabolism so it speeds up rather than slows down or stays the same. That can be achieved in part by lifting weights on a regular basis, and adding lean muscle mass. Many might think "wait, hold on, why do I need to get muscular? Don't I just want to lose fat?" Wrong! Dr. Feiz knows that after obesity surgery, lifting weight is just as important as regular cardiovascular exercises like walking, hiking, bicycling, jogging, and playing sports. Why? Because lifting weights makes you gain muscles, and muscle mass helps the body burn through calories more efficiently. It's a win-win, in that sense, and gaining strength is just as important as burning calories through cardio workouts!

If you're interested in learning more about weight loss surgery with Los Angeles Lap-Band and gastric sleeve surgeon Dr. Michael Feiz, contact us today at 310-855-8058 for a free consultation with a specialist!

How to Actually Keep that New Year's Resolution for Weight Loss!

Weight loss is the most common New Year's resolutions, but many struggle and give up before reaching their target weight. Board-certified bariatric surgeon Dr. Michael Feiz has helped many adults reverse their obesity and finally get healthy, making their New Year's resolution to lose the pounds a reality.

Do you plan to lose weight in 2014? Contact the offices of Dr. Michael Feiz, M.D., F.A.C.S. to learn more about your surgical weight loss options.

Dr. Feiz & Associates have tips for how you can get down to a healthy weight, whether you plan to have obesity surgery or not. His main advice is to focus on small goals so you don't get overwhelmed and give up!

• Track your calories.  Dedicate yourself to healthy eating and logging what you eat either on paper of an online calorie tracking source like My Fitness Pal. This can open your eyes to what you're really eating!
• Work out 3 times a week or more. Start small and work from there when it comes to physical activity. Don't feel pressured to do too much too soon, you'll build up endurance sooner than you may think!
• Weigh yourself regularly.Your weight can easily spiral out of control is because you're simply unaware of your weight until clothes no longer fit. Hold yourself accountable and focus on weight maintenance at least, if you're not ready to lose some weight. 

Contact the offices of Dr. Feiz today to learn more about how you can lose weight starting today. Don't delay, call (310) 855-8058 today!

Information, Misinformation, Exaggeration...So What?

There's been a lot of talk all over the media this week about an article in the highly prestigious New England Journal of Medicine called "Myths, Presumptions, and Facts about Obesity." Considering our successful efforts at combating obesity through using the latest techniques in weight loss surgery, this is obviously a subject of interest to us. We certainly applaud the effort of the very large number of experts who collaborated on this study.

Still, looking at the way the article is being covered in the mass press, it's easy to see one reason why so many overweight people feel like traditional weight loss efforts are nearly pointless. So many conclusions appear vague and, worse, unhelpful. Sure, it's interesting to hear that reports that the amount of calories that some people think they are burning with certain types of exercise might be exaggerated. Still, we think most dieters know intuitively that you'll only burn 500 calories in just 15 minutes of jogging if you are something very near to a professional athlete. Similarly, it turns out that breastfeeding might not be as effective a preventive of obesity as some once thought -- but, giving the rise in obesity is concurrent with the rise in breastfeeding, a lot of us already had a pretty good idea that the practice is no magic bullet when it comes to obesity.

We're not sure what kind of effect this kind of coverage has other than reinforcing what we already know -- getting fat is easy for many of us and losing weight through diet and exercise is really hard. The good news is that, at least for some people, such outstanding bariatric procedures as the sleeve gastrectomy really are making a tremendous difference in people lives.  Moreover, the growing evidence that the hormone ghrelin lies behind our seemingly eternal urges to overeat is directly related to many types of obesity surgery in which the fundus, where most ghrelin is produced, is removed.

What does this all mean? We're not sure, but clearly there's a need for information about obesity and health that's actionable. We've already got enough confusion and despair in the weight loss world.