Saturday, May 10, 2008

The Surgical Weight Loss Option: Is it for You?

Obesity is such a big health problem. More than for aesthetic reasons, obesity needs to be addressed so that health problems won't arise. Some people have undergone a number of weight loss programs, but unfortunately none were successful. And a lot of them are choosing the surgical weight loss option to be the best one, as it can almost guarantee a perfect figure in such a short span of time.

Surgical weight loss corresponds to the use of surgery to remove fats and cellulites. This means that a surgeon is required to perform the operation. The complexity of operation can vary from patient to patient, depending upon their obesity levels.

If you want to undergo surgical weight loss program, it is very important that you choose the right practitioner for the job. Experience is very important. You have to work only with the doctor that has many years of experience behind him. Surgical weight loss programs are delicate procedures. If the doctor you chose is not adept with the techniques, you might suffer some complications.

But experience is not everything that you should consider. There are other factors like the modernity of the clinic's equipments and the new technologies they use behind each procedure. Try to choose the clinic and the doctor that constantly updates and improves their knowledge for their patient's benefit.

Follow-up care is also important when it comes to surgical weight loss operations. An obese patient needs intense post-operation care after undergoing liposuction or other similar weight loss surgery. To surgically remove fats and cellulites from a person's body, incisions have to be made. Incisions are wounds. And they have to be attended to until it heals completely. That way, that the risks of infection are avoided. Furthermore, the surgery could disrupt the person's hormonal processes. It is very important that doctors check and monitor the condition of their patients right after surgical weight loss operation.

So before you go ahead undergo the surgical weight loss technique, make sure that you consider all its advantages and disadvantages. Consult with an experience obesity surgeon. Be sure that you form only the right expectations about the whole procedure in your mind.

And when it comes to choosing a surgeon to do the job, try to make a survey to find out who the best practitioner in the field is. Try to ask family and friends for referrals. And then try to assess the doctor's experience and expertise as you meet with him during pre-surgery consultations.

Rapid Weight Loss Diet: What You Need to In An Emergency

If you are actually reading this rapid weight loss diet, you are probably in a state of panic and considering liposuction (if the surgery and recuperation period did not take so darn long) Since the latter is cumbersome, I shall not hesitate giving you extreme tips since you are looking for a fast results weight loss plan and not a long lasting one. Now let’s cut the crap and get to the point.

Most important if you want to keep to your rapid weight loss diet plan, is not to let yourself stay too hungry for too long. This may sound queer advice but if you get too hungry, chances are you are going to overeat after that. You will most likely reach for a processed food product: easily available and able to give you almost instant energy and quell your growling tummy. To prevent this, always have some healthy snacks with you such as a fruit or container of cereal or nuts.

For the desperate dieter, you have to scrutinize everything that enters your mouth. Examine your liquid consumption. Do you reach for drinks with high sugar instead of good old zero calorie water? A can of soft drink has an average of 150 calories! Do not be fooled by fruit drinks either. Packaged ones are no better as they have lots of sugar and calories to preserve them. Bubble tea is also the first thing you throw out of the window when on a weight loss diet. The sago pearls that you happily slurp up with your bubble tea? These, are not little balls of joys. They are a dieter’s worst nightmare as they are purely made of sugar and starch..

Before you reach for a bite, have a glass of water as your body may sometimes mistake thirst for hunger. Not slim enough for your liking then do not eat! If you are that desperate, skip your meals for the day and have meal replacement as part of your rapid weight loss diet. Remember not to drink to much water too as it will leave you bloated. Do this only for the day because if you do this for long, your body switches to ‘starvation mode’. It is fooled into thinking that you do not have food and will try to conserve calories. This results in a lower metabolic rate and a tubbier you.

Last but not least, one thing you should never do on a rapid weight loss plan. Never write about a weight loss plan. Writing or thinking about food (or in this case, the lack of food) fires up your salivary glands, gastric juices and sets your tummy churning in no time. Yours truly has had to endure uncontrollable bouts of hunger just bringing this piece of article to you, So you can rest assured that the given suggestions are taken from experiences. Nonetheless, take note that not every method works for everyone

Protein and Weight Loss: Is there a Link?

This decade, protein took center stage when it comes to dieting. With the entry of protein diets, carbohydrates and good fats almost became a thing of the past. Protein diet is the weight loss program making raves today. But is there really a link between protein and weight loss?

To clear the issue, here are the truths behind protein and weight loss:

1. Protein helps you curb your appetite.
Studies show that protein helps you lose body weight by decrease your fondness for food. Eating more than enough protein in your diet would satiate your hunger more than necessary. And because you feel full you won't crave for any more food in the next several hours. The different protein diets and the Atkins diet indicate protein intake to be more than twice as much of what the American Dietetic Association prescribes.

2. Protein boosts metabolism and burns more fat.
In a certain study, two groups of people are given different levels of protein in their meals. One group was given one gram for every pound of their body weight. The other group was given protein as stated in their respective Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA). After the test period, it was found out that the group who consumed more protein was able to burn more fats. Experts attribute this to the thermic effect of proteins.

3. Protein increases muscle mass.
This is the main reason why protein is the favorite nutrient of body builders. But it can help dieters a lot as well. With the right amount protein in the body, muscles fibers are increased and fat is burned considerably. This is because protein delivers the energy that the body needs to perform exercises and other physical activities. Without protein, the body becomes sluggish and the person feels tired more often. If you don't move much, fats won't get burned. And they would accumulate in your body to eventually become toxins. This fact showing the link between protein and weight loss is simply hard to ignore.

4. Protein triggers the functions of a natural weight loss hormone.
A certain study conducted by British researchers indicates that a certain hormone produced by the stomach is triggered with enough protein in the body. This is the most promising link between protein and weight loss just yet. The hormone, which is called the PYY hormone, is said to be the cure for obesity.

These are the facts behind protein and weight loss programs. Protein is a good nutrient for the body. However, it is best to consult with a professional health expert before devising a protein diet of your own.

Liquid Weight Loss Diets - A Necessary Evil?

In this superficial age where thin is in, there are multifarious liquid weight loss diets that you can find. Here are some popular low- calorie, low-fat ones which I suggest you only use in times of emergency. Having to fit into your wedding gown in one week is probably the only reason I will accept.

The Cabbage Soup diet lasts for one week. The name is pretty self-explanatory. You can have all the soup you want till you thoroughly abhor it. There are no restrictions on vegetables, fruits (except bananas. However, Day Four is the day you eat not less than eight bananas so you can get sick of it. Sadistic huh?) and non-sweetened fluids. However, there is a very limited set of strictly- stipulated foods for everyday of the week. This maybe a healthy alternative to a week of junk but it may backfire when you swear never to touch vegetable or its soups in your life after this.

If you are one who must have some solid food to sustain you, steer clear of this weight loss plan. This is an extremist liquid weight loss diet as it allows no food at all for 10 days! Yucks! Its formula: an eclectic blend of spring water, lemon juice, organic maple syrup and cayenne pepper. You take this about 10 times a day, along with 1 glass each of laxative tea and salt water. This formula is actually meant as a detoxification regime but people use it as a diet too. This is absolutely crazy and the logic behing this diet goes against common sense. If you are as insane as to want to take up this programme, I suggest you book a flight to Africa. You wil not be alone when you starve to death.

The Grapefruit diet is a 12-day liquid weight loss diet. You get to have your fill of black coffee, vegetables and meat as long as you have grapefruit or its juice to go with your three meals. It is also compulsory to have eggs and bacon every morning! Though this seems the most sustainable of all diets, be warned, as studies have found that excess consumption of the fruit may increase the risk of breast cancer. Second, having so much butter, bacon and eggs everyday may defeat your purpose of dieting since you might die of high cholesterol or clogged arteries instead. I also do not understand the logic of some of its ‘rules’. First, you can eat all the meat ‘till you are stuffed’ Second, you can have all the butter you want and even have your vegetables with them. I do not think it is unnecessary to explain why I find these ridiculous. It seems like its creators were woozy in the head from dieting when they came up with this regime.

Overall, I am personally quite appalled at the multifarious liquid weight loss diets.
Common sense tells me that they are just never going to work if you are looking for a sustainable and healthy weight loss regime. One simply cannot get even half the required nutrients on a liquid diet. A personal take. Stay away from such crap. Period