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Why Gastric Sleeve Weight Loss Surgery Might Fail
Posted by: In: Blog Post, VLOG 17 Apr 2019 0 comments Tags , , , , , , , , , ,

The sleeve gastrectomy is the most popular bariatric surgery in the world today.

In the majority of cases, this type of surgical weight loss will provide the patient with the greatest probability of sustained weight loss.

So why doesn’t it work for some people?

As a bariatric surgeon, I have identified five main reasons why the vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) may not achieve the weight loss volume anticipated.

I address the reasons your gastric sleeve surgery may not yield the results you expect–so you can be sure to avoid these caveats now!

1. Lack of Understanding How the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (VSG) Works

Your new stomach is reduced by about 75%; you will eat 2-4 oz. of food soon after surgery and only about 4-6 oz. later on. If you overeat, complications will ensue. The gastric sleeve weight loss surgery also pumps up your metabolism into overdrive so you burn more calories, especially during the first 6 months after surgery. If you don’t follow the post-op protocol during this crucial time, overall weight loss may be diminished.

2. Resuming an Unhealthy Diet After Sleeve Weight Loss Surgery

Some patients go back to eating poor quality food after surgical weight loss, just in smaller quantities. You can still gain weight eating smaller amounts of fast food, sugar, processed foods, etc., even after weight loss surgery.

It’s critical to partner with your bariatric dietitian to create an improved food plan that gives you energy, helps you lose weight quickly, and provides the nutrition your body needs to function optimally.

3. Lack of Exercise

You want to burn off the calories you are eating, even if those numbers are far below what you formerly consumed. Working-out is also a metabolism-booster to speed your calorie burn. Exercise can also help keep your skin tighter as you lose excess fat. If you ignore calorie-burning exercise, it will slow weight loss speed.

4. Medications

Many people take prescription medications daily and are not aware they can be ‘medication positive,’ meaning weight gain is a possible side effect.

Beta blockers, steroids and antidepressants are examples of medications which can derail weight loss after the gastric sleeve.

5. Technical Reasons

There is some variation about the amount of stomach removed during bariatric surgery.

Surgeons who leave too much, which can be more common when a previous weight loss surgery has been performed, may not remove the part of the stomach which contains ghrelin, the hormone that produces hunger. Be sure to speak with your surgeon about the volume of stomach that will be removed and how it will affect the ghrelin in your body.

I’ve decided my career to helping people overcome obesity and regain their health. The sleeve gastrectomy is a wonderful solution for very overweight people who have been unsuccessful losing weight with other diets and exercise programs.

Prime Surgicare Bariatric Success Story Barbara Vargas Shares Her Gastric Sleeve Journey

gastric sleeve bariatric surgery

Barbara Vargas before and after her VSG weight loss surgery.

But the bariatric patient still has to do the work and be compliant:

Follow your bariatric surgeon’s guidelines, eat the food, beverages and water volume prescribed by your bariatric dietitian. Find an exercise you enjoy and do it regularly. Reach out for multiple sources of weight loss support, such as a live or online weight loss support group, where you can share experiences with others engaged in the same journey.

Your weight loss surgery is not “just an operation.”

Be sure the bariatric surgery practice you choose offers a full range of support services to help you in all aspects of your life-changing journey.

Wishing you every success.

Dr. Seun Sowemimo

Meet Guest Blogger Barbara Vargas: Bariatric Rock Star
Posted by: In: Blog Post 15 Mar 2019 0 comments Tags , , , , , , , ,

We regularly feature our bariatric warriors on our social media channels, but this year we’re taking their success one step further by inviting our Prime patients to share their own personal experiences about the weight loss surgery journey.

We are thrilled to kick-off this new Prime series featuring Barbara Vargas, who writes in her own words what propelled her to choose gastric sleeve weight loss surgery and how it has changed her life today.

How an Embarrassment Propelled a Life Blessing

By Barbara Vargas

I have been overweight my entire life. I have struggled with countless diets, only to lose the weight and regain it and more.  It has been a vicious cycle.

My ah-ha moment came at a point where it should have been a happy moment:

I was at the airport, vacation-bound. The airplane was overbooked and they seated me in an emergency exit row. As the plane was preparing for take-off, I realized that my seatbelt didn’t fit.

I asked the flight attendant for a seatbelt extender. She approached another flight attendant, whispered something, went into the cabin, and the plane literally came to a stop.

She approached me again and explained that FAA regulations stated that a person who needs a seatbelt extender is not permitted to sit in an emergency exit row. The flight attendant asked a young lady sitting across from them to change seats with me.

But the young woman’s father began arguing with the flight attendant asking why his daughter had to move. I wanted to cry at that point and felt helpless.  This argument went on for a few minutes and then the flight attendant whispered to the gentlemen why his daughter was asked to change seats with me.

He eventually agreed but looked at me with such disgust, I could feel my heart sink.

What was supposed to be a happy family vacation turned into a nightmare,

or so I thought at the time.

It wasn’t until later that this nightmare moment proved to be a blessing in disguise.

Time for a New Beginning

After arriving home, I started making serious inquiries about having bariatric surgery; I never wanted to experience anything else like that ever again.

My search brought me to Dr. Seun Sowemimo’s office in May 2017. Dr. Seun explained the surgery and what to expect in great detail. Then and there, I decided to make the change in my life and go forward with gastric sleeve (VSG) weight loss surgery in July.

I often say that this was the best decision ever, and it was.

I have lost 110 pounds, but more importantly, I have gained my love for life back.

To my surprise, I’ve developed a love for exercise. Keep in mind, I went from sitting on a couch to training for my first half marathon this April. (Did I just say that?)

My success would not have been possible without the extraordinary care of Dr. Seun, his amazing staff, and bariatric nutritionist Lori Skurbe. Their continued support extends well beyond the operating room.

“Barbara has a soft shell and a hard core, the personification of determination. (She’s been running 5Ks every week through the winter!) I’m proud to be on her team.”

Dr. Seun Sowemimo

New to Exercise? Here’s How I Started

My advice is to find something you love to do. Try many different forms of exercise and give them a chance. You never know what you may end up loving.

I discovered a love of running. It provides me with a sense of mental clarity and an amazing feeling of accomplishment. Last year, I decided to step outside my comfort zone and as part of my New Year’s resolution, I’m trying a new class at the gym every month.

Some I loved, some not so much, but it was a great experience.

Get Weight Loss Surgery Tips and Tools from Barbara and Our Other Bariatric Rock Stars

Moving to Less Meat, More Plant-Based Foods

I have recently starting to incorporate more of a plant-based diet into my life because regular exercise is only part of the equation for living a healthy lifestyle.

In order to be successful, one must incorporate exercise,

healthy eating and a positive mindset.

Life is a balance.

I’m teaching myself how to cook using healthier options; I try new recipes with new ingredients all the time. Like the classes at the gym, there have been recipes I really enjoy and others not so much.

Dr. Seun Explains the Life-Changing Value of Eating a Whole Food Plant-Based Diet

But I’m expanding my horizons in every aspect of my life. If I want my body to perform at optimal levels, I need to feed it properly.

This leads me to my final attribute for successful weight loss–keeping a positive mindset. Just as I make healthier choices with food and exercise, I also read positive affirmations daily.

I remind myself that I am worth it, because I am.

Having just reached age 50, I am happier and healthier than I have ever been in my life. Best of all, I have more energy than I did when I was in my 20s.

I wish the event on the plane never happened, believe me, but today I know it was a way to launch my journey to where I am today.

Barbara Shares Her VSG Weight Loss Success on Our YouTube Channel

#BestDecisionEver   #BestBariatricDoctorEver   #PrimeFamily

What is a Whole Food Plant-Based Diet?
Posted by: In: Blog Post, VLOG 26 Feb 2019 0 comments Tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

By Seun Sowemimo, MD, FACS, FASMBS

Learn the weight loss and healthy diet top athletes like Tom Brady and tennis superstar Venus Williams are eating for optimal health and vitality. (Venus credits it with helping her recover after being diagnosed a chronic inflammatory disease).

Three months ago, I started a whole food plant-based diet and was surprised to lose 25 pounds in the process.

During the winter months, I tend to gain a few pounds, so this unexpected weight loss is welcomed!

This nutrition-rich lifestyle is based on eating foods derived mostly from minimally-processed plants.

You can find these “super foods” in farmers’ markets and the food and produce departments located on the perimeter of your supermarket.

Real Food Versus Fake Food

About 60% of the American diet today is ultra-processed, means the nutrition consumed contains chemicals and food derivatives such as emulsifiers, additional sugars, glazers, flavor enhancers and coloring. You can also call this ‘fake food,’ which is no exaggeration.

These are ingredients you would never use in your own kitchen but are added to increase the marketability, profitability, flavor, sweetness and shelf life of the food.

These ‘fake foods’ are scientifically-proven to increase the incidence of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and obesity.

Real, ‘whole foods’ are the opposite. They are fresh and untouched by chemical and preservatives (non-GMO). They don’t have artificial coloring, something to make them taste differently nor do they contain preservatives to give them a longer shelf life.

Whole plant-based foods have minimal interference between being harvested and being eaten.

Four Categories of Plant-Based Nutrition

  • Legumes (beans)
  • Vegetables
  • Fruits
  • Whole Grains

Legumes

Enjoy energy-boosting beans of all sorts, kidney beans, pinto beans, peas, lentils and chickpeas. They provide the protein for the plant-based diet.

Let’s bust this myth: Protein does NOT equal MEAT. Beans and other legumes can provide all the protein requirement for a healthy diet.

Vegetables

Include non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, romaine, spinach, tomatoes, beets, kale and cabbage. Add to this group your peppers and onions. These veggies, onions and peppers provide the bulk of this healthy plan-derived diet. They help fill you up with lots of healthy fiber keeping you regular and at the expense of very few calories.

The other subgroup of vegetables are the starchy vegetables such as sweet potatoes, while baking potatoes, yams, other tubers and squash which are also healthy when minimally-processed and eaten in moderate portions.

Fruits

These serve as filling snacks and desserts with natural sweetness, fiber, and lots of antioxidants. Remember, eating an orange is far better than drinking chemically-processed orange juice.

Whole Grains

Think brown rice, wild rice, whole wheat, oats, barley, quinoa and so on. In this group, one might say white bread is made from wheat, but it is not made from the whole wheat grain; rather it is a highly processed derivative of wheat with added sugar. Skip it!

I eat Ezekiel bread made from sprouted whole grains. Oatmeal from rolled oats is one of my favorite breakfast meals, topped with fresh fruits.

These four food groups along with nuts and seeds–flax seed, pecans, Brazil nuts, peanuts, walnuts–in small quantities also gets a thumbs-up.

Let Real Food Be Thy Medicine

Dr. Seun’s Typical Daily Nutrition Plan

* Breakfast features oatmeal or a veggie sandwich with grilled onions, tomatoes and zucchini on Ezekiel bread.

* Lunch includes a plentiful plate piled high with assorted fresh vegetables, such as kale with grilled broccoli, tomatoes, along with chickpeas for protein and a few roasted potatoes.

* Dinner would include sauteed brussel sprouts, onions, peppers and tomatoes with quinoa, peas and grilled plantain.

Many people also think you’ll lose strength and simply fade away on a plant based diet. But consider that gorillas, rhinos, elephants and horses only eat a plant based diet.

The Bottom Line for Plant-Based Nutrition

1. Plants provide all the macro and micronutrients needed for a healthy, weight normalizing diet.

2. As opposed to an animal-based diet, which generally promotes inflammation, a plant-based diet reduces inflammation, allowing the body to heal and return to a normal state of health and weight.

Remember, what you don’t eat is as important as what you do eat.

You wouldn’t start mopping the floor till you’ve turned off the faucet, right?

So while you are boosting your plant-based foods to decrease inflammation, also decrease animal meat consumption to less than 5% or 1 meal a week.

Give it a try for a week–I expect you’ll quickly see–and feel–how good it is to eat the real thing.

How Your Dietitian Can Help Prepare for Your Bariatric Revision
Posted by: In: Blog Post, Dietitian's Corner 22 Feb 2019 0 comments Tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Do you have a lap band and are not satisfied with your weight loss, started to regain or have medical complications?

Lori Skurbe — Registered Dietitian at Prime Surgicare, NJ

Lori Skurbe, Registered Dietitian

By Lori Skurbe, MPH, CDE, Prime Surgicare Bariatric Dietitian

You’re not alone.

Many weight loss surgery (WLS) patients with this implanted device are now looking to switch to another bariatric surgery procedure to get back on track with weight loss.

When a bariatric patient switches from a “band” to another bariatric surgery (usually gastric sleeve or gastric bypass), they typically have to wait 2-3 months for the stomach to heal after a band removal before they can have the next operation.

The process of changing from a band to another procedure is called a revision.

Learn more about having a bariatric revision.

Medical insurance may also require patients to see a Registered Dietitian (RD) for a certain number of visits before having the next surgery, which can be done while the stomach is healing from the band removal.

These meetings with the bariatric dietitian can be a helpful time to hone in your nutrition and exercise habits so you get the most out of the next operation you are having.

All WLS procedures require that you change your eating and exercise habits permanently to lose weight and sustain that weight loss.

As with all WLS procedures, your diet and exercise are still of utmost importance, before and after a bariatric revision operation.

What to Expect at Your Nutrition Visits

Your visits with the RD will be a chance to evaluate your current eating and exercise habits and

discuss strategies for improvement and to prepare for long-term weight maintenance.

The main focus will be to:

  • Get back to basics – protein based, low-fat, low calories meals
  • Become more mindful of your current eating habits – start to log your food intake
  • Start regular physical activity, if not already active
  • Learn about proper vitamin and mineral supplements
  • Understand proper hydration
  • Review cooking tips
  • Explore dining out guidelines
  • Review transitional diet used right after your WLS
  • Avoid grazing/snacking and erratic eating patterns

You will also follow-up with the bariatric nutritionist after your gastric sleeve or gastric bypass to make sure you are on track, losing weight and taking your prescribed vitamin and mineral supplements.

Dr. Seun Sowemimo Explains How to Get Off the Lap Band Wagon

Nutrition Visits – The Secret Sauce of Successful and Sustained Weight Loss

Make no mistake–It requires a lifetime commitment to optimal nutrition and regular physical activity to lose weight–and sustain that weight loss–which is why it is so important to make the most of your pre-surgery and post-surgery nutrition visits.

While the lap band was a leading bariatric option years ago, the sleeve and gastric bypass have been scientifically proven to increase overall weight loss, producer fewer complications and help bariatric warriors keep the weight off for the long-term.

We welcome you to this new journey and would be happy to offer our guidance; call our friendly team of weight loss surgery experts at (732) 982-2002 to reignite your weight loss and achieve your goal.

Let Food Be Thy Medicine
Posted by: In: Blog Post, VLOG 06 Feb 2019 0 comments Tags , , , , , , , , , , , ,

By Dr. Seun Sowemimo, Medical Director

You need to stop looking for the right diet in the wrong places.

Losing weight and living longer can be attributed simply to the food you eat.

Did you know that most medicines come from plants, in some form or another?

That’s right, plants can help cure illness and disease.

Doesn’t it make sense, then, that eating plants can also keep us from getting sick?

The US is a global leader in the development of drugs that treat many illnesses, so you would naturally assume Americans are incredibly healthy and live long lives, right?

Wrong.

Let Food Be Thy Medicine and Medicine Thy Food

In fact, today, nearly 40% of Americans have the chronic disease of obesity (whether they know it or not) which can lead to:

As a bariatric surgeon, I see the ravages of obesity firsthand–it makes people of all ages sick and shortens their lives.

Conversely, there are people in other parts of the world who live in Blue Zones, where the rate of chronic disease is extremely low and the average life span is incredibly long.

What do they eat? Not fast food or white sugar, I assure you.

They eat a plant-based diet–not cholesterol-clogging red meat or artificial food that comes in shiny plastic packages or cardboard boxes proclaiming their fake food is ‘good for you.’

The answer to obesity is to eat unaltered, real food that comes from the ground, tree or vine–think fruits, vegetables, nuts and beans.

Try a Plant-Based Diet — You’ll Thank Me Later

Try it for a few days–even a week. Throw in a few pieces of fish, if you’d like.

I promise, you’ll be messaging me that you feel better, have more energy, enjoy a better night’s sleep and even dropped a couple of pounds.

Remember “Hara Hachi Bu.” (Stop eating when you are 80% full).

I don’t expect you to eat a perfect diet every minute of your life.

Just keep in mind–what you DON’T eat is as important as what you DO eat.

Do You Have a Lot of Weight to Lose?

Prime Surgicare offers a team of board-certified, bariatric weight loss surgery doctors and specially-trained obesity experts who will work with you to regain control of your weight and your health.

Do you have medical problems related to your weight? We can help resolve those issues as well.

Find out more by attending our next New Patient Seminar at CentraState Medical Center or watch our bariatric weight loss surgery webinar from the comfort of your own computer.

If you’d like to schedule a one-on-one consultation–confirming your appointment date the next two weeks–call us at (732) 982-2002.

How Weight Loss Surgery Can Put T2 Diabetes into Remission
Posted by: In: Blog Post, VLOG 31 Jan 2019 0 comments Tags , , , , , , , ,

diabetes and weight loss surgery

A record high number of Americans—40 percent or more than 100 million adults—are living with diabetes or prediabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

If you are very overweight and having difficulty controlling your type 2 diabetes, or feel exhausted by the medication costs and diligence required to monitor your disease, weight loss surgery may be a solution to rapidly put the condition into remission.

When you gain excess weight, your risk of developing type 2 diabetes increases as well.

In fact, almost 25 percent of people who are affected by severe obesity (body mass index {BMI} greater than 35) are expected to be eventually diagnosed.

In New Jersey, one in 10 people has been diagnosed with type 2, according to The State of Obesity report published last year.

This is the seventeenth highest rate in the nation.

Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to a host of serious and potentially debilitating chronic health problems including heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, blindness and even amputations due to nerve damage.

Cleveland Clinic Study Finds Bariatric Surgery Helps Control Diabetes for Years

Type 2 Diabetes Can Make Dieting Especially Frustrating

Trying to lose weight–while tethered to diabetes medications–can prove extremely difficult. Studies have shown that traditional diet, exercise and weight loss medications–the cornerstones of therapy for type 2 diabetes—yield failure results of more than 90 percent of the patients who try.

So how do people overcome diabetes and obesity in order to renew their health?

Medical director Dr. Seun Sowemimo explains:

Bariatric surgery is increasingly utilized as a quick and effective solution to put type 2 diabetes into remission, sometimes just weeks after surgery.

Weight loss surgery enables the body to become more efficient at processing blood sugar, enabling patients to greatly reduce or eliminate their dependence on insulin.

As weight loss occurs, the symptoms of diabetes can be eliminated, alleviating the expense of medications and supplies and co-pays.

Learn more about gastric bypass bariatric surgery

Learn More about Winning the Battle against Type 2

nj bariatric surgeon

Dr. Seun and Dr. Bennet Togbe (above) host a monthly New Patient Seminar for people considering a bariatric weight loss solution.

You’ll also have an opportunity to speak with support group members whose diabetes is now in remission.

The session is free and you are invited to bring along supportive friends and family members.

If you are sick and tired of battling type 2 diabetes, talk with your doctor about a bariatric weight loss solution or call Prime Surgicare at 732-982-2002 to set up a one-on-one consultation with one of our board-certified and fellowship-trained surgeons.

Goals or Resolutions: What is the difference?
Posted by: In: Blog Post, Dietitian's Corner 09 Jan 2019 0 comments Tags , , , , , ,

By Lori Skurbe, RD, MPH, CDE, Prime Surgicare Bariatric Dietitian

weight loss tips 2019

We all know with the advent of a New Year come resolutions, many of them having to do with eating better, eating less and exercising more.

I am all for people trying to get healthy and have a better quality of life, but without clearly defined steps, it is hard to keep the resolution beyond January.

I see this phenomenon at the gym every year – it gets very crowded from January until about mid-February.  Everyone resolves to start exercising and manages to stay consistent for about 4 -6 weeks, on average.

By March, you look around the gym and realize you see the same original crowd once again.

Resolution Fail

According to Google, a resolution is a firm decision to do or not do something.  The problem with a resolution is it does not come with a clear plan or pathway for success.

Setting a goal is also a commitment to do something, but it also provides a path to follow to achieve the desired result(s).

Which one of these do you think would offer you the best chance for success?  (Hint: Setting a clear goal to achieve a desired outcome!)

Setting a goal ideally should meet criteria to help set a path for success.  Goals should be S.M.A.R.T. Once you break it down into a S.M.A.R.T. goal – you have a more defined path.

Get the Real 411 on Protein Shakes and Powders

Make 2019 the Year of the S.M.A.R.T. Goal

S Stands for Specific: Goals should have a specific purpose or focus.

M Stands for Measurable: How are you going to measure the effectiveness and progress of your goal?  Adding details such as to how much you will do something can help you measure your progress.

A Stands for Attainable:  Is this goal challenging, but still achievable?

R Stands for Realistic: The goal should be realistic within your situation. For example: if you hate vegetables – setting a goal to eat more of them most likely is not realistic for you.

T Stands for Time Frame: Set the goal within a specific time frame–weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc.

Establishing S.M.A.R.T. Goals

If you resolved to eat more healthful foods in 2019 – instead of saying “I want to eat healthier foods.”

Ask yourself:

  • What types of healthy foods (fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, etc.)?
  • How often?
  • How much?

Once you’ve answered these questions, you can better define what you want to do and set up a S.M.A.R.T. goal.

“I will eat one serving of a vegetable with lunch and dinner, five times per week.”

This goal meets the S.M.A.R.T. criteria–It is specific, measurable, attainable (if you like veggies), realistic and will be performed within a designated timeframe.

If you resolved to exercise more in 2019 -Instead of simply saying, “I will exercise more this year,” Ask yourself:

  • What type of exercise(s)?
  • How long do I want to exercise?
  • How many times per week do I want to exercise?

“I will walk 30 minutes five times per week.”

These are pivotal questions to think about–and answer–to develop S.M.A.R.T. goals.

Seven Tips to Fight Back Against Weight Regain

Perfection Not Required

You may still have trouble achieving the goals you set for a variety of ‘real-life’ reasons. Does that mean you failed and should give up? Absolutely NOT!

Goals are not written in stone – they can be modified to make them more attainable, but still challenging.  You may need to tweak your goals from time to time.  You can also make goals harder if your original goal was too easy to achieve.

Once you make up your mind to change something – think about the details and set up a SMART goal – you may find you are more successful!

Please feel free to share your health and wellness goals in the comments section below and let me know how you’re doing throughout the year.

Tired of Fighting the Weight Loss Battle Alone?

To learn more about a bariatric weight loss solution, and find out if you qualify, sign up for one of our live on online Info Sessions or make an appointment for a private consultation with one of our board-certified bariatric surgeons. Call (732) 982-2002 for a prompt appointment and more information.

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