Before you read this topic, please take a few minutes to jot down answers to the following questions:
How do you incorporate protien into your daily diet?How many grams of protien do you average?
How many ounces of water do you drink daily?
Is it challenging to consume the amount prescribed by your doctor?
Do you take your suppliments daily?
What is your vitamin regimen?
Do you exercise?
What do you do and how often?
Let’s start with the first corner of your foundation –
PROTEIN: Why is protein so important? Proteins form the body’s main structural elements and are found in every cell and tissue. Take away the water, and about 75 percent of your weight is protein. Your body uses proteins:
1. For growth; 2.
To build and repair- Bones; muscles; hair; connective tissue; skin; internal organs; blood; and, virtually every other body part or tissue. Besides building cells and repairing tissue, proteins form antibodies to combat invading bacteria and viruses; they build nucleoproteins (RNA & DNA). They make up enzymes that power many chemical reactions. They also carry oxygen throughout the body and participate in muscle activity. At least 10,000 different proteins make you what you are and keep you that way. Hormones, antibodies and enzymes that regulate the body’s chemical reactions are all made of protein. Without the right proteins, blood won’t clot properly and cuts won’t heal. Each protein is a large complex molecule made up of a string of building blocks called amino acids. The 20 amino acids the body needs can be linked in many different ways to form thousands of different proteins, each with a unique function in the body.
WATER:
Okay, now for the second corner of your foundation – H2O, The “Perfect Drink? of WATER: What’s the big deal about drinking water? Water is a fundamental part of our lives. It is easy to forget how completely we depend on it. Human survival is dependent on water -- water has been ranked by experts as second only to oxygen as essential for life. The average adult body is 55 to 75% water. The water you drink literally becomes you! Since such a large percentage of our bodies are water, water must figure heavily in how our bodies function. We need water to stay healthy. Aside from aiding in digestion and absorption of food, water regulates body temperature and blood circulation, carries nutrients and oxygen to cells, and removes toxins and other wastes. This "body water" also cushions joints and protects tissues and organs, including the spinal cord, from shock and damage. Dehydration leads to excess body fat, poor muscle tone, decreased digestive efficiency & organ function, increased toxicity, joint & muscle soreness, water retention. Water works to keep muscles and skin toned. Dehydration can cause many ailments. Every process in our body occurs in a water medium. We can exist without food for 2 months or more, but we can only survive for a few days without water. Want to maximize your weight loss and make your weight maintenance easier? Water is an excellent tool to do just that! Among its other benefits, water plays a major part in weight loss. Since water contains no calories, it can serve as an appetite suppressant, and helps the body metabolize stored fat, it may possibly be one of the most significant factors in losing weight. Water is the perfect drink. It's fat-free, cholesterol-free, low in sodium, and completely without calories. Drinking more water helps to reduce water retention by stimulating your kidneys and keeping them flushed. So….pour a glass of fresh water and enjoy!
VITAMINS:
If water is the drink of life, then vitamins are the nutritional supplements for a healthy life. Don’t we get all of our nutrition from food and vitamins are only optional? No, no, no! As a result of weight loss surgery, smaller portions of food are consumed and with any malabsorption issues, vitamins are essential. Vitamin deficiencies before surgery can occur despite adequate caloric intake but are common due to poor eating habits. For post-ops to maintain good health, we know that vitamins are critically important to keep healthy and prevent disease.
EXERCISE:
The third corner of your foundation...MOVE IT! After having weight loss surgery, physical activity, whether it be exercising or moving about your daily life, becomes a “get to? rather than the drudgery of “have to?. We feel good and it is exhilarating to move our bodies without the excess weight. Regular activity is an important part of effective weight loss and weight maintenance. It also can help prevent several diseases and improve your overall health. It does not matter what type of physical activity you perform - sports, planned exercise, household chores, yard work, or work-related tasks - all are beneficial. Studies show that even the most inactive people gain significant benefits if they accumulate 30 minutes or more of physical activity per day.
Need more motivation? What’s in it for you? The benefits of exercise, in addition to enhancing weight loss and maintenance, are:
Balancing the number of calories you expend through exercise and physical activity with the calories you eat will help you achieve and maintain your desired weight. The key to successful weight control and improved overall health is making physical activity a part of your daily routine. 2
DISCLAIMER: Information provided by this handout is for informational www.ObesityHelp.com/ohsupportgroups purposes and is not medical advice. Only you and your doctor can ObesityHelp Support Group Leader Program determine what regimen meets your specific needs. supportgroups@obesityhelp.com or [email protected]om (866) WLS-INFO ext. 382 or (866) 957-4636 ext. 382
