Weight Loss Surgery Connection

New Weekly Recipe Sharing Pool

Melissa — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 15:17:08 +0000

Recipe Share Hi Everyone: Well, as promised, we have a new way to make your weekly meal planning not only easier but to keep variety in your planning too. Each week each member joining in will contribute one recipe. That’s simple enough, right? It needs to be a high protein recipe that is flavorful, quick to [...] Related posts:

Choices & Priorities

Melissa — Fri, 07 May 2010 16:08:48 +0000

You know we talk to thousands and thousands of WLS patients and read even more thousands of emails. We hear the stresses and the life stories that get in the way each and every day. The things that "keep" people from making good choices . . . at least that's their words to us. They tell us, very sincerely, about how they don't have "time" to eat the right things or how they don't have "time" to take their vitamins or how they don't have "time" to plan a meal or how they don't have "time" to exercise and the list goes on and on. Now they do have time to email or watch tv at night or any number of other things but they don't have "time" for their health. Huh? Let's talk about this and really put it into perspective a little better. You know, it is choices . . read that again CHOICES. YOUR CHOICES. Related posts:

Why We Don’t Count Calories

Melissa — Thu, 06 May 2010 10:18:30 +0000

So many are used to years and years of dieting and dieting mentality that it's hard to break those old routines and the old one way of thinking and looking at food and the way we approach it and control it. You can imagine people's shock and surprise then as we were constantly asked how many calories a day they should stick to and we constantly told them, we don't count calories, ever. You read that right. We don't count calories at all. Now I'm sure that one has you scratching your head and wondering, right? Why, if we've had weight loss surgery (WLS) and we're at goal are we not ever going to count calories and how did we get to goal without counting them? Why would we not count them? I mean everything "diet" screams about how we must count them now doesn't it? But remember, we're NEVER dieting again! When we had our surgery, our amazing surgeon really made this one hit home with us a long time ago and I'll share that with you as well. It was so simple that it clicked with us right away and he was so right and we've followed his philosophy every single day with great success. Even more than that, we've heard this same shared philosophy from many other surgeons along the way too. So what is it? We'll share that with you. Related posts:

When Friends Or Family Aren’t So Supportive

Melissa — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 19:40:38 +0000

So the latest trend in emails, today, have been about the lack of support from family members and/or friends or how people can change when you decide to have WLS. We know that when you decided to have weight loss surgery, it wasn’t a snap decision. It was after years of struggling with your weight [...] Related posts:

Adding Your Surgeon’s Group

Melissa — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 19:38:36 +0000

We see such a need for expanding how groups can and do reach out to one another. It’s so important that we start from our local levels and invite them in and connect all around the world. But on our local levels we can offer an additional level of support. We can set up sections [...] Related posts:

The Roll Food Plays In Your Life

Melissa — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 20:50:23 +0000

Hi Everyone: Have you ever looked at what roll food plays in your life now vs before surgery? I’ve said this so many times that food isn’t our comfort or our friend. It won’t give us a hug when we need it. It won’t make us laugh or take our stress away. [...] Related posts:

Don’t lose yourself while losing your weight

Melissa — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 06:10:03 +0000

I usually like focusing on the positives and the information things like proteins or vitamins or day-to-day living things. At times though we have to talk about other issues as well that are real. They may not be prevalent issues in the WLS picture, but they do happen and we think it's always wise to be aware and knowledgable about situations so you can potentially head off of a less than desirable outcome. That brings up today's topic after talking with some patients that are struggling to put their lives back together in a different way and they wanted me to share this with you. This isn't the most common occurrence or most common topic but is one worth discussing and being aware of. It's about losing oneself after WLS and behavior changes in yourself and/or in friends. Related posts:

Protein & Why We Need It.

Melissa — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 05:10:30 +0000

There isn’t a day that goes by that I’m not talking about protein, protein, protein and how we should reach for our protein first and our good carbs second. Never before has it become as apparent as it has this week on how little some programs cover the importance of protein or it’s role [...] Related posts:

Confusing food. To eat or not to eat.

Melissa — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 06:27:55 +0000

Hi Everyone: It seems there’s a lot of confusion on the topic of eating. We’ve all spent so many years just eating what we wanted or we were dieting and depriving ourselves of things. Our head and our body is so confused by this point that we don’t know what we’re supposed to do, [...] Related posts:

Honeymoon Phase

Melissa — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 19:04:16 +0000

Do you know what the honeymoon phase is after WLS surgery? It's that first 12- 24 months post-op phase. It's when the losing is the easiest and when you want to focus on developing new habits that are going to carry you through for long term success. I know you probably think I sound like a broken record on the "long term success" but if you do this right and make the most of this great tool you have in place, it can be what seems like an effortless journey instead of the struggle you've had for so many years. It can mean the difference between losing and keeping the weight off permanently or having struggles down the road. Does that mean that if you don't do it right and you blow the honeymoon phase you'll fail? No, but it means it'll be an unnecessary struggle. Related posts: