Explore Alternatives to Gastric Bypass Surgery
There are no easy solutions to obesity--especially not gastric bypass surgery. Gastric bypass surgery is an expensive, drastic solution for the extremely overweight. All patients considering gastric bypass surgery should first explore alternatives to the procedure. Most doctors will require that pre-operative consultations include an investigation of alternatives to surgery. Read on to learn explore alternatives to gastric bypass surgery.
Instructions
1. Recognize that gastric surgery does not allow you to avoid the hard work of diet control and exercise. You must eat less and exercise more to lose weight and keep it off even if you opt for surgery.
2. Consider the disadvantages of weight loss through gastric surgery as well as the advantages. Gastric surgery bypasses large portions of the intestines depriving the body of many nutrients. It can also lead to gall stones, kidney stones, osteoporosis and weakened organs and organ systems.
3. Address underlying emotional problems with therapy. Quite often people undergo gastric surgery only to discover they still obsess about food.
4. Join a support group to help in your battle against overeating. Often times severely overweight people experience hostility, ridicule and prejudice which work against their best efforts to lose weight.
5. Become more aware of what you eat. Carry a journal and write down every bite that goes into your mouth. Very few people of any weight know how many calories they just pop into their mouths on a daily basis.
6. Work with a nutritionist to develop a healthy eating program. Many obese people who believe they are nutritionally aware are misinformed about calories, fats and portion control.
7. Commit to an intensive exercise program. Over the long-term, exercising 45 to 90 minutes a day without increasing your caloric intake will be the most effective, successful and long lasting way to lose a large amount of weight.
8. Explore prescription drugs to help fight obesity. Discuss with your doctor whether your situation might respond to drug therapy.
9. Investigate a short term very low calorie diet (VLCD). On a VLCD, a patient eats around 800 calories a day. Under proper medical supervision, VLCDs can kick start a weight loss program by helping a patient to lose a significant amount of weight in a very short period of time.
10. Look into minimally invasive surgical solutions such as a lap-band procedure.
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