Eating a healthy snack between meals is often a beneficial way to reduce hunger and promote weight loss, but it is important to reach for snacks that are part of your weight loss plan. Eating foods high in sugar, cholesterol, or carbohydrates, however, can have the opposite effect. Prepare yourself a healthy snack before you are hungry and have it ready to go when the urge hits.

Everyone knows about that growl that originates in the pit of the stomach at 12:01 in the morning. When this tempting hunger becomes overwhelming, many people turn to snacking. So many commercials advertise “late night crave” deals, that it is no wonder why this type of snacking has become so common. Late night snacking is one of the most dangerous form of snacking. Satisfying those cravings before bedtime is so detrimental because the body burns more calories during the day than it does while you are sleeping. In other words, a person is more active during the day than at night. When eating is followed by a long period of inactivity, the potential for gaining weight increases.

When you are trying to lose weight, snacking doesn’t have to be an entirely bad idea. By incorporating healthy foods in proper portions at appropriate times, snacking can be a beneficial aspect to your weight loss program.

There are two basic types of gastric bypass surgery. The most common is Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. With this surgery, a portion at the top of the stomach is bound to make a pouch, and a Y-shaped segment of the small intestine is attached to it. It can be performed laparoscopically. The other type of gastric bypass surgery is extensive gastric bypass. In this surgery, the lower portion of the stomach is removed, and all but the last portion of the small intestine is bypassed. Your weight loss surgeon can help you decide which procedure is best for you.

Both surgeries have some risks. The stomach pouch may stretch, allowing more food to be consumed at one time, and negating the effect of the surgery. Stomach contents may leak into the abdominal cavity, causing acid to damage other organs. The band may slip, or staples may come out. Talk to your doctor about any risks that you may encounter, and the different ways that you can help to reduce their appearance.

People who have gastric bypass surgery should also eat carefully to avoid nutritional deficiencies. Both anemia and B-12 deficiency are common with gastric bypass. Talk to a Ft. Myers area nutritionist to develop a post-weight loss surgery meal plan.

Take a look at these recipe tips for post gastric bypass surgery:

• Consume protein daily – Find and use recipes that contain lean protein, such as fish, eggs, poultry, and even low-fat cottage cheese. You should include a protein source with every meal. Most people should eat at least 60 grams of protein daily.
• Avoid foods high in fat and sugar – Including too much fat and sugar in your diet after gastric bypass surgery may increase your risk of getting dumping syndrome. What is dumping syndrome? It’s a condition that causes a number of symptoms, including a rapid heart-beat, diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, light-headedness, sleepiness, and sweating. To avoid developing dumping syndrome after weight loss surgery, only use recipes that contain less than 10 grams of fat and sugar in each serving.

One research study looked at a group of 60 moderately obese patients with Type 2 diabetes. Half of the overweight group received gastric bypass surgery, while the other half underwent sleeve gastrectomy. Patients in the bypass group had better weight loss and significantly higher remissions of their Type 2 diabetes.

In a second study, researchers compared two groups of morbidly obese patients. One group of 100 people received lap band surgery, while the second group of 100 patients had gastric bypass surgery. Characteristics of the two groups were matched for body mass, age, diabetes incidence, sex and race. Several health outcomes were then compared in the two groups.

Weight loss was significantly greater in the bypass group. Over 80 percent of the bypass patients lost more than 40 percent of their extra weight, while only 31 percent of the lap band patients achieved this. The rate of complications was similar between the two groups. Although the bypass patients had more in the first month after surgery, the incidence of repeat surgery was higher in the Lap-band group.

Both groups had the same number of patients with Type 2 diabetes. Of the gastric bypass patients, 76 percent showed improvement or complete resolution of the disease. The Lap-band patients had only a 50 percent improvement or remission rate.

This study shows that gastric bypass is a very successful type of bariatric surgery, but other forms of bariatric surgery, such as the Lap-band and sleeve gastrectomy, also boast many of their own benefits.

I am Eddie Elsasser and I have lost ½ my goal weight in a period of 5.5 months. On 5/5/2010 I was at my top weight of 458lbs and I am currently at the weight of 325. On 11/22/2010, that is a loss of 133 Lbs.I could not have done this without the love, skills and passion that Dr. Bass and Tiffany had and have for me.

When I was about 12 years old, I was underweight. I was very picky about what I would eat. I believe most kids are like that, but my family Doctor told my mother to make me eat more. I do not believe in my heart that was the reason I gained weight, I was a shy kid at the time, over time that really changed, my big mouth explains all of that.. (-: anyway, I was very self conscious about a lot of things, and I was insecure. I was teased a lot and bully by my peers. Food was a great comfort to me, I started eating a lot  and I would do it behind the curtain/back stage where no one would see me. All through high school and college, I was about 80- 100 LBS over weight. It did not faze me.
I then moved down to southwest, FL in 1998. I met a lot of friends and we would go out to eat a lot, and being a Chef did not help in any means. I gained weight so fast over 12 years that I did not realize it was happening.

Then I found out by a friend that there was a surgery that would help me lose weight. I visited many doctors before finally meeting and deciding on Dr. Bass.  Dr. Bass and his wife Tiffany greeted me with love and compassion, and have helped me get through the process and the road to a healthy lifestyle.

Just to scan back a bit, in the past, up to the day of my sleeve surgery, I was a very angry man, I hated the world and I thought everyone was against me.The minute I was in my room recovering and just waking up from the surgery, I thank God for giving me Dr, Bass. A man/doctor of great talent and skill. That very second, I physically felt all my anger, fears, and my past leave my shoulders. Yes, I did feel it leave me, it is hard to explain it better then that. I was given a second chance in life, and new beginning again….
Thank you Dr. Bass and Tiffany

It has not been a bad year. I had my roux-en-y gastric bypass on July 27th., 2009. Now, I am a new woman, literally. My friends who I haven’t seen in just a month or so have come up to me and asked “May I help you?”. I wasn’t immediately recognized. I love it. I am not afraid to step in front of a camera. There are so many new adventures, and everyday a new experience. That is how I find out I can do new things, or things I have not done in years, like tie my shoes, jump, walk up and down stairs, etc. Did I say I used a rolling four wheeled walker for 15 years, my back was not straight, aches and pains all over my body, blood pressure was high, I was a border line diabetic? Now, I walk on two legs, three and a half inches taller, free of all those awful aches ,  taking very little blood pressure medicine ( soon will be off of that), and I no longer worry about diabetes.

My personal doctor urged me to get weight reduction surgery because my health was deteriorating to quickly too soon. I have been dieting since a child, and could never get my weight down for any lengthy period of time, that would do me good.  I found Dr. Bass in Cape Coral ,FL. He was the right man, for the right job, at the right time.  I have to admit for what is an embarrassing situation (telling your weight and age), Dr. Bass , Tiffany, and the rest of the crew never once did not treat you without dignity, and respect.  Dr. Bass , is a talented Doctor, not only in surgery but with the pen. Whatever he wrote to the insurance company, was approved, and the surgery scheduled. Hooray! It is still one of the best days in my life . I now eat to live, and journal, too. exercise daily, drink plenty of liquids, go to GB support groups, keep busy, and think of myself first. Now, I can truly help others, as Dr. Bass and company has helped me.

I look forward to many happy years ahead…63 years old and getting younger every day.

After 2 years of research I found Dr Bass and made my choice.  Even though I live on the West Coast, I drove all the way to Hollywood Bariatrics to attend a Seminar and to meet Dr Bass. Since then, they have opened Gulf Coast Bariatrics on the west coast, where I attend my support groups and do my follow ups.  Dr. Bass came highly recommended by 3 of my co workers, who are all in the medical field.  I have lost 160 pounds and I fit in a size 4 pants now!

If your contemplating weight loss surgery, do it!   Through their programs,  Hollywood Bariatrics and Gulf Coast Bariatrics help you mentally, emotionally and physically with your new lifestyle.  They give you all the information you need to make the decision thats best for you.  It was emotionally and physically draining to not be able to fit in booths or chairs, not be able to walk easily, and have everyone staring at you.  Choosing to have gastric bypass was the best decision I have ever made for my weight and health issues.  I have no more health conditions, I am exercising and doing things I could have never done before, like Yoga!  

I have already refereed 4 people to Gulf Coast Bariatrics, they went on line, watched the videos and made their appointments.  We all go to the support groups now, and can even participate online if we cant make it!  I refer Dr. Bass, TIffany and everyone at Gulf Coast Bariatrics whenever I can!

Dr. Fernando Fornari of the University of Passo Fundo followed 86 morbidly obese patients who were evaluated for GERD symptoms before and 6 months after their gastric bypass operations. Dr. Fornari and his colleagues found that the GERD patients had an improved quality of life and used fewer proton pump inhibitors after surgery.

The study showed that of the 49 patients who had typical reflux syndrome before surgery, 39 had their symptoms resolved within 6 months after surgery. Of the 39 patients without preoperative reflux syndrome, only 4 developed new symptoms after surgery. Researchers also said that the esophageal mucosa was improved in 27 patients and that the number of patients with extra-esophageal injury was reduced from 16 to 1.

Fornari also compared the effectiveness of gastric bypass to gastric fundoplication, the conventional surgical treatment for GERD for the past 50 years, noting that GERD symptoms often recur after gastric fundoplication in obese patients.

Dr. Fornari and his colleagues concluded that “gastric bypass may replace the conventional surgical technique for patients with morbid obesity who suffer from GERD. In addition, it is well established that gastric bypass increases both quantity and quality of life by treating obesity and its related comorbidities.”

If you have diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, acid reflex, sleep apnea, asthma, you need to have gastric bypass or weight loss surgery!  My primary motive for getting gastric bypass was to get rid of my health issues, and losing the weight was second.  

I have lost 136 pounds, and all my previous health issues were gone the day after surgery.  I feel and look better than I have in my entire life.  My two daughters had weight loss surgery, and it was a huge success!  They were my inspiration, and as soon as I met Dr Bass and staff it just felt natural.  

Dr Bass didn’t discriminate due to my age, he evaluated me on my ability to have surgery, not my age.  I give Hollywood Bariatrics 5 out of 5 stars.

Shirley, at 42, had a hard time losing weight after her first pregnancy. In the years that followed, she tried everything from fad diets and weight-loss pills to a restrictive plan of just fish, fruit and vegetables. Sometimes she would lose 20 to 25 pounds, but the weight would always return. Eventually, she couldn’t walk very far without back pain. At 298 pounds, she also dealt with thyroid issues, high blood pressure, hypertension and problems with her knee that required surgery.

That’s when Shirley’s orthopedic surgeon recommended she consider weight-loss surgery. Shirley learned that she was a candidate for the surgery but that its success would depend on her commitment to diet and exercise. I really needed to get the weight off. I wasn’t going to forego a second chance at life just for that extra piece of cake.
Within six months of her gastric bypass surgery Shirley lost 100 pounds, dropping from a size 24 to a size 16. In the ensuing months, she shed an additional 46 pounds and now fits into a size 10.

Along with the weight loss came many changes in her life. She found herself able to walk more easily than before, and her energy level improved dramatically. “The first time I walked around the block and didn’t have back pain,” Shirley says, “I literally wanted to drop to the ground and cry. I thought I would never reach that point again.” She’s able to play ball with her grandchildren, and is enjoying the many benefits of being a thinner, more agile person: “It’s easier now for me to just pick up and go.” People who have known her for years often don’t recognize her and ask, “Do you have a sister named Shirley?” “I have to tell them it’s me,” she laughs.

These days, you’re likely to find the new Shirley in the local mall. After her early weight-loss success, she was able to wear jeans for the first time in 10 years. She also had her ears pierced, bought new makeup and developed a passion for clothes shopping. “Now a size 10, I know I can go into a store, take an item off the rack, and it’s going to fit me. What a difference from when I was a size 24,” she says.
When you go to a doctor or any professional, you sometimes can feel intimidated,” she says. Dr. Bass makes you feel so comfortable. He tells you exactly what to expect and what is expected of you. Losing this much weight has given me hope for the future – for better health and a longer life, Because I look and feel better, I am even m ore committed to staying healthy.