Our staff will be available to support you throughout your weight loss journey. Your Lap-Band® will be an important tool for your success and we are here to help you make it part of an even more powerful and permanent solution for your health, appearance, weight, and body composition.
The Lap-Band® is only a tool that you will use for weight loss and better health. What you do after the surgery is what determines real long term success. The Lap-Band® provides the dietary restriction. However, compliance with nutrition requirements, consuming appropriate foods and participation in daily exercise ensures long term success.
Our Bariatric Weight Loss Surgery Program is different than other bariatric surgery facilities. We first qualify you medically, psychologically, and biochemically to assure that if you are accepted for the Lap-Band® that you are likely to adapt to your new body and a new way of living that helps make your changes permanent. Here are three major behavioral health, clinical nutrition, and exercise services that are available as part of your overall Lap-Band® program, and what differentiates us from other bariatric surgery facilities:
Emotional or stress eating is common among patients who meet the National Institute of Health criteria for bariatric weight loss surgery. Eating behavior is evaluated prior to surgery and, if necessary, becomes part of your follow up program.
Once the Lap-Band® is placed, your relationship with food and nutrition will change, even if only because the physical constraints intentionally imposed on your esophagus and stomach. We can provide you with training and guidance to help you navigate the need for nutrients and adequate calories through the shoals of old habits and the temptations of sugars and starches. Protein-rich medical foods are an obvious choice. What may be less obvious is that some people are also sensitive to particular proteins; particularly egg, dairy, and nut sources while others may be able to use them without any issues. This is easily identified by lab testing to assure that your supplements and diet support you without unintentionally introducing additional changes.
After surgery, you will also discover a new set of options for relating to physical activity. As your decreasing body mass reduces strain on your joints and organ systems, it can free up your energy and your willingness to get up and move, build muscle, and change your body appearance. You will be provided with information about the difference between aerobic and anaerobic activity. Most people are surprised to learn how slowly they need to move initially to stay within their aerobic range. If you know how to keep within your aerobic range, you will be able to walk and exercise for considerably longer with more energy, burning more fat, and without the lactic acid buildup that comes from anaerobic activity and causes muscles aches and pains. You will be provided a monitor system where your activity will be recorded and downloaded on our computers in order to better understand your specific activity/weight loss ratios. You will learn what type of exercise builds endurance, burns fat, and what heart rate must be maintained to become physically fit. Remember, long term weight loss is accomplished by caloric restriction and "burning" calories. Both diet and exercise are required for long term results.
We believe the best way to eliminate dysfunctional old habits of diet and exercise is to replace them with more effective and sustainable approaches. By intention, the Lap-Band® is not a lifelong crutch, which means that you will need a dietary plan, a system of accountability, and a resource to answer your questions after the weight comes off. We are available to you on a long-term basis for support and guidance to help you stay on your program and achieve the long-term success that you are seeking.