Weight Loss Surgery & Supplements

Without the proper tools, weight loss surgery of any type does not work in the long run.  Weight loss surgeries usually benefit only the surgeons.  Also, any advertisements regarding weight loss supplements - I do not support.

Dr. Stacey A. Hilton-Davis

Tweeting thru the Holidays

The World of Twitter is now upon us all.  Zillions of resources - try it - I have. Follow me on Twitter @drhiltondavis. 

If you are interested in my Psychological self-therapy.....WiTHIN You Now!™........stay tuned.  Guaranteed to help you with the challenges of weight management.

WiTHIN You Now!™........my book is in progress - you will LOVE!!

Rainy days, food & money

Rainy days are great days to dust off your exercise videos, put your mat down and move....stretch, Yoga, and little cardio.  Then, before a hot bath, Google a healthy, low fat veggie soup recipe, run to the store thru the raindrops and get the fixins'. Enjoy some down time if you can, enjoy the Season, watch White Christmas with Bing Crosby and Vera Ellen and know you don't have to ever be THAT skinny...

Hint:  Save $600.00/year, buy the necessary tools ($100.00 at most) and give yourself your own manicures and pedicures.  After 5 years you will have saved $3,000.00.  You may need the extra cash one day.

Leave your hair to the pros....please.

Weight Loss Surgery

Just as obesity has rocketed over the past 30 years, weight loss surgeries have made the same incredible surge.  Regardless of the "type" of weight loss surgery choosen, the results are similar:  An immediate and sharp decrease in body weight due to an immediate and sharp decrease in food intake.  The good news is that this decrease in body weight lowers many risk factors for heart disease, cancer and depression. The bad news is that if the work has not been done prior to the surgery to put into place a lifetime behavior modification plan, the weight begins to creep back on leaving the surgery recipient exactly in the same shape they were prior to surgery - overweight, unhealthy and unhappy.
Most surgery centers require patients to attend classes and counseling prior to surgery as well as "getting back on track" classes. Yet for many, attending these classes is only a "going through the motions" activity. Clearly, for a large percentage of surgery candidates, the pre and post surgery counseling and education does not meet their needs.
Weight loss surgery is only successful if it results in lifetime weight management.  Dropping 100 pounds for fifteen minutes followed by weight gain is not success - it is sad and very dangerous.  Attending a class to "get back on track" after the surgery may be too late.
If you are considering weight loss surgery, don't fall into the trap of feeling as though you are the one who "won't put the weight back on".  Understand that once the novelty of the surgery wears off and your appetite comes back, you will be faced with the same challenges that led you into obesity.  Understand that weight loss is a very small aspect of weight management, and without serious behavior modification tools to help you through the rest of your life, success will be only a dream.
Stay tuned to my column for behavior modification tools that will help you today and tomorrow - with or without weight loss surgery.

My published article on "Examiner.com"

I am proud to say this article was published recently on "Examiner.com" for which I am a "Local Examiner"... Log on and take a look at this very cool on-line newspaper...

Men and women alike seek to achieve the “Six Pack” - those chiseled abs that symbolize sex appeal, self-control, and hours in the gym.  Yet recent research indicates that more than 50% of US adults have abdominal obesity or “belly fat” and millions of dollars are spent on diets and potions that promise results with little to no avail.  So, the question remains, is there a well-researched, scientific way to “target” and burn belly fat with the foods we eat?   The good news is that the answer is YES!  Visceral fat, the kind tucked deep inside your waistline, is more metabolically active and easier to lose than subcutaneous fat under the skin, especially if you have plenty of it.  Eating a diet rich in whole grains while reducing refined carbohydrates changes the glucose and insulin responses and makes it easier to mobilize those belly fat stores.

In a nutshell, try adding foods to your diet that contain the whole grain kernel such as brown rice, oatmeal and popcorn (without butter of course) and reducing foods from your diet that have been processed by machinery that strips the bran and germ from the whole grain such as white rice and pasta made with white flour.  Along with your regular exercise program and a focused mindset, this diet modification promises to produce true results and a healthier you.

Women only gyms and spas???

A recent article in the HEALTHBEAT section of the San Gabriel Valley Tribune ran an article on Women only gyms and spas (such as Curves and others).  One of the experts quoted said: "The majority of obese women in the US are intimidated to visit mixed gender fitness clubs."  The expert also stated that "women only health clubs have provided a solution for many of these women".......define solution please?!?  Yes, there are no men in these types of gyms.....but after the initial joining buzz, do women really stick with them?  My research says NO.  Sticking with any gym, no matter how amazing, no matter how wonderful means SHOWING UP AT LEAST 3 TO 5 TIMES A WEEK FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.

For those of you who DO get to the gym 3 to 5 times a week (ALWAYS AND I MEAN YEARS GIRLS)....GREAT and we love, respect and admire you!!  For those of you who just don't dig gyms or organized exercise of any nature...you are in luck and we love, respect and admire you too!!  YOU DON'T NEED A GYM TO EXERCISE!!  Below is a list of necessary items for regular exercise both cardio and resistance:

1. Good walking Shoes - (I know you have these)
2. A neighborhood or high school track - (I know you have one or both of these)
3. 3, 5, and 10 lb dumb bells ($25.00 max)..these have a "life time guarantee - no renewal fee"
4. A Theraball (for every type of exercise imaginable)...($10.00 max)
5. TIME IN YOUR WEEK AT LEAST 3 TO 5 ONE HOUR TIME SLOTS NOT TO BE INTERRUPTED BY PEER/FAMILY SABOTAGE
6. Sometimes you just have to force yourself to just DO IT!!  Bite the bullet and it will be so nice when you are done and in the shower feeling great!

Burning Belly Fat

50% of all Americans have middle obesity - belly fat - nice.  So, the question is this:  Is there a well-researched, scientific way to “target” and burn belly fat with the foods we eat?   The good news is that the answer is YES!  Visceral fat, the kind tucked deep inside your waistline, is more metabolically active and easier to lose than subcutaneous fat under the skin, especially if you have plenty of it.  Eating a diet rich in whole grains while reducing refined carbohydrates changes the glucose and insulin responses and makes it easier to mobilize those belly fat stores.  So it all boils down to regular exercise and a low fat, low calorie diet rich in whole grains.  Isn't a great looking "Six Pack" worth it??