In This Issue

* Some Thoughts on Emotional Eating
* Back on Track Program
* Hormone Replacement Therapy after Weight Loss Surgery
* Recipe: Good Dessert
* Success Story: Gerri Jenny

I will be speaking on the topic of emotional eating soon, and the topic has been on my mind lately.  Also, as some of you know, my Mother passed away 2 weeks ago, and I have been having my own struggles with emotional eating. So what is emotional eating all about and why do we fall prey to it?

Emotional eating is the consumption of food to make us feel better, not because we are hungry and in need of nourishment. Most of us engage in emotional eating at some time or another. We are at a birthday party and feeling festive and will have a piece of cake. Or we are feeling sad and will eat a bowl of peach ice cream (this is my current struggle). It is when our weight or our health suffers that it becomes a real problem.

Often the emotion that triggers the emotional eating will be negative.  We feel depressed, lonely, unloved and unappreciated, tired, angry or anxious.  We want to soothe those negative feelings and we use food to do it.

Generally we have those feelings because we have a sense of being disconnected, of being alone.  When that happens, look for ways to connect with people.

You could:
	Call a friend
	Write a letter
	Write in your journal
	Go out somewhere where there are people such as the Mall
	Visit a friend
	Answer some emails
	Do something with your children such as play a game or put together a jig saw puzzle.

There are many ways to reach out. I am sure that you can add to this list.  But whatever you do, if you engage in emotional eating, do not beat yourself up.  That only leads to more eating and perpetuates the cycle.  Learn to forgive yourself, and have faith that eventually you will do better.  Most of us do engage in emotional eating. If you are plagued by it, that does not mean you are a bad person.  You are just someone who needs to learn how to deal with your emotions in a way other than eating.

Emotional eating is something that we deal with extensively in the Back on Track Program. There are not only lessons regarding it, but we discuss it in our forum as a group.  If you are struggling with emotional eating, why not join us?

Are you:

	Suffering from emotional eating and can’t stop?
	Grazing on carbohydrates and can’t control it?
	Lacking inspiration to lose the weight you have regained?
	Feel you don’t know what to do now that you have had surgery?
	Dying to be in better shape?

Then you are in luck! My Back on Track Internet Mentoring Program is just what you need to get yourself back on track!

View a FREE Lesson and Listen to a FREE Telephone Seminar by
clicking here and scrolling down to the bottom of the page.

Many thanks to Karen Hotovec for supplying this very simple and low calorie dessert.

Good Dessert

1 pkg sugar free Jell-O (lime)
1/3 cup water
Bring the water to boil, and add the Jell-O and stir until dissolved
Put yogurt (low calorie lime) in a bowl and stir in the Jell-O mixture
Add 1 16 oz low calorie Cool Whip and stir together
Pour into 1 cup containers (should get about 4)
Refrigerate

Use any combination of Jell-O and yogurt

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

Barbara Thompson's

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I want to offer a special thanks to Gerri Jenny for sharing her success with us. Here is her story:

Dear Barbara,
I have been eagerly awaiting my one year anniversary so I can share my story with you!  I personally have benefitted very much from hearing of others and their weight loss journeys.  Everyone has a unique story.  Mine will be different than others, but hopefully there will be commonalities.  My prayer is that this will be an encouragement to others.

Always very healthy, I did not have a weight problem until after having my first child.  Growing up, I was always popular, had many girl as well as boy friends and loved my life.  I was curvy and well proportioned with no complaints about my natural endowments.

I married my college sweetheart at the age of 20 and had my first child at 25.  I am 5 feet 4 inches and weighed 128 at my first pre-natal appointment.  Over the years, I never lost my pregnancy weight gain, and the scale continued to escalate with subsequent pregnancies.  My children and their activities were my first priority, and I did not take time for exercise.  I also enjoyed eating well.

When my youngest child was in the 6th grade, I resumed my teaching career and pursued a doctorate in education.  This was a very stressful time as I juggled home, school, and graduates responsibilities.  I did diet from time to time, but never had the personal discipline to persevere.

Three years ago, I became very ill and was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.  Subsequently, I needed to check my blood sugar 4 times daily and was insulin dependent. I began reading a bit about gastric bypass surgery and its high success rate with patients with diabetes.  I resolved to ask my endocrinologist about it on my next visit.  However, my doctor moved and I ended up seeing the doctor's partner instead.  Without even broaching the subject, Dr. Castro waltzed into examining room and asked, "When are you having the surgery?"  Although a bit taken aback, I took his firm conviction as a sign that I needed to seriously pursue gastric bypass surgery.  My husband and I attended an informational meeting the very next evening where my future surgeon was explaining the procedure to prospective patients.

I knew immediately that this was what I needed to do, and began my 6-month pre-op specialist visits and support group meetings.  I chose to go to a large hospital Center of Excellence and certainly recommend that other patients use a surgeon who has performed hundreds of surgeries.  I read voraciously and bought all the recommended aftercare supplies and foods.

My husband was highly supportive, but a bit dubious.  Dr. Rameesh Ramanathan performed my surgery on July 15, 2009 at Magee Women's Hospital in Pittsburgh.  Bringing my electric heating pad proved to be a real comfort for the pain.  It was well worth it.  Papaya enzyme is the best cure for my frequent nausea.  I eat carefully, but when I really must have something sweet, I taste it, chew it, and then spit it.  Meat is still a challenge at times and my portions are quite limited.  To date, I have reached my target goal and lost 115 pounds and am a size 6.  I went from 246 pounds to 131 pounds.  I also have a personal trainer and go to the gym 5 to 6 days weekly for cardio and weight lifting for toning as I will not go under the knife again.  Neither will I wear a bikini, but I love clothes shopping and have been told by many that I look like a different person.  I feel that after 30 years, I have finally returned to myself physically and emotionally.  It has been so gratifying this summer to be able to hike with my husband and at a few of our Western national parks and almost keep up with him!

May God bless you as you undertake and persevere along this journey to wellness.

Gerri Jenny
Geraldine.Jenny@sru.edu

Congratulations Gerri

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.