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K.I.T. – Keep in Touch!
Statistics show that regular follow-up visits after your procedure are vital to gastric band success. Your first follow-up will be one week after surgery to check your incisions and see how you’re feeling.
Your second follow-up will be four weeks after surgery, when you’ll receive your first band adjustment (or "fill”) when saline is added to the band.
After that, plan to come in every three months so we can check your weight, learn about your diet and exercise program, answer questions and offer guidance to ensure you’re on the right track.
After you reach your weight loss goal, approximately a year or two post-surgery, we will still see you once every six months, then taper-off to just once a year. Of course, throughout your entire journey we hope to see you at the monthly Support Group meeting. Remember, Jill and I are always available by phone and e-mail for further support and information. You’ll be seeing a lot of us, and we hope to be seeing a lot LESS of you!
Sincerely,
Natalie Cook Akhavain
Patient Advocate and Fellow Bandster
Fat Cells: Doing More Harm Than You Know
By Eduardo Grunvald, M.D.
Did you know that fat cells play an integral role in the body, and can lead to life-threatening diseases like diabetes, abnormal cholesterol, high blood pressure, and certain cancers, not to mention increased risk of heart attacks, heart failure, stroke and premature death?
Fat cells release hormones and chemical signals that result in insulin resistance and general body inflammation within the blood vessels. If insulin can’t work efficiently on our tissues, high blood sugar and diabetes develop.
What’s more, chemical messengers known as cytokines are also secreted by fat cells, and these can lead to increased risk of certain cancers such as breast, colon, uterine, ovarian and pancreatic.
Understanding how fat works in your body might just be another incentive to lose weight, with the goal of guaranteeing yourself a brighter and healthier future.
How’s Your Mood?
By Jada Cade, Psy.D.
In the early phase of weight loss, success can bring about motivation and excitement. However, as many patients near their goal weight, those feelings can level off, resulting in depression, frustration, and problematic eating behaviors.
When these feelings arise, it’s time to come see us. Even if you haven’t been here in a while, we are here to help!
Common signs that you may need a little extra help:
- Weight gain
- Mood changes
- Change in eating behaviors: increased snacking, more soft, high-calorie foods
- Increased vomiting after meals
- Re-emergence of psychiatric symptoms that have been in remission for a long period of time
- Changes in alcohol use
- Changes in your relationships with your significant other, family and/or friends
Begin to think about positive ways in which you cope with stress, such as going on a walk; taking a long, relaxing bath; calling a good friend; going to your place of worship; or watching a movie. Knowing and identifying the ways in which you deal with difficult times can help to prepare you in handling those situations well – and to plan ahead before they creep up on you.
From Jill Jarrett, UCSD Medial Center, Lap-Band Dietitian
Grilled Eggplant, Tomato and Feta Stacks |
Ingredients:3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary leaves Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium eggplant (1 pound)
2 medium tomatoes (3/4 pound)
1/4 pound feta cheese, crumbled
DirectionsPrepare the grill so that the temperature on one side is hot and the other is just medium-low (you should be able to hold your hand 5 inches above the grill for about 5 seconds).
Whisk together the vinegar, rosemary, and salt and pepper, to taste. Slowly whisk in the olive oil.
Peel the eggplant and cut crosswise into 1/3” slices (12 slices total). Cut the tomatoes crosswise into 1/3” slices (8 slices total). Place the vegetables on a tray and brush generously with the dressing.
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On the grill's hot side, grill the eggplant until just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side, brushing with more of the dressing. Grill the tomato slices for 1 minute per side. (The vegetables should retain their shape.) Transfer the vegetables to a tray as they finish grilling.
Arrange 4 stacks of vegetables on the cooler side of the grill: start with the eggplant, add a slice of tomato, then add some crumbled cheese. Repeat. Cover the grill and cook the stacks or 3 to 5 more minutes or until the feta melts. Serve immediately.
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Learn how gastric banding with the LAP-BAND or REALIZE band can get you started on your weight loss journey. Join us for one of these free seminars.
- June 25 at 6 p.m. (MCC, Goldberg Auditorium, Room 2110)
- July 2 at 6 p.m. (MCC, Goldberg Auditorium, Room 2110)
- July 9 at 6 p.m. (MCC, Goldberg Auditorium, Room 2110)
- July 16 at 6 p.m. (MCC, Goldberg Auditorium, Room 2110)
- More dates
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