Get on the road to your weight loss success

Do you want to lead an active life and family life? Does your nationality determine what you eat or what you were brought up eating? Have you gained weight after a pregnancy? These are just some of the questions to ask yourself when considering a weight loss surgery procedure. All weight loss surgeries are a tool to help you achieve a healthier body and weight, and all surgery programs need to be followed. To learn more about a WL surgery, start or join a community of support groups, or an online forum.

Usually, first timers are excited to get surgery, but you need to research it because once it’s done it’s done. If you feel isolated, you’re not alone. Pre-op patients, otherwise known as newbie’s, are somewhat educated about the first year of surgery, but it’s helpful to ask a lot of questions from someone with at least 2 years after surgery experience. Pair up with someone for support, because you can gain back the weight while a mentor can help you to stay on track. In the end it’s accountability for yourself that matters, and you’ll need to get past the after surgery honeymoon phase and take lifelong actions to stay fit.

Make a plan for yourself after surgery. Have people understand what you are going through; family, friends, and your cultural environment. Also, cook for yourself so you know what is going in the foods you eat. The emotional part is difficult, but don’t be sabotaged: you don’t want to go back. So many people don’t know about the surgery aspects – do your research so you understand the emotional facets you go through. It can be not so easy after 2 years- after the honeymoon period.

There is a way to get healthy through weight loss surgery, but you need do the research. You know what your food triggers are so research and choose the surgery that is right for you. Don’t forget to research your doctor, they want the best for their patients and know they will be better off choosing one surgery than not one at all. Post-surgery patients say you learn a lot about yourself through a weight loss journey. You have more energy, are able to do more things, and make new friends. So what are you waiting for? Get on the road to your weight loss success.

Obesity Has Negative Impact on Sexual Health, Study Shows

A team of French and British researchers found that being fat can be bad for the bedroom for both men and women. Researchers surveyed sexual experiences of more than 12,000 men and women between the age of 18 and 69. The results were analyzed based on their Body Mass Index (BMI). As a rule of thumb, BMI of 18-24 is considered healthy weight, BMI of 25 or above is considered overweight and BMI of 30 or more is classified as obese.

The new study, published in British Medical Journal (BMJ), found that obese women had more trouble finding a sexual partner than normal-weight women. There was only a little difference in the case of obese men – women are more tolerant of chubby partners. Due to social pressure, most women with excess weight are not meeting men through friends, work or parties and they seek sexual partners via the Internet. The study showed that obese women were less likely to ask for birth control services and were four times more likely to have an unplanned pregnancy, even though they tend to have fewer sexual partners. Heavy women run the risk of serious complications and death during pregnancy. It is reported that fat men have a higher rate of erectile dysfunction and they are at greater risk of contracting a Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD).

The study findings suggests that being overweight can not only harm your health (diabetes, depression and urinary stress incontinence), but it can harm your sex life as well. People who have sex on a regular basis tend to live longer with very low chance of heart disease. If you lose weight, you will feel healthy and more attractive and that could improve your sex life.

Mexico city – It’s one of the safest parts of America, and it’s getting safer.

It’s the U.S. – Mexico border, and even as politicians say more federal troops are needed to fight rising violence, government figures show it isn’t so dangerous after all. The top four big cities in America with the lowest rates of violent crime are all in border states: Austin, El Paso, Phoenix and San Diego, according to a new FBI report. And a U.S. Customs and Border Protection report shows that Border Patrol agents face far less danger than street cops in most U.S. cities.

The Customs and Border Protection study, obtained with a Freedom of Information Act request, show that 3 percent of Border Patrol agents and officers were assaulted last year, mostly when assailants threw rocks at them. That compares with 11 percent of police officers and sheriff’s deputies assaulted during the same period, usually with guns or knives. In addition, violent attacks against agents declined in 2009 along most of the U.S.-Mexican border for the first time in seven years.

“The border is safer now than it’s ever been,” said Customs and Border Protection spokesman Lloyd Easterling. He said one factor is that with fewer jobs available amid the U.S. recession, illegal immigration has dropped. And, responding to security concerns after 9/11, the Border Patrol has doubled its number agents since 2004. Nonetheless, border lawmakers and governors say their region is under siege and needs more troops. In response to the concerns from the border states, Obama Pledged to send 1,200 National Guard troops to help and spend an extra $500 million on border security.

His one-time rival for the presidency, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, said he should send at least 6,000 troops, which he said are needed because Arizona leads the nation in marijuana seizures, had 368 kidnappings in 2008, and has the highest property crime rates in the U.S. But violent crimes in counties along the Mexican border are among the lowest in the nation per capita, and they’ve dropped by more than 30 percent in the last two decades.

Governors along the border say improved crime rates don’t counter their concerns. In Texas, “we respond to threats based on rick, not occurrence,” said Gov. Rick Perry’s spokeswoman Katherine Ce signer. And there are exceptions to the trend: Assaults on agents in the Laredo region increased from 44 in 2008 to 118 in 2009, and they increased in the neighboring Rio Grandee Valley as well.

Concerns about danger come, in part, from Mexico, where raging cartel violence has taken 23,00 lives in three years, often within view of the U.S. Border. There’s frequent talk of the potential for that violence to spread across the border, but so far it hasn’t happened to a significant degree. Mexico security measrures

WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY AS A TOOL

Welcome to some new to the board but nearly at goal – you have been so
successful – I think others would benefit from your advice.

We have all been given a tool by Dr. Zapata, not all will get to goal – it
is sort of like tires – mileage varies widely depending on the driver. On
occasion wls fails because of mechanics – it can happen and I think it is
important not to blame the patient but look at the total picture. The
possibilities for metabolism are infinite so we go into this literally
fighting with our bodies, our bodies love being fat, it is our genetic
heritage! However, sometimes we don’t all use our tool as wisely as we
should – our inner child (and mine is a spoiled rotten brat) win out over
sensible decisions of what to put in the mouth.

We are all in this together – people who have never had weight issues don’t
have a clue about how hard it is to diet stringently with no success – or to
lose a large amount of weight only to regain with friends. Even with the
best of tools, success can be challenging – without our tool there is almost
no hope of beating the odds.

So for today, we each have a tool – and we can work it one day at a time.
Take this moment to be thankful and make good decisions only for today
without worrying about tomorrow. This is how people succeed at weight loss
- one day at a time, being mindful of the rules and forgiving yourself if
you have a weak moment. We all have weak moments – the goal is to make
good food choices 95% of the time and forgive the other 5% because we are
human. Keep the voices in your head kind and gentle – we all respond better
to kindness than criticism and we are all our own worst enemy. Today is a
gift, use it wisely.

Put A Little SPRING In Your Step

Spring is here! A time for new beginnings, fresh starts, and the perfect time to get started on new, healthy, fitness habits. Walking is a great way to get started.
The key is starting simple, setting realistic goals, and having some patience. Before you know it, you will be on the path to better health and fitness.

What is the #1 recommended safe workout for overweight people?
WALKING. It’s that straightforward. By starting with a daily walking routine of at least 30 minutes you can start to see results in as little as a week. Most people believe that you have to walk quickly in order to burn calories, but in fact, the opposite is true. By walking at a slower pace for a longer time, heavy people actually burn more calories than if they were walking at a faster pace.
In addition to the benefits of walking, there is little chance of injury, which makes it so recommended for overweight people trying to lose weight. Then, after a while, you can start to incorporate small weights to your walking for a little added intensity and diversity to your workout.

Get started today…you will feel great and be so proud of yourself!

Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should

1# Rule of banding – just because you can – doesn’t mean you should.

There is no band tight enough to keep ice cream or chips from going down. A
Lapband controls the quantity – you still must control the quality.
Actually – there isn’t a weight loss surgery that is infallible – all have
good points and bad points. The Lapband and Sleeve are purely restrictive
procedures, they will restrict the volume of your stomach and you are
supposed to eat reasonably healthy. When I say reasonably – no one is
perfect – we all have good days and bad days, the goal is to strive for 95%
of your days to be good days. When you have a bad day don’t beat yourself
up – just make a conscious choice to try harder the next day.

Eating healthy – there is no reason to have certain foods in your house -
just as if you were an alcoholic or drug abuser you wouldn’t stock vodka or
pot in case a family member wanted them – you simply wouldn’t allow them in
the house. The same holds true for foods! Pringles are one of my trigger
foods – they are not allowed in my house regardless of circumstances. If
my sons want to OD on Pringles they need to do it in their homes, in their
cars or at work and not in front of me because I will fall off my wagon. I
don’t allow things like Cakesters, HoHos, Ding Dongs, crap that my grandkids
would love but will give them the same weight issues I have – I am opting
for better choices for them. Snacks of fresh berries, yogurt and granola,
raw vegetables or lean meats.

How many of you have OD’d on carrots, celery, pineapple, spinach salad,
broccoli, tuna, chicken? These are the foods that should be in your fridge
and your chances of eating too many carrots or apples are slim at best, you
will hork before you can eat so many that you will gain weight. Just like
drugs – say NO to ice cream in your freezer, pizza, or foods that you know
are trigger foods for you. Keep that white board on the side of your fridge
and change the listing daily of what is available in there for you for
snacks so when you are hungry or stressed – good choice ideas are right in
front of you. For me, bad choices happen when I am hungry, tired or
feeling vulnerable. I NEED this reminder of what is acceptable to grab and
eat.

Learn your triggers, find your weak points and craft a plan to avoid being
in circumstances that might allow you to make bad choices. Planning is so
essential to effective weight control, success isn’t just luck – it is great
planning, good execution of your plan and being able to examine your
mistakes when you deviate from your plan and using creative thinking to keep
yourself on track.

Success with weight loss surgery doesn’t just automatically happen, and it
isn’t the easy way out. Success is the result of examining your life and
habits without demeaning yourself and creating, crafting and executing a
plan for success that you can live with

Strategies for Success

I just came back from a Seattle WLS convention and am preparing for our Houston event. We talked at length about what helps us be successful and what things undermine our success and we came up with some strategies for success.

• Journal your food and feelings daily – keep an accountable finger
on your pulse daily!

• Never grocery shop on an empty stomach!

• Stay on the perimeter of the store – the inside isles are filled
with processed foods you don’t need! dairy, meat, fresh fruit, fresh
vegetables and good whole grain breads are on the perimeter.

• Use a white board on your fridge – when my kids lived at home I
posted daily what was for dinner and what was available in the fridge for snacks. If you know what is in there and have a variety of healthy snacks – you won’t be as tempted to fall off the wagon.

• 5- P’s – Poor Planning Predicts Poor Performance – translated -
plan your menus a week ahead- buy what you need to complete those menus. Be flexible enough to be able to switch Thursdays 10 min grilled chicken and veggies to Wednesday if you run short of time on a particular day. Start your meal preparation in the morning when you are rested and have eaten your breakfast. We live in a world where time gets away from us too easily – if the salad is made, the veggies prepped and a meat or protein dish prepped – your odds of sticking to your plan are significantly increased than if you walk in the door after a day from hell with hungry kids, a crabby husband and the pizza fridge magnet screaming your name.

• Don’t allow trigger foods into your home! You don’t keep alcohol
or drugs in front of an addict – don’t put pizza, chips, ice cream in your
home – this will actually help your children have healthier relationships
with food!

• Make sure you are well rested by setting boundaries on your
evening time. Don’t allow other people or events to intrude on your down time. Boundaries are important and successful people establish boundaries and guard them.

• Give yourself adequate time to eat with your family in a
stress-free environment. When you slam down food in a car with cranky kids is when you will PB or eat beyond full and be in pain.

• Get adequate exercise, walking the dog, cleaning your yard,
gardening, biking, hiking, – time doing any activity with children or
friends outside of your home.

• Don’t be afraid to ask loved ones for what you need – you don’t
have to be in this alone, your children/husband can help by peeling veggies, helping with chores if you explain to them that being overwhelmed is a trigger for heading off your path.

• Be kind to yourself – keep the voices in your head gentle and kind
- change is the result of being kind to yourself, self criticism defeats
you.

• Write up a disaster recovery plan – what you can do to put
yourself back on track – mine is a long list of small daily goals that are
achievable – results are cumulative.

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Weight Loss Surgery Cost – Weight Loss Surgery in Mexico

Weight Loss Surgery Cost In Monterrey, Much Less Than In The US

Weight loss surgery can cost a patient an arm and a leg once it’s done in world-class facilities here in the United States. However, if the patient opts to have the surgery performed in neighboring Monterrey, Mexico, the cost is so much cheaper.

Although it is understandable how many patients may have their initial doubts in having such a critical surgery performed in a third-world country, their hesitations can easily fade once they learn how highly regarded the medical services in Monterrey, Mexico are. The CIMA Santa Engracia Hospital, for example, houses top-of-the-line medical facilities and highly experienced surgeons who can perform different types of weight loss surgery with excellent results.

Many overweight patients who have undergone this procedure in Monterrey, Mexico think that it was the smartest and most rewarding decision they have ever done in their lives. Rather than having a costly medical procedure performed in the United States, it can actually be done in Mexico, where weight loss surgery cost is significantly less.

Ready 4A Change can direct overweight patients to this world-class facility in Monterrey, Mexico. Visit their website at Ready4AChange.com or contact 1-800-270-7120 for more information.

Gastric Bypass – Weight Loss Surgery

Fight Obesity With Affordable Gastric Bypass Surgery

In a country where obesity has become a major problem, an affordable gastric bypass surgery can really be of help. This type of procedure has shown instant dramatic results for overweight patients, and has allowed individuals who are more than 100 pounds overweight to lose their excess fat.

Ready 4A Change can direct patients to a world-class medical facility in Monterrey, Mexico, where this type of weight-loss procedure can cost 80% less to what it may cost in the United States. There’s no arguing that medical facilities in the US are indeed top-of-the-line. However, the medical services provided in Monterrey, especially at the CIMA Santa Engracia hospital, are as well respected, and are even known as a beacon of excellence for the Latin world.

Through Ready 4A Change, overweight patients can have the gastric bypass surgery they need and improve their way of living. Learn more by visiting their website at Ready4AChange.com or contact 1-800-270-7120.

Sleeve Gastrectomy – Weight Loss Procedure

Sleeve Gastrectomy and Weight Loss

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy is a potentially safe and effective weight loss surgery for individuals with a high Body Mass Index (BMI) and other high risk factors. The procedure essentially reduces the size of one’s stomach by stapling, which in turn leads to weight loss due to less food intake without bypassing the intestines or malabsorption.

Massive overeating stretches the stomach over time. This makes it harder for the stomach to fill, and this creates more frequent sensations of hunger. By performing stomach-reduction surgery, it allows for a smaller stomach that needs less food to fill. Statistics have shown patients who undergo this kind of procedure can lose weight at a rate of nearly two pounds a week or more.

However, because of the invasive nature of the surgery, sleeve gastrectomy, should only be done by a qualified surgeon with extensive experience in weight loss surgery. To learn more about the procedure or to schedule a consultation, visit Ready4aChange.com or call 1-800-270-7120.