Alternatives When Considering Liposuction
One alternative method to traditional and tumescent liposuction is mesotherapy. Mesotherapy involves a series of injections of varying ingredients. According to advocates of this method, the injected fluid breaks down fatty pockets effectively and is the most minimally invasive of the liposuction techniques. Generally, it is not a more cost-effective method of getting rid of fat; on average each session costs around $500, and requires multiple repeat sessions to achieve the desired affect. This technique is controversial, and doctors encourage patients to carefully research options prior to deciding on this technique.
Doctors who regularly perform mesotherapy on patients claim that the mixes of chemicals injected under the skin literally melt the fat away. They also claim that not only does mesotherapy fight fat, it can also be used to treat backaches, headaches and neck pain. These surgeons are quick to cite a 1994-95 study claiming that those receiving the injections lost weight even without diet and exercise.
The American Association of Plastic Surgeons (AAPS) says that mesotherapy is not a guaranteed safe or effective method of removing excess fat, citing a lack of research data and evidence. Other critics call the method "too good to be true," and do not find the claims to melt fat away credible. They also say that while mesotherapists assert that risk factors are slim and downtime virtually non-existent, no one is quite sure what ingredients these chemical cocktails contain. Some may use various plant extracts, others chemical combinations or mixes of both. The general consensus among physician members of the AAPS is that it cannot be determined to be safe or effective until more hard data and case studies are performed.
Many other alternatives to liposuction are available to consumers. Most are unsupported by the AAPS but are widely available on the Internet and through TV Informercials. These methods tend to have extremely varied results, and are not supported by medical research or studies. Most of these alternative methods are based on the do-it-yourself principle and are backed by testimonials from past and present users of the product.
In the fast-paced world as we live in, many are not satisfied unless they achieve immediate results. Liposuction or liposuction alternatives seem to be the best route to go for many. It is safe to say that liposuction is not for everyone and often the risks will outweigh the benefits. According to the Food and Drug Administration, the only safe and effective alternative to liposuction is the tried and true route of diet and exercise. The FDA also suggests that people learn to accept the way they look and embrace who they are. The bottom line is that as one begins his or her search, they will likely be overwhelmed with advertisements and an overload of information to process. The best advice is to consult with a qualified cosmetic surgeon who will objectively review an individual’s needs and weigh the risks and benefits of any given procedure.
Liposuction Info provides comprehensive information on the costs of standard, tumescent, and abdominal liposuction, "before and after" information, liposuction alternatives, and more. Liposuction Info is the sister site of Tummy Tuck Web.
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LapBand Surgery. The Rules of the Road.Part 1
When you begin the decision making process to have Weight Loss Surgery (WLS), and specifically LapBand Surgery, it is vital that you fully understand the changes you must make in your lifestyle. WLS is never the magic pill. It is something that you must work at to be successful.
There are several rules and circumstances that a "Bandster" must follow and understand to see success and have a high quality banded life.
Drinking Before and After Meals
By far this is one of the most important things to learn and is vital to your weight loss success. It is also one of the most challenging.
You should stop drinking all liquids at least 30 minutes before your meal. This allows all that is in your pouch to drain through to the lower stomach. Therefore your pouch is empty when you eat allowing the food to fill you up properly.
During your meal you want to forgo all beverages. This is one of the hardest habits to break. Drinking during your meal simply flushes the food through your band and the band is unable to function properly.
For most of us we will have 2, 3 or even 4 glasses of a beverage with our meals. Servers in restaurants, trained to keep us happy, will keep our beverage full throughout our meal. As bandsters we need to stand up for ourselves and ignore the strange looks we get when we say, "Nothing to drink for me."
You must also not drink for an hour after a meal. The main reason is the same as drinking during your meal. Liquids wash the food through the band defeating its purpose. Another reason not to drink after a meal is if your pouch is full the beverage might not have anywhere to go?except backwards resulting in a spit-up. Suffice it to say that food and liquids making a return visit is not satisfying.
Start practicing this new behavior today. Start at your next meal. This will get you ahead of the game and help your success instrumentally.
Smaller Bites. More Chewing. Slower Eating.
If you watch most Americans eat, including myself pre-band, we don’t chew our food, heck we barely taste it. In my case a big bite, 4 cursory chews, and down it went.
The next thing you need to start getting your mind around and practicing is what a Bandster Bite is. At your next meal look at your bite size. Look at the amount of food on your fork and remember it. Now, cut that bite in half. This is your bite size after surgery. Now, cut that bite in half. This is the size of your bite after your first fill or adjustment. Each fill your bite size will get smaller until each bit is as if for a toddler. The reason for this is so the bite can be chewed completely to a liquid before swallowing.
This brings us to the next point, chewing. It is very important that your food is completely chewed. Before you swallow you want to make sure the food is a liquid. As you progress through this journey the opening from your pouch to the lower stomach will be getting smaller. Therefore you need to chew more thoroughly. If a piece of food is too big to go through the stoma, or opening, it will get “stuck”. Let us just say it is painful and you do not want this.
Finally with the smaller bites and the more thorough chewing comes the inevitable slower eating. Just slow down. If you eat too fast the bites get too big, you don’t chew properly and we are back to the food being stuck. Over a year in and I still find myself falling into this trap. We get excited, chatting with friends and just forget.
The quicker you create these habits the happier you will be in your banded life.
A Bandster’s Eating Order
As a bandster you have a specific order in which to eat your food. It is important that we get enough protein in our diet to keep our bodies moving properly. Therefore, you will need to make sure you are eating your protein first.
As WLS patients we need 40-60 grams of protein every day. We can get this in a variety of ways. Protein shakes, cheese, fish, beef, chicken, soy. The challenge comes when we can only tolerate certain foods. Also, it is important that we get as much "hard" protein (chicken, beef, and fish) as possible. We shouldn’t get it all from protein shakes and cheese.
When we sit down to a meal we need to eat our protein food first, vegetables second, and carbohydrates/starches last if there is room. Proteins last longer in the pouch and take longer to process through the band allowing us to feel full sooner and maintaining our satiety longer. As it turns out hard proteins are sometimes the most difficult to work with for a Bandster.
The hard proteins need to be more moist, more tender and chewed more completely than any other type of food. Generally, but not exclusively, the proteins are the foods that get stuck the most and cause spit ups. The reason for this is simple. The bite isn’t small enough and/or we haven’t chewed it to a liquid before swallowing.
For the record?Beef is generally the most difficult for bandsters. Beef is one of the most difficult foods for humans to digest. It can take several days for a piece of steak to actually work it’s way through the digestive track. And that’s on an unbanded person! So, if you eat a piece of steak and you don’t chew it up completely, which is difficult as steak is so fibrous, it can sit in your pouch for an extended about of time and your stomach acids are not there to help break it down. Eventually, this piece of food can fall over your stoma and get stuck. This piece of steak that you ate two days ago can still be in your pouch and you can still spit it up at this late date.
Remember each and every person is different so you will have to test your own waters. I’m not here to tell you what to eat or what not to eat. Some Bandsters have no trouble with beef whatsoever; others won’t go near it. Trust me you will figure out what you can tolerate and what you can’t. Trust me too when I say these things change. One day ground beef is fine and the next you realize it isn’t any longer. You must be willing and able to adapt to sudden changes.
Robin McCoy was banded on February 3,2004. She has reached her weight loss goal of 110 pounds. Robin is Vice-President and Senior Writer for Lapband Lifestyle, a resource and support group for LapBand patients. lapbandlifestyle.com [email protected]
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