At Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery, we want you to be successful with your weight loss. Learning about the process and preparing is absolutely key, which is why we require all weight loss surgery patients to take an online nutrition/prep class before your surgery. 

While you will learn much more in the class, in this article we will cover some of the basics about what to expect from the class.

Nutrition/Prep Class at Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery

Our class is led by our bariatric coordinator and bariatric nutritionist. While already very knowledgeable in these areas, she brings a much more personable and relatable quality to the class because she had gastric bypass surgery herself. When she shares information, she’s coming from a very personal place of having gone through this process, including the emotions.

The class is required for both private pay patients and those paying with insurance. You will have a chance to ask questions and bring up concerns while learning about pre-op nutrition, post-op nutrition, and everything else you’ll need to know about the surgery, such as tips to help you prepare mentally. You will attend the nutrition/prep class one to three weeks prior to your surgery. 

We will talk to you about our recommendations for prepping your home life in order to make things easier on yourself after surgery. Along with having a friend or family member come stay with you, especially if you have children, we encourage you to have your pantry and refrigerator stocked full of easily-accessible foods and liquids that fit in with your diet plan. We will also talk more about the medications we prescribe after surgery and recommend that you have those filled prior to surgery.

In the class, we will also prepare you more for what to expect after surgery. Most insurance companies require a one-night stay in the hospital, but if you’re not paying with insurance, surgery will be performed in our outpatient surgery center, and you’ll typically go home the same day. We’ll talk a lot about what you’ll eat right after surgery and how that diet progresses over the coming weeks. The class also includes information about when it’s safe to start exercising again and how that process should progress.

There is a lot to learn in the nutrition/prep class, but it’s crucial to know it all in order to be successful. The patients that take their medications as prescribed and actually stick with the diet after surgery are the ones we’ve seen be the most successful. We’ve also found that patients who seek out support are more likely to lose the weight and keep it off. 

Contact Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery to Get Started on Your Weight Loss Journey

The caring group of professionals at Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery will help you get started on your weight loss journey and stay with you every step along the way. Dr. Long and his team specialize in all types of bariatric surgery, including gastric sleeve surgery, gastric bypass, and the LAP-BAND. Visit us today at http://www.bmisurgery.com/ or give us a call to set up a consultation at 205-833-6907. 

When first consulting, preparing for, and during the early recovery phase after weight loss surgery, most people are focused mostly on doing everything they need to do in order to lose weight and become healthier. And that’s where your focus should be!

Sometimes, even with very successful weight loss, there can be unexpected things that come up that maybe you weren’t prepared for or hadn’t thought about. One such issue that can occur is excess or loose skin after significant weight loss. 

Since we want to be totally open and honest about all things related to weight loss surgery at Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery, we will tackle this subject in this article. The possibility of excess or loose skin is nothing to fear!

What Causes Excess or Loose Skin After Weight Loss Surgery?

When you gain weight, your skin expands around the new mass that your body is adding. When you lose weight, your skin may not have enough elasticity to shrink back down. Therefore, excess, loose, or sagging skin can be a result of losing such a significant amount of weight after weight loss surgery, such as gastric sleeve. It does happen to some people, but not everyone.

For those who do have to deal with it, there are solutions and things to know that will hopefully relieve any fears you may have about excess skin after weight loss surgery.

When it comes to how much excess skin you will have, each person is different. The amount of loose skin present after weight loss surgery depends on several factors, such as your weight before surgery, age, smoking history, and genetics. 

To what extent excess skin bothers each person varies as well. It’s totally normal for it to be a big issue for some, while others aren’t bothered by it much at all. A common concern is that saggy skin increases the appearance of premature aging.

The problems that arise from excess skin are not always simply cosmetic though. Excess skin may cause chafing and rashes, especially when it rubs against other folds of skin or when it stays moist. With saggy skin, folds often rub against themselves, and these folds may be harder to keep clean. Over time, the top layer of skin (epidermis) can tear, creating irritation from chafing. This chafing can lead to infections.

Addressing Excess Skin After Weight Loss Surgery

If you’re worried about loose skin after weight loss surgery, whether for health reasons or because you’re concerned about how it may look, there are several ways to minimize sagging skin after surgery. Here are some strategies to think about:

• Eat a healthy diet and drink plenty of water — This is crucial after weight loss surgery anyway. A balanced diet with plenty of protein and vitamins can help you keep the weight off and retain lean muscle. This diet may also help minimize loose or excess skin to some degree. Also, be sure to drink plenty of water, which will help keep your skin healthier and may improve elasticity. 
• Exercise — Exercise can prevent loose skin after weight loss surgery. When you lose lean muscle mass, you may increase the looseness of your skin. When you build muscle, you actually fill out your skin more.
• Treat your skin well — Your skin is an organ, and if you want to avoid loose skin after weight loss, taking care of it can help. This includes using sunscreen regularly when outdoors, using moisturizers, and drinking plenty of water to keep your whole body hydrated.

If the above strategies aren’t enough, cosmetic surgery is also an option. After losing 100 or 150 pounds, it is realistic to expect that you may still have some excess skin. Cosmetic surgery removes excess skin and fat from the body. A tummy tuck after weight loss surgery is one of the more common procedures. If you’re looking at this option, it’s important to work with a reputable plastic surgeon. The American Society of Bariatric Plastic Surgeons is a good place to start, and we will be happy to make a recommendation as well.

Contact Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery to Get Started on Your Weight Loss Journey

The caring group of professionals at Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery will help you get started on your weight loss journey and stay with you every step along the way. Dr. Long and his team specialize in all types of bariatric surgery, including gastric sleeve surgery, gastric bypass, and the LAP-BAND. Visit us today at http://www.bmisurgery.com/ or give us a call to set up a consultation at 205-833-6907. 

Making an appointment at Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery is often the first and biggest step in a wonderful weight loss journey. However, we know it can be scary, and you may have many thoughts and questions running through your head about what that first appointment will be like. 

To help ease your nerves, we want to share some information about what these first appointments are actually like. Patients are often pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable it is! It’s important that you feel seen and heard, and we want you to know that you have the whole team at BMI Surgery on your side.

What to Expect At An Appointment at BMI Surgery

First, you should know a little bit about our surgeon, Dr. Jay Long. You can see the impressive list of certifications, memberships, awards, and more on our website and feel confident about his experience and expertise. He truly knows what he’s doing, and he really is the best! 

Equally important, our patients love him. Many comment on his ability to put people at ease and make them feel comfortable. When you’re talking about such huge decisions, that’s really crucial. Despite his ability to make people feel comfortable, he also maintains a knowledgeable and professional demeanor as he talks with you.

What to Bring to Your First Appointment

We will need to see your insurance information, along with the following:

• All pertinent x-ray reports and test results from your primary care or referring physician
• Any required co-pays and payment for any outstanding balances with our practice
• A list of all medications that you are currently taking
• A list of any known drug allergies and the symptoms you may have from taking these medicines
• A copy of your operation report if you’ve previously had surgery elsewhere

What Your First Appointment Will Look Like

During your initial visit, Dr. Long will take your history and perform a physical examination. He will also review your previous medical records. He will most likely order tests to help him properly determine your diagnosis and find the appropriate treatment.

Depending on which treatment Dr. Long recommends, he will talk to you about any possible risks of the surgery. Although complications are rare, all surgeries, especially those that involve anesthesia, carry some risks, and he always outlines these for you. 

You may be ready to book your surgery at this point, you may need some time to think it over, or if you’ll be paying with insurance, you may start that process at this time. 

Dr. Long is always happy to answer questions, and our staff is also able to answer questions for you. There will be additional time for questions and further education later as well since every patient, private pay or insurance pay, is required to attend an online nutrition/prep class that is led by our bariatric coordinator and bariatric nutritionist. 

She had gastric bypass surgery herself, so she’s very familiar with the process, along with the emotions that go along with it. In this class, we’ll address all your questions and concerns while giving you information on pre-op nutrition, post-op nutrition, and everything else you’ll need to know about the surgery, including mental preparations. 

Contact Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery to Schedule Your First Appointment

The caring group of professionals at Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery will help you get started on your weight loss journey and stay with you every step along the way. Dr. Long and his team specialize in all types of bariatric surgery, including gastric sleeve surgery, gastric bypass, and the LAP-BAND. Visit us today at http://www.bmisurgery.com/ or give us a call to set up a consultation at 205-833-6907. 

Whether you are trying to lose weight on your own or you’ve had weight loss surgery at Birmingham Minimally Invasive, focusing on the number on the scale alone can lead to issues we don’t want. This might mean getting into a cycle of losing and regaining weight, low self-esteem, or an unhealthy obsession with food and body image. 

Instead, it’s often best to focus on overall health and small, daily habits that can improve your health and well-being. Most likely, as you improve your health, you will naturally improve your weight as well. 

Healthy Habits that Make a Big Difference for Weight Loss

What can you change on a daily basis? Are you totally inactive now? Do you eat fast food every day? Do you skip breakfast? 

In these situations, starting with small daily changes can go a long way. Go for a 10-minute walk every day, then slowly start working up to longer times. Cut out fast food one day at a time until you are eating out much less frequently. Start eating breakfast one day at a time until you’re having breakfast every day. Taking it one day at a time often feels more doable, rather than looking at things on a larger scale by the week, month, or even year.

For those who are already losing weight and have had weight loss surgery, it may be harder to find achievable goals or habits that need improvement. But that room for improvement is always there. For example, maybe your diet plan suggests eating fish once a week, but you don’t typically include it in your meal plans. Resolve to learn new recipes and try them out every week.

Wherever you are with your weight loss and your journey toward a healthier life, here are more suggestions for small, daily habits that can make a big difference.

1. Try a new form of exercise. Some people don’t exercise because they don’t like it. They don’t like running or going to the gym. So try something else, like simple walking while listening to music or a yoga DVD at home. It’s also common to get tired of always doing the same thing if you are more active, so instead of heading to the gym for the elliptical or treadmill, try swimming at the pool or taking a class. 
2. Try the same old foods in new ways. Getting into a rut and getting tired of eating the same things can easily lead to eating things you shouldn’t. Pick out a fruit or vegetable you’ve never had before, or search the internet for new, healthy recipes. You can also try very simple things like adding berries to your yogurt or cereal in the morning, or chopping up new veggies to add to your salad. You may be tired of carrots dipped in a healthy dressing, but shredded carrots on your salad will be delicious.
3. Only buy healthy options. This is a trap it’s easy to fall into, especially if you are buying groceries for others in your family. But your goal should be for your entire family to eat healthy foods, not just you. If you buy junk food, your family will eat junk food. If you buy healthy foods, that’s what they will eat instead, and you won’t have temptations around the house. 
4. Eat meals with your family. Especially on busy school mornings or evenings, it may be easier to serve children their meals at different times or in front of the TV, but make it a goal to do this as little as possible. Eating together has many important benefits related to health and nutrition, but it’s also a time to connect and communicate. You will likely be much more satisfied with what you are eating when you are eating with others rather than alone.
5. Always make it a true meal. This can also be hard with busy schedules, but always plate your food and sit down to eat. Food eaten out of packages and while standing is forgettable. You can wind up eating lots more than if you sit down and consciously enjoy your meals.
6. Don’t eat after dinner. This is where many people trip up and end up packing on the extra pounds. Maybe you’ve done well all day, but by evening you’re tired and your resolve starts to falter. Make a plan for yourself that you won’t eat after dinner. If you’ve had a healthy, satisfying meal at the table with your family that includes the appropriate amounts of protein, fat, veggies, and carbs, you won’t miss the after dinner snacking. 

Work With Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery to Start Making Healthy Changes!

Each and every small change you make can help you lose weight and become healthier. These daily habits do make a difference no matter what your weight is. However, many people do need extra help through weight loss surgery such as gastric sleeve and gastric bypass. It’s often the jumpstart our patients need to truly make a commitment to changing their lives, and we would love to help you do this too!

Learn more about weight loss options at Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery.

The caring group of professionals at Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery will help you get started on your weight loss journey and stay with you every step along the way. Dr. Long and his team specialize in all types of bariatric surgery, including gastric sleeve surgery, gastric bypass, and the LAP-BAND. Visit us today at http://www.bmisurgery.com/ or give us a call to set up a consultation at 205-833-6907. 

While undergoing weight loss surgery is a huge step in your journey toward better health, your work does not stop once your procedure is complete. Diet and exercise will play a significant role in your long-term success, and a regular work-out routine is crucial.

That fact does not change because of the holidays or colder weather! It really becomes even more important, but your commitment to your healthy lifestyle may really be tested.

Here is some information about WHY exercise is so important. We are focusing mostly on exercise after weight loss surgery, but most of this advice applies to anyone who needs to lose weight or is trying to do so on their own.

Why Exercise is So Important During the Holidays (And Always)

Exercise can help you lose more weight and keep it off after surgery. According to several studies by the National Institutes of Health, those who exercised after weight loss surgery saw their body mass index (BMI) decrease 4.2% more than those who did not.

Regular exercise will also help you recover faster, reach your weight loss goals, maintain a healthy lifestyle, and feel better. Even if your activity level before surgery was very low, we will work with you to find an exercise plan to meet your unique needs and abilities.

During the holidays when there are more sugary, rich foods floating around, we know that you may partake some. We urge you to be very careful in how much you eat and what you eat. One of the main reasons for this is that overeating or eating too much of the wrong foods will just make you feel bad. When you are used to eating in a very healthy way all the time and then you add in even a little bit of the foods you’ve been avoiding, your body may be a little confused. 

Continuing to exercise like normal will help counteract these effects and keep you feeling energetic, healthy, and motivated. Here are some of the best, overall benefits of regular exercise:

• Helps maintain weight loss
• Improves circulation
• Strengthens your heart and bones
• Increases your metabolic rate
• Develops muscle strength and endurance
• Improves blood sugar control
• Relieves stress
• Improves your mood

How to Work Out After Weight Loss Surgery

Even if you have recently had weight loss surgery around the holiday season, all of the following advice still applies. The rules are the same regardless of the time of year. 

For about four weeks after your surgery, your primary focus should be on getting back into the routine of your normal everyday activities. You should not lift anything over 10 pounds, but there are still plenty of ways to be active. During this stage, anything from washing dishes to going up and down the stairs in your home counts as activity. 

Walking is a great option during these first weeks. Walking improves your blood flow and expedites wound healing after surgery. Lack of exercise after a major operation could put you at a higher risk of developing a blood clot and conditions like pneumonia. 

You may want to set a goal to walk for a certain amount of time each day, then push yourself to walk a little more. Slowly increasing your activity level right after weight loss surgery will help you build up stamina and add more active habits in your daily routine.

The exact timeline for each patient may vary, but after about four weeks, we are able to clear most people for many types of exercise. This is when you can really start ramping up your work-out routine and begin exploring different types of exercises to find what you like best. You will be able to gradually incorporate low-intensity aerobic exercise at this point, such as biking or swimming. 

While there are many benefits of exercise after weight loss surgery, we know that it can be challenging, especially during a busy time of year like the holidays. But remember that many others have been through this process and come to love exercise. We’ve found that patients who seek out support, follow an exercise routine, and stick to a healthy diet are far more likely to lose weight and keep it off.

Learn more about weight loss options at Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery.

The caring group of professionals at Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery will help you get started on your weight loss journey and stay with you every step along the way. Dr. Long and his team specialize in all types of bariatric surgery, including gastric sleeve surgery, gastric bypass, and the LAP-BAND. Visit us today at http://www.bmisurgery.com/ or give us a call to set up a consultation at 205-833-6907. 

Turkey and dressing. Pumpkin pie, Christmas cookies, and eggnog. If you’ve had weight loss surgery, do you have a plan for how you will handle these holiday foods?

A lot depends on where you are in your post-op journey, but a lot also depends on your commitment to avoiding binging and overeating. While not everyone who has weight loss surgery has problems with these issues, it is a challenge for some because of long-held habits. 

Holidays foods can be triggering, and they can be anxiety-inducing. This is normal, and you shouldn’t feel badly about it. It helps a lot to understand more about what’s happening in your body after weight loss surgery, and it helps to know what to expect. 

Will You Overeat During the Holidays?

First, the answer to this question really is up to you. And it’s a question to ask yourself even if you have not had weight loss surgery. Going into the season with the right attitude and mindset makes a huge difference. 

Avoiding overeating may not be a huge issue if you’ve had weight loss surgery in the past year or so. During this period of time, your body just won’t let you consume as much food without causing you to feel sick. You learn your lesson pretty quickly, and people are better able to stick with what they know they should do. The challenge will be more for those who have not yet had weight loss surgery or for those who are a few years out from it. 

Appetite Suppression

Many people have the idea that they will not be hungry at all after weight loss surgery. While this is true for some, it’s not true for everyone. You will likely still experience hunger, but it will probably be less than what you experienced before. Appetites are typically suppressed rather than eliminated completely. 

The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery says that bariatric surgery increases the production of certain gut hormones that interact with the brain to reduce hunger, decrease appetite, and enhance satiety (feelings of fullness). Because of these factors, bariatric surgery typically helps produce long-term weight-loss.

Right after surgery, the combination of swollen tissues and the difference in the amount of ghrelin being produced does often pretty much eliminate hunger and cravings. However, this isn’t permanent. Tissues return to normal, and the reduced ghrelin becomes the new normal that your body adjusts to over time. Many lifestyle factors will also lead to feeling hungrier than you were immediately after surgery, but your appetite will likely still be suppressed. Your hunger levels will eventually fall in line with your new food consumption patterns.

Remember that there is a big difference between hunger and cravings. Cravings are more likely during the holiday season. Even after surgery, you may still experience cravings for trigger foods. For example, you may not be hungry at all, but you see Christmas cookies at a party, and you want to eat several. This is a craving, not hunger. 

Managing cravings and hunger after weight-loss surgery is very important. We start preparing you for this before your surgery with our pre-surgery diet plans, and you will also have a post-surgery diet plan. With a plan, strong willpower, and motivation, managing hunger and cravings during the holidays is possible. 

Here are some tips that help many of our patients during the festive time of year!

Protein, Protein, Protein

Eating enough protein is crucial after weight loss surgery and anytime you are trying to keep your body feeling full. It’s a requirement for a healthy metabolism, strong muscles, and high energy levels. 

After weight loss surgery, the number of calories you can eat per sitting and per day will be greatly limited. When you do eat, you need to make the best choices and get maximum nutrient value out of every bite. When it comes to protein, this will likely mean looking at your meal a little differently. While you will have your own customized diet plan, your goal will probably be 60 to 80 grams of protein daily. 

Focusing on protein first typically helps a lot, so head for those holiday foods first. Foods like ham and turkey are often good options. Next, you will want to fill your plate with vegetables. If there are foods you love that you want to try, intentionally save a couple of bites for those. 

Eat Slowly, and Always Make It a Meal

Snacking, grazing, or otherwise eating constantly is often a recipe for disaster. A common approach to holiday buffets, cookie exchanges, and potlucks is to try a little bit of everything. After weight loss surgery, this just isn’t possible or a good idea. You will overeat if you try even one bite of all the selections available. Find your healthy options, put them on your plate, and sit down to eat.

Also keep in mind that many of us eat much faster than we should, and our bodies do not register fullness until it’s too late. Eat slowly and chew thoroughly. Your body will be able to catch up and let you know when to stop eating. 

Drink Water Strategically

Drinking water 45 minutes before and after a meal can also help with hunger, especially because we often mistake thirst for hunger. Weight fluctuations during the holidays may be due to eating a higher amount of salt or carbs which can make you more bloated than usual. Drink extra water to help flush out the extra sodium. 

For those who have had weight loss surgery, you also know that you should not eat and drink at the same time. Since you can only eat three or four bites at a time, you should focus on these bites so you get the nutrients you need. You don’t want to fill your now smaller stomach up with fluids. Plan on drinking later, once your food is digested. This is also important for avoiding dumping syndrome, which you can read more about here.

Focus on Maintenance, Not Weight Loss

Don’t stress yourself out about losing weight during this time. When you let go of this idea, you will hopefully feel more relaxed and be able to handle all of the holiday treats and sweets in a better way. Also remember that one day of splurging will not ruin everything. Commit to making better decisions the next day and move on. 

Contact Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery for More Advice

Because you will likely be eating foods you don’t normally eat during the holiday season, your body may feel a little off sometimes. Eating slowly, drinking water appropriately, and sticking to your schedule as much as possible will help. If you are concerned about overeating or bingeing during this time of year, contact us, and we will connect you with the right resources that can help! 

Learn more about weight loss options at Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery.

The caring group of professionals at Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery will help you get started on your weight loss journey and stay with you every step along the way. Dr. Long and his team specialize in all types of bariatric surgery, including gastric sleeve surgery, gastric bypass, and the LAP-BAND. Visit us today at http://www.bmisurgery.com/ or give us a call to set up a consultation at 205-833-6907.