Why a Runny Nose and Sneezing May Signal Overeating

Posted on 06/27/2011 by Dee

Sneezing after overeatingEver since my WLS I have noticed that I frequently get a runny nose that no amount of Neti Pot saline rinses, antihistamines or allergy relief medication will get rid of.  What is up with this?

And let’s not talk about the constant sneezing just as I am taking my last few (yummy) bites of dinner.  Three, four, even five sneezes in a row.  What is making me sneeze?  Do I need to dust more often?



As luck would have it, I was casually browsing through one of my favorite forums and found mention of this runny nose issue for post-gastric bypass surgery patients.  My eyes widened and I read on.
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Weight Loss Surgery: Which Type Should You Have?

Posted on 04/03/2011 by Dee

Decide what type of weight loss surgery you will have Surgical procedures use two basic methods to cause weight loss:  Restriction and/or Malabsorption.

Restriction limits how much food you can eat at one time.  This is done by making a portion of your stomach smaller so it holds less food.  This way, you feel full after eating a small amount.

Malabsorption limits how much food your body absorbs.  This is done by shortening the small intestine so that food only travels through a short section.  The result is that most of the food eaten is expelled as waste and not absorbed as energy.


What I learned is that the LAP-BAND® is only a restrictive procedure.  Also, it is meant to be permanent, not temporary.  It also requires regular office visits to have “fills”.  There is a port just under your skin  by your tummy, where your surgeon inserts a needle to fill the LAP-BAND® with saline solution to tighten the band every so often.
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Body Mass Index (BMI) Calculator – FREE iPhone App

Posted on 03/29/2011 by Dee

I found this FREE iPhone App:  BMI Calculator from NHLBI.  The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s BMI (Body Mass Index) calculator is a useful tool to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems. The downloadable phone application puts the fully functioning calculator right on your phone, along with links to resources on the NHLBI site.  It is available for download from the iTunes Store.  Find it under Healthcare & Fitness > American Institutes for Research.  It is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.  Did I mention that it is FREE?  Check it out and tell me what you think.

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Why Am I Fat?: Obesity Causes And Effects

Posted on 01/30/2011 by Dee

Over the past decade, obesity has become recognized as a national health threat and a major public health challenge. In 2007–2008, approximately 72.5 million adults in the United States were obese (CDC, unpublished data, 2010).

Statistics show that people are trying to lose weight either through medically supervised diet programs, commercially operated programs, or fad diets.  The success dieters experience varies greatly depending on starting weight, diet method, and length of diet.  Some dieters do achieve and maintain a reduced body weight, although not necessarily their goal weight.  The sad truth is that the majority of dieters regain all of the weight they lost —and sometimes even more — within two to five years.

For unsuccessful dieters, each pound regained will take its toll in personal frustration and an overwhelming sense of failure.  For the severely obese the toll of those regained pounds may be especially high.  Continue reading →

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Michelle Obama Says “Let’s Move!”

Posted on 01/16/2011 by Dee

Let's MoveThis may be a slight departure from my usual posts, but I thought it was important to share this link to the First Lady’s program, “Let’s Move!”. If you are like me, my poor eating habits started in childhood.
The tips in the EAT HEALTHY section states…”Parents and caregivers play a key role in making healthy choices for children and teaching children to make healthy choices for themselves. But in today’s busy world, this isn’t always easy. So Let’s Move! will offer parents and caregivers the tools, support and information they need to make healthier choices and instill healthy habits in children that will last a lifetime.”

Even as adults, we too can follow what she has outlined in this wonderful program!

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Why Can’t I Sleep?: Obesity Related Sleep Disorders

Posted on 11/03/2010 by Dee

For months, if not years, I had been having trouble sleeping.  I would wake up several times during the night and could not fall back to sleep.  I got up to go the bathroom at least twice every night.  Sometimes I was sweaty, sometimes cold.  In the morning I did not feel refreshed; I was still tired and didn’t want to get out of bed.  I would get very sleepy driving to and from work.  I was told that I snored…but I didn’t believe it! 

I finally discussed my sleep difficulties with my physician.  She suggested that I try Melatonin which is available over the counter.   That wasn’t successful so then we tried prescription sleep aids.  These would definitely help me fall asleep, but I wouldn’t stay asleep.  Still, I would awaken during the night and felt tired the next day.  The effects of using some of the sleep aids, was worse than not taking anything at all.  I was so groggy the next day I could hardly function for an hour or so.

Then, she suggested that I have a sleep study.  I thought about it, but I wasn’t too keen on the idea.  I kept trying the pills until I got fed up.  Then we scheduled the sleep study.

You report to a sleep laboratory late in the evening, around 8:30pm.  The sleep laboratory looked like a doctor’s office, but the examining room was just like a hotel bedroom!  Weird!

You slip into your jammies and then they attach sensors to your legs, arms, chest and a whole bunch on your face and on your scalp.  They use some gunk to make them stick that gets all stuck in your hair.  They also put an oxygen sensor on your finger so they can monitor your oxygen level.
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Waiting To Lose Weight: The Consultation

Posted on 10/19/2010 by Dee

The Weight Loss Surgery Journey

It was August 2009 when, after talking with two of my co-workers who had weight loss surgery, that I decided to make an appointment to see if I qualified for the surgery.  At the time, I was convinced I would get the LapBand.  I also thought that, if approved, I would have the surgery by Christmas and start the New Year without the usual resolution to lose weight.  As it turned out, I had to wait two months for an appointment!  I was very disappointed.  I wanted it done right away…before I changed my mind.

The receptionist told me I would receive a packet in the mail with paperwork that I must complete and return to the office 2 weeks prior to my appointment.  I would need to provide a comprehensive health history and document all of my previous weight loss attempts.  A few days later the packet arrived.  Comprehensive medical history was an understatement!  It took me a few evening sessions to complete the packet, but I did.

The weeks passed, and soon it was November 16th, the day of my bariatric surgery consultation.   I arrived on time and waited to be called.  The first stop…you guessed it…the scale!  And what a scale it was…a very large digital scale.  Then, I was measured for height.  A large chart on the wall displayed a graph of height, weight and Body Mass Index (BMI).  In most cases, your BMI is the magic number that qualifies you for surgery.  If you have other health risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure, etc., that will be considered as well.  Next, was a blood pressure check and review of all the medications I was taking, dosage, and frequency.   I was taken to an examination room to meet with a surgeon.
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