Whew! I just got the best workout! It’s called GROCERY SHOPPING FOR THANKSGIVING DINNER!
That’s right my friends … strength and cardio all in one trip to the grocery store. Your warm up – circling the parking lot looking for a space to protect your car while you shop. If that doesn’t get your blood pumping – your heart rate going – your pressure rising – nothing else will!
Next .. the race to the buggies. There’s only one left – and it’s between you and the woman with the 6 kids in tow. You may be fat and slow .. but by god she has those 6 little ones dragging her down! BEAT HER TO THE CART!
Work on speed and agility as you weave your way in and out of the isles. STRETCH up to that top shelf to reach that last can of cranberry sauce no one else has attempted to get.
Now … the TURKEY LIFT. Grab one in each hand – who needs to look at the tag – curl those puppies and take the one that gave you the most resistance. If he doesn’t want to come home with you that badly – he must be a fantastic tasting Tom.
Now … unload all those groceries you just put into those two carts onto the conveyer. Yep – repetitive circuit training. What goes in .. now comes out. Lift … reach … stretch. Lift … reach … stretch. And don’t forget that little extra cardio boost when you get ready to pay the clerk!
What fit into two carts now fits into three. Can you juggle all three yourself? FIND A WAY! Everyone knows the bag boys are too busy flirting with the cashiers to even think about helping you out to your car. Now another round of circuit training – lifting the bags from the cart to the trunk of your car. More reaching, lifting, stretching!
You zoom home as fast as you can … so things don’t melt. Keep that heart beat up – weave in and out of traffic. You’re home … it’s your final workout!! LIFT 20 POUNDS AT A TIME AND RUN THOSE BAGS INTO THE HOUSE!! Repeat this 20 times and I guarantee you will be exhausted and out of breath at the end! That heart beat should really be pumping now.
Your cool down period … take your time. Slowly take the groceries out of the bags and put them away.
Now you deserve a reward! How about a big bottle of Dasani Water? You did a great job! 
Gastric Bypass Surgery (GBS) is the most popular of the weight loss surgeries – with over 140,000 US citizens having the procedure performed in 2005. This number far outweighs other procedures – Lap-Band®, duodenal switch and vertical banded gastroplasty – and since GBS has been around for more than 50 years, surgeons are much more comfortable recommending this as a viable tool for weight loss.
Recently, Medicare has authorized the clinically obese the option of surgery as a form of weight-loss treatment. With the passing of this decision, many more people will be looking into Gastric Bypass Surgery – and other weight loss surgery options – as a tool in their Battle of the Bulge.
Once of the greatest developments in surgical procedures has changed the face of GBS – the laparoscopic approach. Rather than making a large incision into the patient, doctors can now perform the GBS through smaller incisions cutting the hernia and infection risks to just 1% – down from 30% with a traditional surgery.
In the laparoscopic approach – the surgeon makes 5 small incisions into the abdomen (1/2” – 1” in length) – and a surgical microscope is inserted to guide the doctor to the stomach. The stomach is divided into two sections – with the smaller pouch being used as the new stomach. This new stomach can hold just 2 ounces of food – a drastic reduction from the typical 2 quarts of a full sized stomach – the patient feels fuller and learns quickly to control their portion sizes.
“The results of the procedure speak for themselves,” said George Zorn, M.D., F.A.C.S., surgeon at Pacific Bariatric Medical Surgical Group and Scripps Mercy Hospital. “This procedure enables patients to make the lifestyle changes – diet and exercise – that will help them achieve a healthier body weight.”
The benefits of the surgery are almost immediate. You have to remember that Gastric Bypass Surgery is a tool for weight loss – and is only the beginning of the hard work to follow. Patients must still learn to eat a healthier diet, and to exercise to maintain a healthy lifestyle. But – it is an effective tool! Patients have been studied and it has been learned that hormonal changes may be taking place in the body after surgery – these changes appear to relieve the patient of any cravings they may have had – making them more satisfied with the healthier foods they are eating. This decrease in hunger and the rapid feeling of fullness accounts for most of the weight loss after a gastric bypass.
Some patients have even experienced an intolerance to sweets after GBS – called “Dumping Syndrome”. This is basically the body rejecting any food with too many sugars or complex carbohydrates. The new stomach does not have the ability to process the refined sugars – and therefore “Dumps” the offending matter out of the system in anyway possible. Patients often feel dizzy and lightheaded, have heart palpitations , experience abdominal cramping and the obvious following rush to the nearest restroom! A punishment of sorts for not eating healthy.
Weight loss surgery is considered successful when you have reached a 50% reduction and the weight loss is sustained over a 5 year period. I have found literally hundreds of success stories on the internet – women mostly – who want to share their success with the world. I found one story quiet amazing. In 1998, Sue Barr weighed in over 500 pounds. Today she is down to 152 pounds – and is maintaining her weight! You can find her website here: My Gastric Bypass. When asked if she had to decide today to have the surgery again, Sue replied: “I would do it all over again in a heartbeat!”
There are horror stories out there on the web too – don’t think that Gastric Bypass Surgery is without its flaws. There are side effects, complications, and maintenance that needs to take place in order for this process to be fully complete. While the mortality rate with this surgery is relatively low, people have died from the procedure.
This is a money making endeavor – with obesity reaching record numbers in the United States, more and more people are turning to surgeons to have this procedure done – and there are many surgeons who will say “I can do that!” with little to no training. Be sure to research – research – RESEARCH – your surgeon before any procedure takes place. Your surgeon will do everything they can to convince you that this surgery is the right thing for you – they want that fat paycheck at the end of the day.
The two most common causes of death after GBS are an anastomotic leak and a pulmonary embolism. An anastomotic leak can occur when a complete seal is not formed during the connection from bowel to bowel, or bowel to stomach. Fluid leaks out of the bowel into the abdominal cavity and may cause a serious infection or abscess. – and can result in a rather rapid death, when the intestinal fluids leak into the abdominal cavity. Symptoms include shortness of breath, palpitations, and severe chest and abdominal pain – and should be treated as soon as possible. Other complications include bowel obstruction, strictures, ulcers, bleeding and prolonged nausea.
A recent study by researchers at the University of Washington found that 1 in 50 people die within one month of having gastric bypass surgery, and that figure jumps nearly fivefold if the surgeon is inexperienced. – with 50% suffering from immediate complications and the other 50% from long term complications. 25% off all patients will experience some sort of complication from the procedure – whether it be a hernia or gall stones – or just a vitamin deficiency.
All risks should be discussed with your physician – and researched independently – before deciding to have this procedure done.
After a successful Gastric Bypass Surgery – patients must contend with learning healthy eating habits, learning exercise and fitness techniques, and basically learning an entirely new lifestyle. Typically patients lose weight so rapidly that they are left with large pockets and folds of excess skin, muscle loss, and unsightly fat tissue. This must be removed via plastic surgery and/or liposuction. This procedure will leave you with scars – so it is a personal decision whether to wait for mother nature to deal with the excess skin – or to go forward with the plastic surgery.
For more information on Gastric Bypass Surgery from a patients standpoint – and other weight loss surgical procedures – I found this great resource on the web: Bariatric Surgery.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), in collaboration with the Betsy Lehman Center for Patient Safety and Medical Error Reduction, put together a panel of experts to discuss and evaluate Gastric Bypass surgery. The panel used state-of-the-art modeling systems to make best practice recommendations on the surgery. The study was done in 2004 and the full-report can be found downloaded as a word document at: MDPH Medical Panel. The panel recommends that constant monitoring of new procedures, and continued open communication with Weight Loss Centers, institutions and providers will ensure that patients receive the best care possible when undergoing weight loss surgery. It was felt that strict standards needed to be set in place in order to avoid inexperienced practitioners from performing the procedures. The greatest chance of death after surgery stemmed from complications due to the surgeons own inexperience.
The key here – when considering weight loss surgery of any kind – is to find an experienced surgeon to perform the procedure. Do your due diligence in researching the credentials of your surgeon – and know without a doubt that the surgeon can perform the procedure successfully. Find out what their own personal success rate is – ask the surgeon and then look up the data through your own states Medical Association. If you are not confident that your surgeon has the experience to perform the surgery – look for another surgeon. This procedure is not a magical cure for weight loss – but an effective tool to be used in conjunction with other important lifestyle changes.
ALWAYS talk to your own physician about any medical procedure you are considering – we at Get Off Your Fat Butt are in no way medical experts. We gather the information together and put it out there for you to read – and allow you to research further on your own.
During this “mini-investigation” I took a look at USDA’s new Food Pyramid guidelines – as well as their new “My Pyramid Tracker” tool they’ve created to assist consumers to track their food intake and activity levels. USDA has been providing nutrition guidance for over 100 years, and released the original Food Guide Pyramid in 1992. MyPyramid reflects the most current science; and the updated tools are designed for ease of use by consumers.
USDA utilized the most recent Technical research and up to date science standards to research food intake patterns and determine the amount of and best combination of foods to consume for overall health. As part of designing the Consumer Education materials, the program was tested in Consumer Groups to create a consumer friendly web site and develop materials to best reflect the new standards.
The web site has a great deal of information for anyone attempting to eat healthier – and to lose weight. The government has FINALLY recognized the fact that One Size does not fit all – and has created a Pyramid that is more flexible to suit the variety of shapes and sizes of the consumer.
The My Pyramid program helps you determine what foods and amounts are right for YOU. They broke down food categories into GRAINS – VEGETABLES – FRUITS – MILK – MEATS/LGEUMES – OILS – DISCRETIONARY CALOIRES – and PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. The amounts to eat are based on a person’s age, sex, and activity level – and are more for someone maintaining a healthy weight. However – the program is easily adapted to decrease caloric intake per your specific needs – and does make recommendations for weight loss.
The program is very similar to the Biggest Loser diet in that they recommend switching to whole grains over refined grains – and push a higher consumption of vegetable and fruit. This is not a low carbohydrate plan – but one that shows you the right types of carbs to eat. The program offers suggestions in each category – and you can download customized Pyramid sheets at their Resource Download Page – which shows food intake guidelines for caloric intakes from 1000 up to 3200 calories a day.
The web site also offers education tools for children to learn healthy eating habits – complete with the My Pyramid Blast Off Game, coloring sheets, family tips for healthy eating, and classroom activities.
Another great feature of the web site is a program similar to fitday.com. MyPyramid Tracker is a web-based interactive tool that helps consumers compare their diet and physical activity to current health recommendations. Individuals can enter the foods they eat and their physical activities for a day and obtain the energy balance between them. MyPyramid Tracker provides each user with detailed, personalized results.
After entering the food you’ve consumed for the day – and your activity level – you can then pull up several different types of reports:
The Dietary Guideline compares your intake with what USDA recommends for your age, weight and activity level. When I clicked on this report – and selected “Leads you to gradually achieving and maintaining a healthy weight?” I was given a message to contact my doctor for more information on losing weight. The system apparently can not calculate the Dietary Guidelines for me to lose weight. However – I can click the link for maintaining my weight and see that what I’ve eaten is not inline with the recommendations they have made for me.
Nutrient Intake gives me a complete break down of EVERYTHING I’ve consumed – from calories to protein – fats to sugars – vitamins to minerals. This report is also available for analysis over several days – and recommends that you utilize this option to make sure your overall eating habits are inline with the program.
My Pyramid Stats shows you in percentages how closely you’ve followed your recommended guidelines for the day. Since I’m eating below the recommended calories – my percentages are all lower than they should be. However – I don’t see this as a problem – if I’m eating only 60% of the calories for the day – then I have to assume that my Stat totals should be 60% below recommendations too.
Healthy Eating History is the final nutritional report that you can pull up – and this shows you graphically how you’ve performed over a week – a month and a year. It gets pretty specific – if you have problems with sodium intake and want to know what you’ve consumed over a month – this report can tell you! It really is a neat tool!
The Physical Activity reports work the same way – after entering your activity for the day – you can select from two reports that give you a Physical Activity Score and shows you how many calories you’ve burned with each activity. You’re rated from Poor to Good on your level of activity – and can keep a full history with another neat graphic chart.
If the reports in My Pyramid Tracker were customizable to your specific caloric intake – this web tool would be fantastic. For now I give it a four out of five on the diet scale!
The USDA My Pyramid program can be found at mypyramid.gov – and I highly recommend you take the time to peruse this site on your own. Set aside a good hour or two – because there is a lot of great information.
As with any weight loss and exercise program – please check with your personal physician to find out what options are right for you!
If you haven’t read this TIME Magazine article yet – please do. I think it’s important that we know all of the issues taking place in our Government – and that we talk about the policies that might take place over the next year regarding US – the obese.
Do you believe what the experts are saying? Has the waistline of America truly grown – or did the re-shuffling of weight standards give us false fear that there has been such a drastic change. With over 60% of Americans battling the bulge – we have a lot to talk about!
Should the government be regulating our bodies in this way – by controlling what and when and where and how we eat? Is this just another step towards taking away our privacy – our choice? Or do you feel the government SHOULD be involved in helping its citizens lose weight?
In the TIME article – the Surgeon General is quoted as saying that “obesity is a greater threat than terrorism.” Is it – really? It’s not as if the obese are going to harm anyone else – we’re only harming ourselves.
The Biggest Loser Club is the online program that is based on the hit television show The Biggest Loser. Following the recent craze for this show and overwhelming popularity of the weight loss program I decided this should be the focus of the first column. Overall I found this entire weight loss concept fantastic! The Biggest Loser: The Weight Loss Program book was easy to follow and was one of the first diet programs that actually makes sense!! The Biggest Loser DVD has excellent workout programs to follow and who can’t help but smile right back at Bob Harper when he’s saying “I know its hard. But you can do it! I know you can!” Those dimples ..sigh!
But I did find a few shortcomings with the tools being utilized for the web version of this program: The Biggest Loser Club. When you take on this program please keep in mind that your results may not be the same as the cast of The Biggest Loser. The contestants on the show are placed in a fantasy environment away from everyday life and are focused and dedicated to one thing only WEIGHT LOSS. There are no outside distractions no children vying for attention no chores or household needs to worry about. The contestants on the show have made drastic changes in their diets cutting their caloric intake by 40 50% and increasing their exercise by 100 200%. They work out 3 hours each day dropping over 1500 calories. This is a drastic change, and according to Dr. Michael Dansinger, a consultant on “The Biggest Loser 2″ and a physician at Tufts New England Medical Center, not very many people are in a position where they can take such drastic measures.
The key to the dramatic weight loss of the Biggest Loser contestants is removing the many barriers that made them gain weight in the first place. So unless you are preparing to spend the next 12 weeks secluded away from real life don’t expect to drop 20 pounds a week! What do you get when you join the Biggest Loser Club?
Here’s what the web site promises and what you really get:
PROMISE: Daily Meal Plans & Recipes: Personalized plans featuring foods and recipes that helped the contestants lose weight and eat healthier. Plus get shopping lists and recipes.
What you really get: This is a great tool though it does have its limitations. You are able to select from a variety of meal plans and customize it to your own tastes. If you are not a picky eater {like me} and are willing to follow the program strictly then this tool couldn’t be any easier to use! You basically print out your menu and shopping list for the week and off you go! However if you do dietary restrictions or want to drop to a caloric intake less than what the plan advises you do have a lot of customization to contend with. It took me two hours to plan out my meals for the week and then adapt them to fit MY needs. AND if you’ve already purchased the Biggest Loser Book you’ll find a lot of the same menu ideas and recipes. Not a ton of variety.
PROMISE: Customized Fitness Program: Burn calories with our circuit program you can do at home or at the gym. Our demonstrations show you how to exercise safely and effectively.
What you really get: To personalize this fitness program you just basically select which days you want to do a cardio workout and which days you want to do strength training. That’s it. Based on the days you select, you’re given a workout plan that is very similar to the Biggest Loser Book. Once you review the Strength suggestions, and Cardio suggestions once and print them off there really is no need to go back to that section of the web site.
PROMISE: Connect With Bob Harper and Cast Members: Use the message boards to learn their tips and secrets, find answers to your questions, and get motivated.
What you really get: You are offered the same diet options and fitness program used on Season 2 of the show. You do have the option to contact the experts and past contestants via a message forum. But its really hard to get the attention of these individuals. There are so many people utilizing the Club right now with so many questions its easy for your post to get lost among the masses. It took me 6 tries to get the attention of a nutritionist and that was only after I posted THIS IS MY 6th ATTEMPT TO GET ADVICE.
PROMISE: Personal Progress Journal: Share your experiences and success with other Club members, Contestants, and Trainers.
What you really get: This is what I find really cool about the Club and may keep me as a member. I know there are other free web sites that offer the same service but the graphics here are so pretty! In your Journal you can track your weight, your caloric intake, your BMI, and the popular % of weight loss as we see on the show. You also have the option of keeping an online journal to track your weight loss. I personally prefer keeping my journal on my blog to share with everyone but others tend to be more private and may find this tool very valuable.
PROMISE: Newsletter, Tips, and More: Get inspiration, motivation, and the information you need to succeed on e-mail and online. Club members will also exclusive benefits like access to a limited number of tickets to The Biggest Loser Season 2 finale, and more.
What you really get: I personally did not subscribe to the weekly newsletter. I have enough junk e-mail coming into my box it gets a bit busy. Throughout the web site you will find a variety of motivational messages and tips to help you on your weight loss journey. But this feature is just added fluff to give you some added value to the program.
I was able to access the program through a friends account and went to the forums to ask three questions of the subscribers and the experts. I didn’t receive the overwhelming response I expected but did hear back from two subscribers who LOVE the program. The first has been using the program for just over a week and found it to be an easy plan to follow something she hadn’t found in the past. The second subscriber mentioned she’s been using the program since January and has successfully lost 12 pounds. I did not receive a response at all from the experts but again they are flooded with requests from subscribers.
The key issues to address when deciding if this is the right program for you is the Menu Planning Tool, The Fitness Planning Tool, and the access to the Experts. If you feel you can follow the program as is with absolutely no chances to the menu plan or fitness program then this really is a fantastic tool for you! However if you find yourself wanting to speak more with the experts, wanting to customize the program, you should probably look elsewhere.
I give this Diet Plan: {Three Out Of Five on the Diet Scale}
With a few modifications this could be an AWESOME weight loss tool. But for now, if you’ve already purchased the Biggest Loser Book and DVD workouts Id save that $20 a month subscription fee.
The Biggest Loser Club can be found at www.biggestloserclub.com.
As with any weight loss and exercise program please check with your personal physician to find out what options are right for you!
