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About My Facebook WLS Private Group |
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My WLS Private Group on Facebook is categorized
as a CLOSED group by Facebook. This does not mean it is closed
to new members. It is definitely open for new members and I hope
you will join. A CLOSED group in Facebook means that only members of
the group can read posts and comments. That provides members with
the privacy that what they are discussing cannot be seen by anyone
outside of the group membership.
The discussions in my WLS Private Group have really been great. Within
the past day, the discussions have been about carbonation, eating
bread, food and sugar addiction, and should I go back to Weight
Watchers.
Here are some comments from members:
“I love this site! I sure wish this was around when I was a new
post-op! I think I would be close to 300+ pounds off instead of
working my way to 250 off. I am learning so much as well.”
Carrie
“I thank you for having this group. I read
everything every day.” Lora
“Isn’t this group wonderful? I have learned
more here than in months of going to a normal support group.”
Shelly
Please join
us. We would love to have you. Just click on the box above. |
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Back on Track with Barbara
Internet Mentoring Program
The Back on Track with Barbara Internet
Mentoring Program really concentrates on lifestyle changes. Join our
group and receive lessons via the internet and the support of others who
are struggling just like you are.
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Get Ready
for Summertime Fun
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Are you
suffering from emotional eating and can’t stop? |
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Are you grazing
on carbohydrates and can’t control it? |
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Are you lacking
inspiration to lose the weight you have regained? |
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Do you feel that
you don’t know what to do now that you have had surgery? |
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Are you dying to
be in better shape? |
My Back on Track Internet Mentoring
Program will give you the
support you need to get your weight under control.
View a
FREE Lesson
and Listen to a
FREE Telephone Seminar
by
clicking here and scrolling down to the
bottom of the page. |
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Dumping Syndrome: Blessing or Curse |
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It comes on suddenly. It can start with sweating or
shaking, and then the nausea starts. You thought you might get away with
that sweet that you ate. It didn’t seem like that much, but now you
know. You are dumping.
The reactions vary. Yes, some people sweat and
shake; others feel nausea and an overwhelming tiredness. Others throw
up. Some react to sweets, some to carbohydrates, and some people do not
dump at all.
Dumping, also known as rapid gastric emptying,
occurs when the undigested contents of your stomach are transported or
"dumped" into your small intestine too rapidly. It can occur within the
first 20 minutes after you have eaten, or up to 1 to 3 hours afterwards.
Dumping syndrome is exclusive to weight loss surgery bypass patients,
and to people who have had their pyloric valve (the value at the base of
a normal stomach that regulates when food enters the intestines) is
damaged. No one else has this experience.
Many patients experience dumping syndrome soon
after surgery; however, not all people continue to have dumping syndrome
forever. For some, the symptoms fade away with time.
I have always considered dumping to be a blessing.
It helped to teach me to stay away from sweets, as well as simple
carbohydrates. Fortunately I still dump, 11 ½ years after my surgery!
I know that many patients are extremely fearful of
dumping, and it causes them to make sure that they never eat anything
that will test it. This is a good thing, and I admire those who tell me
that they never, ever eat sweets. I admit that I do. I think everyone
should avoid sweets. However, I have been able to maintain my weight,
because I don’t overindulge. I will sometimes have a very small piece of
pie or cake, or a cookie. But I am saying, don’t be like me; be like
those who never touch the stuff. I am able to control it, but not
everyone can.
The remedy for dumping syndrome is simple. Avoid
sweets and excessive carbohydrates. Do not drink with meals because that
pushes food into the intestines faster. Eat more fiber, because fiber
slows digestion. And eat smaller meals more often.
But there are some whose dumping is so severe that
they require medications to force slower digestion such as octreotide,
cholestvramine or pantoprazole.
Whenever researchers consider negative side effects
of weight loss surgery, they always include dumping syndrome. So I guess
for them it is a curse, as well as for those who have severe dumping.
But I admit that I have always considered dumping to be a blessing. How
about you? |
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The Obesity Action Coalition
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The Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) needs your
help! As some of you may have seen on the OAC Facebook or Twitter
pages, they are participating in a Facebook contest for nonprofits
sponsored by Vivint. This is a great opportunity for the OAC,
because the grand prize, going to the nonprofit who receives the
most overall votes, is $250,000!
Right now, Phase 1 of the contest is taking
place, and will come to a close on June 11. At that time, the top 20
nonprofits from each region (there are five different regions and
the OAC is part of the Eastern region) will advance to Phase 2. The
top 20 nonprofits from each region will be announced on June 14 and
then voting will resume. As of today, the OAC is close but not yet
in the top 20 for our region.
The OAC is reaching out to help advance in this
contest. They are asking that you vote for the Obesity Action
Coalition and that you share this contest with all your followers on
Facebook. This contest allows individuals to vote for one charity,
once a day, every day, by signing in with their Facebook account.
You can vote for the Obesity Action Coalition by visiting this Web
site:
http://www.vivint.com/givesbackproject/charity/233.
Please note the Privacy Permissions.
You place your vote by clicking the “endorse” button. Right
above that button is a message that says “I just endorsed Obesity
Action Coalition on the Vivint Gives Back Project. Vivint is giving
away $1.25 million dollars to local charities and I want Obesity
Action Coalition to win.” If you click yes, this message will then
be displayed on your Facebook for all your Facebook Friends to see.
If possible, the OAC asks that you share this link on your Facebook
so we can get the word out to as many people as possible.
With everyone’s help and support, they can win
this contest and use the money to continue helping those affected by
obesity through education, advocacy and support. |
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Yikes, Did I Eat All That? |
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Cyndi had weight loss surgery about 6 years ago,
and was maintaining her weight fairly well. She had regained
about 10 pounds over the years, but was still relatively happy with
her weight. She certainly didn't want to regain any more.
One evening, she attended a banquet that included
a buffet. She filled her plate, sat down and ate until she was full,
which was about half of what was on her plate. Because she was eating
slowly, her plate was not taken away with everyone else’s. As the
banquet speakers droned on, she began nibbling and nibbling and didn’t
realize that she had eaten everything on her plate. When she was ready
to leave, someone who was sitting at her table commented, “I’m
surprised at how much you can eat. I thought people who had weight
loss surgery could only eat a little bit.” The reality hit her, she
had consumed everything on her plate and it was a real eye opener for
Cyndi.
That happens to many of us. We start getting back
into the way we ate before surgery. Some of us, like Cyndi, realize it
and do something about it. Others realize it and don’t know how to
stop it. And stopping it, and then trying to reverse its effects
becomes very difficult.
Take a look at these steps. They just might help
you.
Realize
Take a good hard look at the way you are eating. Most, if not all of
us, are experts in nutrition. That’s from all of those old nutrition
classes and talks with our family physician.
Are you eating a lot of carbohydrates?
Do you have cravings for sweets?
Do you have cravings for just about everything?
Are you grazing?
Are there emotional issues that you are dealing with?
Remember
Many of us forget what life was like before surgery. Think back to
how you felt, how you were treated, remember the state of your health,
and the overall quality of your life. Take a good look at your before
pictures and put them up somewhere prominent if you need to. Let this
be your motivation to make changes.
Remedy
Ask yourself why you are doing this.
Is it that you don’t plan for meals?
Is your kitchen stocked with healthy foods, or are foods that are
unhealthy present in abundance?
Are you using other family members as excuses for having unhealthy
food around?
Are you dealing with emotional issues that are causing your eating to
be out of control?
Are you comfortable being thinner?
Reverse
Take a good hard look at your refrigerator and pantry. Are their
foods that you would consider really healthy? If you wanted to have a
healthy meal right now, and a healthy snack later, what do you have in
your house that you could eat? If your food looks like it came from
7/11, sit down and make a shopping list for the entire week, and go to
the grocery store.
Emotional issues cannot be ignored. If you try to
push those feelings down, they can surface as eating patterns –
grazing, over eating, or seeking out unhealthy comfort foods. Somehow,
you need to address this. Counseling, and especially with someone who
is skilled in dealing with food addictions is an ideal solution.
Counseling is also important if you feel that you
are not comfortable with your new body, or if you are having issues
with someone close to you. Counseling can be expensive, but you may not be
able to deal with your eating issues without it. If cost is an issue,
group counseling may be an option.
Relaxation, meditation, yoga and visualization
can all help. You have to believe in yourself to make changes. You
have to see yourself as successful, and be calm enough in your daily
life to make rational choices. All of this will help you sort out what
you know your behavior should be. |
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In the last newsletter, in response to a reader’s
question about having plastic surgery done the same time as a hernia
repair, I asked people who had this done if they would respond. I had
quite a few responses. For the most part, those who had it done were
quite happy with the results. Thanks so much to those of you who
responded!
Click here to
read the responses |
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Here is a wonderfully light summer recipe that I
hope you enjoy.
Cantaloupe and Cucumber Salad
Ingredients:
1/4 cup freshly-squeezed lime juice
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste
1/2 large English cucumber, peeled in
alternating strips and coarsely chopped
1 ripe cantaloupe, coarsely diced
3 green onions (scallions), thinly
sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves (optional)
Preparation:
In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, salt and pepper;
set aside.
In a large bowl, add the cucumber, cantaloupe, green onions, and
cilantro.
Add the lime juice mixture, a little at a time so as not to overdress
the beautiful produce.
Makes 4 servings.
If you have a recipe that you would like to share in future issues of
this newsletter, please send it to me at
Barbara@WLScenter.com |
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I still need more success
stories. So please email them to me,
Barbara@WLScenter.com and be
sure to include a before and after picture as jpg
attachments.
There are many people out
there that need your story for motivation! |
I want to offer Lee special thanks
for sharing her success with us. Here is her story:
Dear Barbara,
I haven't written because
so many people have lost so much more weight than me. I had
gastric bypass surgery in September, 2005. I was a
"lightweight" by my surgeon's requirements, as my BMI was
less than 40, but I was insulin resistant, had high blood
pressure, and high cholesterol. I could not lose weight even
on a 1,000 calories a day diet. Luckily my health insurance
paid 100 % of my surgery.
I weighed 250
lbs on the day of my surgery, and now weigh between 153 and
156 (size 10-12). The only medications I take now are my
nutritional supplements and allergy medications.
Living near a
large medical university, I was able to get into a
nutritional clinical study prior to surgery, and they
continued to monitor me for 2 years post-op. I was paid for
my time for every test, so I even had money to buy clothes
throughout my weight loss journey! I have maintained my
weight loss for 5 years. I follow the rules of protein
first, lots of water and very little sugar.
I had an
abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) with muscle repair 15 months
ago, and am delighted with the results. I did not qualify
for insurance for my tummy tuck. I originally decided not
to have plastic surgery, but was having sciatica, and my
family physician felt it might be because of all the excess
skin on my abdomen. The surgery has helped the sciatica.
My plastic surgeon removed over 6 lbs of skin. My only
regret is that I waited until I was in my 50's to have this
done.
One thing I
think needs to be addressed more is the problems with
alcohol that people having bypass surgery may have post-op.
I did not have any alcohol for 2 years after surgery. Now
one glass of wine can make me legally drunk, and I can black
out with two. People need to be made aware of the dangers
of alcohol both in the way we synthesize it, and with
the danger of transferred addictions.
Lee D
NCDURK@aol.com
I love good news. If you have good
news, a success story to share, or inspiration, please send
it to me at
Barbara@wlscenter.com so that I can include it in future
issues.
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Congratulations Lee |
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Drink Your
Vitamins |
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Isotonix®
Supplements
OPC-3®,
CalciumPlus,
Adv.B-Complex,
Vitamin D,
and more |
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Chew Your Vitamins |
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| The OAC is the ONLY non
profit organization whose sole focus is helping those affected
by obesity. The OAC is a great place to turn if you are
looking for a way to get involved and give back to the cause of
obesity. There are a variety of ways
you can make a difference, but the first step is to become an
OAC Member. The great thing about OAC Membership is that
you can be as involved as you would like. Simply being a
member contributes to the cause of obesity.
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Permission to Reprint |
| You may reprint any items
from this newsletter in your own print or electronic newsletter. But
please include the following paragraph:
“Reprinted from
Barbara Thompson’s free newsletter featuring helpful information and
research material to help patients succeed following weight loss
surgery.
Subscribe at
http://www.barbarathompsonnewsletter.com ”
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Subscription Corner
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Copyright © 2000-2012 Barbara Thompson All Rights Reserved
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