Lap Band Q&A

With the obesity rate in Alaska climbing to over 31% last year, many Alaskans are considering surgical weight loss, or bariatric, procedures. One of the most popular such procedures is the Lap Band. If you have heard of this procedure and are considering it for yourself, here are some Q&A topics to help explain it further.

Q: What, exactly, is the Lap Band procedure?
A: A small band is surgically placed around the top of your stomach to help you feel fuller faster and for a longer period of time. The surgery is minimally invasive and done laparoscopically.

Q: Is the band adjustable?
A: Yes, and our clinic offers Lap Band adjustments for any patient, no matter which surgeon performed the initial procedure.

Q: How much weight will I lose and how fast will I lose it?
A: That depends on each person, but many patients lose up to 60% of their excess body weight with the Lap Band in the first year. The Lap Band helps you lose weight at a healthy pace and keep the weight off. Diet and exercise are also a part of the weight loss plan and must be maintained long-term.

Please call or visit our clinic so we can discuss bariatric procedures with you and personalize your weight loss plan.

If you would like more information about how Anchorage Bariatrics can help you with a customized weight loss solution, or would like to attend a free informational seminar, please call us at 907-644-THIN.

Stick to Your Goals

Research shows that people who make New Year’s Resolutions are ten times more likely to change their behavior than those who don’t. But it is about to be February, you say? Well, make a New Year’s Resolution that starts February 1 instead! Or make one that starts Monday. It really doesn’t matter the date, just that you set a goal and implement a plan to reach it. The simple act of goal setting can help change your mindset to a more positive outlook. Write down your goal – freehand, not typed on a device – and post it in a highly visible spot. Next, write down what you can do each day to get one step closer to this goal and DO IT. If you want to lose 20 pounds, write down that today at the grocery store you will not purchase cookies. Tomorrow, you will add 10 minutes to your evening walk. And so on. Breaking it down like this makes it more manageable and by giving yourself specific action items you can have the satisfaction of “checking off the box” each day.

Kitchen Swaps

Swap out Zucchini Ribbons or Spaghetti Squash for pasta. With a peeler or a mandoline you can make long, thin slices of zucchini or spaghetti squash that look like colorful versions of the real thing. (It is spaghetti squash, after all.) No need to boil your creations; just bake or saute them a few minutes, then use in side dishes or to replace high-carb pasta in dishes like spaghetti with meatballs. Think of it as a slightly sneaky way to add more vegetables to your meals. One way to ease yourself into this is to mix half squash with half real pasta spaghetti noodles.