Dr. Dirk's Weight Loss Blog

Easy Egg White Omelet

Posted on May 15, 2012

recipe image Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Ready In: 20 Minutes
Servings: 4

“A carton of refrigerated egg whites plus some onion, green pepper, and mushrooms makes a fast, protein-packed breakfast that you can cook in the microwave.”

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons chopped onion
2 tablespoons chopped green bell pepper
2 tablespoons chopped mushrooms
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 (32 ounce) container refrigerated
pasteurized egg white substitute (such as Egg Beaters Whites®)

Directions:
Spray a 9×5-inch glass or microwave-safe loaf pan with cooking spray; sprinkle the onion, green bell pepper, and mushrooms into the pan, and toss lightly with a fork just to mix. Season with salt and black pepper, and pour in the egg whites.

Cook in a microwave oven on High setting for 3 minutes. Remove and stir the cooked egg white from the side of the pan into the rest of the ingredients; cook for 3 more minutes on High. If the omelet is still a little runny on top, slice it into chunks and turn them over in the loaf pan; microwave for 30 more seconds on High. Adjust salt and pepper, and serve.

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Posted in Diet, Nutrition and Cooking, Recipes, Weight Loss | Tagged diet, low calorie, recipes, Weight Loss | Leave a comment

Obesity and Your Libido

Posted on May 11, 2012

Obesity takes it’s toll in many ways on your body but I’ll bet the last thing you thought of was how it would affect your libido. To sum it up, obesity adversely affects your libido by dramatically decreasing your sexual satisfaction. Obesity can also increase your likelihood for sexual problems.

Our self image is also affected when we’re obese or overweight which creates other issues such as depression and or stress. When we have low self esteem we naturally lose interest in sexual activities and the problem worsens. For men, other problems include lower testosterone levels or testosterone deficiency. Erectile dysfunction is one of the most common symptoms of low testosterone. For both men and women, high blood pressure is a result of low testosterone.

There are a few simple things you can do to help improve your libido. First, lose weight! Exercise and healthy eating both help in your fight against obesity and losing that weight will make a big difference. Secondly, speak to your doctor. In all the efforts you make on your end your doctor can tell you if you need medication to help with other factoring health issues.

Weight loss has a major effect on not only your libido but your overall health. Dr. Dirk Rodriguez can assist you on your journey to healthy living by answering your questions about weight loss and bariatric surgery. Dr. Rodriguez is an experienced and board certified bariatric surgeon in the Dallas area. To learn more about Dr. Dirk, click here. If you’d like to make an appointment please call us at 214.373.4751 or click here, fill out the Contact Us form and someone will get in touch with you as soon as possible.

Posted in Diet, Exercise, Health Issues, Obesity, Weight Loss | Tagged libido, lifestyle, obesity, self image, Weight Loss | Leave a comment

Hot Chile Grilled Cheese

Posted on April 26, 2012

From EatingWell: March/April 2010

This deconstructed version of a chile relleno turned sandwich packs some heat and an ooey-gooey filling. We like the flavor of sourdough, but any kind of bread will work well. Serve with: Coleslaw and sliced pineapple.

4 servings | Active Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

4 poblano peppers (see Note)
1 14-ounce can pinto beans, preferably low-sodium
3 tablespoons prepared salsa
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons low-fat plain yogurt
3 scallions, sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
8 slices sourdough bread

Preparation

Place peppers in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap and microwave on High until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Let stand, covered, until cool enough to handle.
Meanwhile, combine beans, salsa and salt in a medium bowl. Mash the beans with a fork until they begin to form a paste (some can remain whole). Combine cheese, yogurt, scallions and cilantro in a small bowl.
When the peppers are cool enough to handle, slice each one in half lengthwise and remove the stem and seeds.
Heat a panini maker to high. (No panini maker? See Stovetop Variation, below.)
Spread 1/3 cup of the bean mixture on each of 4 slices of bread. Top with a heaping tablespoon of the cheese mixture. Place 2 pepper halves over the cheese. Cover with the remaining slices of bread.
Grill the sandwiches in the panini maker until golden brown and through, about 4 minutes. Cut in half and serve immediately.

Nutrition

Per serving : 415 Calories; 6 g Fat; 3 g Sat; 1 g Mono; 13 mg Cholesterol; 70 g Carbohydrates; 19 g Protein; 9 g Fiber; 761 mg Sodium; 307 mg Potassium

4 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 3 1/2 starch, vegetable, 1 medium-fat meat

Tips & Notes

Note: Dark green poblano peppers, smaller than a bell pepper but larger than a jalapeño, can be fiery or relatively mild; there’s no way to tell until you taste them. Find them near other fresh peppers at most large supermarkets.
Stovetop Variation: Place four 15-ounce cans and a medium skillet (not nonstick) by the stove. Heat 1 teaspoon canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place 2 sandwiches in the pan. Place the medium skillet on top of the sandwiches, then weight it down with the cans. Cook the sandwiches until golden on one side, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, flip the sandwiches, replace the top skillet and cans, and cook until the second side is golden, 1 to 3 minutes more. Repeat with another 1 teaspoon oil and the remaining 2 sandwiches.

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Posted in Diet, Nutrition and Cooking, Recipes, Weight Loss | Tagged diet, low calorie, meal planning, Weight Loss | Leave a comment

Obesity and Pregnancy

Posted on April 23, 2012

It’s one of them most joyous occasions in life, motherhood. In a perfect world a woman would be fully prepared for this and before her pregnancy she would adopt a healthier lifestyle to include good nutrition, control of any existing medical conditions and maintaining a healthy weight. Unfortunately, this is not reality and a large percentage of women have unplanned pregnancies.

Non-pregnant women who are overweight or obese already have health issues that they may be dealing with from diabetes and high blood pressure to joint problems. During pregnancy these medical conditions will result in close care from your obstetrician or midwife. Being overweight or obese puts you at a higher risks of developing diabetes and high blood pressure during your pregnancy. There’s also a higher risk for having a cesarean section if you’re overweight or obese. If you want to decrease your risk of developing these conditions you should try to maintain a healthy weight.

If you are in the planning stages and are not yet pregnant, now is the time to consider losing weight and living a healthier life. One option for weight loss is bariatric surgery. Dr. Dirk Rodriguez specializes in bariatric surgery in the Dallas, Texas area. He can explain the procedures available to you and help you reach your weight loss goals. If you’re interested in learning more, please give him a call today.

Posted in Bariatric Surgery, Diet, Health Issues, Weight Loss, Weight Loss Surgery Dallas | Tagged bariatric surgery, diabetes, high blood pressure, pregnancy, Weight Loss, weight loss surgery | Leave a comment

Carrot Gelatin Salad

Posted on April 13, 2012

recipe image

Submitted By: ASTENG
Photo By: glow byler
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 5 Hours
Ready In: 5 Hours 15 Minutes
Servings: 8

“Old-fashioned carrot salad made with lemon gelatin and pineapple. Grandma didn’t specify the amount of carrots. You probably can’t use too much!”

Ingredients:

1 (6 ounce) package lemon flavored gelatin mix
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple,drained with juice reserved
4 large carrots, shredded

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, prepare the lemon gelatin according to package directions using reserved pineapple juice in place of some of the water. Refrigerate until thickened, about 1 hour.
2. When the gelatin has thickened, stir in pineapple and shredded carrot. Cover and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours.

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Posted in Diet, Nutrition and Cooking, Recipes, Weight Loss | Tagged diet, low calorie, recipes, Weight Loss | Leave a comment

Spinach Salad with Dried Cranberries, Walnuts and Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Posted on April 6, 2012

Prep Time:5 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup pomegranate juice
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Salt and ground black pepper
6 cups baby spinach leaves
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup walnut pieces

Directions

In a small container with lid, combine pomegranate juice, vinegar, oil, and Dijon. Seal and shake to combine. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Place spinach on a serving platter and top with cranberries and walnuts. Pour vinaigrette over spinach and serve.

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Posted in Diet, Nutrition and Cooking, Recipes, Weight Loss | Tagged diet, low calorie, low calorie recipes, recipes | Leave a comment

Gastric Bypass vs. Lap-Band surgery – which is for you?

Posted on March 29, 2012

Recently, news has come to light that gastric bypass surgery is better than gastric banding surgery for long-term weight loss and health. The article, published in The Wall Street Journal, has started a very good conversation comparing different surgical weight loss options. One that I would like to weigh in on.

This is not surprising news to weight loss surgeons in Dallas like me who offer a variety of different obesity surgeries to their patients.

This does not mean that the lap band is a bad or inferior operation. As I have always told all of my new patients, it is a different operation that is not made for everyone.

The band works by making you more full more quickly when you eat. When it is properly adjusted, it makes you full with 1/2 to 1 cup of solid food every time you eat. Combined with good nutrition (high protein, low carbohydrate) eating, small meals 5-6 times a day, and daily aerobic exercise for 1 hour, a person will lose weight. The science for the lap band shows that a person can lose 50 percent of their excess weight in two years.

The band helps you control portion size. It will not change what foods you choose to eat.

So if you are thinking that ice cream, cheese cake, snack machines and fast foods are part of a healthy, weight loss program – boy, do I have bad news for you!

It does not have the good hormone effects, nor the beneficial increase in metabolism, that bypass, gastric sleeve, or a duodenal switch provides.

Myth busting

Internet bulletins and messages boards, along with chat rooms, have a lot of non-medical people with good intention assigning miraculous features to the lap band. They are very excited about the band (and their surgeon), and they have the best of intentions, but they are poorly informed.

One example is the thought that the lap band is safer for women who want to have babies in their future. This is not true. Contrary to popular belief, women who have had any of these operations can (and do) go on to have healthy pregnancies with healthy babies.

There are tons of stories of people out there claiming the band has helped them lose all of their weight. These stories represent a tiny percent of successful patients. Successful gastric bypass, gastric sleeve, and duodenal switch patients outpace band patients by the thousands.

The lap-band is a good operation, but it is not for everyone. Our science shows it works best for patients who have less weight to lose (100 pounds or less), who are younger than 40, do not have medical conditions like insulin-dependent diabetes or high blood pressure, and can exercise aerobically.

There are lots of people who fit in this category such as teenagers, young adults, and men and women who are struggling with their weight and want to be healthy.

The lap-band is not perfect. It is an artificial device made of high quality, medical grade silicone (yes, the stuff of breast implants but also of every other life saving medical item out there) that lives next to an organ that will move two to three thousand times a day. This means that the band moves too. This results in the most common issue, the band moving and slipping up or down. Because of where the band lives if anything goes wrong with it (slip up or down, port flipping upside down, infection, or breakage) an operation is needed.

The range of lap-band patients who may need a second or third operation is anywhere from 1-20 percent. This is in line with other devices like artificial knees, hips, heart valves and yes, breast implants.

What does all of this mean?

A person looking to have obesity surgery must weigh all options. Speak with a bariatric surgeon who is experienced in different types of weight loss surgeries, not just the lap-band. Get a second opinion.

All of my patients who know me will say that I spend a lot of time with them giving them all the good and bad of each weight loss operation.

The gastric sleeve, the gastric bypass, and the duodenal switch bring more powerful tools into play. They change the body’s relationship with food. They each increase the body’s internal thermostat to burn energy (read calories) more efficiently. The band does not do that. These operations also take away a person’s hunger, cravings and appetite. The band does not.

In one year, they can help a person lose excess body weight of 65, 70, and 80%. They will help cure sleep apnea, diabetes, and other medical conditions go away.

If you are looking to have weight loss surgery, get informed. The lap-band could be for you. If it’s not, I certainly will tell you. There are safe and effective options for you.

If you are one of my lap-band patients, don’t be anxious. You made the right choice for you. Make sure you are seeing me on a regular basis so I can help keep that thing working right for you.

All of the obesity operations I perform have different effects and work differently for everyone. I always help my patients choose the best operation for them. My job as a surgeon is to make sure that whatever surgery my patient choose, I do it the safest it can be done, so they can get back to their new normal, healthy and weight losing life as possible.

Get more information about both gastric bypass and the Lap-Band procedure by contacting us today. Dr. Dirk can provide you with information and help you determine the right procedure for you.

Posted in Bariatric Surgery, In the News, Obesity, Weight Loss, Weight Loss Surgery Dallas | Tagged bariatric surgeons dallas, bariatric surgery, dallas lap-band, gastric bypass, gastric bypass dallas, obesity, weight loss surgery | Leave a comment

Men’s Health Weight Loss Tips

Posted on March 15, 2012

Men’s Health Weight Loss Tips

Weight problems are just not known to affect the women. Men are equally known to suffer from acute weight problems and with all the gimmicky fast food products in the market it’s easy to get lost with your eating and training plan.

In fact, the percentage of overweight and obese men in United States is increasing at a swift rate.

As a result, men’s health weight loss advice and tips have gained extreme popularity more than ever.

Useful men’s health weight loss tips can be found throughout this website. These are not only easy to follow, but they have also proven themselves.

By following these tips, men can easily achieve their targets much quickly than women. This is because of the fact that men have more muscle mass than women and are thus able to shed weight quickly than women.

Here is a list of some useful men’s health weight loss tips that have proven themselves, are easy to apply and are very effective.

5 Powerful Men’s Health Weight Loss Tips

Watch your eating habits – Eating a lot is definitely unhealthy, but eating less is also known to be unhealthy.

Keep it in mind that healthy natural foods are required to fuel the body. Eating less compels the body to convert unused calories to fat and store them, and this will definitely lead to undesirable results.

Therefore, eating less is never the right solution and this is especially true for men. It is eating the right diet which is the ideal solution to weight loss.

Perfect breakfast – Breakfast is the easiest meals to be skipped, but when skipped, it is known to be the number one tool for causing an increase in weight.

Breakfast is very important, as eating in the morning kick starts the metabolism activity of the body. However, this does not imply that you should indulge in heavy breakfast. A bowl of whole grain cereal with low fat milk, a couple eggs and a piece of fruit would be the perfect start.

Foods high in fiber – Indulging in high fiber foods is one of the most efficient men’s health weight loss tips. And the main reason behind this is that fiber rich foods are extremely low in calories and give way to the feeling of “fullness”.

Intake of fiber can be easily boosted by consuming two portions of fruits and three servings of vegetables every day. Try and select whole grain breads over those made from refined or processed flour.

Cut down the intake of alcohol – Cutting down the intake of alcohol is unquestionably one of the best men’s health weight loss tips.

This is because alcohol does not contain any nutrients and its calorie count is extremely high. In addition, alcohol is also known to reduce the body’s natural fat burning mechanisms.

If you find it extremely difficult to eliminate alcohol from your diet, try moderation. Try and drink alcohol only once a week or maybe just on the rest days.

Exercise – Exercising is regarded as the ultimate men’s health weight loss tips.

If you find it too difficult to accommodate regular exercise sessions in your daily routine, try partaking in various physical activities. Walking up and down the stairs instead of taking the elevator and biking instead of traveling by car can also give way to significant results.

Make it easy for yourself and check out the hundreds of workouts available to you in the workouts and training section of this site.

If you need information about the best weight loss procedure for you, get in touch with Dr. Dirk for bariatric surgery in the Dallas area. He’ll provide you with the latest information on bariatric surgery.

Source

Posted in Bariatric Surgery, Diet, Exercise, Obesity, Weight Loss, Weight Loss Surgery Dallas | Tagged healthy weight loss, men's health, obesity, tips, weight loss surgery | Leave a comment

Tallying the Cost of Being Overweight

Posted on March 8, 2012

Being overweight takes a toll in a number of familiar ways. We understand it raises risks of various diseases and may be painfully aware that it can lead to forms of discrimination, to cite two examples. But few know the concrete dollars-and-cents cost being overweight on a personal level.

Last year, researchers at the George Washington University School of Public Health pieced together just such an estimate in a report presented at a panel discussion, moderated by the U.S. Surgeon General. They reviewed the data for costs related to weight and ended up analyzing 94 studies on a variety of factors. Their conclusion: The individual, annual cost of being obese is $4,879 for women and $2,646 for men. If you add the dollar value of life lost due to shorter life expectancy (a statistical technique common in research), those annual figures roughly double.

Medical costs account for the heaviest burden—66 percent of the cost for overweight women and 80 percent for men. But as increasing weight crosses the threshold into obesity (defined as a BMI of 30 or more), other costs gain relative importance. In fact, for obese women, those added losses amount to two thirds of the total.

Lost wages is one of these extra costs. On average, the researchers say, obese women make 6 percent less money than normal-weight women. Last year’s study estimated that this amounts to $1,855 less per year, based on a median yearly wage of $32,450. But some research indicates the disparity could be much higher. In a new report released this week, GWU researchers now say average wage differences may be more like $8,666 less for women and $4,772 less for men. (Women may take a bigger hit in part because men typically make higher wages to start with, but the researchers say they don’t know why women seem more penalized for being heavy.)

Other costs may previously have been underestimated as well. These include higher insurance rates, missed work due to illness, higher prices for clothing and even higher gas costs.

It appears the underlying goal of the research is to spur more aggressive efforts to treat and prevent obesity. But the news is a bit of a downer. How do you feel about these findings? Does this kind of research have value to you? Turning it around, do you feel there’s been a financial payoff if you’ve lost weight?

Losing weight is worth doing for more than just your health. Find out which surgical weight loss procedure is right for you by speaking to an expert! Dr. Dirk Rodriguez can answer all your questions about surgical weight loss in the Dallas area and help you make an informed decision. Click here to schedule your personal online consultation with Dr. Dirk.

Posted in Bariatric Surgery, Health Issues, Obesity, Weight Loss, Weight Loss Surgery Dallas | Tagged obesity, Weight Loss, weight loss surgery | Leave a comment

Three-Cheese Chicken Penne Florentine

Posted on February 17, 2012

Fresh spinach, chicken, and a combination of cheeses make this pasta dish comforting enough for the Three-Cheese Chicken Penne Florentine last days of winter yet fresh enough for the first days of spring. Serve family style or portion out in individual ramekins. Either way, this penne pasta casserole is definitely worth sharing.

Photo by: Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Jan Gautro

YIELD: 8 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)
COURSE: Casseroles, Main Dishes