Nicholson Clinic Blog

Will I need to undergo plastic surgery to eliminate excess skin? Will it be covered by insurance?

After losing weight, many patients find that they are left with large amounts of excess, saggy skin on their bodies. To remove this skin, some patients choose to undergo plastic surgery. Since this is considered cosmetic surgery, it is typically not covered by insurance. Therefore, patients who think they might like to have plastic surgery to remove excess skin should save money for it as soon as they decide to undergo LAP BAND surgery or gastric bypass weight loss surgery at our practice.

Can I drink alcohol after undergoing weight loss surgery?

After undergoing gastric bypass weight loss surgery, you will find that even small amounts of alcohol will affect you quickly. For the first year, it is suggested that you completely refrain from drinking alcohol. After that, you may have small amounts of alcohol with your doctor’s approval. Patients who undergo LAP-BAND/REALIZE Band surgery or gastric bypass surgery should avoid alcoholic drinks because they tend to be high in calories and can hamper weight loss.

Check out our blog post “Why Alcohol and Weight Loss Don’t Go Together” and “Long Island Iced Tea – How Many Calories?“

Reader’s Digest has a great article full of tips on how to beat your television addiction. While there’s nothing wrong with watching some TV, in excess it can really rob your day from a lot of productive hours.

1. Give your extra TVs to charity. Allow your home one TV in a room dedicated to nothing but reading or TV watching. Donate the rest to a school or charitable organization in your community. You’ll not only get the tax deduction and a feeling that you did good, but it will be that much harder to veg out in front of the tube!

2. Only turn on the TV to watch a particular show. In other words, don’t just turn it on and go surfing for something worthwhile. Hours are quickly wasted, switching from one show to the next, watching all and none at the same time.

3. Then, when you sit down to watch a particular show, set a timer or an alarm clock in another room for the length of the show. When it beeps, you’ll have to get out of your chair to turn it off, a signal to also turn off the tube.

4. Throw out the remote control. It’s amazing how much less television you’ll watch if you have to get up every time you want to change channels or adjust the volume. Plus, it eliminates all those hours you spend channel surfing.

5. Rearrange the furniture. Design your family room so that the television becomes not the focal point of the room, but an afterthought that requires twisting around or rearranging the furniture to view.

6. Hide the television. Put it behind an armoire, hang a blanket over it, or stick it inside a cabinet. Do whatever you can to ensure it fades into the background and can’t be seen for what it is — a dangerous time sucker.

7. Eat meals, especially dinner, with the television OFF.

8. Set a rule that you can’t watch TV if the sun is shining. Instead, you have to go for a walk, ride a bike, or get some other kind of healthy physical activity for at least an hour before you can turn on the tube. This rule also works great for your kids or grandkids.

9. Make a TV-watching plan each week. Sit down with the viewing guide and pick out the shows you want to watch that week. Watch only those shows, and when they’re over, turn the TV off.

10. Set a rule that you must read 30 pages of a book or magazine before you can turn on the TV. Depending on how fast you read, you may never watch TV again!

11. Create a list of one-hour evening projects. List everything you can possibly dream of: cleaning a particularly messy cupboard, organizing recipes, touching up the paint on your bedroom walls, sharpening kitchen knives, sorting through your sewing materials. Then create an old-fashioned job jar, and try to do one each evening.

12. Switch to games. With your spouse and/or children, relearn the fun of Scrabble, backgammon, or even chess. Get out the playing cards and have a hearts or gin rummy battle. Play Ping-Pong, pool, or darts in the basement. Go outside and practice your golf swing with practice balls. All of these are more fun, healthy, and life-affirming than sitting in front of the television.

13. Develop a fast-moving news routine. Most news shows are scheduled down to the minute. So investigate the handful of shows you watch and figure out when they run the features you are most interested in. For example, the local weather is on the Weather Network at eight after the hour; the recap of the day’s headlines on CNN at fifteen after; the sports scores on ESPN SportsCenter shortly after. Add it all together, and you have a total national news briefing in about 15 minutes. Sounds like the perfect evening television routine. Watch it when you get home, and then turn off the television for the rest of the night.

14. Say no to Jaws for the 15th time. Often we can be strangely drawn into watching things we’ve seen many times before. There’s something comforting in the repetition. Well, resist it. Watching the same James Bond movie or Trading Spaces episode again and again is unhealthy for your body and your brain.

15. Get outdoors every night. Make it a point to leave your home or apartment at least once after dinner, if only for a short walk around the block. Too many people consider their day pretty much done once they’ve eaten dinner, when in fact, evening can be a wonderful time for getting things done and having fun.

16. Change your TV-viewing chairs. Make them somewhat hard and upright — chairs you don’t want to lounge in for hours. Move your most comfy chairs to the living room, and use them for listening to music and reading.

17. Say no to pundits and celebrity talkfests. One way to cut down on television is to rule out certain types of shows. We suggest, start with any show in which you are watching a person talk. It is rare that a television interview or conversation is deeply insightful.

Tips from Reader’s Digest

Check out this well trained dog. He’s doing squats!

Following your weight loss surgery, you’ll most likely be thrilled with the amount of weight you will immediately start losing. While not common, some patients may find that after months of steady weight loss, they find themselves at a plateau where the scale seems to be remaining at its present level - and above the final weight target. If this describes you, relax! By no means does this mean this is your final weight or where you need to be. It simply means some additional tweaking to your regiment is in order.

If you’ve had the lap-band procedure, this is a good indicator that your band needs to be tightened. Later, after you’ve reached your weight loss goal or you feel you are losing too much weight or not able to eat enough to feel at your best, your band can be adjusted again.

If you’ve had any of our weight-loss surgeries, including gastric bypass, lap-band, or sleeve gastrectomy, this plateau may also mean that you need to increase your exercise program and also revisit how much food and calories you are consuming. Ignoring the dietary guidelines can slow weight loss and can also cause you not to feel your best - and even become fatigued or nauseous, or even to develop seating and diarrhea. Those symptoms are often referred to as a “dumping syndrome,” which is something you sure will want to avoid. Alcohol is typically very high in calories and can slow weight loss, so we recommend you refrain from drinking alcohol completely for the first year, and then only moderately thereafter.

Exercise is also critical for weight loss and to avoid having your body consume your unused muscle as you lose weight.

Whether you’re a potential client or have already had weight loss surgery at Nicholson Clinic, we are always eager to answer your questions, provide you with exercise suggestions and food portion information at any time. It is as important to our staff as it is to you that your weight loss surgery is a success - not just in the short term but is a life-changing event - so we will help ensure your success along the way!

It’s sunny, warm and a mostly wind-free day. What could be better weather for spending time outside in the sunshine? But before you plan that walk, bike ride, picnic, or want to spend extended time outdoors for gardening or cooking out, there’s an important health check to make.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warns that an often-overlooked and occasional downer to summertime enjoyment is poor air quality, which can aggravate asthma and affect those with any type of respiratory weakness - especially the very young and our senior population. And the culprits are typically ground-level ozone and airborne particles, two pollutants that pose the greatest threat to human health in the United States.

Our communities have ongoing and careful monitoring of air quality, called ozone action alerts. Ozone, also known as smog, irritates the respiratory system. Ozone is formed when a mixture of air pollutants “bake” in the hot, summer sun. Exposure to high ozone levels can cause shortness of breath, pain with deep inhalation often referenced as chest tightness, coughing and wheezing, phlegm, headaches, nausea, and eye and throat irritation. In other words, pollution can really wreak havoc on people with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children.

The irony of ozone is that it is often at its unhealthiest levels on days considered the most beautiful in which to be outdoors. Pollutants, released from sources such as automobiles and factories, exacerbate the situation. When ozone levels are high, the forecast usually calls for sunshine, clear sky, temperatures above 85 degrees Fahrenheit, and little or no wind.

Ozone’s highest levels usually occur between the hottest times of the day, typically between noon and 6 p.m., from May through September. Meteorologists can predict high ozone days, because weather influences of the formation of ground-level ozone. The key is to be informed and aware, and to plan activities accordingly. That’s not to say that most people cannot be outdoors on high ozone days. Morning hours are best for being outside, and if outside in the afternoon, avoid strenuous activities or exertion.

Know the EPA’s color system for reporting the local Air Quality Index:

• Good/green: Air quality is considered good or satisfactory.
• Moderate/yellow: Air quality is acceptable, but there could be some pollutants that can present a possible health concern for certain people.
• Unhealthy for sensitive groups/orange: For individuals with sensitivities such as asthma or lung or heart concerns, extended outdoor time should be avoided. For most people, the air quality is safe.
• Unhealthy/red: Prolonged outdoor exposure should be avoided by most people.
• Very unhealthy/purple: If this level is reported, the best advice is to stay indoors. You can always plan outdoor fun at a safer and healthier time!

Check out AIRNow for more information.

We’ve recently added a new section to our website. It discusses payment and financing options for weight loss surgery at the Nicholson Clinic.

Whether you use insurance, choose to finance or decide on a cash payment plan, don’t get caught spending more money long-term. Most major insurance companies cover bariatric procedures as long as you meet their requirements. Your insurance may consider you a candidate for a weight-loss procedure if your BMI is at least 35 (with two underlying health conditions) or your BMI is 40 or greater (with no underlying health conditions). We have insurance experts on staff to help you get approved through the insurance process.

If you do not have insurance, do not meet your insurance requirements, or you have an exclusion on your policy, you can take advantage of our easy payment plans. Our payment plans include low interest rates and low monthly payments. You can qualify with a quick over-the-phone application.

We also have a breakdown of the cost of Gastric Bypass, Sleeve, and Lap-Band surgery. Take a look at the payment options of our website for more information.

Men who lose weight following gastric bypass surgery may have more satisfying sex lives than overweight or obese peers who do not have the surgery, according to the April issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. According to researchers who conducted the study, obese men often experience sexual problems that can include erectile dysfunction and shortness of breath during sex. The study shows that weight loss surgery and the dramatic weight loss that follows helps to increase levels of the male sex hormone testosterone, which may mean an improved sex life.

Researchers came to their conclusions by first measuring the men’s hormone levels at the beginning and end of the study. Participants were also asked about their quality of life, including sex life and sexual performance, during these two periods. On average, male participates weighed about 333 pounds and had a body mass index (BMI) of 46. (Note: we consider men to be a candidate for weight-loss surgery with a BMI of 40 or more for men or between 35 and 39.9 with a serious obesity-related health problem.) Weight loss and a decreased BMI were directly linked with increases in testosterone levels, decreases in the female sex hormone estradiol and improvements in self-reported sexual quality of life.

What does bariatric weight-loss surgery do for a woman’s sex life? A study hasn’t yet been conducted on women, although weight loss and typically resulting better body image and more positive self-esteem would seemingly contribute to increased satisfaction. Becoming more physically active after surgery also should help increase stamina and self confidence. Researchers point out that a woman’s sex drive is not as strongly linked to hormone levels, however.

About a week ago Dr. Nick was featured on Good Morning America Health for their segment “Is Weight Loss Surgery an Option?”

Unfortunately we are not able to embed the video directly on the blog, so click here or click the picture below to watch Dr. Nick discuss with Dr. Tim about weight loss surgery for people with moderate obesity.

Is Weight Loss Surgery an Option? via ABC News

If you’ve decided that you want to have a weight loss surgery that will result in a healthier, slimmer and more energetic you, then congratulations! The next big step is deciding which type of weight loss surgery is best for you.

Our clinic features three bariatric procedures: Gastric Bypass, Laparoscopic Gastric Band Surgery; and Sleeve Gastrectomy. That's because no one type of surgery works best for everyone. We encourage you to sign up for a free consultation with Dr. Nick to have any questions answered so that you, along with a medical professional who wants you to meet your weight loss goals, can together determine the right procedure for the best outcome.

Factors you’ll want to consider when considering each of the surgeries are how overweight you are and what weight-loss goals you want to achieve; whether you want a surgery that is reversible; future family plans such as pregnancy; which type of surgery you are most comfortable with; surgery risks and overall success rate; and even recovery time. Those are just a few of the highlights. We hope you’ll consider attending one of our free upcoming seminars to learn more about the surgery and what makes the Nicholson Clinic a choice you should trust. A seminar is planned this week on May 27, and two June dates are slated: June 9 and June 24. If interested, please sign up to hear more about which customized treatment can best meet your personal needs.

You’ll also need to decide whether you’re a candidate for weight-loss surgery. These surgeries aren’t intended for someone who wants to drop 20 or 30 pounds. Rather, candidates should have a body mass index–called BMI–of 40 or more, which translates to being about 100 pounds overweight for men and 80 pounds overweight for women. That BMI number may be lower if you have a life-threatening obesity-related health problem, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, severe sleep apnea, heart disease, or have been obese for at least five years.

Finally, ask yourself whether you are ready to commit to life-long lifestyle changes, as this surgery won’t just magically fix all your weight problems. Changing what and how you eat, adding exercise to your routine, and having the resolve to make the surgery a success can be big steps, and are something that you’ll need to be comfortable with doing. So, are you ready?

Over at WebMD, they took a look at 14 different fast-food chains to determine what fast-food chain has the healthiest french fries. They tested Arby’s, Burger King, Carl’s Jr., Chick-fil-A, Dairy Queen, Hardee’s, In & Out, Jack in the Box, KFC, Long John Silvers, McDonald’s, Sonic Drive-In, Wendy’s, and White Castle. It’s embarrassing, but I think I’ve tried just about all of these fast-food places, so I was very interested to see which one actually has the healthiest junk food.

The Best French Fries…
And the award for best fast-food french fry, healthwise, goes to … Sonic Drive-In’s regular fries, which are lowest in calories, fat grams, percentage of calories from fat, and total amount of “bad fats.” (As well as second lowest in sodium.) The runner up is McDonald’s small fries, which ranked second lowest in calories, fat grams, and “bad fats.”

It’s interesting to see so many of the same resturants show up multiple times for each category.

Lowest in Calories:
1. Sonic Drive-In regular fries (75 g): 220 calories
2. McDonalds small fries (71 g): 230 calories

Lowest in Fat:
1. Sonic Drive-In regular fries (75 g): 9 grams total fat
2. McDonald’s small fries (71 g): 11 grams total fat

Lowest Percentage of Calories From Fat:
1. Sonic Drive-In regular fries (75 g): 37%
2. Dairy Queen regular fries (114 g): 38%

Lowest in “Bad Fats” (saturated and trans fats):
1. Sonic Drive-In regular fries (75 g) = 1.5 grams saturated fat + 0 grams trans fat
2. McDonald’s small fries (71 g) = 1.5 grams saturated fat + 0 grams trans fat

Highest in Fiber:
1. Jack in the Box Natural Cut fries (124 g) = 5 grams fiber

Lowest in Sodium:
1. Chick-fil-A waffle potato fries: 80 mg
2. Sonic Drive-In regular fries: 100 mg

Disclaimer! We do not encourage anyone to go out and eat fast food on a regular basis, however making more decisions about what you choose to eat is a part of making a significant lifestyle change.

Fast-Food French Fries: Which are Healthiest? via WebMD