Updates

Our clinic staff & patients are constantly coming across new tips & tricks, reading new information and attending awesome events.  Check back often to see the latest new tidbits we're excited about!

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Race Weekend 2010

The weekend of May 28-30, 2010, was an exciting weekend for many people in Ottawa - the annual Ottawa Race Weekend brought out thousands of athletes to compete in 2km, 5km, 10km, half-marathon and marathon distances. We were most excited to participate with a number of our clients who had diligently been meeting for weekly walks every saturday morning for the 8 weeks leading up to the race! Competing in either the 5km or 10km distances, everyone surpassed their own expectations and pushed themselves to the absolute maximum. It was really inspiring to compete alongside our clients whose improvement & endurance over the course of 8 weeks was truly awesome! Congratulations to everyone who participated!!!

National Masters Swimming Championships - Nanaimo

Over the May long weekend, 2010, Dr. Bishop competed in the National Masters Swimming Championships in Nanaimo, BC. He competed in races such as the 1500m Freestyle, 400m IM, 200m Backstroke, and a variety of other individual races. He also competed in 6 relays, and actually achieved a world record time in his 4 x 100m long course mixed medley relay for his group's age category! Congratulations Dr. Bishop!

Western Regional Obesity Conference 2010

From April 15 - 18, 2010, Dr. Bishop, Wendy, Anne, Maureen & Tiia attended the Western Regional Obesity Conference in Seattle. This incredible conference was put on by the American Society of Bariatric Physicians (ASBP) and the Nutrition & Metabolism Society. Topics included: sugar & it's impact on metabolic disorders; omega-3 fatty acid supplementation; low-carbohydrate diets & their effect on hormones, neurological disorders, metabolism and weight; protein thresholds; saturated fatty acids; bariatric surgery; and many, many more! This conference provided information from the most current & on-going studies relating to obesity and its associated conditions. The ASBP and Nutrition & Metabolism Society strive to provide the most current research base for the information and knowledge they pass along to their members. We feel very lucky to be able to attend these bi-annual conferences so that we may provide our clients with the most up-to-date information possible. Dr. Bishop's interest in continuing education (both for himself & his staff) allows our clinic to always re-vamp our approaches as we learn new information. We strive to stay current advances being made in this field each in every day!

Sleepless?? It may be affecting your weight...

Dr. Bishop came across an interesting article in the September-October issue of ASBP News. The study (by Siobhan Banks, PhD - University of South Australia) showed that people whose sleep was restricted gained an average of 2.9 pounds. Many studies have found that a lack of sleep is associatesd with weight gain, being heavier, and an increased risk of diabetes. So, if you're noticing your weight loss is not progressing the way you anticipated, perhaps sleep could be one of the factors impeding the process. Many of us are chronically tired. Is bedtime a peaceful time for you? Ask yourself what steps you could take to make your bed/bedroom a more serene, pleasant, non-stressful environment. Remove clutter from your bed & room. Avoid watching TV or doing computer work in bed. If you tend to stay awake thinking & worrying at night, try writing your thoughts down in a journal before going to bed. It's the little pieces in our weight loss puzzle that we must work on putting together one at a time; eventually, the big picture will come together!

Obesity & Associated Conditions Conference - Charleston, South Carolina

From April 16-19, 2009, Dr. Bishop and some of his staff attended the bi-annual American Society of Bariatric Physicians (ASBP) conference in Charleston, South Carolina. An incredible array of information was presented by speakers from a variety of backgrounds. Lectures delved into topics such as: Carbohydrate Thresholds, Hormone Balance, Protein Importance, Food & Mood, Exercise, Compulsive Overeating, Insulin Resistance and many others. The amount of research being done in the field of obesity is truly astounding; Dr. Bishop hopes that by continuing our education here at the clinic we can offer patients better insight into how they can best tackle this many-faceted issue. We feel privileged to have been a part of this fantastic conference, and we are excited to offer patients some of the most up-to-date information on weight loss, lifestyle change and our ability as humans to push forward on this journey.

Ontario Masters Swimming Provincial Championships - Ottawa, 2009

Dr. Bishop and Tiia participated in the Ontario Masters Swim Championships at the Nepean Sportsplex from March 20 - 22, 2009. This fantastic event brought together swimmers of all ages and abilities from across Ontario & Quebec to compete. Whether it was a beginner's first time competing or a seasoned Olympic medalist going for a world record, each swimmer was included equaly and given the opportunity to race against others in their age group. Dr. Bishop's individual events included: 200m IM, 1500m freestyle, 400m IM, 100m backstroke, 100m IM and 800m freestyle. Tiia's individual events included: 1500m freestyle, 400m IM, 200m breaststroke, 400m freestyle, 100m IM and 100m breaststroke. Both Dr. Bishop & Tiia also competed in a variety of relays with their team-mates. Congratulations to both on your hard work and success! Photos 1 through 5 courtesy of Bruce Amos: www.bruceamos.com.

Motivational Interviewing Course, Boston: October 17th and 18th, 2008

It truly was a pleasure to attend the Motivational Interviewing Workshop. Up until now, we had rarely considered that there are several stages of change and that individuals are continually moving between these stages. Discovering where in the cycle of change someone is, can be key to determining the best approach to helping them to change. When someone is able to consider the pros and cons of adopting a healthier lifestyle vs. the pros and cons of maintaining their current lifestyle, it will help them to identify their goals, their personal rewards, their confidence and the significance of moving toward a healthier lifestyle. Individuals who are intrinsically motivated to make a change are likely to be more successful than those who are motivated by external factors. The other focus of the course was the importance of reflection. An individual is better able to examine their own thoughts, when they are presented back to them by someone else. We both learned tremendous amounts about this style of interviewing and hope to attend additional courses to stay current on and further our knowledge. ~ Tiia & Heather

Obesity Summit, Cleveland: September 10th to 12th, 2008

Each year I try to attend at least three major reviews of Obesity. The explosion of knowledge that is occurring in the understanding of obesity is hard to keep up with, without continual vigilance at scientific meetings. Each conference that any of us attend increases our ability to help our clients. This one, held at the Cleveland Clinic, was no exception. The wide range of experts included: endocrinologists, bariatric surgeons, gastroenterologists, psychologists and exercise physiologists. Topics ranged from The Genetic Mechanisms involved in Obesity, to Physiologic Adaptations to Weight Loss that promotes weight gain. Other topics were childhood obesity and diabetes, and “how we achieve and maintain lifestyle changes in the obese patient”. One thing is loud and clear. Losing weight is not about a diet. It involves complicated genetic, hormonal, psychological and societal issues that differ in each and every one of us. To that extent, I want to keep on learning and thereby help overweight individuals to not just lose weight, but to learn long term measures, so that weight does not come back on. We are facing a crisis in health care in this country. At the core of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, osteo-arthritis, acid reflux and certain cancers is our weight. We need to learn to control our intake and increase our energy output, all in our busy hectic lives. Bottom line is that in order to stay out of hospital we must learn to better take care of our personal health. ~ Dr.Doug

Walking Group

In preparation for the 2008 National Capital Race Weekend, staff and clients met at the Experimental Farm on Saturday mornings. Some came out with the intention of participating in the marathon, while others came out for the fresh air, the exercise and to enjoy each other's company. We'll make sure to keep you posted of any upcoming walks!

National Capital Race Weekend - Past and Present

Every year for the last few years, members of our staff and several of our clients have participated in the National Capital Race Weekend. Whether walking or running the 5K, the 10K, the half or the full marathon, everyone on Dr. Bishop's team gives it their best! Maybe we'll see you there next year!

ASBP Conference, Tampa: September 26th and 27th, 2008

Anne, Maureen and I had the privilege to attend the American Society of Bariatric Medicine (ASBP) in Tampa, Florida. These meetings are scheduled twice yearly in order to provide educational information about weight management to physicians and assistants who work in weight loss clinics. I would like to pass on some key points from the lectures. • Exercise doesn’t always have to be planned or structured. We can certainly burn extra calories during our day by making better choices such as using the stairs rather than an escalator or elevator, or going in to pick up morning coffee rather than using the drive thru. • Traditional physical activities do not motivate our children to exercise. Many video games that involve physical movement are being created to help get children and adults moving (consider the Wii.) • One lecture focused on nutrient claims on food labels. We also learned about the safety of various sugar substitutes. • Once again, the benefits of a lower starch (simple carbohydrate) program were stressed. A decrease in starches and sugars will increase the loss of body fat and reduce the loss of muscle. The consumption of protein and good fats helps to keep us feeling full. • In order to maintain weight loss, it is important to find the amount of carbohydrate that each individual can eat each day to maintain a healthy weight for life. • We learned about the many excellent websites that are available to help people track their foods. (see Resources section) • For people to go on a program, they must be “ready, willing and able” to change their behaviours. Motivation needs to come from within. ~ Wendy

Web Design Course

Blurb and photos to come!