August 2019 - Lap-band

Are you wondering if the Lap-Band® System is the right weight-loss tool for you? It’s important to understand who the system is designed for, who qualifies for the procedure, and why it can be the best option for you.

Before heading on the weight-loss journey, you need to find the right system for you and your lifestyle, whether that means adopting a new diet, undergoing surgery, or both. In order to lose weight safely with the Lap-Band Procedure, you are required to meet specific criteria. For starters, you must be 18-years-old or older. You must have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of at least 40 kg/m². If you have an obesity-related comorbid condition, you can have a BMI of 30 kg/m² and still qualify for Lap-Band. If you suffer from a disease that may have caused weight gain, you may not qualify for the procedure. You should have a history of unsuccessful weight-loss attempts.

The Lap-Band is a great tool for weight loss, but it is not a cure. Individuals who decide to have the Lap-Band Procedure must be prepared to change their lifestyle and their eating habits. Without these changes, the Lap-Band may not be as effective as it should be. Individuals should also not drink an excessive amount of alcohol, and they must commit to a strict diet. If you are pregnant, it is best to pursue the Lap-Band Procedure following the pregnancy. However, if you become pregnant after you have the Lap-Band, it does not need to be removed. The Lap-Band System is the only weight-loss surgery option that is adjustable and can adapt to the changing requirements of pregnancy.

Your Lap-Band Specialist will determine if you have any number of factors that may negatively impact the effectiveness of the Lap-Band. Any of the following conditions may impact the safety of the procedure, and therefore you may fail to qualify:

Inflammatory disease or gastrointestinal tract conditions
Heart or lung disease
Increased risk of bleeding in the esophagus or stomach, or birth defects in these areas
Portal Hypertension
An intraoperative gastric injury
Cirrhosis
Chronic Pancreatitis
Alcohol or drug addiction
Infection in the body that prevents surgery
Chronic, long-term steroid treatment
Allergies to materials in the Lap-Band
Pain intolerance to implanted devices
Autoimmune connective tissue diseases (in you or a family member)

The Lap-Band is a long-term implant. Removal or replacement may be necessary, especially for individuals who become ill. Placement of the Lap-Band is done laparoscopically, but it is still a major surgery that is subject to risks and complications. The most common complications include: band slippage, pouch dilation, stoma obstruction, gastroesophageal reflux, esophageal dilation, cholelithiasis, incisional infection, abdominal pain, gastroenteritis, or nausea/vomiting. See Lap-Band Directions for Use (DFU) for full list of complication.

The Lap-Band has the power to change your life. Speak with your specialist today to learn more about the Lap-Band System and to begin your weight-loss journey: https://www.www.lapband.com/find-a-specialist/

Sources:

Directions for Use (DFU). LAP-BAND AP® Adjustable Gastric Banding System with OMNIFORM® Design. Click here for details.
The LAP-BAND® System Surgical Aid in the Treatment of Obesity – a decision guide for adults. ReShape Lifesciences Inc. 04-0409 Rev. A. 04/17/19
O’Brien, Annemarie Hindle, Leah Brennan, Stewart Skinner, Paul Burton, et al. “Long-Term Outcomes After Bariatric Surgery: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Weight Loss at 10 or More Years for All Bariatric Procedures and a Single-Centre Review of 20-Year Outcomes After Adjustable Gastric Banding.” Obesity Surgery. The Journal of Metabolic Surgery and Allied Care. Published online: 06 October 2018. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-018-3525-0

The weight-loss journey isn’t an easy one, especially when your goal is to lose a drastic amount of weight utilizing bariatric surgery such as the Lap-Band® System. Psychological obstacles can play a major role in weight loss and whether or not you are successful. It’s vital that you have a support system on your weight-loss journey.

Research shows that having a team of individuals who supports your weight-loss and exercise goals will positively contribute to your long-term health goals. Support on your weight-loss journey comes in three forms: emotional, inspiring, and practical. Emotionally, you will need someone you can lean on when you are feeling down and discouraged. Similarly, you need inspiration to keep you going, whether that’s someone who tags along at the gym or encourages you to stay on track. From a practical sense, you need someone who helps you carry out your health goals by taking you to the gym, helping you cook healthy meals, or watching your kids so you can get in a good workout.

In order to get this support, you need to be upfront with your family and friends by telling them what kind of support you need from them and why. They should be aware of your goals. They may participate in some negative, unsupportive behaviors, such as encouraging you to slip up one night and eat a slice of pizza or to skip your workout to go to the movies. It may be easy for them to feel as if you don’t want to do things anymore, but remind them that you aren’t participating in those behaviors because it doesn’t align with your health goals, not because you don’t like them anymore. Understand that certain friends or family members may not be in the right frame of mind to help you on your journey, and you’ll need to find other people for support.

Support involves give and take; you must be willing to listen to and support others on a similar journey. If it’s easier for you to stay on track with your diet, but it’s easier for your friend to stay on track with exercising, rely on each other to balance out your strengths and weaknesses. It’s easy to feel ashamed if you slip up, but don’t isolate yourself; reach out to others when you are feeling down.

First and foremost, your Lap-Band specialist and dietitian should be there to fully support you. But you also need supporters who are on the same journey you are. Look for community health groups and attend local exercise classes.

Source:

https://diet.mayoclinic.org/diet/motivate/social-support-for-weight-loss?xid=nl_MayoClinicDiet_20151021

Meal prepping has a great deal of benefits for individuals who are hoping to lose weight and stick to healthier eating habits. Not only can it help you save money by buying items in bulk, wasting fewer ingredients, and eating out less, it’s a win-win if you’re trying to stay on track with your new eating lifestyle post Lap-Band® Surgery.

Meal prepping has two obvious benefits that help people lose weight. Not only is it great for portion control, it helps you control what you eat. When meals are pre-planned and cooked ahead of time, it’s harder to slip up and eat something that doesn’t fall within your meal plan. Temptations like mid-day fast food runs and happy hours with your coworkers are easier to resist when you know you have lunch and dinner already made.

An unexpected perk of meal prepping is the variety it provides. How many times have you come home from work, stressed about what to cook, and then relied on the same old tired recipe? Instead of feeling satisfied, you’re bored and you’re craving junk food. When you have the time to plan out a week of meals, grocery shop, and prepare the meals at the start of the week, you have more time to think about variety and incorporating different fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats into your meals. This variety will in turn give you a good mix of nutrients. You’ll also say goodbye to the extra stress of worrying about what to prepare every night.

Part of your Lap-Band aftercare journey involves following a specific meal plan and ensuring that you fill your body with high-quality foods, like proteins and nutrient-dense foods. Following along with this meal plan and meal prepping goes hand-in-hand. Instead of making food decisions on the fly each day and wondering if you can or can’t eat something, you’ll have a meal already prepared that meets all of your requirements.

Meal prepping might feel like a daunting task at first, so instead of a full week of meals, try making meals for three or four days instead. Sit down with the meal plan your Lap-Band specialist or dietitian provided you, and search your favorite cookbooks, Pinterest, or Google for flavorful recipes that meet your food guidelines. Once you choose your recipes, create a master list of everything you’ll need to buy. If you can plan recipes with overlapping ingredients, such as spinach in your morning smoothie and as a side for dinner, you can cut down on costs. You’ll also save money if you choose recipes utilizing an ingredient you already have in the house, such as chicken breasts, fish, or a certain spice.

Be sure you set aside dedicated time both for planning meals and cooking them so you can make meal prepping a habit.

Source:

http://www.eatingwell.com/article/291319/meal-prep-for-weight-loss-8-ways-it-will-make-you-more-successful/

For those trying to stick to healthier eating habits and lose weight, meal prepping offers a great deal of benefits. Meal prepping can help you save money by eating out less and buying items in bulk, wasting fewer ingredients. It also encourages healthy portion control, so it’s a win-win if you’re trying to stay on track with your new eating lifestyle post Lap-Band® Surgery.

How meal prepping can help your weight-loss journey

Portion control and healthier options

For Lap-Band patients, meal prepping has two obvious benefits that can help them lose weight. Not only is it great controlling how much you eat, but it also helps you control what you eat. When meals are pre-planned and cooked ahead of time, it’s harder to slip up and eat something that doesn’t fall within your meal plan. Temptations like midday fast food runs and happy hour with your coworkers are easier to resist when you know you have lunch and dinner already made.

Eat a variety of foods

An unexpected perk of meal prepping after Lap-Band surgery is the variety it provides. How many times have you come home from work, stressed about what to cook, and then relied on the same old tired recipe? Instead of feeling satisfied, you’re bored and you’re craving junk food.

When you have the time to plan out a week of meals, grocery shop, and prepare the meals at the start of the week, you have more time to think about variety and incorporating different fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats into your meals. This variety will, in turn, give you a good mix of nutrients. You’ll also say goodbye to the extra stress of worrying about what to prepare every night.

Part of your weight-loss journey after the Lap-Band procedure involves following a specific meal plan, ensuring you fill your body with high-quality foods, like proteins and nutrient-dense foods. Following this meal plan and meal prepping go hand-in-hand. Instead of making food decisions on the fly, you’ll have a meal already prepared that meets all of your requirements.

How to meal prep after Lap-Band surgery

Once you choose your recipes, create a master list of everything you’ll need to buy. If you can plan recipes with overlapping ingredients, such as spinach in your morning smoothie and as a side for dinner, you can cut down on costs. You’ll also save money if you choose recipes utilizing an ingredient you already have in the house, such as chicken breasts, fish, or a certain spice. Be sure you set aside dedicated time both for planning meals and cooking them so you can make meal prepping a habit.

Curious about how the Lap-Band Program can help you lose weight and get on track to a healthier lifestyle? Watch our online seminar today!

You’ve probably heard adaptive fitness discussed in the context of individuals who have suffered accidents or have disabilities that impact the way they move. However, adaptive fitness can also be an important part of your weight-loss journey after the Lap-Band® procedure.

Adaptive fitness includes exercises that are modified to accommodate people with temporary or permanent disabilities. When it comes to exercising after the Lap-Band procedure, trainers use adaptive fitness to develop plans for individuals who may have trouble doing certain exercises due to their weight.

The importance of exercise after Lap-Band

Individuals who undergo bariatric surgery, like the Lap-Band Program, are overweight or obese. During the aftercare process, exercise will be an important part of encouraging healthy weight loss, along with a balanced diet, portion control, hydration, and healthy sleep habits. For overweight and obese individuals who have just started their weight-loss journey, completing certain exercises may be difficult or impossible

For instance, you may not be able to squat deep enough to benefit from the move. Some poses may be uncomfortable because of the pressure they put on your joints, or you may have trouble getting up off the floor repeatedly for certain exercises.

How adaptive fitness can help you exercise after Lap-Band surgery

Adaptive fitness is all about doing moves that are comfortable. This means focusing on low-impact exercises that take your range of movement into consideration. After your Lap-Band surgery, you should start slow and work up to more difficult exercises once you are more comfortable. If you have limited mobility in certain areas due to excess weight, work on building strength in other areas.

Many of our patients find exercising in water to be easier on their joints. It’s a great way to work on cardiovascular fitness in a supported, low-impact environment. Other examples of adaptive fitness exercises include doing push-ups against the wall instead of the ground and staying seated while performing exercises. After Lap-Band, you should start your fitness journey by working on increasing your stability and flexibility.

Exercise will not only help you lose weight after Lap-Band—it will also help relieve stress and anxiety and improve your self-esteem and mood. Just remember, there’s a difference between pain and muscle soreness. If you feel stabbing or sharp pain during exercise, stop immediately and contact your doctor.

Learn more about the Lap-Band Program with our free online seminar, or check out the Lap-Band blog for more tips on diet and fitness after bariatric surgery.