Heartburn is a very irritating and uncomfortable condition affecting millions of people. Heartburn is one of the symptoms of acid reflux. If you suffer from frequent heartburn, and have been diagnosed as having acid reflux, you should know that there have been a number of studies in recent years that have shown that there is a link between acid reflux and weight gain, even if the person was not originally overweight. As well, there have been studies that have shown that women who gained a few extra pounds were at risk of developing frequent heartburn.

Acid reflux is a medical condition in which the gastric or stomach acids rise up in the esophagus and the esophageal lining becomes damaged due to the high acidity. Even a moderate weight gain increases the risking of developing gastric reflux. The surplus fat builds up in the abdominal region resulting in an increase in stomach pressure. This pressure forces the sphincter muscle that is located between the stomach and esophagus to open which results in acid being able to move upward to the esophagus. It has been found that patients who lose more than 25 pounds of weight will minimize or stop instances of heartburn. Even a small weight decrease can relieve acid reflux symptoms.

The overweight and obese are at a higher risk of developing heartburn. Patients who want to lose weight and reduce acid reflux need to adopt a special acid reflux diet. This includes avoiding whole milk, fatty or fried foods, oils, chocolate, coffee, caffeinated soft drinks, fast foods, citrus fruits and juices, creamed foods, and tea. As well, avoid chewing gum, hard candy, late evening snacks, and eat small portions.

Recommended foods for an acid reflux diet include: vegetables, low-fat milk, fat free yogurt, non citrus fruits, bread, grains, low fat meat such as fish, chicken, and turkey. Avoid sausage, cold cuts, fatty red meats, bacon, and chicken skin and fat.

As you can see, adopting an acid reflux diet is very healthy and will help you lose weight. Because there have been a number of studies indicating that there is a link between acid reflux diet and one’s Body mass Index (BMI), people can now reduce or eliminate acid reflux and lose weight at the same time naturally. As well, because the stomach acids work their way up into the esophagus and erodes the esophagus lining, if left untreated, over time one could possibly develop cancer.

If you are one of the many people who have difficulty sticking to a diet on your own, there are specialized weight loss clinics that can provide support and monitor your weight loss and health while you lose the weight naturally. When you lose weight the natural way, you will discover that your overall health and well being are improved. Due to its many health benefits, it just makes sense to lose weight the natural way. Losing weight the natural way is quite easy when you make the commitment to live a healthier life.

However, the surgery is just not a matter of shrinking the stomach and bypassing the small intestine in order to consume less food. There are other measures that have to be taken such as the meals that are eaten after the weight loss surgery.

If a certain meal plan is not followed, the weight does not come off as quickly. One must remember that the stomach can expand. If the post-surgery rules are not followed, a person can actually gain weight back. The surgery merely makes the diet much easier because a person feels full due to their smaller stomach size. They do, however, have to avoid certain foods, avoid drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, and they must not eat beyond being full.

The foods

The diet that must be consumed after bypass surgery requires a plan. This plan consists of phases. For example, you have to eat certain foods within the first three months after having surgery. If you are wondering what foods, here they are:

• Foods such as diced meat that is easy to chew. If it is not easy to chew, then it does not need to be consumed. Fresh fruit and vegetables, canned fruits, cooked vegetables, and other foods with the same consistency. It is possible to go about eight weeks after surgery with these foods and then start going for foods that are a tad bit tougher than these.

• Foods that are in liquid or semi-liquid form at room temperature. This means you can have chicken broth, milk, juice, cooked cereal, and creamy soup. The liquid diet may only last one or two days after the surgery.

• Pureed foods must be consumed three to four weeks after surgery. Basically, these are one step up from your creamy soup. There shouldn’t be any pieces, so it may feel like paste is being consumed in some cases.

These are just the changes that are made after the surgery. There are some lifelong changes that have to be made such as:

• Eating smaller amounts. The stomach will only hold around 1 ounce of food after the surgery. Because the stomach does stretch, it may be possible at the end of three months to eat up to 1 ½ cups of food. Eating too much adds calories, but can also cause pain and cause the stomach to stretch too much.

• Never drink too fast because it is hard to tell if you’re full when you eat too fast. This can cause you to become sick. Such issues as nausea, vomiting, sweating, diarrhea, and dizziness can occur. So pace yourself.

• This one ties in with eating too fast. You don’t want to swallow your food without chewing it well. This can result in large pieces of food blocking the entrance to your small intestine. The opening is quite small.

Keep it up

These are the foods and the type of diet that an individual who has had gastric bypass can expect. It is very important to avoid foods that are high in fat and sugar, so make sure that smaller portions do not consist of such things.

If you follow this, then you will most certainly be a success in losing your unwanted weight.

This is a procedure that many people have had performed. When a person is between 50 and 100 pounds overweight (depending on doctor preference), he or she can have this procedure performed. As a matter of fact, it is so common that there have been some well-known celebrities go under the knife in order to help them lose that unwanted weight.

Who are they?

If you’re wondering who these celebrities are, you are about to get your answer. Here is a list of individuals who have been in the news because of their incredible weight loss. They left the spotlight or made themselves scarce and re-emerged as a new person.

• Star Jones – It is obvious that Star Jones has lost a lot of weight and she can thank gastric bypass for her success. Before, she had said she had undergone a “medical intervention” in order to lose the large amount of weight that she has lost. It was in September 2008 that she finally admitted that she had gastric bypass surgery. In a period of three years, she lost more than 160 pounds.

• Carnie Wilson – Carnie Wilson is another who had undergone the procedure. She is a great example for the fact that she did gain around 70 pounds when she was pregnant, but she did take the weight right back off. So yes, you can have the procedure and have children. The weight may come back during the pregnancy, but it can and will come back off if you follow your mean plan. In the case of Carnie, her weight loss surgery helped her to knock off almost 300 pounds.

• Randy Jackson – If you watch American Idol, you know who Randy Jackson is and you probably have heard him refer to his gastric bypass surgery at one time or another. He is very open about it and has found great success with it.

• Roseanne Barr – If you look at Roseanne, she is looking really good. She too has had gastric bypass surgery and is seeing great success.

• Al Roker – Al, a big celebrity on the Today show, has openly talked about his gastric bypass surgery. Everyone has probably noticed the incredible weight loss and how much happier Al is now that he has knocked off all of that weight.

So there you have celebrities who have openly talked about their bypass surgery. There are also some that are rumored. They have not yet come out of the weight loss closet, so that means it is just a matter of time before they do.

Rumored

If you’re wondering who the rumored celebrities are, you have Kirstie Alley, Anna Nicole Smith, and even Nicole Richie. But rumors are just rumors, right?

But rumors or no rumors, these are all individuals who have made great strides to lose the weight that they have lost. Sometimes it does take something such as gastric bypass to get the job done. It has a very high success rate. Just look at the before and after photos of these celebrities that are splashed all over the Internet. If those examples don’t spell success, then nothing will. That means that gastric bypass may be exactly what you need if you are in a battle with your weight.

Cost

Since everything in the world tends to revolve around money in some way, shape or form, it is important to compare these two surgical procedures in terms of their cost. Gastric bypass surgery is a very complicated procedure that requires specialized knowledge and instruments that are very delicate and perfectly crafted. With all of these things taken into account, the resulting cost for the surgery is very high. Lap band surgery on the other hand does not require knowledge as specialized to perform and the lap band instrumentation is a lot cheaper than the tools used in the gastric bypass surgery. This means that lap band surgery in the end is quite a bit cheaper than gastric bypass surgery.

Permanence

Gastric bypass surgery, for all intents and purposes, is a permanent thing. It is possible to change back whatever was done to you during such a surgery, but at the same time it is also important to realize that gastric bypass surgery is something that corrects a problem permanently. It is a permanent fix to a current problem. Lap band surgery on the other hand is really more of a treatment than it is a cure. Rather than changing things to make you feel better, its goal is to work with you to get better, at which point it can be removed. Gastric bypass surgery is therefore a lot more potentially life-changing in a negative way than lap band surgery would be.

Maintenance

For gastric bypass surgery, you have essentially signed your surrender against the current condition you are in. This means that in addition to this permanent change of surgery, you are also going to have to commit to a strict diet and a lot of exercise, as well as regular visits to the doctor to have your surgery monitored. With lap band surgery on the other hand, you can make any needed adjustments yourself and therefore allow yourself to go from an inactive and unhealthy lifestyle to one that is healthy and active at your own pace. Changes can be gradual and trips to the doctor are greatly reduced.

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Conclusion

On the three major issues of cost, permanence and maintenance, it is quite clear that lap band surgery knocks the pants off its gastric bypass counterpart. It is simply a better procedure in so many ways that the only logical conclusion that can be reached is that a lap band procedure is much better.

Lap band surgery isn’t meant to make a person lose weight all by itself. The best results are achieved when a person follows the guidelines of the doctor. Those guidelines are rather reasonable, so they should not be too difficult to follow.

Directly after lap band surgery

During the first two weeks after having the surgery, normal foods are out of the question. An all-liquid diet is required for at least the first week and then you can eat pureed foods. Sometimes a person may have to eat the pureed foods for up to 14 days. After that period, it is time to start moving to regular foods.

When moving on to regular foods in the weeks after lap band surgery, there are some foods that should be avoided. These foods include: popcorn, certain breads, nuts, dried fruits, pasta, coconut, and fried foods.

Also, in the guidelines given to you from your doctor, you will be told to take at least thirty minutes with your meal although it is a small meal. By no means should you eat fast because eating fast can be quite uncomfortable so soon after having the surgery. You’ll also be advised to stop eating as soon as you feel a feeling of fullness coming. Overeating can cause discomfort and still result in weight gain. And you will be told not to have liquids while eating your meal since liquids cause food to move more quickly through the digestive system.

Months after having lap band surgery

In the months following lap band surgery, high fat and high calorie foods should be avoided. It is also necessary to make sure that the foods that are eaten have adequate vitamins and minerals and that the foods are of a good variety to acquire the necessary nutrition. As far as drinking liquids, it is still not advised to drink during the meal, but about an hour after is fine. However, it is important to drink plenty of liquids between meals to keep the digestive system moving smoothly.

Be sensible

What it comes down to is eating healthy foods, not drinking during the meal, exercising on a regular basis, and following all guidelines by the doctor. If an adjustment is needed on the lap band, don’t be afraid to tell the doctor. The doctor will perform adjustments until the desired setting is reached that will promote optimal weight loss. It is possible to gain weight back with a lap band, but it is all in knowing when you’re approaching fullness and can stop eating.

Also, be sure to take the necessary supplements to avoid any type of malnutrition. The food selections should be adequate, but we all tend to not get enough of a certain nutrient because of our busy lifestyles. The entire process does take a lot of work, but it is effective and can change many aspects of a person’s life. The morbidly obese can become thin, athletic, and feel good about themselves. Many have been known to run marathons and participate in other activities that they never thought they would get to do. Most importantly, the quality and longevity of life are increased and many future health problems are avoided as a result of lap band surgery.