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All I want for Christmas is . . .

If you thought the next words were “my two front teeth,” that’s not quite the subject of this blog. What this really meant is that it’s that time of year again. People are probably asking what to get your for Christmas. As a bariatric patient, your nutrition must change. That means not only what you eat, but also how you approach your nutrition. Do you have the right kind of tools to make sure you achieve your nutrition goals? There are 4 main categories of products to put on your wish list:

MEASURE:  Measuring your food and fluids keeps you on track with getting the right amount of... Read More »

Weight Loss Surgery Changes Independence Woman’s Life

For Jennifer Palmer being there for her family was the incentive she needed to go after the life she long dreamed of. Jennifer, a resident of Independence, Kansas, turned to The Center for Bariatrics at Bailey Medical Center in Owasso to make her dream a reality*.

“I was tired of trying every new fad diet with little to no success,” says Jennifer. “I was just plain sick and tired of being "sick and tired."”

Jennifer had struggled with obesity since entering adulthood. As a result, her weight presented various health challenges.

“All that weight wears a person out; I was... Read More »

Weight Loss Surgery Saves a Man’s Life

Charlie Groom, a man who spent 50 years of his life experiencing health issues related to obesity, says that bariatric surgery saved his life. It all started during a Boy Scouts summer camp when Charlie was diagnosed with high blood pressure at the age of 14. After this, Charlie continued to deal with several other diagnoses throughout his life, including diabetes, sleep apnea and heart issues.

Taking 20 to 30 pills a day and weekly trips to various doctors became his reality. Being overweight and taking large amounts of blood pressure medication left Charlie’s heart struggling to... Read More »

Weight Loss Surgery: “The Best Thing I’ve Ever Done”

Keith Hurst constantly takes pictures of himself so he can actually see the results of his weight loss. “I take pictures because when I look in the mirror, I still see a big man, but when I see pictures of myself and compare them to the pictures before surgery, then it becomes real. I actually see the difference,*” he says. Keith reached his highest weight of 460 pounds while working as a truck driver for several years. Today, he is down to 268 pounds and went from a size 60 in pants to a size 40 after having gastric bypass surgery in August of 2015 at the Center for Bariatrics at Bailey... Read More »

Family Supports Mother Through Weight Loss Surgery

When Deborah Dobyns was first referred to Dr. Varnell at the Center for Bariatrics at Bailey Medical Center, she was nervous. After having a hysterectomy, her OB/GYN encouraged her to consider weight loss surgery because, at her pre-surgery weight, she was at high-risk while on estrogen medications. Deborah researched Dr. Varnell and Bailey Bariatrics and was drawn to the program after reading about its structure on the Bailey Bariatrics website. “Once I read about the program setup, and saw the support and education, I knew they would take good care of me. I would be making a good... Read More »

A Woman’s Determination through Weight Loss Surgery

For Lisa Dugan, the choice to have weight loss surgery was the only option if she was going to be there for her family. “I decided to go do the surgery because I wanted to stay alive and be healthy for my children and grandchildren, so this was a personal choice.” Lisa made the decision to have a gastric bypass surgery at the Center for Bariatrics at Bailey Medical Center three years ago. Today, she feels like it was the best decision she could have made as a mother and grandmother. “My grandkids feel like they don’t have the typical grandmother who can’t do things with them because of... Read More »

Weight Loss Surgery Changes the Lives of Owasso Woman and Grandson

Nicolle Ochoa struggled being overweight for 25 years. After having three children and trying multiple unsuccessful diets, Nicolle wanted a change. “I was diagnosed with sleep apnea, borderline diabetic, and had to have both knees replaced after tripping over gym equipment while I was working out,” Nicolle says. “I gained back all of the weight I had lost during recovery, and reached my highest weight of 363 pounds. It was horrible. My grandson asked if I could get on the slide with him, and I couldn’t because I was too big.”

Today, Nicolle has lost 144 pounds since her surgery on... Read More »

Transformation from Old Self to New Life

Sam Cowles carries around a reminder of his old life everywhere he goes. “I keep a picture of my ‘old self’ in my wallet and show it to people all the time,” he shares. At more than 400 pounds, Sam had stopped living life. His weight took away big things and small things. “I didn’t even care about what my hair looked like, because I dreaded looking in the mirror.” Today, he has lost more than 200 pounds through The Center for Bariatrics at Bailey Medical Center and says he feels and looks, at 46, younger than he did when he was overweight. “I feel great. I feel amazing. It is incredible... Read More »

Understanding Protein Portion Sizes: Measuring By Using Common Items

It’s not always convenient to have food scales, measuring cups, measuring spoons or food labels to help you calculate the protein in food. You can also use common items to be more accurate in tracking your protein intake:  

Savor the Flavor for National Nutrition Month

Bailey Bariatrics dietitian Rene Norman, RD/LD, shares the importance of National Nutrition Month as a reminder of how our mindset towards food affects our nutrition.

March is National Nutrition Month.  The Academy of Nutrition and Dietitians (AND) picked “Savor the Flavor of Eating Right” for this year’s theme. To help celebrate this theme, AND asked dietitians to share their thoughts and inspirations about the best way to help consumers “Savor the Flavor of Eating Right.” The winner was Annelies Newman, RDN/CD of Utah.  Here is her contribution: 

"Imagine we are going to a... Read More »