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Gastric Sleeve Weight Loss Surgery

There are several options for weight loss or bariatric surgery and one of them is gastric sleeve weight loss surgery. This type of surgery is often recommended for patients with a BMI higher than 40. Patients who are extremely obese can undergo vertical sleeve gastrectomy, as it is also called, to allow them to reach a safer weight, after which they can have another bariatric surgery such as gastric bypass. A gastric sleeve operation is done laparoscopically or using small incisions, removing up to 85% of the stomach to reduce food intake.

How it Works

Using small incisions, the bariatric surgeon removes two-thirds or up to 85% of the patient’s stomach, so that the remaining stomach is in the shape of a tube or banana. Staples can be used to create a smaller stomach, which typically has a capacity of about 200 ml. With a smaller stomach, the patient can take in only small quantities of food.

Who is a Good Candidate for Gastric Sleeve Weight Loss Surgery?

Although the procedure is relatively new, gastric sleeve surgery is now one of the recommended weight loss procedures for patients with BMI higher than 40. The procedure can also be offered to individuals with BMI between 35 and 39 who have obesity-related health disorders such as diabetes and high blood pressure. It can also be offered to those who find it difficult or impossible to make the follow-up visits required by a procedure like gastric banding, which leaves a foreign object in the patient’s digestive system.

How Effective is Gastric Sleeve Surgery?

Most patients who have gastric sleeve surgery experience a weight loss of 50% to 80% of their body weight within 6 months to one year after surgery. Within two years, patients can lose an average of 60% of excess weight. One of the benefits of this bariatric procedure is that patients experience an improvement in blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Patients with diabetes and sleep apnea also show an improvement in their condition.

Comparison of Gastric Sleeve and Other Weight Loss Procedures

Unlike gastric bypass procedure, gastric sleeve surgery allows normal food digestion and absorption of nutrients, yet weight loss is about the same as that experienced by gastric bypass patients. In addition, the procedure is not as risky as a gastric bypass.

Gastric sleeve patients are also able to lose weight more quickly than those who have gastric band surgery. Being a relatively new procedure, however, there is limited data on long-term weight loss with gastric sleeve surgery compared to other procedures like gastric bypass.

Successful Weight Loss

People who have gastric sleeve surgery must make certain lifestyle changes in order to continue supporting weight loss. It’s true that the procedure creates a smaller stomach and forces you to eat less, but you will still have to exercise and eat a sensible diet in order to remain healthy and continue losing excess weight. Eating larger amounts of food can gradually stretch the stomach and make it bigger, thereby negating the effects of the weight loss procedure. Patients must commit to a healthy lifestyle and good eating habits.


Gastric Sleeve Weight Loss Surgery

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Weight Loss Exercise

Best Options in Weight Loss Surgery

If surgery is your only option for weight loss, you will need to gather information and find out what procedures are available before making a decision. Bariatric weight loss surgery is not a procedure to be taken lightly. In fact, it is viewed as a last resort for treating chronic obesity. If you have tried unsuccessfully to achieve a healthy weight using conventional methods, it may be time to consider your weight loss surgery options.

Surgery for weight loss is not cosmetic surgery. Rather, it is classified as medical surgery because of its important health benefits. For this reason, bariatric weight loss surgery is covered by some insurance providers. Morbidly obese individuals have the option to try weight loss surgery if they repeatedly fail to achieve and maintain a healthy weight through conventional methods such as diet and exercise. If you opt for surgery to lose weight, keep in mind that you will experience short-term and long-term effects, and the procedure may necessitate lifestyle changes.

How It Works

Basically, there are only two methods whereby weight loss can be achieved. The first method is to reduce the number of calories consumed by restricting food intake. The second method is through food malabsorption, or making changes in the digestive system so that food is poorly digested and nutrients and calories are not completely absorbed. There are several different surgical procedures to achieve this.

Option #1: Restrictive Methods

The primary goal of a restrictive weight loss procedure is to reduce food intake in order to promote weight loss. This can be done by making the stomach smaller so that it will hold less food while reducing hunger pangs. An individual who undergoes this procedure will find it easier to control meal portions, thus ensuring a steady weight loss with minimal risk of nutritional deficiencies.

Popular restrictive methods of bariatric surgery are LAP-BAND and Vertical Banded Gastroplasty.

Option #2: Malabsorptive Methods

This method promotes weight loss by making changes in the digestive system. The small intestine is rerouted, in effect shortening it so that less food nutrients and calories are absorbed by the body. The primary methods of malabsorptive bariatric surgery are biliopancreatic diversion, Extended Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, and biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch.

Malabsorptive methods are highly successful for significant, long-term weight loss but they come with a number of drawbacks. Individuals who choose this weight loss surgery option can suffer from nutritional deficiencies and must take vitamin supplements. They can also suffer from intestinal irritation, bloating, and bowel movement problems.

Option #3: Combination Restrictive and Malabsorptive Method

The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass reduces the size of the stomach, and a section of the small intestine is bypassed in order to decrease food absorption.

Making Your Decision

If you have run out of conventional weight loss options, it may be time to look into the possibility of bariatric surgery. There are several alternatives to consider and you should discuss each one with your bariatric surgeon. Learn about the pros and cons of the different weight loss surgery options. Keep in mind that what works for someone else may not work for you. Your doctor can help you determine what procedure is best for you.


Best Options in Weight Loss Surgery

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Weight Loss Exercise

The Lemonade Diet – Is the Lemonade Diet As Grueling As It Sounds?



Do you think you could consume nothing but lemonade diet for 21 days straight? Many people who have attempted the Lemonade Diet (aka the Master Cleanse) have tried to do just that. While some of these folks are successful in their quest to complete this lofty task, most fall short… way short. This article will help shed some light on this subject.

The Lemonade Diet

One of the first questions people ask before beginning this ambitious undertaking is this: Is the Lemonade Diet actually healthy? I’ve heard this subject debated on more than one occasion, with opponents of the “diet” (which is more accurately described as a liquid fast) claiming that the acids in the lemon can rot your teeth, while others claim that lemons actually have an alkalizing effect on the body, which is always great for energy and weight loss.

Another subject that often arises is the difficulty of this diet. As common sense might suggest, going without food can be unpleasant, to say the least. I know. I’ve tried fasting myself, and by the second day I was absolutely obsessed by the thought of food. I sincerely couldn’t focus on anything else. I broke my fast with a celery stick… then a cup of yogurt… and then some pizza, but that’s neither here nor there!

The Lemonade Diet is tough

The Lemonade Diet Is the Lemonade Diet As Grueling As It Sounds?

Lemonade Diet

The bottom line is that it’s tough. Really tough. I’ve watched YouTube videos of people who have gone on the Lemonade Diet with a 21 day goal in mind, who ended up being very happy with their 14 day run. While they obviously fell a week short of their initial goal, they considered it to be quite an accomplishment nonetheless. Besides, different sources recommend different durations for this process, with 10 days being accepted as the standard in many circles.

So what exactly is this diet? Well, you begin each morning with a saltwater flush which is designed to cleanse your digestive system. This will make you go to the bathroom like nobody’s business, but that’s the point. You want to expel your toxins, which in and of themselves contribute to much of your excess weight and feelings of lethargy (and even depression).

Easy to Make Lemonade Diet

After this, you can drink as much lemonade as you want. Of course, this is a very specific lemonade, consisting of fresh squeezed lemon juice, purified water, grade b maple syrup (or agave syrup), and cayenne pepper. This combination of ingredients is designed to alkalize the blood, hydrate the system, flush toxins from the kidneys and digestive tract, and even assist in cleansing the joints and muscles.

Many people who have stuck to this daily regimen of a morning saltwater flush (using sea salt and purified water), followed by unlimited quantities of lemonade, have experienced weight loss as significant as two pounds per day! So while the Lemonade Diet may be quite challenging to actually adhere to, the The Lemonade Diet benefits and effectiveness are by no means in question.

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