According to Obesitysurgicalcenter.org, 127 million adults in America are over weight. Of those 60 million are obese and 9 million severely obese. Gastric bypass and other similar surgeries are among the fastest growing elective surgeries in the country, next to breast augmentation. Gastric bypass is reserved for those who are morbidly obese, and for them, the benefits are endless. According to Obesehelp.net, a web site which explains the surgery, 75% of patients can expect to lose up to 80% of their body weight, 80% will be off hypertension medications and 90% with type two diabetes will be off medication as well, just to name a few.
Not everyone who has this surgery is successful in weight loss for many reasons. The surgery can be complicated and dangerous as well. During the surgery, a section of stomach is sealed off to reduce the amount of food which can be eaten, if the seal is broken by over eating, the results can be serious and even fatal. This is why many patients have follow up education and care, including and overview of proper diet and exercise, before and after the surgery. Unfortunately many clinics neglect long term post care, however there are other ways of maintaining your healthy lifestyle.
Just because someone is over weight or obese does not mean they are sitting down every night for dinner and eating an entire ham. They might be obese because of genetics, binge eating, lack of health knowledge or emotional attachments. Learning about a new lifestyle is easy, most starts by visiting a dietitian or physician to learn about proper food choices and exercise plans. The hard part it applying your new knowledge to your day to day living which can be made more difficult by emotional attachments to food. It is essential to learn why you ate poorly in the first place, it could be lack of food choices or an emotional connection. Many people eat when they are upset or depressed and some might simply be bored. Maybe there is a happy memory associated with food which makes you crave certain things such as a giant brownie. Many have Gastric bypass surgery and are unsuccessful because they have not addressed all their issues with food, which almost always requires help.
Some may choose to continue following up with a physician or counselor while other choose to go a different route such as using hypnosis. Hypnosis works with the mind in many different ways. One way it works is by addressing problems or emotions attached to food. Rarely does post care touch on the emotional bond a patient might have with food. Hypnosis researches and finds out why food has taken such a hold. Another way is by combating cravings for favorite foods and replacing those cravings with better healthier options such as exercise and health foods.
There are no limits when using hypnosis, as it deals with the mind making it very successful in those who are looking to lose weight or maintain weight loss. It works by helping you to see your memories, associations and feelings about food to improve in your life and choices. Some may feel counselor, dietitian and physician visits are the only way to insure a successful Gastric bypass surgery. Those visits should happen, but with hypnosis you gain a better understanding as to why you feel the way you do towards food and how you can regain control of your life and help make your Gastric bypass surgery the best it can be.
Weight loss options are always evolving and changing making your choice much more difficult to decide which is best for you. It is difficult enough without all the fad diets, gimmicks and infomercials telling you to buy their new super diet product. However, it is important to research all the new methods and diets out there before making a final decision for something extreme like surgery. If you do elect surgery, consider using hypnosis as a tool in addition to your arsenal again your battle with the bulge.
Patrick Glancy, NGH Board Certified Hypnotist
Weight Loss Hypnosis
Quick Hypnosis - Hypnosis on CD and Download
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