Walk from Obesity – May 14

April 1, 2011

Join the Weight Loss Center of Oklahoma for the Walk from Obesity event. This event not only raises awareness but brings together all who are affected by obesity.

The theme of the Walk is “participation on foot.”

To register, go to www.walkfromobesity.com.  If you would like to mail in your registration contact us for a form.

●     Early registration is only $25

●     On-site registration will be $30

●     Children under the age of 12 are FREE

●     All registrations include a Walk from Obesity t-shirt

Walk Location:
Earlywine Park
3033 SW 119th Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73170

Walk Date: May 14th, 2011

On-site Registration Will Open At: 9:00 AM

Walk Will Begin At: 10:00 AM, finish before noon

Walk Information: The Walk will be held rain or shine. Earlywine has a beautiful 1.5 mile paved track. You may form teams of walkers/fundraisers or participate as an individual. You do not need to walk to participate – you can cheer on the walkers as well.

Walkers: You may seek pledges using the online tools after registration.

Event Sponsors: Please contact Barry Keith directly for local Walk sponsorship information and opportunities.

For more information or to volunteer your services for the Walk, please contact:

Barry Keith
info@mywellnessjourney.com
405-735-2049

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New AHA Report Details the Benefits of Weight Loss Surgery

March 26, 2011

A new scientific report from the American Heart Association shows its support for the idea that weight loss surgery benefits severely obese people, with the benefits of having the surgery usually outstripping the risks of surgery. Severely obese people are, in this case, defined as those having a Body Mass Index of 40 or over with or without diseases associated with obesity. The report comes after researchers in the United States and Canada assessed the heart risks as well as other health risks of bariatric patients.

While all surgery has risks, the report stated that the benefits, such as weight loss and improvements to blood pressure, cholesterol levels and diabetes, outweigh the risk for the patients. Obesity is becoming an epidemic in the United States and according the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than one-third of the American population is obese and more than five percent of the population is considered extremely obese.

Health risks are high for those who are considered obese, including higher risk of diabetes, heart attacks and strokes as a result of high blood pressure and cholesterol.

The study also cautions that bariatric surgery needs to be considered on a case by case basis and not all obese candidates are suitable for surgery. According to the most recent figures from the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery, 220,000 people underwent weight loss surgery in the United States in 2009.

For more information on this topic and to read he full article at Bloomberg.com, please visit: http://bloom.bg/fQFPqW.

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How important is Protein after Bariatric Surgery?

March 15, 2011

After bariatric surgery, you want to eat foods that not only keep you full for a long time, but burn fat too, right? But which foods are those? Foods that are high in protein, such as chicken, beef, nuts and beans, are your best choices.

According to the Harvard School of Public Health, protein is found throughout the body—in muscle, bone, skin, hair, and virtually every other body part or tissue. It makes up the enzymes that power many chemical reactions and the hemoglobin that carries oxygen in your blood.

Foods high in protein are harder for your body to digest which burns fat and aids your metabolism. Also, those same foods are slow to move between the stomach and the intestines which can help avoid dumping syndrome or other discomfort. They also have a slow, steady effect on your blood sugar (it doesn’t spike). This helps you to feel fuller both faster and longer.

Why is this important to someone who has had bariatric surgery? Your caloric intake is limited, so you want to have the foods that make you feel full. Protein is the key!

In order to feel your best, make sure to have plenty of protein. It gives you energy and keeps you full, which assists in your weight loss. Of course, you should always speak to your dietitian to make sure you are sticking to their post-operative plan for you.

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You May Not Have Known

March 4, 2011

You may not have known how Dr. Gornichec got to where he is, performing weight loss surgery in Oklahoma City. Back in college, Dr. Gornichec wanted to become a professional football player before a knee injury sidelined his collegiate career. He dropped out of college after two years and became a firefighter/paramedic in Dallas, Texas. Trained in swift water rescue and hazardous material management, Dr. Gornichec also completed an Associates Degree in Fire Protection technology.

During this time, Dr. Gornichec met two trauma surgeons, Drs. Purdue and Thal who suggested that he go to medical school, great advice that Dr. G took. After completing his undergraduate degree, he attended UT Southwestern Medical School and completed surgical training at Baylor University Medical Center.

Dr. Gornichec moved to Oklahoma and became a general surgeon, on active duty for the Air Force until 2003 when he separated from the armed forces. At that point a local physician asked him to help start a laparoscopic weight loss practice where, in 2003, he performed the first laparoscopic gastric bypass in Edmond.

Dr. Gornichec’s desire to recreate a hospital based weight loss surgery program like the one at Baylor led him to join forces with Integris Baptist Medical Center in 2006. Now the medical director of the program, the weight loss center has improved every year, most recently receiving an American College of Surgeons Center of Excellence designation.

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Free Weight Loss Surgery Seminar February 28th, 2011

February 24, 2011

We hope you’ll join us for a totally free weight loss seminar on February 28th, 2011 from 5:30-8:30pm. At this seminar you will learn more about the gastric bypass, gastric sleeve and the gastric banding procedures (Lap-Band and Realize Band). You’ll also learn about our state-of-the-art facilities and our dedicated bariatric staff.

Did you know that attending this weight loss seminar will fulfill a critical requirement to undergo a procedure at our center? It is a required part of our surgical weight loss program. It will also provide you with practical advice on what to expect throughout your weight loss journey. Details of the seminar can be found below:

Location: INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center
Date: January 24, 2011
Time: 5:30pm - 8:30pm

To Register:
Call (405) 951-2277
or visit our Oklahoma City Weight Loss Seminars page 24-7 to sign up

Address:
INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center
Oklahoma City, OK 73112
Conference Room F/G

Looking forward to seeing you there!

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Medical Weight Loss

February 23, 2011

I am frequently asked if medical weight loss is an option for surgical weight loss patients. The short answer is yes, absolutely. Surgical weight loss is a great tool to help someone lose weight and keep it off. Anyone who has had a surgical weight loss procedure understands better than anyone that it is only a tool and does not guarantee a person to reach “normal” body weight. Each procedure is unique and offers variable “success” rates from 30-80% excess body weight loss.

So what if you had a procedure but have not reached your personal goal weight? Many patients will attempt to use pre-procedural weight loss tricks and programs that may not be suited for their current anatomy. Some patients from other programs have informed me that their surgeon’s clinic does not offer any additional weight loss support beyond surgery and so they go to weight loss centers that are unfamiliar with their altered anatomy. I decide 2 years ago to offer both surgical and medical weight loss options to everyone. I realize there is a need to assist both surgical and non-surgical patients to achieve reasonable weight loss goals.

When a patient has undergone a surgical procedure and desires additional reasonable weight loss but has been having difficulty in success there can be various reasons that need to be identified.

First the procedure needs to be identified and the anatomy confirmed. This means researching records on what procedure was done and when and defining if that procedure is intact (radiographic or endoscopic analysis). Each procedure has its strengths and weaknesses so the patient is reminded of these and a food journal is helpful is deciding if eating behavior is appropriate for the anatomy (food journals are tedious and compliance is a big issue. Smart phone applications like “lose it!” can be very helpful and it’s free). A visit with one of the providers or our dietician can be beneficial in reinforcing good eating behavior and identifying behavior that is counter-productive.

Appetite control with each procedure is also variable and many patients complain that hunger issues are the main reason for their inability to maintain a recommended eating behavior pattern. Appetite suppressants are safe after surgical weight loss but may not be as effective as they were before surgery. Some suppressants are contraindicated after certain types of procedures as well. Prescription and non-prescription formulas are available after proper consultation but be ready to change to another formula if the first regime is ineffective (follow up is important).

Most restrictive procedures do not provide for maintaining adequate basal metabolic rates (BMR) when decreased caloric consumption is better tolerated after the procedure. This can result in weight loss plateaus and severe frustration. Realize that BMR can be measured and in my experience a BMR below 1700 Kcal/day will make it extremely hard for that patient to lose any further fat storage. If a patient has a low BMR than a program designed to raise metabolism is going to be more effective than continuing to decrease caloric intake. Please ask for and review the “Metabolic Story”, an article I wrote for a national journal that I reproduced on my website and have copies for distribution at my office.

Understand that whether you had surgery or not various factors are in play to prevent your body from “burning” your adipose tissue stores (fat cells). Each individual will have unique barriers to reducing this tissue and one program is not going to work for everyone. Don’t spend a lot of money on fad diets and products that have little to no research evidence (HCG diets) for success. These very low calorie diets are another type of starvation and result in muscle wasting rather that fat burning and that kind of weight loss is not sustainable over the long term. For more information contact our office at 405-713-4450.

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Updating the Website

February 23, 2011

Each year I like to update the look and feel of the www.WeightLossCenterOK.com website. The site received a fresh new look last year and a new address. Many patients have commented on their desire to be featured on the testimonial page. With the New Year I have again provided access to this process. Any interested patient can go to Picture People at Penn Square Mall in Oklahoma City and receive a prepaid photo shoot (similar to a glamour shoot) provided by my clinic. A free 8X10 selection will be provided from the shoot. An additional discounts have been provided if a patient desires to have other family members involved or desires to acquire additional photos packages. I will contact patients that participate to get consent and a few statements that will be attached to their “before and after” photos before placing them on the website. Contact Kim at 713-4450 if you have any questions or problems with the process. We usually use the clinic “before” photos but can accept other “before” pictures that are provided if a patient desires. I will also be contacting the Integris Weight Loss site to inquire if they would also like to add this feature to their site.

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New Protein Supplements Available

February 23, 2011

Due to requests from around the world for higher protein “snacks” an American based company called Health Wise has created high protein snacks for everybody at a very reasonable price. The Weight Loss Center has trialed these products with great success and decided to stock them for those of us seeking a healthier and tastier alternative. Health Wise has created protein bars, smoothies, gelatin, cheese puffs and, if you can believe it, BBQ potato chips that have a high protein to carbohydrate ratio with a low calorie content.

In the past these products have tasted like cardboard and were very unpopular. Imagine our surprise when samples were sent that actually tasted like their unhealthy counterparts. Suffice it to say the samples did not last long and the first shipment order is going fast. These products fit into the weight loss diet and actually help to curb hunger cravings by providing high protein and low carbohydrate alternatives to the usual junk food. The products are not yet available on the web site but can be found at our clinic while supplies last. We will most likely continue to reorder as demand increases so try back often if our supply runs out. At present I do not know of another location that supplies these products so if anyone finds other sources lets us know so we can spread the word.

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FDA Approves Lap-Band in Lower BMI Patients

February 23, 2011

Speaking of adjustable banding procedures the FDA has approved the use of Lap-Bands in obese patients previously excluded from this procedure. In February 2011 the FDA reviewed the research provided and agreed that the Allergan Lap-Band is a safe and effective device to facilitate long term weight loss in patients with a BMI of 30 or greater provided they have at least one co-morbidity (hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, etc.). This allows over 60 million Americans who previously were not candidates to consider this tool for their weight loss needs. This is a big step in this country in recognizing the obesity epidemic and allowing patients to make an informed decision regarding their health care. The Lap-Band is a good tool to help control portion size and decrease between meal hunger issues in patients with the proper education and medical supervision. The device is also a great anti-reflux tool and has corrected GERD in a vast majority of patients who use this device for weight loss. FDA approval for gastric reflux disease or diabetes alone is still not available but could be introduced in the future. Please remember that FDA approval does not mean that insurance companies will race forward to change the benefit criteria on their policies anytime soon. My experience has been that federal programs such as Medicare will be the first to evaluate the new standard and make changes over time that might mean a delay of 4-5 years. Private carriers could be even slower to make changes. Let us hope that past experience does not repeat itself and that political pressure can be applied to insurance companies to change their policies sooner than later. If you have a BMI between 30 to 34 with at least one co-morbidity and your policy allows band placement only above a BMI of 35 you can write your insurance company for an exclusion exemption. The other option is cash pay.

Leave a Comment » | Bariatric Surgery, Lap-Band, News, Procedures | Permalink
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Coldest Winter on Record in Oklahoma

February 23, 2011

Hopefully winter is behind us and everyone can start looking forward to windy warmer weather in Oklahoma City. The freezing cold temperatures should make the summer insect population better this year and is reported to decrease the pollen issue this spring. Anyone who has seasonal allergies can appreciate even a little improvement. The cold weather resulted in dry air patterns and less humidity and episodes of over restriction from several patients. Please remember that hydration is not a seasonal issue and dehydration makes restrictive procedures like the bypass, sleeve and bands feel tighter.

The pollen counts should be climbing higher with the warmer temperatures so monitor this carefully and take non-drowsy formula anti-histamine before you begin to have symptoms. I recommend if you have an adjustable restrictive device (i.e. Band procedure) to get an adjustment to remove some fluid before symptoms of dysphagia (trouble or difficulty swallowing) begin.

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