Weight Loss

Addicted To Food – Yep You

Being addicted to alcohol, drugs or gambling is tough, but at least you don’t need those things to stay alive. But can you imagine being addicted to food? The very thing you are trying to stop being addicted to is the very thing you need to survive. Having such an addiction would have to be incredibly frustrating, not to mention hard to get over.

But is it really possible to have such an addiction? According to researchers it is. One they have tested this is by scanning the brains of people that were addicted to food. They then had them think about food. So, what did they find? They found that these thoughts activated the same parts of the brain as an alcoholic or drug addict when they thought about drinking and drugs.

Another finding was that people who were addicted to food share something else with other addicts. That was having fewer dopamine receptors (dopamine is familiarly known as the “feel good hormone”). Because they have fewer receptors, it is believed that addicts need to seek that good feeling from outside sources just to feel as good as “normal” people.

When people overeat, the brain makes food addicts experience a deeper pleasure from their eating by making them less aware of the other parts of their body. To make matters even worse, they can experience many of the same withdrawal symptoms as drug addicts. Symptoms like moodiness, irritability, depression and anger, to name a few.

But…again, we need food to stay alive, so can food addiction be controlled? It can, but it will take commitment. Here are a few things you can do if you’re addicted to food:

Think when you eat. Pay attention to the food as you eat it. This will keep you from eating mindlessly, and that will help you control the problem. Also, switching your focus from filling your stomach until you can’t eat anymore to focusing on the enjoyment of the food; savoring it. You will naturally slow down and be more aware of what you’re eating.

Write it down. Just keeping track of everything you eat will help to ease your addiction. You don’t have to share this journal with anybody, unless you choose to. That means you can feel safe writing everything down. You may be shocked at just what you’re eating and how much, but sometimes we need a jolt to get on the road to recovery.

Get help. You can get help from a counselor, your personal doctor, or a support group…or all three if you need to. Each one can help you in their own way. The main thing to remember is that you don’t have to struggle with being addicted to food alone.

Avoid your triggers. If there are certain foods that make you lose control, then avoiding them will help prevent the problem. In other words, it will be much easier to handle temptation if you are not tempted to begin with.

Abdominoplasty Surgery For Your Weight Loss

You are tired of all the fad diets that do not work and the yo-yoing weight loss and weight gain. Lose some weight and gain it back, time and time again. You want to look and feel healthier so now you are seriously considering having abdominoplasty surgery to correct the problem.

First you have to ask yourself, did you really give weight loss the old college try? If you made the commitment to lose weight and change the way you think about and treat food then why did you not lose the weight and keep it off? Well, the best answer is that you did not make the commitment to lose the weight and change the way you think about and treat food.

I’m not saying you didn’t do some things right, but in the end, if the weight did not stay off then you mostly did the wrong things. I’m also not saying that abdominoplasty surgery is not the way to go here either. It may be the kick in the pants you need to keep yourself looking good after the surgery.

I think everybody wants to be thin and healthy. It is just that the way we eat these days is so wrong. Most of us don’t even know why. Think about the way things have changed over the years, though. When I was young, fast food was a rarity and we only ever had it as a treat once or twice a year. Maybe a little more often than that but not much.

Then, the world just seemed to get busier and people stopped cooking meals for their families because they did not have time. Women went back to work and “convenience foods” became the norm. Processed foods loaded with carbs and sodium make meals easier and also make our waistlines thicker.

Fatigue is rampant and so no one wants to get out there and even just go for a walk because they are too tired. So what happens when you do not burn off more calories than you take in? Weight gain. Then all of a sudden you are 50, 75, or even 100 pounds over weight and even though you want to lose it you just can’t seem to lose more than a few pounds at a time then it gets put right back on plus a few more. It is a cycle that only you can break and it takes dedication and self discipline.

You must make the change from processed food to fresh food. Some good advice for you to take to heart, when you shop, shop around the outer edges of the store. Everything on the shelves in the middle of the store is mostly canned and processed food. The outer edges has fresh vegetables even fresh breads from the bakery and even though some of the packaged meats are processed, like hot dogs, if you shop the outer edges of the store you generally get the healthier, fresh stuff.

Still, if you feel the need for abdominoplasty surgery to look and feel healthier and you can afford it, go for it.

Abdominoplasty Recovery Good Bad And Ugly

You have this little pooch belly that just will not go away no matter what you do and you are wondering how long it takes for an abdominoplasty recovery if you choose to have one done. Recovery usually will take at least six weeks. So be prepared to have a few minutes of extra time on your hands.

Abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck, is major abdominal surgery. Do not let anyone tell you any different. Make sure you have a good understanding of the procedure and all the pros and cons that go with it. Do some research before you talk to your doctor and find out about the procedure and make a list of questions you have so you get all the answers you need. Talk about complications that are possible and what to do if you experience any of them.

Now, it would be a good idea to make arrangements with a family member or friend to help you with things that need to be done for several days after the surgery during the abdominoplasty recovery period. You will not be much for being up and moving around. In fact, you will not even be able to stand up straight so the things you normally would take for granted like getting dressed or cooking a meal will be out of the question for the time being. It would be a good idea to stock up on essentials before you even go in for the surgery but, if something gets overlooked then family or friends will be happy to get whatever it is for you, I’m sure.

Also be sure to ask family or friends if they mind being available to get your prescriptions filled. The doctor performing the procedure will no doubt prescribe a good narcotic pain reliever as well as an antibiotic to prevent infection. You should plan ahead for the possibility of constipation as well. This can happen with the surgery itself and also with taking a narcotic pain reliever, so take a stool softener for at least three days prior to the surgery because the doctor will advise you not to strain to go to the bathroom after surgery.

Abdominoplasty surgery is no laughing matter. You will be incapacitated for a while after the surgery. If you plan ahead then you can alleviate some of the potential boredom that will come with the sudden lack of activity you will experience during the recovery. During this time please be sure to follow any and all of your doctor’s orders. If you try to do too much then you risk injury and infection.

Doctor’s orders will include how soon you can bathe after surgery, how often you should change your bandages, care and cleaning of the drain tubing and pouch, any lifting restrictions and any activity restrictions and even instructions on how soon you can begin having sex again, too. As with all surgeries there are possible complications. The most prevalent of which may be bleeding. If you experience any excessive bleeding during your abdominoplasty recovery then call your doctor immediately.

Abdominoplasty – Flat Belly Equals Weight Loss

There are many, many reasons someone would choose to have an abdominoplasty procedure done. After pregnancy is one good reason, especially if the baby was taken by Cesarean section. During a Cesarean section the abdominal muscles are cut by the doctor and because of this the muscles may have a difficult time recovering and lose their elasticity along with the skin of the abdomen.

During the procedure the doctor will use a technique called “baseball stitching” of the damaged abdominal muscles to strengthen them so they heal nicely then use liposuction to remove any fat remaining under the skin. The skin is then stretched, pulled taut and the excess is trimmed off. The belly button has to be relocated and the incision stitched closed. Next, drain tubes are put in place to keep fluid from building up under the skin. Keeping the fluid from building up will also help the healing process and decrease the possibility of infection.

After all of this is done the whole abdominal area is wrapped tightly with a compression dressing to help support the muscles and skin during the healing period. A narcotic analgesic will be prescribed to manage the pain. You can expect the recovery to take about six weeks to two months depending on the extent of the procedure you choose to have done.

If you are overweight and have tried everything you can think of to lose weight and have failed, first of all, know that you are not alone. This has happened to the best of us. So what do you do if you want to be healthy? One thing you can do is a procedure like abdominoplasty. You will still have to change the way you eat and think about food otherwise you will not keep the weight off and the procedure will be a waste of time and money.

You can have the flat belly you have always wanted and look toned and in shape with just one procedure. When the weight is gone then you will not only look and feel healthier you will be healthier. Joints and muscles will not hurt so much anymore. Once your body gets used to not having to carry around all that extra weight your joints and muscles may not hurt anymore at all.

Other benefits may include a decrease in blood pressure, cholesterol and even eliminating diabetes symptoms. Anything you can do to decrease signs and symptoms of any one of these disorders will help you save some money on prescriptions and visits to the doctor. You may even be able to save on medical and life insurance premiums if you become healthier by losing the weight.

Professionals will tell you to not use this procedure as an alternative for a good weight loss program but if you want to look and feel your best and get the added benefit of being healthier in so may ways then talk to a board certified plastic surgeon in you area to get the information you need to make an informed decision about abdominoplasty.

Abdominal Liposuction Getting Rid Of The Stubborn Fat

You are working out and doing everything right. The goal weight is in sight and your motivation is in high gear. You can see it and you want it bad. Just one thing though, your belly. Your belly is the only thing that isn’t cooperating and you are thinking that when you are at your goal weight you might consider abdominal liposuction.

Abdominal liposuction will give you the flat belly you have always wanted by taking out the rest of the fat that is left behind that just won’t go away no matter what you do and stretching the skin. Seriously, if you have worked so hard to get where you are now then why not take this last step to give you the look you really want. Think about it, you could get rid of the most stubborn fat and have the doctor help you show off the hard body you have worked so hard to get back.

So now that you have made the decision to get this procedure done the only thing left to do is find the right doctor to do the job. Where do you find the best doctor? Ask around. You no doubt know someone who has had some work done and they can get you started in the right direction. Once you have a short list of two or three then you need to do some homework and check their references, ask to see before and after pictures of procedures they have done and most of all meet them and talk with them to see if you like and can trust them with your body.

If you find one that you can like and trust at the same time then you are off to a good start. Make sure you have them take you through the procedure so you understand what you are in for. Make sure you understand everything they are saying and if you do not then ask questions. Do not leave anything to chance.

Your skin can stay elastic for only so long and then it remains a little stretched out of shape. There is obviously more skin than you need so the excess is cut off and your belly button will have to be moved then the surgeon sutures the incision closed. You will not be able to even stand up straight when you get home so be prepared. You should be given a prescription for pain control so be sure to take it when you need it. He or she may even prescribe an antibiotic to help prevent infection.

If your skin is not so saggy then you may only need the liposuction. Done with a laser, the laser also tightens the skin as they go so you will not need a tummy tuck at all. The option is there, though, if you need it. If you do not need a tummy tuck with your abdominal liposuction then you may not need a stronger pain reliever than acetaminophen but it is best to ask for something a little stronger just in case.