There are a lot of myths and misconceptions surrounding weight loss surgery, and one of those is that if you have a bariatric procedure, your weight-related problems are solved. The surgery alone will allow you to lose weight and keep it off. No more worrying about eating healthy or working out. 

This idea is wrong on both counts, and in this article we will discuss why it’s important to exercise after weight loss surgery

Why Exercise Is Important After Weight Loss Surgery

We do want to recognize that having gastric sleeve surgery or another procedure at Birmingham Minimally Invasive is a huge step! But it’s your first step in your journey of weight loss and becoming healthier. The work does not stop once your procedure is complete.

Regular exercise will help you recover faster, reach your weight loss goals, and maintain a healthy lifestyle. 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.

It’s also important that you lose weight the right way. When you lose weight, your body will naturally eliminate both fat and muscle. Exercise will help you preserve the lean muscle that we want to help you stay healthy.

Here are some additional benefits of exercise after weight loss surgery:

• Maintain weight loss
• Improve circulation
• Strengthen your heart and bones
• Increase your metabolic rate
• Develop muscle strength and endurance
• Improve immune system
• Improve blood sugar control
• Relieve stress
• Improve your mood 
• Make it easier to complete everyday tasks and activities

Exercise can also help you have more energy and feel better, which is especially important after undergoing such a life-changing event. Exercise produces endorphins that help you combat anxiety and depression. The time after surgery can be tough for many patients for a lot of different reasons, and exercise can help you deal with stress, anxiety, and depression.

Tips for Exercising After Weight Loss Surgery

BMI Surgery will provide you with guidelines regarding exercise after your surgery. You will be somewhat restricted initially, then you will gradually be able to build up your activity level.

After surgery, there are three key areas you should focus on when it comes to exercise:

1. Cardio – Regular cardio aerobic exercise will burn calories and give you more energy. Getting your blood pumping through cardio can boost your metabolism, help you work through anxiety, and help you sleep better. 
2. Strength training – Strength training will help you maintain lean muscle mass, which will also help maintain your body’s calorie burning engine. It will help keep your bones strong as well. Strength training is great for toning and building muscle so that you can be more active.
3. Flexibility – Flexibility training is important to help you avoid injuring yourself. If you feel sore or tight after your workout, flexibility training can help. It can also help you avoid straining yourself when you’re running or lifting weights.

While there are many benefits of exercise after weight loss surgery, we know that it can be challenging, especially for those who have been very inactive prior to their procedure. But you are not alone. 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 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. 

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.