10 Tips to Take Your Life Back

Spring is a time of renewal, which means that it’s a great time to re-evaluate your health. Oftentimes we are so bogged down with work, family, community activities and other obligations that we fail to take time for ourselves. Whether you are preparing for bariatric surgery, want to lose a few pounds or just want to enjoy a healthier version of yourself, use these 10 tips to take your life back and charge into summer feeling refreshed and in control.

 

      1.     If you haven’t lately, see your doctor for a physical and discuss how you can become a healthier version of yourself. If nothing else, check your Body Mass Index to know where you stand in terms of a healthy weight.

       2.     Eat less, more often. Rather than eating three large meals a day, break up your calories into five or six meals. Your digestive system works more efficiently on a lighter load, and your blood sugar levels stay more consistent, which leads to fewer food cravings. Try our Simple Food Swaps for a Healthier You. 

      3.    Make a weekly meal plan and prepare food in bulk. Place the plan on the fridge so all family members can see it and can help with preparations. Take an hour or two on the weekends to prepare food for the week ahead so your prep time on weeknights is minimal and you can more easily stick to your nutrition goals.

4.     Drink more water. Substituting water for high-calorie or high-sugar beverages can help with weight loss and fitness goals. To increase your intake, drink water with, or after, every snack and meal, and keep a bottle of water with you throughout the day. 

5.     Get moving. Walking for short periods of time, several times a day, is a great way to start an exercise regimen. That activity can slowly be increased to 30 to 45 minutes of activity daily. Incorporate strength training to maintain muscle.

6.     Get more sleep. If you are currently getting around six hours of sleep a night, like the average American, just one more hour of sleep a night will help you feel more physically energized, emotionally resilient and mentally clear. 

7.     Get your head in the game. Hypnotherapy has been shown as a valuable component and adjunct to many medical treatments, including weight loss, smoking cessation, and being fit and healthy. BayChoice Bariatric Center’s certified hypnotherapist is experienced in maximizing positive results for our patients through behavioral changes.

8.     Get rid of negativity. If there are people in your life who consistently bring you down, spend less time with them. Cut back on your own negativity, be it about yourself or the world around you. Journaling feelings and participating in support groups can be great sources of strength and positive energy.

9.     Say no. Cut back on the activities in your life that don’t produce tangible results or lead you to success. Keep track of what you spend your time doing for a week. Are you spending an excessive amount of time watching TV, on social media or even volunteering for a board or community organization? Determine your true priorities and stick to them. 

10.  Keep track of your successes. Write down 10 of your strengths on a notecard and keep it with you. If you mess up at work, are dreading a difficult workout or have the urge to grab fast food, take it out to remind yourself of your positive traits and help break bad habits.

If you want to lose weight, stop smoking, live a fit and healthy lifestyle or have other behaviors you want to change, our hypnotherapy programs can help. And if you have unsuccessfully tried diet and exercise to lose weight and are obese or morbidly obese, let us discuss your bariatric surgery options with you. For more information about how BayChoice Bariatric Center can help you take back your life, contact us today at 281-482-5300.

Simple Food Swaps Ideas to Eliminate Unnecessary Calories and Be A “Food Fashionista”

See what’s Trending in Healthy Foods

Did you know that a series of simple food swaps throughout your day can eliminate many unneeded calories, leading to weight loss over time? Healthy eating doesn’t mean deprivation and it doesn’t mean giving up on taste, but rather making better choices about the foods you already enjoy. Whether you’ve undergone bariatric surgery, are trying to lose weight before surgery or are just seeking a healthier version of yourself, try these 10 swaps to look and feel better. 

    1) Choose AVOCADO over butter or mayonnaise. Whether as a spread on toast or condiment on a sandwich, a tablespoon of avocado saves you almost 80 calories over butter, and you’ll benefit from more fiber, vitamins and minerals.

2) Choose NUTS over croutons. For a healthier salad, replace carb-laden croutons with walnuts, which are high in polyunsaturated fat, a good fat that can lower LDL (or “bad” cholesterol) while boosting HDL (“good” cholesterol).

3) Choose ROMAINE LETTUCE over hamburger buns. You’ll still get the feel of picking up your burger to eat it, but you’ll save about 140 calories. Lettuce is a great substitute for tortillas on a burrito, fajita or taco as well. Lettuce Wraps are quite the trend so you will be keeping up those “foodie” fashionistas!

4) Choose RED WINE over cocktails. Red wine has about a tenth of the carbs of a margarita, and, when consumed in moderation, you’ll benefit from antioxidants believed to lower LDL and boost HDL.


5) Choose SPAGHETTI SQUASH over traditional spaghetti noodles. Even whole wheat spaghetti contains nearly 40 grams of carbohydrates in a cup, much more than the body typically burns between dinner and bedtime.

6) Choose HOMEMADE DRESSING over store bought. Drenching a salad in high-fat dressings defeats the purpose of those healthy veggies. Instead, drizzle salads with balsamic vinegar or lemon juice to keep the flavor while ditching the calories.


7) Choose GROUND TURKEY over ground beef. Ground turkey contains half the saturated fat of even 85 percent lean ground beef. While poultry is a better option than red meat, eating more FISH is one of the best strategies for reducing cholesterol through diet.

8) Choose QUINOA over rice or pasta. One cup of quinoa has 15 percent fewer carbs, 25 percent more fiber and 60 percent more protein than brown rice.


9) Choose POPCORN over tortilla chips. Though tortilla chips are a better alternative than potato chips, air-popped popcorn has 80 percent less saturated fat than tortilla chips and more than twice the fiber.

10) Choose FAT-FREE GREEK YOGURT over sour cream. Whether used as a garnish or in a sauce, use Greek yogurt to cut out excess fat without losing taste or texture. 

If you have unsuccessfully tried diet and exercise to lose weight and are obese or morbidly obese, you may want to consider bariatric surgery with BayChoice Bariatric Center in Houston, Texas, to improve your overall health. The U.S. National Institutes of Health recommends bariatric surgery for individuals with a body mass index of at least 40 and for those with a BMI of 30 who also have serious medical conditions. Bariatric surgery decreases the size of the stomach, reducing the amount of food an individual can eat, and can lead to significant long-term weight loss, as well as recovery from diabetes, improvement in cardiovascular risk factors and a reduction in mortality. 

For more information about how BayChoice Bariatric Center can help you in the fight against obesity, please contact Dr. Kenneth Hollis today at 281-482-5300.