Month: February 2022

When it comes to losing weight, there are plenty of options for surgical bariatric procedures, like the Lap-Band®. However, it can be difficult to know when you qualify as a candidate for bariatric surgery. There are several factors you should consider when addressing your eligibility for Lap-Band, including your BMI, behavioral health, and mental health.

Qualifying for bariatric surgery: body mass index

Your BMI, or body mass index, plays a large role in determining your eligibility for bariatric surgery. Qualifications vary based on the type of procedure. Most procedures require a BMI of 40 or higher, or 35 or higher if you have one or more obesity-related conditions. However, the Lap-Band has been approved for patients who have a BMI of 30 with one or more comorbidities. These comorbidities include obstructive sleep apnea, diabetes, heart disease, and osteoarthritis, among others. 

Qualifying for bariatric surgery: behavioral and mental health factors

In addition to your BMI, there are multiple behavioral and metal health factors that should be considered when determining your eligibility for the Lap-Band Program. 

Motivation

Weight loss doesn’t occur without hard work. Diet and exercise are a vital part of weight-loss success after surgery. Before starting the Lap-Band Program, assess your motivation to determine whether you’re committed to making the necessary lifestyle changes. 

Weight-loss history

When considering your eligibility, your doctor will also consider your past experiences with diet and exercise. Bariatric procedures like the Lap-Band are not “quick fixes” to lose weight. If traditional diet and exercise have not worked for you in the past, then the Lap-Band may be an option. 

Eating behaviors

It’s important to understand that the Lap-Band Program isn’t just about losing weight—it’s a step toward a healthier lifestyle. Your relationship with food should also be examined to understand how your eating habits will have to change. For example, if you’re an emotional eater, you’ll need to come up with alternative ways to handle stress.

Mood disorders 

Some mood disorders, like anxiety and depression, are associated with obesity. Untreated, these disorders can inhibit your weight-loss success after surgery. Like eating behaviors, they should be addressed before starting the Lap-Band Program. 

Alcohol and drugs

Smoking, alcohol, and drugs play a role in weight-loss success. Unmanaged problems with consumption may impede weight loss and prevent you from qualifying for bariatric surgery.

Choosing the Lap-Band system

For those who qualify for bariatric surgery, the Lap-Band Program offers several distinct advantages. Among the surgical weight-loss options, the Lap-Band may be the best solution for gradual and sustainable weight loss. During the Lap-Band procedure, an adjustable silicone band is place around the upper portion of the stomach. This band is adjustable, allowing your weight-loss solution to change as your needs change. Because the Lap-Band procedure involves no partial amputation of the stomach or intestines, it’s also the only bariatric procedure that’s completely reversible.  

To learn more about whether you qualify for the Lap-Band Program, register for our online seminar, or find a Lap-Band surgeon near you.

After your Lap-Band® surgery, exercise will become an important component of your weight-loss journey.   The most important aspect to losing weight is the assistance from the Lap-Band to help limit your food intake and promote your feeling of fullness, healthy eating, and controlled portions.  However, exercise can help build muscle and maintain your level of weight loss. In addition, regular exercise can offer plenty of other health benefits, including improving cardiac health, lung capacity, and even reducing the need for those suffering from type 2 diabetes. 

All that said, especially if you’re new to working out, developing an exercise routine can be difficult. For those post-surgery, a common question is the type of exercise they should be focus on to assist in their weight-loss journey: cardio or weightlifting?

Cardio improves your health after bariatric surgery

Cardiovascular activities, like running, biking, swimming, walking, and climbing, burn a high number of calories. When compared to weightlifting for the same time commitment, cardio will burn more calories during your exercise session. In combination with healthy food choices, cardiovascular exercise is especially helpful for those trying to lose weight—the more you weigh, the more calories you burn during cardio. 

Cardio also has several additional health benefits, which can help reduce or prevent obesity-related comorbidities. These benefits include improving your hearth health, lowering your blood pressure, and boosting your immune system. Because cardio forces your lungs to work harder to provide oxygen, it also strengthens your respiratory function. 

High-intensity interval training 

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a type of workout that alternates periods of intense exercise with periods of rest. By ramping up the intensity of your workout for a short time, HIIT workouts can help you burn the same number of calories as traditional cardio in a shorter amount of time. This makes HIIT ideal for Lap-Band patients who lead busy schedules and want to squeeze in a workout whenever they can.

Weightlifting helps build muscle after weight-loss surgery

Strength training activities, also called weight training or resistance training, might include free weights or weight machines. Weight training may burn fewer calories during your workout, but it has a few distinct benefits. In tandem with protein-providing foods, weightlifting helps change your body composition, decreasing fat and increasing muscle. While the Lap-Band Program results in a lower likelihood of loose skin due to gradual weight loss, strength training can help further fill out loose skin.

Building muscle increases your resting metabolism and your basal metabolic rate (BMR), which is the number of calories you burn by performing basic vital functions. While cardio burns more calories during the workout, strength training also causes you to continue burning caloriesafter you stop working out.

Like cardio, weight training also helps improve your hearth health by lowering your blood pressure and LDL cholesterol. Additionally, the temporary pressure during weightlifting helps you build stronger bones. This increased bone strength, along with a higher level of muscle, lowers your risk of dangerous falls and injury, both in everyday life and during exercise.

Cardio and weightlifting after your Lap-Band procedure

So, what’s better for improving your health and assisting with weight loss after your Lap-Band procedure, cardio or weightlifting? 

Depending on your overall goals, you should incorporate cardio and strength training activities into your workout routine to reap the benefits of both. Not only can both help you lose weight, but they can help you make essential improvements to your overall health. 

However, note that exercise is just one component of healthy, sustainable, and successful weight loss. Healthy eating, portion control, sleep, hydration, and multiple other factors play an even more important role, as does your aftercare immediately after your procedure. 

The Lap-Band Program isn’t just about the procedure—it’s also about providing support after the surgery. The Lap-Band Program offers a comprehensive aftercare program, providing the resources you need to develop an exercise routine that can help you meet your health goals post-surgery.

Learn more about the Lap-Band Program, or find a surgeon in your area.

Most people know that obesity increases your risk for several serious conditions and diseases. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and osteoarthritis are some of the most common obesity comorbidities. Less often discussed are non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). In this article, we’ll cover these two obesity-related comorbidities in addition to discussing how the Lap-Band® Program can help reduce their symptoms and promote overall liver health.

Obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)

NAFLD is an umbrella term for a range of liver conditions characterized by an excess of fat stored in the liver cells, which can lead to inflammation. This fat is not due to excessive alcohol use, hence the term “non-alcoholic.” NAFLD symptoms are typically minimal; if they do manifest, they sometimes do so as fatigue and pain in the upper abdomen.

NAFLD is becoming increasingly common, especially in America, where nearly 25% of citizens are affected. Overweight or obese individuals who suffer from diabetes or have insulin resistance have an increased risk of developing NAFLD. While scientists don’t fully understand the correlation between obesity and NAFLD, they do know that losing weight can help improve NAFLD symptoms. 

If not addressed, NAFLD can lead to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) or eventual cirrhosis.

Obesity and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)

NASH is an advancement of untreated NAFLD. Like NAFLD, NASH is characterized by the excess of fat in the liver with the addition of inflammation and liver cell damage. NASH also has minimal symptoms, which may include unexplained weight loss, general weakness, or jaundice.

NASH is a less common obesity comorbidity than NAFLD, but when left untreated, it replaces healthy liver tissue with scar tissue, leading to cirrhosis. Cirrhosis can lead to many different health complications, and late-stage cirrhosis can be fatal. 

How Lap-Band can help treat NAFLD and NASH

The first recommendation for treating NAFLD and NASH is typically weight loss, which can help combat the conditions that lead to the development of fatty liver disease. For patients who qualify, the Lap-Band Program can help those suffering from NAFLD or NASH lose weight gradually and sustainably. 

During surgery, the Lap-Band is placed around the upper portion of the stomach. This band can be adjusted via a skin port, allowing patients to control their hunger and limit their food intake. In combination with a healthy diet and regular exercise, the Lap-Band Program can help patients take control of their weight, potentially leading to the reversal of their NAFLD or NASH.

To learn more about how Lap-Band can help you start the path to a healthier lifestyle, visit our website.