Dr. Duc Vuong

Thank you for your very kind and thoughtful comment, but I am hardly as wise or accomplished as Mandela or Twain, but I appreciate the sentiment. Your tip for writing letters is a great idea!

This is possibly my favorite letter for success. I believe it is critical to understand forgiveness as it relates to your weight loss journey. F Forgiveness “Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.” – Mark Twain F is for Forgiveness. Nelson Mandela said, “Having resentment is like drinking poison and expecting your enemy to die.” The only way to enlightenment is to forgive anything and everything that has happened to you in the past, however difficult this may be, for you can never have a better past. You must forgive the people and those events that you blame for your obesity. “But how can I forgive when the pain is so much?” you ask. If you constantly think thoughts of forgiveness towards the one who has hurt you, then you will eventually feel forgiveness in your heart. Forgiveness must come from the heart, not the mind. After forgiving them, you must then send to them all of the things you wish for yourself, like love, peace, and prosperity. Do not say “I will forgive, but I will never forget”, because that is just another way of saying “I will not forgive.” While it is impossible for you to have a better past, you can still control your future, so create a better future by forgiving the past. *The preceding is an excerpt from Dr. Vuong's new book, Weight Loss Surgery Success:Dr. V's A-Z Tips For Losing Weight and Gaining Enlightenment, now available on Amazon.com.

F Forgiveness “Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.” – Mark Twain F is for Forgiveness. Nelson Mandela said, “Having resentment is like drinking poison and expecting your enemy to die.” The only way to enlightenment is to forgive anything and everything that has happened to you in the past, however difficult this may be, for you can never have a better past. You must forgive the people and those events that you blame for your obesity. “But how can I forgive when the pain is so much?” you ask. If you constantly think thoughts of forgiveness towards the one who has hurt you, then you will eventually feel forgiveness in your heart. Forgiveness must come from the heart, not the mind. After forgiving them, you must then send to them all of the things you wish for yourself, like love, peace, and prosperity. Do not say “I will forgive, but I will never forget”, because that is just another way of saying “I will not forgive.” While it is impossible for you to have a better past, you can still control your future, so create a better future by forgiving the past. *The preceding is an excerpt from Dr. Vuong's new book, Weight Loss Surgery Success:Dr. V's A-Z Tips For Losing Weight and Gaining Enlightenment, now available on Amazon.com.

E Eliminate Criticism, Embrace Empathy “Consciously choose to smile, whenever it crosses your mind not to do so.” – Dr. Duc Vuong E tells you to Eliminate All Criticism. To find compassion, you must eliminate all criticism. And the first form of criticism you need to eliminate is self-judgment. Stop judging yourself for the decision to have surgery or for putting yourself in the situation to even need surgery in the first place. Stop criticizing yourself because of the emotions you feel following your weight loss surgery. You’re not weak or selfish, so don’t criticize yourself. Let your long-suppressed buried emotions erupt if you have to; it’s okay. Then look in the mirror and say, “I forgive you.” E also tells you to Embrace Empathy. Next, stop criticizing others. Understanding your emotions gives you empathy for others; forgiving yourself makes it easier to forgive others. Empathy allows you to relate to others in meaningful and sincere ways; it’s the emotion we often fail to develop but the one that plays a major role in our success. In order to have empathy, you must purge all forms of criticism. Criticism is the cause of all unhappiness, so eliminate it. I will say that again: criticism is the cause of all unhappiness. *The preceding is an excerpt from Dr. V's new book, Weight Loss Surgery Success: Dr. V's A-Z Tips for Losing Weight and Gaining Enlightenment, now available on Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/069202378X/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d0_i2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_r=1JC949HSEPHRC4HJV3RB&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1688200422&pf_rd_i=507846

Tip E is probably the most important point if you are to ever find happiness with your surgery. E Eliminate Criticism, Embrace Empathy “Consciously choose to smile, whenever it crosses your mind not to do so.” – Dr. Duc Vuong E tells you to Eliminate All Criticism. To find compassion, you must eliminate all criticism. And the first form of criticism you need to eliminate is self-judgment. Stop judging yourself for the decision to have surgery or for putting yourself in the situation to even need surgery in the first place. Stop criticizing yourself because of the emotions you feel following your weight loss surgery. You’re not weak or selfish, so don’t criticize yourself. Let your long-suppressed buried emotions erupt if you have to; it’s okay. Then look in the mirror and say, “I forgive you.” E also tells you to Embrace Empathy. Next, stop criticizing others. Understanding your emotions gives you empathy for others; forgiving yourself makes it easier to forgive others. Empathy allows you to relate to others in meaningful and sincere ways; it’s the emotion we often fail to develop but the one that plays a major role in our success. In order to have empathy, you must purge all forms of criticism. Criticism is the cause of all unhappiness, so eliminate it. I will say that again: criticism is the cause of all unhappiness. *The preceding is an excerpt from Dr. V's new book, Weight Loss Surgery Success: Dr. V's A-Z Tips for Losing Weight and Gaining Enlightenment, now available on Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/069202378X/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d0_i2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_r=1JC949HSEPHRC4HJV3RB&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1688200422&pf_rd_i=507846

D Dream Big Dreams “ Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe D tells you to Dream Big, Dream Bigger, and Dream the Biggest Dream of All. Never give up on your dreams. As children, we dream all of the time, and then life somehow manages to squash those dreams. Don’t let life kill your dreams! Ask yourself, “Once I reach my goal weight, what one new thing will I do that I have never done before?” Now ask yourself, “Why wait? Why not do it now?!” Maintain a dogged determination to fulfill your dreams by keeping the desire burning. Desire comes from setting big dreams, because small dreams do not have the power to move your heart. Devote yourself to the fulfillment of those dreams. They are your dreams, after all, and they will never be realized unless you strive to fulfill them. Don’t die with your dreams unrealized. Today, make a plan to accomplish one of your childhood dreams. *The preceding is an excerpt from Dr. Vuong's new book Weight Loss Surgery Success: Dr. V's A-Z Tips for Losing Weight and Gaining Enlightenment, available on Amazon. If you liked it, then purchase the entire book to read all of the great tips now!

What is the worst part about being obese? Obesity takes you out of the game and puts you on the sidelines. What game? The Game of Life. Want to start living your life again? Here's how. D Dream Big Dreams “ Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe D tells you to Dream Big, Dream Bigger, and Dream the Biggest Dream of All. Never give up on your dreams. As children, we dream all of the time, and then life somehow manages to squash those dreams. Don’t let life kill your dreams! Ask yourself, “Once I reach my goal weight, what one new thing will I do that I have never done before?” Now ask yourself, “Why wait? Why not do it now?!” Maintain a dogged determination to fulfill your dreams by keeping the desire burning. Desire comes from setting big dreams, because small dreams do not have the power to move your heart. Devote yourself to the fulfillment of those dreams. They are your dreams, after all, and they will never be realized unless you strive to fulfill them. Don’t die with your dreams unrealized. Today, make a plan to accomplish one of your childhood dreams. *The preceding is an excerpt from Dr. Vuong's new book Weight Loss Surgery Success: Dr. V's A-Z Tips for Losing Weight and Gaining Enlightenment, available on Amazon. If you liked it, then purchase the entire book to read all of the great tips now!

Weight loss surgery is about more than just the number on the scale. To be successful you must become a different person. Here is a critical first step. Compassion and Change “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” – Dalai Lama C stands for Compassion. Without compassion, you will likely live a small and incomplete life. This is because you will be too wrapped up in your own weight loss troubles to see the true wonder of the world and the important role you play in it. Without compassion, you cannot be at peace with the new thinner and healthier you, because the world that we experience is just a reflection of our inner selves. Do you experience the world as kind or hostile? Loving or cruel? Compassionate or critical? Practicing compassion is easy—it can be as simple as giving a homeless beggar a word of kindness rather than a critical judgment. Perform one act of compassion towards another person today. C also stands for Change. You can’t change out there without changing in here; or as Jim Rohn said, “If you want your life to change, then you must change.” Some patients wrongly think that after weight loss surgery they will be the exact same person just in a smaller body. But make no mistake: as you lose weight, things will change, you will change. Everything must change. If you don’t change, then it won’t be long before the old you returns. Change one thing about yourself today—be it a new haircut, an item of clothing, or a word you use to describe yourself. *The preceding is an excerpt from Dr. Vuong's new book Weight Loss Surgery Success: Dr. V's A-Z Tips for Losing Weight and Gaining Enlightenment, available on Amazon. If you liked it, then purchase the entire book to read all of the great tips now!

Compassion and Change “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” – Dalai Lama C stands for Compassion. Without compassion, you will likely live a small and incomplete life. This is because you will be too wrapped up in your own weight loss troubles to see the true wonder of the world and the important role you play in it. Without compassion, you cannot be at peace with the new thinner and healthier you, because the world that we experience is just a reflection of our inner selves. Do you experience the world as kind or hostile? Loving or cruel? Compassionate or critical? Practicing compassion is easy—it can be as simple as giving a homeless beggar a word of kindness rather than a critical judgment. Perform one act of compassion towards another person today. C also stands for Change. You can’t change out there without changing in here; or as Jim Rohn said, “If you want your life to change, then you must change.” Some patients wrongly think that after weight loss surgery they will be the exact same person just in a smaller body. But make no mistake: as you lose weight, things will change, you will change. Everything must change. If you don’t change, then it won’t be long before the old you returns. Change one thing about yourself today—be it a new haircut, an item of clothing, or a word you use to describe yourself. *The preceding is an excerpt from Dr. Vuong's new book Weight Loss Surgery Success: Dr. V's A-Z Tips for Losing Weight and Gaining Enlightenment, available on Amazon. If you liked it, then purchase the entire book to read all of the great tips now!

Perfection is a myth. You should discard the need to be perfect. If you want to succeed with your weight loss surgery (nay, in life) then follow this simple tip. Be better today than you were yesterday. B Be Better “ He who knows best knows how little he knows.” – Thomas Jefferson B B is for Be Better. Don’t try to “do your best” every time. That does not leave room for improvement, and it lulls you into a false sense of security. “I did my best, so what more could I possibly do?” gives you comfort that if you didn’t achieve your goal, it’s okay because at least you tried your best. But there is really no way to know whether or not we actually did our “best.” Rather than simply trying your best, decide to be better. Be better this time than last; be better today than you were yesterday. If yesterday was five diet sodas, you can be better today by drinking only four diet sodas, and then three tomorrow. You don’t need to go straight from five to zero in a day, as long as every day you’re getting better and better. You will be making progress in the right direction and will ultimately reach your weight loss goals if you simply resolve to be better today than yesterday. But understand that Be Better also applies to every area of your life, not just weight loss. Be a better mother, spouse, or daughter. Be a better employee, coworker, or friend. Be a better gardener, cook, or runner this year than last year. To be better, you must learn new skills. The tricks that worked 10 years ago, no longer work today. Do not react to situations in the same way you did when you were 16. You must grow. You must evolve. Do not stay the same. Do not become complacent. The great philosopher Carl Jung said, “Our problems cannot be solved. They must be outgrown.” This means you have to be better. *The preceding is an excerpt from Dr. Vuong's new book, "Weight Loss Surgery Success: Dr. V's A-Z Tips for Losing Weight and Gaining Enlightenment" that is now available on Amazon.com.

B Be Better “ He who knows best knows how little he knows.” – Thomas Jefferson B B is for Be Better. Don’t try to “do your best” every time. That does not leave room for improvement, and it lulls you into a false sense of security. “I did my best, so what more could I possibly do?” gives you comfort that if you didn’t achieve your goal, it’s okay because at least you tried your best. But there is really no way to know whether or not we actually did our “best.” Rather than simply trying your best, decide to be better. Be better this time than last; be better today than you were yesterday. If yesterday was five diet sodas, you can be better today by drinking only four diet sodas, and then three tomorrow. You don’t need to go straight from five to zero in a day, as long as every day you’re getting better and better. You will be making progress in the right direction and will ultimately reach your weight loss goals if you simply resolve to be better today than yesterday. But understand that Be Better also applies to every area of your life, not just weight loss. Be a better mother, spouse, or daughter. Be a better employee, coworker, or friend. Be a better gardener, cook, or runner this year than last year. To be better, you must learn new skills. The tricks that worked 10 years ago, no longer work today. Do not react to situations in the same way you did when you were 16. You must grow. You must evolve. Do not stay the same. Do not become complacent. The great philosopher Carl Jung said, “Our problems cannot be solved. They must be outgrown.” This means you have to be better. *The preceding is an excerpt from Dr. Vuong's new book, "Weight Loss Surgery Success: Dr. V's A-Z Tips for Losing Weight and Gaining Enlightenment" that is now available on Amazon.com.

I'll be back next week with the letter B!

Everybody will be successful with weight loss surgery in the short term, but what will determine your long-term success? I will go through 26 essential principles needed for a happy relationship with your surgery, starting with the letter A. In this excerpt from my new book, I discuss the importance of having the right Attitude. A Attitude “ Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” – Winston Churchill A stands for Attitude. Your attitude will determine how you see the world, whether you see your glass as half-empty or half-full. Focus on having only a positive attitude towards your weight loss surgery. Realize that everything in your life needed to happen in order for you to have the life you have today, even the events that might have contributed to your obesity. Rather than viewing your life as “jinxed” or “cursed,” consider past events as lessons that had to be learned at the University of Life or at the “school of hard knocks”. Your attitude will also affect your aspirations. If your attitude is poor, then your aspirations will likely be small, when the truth is there are no limits to your aspirations. Most people have aspirations, but their aspirations are usually so small and uninspiring. Stop setting “realistic goals.” Instead, why not see how high you can fly? Like the renowned motivational speaker Les Brown said, “Shoot for the stars, so if you fail, you might hit the moon!” Stop staring into the bottom of that half-empty glass, and start drinking from the half-full glass of life. *The previous was an excerpt from Dr. Vuong's new book, Weight Loss Surgery Success: Dr. V's A-Z Tips for Losing Weight and Gaining Enlightenment, now available on Amazon.com.

Thank you for your kind comments! I think you will absolutely love the letter B!

A Attitude “ Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” – Winston Churchill A stands for Attitude. Your attitude will determine how you see the world, whether you see your glass as half-empty or half-full. Focus on having only a positive attitude towards your weight loss surgery. Realize that everything in your life needed to happen in order for you to have the life you have today, even the events that might have contributed to your obesity. Rather than viewing your life as “jinxed” or “cursed,” consider past events as lessons that had to be learned at the University of Life or at the “school of hard knocks”. Your attitude will also affect your aspirations. If your attitude is poor, then your aspirations will likely be small, when the truth is there are no limits to your aspirations. Most people have aspirations, but their aspirations are usually so small and uninspiring. Stop setting “realistic goals.” Instead, why not see how high you can fly? Like the renowned motivational speaker Les Brown said, “Shoot for the stars, so if you fail, you might hit the moon!” Stop staring into the bottom of that half-empty glass, and start drinking from the half-full glass of life. *The previous was an excerpt from Dr. Vuong's new book, Weight Loss Surgery Success: Dr. V's A-Z Tips for Losing Weight and Gaining Enlightenment, now available on Amazon.com.

Due to an application glitch, I have decided to extend the deadline for my FREE lap-band giveaway until April 1, 2009! If you are looking into the band, don't go any further until you visit my site, www.MoreFromMyBand.com for details. If you already have the band, then tell a friend or loved one about my Giveaway. I am the Real Deal. If you don't believe me, then just ask my friend, Coach Cher Ewing! Or visit my website at www.TexasCitySurgical.com.

Answer this question before you read my response. Are you eating enough Protein? How many grams of protein a day should you eat? * * * * * * * * * * Are you eating enough protein? How many grams of protein a day should you eat? Remember the First Rule of Lap-Band eating? “Yes, Dr. Vuong. Protein First.” Great! But how much is enough? Most physicians recommend 60-70 grams per day of protein for the average person, but the necessary amount is probably even more for bandsters. “Yes, I know the number of grams, but how much should I EAT?” Putting the knowledge into practice is a struggle in itself. As a guideline, I recommend the “1-2-3 Rule for Protein.” You should eat 1 ounce of protein for Breakfast, 2 ounces for lunch, and 3 ounces for dinner. Ok, now how much is an ounce, you ask? A good approximation is that a deck of cards is about the size of 3 ounces of protein. One of those slim Motorola Razor cell phones is also about 3 ounces. Now you have a guide to go by. To get two ounces, just approximate a portion size about 2/3 the size of a deck of cards! Another easy trick is to remember that one boiled egg is about one ounce of protein. That should make breakfast a cinch! The preceeding was an excerpt from my new book, Ultimate Lap-Band Success: The Support Surgeon's Guide on How to Get More From Your Gastric Band! The book will not be available until April, but if you found the excerpt helpful, you can get on the waiting list by sending me an email at morefrommyband@gmail.com. By preordering, you will get a 10% discount! Best wishes, Dr. Vuong

Hello Everyone, I just wanted to let you know that I have started including gastric sleeve patients in my awesome support program. I think the VSG is a great surgery. When you combine that with my education program, we are having some incredible results for our patients. I will be posting regularly here on this website, or you can see more on my website TheHealthpark.com Thanks and best of luck! Dr. V

Hi Becca, I have an entire Adoption Program where I assume the care and liability for the adoptees. Included in the small fee is a consult with me, a visit with my dietitian, and a review of their insurance coverage by our insurance specialist. Of course also included, is unlimited access to my support groups, which are led by me and held 3 times/week and even on saturdays. If you or someone you know is interested in the program, then they can learn more on my website http://www.thehealthpark.com/adoptionprogram.htm Best regards, Dr. V

thanks for the welcome mat! Dr. V

@adorkbl--I am a Houston sleeve surgeon, and I run into your problem often. I have been able to partner with a great hospital and can do a lap-band to sleeve revision for $12,900, if it has not slipped. If you lap band has slipped then I recommend you have the surgery in two steps: first step to remove the band and let the inflammation go down, then step 2 do sleeve 6 months later. If it has not slipped, then the revision surgery can be done in one step. But revision surgery is serious, so please get a lot of information before deciding something. Best of Luck, Dr. V

JDR, I am a sleeve surgeon in Houston. I have partnered with a great hospital in Mexico to help my patients with saving money. I travel with them there and do their surgery, then they follow-up with me in Houston. This way, they save a ton of money for their surgery, but then have the comfort of knowing that they have an American surgeon that will take care of them if there is a problem. We have done several this way, and they all just love it! You can learn more about me and my practice at TheHealthPark.com or 281-337-0730. thanks, Dr. V

I recommend to my patients 4 weeks before any strenuous exercise, and don't do it if it hurts. good luck! Dr. V

Amazing! keep it up!

I agree. You are doing great! Plus you have more adjustments to go! For a boost of encouragement, watch this short video to see my patient who lost 112 lbs in one year with her lap-band! http://www.thehealthpark.com/testimonials.htm Best of luck, Dr. V