Don't Stress Out About It (Too Much)

Here at Dr. Feiz & Associates, we know that studies that can seem a bit confusing come out on a regular basis. A new one about the relationship between a tendency towards stress and anxiety being linked in some way to obesity got us thinking about how hard it is to figure out just what it is that triggers the overeating which is responsible for obesity, and also about how challenging it can be to achieve the truly healthy lifestyle we need to defeat it.

Indeed, aside from the matter of whether or not anxious people are more likely to be obese than calmer folks, there's the interesting everyday matter of what tends to trigger overeating. Yes, "stress eating" is a very common phenomenon, experienced by obese and non-obese individuals alike, who find that food tends to calm their anxieties.

Others, however, including at least some people with weight issues, actually tend to eat less and may even lose some weight when they are under some amount of stress. These people experience the equally common phenomenon of losing their appetite entirely when they are deeply worried about something. Indeed, for many people with weight issues, it's not so mcuh stress which can make them overindulge, it's boredom. At the same time, it's important to remember that not all stress is a bad thing; it can help us make important changes in our life and, at the right levels, can actually increase our enjoyment of life. It's all a matter of getting the right balance.

With all these subtleties and differences between individuals, it's no wonder that understanding how obesity works, and how to deal with it, has proven so incredibly difficult. Fortunately, we at least know that bariatric surgery really does seem to be the one thing that helps severely obese individuals to permanently reduce their food intake without being constantly distracted by excessive food cravings. At least there's one thing we don't have to stress out about!

It's All in Your Head

Earlier today we were looking at a tasty looking recipe for a low-calorie dish using spaghetti squash in place of actual spaghetti. Of course, squash is a vegetable (well, technically, a fruit) and pasta is a grain-based dish; there really aren't all that many similarities except that it's long and stringy. Still, cover it with the right sauce and it can be a very nice part of a low-cal healthy lifestyle, even if lacks a lot of the yummy starch most of us crave. For us humans, it seems, a lot can be accomplished by fooling ourselves in minor ways with what really amounts to psychological tricks.

At Dr. Feiz & Associates, we're keenly aware that there's no underestimating the psychological side of weight loss. We're not just taking about psychology in the usual sense of dealing with how our thoughts and emotions impact our desire to overeat, we also mean that the only way we know we're hungry -- and we mean physically hungry, not just desiring food in order to pass the time -- is through our brains. Every time we eat, whether we're eating just the right amount to nourish our bodies or far too much, our brain is at the center of the experience.

An example of this that we often discuss involves the production of a hormone called ghrelin. In a person without obesity, this hormone performs the essential function of telling an individual that food is needed. However, obese individuals seem to produce more of it and, worse, its production actually increases when we begin to lose weight. So, our brain actually thinks we need food even when we don't and we feel as if we haven't eaten nearly enough. No wonder the statistics on weight loss are so depressing.

Fortunately, it turns out that bariatric surgery, such as a gastric sleeve, has a pretty big impact in terms of reducing these deceptive and dangerous signals. Specifically, by removing a large portion of the stomach, we also appear to reduce the production of ghrelin, which apparently makes it a lot easier to stick to the reduced calorie regimen we need to lose significant a lot of weight and keep it off over the long term.

So, in a funny way, when it comes to dealing with obesity, the way to a person's brain is largely through their stomach!

Food for Thought

There's been lots of talk lately about the effects of bariatric surgery on the brain, particularly in terms of its response to food. We all know that part of the reason why most patients are unable to achieve long lasting results is because of the difficulty for many to keep on making healthier food choices over a long period of time. Yes, it can be incredibly hard to overcome our desires to overindulge in food at times, however, weight loss surgery can change that.

The good news is that recent studies have shown that weight loss surgery procedures, such as a gastric sleeve, not only limit the amount of food that is able to be consumed by severely obese patients, but can also radically change their entire relationship with food. The studies also point out that bariatric surgery patients showed lowered levels of activity in the brain's reward centers when they were exposed to images of food.

At Dr. Feiz & Associates, we work hard so that our patients can safely and successfully lose weight and most importantly, keep it off in the long run. With extremely effective and cutting-edge weight loss surgery procedures showing even more promising results thanks to these studies, you can really see that a healthy lifestyle is achievable.

Choose the Right Tool

There's no getting around it, weight loss is hard; people who think anyone with an obesity issue can easily adopt a healthy lifestyle when it comes to eating have almost certainly never faced a serious battle with their own weight. So, it's no wonder that so many of us keep looking for, and buying, products that claim to make losing weight easier in some way, or which even advertise nearly miraculous properties in terms of helping consumers win the battle of the bulge. The problem is that these products are rarely even mildly helpful and are, more often than not, a complete waste of money and time. Worse, a large number of them can actually be dangerous or, at least, unhealthy.

We obviously spend a great deal of time thinking about weight management here at Dr. Feiz & Associates, and while there are options for people in all kinds of situations, they are relatively limited. For those of us with a relatively small amount of weight to deal with, the battle is hard but achievable with a serious commitment to the right mix of a lower calorie diet and a healthy amount of exercise.

For those of us who are definied as severely obese, however, the challenge is all that much greater and many find it essentially insurmountable. For these people, sooner or later, the pangs of hunger that only increase as we lose weight become too hard to fight. Fortunately, bariatric surgery is the one tool that really has been proven to truly help. It's not a magic bullet that makes losing weight a breeze, but patient after patient has found that it lowers the hunger pangs enough to make redefining your relationship with food more easily doable.

Choosing the right tool is important in any job and, for severely obese people, we now have at least one that really does seem to work in most cases.

Finding the Right Balance

Following the hubbug around "The Greatest Loser" reality show study some months back, many of us latched onto the fact that contestants exercised between four and eight hours a day. Of course, that much exercise is not only impractical for those of us with jobs, families, and other responsibilities, it's actually dangerous without serious medical supervision. Worse, as the contestants on the show have learned since, it's unsustainable on a number of levels because of lower metabolic rates following that kind of a weight loss.

At facilities like Dr. Feiz & Associates, we're learning every day about how effective weight loss procedures have been in helping severely obese patients to finally defeat obesity. While we've long since proven that these procedures work, we're still learning exactly why it is that a bariatric surgery seems so much more effective than traditional approaches. Of course, the issue is not that simply eating a great deal less and exercising more doesn't work, it's that the "eating a great deal less" part of the equation seems to be nearly undoable over the long term because of hormones that go into overdrive and push us to resume our old dietary ways.

What we've found, though, is that procedures such as the gastric sleeve fit in with a truly balanced and healthy lifestyle, particularly as they help patients deal with the incessant hunger pangs that sabotage the vast majority of traditional weight loss attempts. The good news is that, with a weight loss procedure, while a healthy amount of exercise is very strongly encouraged, you won't need to exercise an abnormal amount just to lose weight, because you'll be able to consume few enough calories to first lose and then maintain your weight while still living a happy and well-balanced life.

Advice For a Happy and Healthy 4th of July

The 4th of July calls for celebration and relaxation. Family gatherings and barbecues can oftentimes distract us from our healthy diet regimens and, although we may give ourselves permission to eat foods we normally wouldn't eat this coming weekend, it's important to remember not to overdo it. We at Dr. Feiz & Associates emphasize the importance of staying on the right track for your health and ultimate weight loss goals.

Although bariatric surgery makes exercise and eating healthier foods a lot easier for you to incorporate into your daily routine, it's ultimately up to you to keep yourself on the right track. Keeping your weight and health goals in mind throughout the holiday weekend can really help you fight the urge to overindulge in unhealthy foods.

It's also very important to remember to keep a healthy lifestyle year round. You might be on vacation but your health, meal plan and food choices shouldn't be left on the back burner for too long. If you stay on target and continue to make conscious decisions to eat right, you'll definitely be able to fully enjoy any holiday season with your family and loved ones. After all, your health is important to them too!

So whether you're traveling this Independence Day weekend or planning on hosting your own barbecue party at home with your loved ones, don't forget to put your health first. Remember all that you worked hard for and the commitment you made to your health and well-being. Stick to what is best for you and your weight goals and you will stay on the right path. Most importantly, have fun!

There's Only So Much Time...

If you follow the news around weight loss medicine and bariatric surgery, you are likely to see a fairly steady stream of stories about brand new techniques. Some of them might seem promising, others might seem very unattractive for any number of reasons. However, one thing they all have in common is that they are new and, therefore, far from proven.

At Dr. Feiz & Associates, we've seen first hand the good results that procedures like the gastric sleeve can achieve for the large majority of patients. We also see the growing mountain of evidence proving just how effective they are. Of course, it's only natural for patients to wonder if the grass might be greener on the other side of the weight loss fence. There's nothing wrong with that, and a bit of curiosity is never a bad thing. At the same time, severe obesity is an urgent health issue and there really isn't time for patients to wait, hoping for some kind of perfect medical miracle which will likely never arrive.

Right now, only proven bariatric procedures truly seem to help patients achieve the kind of consistently healthy lifestyle that's required to defeat severe obesity over the long haul. Your health is on the line and, honestly, there is only so much time.

What Type 2 Diabetes Can Actually Mean

There's been a great deal of good news recently about the impact of bariatric surgery on type 2 diabetes, in terms of improving or, in many cases, actually reversing the illness. Still, one issue that just about  all medical professionals come across when trying to persuade patients of the importance of preventing diabetes is that the disease itself, though all too real, can seem like something of abstraction.

The problem is that, on the one hand, type 2 diabetes is a chronic illness that can be managed if patients work hard at maintaining a truly healthy lifestyle. (Easier said than done, of course.) On the other hand, at least in its early stages the disease is typically asymptomatic. Moreover, while most people understand in an abstract way that diabetes makes you prone to more health problems and can easily shorten your lifespan, that's not the same thing as truly understanding what it can do to you.

So, we'll take a second to describe just two specific complications that most people might not know much about but which can be truly devastating. One issue that frightens many diabetics, once they start to develop symptoms, is that the nerve damage that can be caused by diabetes can often threaten the extremities, with far too many patients losing all or part of their feet in particular. Especially as people are aging and concerned with being able to stay active, this consequence is easy to understand.

One that's less well known, but actually far more devastating, is the fact the diabetes, especially in combination with high blood pressure (another very common obesity comorbidity) can essentially destroy kidney function. This puts patients in the terrifying position of having to choose between death and kidney dialysis. While dialysis saves lives, it is a hugely draining and time consuming process that takes about 12 hours a week and has many side-effects, many of which can be unpleasant. While many of us might find it bearable as a temporary stop-gap on the way to a kidney transplant, transplants are difficult to obtain and many older patients in particular might not even be candidates.

Of course, that's just two particular scenarios. Diabetes can also spur such debilitating conditions as strokes, Alzheimer's/dementia, blindness, hearing loss, not to mention the usual laundry list of life-threatening conditions such as heart disease. All of these conditions not only reduce lifespans, their impact on quality of life can be far more severe than you might imagine.

Fortunately, if patients are able to defeat their severe obesity, type 2 diabetes really can be reversed or, at least, greatly lessened in severity. Obviously, that's something we're able to help out with at Dr. Feiz & Associates, If you'd like some help defeating your severe obesity, we're here to help.

Don't Believe the Hype

The struggle to lose weight and improve one's health is nothing new. So, if you’ve followed or dabbled with a fad diet, you’re certainly not alone. And if you actually lost weight with one of them, the pounds probably didn’t stay off for long, did they? What happened? Even in our era of unparalleled knowledge of the human body, we are sometimes still uncertain about what works and what doesn't, although that’s changing. It all comes down to leading a healthy lifestyle that’s rife with physical activity and the right portions of food you enjoy.

But we all know this. Yet we still see similar trends and fad diets come and go. And while we now have a better understanding of what constitutes a healthy diet and lifestyle, people with significantly high amounts of weight to lose experience a great degree of difficulty in achieving their weight loss goals. Fortunately, bariatric surgery is the only approach proven to help people with severe obesity lose weight and keep the pounds off.

We at Dr. Feiz & Associates have a comprehensive understanding of the struggle that obese patients endure in their weight loss journeys. When diets fail and exercise doesn't seem to be helping, bariatric surgery, while not a cure-all or miracle pill, is actually proven to work.

The Wonders of Water

We at Dr. Feiz & Associates try to do our best to stay on top of news and scientific breakthroughs in the weight loss community. One concern that has recently come up is whether the old adage of drinking more water prior to meals helps in dieting. In fact, a recent study in the journal called Obesity suggested that there may be some validity to this tip. In the study, men and women were placed on hypocaloric diets (1200 calories per day for women and 1500 for men). 30 minutes prior to each of their three daily meals, they were instructed to drink 500 ml  (2 cups) of water. Interestingly, while participants in both the water and non-water groups lost a significant amount of weight (11-17lbs) as a result of the diet, those who consumed more water before their meals actually lost an additional 4.4 pounds! So, in accordance with these findings, doctors may soon be recommending patients to consume approximately 2 cups of water prior to most meals. And because many people find themselves to suffering from the minor symptoms of dehydration, this may be a solid all-around health practice.

Whether you're seeking bariatric surgery options to reduce excess body weight, or are simply trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle, we encourage all former, current, and prospective bariatric patients to follow health- and weight-loss related news. Remember, if you or a loved one is struggling with severe obesity, we're here to help.

Human After All

Ultimately, we at Dr. Feiz & Associates strive to help our patients cultivate a healthful and responsible relationship with food. The problem is that, in our industrialized, Western society, cheap and heavily-processed foods are often within reach, and this has led to unprecedented obesity rates that continue to rise worldwide. It doesn't help that advertisers have been trying to ritualize the consumption of French fries and get us hooked on sugar-laced cereals since the premier of Sesame Street. Many would be surprised to hear the fact that, while modern humans have walked this earth for approximately 200,000 years, for the majority of this time, our ancestors lived a hunter-gatherer lifestyle. This means that we were physically active about four to eight hours a day and ate a diet that consisted of various meats, fruits, berries, and nuts. We're not saying that obesity didn't exist at this point in human history, but it's safe to say that these people weren't dying prematurely from obesity-related health issues such as type 2 diabetes and heart failure.

The point is, in order to take up or lead a healthy lifestyle, we need to reevaluate our habits, lifestyles, and diet and consider their impact. We can take up new activities to reconnect with our biology, such as going on brisk, 30-minute walks a couple times a week to activate our metabolism and boost our mood. We can spend weekend hours prepping large batches of healthy foods to take with us to work during the week to avoid the detrimental temptation of fast food and its processed counterparts. We can read books by authors like Michael Pollan and learn more about how our ancestors prepared meals, and where the ingredients came from. In this digital age, we have more access to information than ever before. We just need to make use of it.

So, whether you're seeking bariatric surgery options to help undo some of the impact of obesity and other civilization-related health concerns, or simply looking for coaching services to control your eating, we're here to help.

No Reservations

Honestly, is there anything more enjoyable than a hearty, home-cooked meal? Unfortunately, in a world where we often find ourselves working longer days with less free time, cooking an entire meal can sound downright daunting. Whether you've had bariatric surgery or are still considering it, cooking even simple recipes from whole, even organic ingredients is a great way to reestablish a healthy and natural relationship with food. Besides, maintaining a healthy lifestyle means not being afraid to try something new.

So, one of these days, why not try making a pizza or an artisan salad from scratch? You may be surprised at how your creations compare with those served up at fast food or traditional restaurants. There are multitudes of food blogs, YouTube channels, and cook books available at the library to fuel your inspiration. Additionally, follow our Dr. Feiz & Associates page on Facebook or Google+, because we often share links to high-quality, low-calorie recipes from every corner of the Internet.

We believe that cooking your own meals, along with other health habits such as exercise is a great way to help control obesity. Of course, if you or a loved one is struggling with severe obesity, don't hesitate to get in touch with us at Dr. Feiz & Associates - it may be one of the most importance decisions you can make.

Stop Reminding Me...or Not!

If you ever hear someone say that they obesity epidemic comes down to just one root cause, be very suspicious. The fact of the matter is that the reason that procedures like the gastric sleeve have become the gold standard for obesity treatment is that severe obesity, especially, is so complex, only by directly addressing the issue of appetite and by making it physically uncomfortable to overeat can real progress apparently be made.

Still, of all the usual culprits that people mention when they discuss obesity, the last one we would ever think of is that people are not being reminded enough of their weight problem. Yet, a Colorado study recently found that Spanish language text messages sent to type 2 diabetes patients seemed to support a healthy lifestyle to the extent of encouraging modest weight loss. While this is obviously no magic bullet for dealing with severe obesity especially, it is interesting that these reminders had any impact at all. After all, in a society as obsessed with weight issues as ours, it's not likely that people with weight issues ever forget about them for any length of time.

Perhaps it's the sense that someone cares enough to send these messages that's encouraging people to take positive steps towards weight control. Or maybe it's that the text messages disrupt our usual self-talk and jar us into taking real action to prevent overeating. Text messages are, of course, very far from a substitute for the right kind of bariatric surgery, but they are food for thought.

Losses and Gains

A new study looked into the efficacy of using financial incentives as a motivator for people to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The results were unprecedented. In the study, researchers promised one group of overweight people a daily cash bonus for walking a certain number of steps. The other group was also promised a cash bonus, but each day that they didn't meet their exercise quota caused them to lose a portion of the bonus. This second group actually worked harder to meet the quota, which indicates that people are more motivated by the fear of loss than the pleasure of gain.

It is interesting yet unsurprising that people are more motivated by financial factors rather than the health benefits of exercise. We believe that part of the challenge is that, when it comes to weight loss and exercise, the results aren't always finite and easy to observe. Looking back at the study, it is satisfying and not insurmountable to complete a physical task, check a box, and relax. But being on one's own to create and maintain a fitness plan can be overwhelming and difficult to maintain, especially when unexpected stressors and events threaten the balance of routine.

At Dr. Feiz & Associates,we fully understand the power and value of exercise. That is why, when our patients come to us for bariatric surgery services, our dedicated dietitian may recommend exercise or yoga routines for patients as part of our comprehensive post-op follow-up program. Ultimately, for people struggling to reduce the impact of severe obesity, bariatric surgery may be the best solution.

More Life in Your Years

We human beings like numbers, so it's only natural to focus on the length of a person's life as a measure of health success. Moreover, there's no getting around the fact the recent statistics bolstering the contention that bariatric surgery extends patients' lifespan is very good news. At the same time, as anyone who has close relatives who are getting on in years is keenly aware, it's not just the length of a person's life that matters, it's the quality.

Indeed, to paraphrase the old saying, the benefits of a truly healthy lifestyle are not just about the years in a patients' life, but the life they enjoy in those years. That's an important distinction because medical science has actually had a great deal of success in keeping people alive well into their later years, but we all know the difference between people who are leading full and happy lives well into their seventies, eighties and nineties (and sometimes beyond) but we also see people who are just barely existing in their later years.

From the pain of arthritis to the threat of heart and kidney failure, the diseases that are exacerbated or outright caused by obesity may or may not lead to an early death, but they definitely can make a person's later years a great deal more painful and less joyful. At Dr. Feiz & Associates, we encourage severely obese patients to consider a weight loss procedure not merely as a means to extend their lifespan, but to help make sure that they are healthy enough to enjoy those additional years.

It Makes the World Go 'Round

If you're a fan of old musicals, you know that two things have credited with the continued spinning of the earth. "Money, Money" from "Cabaret" tells us that it's cash that makes the world go 'round. It's an argument that can, at times, seem pretty convincing. Arguing to the contrary is a song from the old Broadway show, "Carnival!," "Love Makes the World Go 'Round." Don't worry, sentimentalists! At least from the point of a view of a healthy lifestyle, we're going to argue for love as being the primary motivator of, well, just about everything important in life, including weight loss.

Love, of course, has all kinds of manifestiations. Yes, most people's minds go straight to romantic love, and it's true that, for some people, improving their social life is major motivator for obtaining a bariatric surgery. Others are concerned that their health problems could create a problem in their marriage. At the same time, however, affection for a special man or woman is just one type of love.

The love of parents for their children is an equally powerful motivator that we also see a great deal. Many patients come to us concerned that they will not be their children later on in life due to obesity related health problems. They want to be their for their children's graduation, weddings, and also would like to meet their grand-kids. Others have more immediate concerns that they are already having a hard time keeping up with their energetic offspring due to their weight.

Whether your motivated by your love of a spouse, children, family and friends (very possibly including your pets!), or simply the wonder and joy of life itself, all of us at Dr. Feiz & Associates are obviously here to help. For further information on a gastric sleeve, Lap Band, or other type of procedure, please give us a call.

Success after Bariatric Surgery

A recent article we've stumbled upon sheds light on the lifestyle related challenges facing patients after bariatric surgery. I was particularly interested in the story of Shirley the nurse, who had been obese her entire life. But after having had bariatric surgery, she ended up smaller than she'd been in her entire life. At the moment, she's 60 years old and able to run marathons! It's absolutely heartwarming.

As I see it, it underlines the importance of a healthy lifestyle following bariatric surgery.
has been performed. For starters, the patient will obviously need to adjust his or her current eating habits in order to witness significant results. The good news is that, after having either the gastric sleeve procedure, the Lap Band, or any other form of bariatric surgery, the patient will notice that he or she feels fuller much faster, even with consuming a much smaller portion of food. Both of these procedures work by reducing the capacity of the stomach. An added benefit to the gastric sleeve is that it significantly reduces production of the hormone ghrelin, which sends that notorious "I'm hungry!" signal to the brain. Therefore, it has a two-fold effect.

So, even though the surgical procedures set patients on the path to success, they'll need to keep moving one foot in front of the other, literally and metaphorically, in order to attain their weight loss goals.

Cure-alls and Fad Diets are Nothing New

The struggle to lose weight and improve one's figure is nothing new to our generation. In fact, an interesting yet very telling article sheds some light on dieting trends in America since the 1800s. It appears that everything from whale-bone corsets, cigarette smoking, and even vibrating belts have been marketed and sold to improve peoples' lives - with the promise that such devices and habits would help people meet their weight loss goals.  Even in our era of unparalleled knowledge of the human body, people are still uncertain about what works and what doesn't. 

Yet we still see similar trends and fad diets come and go. And while we now have a better understanding of what constitutes a healthy diet and lifestyle, people with significantly high amounts of weight to lose experience a great degree of difficulty in achieving their weight loss goals. Fortunately, bariatric surgery is the only approach proven to help people with severe obesity lose weight and keep the pounds off.

We at Dr. Feiz & Associates have a comprehensive understanding of the struggle that obese patients endure in their weight loss journeys. When diets fail and exercise doesn't seem to be helping, bariatric surgery, while not a cure-all or miracle pill, is actually proven to to work.

Good Health is Not Out of Reach

While it is certainly true that our society puts a lot of cosmetic value on being slim, the majority of bariatric surgery patients are concerned about their health long before these more superficial concerns come into play. Of course, successful weight loss patients can reap the rewards of both of these benefits, dropping both inches from their waistline and potentially dangerous medical conditions from their bill of health. Patients of Dr. Feiz & Associates have seen tremendous health benefits from their bariatric surgery including remission of type 2-diabetes, and significant reduction in the risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

To many, this reality of living a healthy lifestyle seems simply out of reach. Yet, Weight loss surgery has been proven time and time again to help patients lose a significant amount of weight, even if they had failed many previous attempts at diet and exercise. While every patient is different, and no results are guaranteed, potential patients should start by learning more about weight loss surgery by calling our offices today, and asking about one of our free seminars.

A New Year's Sleeve?

New Year's resolutions and weight loss seem to go hand in hand. Still, there is a big difference between someone with just 10 or 20 pounds to lose starting a new diet and joining a gym, and a seriously obese person committing to a gastric sleeve or another type of weight loss surgery.

The problem with many of these resolutions is that they tend to create a sense of failure when the big change a person is promising herself fails to materialize. This is especially an issue for people with very large amounts of weight to lose, who have the hardest job ahead of them. It's the case largely because hunger hormones like ghrelin, which can cause us to feel physically hungry even when we know intellectually we have consumed more than enough food, tend to go into overdrive after we begin to lose substantial weight. This is one big reason why people who insist that obese individuals can simply take up a truly healthy lifestyle, as if it was like turning on a switch, are so wrong.

The reason the kind of thoughtfully applied bariatric surgery we employ here works is that, by reducing the capacity of the stomach, we make it less comfortable to overeat and therefore easier to consume a great deal less food than before. In the case of sleeve procedures, the numbers of hunger hormones may also be dramatically reduced, since they remove a portion of the stomach that actually manufactures these chemical signals to the brain that tell us we need to keep eating.

So, if you're severely obese and are ready to make a big change in 2016, resolving to seriously explore a weight loss procedure -- perhaps by attending one of our regularly scheduled free informational seminars -- might be an excellent idea. Regardless, we're here to help all year long.