Life doesn’t usually stop just because you’ve decided to get VSG. You still have the same commitments: work, family, friends, church, community. And on top of those things, you now have to work with your gastric sleeve diet and fitness needs. Or worse, maybe your already-hectic schedule suddenly becomes even more hectic—going back to work ...
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Beating the “Comparison Disease” After Gastric Sleeve Surgery
“Wow, she’s lost a lot more weight with VSG than I have.” “Why isn’t my muscle tone as good as his?” The urge to compare yourself to others around you is bone-deep for most humans; it’s not unique to those who’ve undergone vertical sleeve gastrectomy. But the procedure does introduce a new temptation to judge ...
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Skin Removal Surgery After Gastric Sleeve
Thanks to your VSG and a lot of hard work, you’ve reached your weight and health goals. Congratulations! Only one thing is marring your happiness: all of the excess skin left behind. It’s a common complaint among gastric sleeve patients, especially if their weight loss can be counted in the hundreds of pounds. Some people ...
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Dealing with Depression After Gastric Sleeve
You’ve had vertical sleeve gastrectomy and are winning the weight loss war for the first time in years—or ever. So why do some patients feel anything but joyful? From simple explanations (it’s a big change) to more complex issues (losing your coping mechanism), one or a combination of several factors can contribute to feelings of ...
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Fighting Carb Addiction After Your Gastric Sleeve
Most VSG patients have a love-hate relationship with carbs: They love to eat them and hate what they do to their weight. Carb addiction is very real—and a very real threat to your gastric sleeve diet. Whether you’re on your first day of the pre-op program or years into your sleeve journey, a compulsion to ...
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An Action Plan for Gastric Sleeve Patients (Part 2)
In last week’s article, I tackled the first steps in shedding weight you’ve regained after vertical sleeve gastrectomy: “get your head right” (manage triggers) and “plan to succeed” (meal planning, meal prepping, and building in contingencies). This week, I’ll share additional tips to get you back on track with your gastric sleeve diet. Step 3: ...
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An Action Plan for Gastric Sleeve Patients (Part 1)
When patients first start losing weight after their vertical sleeve gastrectomy, they think of each pound as being gone forever. Sometimes that’s true—and, by the way, I encourage that way of thinking. But at some point during their journey, many sleevers discover that they’ve started to regain a bit of the weight they’ve lost. Watching ...
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Unexpected Money After VSG Surgery
When you’re contemplating gastric sleeve surgery, cost is certainly top of mind. And while the amount you’ll spend is usually the focus, did you know there are a long list of ways you may save money after the procedure? Some of those savings are no-brainers (bye-bye unhealthy snack food), but other items may be surprising ...
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Gastric Sleeve Surgery as a New Year’s Resolution
What would it feel like to start the new year without a resolution about weight loss? Millions of overweight and obese individuals can’t begin to imagine such freedom, but my VSG patients have the luxury of dedicating the coming year to family, career, hobbies—anything except weight loss! Here’s what it looks like when you’re living ...
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