lose fat lower belly

Gastric bypass surgery (otherwise referred to as bariatric surgery or weight loss surgery) is helping many thousands of morbidly obese individuals to reduce their risk from diabetes and other life-threatening conditions and to regain much of their former lifestyle. Complications from gastric bypass surgery are however significant and need to be taken into consideration before electing surgery.

Numerous studies have been carried out into gastric bypass complication rates in the short-term and these normally follow the progress of patients for up to 30 days after surgery. A more recent study however (examining claims for both hospital and outpatient care for more than 5 million individuals enrolled in employer sponsored health plans covering 49 states and including in excess of 2,500 weight loss patients) has extended the findings of previous studies to look in depth at complications arising up to 6 months after surgery.

According to the study death occurred during, or in the 6 months following, surgery in only 0.2% of patients and the most common complications were dumping syndrome (reflux, vomiting and diarrhea) which happened in 20% of cases, anastomosis problems (such as leakage or stricture arising at the site of the join between the stomach and the intestine) which happened in 12% of cases, abdominal hernias in 7% of cases, infections in 6% of cases and pneumonia which happened in 4% of patients.

The study also found that just over 10% or patients who got through the first 30 days without complication went on to experience a problem in the following 5 months. In the majority of cases these problems were dumping, anastomosis problems, abdominal hernia, and marginal ulcers. In addition, although just under 5% of patients had to be re-admitted during the 30 day period, this figure climbed to a little over 7% when looking at the longer 6 month timeframe.

The cost of gastric bypass surgery was also affected considerably by complications and, while patients experiencing surgery without complication paid an average of just over $25,000, complications within the 6 month post-surgical period pushed this figure up to just over $36,500. In cases where patients had to be re-admitted to hospital because of gastric bypass complications the cost rose to a little over $65,000.

Gastric bypass surgery is very much the start of the weight loss process and, unlike many forms of surgery which cure the problem more or less on the spot, the results of weight loss surgery take time to show. It is not surprising therefore that problems will arise after surgery and gastric bypass complications must be considered carefully before you make the decision to embark on this particular journey.

Earlier this year I was asked by my personal training clients to find some diets that actually work. I tried to explain to them that almost all diets work, especially if your sole goal is just to lose weight. The problem with many diets that don’t “work” is dieters encounter periods of time when they are following the diet and not losing weight. My research uncovered the fact that diets that work have built in features to help conquer these weight loss plateaus.

Adequate consumption of water is critical in most diets to conquer plateaus. In fact, many diets that actually work, require 8 full glasses of water a day. Logic might tell you that consuming that much water might lead to water weight gain, but in reality the opposite is true.

Drinking water throughout the day “primes” the kidneys to continually eliminate fluids. Very similar, actually, to priming a pump. Most plateaus that occur during weight loss programs are as a result of fluid retention. Drinking large quantities of water helps to prevent fluid retention.

It can also be helpful to limit sodium intake, if you want your body to readily release fluids. Try a salt substitute instead.

Many of the diets that actually work had incorporated natural diuretics to help conquer weight loss plateaus. Diuretics help stimulate the kidneys, and are frequently prescribed by physicians for individuals who retain water. Natural diuretics such as warm lemon juice, or herbal teas can be effective at preventing plateaus.

Exercise was encouraged in the diets that actually work. Regular, brisk walking, can be a terrific boost to metabolism and it can also increase caloric expenditure. Try to gradually increase the distance and speed of your walks.

You can ditch the pen and paper. Keeping track of what you eat has never been easier. First there were online diet diaries where you could easily log in from anywhere and record every morsel that passed your lips. Now these programs are available as apps on your phone, making diet tracking literally at the tip of your fingers whenever and wherever.

Wait, what was that? You don’t keep a diet diary? Well if weight loss is your goal, which it is for a large portion of our population, a diet diary may just be that kick you need to get things moving in the right direction. That’s what makes the ease of these phone apps so exciting. I know many of you, in fact, are already using them. Keep up the great work!

Many of you have probably already heard that recent research has shown that participants who kept food journals lost almost twice as much weight as their non-journaling companions. Such a simple tool can produce measurable and lasting results. Diet diaries make you more mindful of what you put in your mouth and also provide a great way to track caloric intake so that adjustments can be made as needed. Without any type of tracking it’s extremely easy to underestimate the amount of fat, carbohydrates and total calories you are eating. I see it all the time with my weight loss patients. Those that aren’t journaling tend to eat more than they think they are, even when they are supposedly eating “healthy.” Larger portions and mindless snacking add up. My most successful clients track what they eat, even if just for a season.

Now, many of you already know that I preach an intuitive eating approach to dieting. I don’t like diets and I don’t like strict food rules. In general I don’t even like being obsessed about writing down everything you eat. However I do believe that diet journaling for a certain period of time can be extremely effective in resetting eating patterns and helping people become more mindful about how and what they are eating. This is not a forever thing; I don’t personally keep a diet diary, but they are a useful tool and I highly recommend them as an initial part of a weight loss strategy.

The following are a couple of online trackers and/or phone apps that have come recommended by clients or colleagues. I suggest having a browse and seeing which one might work best for you. Try a few and get a feel for them. Each are slightly different in their format and set-up and you may find one that resonates with you better than another.