North Queensland Obesity Surgery Centre

Meet our new Bariatric Nurse, Samantha 😃
Samantha has been a Registered Nurse for 5 years, and has a background in Oncology nursing. She is a mum of three young children and had Bariatric surgery herself, 6.5 years ago. Samantha will be in the office from Wednesday to Friday and can be contacted via email on [email protected] We know you will all make her feel very welcome ☺️

After nearly 4 years as the Bariatric nurse at NQOSC, it's time for me to say goodbye and to move on to new adventures.
I have really enjoyed working with our team, Dr Baker, Dr Whiting and Melissa. I have loved getting to know our patients and watching your journey's and I wish all of you the very best for the future. I will still be around a little bit in a casual capacity so I might see some of you from time to time. Please keep an eye out next week for a post introducing our new Nurse. I know you will all make her feel very welcome ☺️
Warm Regards, Melodie

Our recent patient information night was a great success and it was lovely to have a mix of new and familiar faces ☺️ If you were unable to attend and would like to know how Dr Baker and the team can support you with both surgical and non-surgical weight loss options, please contact the rooms and organise a complimentary consultation with our Bariatric Nurse, Melodie (no referral required) ☺️

Monthly Motivation!

Thanks to Anita Julyan for sharing her story with us 😃 Anita said:
"I want to shout it from the rooftop how this surgery has saved my life, in a few short months. I was sleeved by Dr.Baker on the 28th March this year. The journey has been a tool to create a better relationship with food and moving my body. I now enjoy a bit of everything and look forward to good, quality food. I am off my blood pressure medication and my cholesterol and sugars are down within a healthy range. I still have a few more kgs to lose, however, this life saving surgery has made me feel like a new woman".

If you would also like to share your journey with us, no matter which procedure/medication you've had or which of our surgeons, please email: [email protected]

Are you thinking about your weightloss options? Dr Samuel Baker and his Bariatric Nurse, Melodie, are available for a private, individual consultation at no cost or obligation. We offer both non-surgical (medical) and surgical solutions, with long term support and guidance. Please call 4725 2833 to make an appointment with Melodie.

Patient Seminar

Interesting read!

Weight-Loss Surgery Slashes Cancer Risk and Mortality, New Study Finds A new study found weight-loss surgery can reduce the risk of several types of cancer for people living with obesity.

Non-hungry eating is when we eat for reasons other than physical hunger.

Non-hungry eating may include:
➡️ Eating when bored or tired.
➡️ Eating left-over food when you've finished a meal.
➡️ Emotional eating, like when you're happy, sad, stressed, etc.
➡️ Eating leftovers to avoid food being wasted.
➡️ Eating out of habit because the clock says it's lunch time.

After weight loss surgery we strongly encourage our patients to listen to their body and ensure they are eating for physical hunger and nothing else!

Queensland Government Health has a handy hunger level scale to help you determine when you're full so you can moderate your non-hungry eating.

Find it here 👇

🌐 https://bit.ly/QLDHealthHungerScale

Wanted! Monthly Motivation stars.. if you would like to share your weightloss journey email [email protected]

Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to the ward we go 😁 delivering some goody bags to our post op patients this morning, to help support them on their journey at home 😊

Monthly Motivation!
Medication Edition 💉💊

In 2020 Judy required surgery to fix a hiatus hernia and was told by her surgeon that it was imperative she did not gain any more weight or the surgery could fail. Judy had had a gastric sleeve in 2010 and unfortunately had regained a large amount of the weight she had lost. In order to follow her surgeon's instructions and get her weight under control Judy tried multiple diets and lots of exercise, but to no avail. In February 2021 she decided to try a new medication, to see if it would help her. Since starting the medication she has lost an amazing 17kg! and is back under her lowest post sleeve weight. Judy describes this medication as a "life saver" and regularly tells me it should "be in the water" so that everyone can reap the benefits! She has found that her appetite is greatly decreased and even the occasional alcoholic beverage she once enjoyed, has lost much of its appeal. Judy has tolerated the medication well, reporting only mild nausea at times and plans to stay on a low dose of the medication indefinitely.

If you would like to know more about medications for weight management, we are happy to have a complimentary consultation with you to discuss your options 🙂 simply call our rooms on 47252833.

Starting your weight loss journey on the right foot is important to us and that's why we recommend Formulite to our patients during their pre operative (Very Low Calorie Diet - VLCD) diet phase.

Formulite is:

✅ Higher in protein than other VLCD products
✅ Low in sugar
✅ Includes pre and pro biotics to support gut health
✅ No artificial sweeteners
✅ Gluten free, low lactose
✅ Australian owned
✅ Developed by healthcare industry experts

Fun fact! Formulite is not just for weight loss surgery patients, Dr Scott and Melissa the dietitian use this product most mornings as it can be incorporated into a healthy balanced diet 🍎. A favourite combination is the coffee & choc hazelnut together!

To find out more about Formulite, click the link below 👇

🌐 formulite.com.au

Monthly Motivation!

It's that time again ☺️ This month we have the amazing Sue, who had a Gastric Sleeve with Dr Baker and has had amazing results!

Sue said: "At the age of 51 and after years of struggling with being obese, I took matters in hand and chose weight loss surgery. 60 kg and 171cm gone and I'm feeling fabulous!

Being smaller makes life just easier all round, from mobility, discomfort and energy levels to the small things like turning over in bed and putting your socks on. Being able to buy clothes anywhere is fabulous too, though the shopping addiction I’ve gained is not 😆. Any regrets? Only that I didn’t do it sooner….

Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us Sue ☺️🥂

😆🙌 got to love that protein!

Nurse Mel spending some time this morning putting together our patient post op goody bags 😊 let us know below 👇 if you have found yours useful ☺️

Some really good advice ☺️

Grazing is one of the key causes of weight plateaus and weight regain following weight loss surgery.

Unfortunately it is a behaviour your sleeve or bypass struggles to work with.

It is a loophole which can lead you to eat far more than you would if you limited your meals and snacks to 10-20 minutes.

A few examples of grazing include:
✔️ Sipping on a large milky coffee or smoothie all morning
✔️ Nibbling on a bowl of nuts over the afternoon
✔️ Taking an hour to eat your dinner.

It is so important to look for any grazing patterns in your day and work to change these to allow your weight loss surgery to work for you.

Could grazing be letting you down?

If you need more support with weight plateaus or regains, our ‘Back on Track’ course is a great place to start ==> https://ed.gr/dypds

Justine 💛

Thank you to everyone who attended our patient information seminar! What a great night ☺️ we loved seeing you all! A special thank you to Samantha Lewis & Dr Baker for sharing their personal weightloss journey's with us all and to the whole team for making the night run smoothly 🥂 If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to contact the team on 47252833 and please feel free to share any feedback below 👇 ☺️

Melissa our Dietitian busily getting our goody bags ready for the patient info night on Wednesday 😀 Can't wait to see you all there!

Monthly Motivation time 😀

This month we're featuring Beau, who was sleeved by Dr Baker in August 2021.

Beau says: "I’ve lost 50kgs. The surgery has allowed me to be able to have more mobility and play/engage outside with my son with out getting out of breath quickly".

Thanks for sharing Beau 😊🎉

Today is World Obesity Day. Obesity is a global issue affecting millions of people. NQOSC are proud to be able to support our patient's on their journey to manage their obesity and lead longer, healthier lives. If you would like to speak to our team about the services we offer, simply call 47252833 or see your GP for a referral to one of our Surgeons. We are also having a free patient information evening on the 16th of March and the details can be found on our website https://www.nqobesitysurgery.com.au/

Thought I would share this as I am currently chewing on a Barinutrics chocolate flavoured calcium chewy bite ☺️ Are you getting enough calcium? 🤔

Many Australians don’t get enough calcium in their diet. (73% of females and 51% of males) It is even worse if you have had bariatric surgery as your food intake is reduced and you may have less ability to absorb nutrients from your diet. This is why it is important to boost up your calcium intake post WLS. Barinutrics® Calcium Chewy Bites are a convenient and tasty way to help you reach your calcium requirements. ⠀⠀🦴🤍⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀​​​​​​​​
Calcium is essential for ​​​​​​​​
Strengthening bones and teeth​​​​​​​​
Healthy muscle function​​​​​​​​
Regulating heart function​​​​​​​​
Blood clotting​​​​​​​​
A healthy nervous system​​​​​​​​

Motivation Monday stars needed!
Want to share your journey & motivate others? 😀 email [email protected]

It's that time of the week again..for Motivation Monday 😃

This week we are featuring Tyson, and his incredible weightloss. Tyson shared:

"After many years of battling with my weight and sitting on the fence considering bariatric surgery, I bit the bullet and got in contact with Dr Bakers office to get the ball rolling. On the 1st June 2020 I weighed in at 198kg and 8th June 2020 I had my Gastric sleeve. On 28th January 2022 I weighed in at 95kg giving me a loss of 103kg. Dr Baker has given me a new lease on life. The only regret I have is that I didn't take the leap sooner!. I'd like to thank Dr Baker and his team for everything they've done for me and I urge anyone thats been thinking of following the path of bariatric surgery to do it. You won't regret it!"

Thanks Tyson for sharing you story ☺️
If you would also like to share your story and motivate others, simply email your story and some photos to [email protected]

Patient Seminar | NQOSC If you've been considering weight loss surgery and would like to know more, please join us for this free information evening where your local weight loss surgery team will discuss all aspects of the weight loss surgery journey.

Are you interested in knowing the Costs for surgery? To see Dr Whiting's fees head over to our website ☺️
https://www.nqobesitysurgery.com.au/

North Queensland Obesity Surgery Centre | Pimlico QLD | NQOSC Owen Haskins - Editor in chief, Bariatric News Bariatric surgery can result in significant improvement in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), according to new research presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW). Researchers at the University of South Florida-Tampa (USF) found that bar...