Our Bariatric & General Surgery Blog
Choosing Weight Loss Surgery
Your alarm goes off and you hit the snooze button. You’re too tired. But you need to get up and go. You lift yourself out of bed after the third alarm. If you don’t get going you’re going to be late for work.
You’re making progress…you’re showered and dressed. All you need now is to bend down and tie your shoes. You take a big breath and down you go. You’ve got to work fast – you can only hold your breath for so long. You take another deep breath, one down and one to go. You’re starting to sweat. You think: “I’ve got to lose weight.”
Weight Loss Plateaus After Bariatric Surgery
Hitting a road block while losing weight occurs frequently for all of us and it is no different after bariatric surgery. While the long term goal is for patients to lose approximately 1-3 pounds per week, the first several months will typically yield even more rapid weight loss. At some point this weight loss will slow down or stop entirely – commonly known as a plateau.
Of course, not all pauses on the scale are plateaus. As you begin to exercise more frequently, you will build muscle. Muscle is denser, and therefore heavier, than the same volume of fat. Therefore, during this time, you may not lose any weight (or even gain some) as you replace fat with denser, heavier muscle. As a result, it is important to use other measurements, such as your waistline, as secondary points of reference. Again, do not get discouraged if you are not losing weight as you increase your exercise regimen – this may be perfectly normal. If you are sticking to your dietary plan, continuing to exercise and see no movement in your measurements or weight, mention it at your next appointment.
Surgery Programs Ranked Among the Best in the New York Area
The team at NYU Langone Long Island Surgical Associates’ Gastroenterology & GI department, which includes bariatric and general surgery, is proud to have been ranked as one of the best specialty programs in the New York area. This recognition, by the prestigious US News & World Report, highlights the dedication and focus of each of our weight loss surgeons, as well as the efforts of our team of professionals that manage our program before, during and after surgery.
Cravings After Weight Loss Surgery and What To Do About Them
As someone who has recently changed their lifestyle, a bariatric patient will undoubtedly face the very real dilemma of fighting food cravings that didn’t disappear once the surgery was over. Cravings for certain foods and drink that were once part of your daily diet are inevitable. After all, the behaviors, triggers and developed tastes that were with you before surgery are still very much part of you. Only now, they must be looked at through the filter of post-surgery life.
All of us, whether bariatric patients or not, have cravings. As dietary choices from your pre-surgery life are purged – those that contain high amounts of sugar, sodium and saturated fat – your body may not necessarily purge the cravings that desire them. Much like recovering from an addiction, you will face temptation, triggers, setbacks, and relapses. You must fight these urges, and continue to surround yourself with ways to stay on track – the right snacks and meals at the ready, contact with your support group and knowledge that your medical team is always willing to discuss and consult on the challenges you’re facing.
We’ve Moved
To Our Valued Patients,
NYU Langone Long Island Surgical Associates is excited to announce that the 120 Mineola Blvd. office of the Minimally lnvasive/Bariatric Surgery Program is moving to a new state-of-the-art facility at 700 Stewart Ave., Suite 200, Garden City. Our surgeons Dr. Collin Brathwaite, Dr. Alexander Barkan, and Dr. Keneth Hall, along with our support staff (nurse practitioners, nurses and front desk staff) will begin offering personalized, expert care there beginning May 31st.
We will continue to provide the latest in Robotic Laparoscopic Bariatric and General Surgeries at NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island, although our Nassau County practice will no longer be located across the street from the hospital. Please be aware that if you currently have an appointment scheduled for after May 30, we will look forward to seeing you at the new office location.
Our Mineola Bariatric Surgery Support Groups will also take place at the new location beginning July 2016 on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month at 6pm. Meetings will be led by Liz Schledorn at 700 Stewart Ave. in the Education Room, Level 2, Suite 202. We encourage you to join us to learn more about how to live your best life after surgery and avoid common mistakes.
An important notice to all patients who have had bariatric surgery: we remind all patients to schedule your annual follow-up visit. It is very important that you follow up with our office at least once a year if you have had any surgical procedure that predisposes you to vitamin deficiencies, potential hernias, or even postoperative complications associated with bariatric procedures. We want to ensure that you have the very best and comprehensive care for your lifetime!
Sincerest Regards,
NYU Langone Long Island Surgical Associates
Winthrop University Hospital Opens New Research Center
We are very excited to announce that NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island has opened an almost 95,000 square foot state-of-the-art research and education facility. As part of the dedication that our hospital and our practice have to the advancement of medicine, this is a huge step forward. Both researchers and patients will benefit from the high-level research that will be performed here.
Our doctors not only provide comprehensive educational support to future generations of surgeons, but we participate in clinical trials that shape the future of bariatrics and surgery in general. We believe that this research center will offer us the tools to further our already robust research capabilities.
With the addition of this important facility, we have taken a step toward the future of medicine and we are truly excited about the possibilities for the future.
The Importance of Aftercare
Weight loss does not begin and end with bariatric surgery. Rather, what you do after surgery is crucial to your long-term success. It is the period after weight loss surgery that requires dedication and support for optimal weight loss and disease resolution.
You see, weight loss surgery is only a tool – it is not a magic bullet or a simple solution. It is the catalyst in a larger lifestyle change that will require a high level of commitment and dedication to the journey ahead. To truly succeed, you must develop and maintain an excellent support system long after surgery.
Why Drinking Alcohol May Be Bad For You After Bariatric Surgery
Many of us enjoy an occasional (or not so occasional) alcoholic drink. For some, it is a normal part of their social routine, while for others it may be a way to decompress and relax. Yet others may appreciate the flavor qualities of the alcoholic beverage of their choice. However, for those that have undergone bariatric surgery, drinking alcoholic beverages has many considerations.
First and foremost, alcohol is actually very caloric. Alcohol itself contains a number of calories and the common ingredients mixed into alcoholic drinks to add flavor are often loaded with sugar. The result is that even one drink can add several hundred calories to a patient’s daily intake.
How Gastric Bypass Works to Improve Diabetes
For decades, we have known that the gastric bypass is one of the quickest, most effective and long-lasting solutions for obesity related diseases. It has been apparent that gastric bypass patients have had particular success with managing type 2 diabetes. While the initial consensus was that the elimination of excess weight contributed to remission in many patients, it has never been quite so simple to explain. Data collected from gastric bypass patients showed that, in fact, many were seeing dramatic reductions in or even normalization of blood sugar levels within days or weeks of surgery – before they lost any significant amount of weight.
Learning More About Obesity
Before you can make a decision as to whether bariatric surgery is best option for your particular circumstance, it is important that you learn more about the underlying disease. Obesity affects significant number of Americans – by some estimates upwards of 35%. Excess weight issues are present in more than two thirds of the US adult population. While obesity and excess weight levels have flattened over the past several years, it is still a major problem that has massive costs both in quality of life and financial terms.