Gastric Bypass Surgery and You

by Sara Mendez

According to Obesitysurgicalcenter.org, one third of the adult population in America is obese. Each year, obesity causes 300,000 deaths and 100 billion in healthcare costs. Gastric bypass and other similar surgeries are among the fastest growing elective surgeries in the country, next to breast augmentation. Gastric bypass is reserved for those who are considered morbidly obese. The chance to lose significant amounts of weight and improve their health appeals to so many, they are willing to risk their lives to have this surgery. According to Obesehelp.net, a web site which explains the surgery, 75% of patients can expect to lose up to 80% of their body weight, 80% will be off hypertension medications and 90% with type two diabetes will be off medication as well, just to name a few.

It is important to understand, not everyone who has this surgery is successful in weight loss for many reasons and it can be dangerous. During the surgery, a section of stomach is sealed off to reduce the amount of food which can be eaten, if the seal is broken by over eating, the results can be serious. This is why many patients have follow up care which usually includes an overview of a healthy lifestyle. It touches on food choices, diet and exercise plans. Unfortunately many clinics neglect long term post care, however there are other ways of maintaining your healthy lifestyle.

Just because someone is over weight or obese does not mean they are sitting down every night for dinner and eating an entire ham. They might be obese because of genetics, binge eating, lack of health knowledge or emotional attachments. Learning about a new lifestyle is easy, most starts by visiting a dietitian or physician to learn about proper food choices and exercise plans. The hard part it applying your new knowledge to your day to day living which can be made more difficult by emotional attachments to food. It is essential to learn why you ate poorly in the first place, it could be lack of food choices or an emotional connection. Many people eat when they are upset or depressed and some might simply be bored. Maybe there is a happy memory associated with food which makes you crave certain things such as a giant brownie. Many have Gastric bypass surgery and are unsuccessful because they have not addressed all their issues with food, which almost always requires help.

Maintenance care can come in many forms such as regular visits to dietitians, physicians and food counselors. However many post Gastric bypass patients choose to use hypnosis as maintenance care to the surgery. Hypnosis works with the mind by addressing problems or emotional blocks attached to food. Rarely does post care touch on the emotional bond a patient might have with eating and food. Hypnosis researches and finds out why food has become such an issue in your day to day life. Hypnosis is also perfect for combating cravings for favorite foods and replacing them with better healthier options such as exercise and health foods.

Using hypnosis makes your goals and expectations limitless since it deals with the mind making it very successful in those who are looking to lose or maintain weight. It helps you to see your memories, associations and feelings about food all at once and work through your issues. Some may feel a counselor, dietitian or physician would be a better choice for post surgical care instead. Visiting all those people should absolutely happen, however hypnosis is equally as great for long term goals of weight loss and helping to work through food emotions. You will gain a better understanding as to why you feel the way you do towards food and how you can regain control of your life and help make your Gastric bypass surgery the best it can be in a non threatening way.

Weight loss options are always evolving and changing making your choice much more difficult to decide which is best for you. It is difficult enough without all the fad diets, gimmicks and infomercials telling you to buy their new super diet product. However, it is important to research all the new methods and diets out there before making a final decision for something extreme like surgery. If you do elect surgery, consider using hypnosis as a tool in addition to your arsenal again your battle with the bulge.

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2 Responses to “Gastric Bypass Surgery and You”

  1. nice resourceful post.. i feel very open-minded now

  2. very interesting post.. im definately coming back for more!

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