Childhood Obesity
There is not a lot that just really gets me fired up more than the issue of childhood obesity. I knew that this was going to be something I was very passionate about from when I was in high school. It was after swim practice and I went to Quick Trip with my mom and I saw this very over weight kid filling a 40 ounce cup full of Pepsi, I started crying right in the middle of the store. I just felt so bad and sad for him. I knew that being a teenager was really hard but to be over weight and a teenager had to be even worse. Who knows if that boy felt the same way but it just broke my heart. From then on I knew I wanted to work in the weight loss field. This morning I was reading this article on abcnews.com and it just really struck home with me. I realize many people do what they can with what they have but I see childhood obesity as something that can be helped at an early age. Get your children active and teach them good habits at a young age. If you yourself don’t have very good habits then go to someone who might and ask for help. I’m sure you have all heard that overweight children now will most likely not get past the age of 50-60 because they will have developed diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, etc. Please check out this article and help our children live a longer life.
Pilates
I get a lot of questions about how to tone our stomachs and slim down our hips. I have found that strength training really helps target certain areas that we just can’t seem to get with just cardio. Pilates was something I started doing a few years ago and I really noticed a difference in my flexibility and it was something I could do at home while watching television. It is really low impact and you don’t even have to sweat while doing it! Check out this article from FitSugar.com.
http://www.fitsugar.com/Benefits-Pilates-22607218
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Must Read Weight Loss Surgery Blogs!
It is becoming more and more common for people to record their weight-loss journey through blogs and Facebook updates. Many of my patients will send me links to their personal blog so I can check and see how they are doing in between visits. It’s such a great idea! You can look back and see your progress, allow friends and family members to support and encouraged the journey, and new online friendships develop as others stumble upon the blogs!
Below are a couple blogs from WeightWise patients that I feel are must-reads. They are entertaining and informative regarding the weight-loss surgery postop progression. You can also find new and exciting postop friendly recipes!
FYI- I have permission from each of these patients to share their blogs 
Mindful Eating
Dr. Broussard was interviewed for an article about stress reduction, mindful eating and body weight. The article was about a UCSF study that found that mastering stress-reduction and mindful eating techniques can help prevent weight gain in overweight and obese women, even without dieting. The goal of the study was to reduce eating in response to emotions or external cues that typically drive overeating behavior. The participants were all chronically stressed at the beginning of the study. The intervention group participated in weekly 2.5 hour sessions about how to reduce stress, and be more aware of their eating by recognizing bodily sensations such as taste satisfaction, fullness, and hunger. The women were also asked to meditate for 30 minutes each day and to practice mindful eating during their meals.
After nine weeks, the researchers found that those who had greater improvements in listening to their bodies’ cues, or greater reductions in stress or cortisol, experienced the greatest reductions in deep abdominal fat, which is a dangerous type of fat because it is associated with an increased risk for developing diabetes or heart disease. Dr. Broussard explained in the article that “the findings demonstrate developing techniques for reducing stress can prevent patients from gaining weight. Stress eating is one reason why losing or maintaining weight is very difficult for some patients.”
You can read the full article here, or check out some recipes you can make at home to enjoy alone or with your family.
Low Impact exercise
So I realize exercise is not on everyone’s top priority list. We all have a busy schedule and we all have to figure out to how make time for exercise. I was reading in Prevention Magazine to find some examples of low impact exercise that deliver a big return. I really stress to my clients is that cardio has to become your new best friend and consistency is a huge part to your success. Check out this article and see if some of these exercises don’t spark your interest.
http://www.prevention.com/fitness/fitness-tips/8-low-impact-exercise-workouts
Is WLS better for diabetics than medication?
New research has found that some types of weight loss surgery is likely a superior treatment for some people with diabetes. In comparison with intensive medical treatments, such as diet and medication, two new studies have found that surgery is a more promising option for obese people with diabetes. The findings of the studies were published online in a recent edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Type 2 diabetes is a serious health problem affecting more than 20 million Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Further, the United States is on the brink of a diabetes epidemic, with 79 million adults and children considered to be pre-diabetic. Diabetes causes high blood sugar and is linked to obesity. The disease tends to become more difficult to manage as it progresses and can lead to complications like strokes, heart disease, amputations, loss of vision, and kidney failure.
The two clinical trials observed approximately 200 patients with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes, some of which received bariatric surgery. As expected, weight loss was greater in the surgery patients. Additionally, surgery patients experienced improvements in health, with their need for diabetes, blood pressure, and cholesterol medications significantly decreased. Some patients no longer needed diabetes medication, at all. Dr. Jaime Ponce, President-Elect of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, said that the studies are “likely to have a major effect on future diabetes treatment. Bariatric surgery should be included in future algorithms for the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes.” For years bariatric surgeons have received reports of weight loss surgery resulting in significant improvement and even reversal of diabetes in patients, but there hasn’t been much research published to provide concrete evidence. Previously, just one small randomized, controlled trial demonstrated the superiority of surgery (gastric banding) over medical care.
If you are suffering from both obesity and diabetes, weight loss surgery may an effective treatment option. You can read about the surgery options available at WeightWise Bariatric Program or register to attend a free educational seminar.
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Broccoli & Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast
A picture has a thousand words, and a picture of food on the Food Network Website is no different! Below is a picture of a featured recipe of Stuffed Chicken Divan. Um, yes please! However, if you are anything like me, those long recipes with 25 ingredients have me clicking away sooner than I can bat an eye. Not to mention ingredients that I know aren’t a good idea such as milk and corn starch.
As I look at the recipe, it’s true, there is some major tweaking in order here. And by the time I was done, I went ahead and changed the name of the dish. Because it really isn’t a “chicken divan.” (Not that I would know, because I had to google it…)
Alas, here is the modified version of this delicious looking recipe to fit a healthy, low-carbohydrate eating plan! If you have any recent recipe creations to share email me at Stephanie.m@weightwise.com
Broccoli & Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast (modified from FoodTV.com)
- 2 cups (4 ounces) fresh broccoli florets
- 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Gruyere Cheese (this cheese is very delicious, but you can substitute for any hard cheese)
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 4 (6 to 8-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast halves
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Preheat the broiler. Mist a shallow rectangular baking dish with cooking spray. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook until bright green and crisp tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Drain well and run under cold water until cold. Drain well again and squeeze dry in paper towels.
3. Chop the broccoli and toss in a bowl with the Gruyere and garlic. Insert a paring knife into the thickest part of each chicken breast to make a 3-inch deep pocket. Stuff each chicken breast with equal amounts of the broccoli mixture. Rub both sides of the chicken breasts with oil and thyme and season with salt and pepper.
4. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until very hot, about 5 minutes. Put the chicken in the pan and cook until golden brown and just cooked through, about 6 minutes per side. If the chicken begins to brown too quickly, turn the heat down to medium to finish cooking through.
5. Serve with your favorite non-starchy veggies! Roasted is my favorite. Green beans, broccoli, carrots (with some balsamic vinegar…mmmm), asparagus, summer squash and zucchini. Toss with cooking spray, salt and pepper or other seasonings and put in oven for about 10 minutes at 425F. I like to line a cookie sheet with foil to roast the veggies on for easy cleanup.
Enjoy!
Mediterranean Chicken and Veggies
This past week we have had Jen Hawthorne from OSU-OKC’s DTR program interning for us. This is a recipe she found and modified for our program. Enjoy!
Ingredients
4 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast
½ zucchini squash
½ yellow squash
1 tbsp + 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil (evoo)
1/4 of an onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup feta cheese
1/8 cup sliced black olives
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
Pepper and garlic powder to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a baking sheet. Place zucchini and squash cut side down on the prepared baking sheet, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a sharp knife can be inserted with only a little resistance. Remove squash from oven, and set aside to cool enough to be easily handled. Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chicken, season with garlic powder and pepper, and cook about 4 minutes on each side, until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Remove from pan and set aside. Sauté onion in oil until tender. Add garlic and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, and cook only until tomatoes are warm.
Chop the squash and zucchini and toss with the sautéed vegetables, feta cheese, olives, and basil. Serve warm as a side dish to the chicken.
Remember to eat your protein first and the veggies second!
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Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon
It is that time of year again!! The Oklahoma city marathon is just 37 days away!! If you have been thinking about doing it, now is the time to sign up. It is a really great course full of people cheering everyone on!! If you are not quite ready for the actual run then look into volunteering! It truly is an inspirational run. There are several run/walks to consider.
The Marathon is 26.2 miles
The Half-Marathon is 13.1 miles
The Marathon-Relay has 5 people to a team each running a different leg of the race
The 5 K is 3.1 miles……which almost all my patients should be pretty close to walking that on a daily basis! 
Check out the website for more information!!
Weekly Challenges!!
So I have been thinking about how to help each of you reach some goals by summer. So each week I’m going to post a challenge, now the idea is to continue this for the next 10 weeks. The goal is by 10 weeks we’ll have 10 exercises that we are getting better or have mastered! By doing these challenges weekly we will have 10 exercises to do and we’ll be in great shape for Memorial Day weekend!
So Week #1:
Push ups!!!
Don’t get scared!! We have 3 different ways to do this!
Challenge is try this 3 times per week for 3 sets of 12 repetitions!! Good luck!
#1. Wall Push-ups….these are great for beginners.
Start with your feet about shoulder width apart facing a wall. You want to extend your arms to were they are straight and hands on the wall, you can have them out wide or you can have them under your shoulders let yourself fall into the wall and push yourself back up. Do this for 3 sets of 12 reps, don’t forget to stretch after
#2 “Girl” Push-ups, knee’s on the ground
#3 Full Push-up
