Archive for the ‘Diet’ Category
Friday, November 6th, 2009
To round off National Obesity Week and our lively and fun campaign to support the work of The National Obesity Forum, staff and patients at Vita Clinics Birmingham Weight Management Clinic entered into a bit of Salsa on Friday 6th November.
Some of the Vita Clinics team displaying hidden talents!
The heat was on and the rhythm was rocking. Whether we were Brucie’s favourites was anyones’ guess! Nevertheless, we had great fun and it proved that being active can be great fun!
Kelly and Carol had been waiting for Ricky Martin and Antonio Banderas to show...but alas..
We hope that our activities across the week have really provoked ‘body mass imagination’ and broken down some the stigma that exercise and healthy living can be dull and daunting. We have hopefully shown that by incorporating a variety of activity and exercise is probably the best way to achieve long term weight control and a healthy lifestyle – the aim of National Obesity Week.
A huge thank you to our patients for their support, to members of the public for also joining in the spirit, and last but not least our devoted staff for doing what they believe in with passion! A big thank you to Jane Edmonds, Bariatric Dietician for helping me to pull the week together and coming up with some great ideas… you’re a marvel! Finally, a ‘big up’ to the team at The National Obesity Forum for their encouragement and support both leading up to this week and on a day-by-day basis… we hope you’ve had fun watching and feel that we’ve done a small part to help get some serious messages across.
David Allison, General Manager, Vita Clinics
Tags: Bariatric Surgery, Birmingham, Diet, Healthy Life, National Obesity Forum, National obesity week, Obesity, Obesity clinic, Obesity Surgery, Vita Clinics, Weight Loss, weight loss clinic, Weight Loss Surgery, weight management clinic
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Thursday, November 5th, 2009
Forget Strictly Come Dancing! To help celebrate National Obesity Week, on Thursday 5th November, staff and patients at The Vita Clinics’ Birmingham Weight Management Clinic helped Bonfire night go with a bang by launching into a variety of different activities under the banner of ’shake, rattle and roll’!
One of our Medical Weight Management patients enjoying his success...
They used exercise DVDs, a vibrating plate and a rebound/bouncer to try to use up even more calories.
Linda, Gastric Band patient, on the vibro-plate
Vicki, Vita Clinics' Patient Administrator, skipping with joy...
Never before have the staff been so active (!) and the patients definately felt that exercise could be great fun. Patients after bariatric surgery procedures such as gastric bypass and gastric band, as well as patients particpating in Vita Clinics’ Medical Weight Management programme, wanted to celebrate the fact that they had lost significant weight and felt healthier than they had done in years.
Carol, Vita Clinics' Bariatric Nurse Specialist, springing into action!
Jane, Vita Clinics' Bariatric Dietician, having an end-of-session 'shakedown'!
The vibro-plate is useful for toning and the mini-trampoline is great for mobility and burning calories.
Catherine, our Bariatric Dietician in Manchester, couldn’t join us but did her bit by marching off on a marathon walk with her Vita Clinics Pedometer!
Catherine, Vita Clinics' Bariatric Dietician, enjoying a brief 'breather'
For more information on getting more active and toned, as well as experiencing the joys of walking, click here.
Tags: Bariatric Surgery, Birmingham, Diet, Flab to Fab, Gastric Band, Healthy Life, Life-saving surgery, National Obesity Forum, National obesity week, NHS Bariatric surgery, Obesity, Obesity clinic, Obesity Surgery, Vita Clinics, Weight Loss, weight loss clinic, Weight Loss Surgery, weight management clinic
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Thursday, November 5th, 2009
On Wednesday 4th November between 12-2pm Hala El-Shafie, Vita Clinics Dietician Adviser who also runs The Harley Nutrition Clinic linked up with Personal Trainer Esther Brienza of Obesity Matters TV to raise awareness of National Obesity Week and the importance of understanding the consequences of being overweight.
Making it look easy..... !
... and making it look fun!
BBC TV Presenter Jay Hunt (who had a gastric bypass in 2008) joined in the fun with members of the Vita Clinics Team bouncing in ‘boingy boots’ around Battersea Park . Jay Hunt lent her support with National Obesity Week proving that health and fitness is fun for all shapes and sizes. We had a range of ages, male and female participating in the fun!
BBC Presenter Jay Hunt (right) lined up for action!
Hala and Esther preparing a 3rd willing participant!
Esther Brienza and Hala El-Shafie also joined in the fun proving that weight management can be fun AND achieved in tiny steps – one at a time or in great leaps and bounds for those who put their mind to it!
Esther helps an unsuspecting dog walker join in the fun!
The Vita Clinics team were on board to measure peoples’ BMI and point people in the right direction for finding help or further information as well as advising on the small steps that they can take at work or at home to help combat the obeso-genic environment.
Tags: Bariatric Surgery, BBC, Gastric Bypass, Healthy Life, National Obesity Forum, National obesity week, Obesity, Obesity clinic, Obesity Surgery, Vita Clinics, Weight Loss, Weight Loss Surgery
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Wednesday, November 4th, 2009
On Wednesday 4th November, staff and patients at The Vita Clinics Birmingham Weight Management Clinic staged their own boat race (on a rowing machine) to support National Obesity Week.
Kelly, Vita Clinics' Patient Administrator, on the first leg...
Kerry, Vita Clinics' Director of Operations, going for gold...
Wendy, over 30Kg lighter after her Gastric bypass earlier this year, giving it 'some welly'!
They aimed to row a total of 4 miles in relays. It takes the Oxford and Cambridge crews about 17 minutes to complete the 4 miles from Putney to Mortlake – everyone felt they could take a little longer for our 4 mile challenge (we didn’t want the Cambridge and Oxford crews to feel too threatened!).
Several patients got stuck in with gusto, having successfully undergone weight loss surgery such as gastric bypass and gastric band earlier in the year, and now being several stone lighter. The river was a bit choppy in places and the weather not too good on occasion…
Linda has lost 3 stone since her gastric band surgery in July and shows us how it should be done!
Some of the staff felt the current was against them, with one or two claiming they were rowing against the tide, and Carol, Bariatric Nurse Specialist, claiming that she’d only managed to “row up the cut” (a Walsall phrase we think).
Carol, Vita Clinics' Bariatric Nurse Specialist, on her last leg!
Great fun was had by all and we estimate that well over 1,500 calories were burned.
For most of the participants this was the first time they had used a rower and several said they enjoyed it so much they would seriously contemplate investing in one to help them get fitter and become more active. To found out some enjoyable and easy steps for activity and exercise click here.
We haven’t yet decided about charging for training the Oxford or Cambridge crews…. our expert technique comes at a price!
Tags: Bariatric Surgery, Birmingham, Diet, Gastric Band, Gastric Bypass, Healthy Life, Life-saving surgery, National Obesity Forum, National obesity week, NHS Bariatric surgery, Obesity, Obesity clinic, Obesity Surgery, Vita Clinics, Weight Loss, weight loss clinic, Weight Loss Surgery, weight management clinic
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Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009
As part of celebrating the National Obesity Week campaign, Vita Clinics staff and patients at the Birmingham weight management clinic went “into a spin” and collectively undertook a 29 mile static cycle race wearing their National Obesity Week T Shirts in support of the National Obesity Forum.
Carol, Vita Clinics Bariatric Nurse Specialist training for 2012!
Jane, Vita Clinics' Bariatric Dietician, taking a well-earned rest
Despite weary limbs and fast-ticking hearts, fun was had by all. The aim was to show that exercise can be fun and enjoyable, as well as getting the message across that obesity is a serious problem and that only by healthy eating and exercise can it be tackled. Some of the patients had undergone weight loss surgery (gastric band/gastric bypass) earlier in the year, whilst other patients were nearing the end of Vita Clinics’ Medical Weight Management programme and celebrating their success at significant weight loss and improved health.
One of our medical weight management ladies going for gold..
Barry, post-gastric bypass, showing how it should be done!
The joy of using an exercise bike is that there are no traffic dangers and it can be done in the comfort of your own home watching TV or listening to your favourite music! We collectively burned over 2,600 and had fun too!
For further advice and information on activity and fitness click here
Tags: Bariatric Surgery, Birmingham, Diet, Gastric Band, Gastric Bypass, Healthy Life, National Obesity Forum, National obesity week, Obesity, Obesity clinic, Obesity Surgery, Vita Clinics, Weight Loss, weight loss clinic, Weight Loss Surgery, weight management clinic
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Monday, November 2nd, 2009
Vita Clinics’ Belfast weight management clinic was filled with successful patients today celebrating their new lives following Gastric Bypass surgery having lost a total of 83 stone (or 525 Kg) since their weight loss surgery 8 months ago.
The patients wanted to celebrate their success as part of Vita Clinics’ National Obesity Week campaign in support of the National Obesity Forum. Vita Clinics’ Bariatric Dietician Catherine Towers said that the patients had all battled long and hard to lose weight before surgery with no success, but that having the surgery had given them a new lease of life and the impetus to make the necessary life-long changes.
Several of the patients are now working again after being unable to work for years due to their excess weight and accompanying ill health. One lady was being put forward for IVF now after being refused for several years on the grounds of her weight and the fact that her obesity had prevented her having periods.
Some of the patients brought along clothes that they had worn before their gastric bypass operations to demonstrate their miraculous weight loss.
Northern Ireland gastric bypass patient Linda wearing some of "last year's" clothes
Perhaps the most wonderful aspect was the fact that all of those patients who has suffered with either high blood pressure (hypertension) or type 2 Diabetes due to their obesity had now stopped taking medications for these illnesses and their symptoms had disappeared.
Whilst bariatric surgery such as gastric band or gastric bypass might not be right for all morbidly obese people, the experiences of these patients testifies to the incredible difference both the surgery and good aftercare can make.
Tags: Bariatric Surgery, Belfast, Diabetes, Gastric Band, Gastric Bypass, High blood pressure, hypertension, National Obesity Forum, National obesity week, NHS Bariatric surgery, Northern Ireland, Obesity, Obesity clinic, Obesity Surgery, Vita Clinics, Weight Loss, weight loss clinic, Weight Loss Surgery, weight management clinic
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