1. Meal prepping helps you control your portions

Food containers come in so many different sizes. Find one that adjusts to your meal plan and include the portions recommended by your nutritionist. For example, if you’re currently in your puree phase, you can use small jars to hold different mashed foods and take your daily pick. If you are in your normal bariatric diet phase, make sure each container has its share of protein, vegetables, and healthy carbs! Experiment with recipes too so it keeps mealtimes exciting.

You can also plan your snacks! Small ziploc bags are great for carrying around a perfect portion of your favorite snacks for when it’s not quite meal time. If you are already well into your normal bariatric diet, you can pack a variety of snacks like granola bars, baby carrots, berries and yogurt drops, cherry tomatoes, the possibilities are endless! 

2. Saves you time 

By setting aside an amount of time to prepare your food for the next few days, you will not waste time figuring out what you want to eat for each meal. It also means only one trip to the store and one dish washing load. Now the only thing you have to do for the next few days is heat up and enjoy!  

3. Saves you money

This is something not many patients consider. Meal planning makes it more convenient to buy food in bulk, which is cheaper,  and avoid unnecessary trips to the store. Buy buying only necessary ingredients, it will also reduce expenses and food waste. 

4. Can be a source of family time

Encourage your family to take part in your meal planning and preparation. This can create a positive impact on children, and even adults, by teaching them about portion sizes, nutritional value, measuring and cooking! A healthy family is a happy family.

5. Avoid skipping meals

Meal prepping leaves no room for excuses when it comes to skipping meals because your food is ready to go. Missing a meal or two not only messes up your metabolism, which can make losing weight more difficult, but it can cause lack of energy. Your body needs fuel! Skipping meals can also result in headaches, trouble focusing, and even unhealthy cravings or binges on food your body doesn’t need. 

Are you ready to start meal prepping? Here are some tips and tricks!

1. Plan for 3 days for freshness

You want to have your meals ready to go for the next few days, but you also want them to be fresh. Prepping your meals for the next 3 days ensures that your food is tasty and also safe to eat after being stored in the fridge.

2. Add Colors

You want your food to not only be delicious but look delicious too! Adding color to your meals makes them much more appealing and can even help you identify if you’re missing some key items. Is your meal container looking too brown? It may be missing some fresh vegetables! Maybe some fruit! Add your reds, yellows, greens, oranges or blues to keep your vitamins and minerals in check!

3. Use Clear containers that are dishwasher and microwave safe

Out of sight, out of mind. Not being able to see what you’re eating makes it easy to avoid portion control. This happens a lot when, for example, you are eating directly from a bag of chips. You might not notice how much you ate until you have reached the bottom of the bag. Measuring and separating your food and snack portions into containers is a great way to plan your meals and keep track of how much you’re eating.

4. Make a plan before going to the grocery store

Plan ahead by making a list of the meals you are going to be preparing. Then write down all the ingredients and quantities you need. By doing this small exercise, you ensure that your trip to the grocery store is quick and easy, and you won’t spend money on unnecessary items and you will avoid food waste. Be sure to read the nutritional labels on the food you buy!

And as always, our general tips apply: Remember to sit down during meals and take your time enjoying each bite. Chew your food thoroughly and listen to your body’s cues that will tell you how much food is enough. If you’re planning to start meal prepping, let our nutrition department know so you can work together in developing a delicious and nutritious plan. 

Remember that our nutrition department is available to all patients who need advice or help. If you would like to consult our bariatric nutritionists about making changes to your diet, don’t hesitate to contact us!

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A plateau is distinguished by a decreasing amount of lost pounds and it is caused by a stabilizing metabolism. Maintaining weight after rapid weight loss can be frustrating to someone who is yet to reach their goals, so we compiled a list of tips that patients can follow to deal with and overcome a plateau:

1. Make adjustments to your diet

The first thing nutritionists might suggest when patients hit a plateau is modifying their diet. An increase in protein and cutting back on carbohydrate intake has proven to be a very effective method for patients to get over a plateau. 

2. Track your meals

Tracking your meals can help you determine if there is a part of your diet that you’re neglecting. Are you sneaking in a few too many snacks? Maybe you have unknowingly increased your carbohydrate intake? Are you putting more calories into your body than what you’re burning? Keeping an honest food log will surely show you where you need to cut back. 

3. Avoid empty calories, like alcohol

By the time patients reach a plateau, enough time has passed for patients to have developed the healthy habits necessary for a healthy and happy weight loss. But it’s also enough time to go back to bad habits, like drinking alcohol. Alcohol, junk food, and candy are full of calories that won’t nurture your body. On the contrary, calories found in those items do not keep you full for long, leading you to keep eating and snacking, resulting in an accidental higher calorie intake.

4. Make changes to your exercise routine

Following a normal bariatric diet means more calories, which means you need more exercise to burn them. Modifying your routine to include more strength exercises and cardio, or adding an extra half hour workout to your weekly schedule will do wonders for overcoming a plateau. 

5. Do not weigh yourself often 

During the weight loss plateau, you might not see the numbers on the scale decreasing rapidly like before, but you might notice other changes in your body during this period. Your clothing sizes might go down, your body strength might increase, you might have more energy, etc. All of these are victories that do not require you stepping on the scale daily or even weekly. 

6. Get enough sleep

Getting proper rest and a good night’s sleep plays a bigger part in someone’s weight loss journey than most people think. Lack of sleep might affect your appetite and make you crave high-calorie foods. It will also cause lack of energy, which is essential for bariatric patients that need to follow their exercise routine.

7. Embracing the process

And lastly, a plateau is a normal part of losing weight. It’s your body stabilizing and growing accustomed to your new size. This is a happy time to embrace your body and celebrate how far you have come. Take this as an opportunity to reconnect with your body, nourish and exercise it, and soon you will start seeing the pounds go down again. 

Do not compare yourself to other bariatric patients. Every single body, metabolism, and lifestyle is different and what might work for someone might not work for others. It’s important that you talk to your nutritionist and healthcare providers to pinpoint the cause of your plateau and find an effective solution. Remember that our nutrition department is available to all patients who need advice or help. If you would like to consult our bariatric nutritionists about making changes to your diet, don’t hesitate to contact us!

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The post That irritating weight loss plateau and 8 ways to overcome it first appeared on Diabetes Obesity Clinic.

The bariatric field is constantly evolving to offer patients the safest and most effective procedures to help them achieve a healthy and long term loss of weight. 

One of the most recent breakthroughs is the Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty (ESG), also known as the Endoscopic Gastric Sleeve. What makes this new method so different from the conventional gastric sleeve surgery is that it’s a non-surgical, outpatient procedure. Yes! You read that right. This highly effective surgery has no need for incisions because all instruments are inserted orally with the help of an endoscope, which is a long, thin tube with a light and a small camera. 

The patient is placed under general anesthesia while the doctor guides an endoscope through their digestive tract until it reaches the stomach. Here, the doctor will be able to use the endoscope’s suturing tools to start reducing the size of your stomach by folding it and stitching it into a banana-shaped tube.   

So what does this mean for the bariatric patient? 

For starters, no incisions means lower risk of infection, same-day hospital discharge and a quicker recovery process where the patient will be able to return to their daily activities within a few days. This is also an alternative for patients who are wary of the process that comes with regular gastric sleeve surgery, such as post-op incision care.  

Although the recovery process is quicker, the Endoscopic Sleeve is still a restrictive procedure where post-surgical lifestyle changes are essential for its effectiveness. Patients will be required to adhere to their new diets and incorporate an exercise regime to their daily routine to achieve a healthy and constant weight loss. 

Who performs the surgery?

Diabetes Obesity Clinic ’s team, led by Board-certified Bariatric Surgeon Dr. Ismael Bailón, is composed of certified multidisciplinary surgeons and endoscopic specialists at the forefront of bariatric technology who are trained to safely and effectively carry out the Endoscopic Gastric Sleeve procedure. Additionally, Diabetes Obesity Clinic’s nutritional professionals will constantly monitor the patients for an entire year after their surgery to ensure they are getting proper nutrition and are reaching their milestones throughout their weight loss journey.

ESG is an option for patients with moderate to severe obesity as well as those who suffer from conditions related to obesity such as hypertension, type II diabetes, sleep apnea, etc. If you want to find out if you qualify for this procedure, please contact us for a free evaluation. We will be happy to help you reach your weight loss goals! 

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Tijuana’s border is one of the most travelled borders in the world, with thousands of people crossing the border daily. Visiting this city is very easy thanks to its proximity to San Diego and its international airport, which is only 20 minutes away by car. 

When it comes to medical tourism, Tijuana welcomes over 1.3 million international patients a year. Here, patients can expect to receive high quality and affordable healthcare in the hands of certified professionals with vast experience in their respective fields, most of which accept U.S. health insurance and/or offer financing options. Thanks to this, U.S. and Canadian patients are able to book anything from a dentist appointment or a day at a wellness spa, to weight loss surgery, cosmetic surgery, fertility treatments, eye surgery, oncologic treatment, and more, without having to worry much about the medical bills. If what you’re looking for are options for weight loss surgery, Diabetes Obesity Clinic offers world-class treatments that will help transform and improve your quality of life at an affordable price. 

In fact, According to the Baja Health Cluster, costs for treatment in México can be anywhere from 20% to 80% less than in the U.S. However, this does not compromise the quality of the service. Patients still receive international grade treatments in private state-of-the art facilities.

  International patients are so common that the vast majority of healthcare providers in Tijuana and their staff are 100% bilingual. This allows travelers to receive medical attention and further indications in their native language, making them feel at home during their visit. Diabetes Obesity Clinic goes one step further and treats patients like family, by helping them plan their trip, offering their warm and friendly companionship, and keeping in constant touch before and after surgery. If they’re staying in Tijuana for more than one day, they will find that the hospitality sector is also extremely prepared to accommodate guests that are traveling for medical reasons, some offering special rooms with accessible facilities that will help patients recover comfortably in a peaceful and relaxing environment. 

If that wasn’t enough, Tijuana has made it even easier for patients to return home after their treatment. When traveling for medical reasons your doctor will issue a medical lane pass which, along with your proof of citizenship, will allow you to cross the border very quickly and efficiently so you can promptly return to the comfort of your home. 

So what are you waiting for? Visit Tijuana! You can find many resources online that will help pair you with a trustworthy, certified medical expert for a cost-effective, high-quality healthcare experience. If you are interested in traveling to Mexico for weight loss surgery, don’t hesitate to get in contact with us and become part of our family.

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Sleep Apnea:

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases notes that obesity is the most important risk factor for sleep apnea. A person who is overweight may have more fat stored around his or her neck. This may make the airway smaller. A smaller airway can make breathing difficult or loud (because of snoring), or breathing may stop altogether for short periods of time.

Heart Disease

People who are overweight or obese often have health problems that may increase the risk for heart disease. These health problems include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar. In addition, excess weight may cause changes to your heart that make it work harder to send blood to all the cells in your body.

Stroke:

Stroke is a condition in which the blood supply to your brain is suddenly cut off, caused by a blockage or the bursting of a blood vessel in your brain or neck. High blood pressure is the leading cause of strokes.

Emotional and mental problems:

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, “Overweight and obesity are associated with mental health problems such as depression. People who deal with overweight and obesity may also be the subject of weight bias and stigma from others, including health care providers. This can lead to feelings of rejection, shame, or guilt—further worsening mental health problems.”

The post Diseases caused by obesity first appeared on Diabetes Obesity Clinic.

Better Health

Some medical problems in obese teens that may improve after bariatric surgery are:

• Diabetes
• Sleep apnea
• Heart disease
• Fatty liver disease
• Heartburn and GERD
• High blood pressure
• Asthma

Quality of life

It’s well known that losing weight can improve your lifestyle completely giving teens the chance to live a better life. The goal of bariatric surgery is to provide the highest possible benefits with the lowest risk. After having surgery, adolescents can get involved in physical activities, such as sports, and can easily develop new healthy habits.

Greater Self Esteem

After losing weight, patients can regain their ability to move along with confidence because they can engage in daily activities without a problem. Therefore, they feel more active, healthy and can get involved in social interactions with ease. Having an active life helps individuals not only physically, but emotionally as well.

It’s safe

It is possible that risks of bariatric surgery are lower for teens than adults because obesity has had fewer decades to damage vital organ systems in the body. Which shows that weight loss surgery is for everyone.  Teens with type 2 diabetes before surgery were more likely than adults to have better blood glucose (blood sugar) control without the use of diabetes medications. After surgery, no teens needed diabetes medications compared to the 88% of teens that needed them before surgery.

The post Benefits of bariatric surgery in teens with obesity first appeared on Diabetes Obesity Clinic.