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Weight Loss & Healthy Lifestyle (Expert Forum)
Is it possible to reduce my stomach size naturally (not needing bariatric surgery)?
Answered by
Columbia Cardiology Associates
Portland - OR
Questions in the Weight Loss & Healthy Lifestyle forum are being answered by James Beckerman, MD, Cardiologist. This forum is for questions and discussions relating to: cooking tricks, diet books, exercise tips, fad diets, fitness, health and hype, healthy role modeling for children, living a "green" lifestyle, medical treatments for obesity, metabolic syndrome, obesity, restaurants, smoking cessation, supplements, surgical treatments for obesity, trends in dieting, weight-related medical conditions
Is it possible to reduce my stomach size naturally (not needing bariatric surgery)?
by perpetualjon, Jul 30, 2009 01:21PM
My understanding is that bariatric surgery involves shrinking the size of the stomach pouch and bypassing parts of the intestine. But I also believe that eating habits can affect the size of the stomach pouch on their own. For example, eating a rather large meal (or rather overeating) can cause the stomach to stretch so that your next meal would need a similar intake to have the same satiation level... And conversely, fasting for a period of time causes the stomach to shrink so that your next meal can be relatively small and still feel full. Is it possible then to "force" the shrinking affect on my stomach through reducing the volume of each meal drastically (and increasing the frequency of eating times). In essence, change to an eating pattern more like what you would arrive at AFTER the bariatric surgery and cause the stomach to adjust accordingly?
Doctor's Answer
by James G Beckerman, M.D., Jul 31, 2009 10:37AM
, Jul 31, 2009 10:37AM
You're right that your stomach will be transiently smaller if you eat less food. But keep in mind that this temporarily smaller stomach size won't be help you to lose weight in the future. The reason why gastric bypass surgery is successful is because it makes you feel so full after eating smaller quantities of food that it retrains your body and mind with respect to what hunger and satiety feel like and what amount of food is needed to satisfy you. Changing to a diet with fewer calories will help you lose weight - regardless of any impact (no matter how brief) on your stomach size. Take care!
Dr. Beckerman
www.twitter.com/jamesbeckerman
Dr. Beckerman
www.twitter.com/jamesbeckerman
I don't have the answer to your question but it would seem more realistic to focus on changing your behavior without using a real or imagined 'shrinking stomach' effect. I think you may have more success if you approach the issue from a different angle.
J