Did you know that huge, rapid weight loss whether from bariatric surgery, weight loss meds or a hybrid of the two can result in a 20-25% loss of muscle mass? Did you catch that? 20-25% loss of muscle mass! Yes, they’re all the rage right now….weight loss medications also known as obesity meds and GLP-1 medications.

As medical professionals, we tend to use the term obesity medications. Why? Because obesity truly is a disease and these meds treat more than just weight with positive effects on diabetes, blood fats, blood pressure, food noise, cravings and more. Studies are finding that the use of these medications, when appropriate, in combination with bariatric surgery can result in even more long term, weight loss success.

But what about this loss of your muscle mass along with the weight? How does the loss of muscle mass affect your success long term and even your health? What do you need to know right now to preserve or increase your muscle mass so you enjoy great success? Bariatric sports dieititian Kim Tirapelle joins me to answer these questions and more. You don’t want to miss this discussion.

Podcast Guest:

Kim Tirapelle, MS, RD, CSSD

Bariatric Sports Dietitian

Website: www.activebariatricnutrition.com

Podcast: www.activebariatricnutrition.com/podcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/activebariatric/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4QJLjJ5vSzbCiXTlR59Tpw

TikTok: @ActiveBariatricNutrition

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ActiveBariatric

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Are you feeling some stress right now from all of the holiday events plus your own shopping and preparation? Need a long winter’s nap? Is your sleep being affected or are you just not getting enough of it right now? About how many hours of sleep a night do you average? Five or less? Seven or more?

What do you think? Can getting the sleep your body craves keep you from feeling hungry? Could a good night’s sleep even affect your weight and that dreaded weight regain after surgery? Here’s what you need to know about sleep right now to stay on track this season.

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Let’s talk sleep. Are you dragging booty today? How many hours of sleep did you get last night? Did you know that a good night’s sleep of seven or more hours can affect your weight now and weight regain down the track? Sleep is like nutrition for your brain. Let me explain.

If you’re what’s called a short sleeper, you’re averaging 5 hours or less a night. Being a short sleeper is tied to being hungry and gaining weight. Totally the opposite of what happens when you sleep 7 or more hours a night.

Sleep improves what’s dietitians call food restraint. This means that when you’re adequately rested, you tend to have more control over what you choose to eat and when you choose to eat it. This is the opposite of what happens when you’re stressed and tired and when eating the door off the refrigerator looks like a good option. Know what I mean? The decisions you make about what to eat, when you’re sleep deprived, are not your best ones. Think about it…do you notice it to be true for you? You’re tired and you’re hungry and you tend to crave carbs.

Find out many more benefits of sleep to prevent weight gain and what you can do this week to make a difference. Listen to the podcast now.

I can almost hear you moan as you say to me, “how do I survive the holidays without weight regain? What can I eat? What about dessert? Can I drink a holiday cocktail? Can I have my favorite foods without kicking in cravings or imploding my nutrition plan?” Bariatric dietitian Gayle Smith joins me to answer all of your holiday questions so you have a plan.

Podcast Guest:

Gayle Brazzi Smith MS, RDN, CSOWM, LDN

Registered & Licensed Dietitian

Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery Institute

Orlando, FL

Email: gayle.brazzismith@orlandohealth.com

Website: OrlandoHealth.com/Bariatrics

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RESOURCES:

Is alcohol after bariatric surgery risky? EP 171

Zesty pomegranate mocktail

“I don’t want to regain weight. I’m not so sure that I want to go back to a regular diet either. What if my cravings come back?” I hear you and I hear this a lot. These questions are totally valid. How do you eat for long term success after bariatric surgery? Let’s go beyond the surgery and look at 7 smart-eating tips for bariatric success now and down the road.

RESOURCES:

FREEBIE: Protein: 10 tips that work daily for a successful journey

Helpful podcast episodes:

Can’t Poop? Add these 7 foods to your diet

Conquering the Big C: Constipation after WLS

Can you really eat carbs?

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Tips discussed in depth:

1. become aware of the size of your bites
2. ditch the grazing
3. divide food into 3 meals + 1-2 snacks
4. eat protein first
5. deep dive on protein
6. choose smart carbs
7. focus on fluids

It’s not the before mindset, it’s the after surgery mindset a few years down the track when you fall back into those old habits.That’s the headspace no one talks about prior to surgery. Until now. You don’t want to miss this. Bariatric psychologist Dr. Connie Stapleton joins me to share what to do down the road when the wheels fall off. Whether its from self sabotage, or sabotage by those who love you, emotional eating, bullying, depression…/whatever it is…we’re talking about how to go from a setback to a comeback and regain control of your bariatric lifestyle.

Podcast Guest:

Connie Stapleton, Ph.D.

Website: http://www.conniestapletonphd.com

BariAftercare: The Podcast

Mind Prep The Book: How To Prepare for Bariatric Surgery and Live as a Healthy Post-Op: Mind Prep: The Book

BariAftercare Daily Progress Journal

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RESOURCES

Freebie: Sheet Pan Dinners

EP 100 Transfer Addiction

This is an exciting time, isn’t it? You’ve had metabolic and bariatric surgery and your new transformation has begun. But who are we kidding? It can also be a time of confusion and uncertainty. What do you eat now? In the next few days? What about these first 6-8 weeks? It can be overwhelming but I’m here to help you. I have helpful tips and suggested recommendations so you get the best outcome on your new journey.

Tip 1: you will fill up much more quickly than you did before surgery. Because you don’t have a lot of room for quantity, eat your protein food first. Chew it so well that you’re like a blender and it becomes pureed similar to baby food in your mouth. You want to get in that 60-80 grams of protein a day so starting with it first helps you be successful with that daily goal. Plus protein makes you feel full and satisfied.

Tip 2: this is the time to learn to eat very slowly with a meal taking 20-30 minutes. I know, unheard of here in the US where our meals tend to be gulp and go. Taking your time lets you feel and learn fullness cues. Stop when you are full and prevent vomiting and the stretching of your pouch from overeating.

Tip 3: now is the time to separate liquids from solid food. What does that mean? You may have heard it call the 30-30 rule. It means to drink your beverages 15-30 minutes before you eat and 30 minutes after you eat. Why does this matter? Your capacity for food is much smaller and you want to meet your food and fluid goals. You will accomplish this more easily by separating liquids from food. Remember 8+ cups of water or 2 plus liters is what you are aiming for each day along with your food.

Resources mentioned:

EP 50 How to choose the best protein powder

The 30-30 rules: do you need to follow it?

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"Should I take biotin for my hair loss?" "My hair’s falling out since my surgery. What can I do to stop it?" I’m asked both of these questions frequently in my Facebook group. Are you experiencing this too and have the same questions? What can you do about it? The right nutrition strategies are so important after your surgery. I’ll answer the biotin question plus share specific foods to include in your diet for new hair growth.

Offers and Resources:

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What are you having for dinner tonight? Do you need some quick ideas? I’m a big fan of sheet pan dinners. I’m make them often using salmon, shrimp or chicken. You can try some easy sheet pan dinners if you want: https://www.breakingdownnutrition.com/sheetpandinners

Resource page with links : https://breakingdownnutrition.com/resources

I know you may be losing your hair. Here’s some good news you’ll like. After rapid weight loss, typically from bariatric surgery, hair loss is very common. It’s not permanent and your hair should grow back.

So should you take biotin for your hair loss? Maybe a friend is taking it and swears by it. Maybe you read online that if you take biotin, you’ll have new hair growth in no time. While biotin, a B vitamin, is important for hair health, you should get enough from your bariatric multivitamin. In addition, small amounts of biotin are found in lots of different foods, especially eggs, nuts, salmon, sunflower seeds and some vegetables including sweet potatoes. Once you are back to eating a regular diet, you can include these foods that contain biotin. Even if you feel your diet is not quite there yet, consuming too little biotin may not be a problem anyway because intestinal bacteria produces biotin.

Too much biotin, and this amount has been suggested to be around 20 mg a day, interferes with the testing of thyroid function and causes false lab reports. So if you have Hashimoto’s disease for instance or take thyroid medications, you could get inaccurate results on thyroid function which could also affect medication dosage. Taking your bariatric multivitamin is typically not a problem as the amount is appropriate, probably .6 mg day versus 20 and additional supplementation is not a good idea.

I know, you want hair growth right now. I hear you so I get the interest in biotin. It feels terrifying but it’s totally normal to lose 5-15% of your hair from bariatric surgery and the rapid weight loss that follows. Typically it does’t last more than 6 months. It’s just a pain in your patootie to go thru. And 6 months seems like forever but hair goes thru cycles.

This episode also covers the reasons that hair loss happens, the 4 phases of a hair follicle and the strategies to put into place now.

What do you think about when you hear the term bariatric-friendly food? Boring, maybe tasteless? What is bariatric-friendly food anyway? Is it easy to prepare and yummy to eat? I want you to meet culinary dietitian Regina Ragone who has spent years creating delectable recipes for Family Circle Weight Watchers magazines. She has test kitchen secrets to share for making bariatric-friendly food you will love.

From knives to cutting boards, salt and frozen foods Regina shares many things she learned in the test kitchens. Great discussion you don't want to miss.

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Podcast Guest:

Regina Ragone, MS, RDN

Culinary Dietitian

Website: https://www.reginaragone.com/

Email: contactus@breakingdownnutrition.com

Rate, Review & Follow on Apple Podcasts:

"I love Dr. Susan and Bariatric Surgery Success." If this sounds like you, would you please rate and review my podcast on Apple podcasts? Yes, I'd love a 5 star review! LOL Be sure and say what you love most about the podcast. Thank you for your time!

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Do you receive my weekly newsletter called Breaking Down Nutrition? If not, what are you waiting for? It’s a quick way to keep up on nutrition for your bariatric lifestyle. Sign up today on my website: Breaking Down Nutrition. You’ll be the first to know about helpful nutrition tips and recipes, giveaways, product specials and the latest podcast and upcoming interviews that you don’t want to miss like this one with Regina.