Useful Links
This page is dedicated to websites that support our mission of helping people achieve and maintain their weight loss goals. Take some time to check out the following sites. Information will be updated frequently, so come back to this page often to see if new websites have been added.
As always, we encourage patients to be interactive with us by suggesting topics for discussion. If you would like to share information about your weight loss journey, please consider posting a testimonial on our site!
BLOGS
We've recently stumbled upon the world of blogging, and have found sites that support our ideals. In fact, we've started our own, called The Skinny on Life with Bypass, Band or Sleeve. It's not focused on the procedures, but on the changes and lifestyles we all have to have to be healthier. Please note that blogs are written by people who may or may not have medical experience. Before you take any advice that goes against the ways we educate you through our program, please call us first.
The Skinny on Life with Bypass, Band or Sleeve (Please Subscribe and tell your friends!)
http://nobodysaideasy.wordpress.com/
Ms. Bitchcakes, A Neurotic Glamour Girl's Weight Watchers Experience and Fitness Adventures
http://msbitchcakes.blogspot.com/
Websites
NOURISH YOUR LIFE
Nourish your life has a section just for bariatric patients and covers topics that are important for all patients. Click here to visit this site.
GEORGETOWN COMMUNITY HOSPITAL - E-COOKING
Our hospital is so supportive of healthier eating that they've linked a healthy cooking site to the webpage. To visit our hospital's website, go to www.GeorgetownCommunityHospital.com. To go right to the e-cooking site,click here.
BETTER RECIPES
This site, an extension of Better Homes and Gardens, has a section for low-carb and low-fat cooking. You can get there by clicking here.
THE WORLD ACCORDING TO EGGFACE
This site is a personal blog created by a gastric bypass patient. Click here to be directed to it. She has some great recipes and tips for having an appropriately-stocked pantry and Refridgerator/Freezer. Trust me, this is a site you don't want to miss!
LOW CARB RECIPES
This site has a lot of options for lower-carb meals and recipes. Please note: you have to look beyond the cookbooks they are trying to sell you to get to the recipes. Click here to go to Low Carb Luxury!
INFORMATION ABOUT SHORT- AND LONG-TERM COMPLICATIONS
For most people considering bariatric surgery, the benefits of weight loss surgery (WLS) outweigh the risks. Plus, as bariatric surgeons perform more and more surgeries, the procedures are becoming safer and patients are experiencing fewer complications. Even so, it is still crucial to discuss your specific situation with your doctor before exploring bariatric surgery. Here’s a great summary of possible short- and long-term complications, that although infrequent, can occur; along with links to other helpful articles regarding WLS and lifestyle changes for maximizing success. To read more, click here.
BARIATRIC EATING
BariatricEating.com is a good site for patients in all stages of the weight loss surgery process. Developed by weight loss surgery patient Susan Maria Leach, this site has health tips, inspirational stories and information about food & nutrition. Look for the artical entitled Protein Supplements 101 - this article gives tips on how to properly mix protein supplements to get the best flavor. Click here to go to the home page.
REALIZE MY SUCCESS
The people at Ethicon, makers of the Realize Adjustable Gastric Band, have done it again! They realize that all weight loss patients need resources to track eating habits, health conditions, exercise goals, etc., so they've opened their Realize My Success website to all weight loss surgery patients! On this site, you can even create an avitar in your likeness and as you lose weight, so does your avitar! Click here to register on this site!
SMOKING CESSATION
If you need to stop smoking, this website may help you to acheive that goal. Click here to be directed to that page.
CHEF DAVE
Chef Dave is a very well-know Bariatric Chef. As we know, learning to love food in a new, healthier way, is the goal for any weight loss surgery patient. Chef Dave embodies this - and has some great recipes to share! To check out his site, click here!
PREVENTION
The people at Prevention Magazine have developed a great site, free to join, that allows you to track your progress. Additionally, they have health-based articles, nutrition and recipes to try. Click here to go to their Log In Page.
SILVER SNEAKERS
Silver Sneakers is a fitness program that is covered by many Medicare Replacement and Medicare Supplement insurance plans. It's available in local fitness centers and YMCA's accross the nation. Click on this link to get more information and to see if there is a program in your area.
EATING WELL
The name says it all. This site focuses on eating well, making good food choices and learning to cook in a healthy manner. Click here to open a window to this website.
LIVESTRONG
LIVESTRONG offers trusted health information and health news on diseases, symptoms, drugs, treatments and more. Get healthy with LIVESTRONG's articles and videos! Click here to open a window to this website.
HUNGRY GIRL
This page is sort of like a blog-site that can be sent directly to your inbox each day. They tackle subjects such as "Bite It or Fight It", Food News, Recipe Makeovers and more. To visit this site and sign up for daily delivery, click here.
SPARK PEOPLE
This site is great for connecting with people through the cyber world. You can read articles, print off recipes and work-out plans, and join groups that share your interests. To check out this site, click here.
CALORIE KING and THE DAILY PLATE
You know how important it is to track your eating. There are lots of sites that cater to people who want to log their calories, fats, proteins, carbs, etc. CalorieKing is one of the better sites for this. To take a tour of what they have to offer, click here. Another really great site for this is The Daily Plate. Click here to go to that website.
AMERICA ON THE MOVE
This site allows its members to track physical activity and follow a "virtual trail", which the member selects. This trail give the member "sights to see" as activity is added.
To visit this site, click here.
CONVERSION TABLES
This site allows you to convert Metric to U.S. units, Celcius to Fahrenheit, even fuel economy! So, if you've found a recipe in a European cookbook and want to try it out, but can't convert your mililiters to ounces, this is the site for you!
CONVERSIONS FOR I-PHONES
This site is for all those I-Phone users out there who need a conversion calculator. Convert your kilograms to ounces, and your daily nutrition tracking will be a breeze! Click here.
RECIPES
AllRecipes.com is a great site for finding new recipes to try. You can serch by types of dish or by ingredient. So, for example, if you are looking for Oatmeal Recipes, you can search using the keyword "Oatmeal". Be careful, though! This site is not geared towards high-protein, low-carb, low-fat recipes, so be sure to study the ingredients carefully, and use your common-sense.
LOSE IT!
Here's another app for I-phone users. This site allows you to set goals and calorie budgets, record your daily exercise and monitor your progress with detailed reports. Using this could eliminate the need for a paper journal...just make sure you actually USE it!
ABOUT PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
You can also find other good ideas on becoming more physically active on websites like Weight Control Information Network, HealthFinder.gov, The President's Council on Fitness and Sports, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute - Obesity Education and The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. Don't forget...physical activity is key in acheiving and maintaining your weight loss!
PEDOMETER REVIEW
Not all pedometers are created equal. This site does a really good job at rating the accuracy of different models. To see more, Click Here.