Inspired Reminders: Shake the Wiggles Out!

Have you checked your Inbox for today's LivingAfterWLS Inspired Reminders bulletin? It's a great spring issue just blooming with helpful hints for putting more joy-inducing motion in our day. Make sure you are subscribed to receive every free email publication hot off the press delivered to your inbox. Link here: LivingAfterWLS Newsletters

You can also find today's bulletin online in our archive: Spring is Here! Let's Shake the Wiggles Out

Spring is Here: Let's shake the wiggles out!

Greetings!

Thank you for your time as you join me in this Inspired Reminders bulletin from LivingAfterWLS. I just love this image of a wild zebra rolling with abandon stirring up dust. Without scruples the zebra rolls and kicks and shakes for one reason: it feels good. Truthfully, I'm just a little bit jealous of that free-spirited feeling evoked by a simple act from one of nature's most beautiful creatures.

To satisfy my jealousy in today's newsletter we take a look at ways we can add the joy of motion to our day and drink up the joy with pure abandon. After surgery when we talk about exercise there is often perception and expectation that exercise means a full-out effort in a structured manner or it doesn't count. But the truth is, little bouts of motion and energy bursts have tremendous positive effect on our health, our weight loss, and our mental well being. Featured today is a look at Wiggle Therapy one of my favorites!), a review of beneficial stretching, and an easy walking guide. You will also find a terrific weeknight recipe for Tuna Pasta Primavera and a link-summary of popular posts from the LivingAfterWLS Blog.

Thank you for your time and I wish you good feelings when you take time to shake the wiggles out!

Kaye Bailey

Go to the newsletter online:  Spring is Here! Let's Shake the Wiggles Out

Carbonated soda cravings and why we should abstain

Continuing our Four Rules discussion, Rule #2 is Lots of Water. Here's why carbonated soda is not a good substitute for pure body-cleansing health-supporting water.

Do you, like me, occasionally suffer cravings for a refreshing iced Diet Coke with a squeeze of lemon? This was my mainstay beverage before weight loss surgery and now and again I find myself indulging in that old refreshing thirst quencher.

But I know this is not a sensible choice following weight loss surgery and a recently published study confirms that partaking of diet soda is detrimental to health and weight loss efforts. I know I'm not alone in the WLS-after life when I reach for an ice cold Diet Coke, so today's post is all about the "don'ts" of diet soda and carbonated beverages after WLS. It is as much a reminder for me as it may be for you. Bottom line - carbonated soda does not support our weight management with WLS.

While we can stack the evidence against carbonated beverages (diet zero calorie or regular sugar sweetened) a mile high the single most basic reason to eliminate carbonated soda from our diet is it simply has no nutritional value. It is empty.

Try This: Stomach Soothing Thirst Quenching Lemon Ginger Iced Green Tea

Carbonated soda is void of nutritional enrichment.

This truth, above all else, should be used to inspire us to make better beverage choices. Will you pledge with me to make healthy beverage choices most of time? I'll toast our good health with a refreshing glass of iced green tea with a squeeze of lemon. Join me!

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Diet Soda Health Risks: Weight Gain, Deadly Diseases

Excerpted from Huffpost Healthy Living. Link to full article

"In fact, according to a group of researchers at Purdue University, drinking diet soda may not only be as bad for your health as the regular stuff, but it may be causing you to pack on the pounds.

"It is not uncommon for people to be given messages that artificially-sweetened products are healthy, will help them lose weight or will help prevent weight gain," report author Susan Swithers said, according to a media release. "The data to support those claims are not very strong, and although it seems like common sense that diet sodas would not be as problematic as regular sodas, common sense is not always right."

Swithers and her team reviewed a dozen studies on diet soda and its impacts on health published in the past five years to prepare for their report. They say they were shocked by what they found.

The researchers found that just like with regular soda, the consumption of artificially sweetened beverages like diet soda is also associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. Drinking just one can of diet soda per day is "enough to significantly increase the risk for health problems," according to the media release.

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After WLS carbonation complicates weight loss efforts

From Day 6: Beyond the 5 Day Pouch Test page 100-102

"Carbonation- Carbon dioxide is added to a liquid to produce bubbles making an effervescent beverage such as soda pop or soft drinks, sparkling wine, beer and seltzer water. After the carbon dioxide is added the beverage is packaged and sealed, and the carbon dioxide remains inert until opened and atmospheric pressure acts upon it causing bubbles to be released. The bubbles are called carbonation.

When we drink active carbonation atmospheric pressure will continue to force bubbles to be released from the liquid even as it makes its way from our mouth through the esophagus and into the stomach pouch. This release of carbon dioxide will put pressure on the pouch causing it to expand temporarily. If we are eating while drinking carbonation our pouch will hold more volume than normal because of the stretching that results from the temporary stretching. More damaging, however, is that the release of carbon dioxide bubbles may force the food through the stoma and over time the stoma will enlarge. Eventually, it is believed, the stoma will not recover from repeated enlargements due to protracted consumption of carbonation. Weight gain will occur because food will flow too quickly through the pouch and satiation will not be achieved."

 

The Four Rules of WLS: Our January Topic

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For me January is always the month to get back to the basics and put things to right in the areas of my life that need some order and re-focus. Not surprisingly, my health management always requires an effort of reordering and focus on the dawn of a new year. I don't know why I drift away from the basics of weight loss surgery health management as the year progresses but I do with the same predictability as the phases of the moon.

So, with your indulgence I'm using the LivingAfterWLS Blog and our different newsletters to study and refresh my understanding of the Four Rules of weight loss surgery. You've already seen some posts related to the Four Rules and I'll continue to work through each rule in detail as the month marches along. Today I'm sharing the Four Rules Summary, with permission, from The 5 Day Pouch Test Owner's Manual. This is a brief rundown on the rules and why we have them - a good reference point to support the rest of our Four Rules discussion. Be sure to click the link for our Four Rules infograph - a free download poster for you to enjoy!

Thanks for joining me this year and I'm looking forward to feeling my best as I set to right my health in this new year!

Four Rules: Weight Loss Surgery basics

Shared with permission from The 5 Day Pouch Test Owner's Manual (2nd Edition) by Kaye Bailey
"As patients we are well aware that WLS is frequently perceived by outsiders as an easy means to weight loss that requires little or no effort by the patient. It turns out there is nothing easy about the post-WLS lifestyle. At the time of surgery we agreed to follow Four Rules of dietary and lifestyle management guidelines for the rest of our life in order to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight. This is our burden and our responsibility if we wish to keep morbid obesity in remission.
All surgical weight loss procedures including gastric bypass, adjustable gastric banding (lap-band) and gastric sleeve, promote weight loss by decreasing energy (caloric) intake with a reduced or restricted stomach size. The small stomach pouch is only effective when a patient rigorously follows the Four Rules: eat a high protein diet; drink lots of water; avoid snacking on empty calorie food; engage in daily exercise.

"In our introduction to a bariatric program we were taught and agreed to follow the standard Four Rules which work in concert with our surgically altered stomach and digestive system to bring about rapid massive weight loss. In fact, most of us were asked during the psychological evaluation if we could commit to following the Four Rules. Like me, I bet you said “Of course” with complete confidence.  What I missed in the orientation was that these rules would be a way of life for the rest of my life. The Four Rules and other WLS dietary basics are discussed in greater detail in Chapter 9. For now let’s take a quick look at each rule as it applies to WLS patients.

"Protein First: At every meal the WLS patient will eat lean animal, dairy, or vegetable protein before any other food. Protein shakes or supplements may be included as part of the weight loss surgery diet. Patients are advised to consume 60-105 grams of protein a day. Eating lean protein will create a tight feeling in the surgical stomach pouch: this feeling is the signal to stop eating. Many patients report discomfort when eating lean protein, yet this discomfort is the very reason the stomach pouch is effective in reducing food and caloric intake. Animal products are the most nutrient rich source of protein and include fish, shellfish, poultry, and meat. Dairy protein, including eggs, yogurt, and cheese, is another excellent source of protein.

"Lots of Water: Like most weight loss programs, bariatric surgery patients are instructed to drink lots of water throughout the day. Most centers advise a minimum of 64 fluid ounces of water each day. Water hydrates the organs and cells and facilitates the metabolic processes of human life. Water flushes toxins and waste from the body. Patients are strongly discouraged from drinking carbonated beverages. In addition, patients are warned against excessive alcohol intake as it tends to have a quicker and more profound intoxicating affect compared with pre-surgery consumption. In addition, non-nutritional beverages of any kind may lead to weight gain and increased snacking.

From our Four Rules Infographic. Link Here to see the full poster & download free!

"No Snacking: Patients are discouraged from snacking which may impede weight loss and lead to weight gain. Specifically, patients are forbidden to partake of traditional processed carbohydrate snacks, such as chips, crackers, baked goods, and sweets. Patients who return to snacking on empty calorie non-nutritional food defeat the restrictive nature of the surgery and weight gain results.  It is seemingly contradictory that the 5DPT allows snacking. High protein snacks are allowed because they keep the metabolism active, they satiate hunger, and they help relieve the symptoms of carbohydrate withdrawal.

"Daily Exercise: In general patients are advised to engage in 30 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week. The most effective way to heal the body from the ravages of obesity is to exercise. Exercise means moving the body: walking, stretching, bending, inhaling and exhaling. Exercise is the most effective, most enjoyable, most beneficial gift one can receive when recovering from life threatening, crippling morbid obesity. Consistent exercise will keep morbid obesity in remission and help compensate for lapses in following the three other rules. People who successfully maintain their weight exercise daily"

Free Four Rules Infograph from LivingAfterWLS

Simple Weight Loss Accelerator Won't Leave You Sour

Cool Clear Water
You already know drinking water is good for your overall health, but fitness expert and author of This Is Why You're Sick and Tired Jackie Warner encourages spiking your water with citrus to improve cleansing and weight loss results. She recommends drinking 3 liters of water with lemon each and every day. "Adding the lemon helps to detoxify the liver and metabolizes fat, so this can speed up metabolism by about 33 percent," Warner says. "That burns about 100 extra calories per day!"

Take it up with a twist of body cleansing lemon!

Check out three more Inspired Reminders in our Newsletter: Breathe, Cleanse, Eat, Treat

Make no mistake, I love my morning protein coffee. But I know that my best days start with a warm cup of lemon water. Warm lemon water is an energy booster; provides hydrating electrolytes in the form of potassium, calcium and magnesium; reduces inflammation; improves digestion; helps regulate bowel movements; strengthens immune system; improves mood while reducing depression and anxiety associated with potassium deficiency; and improves weight loss by suppressing hunger cravings. Is it any wonder that  cleanse programs prescribe warm lemon water first thing each day?

Warm Lemon Water is easy to prepare. Add 8 ounces warm (not boiling) water to a mug, add 1-2 tablespoons 100% pure lemon juice* and sweeten as desired with honey, agave syrup, or preferred beverage sweetener. Drink warm.


*I use ReaLemon 100% Juice from concentrate which is super convenient in these single-serve packets.  While freshly squeezed lemon juice is delightful it takes an extra step in squeezing the juice vs. a quick pour from the bottle or the packet. (I always keep a few of these in my handbag for "emergencies"!) For me this eliminates the extra step of squeezing fresh juice, thus eliminating any excuses I could invent to avoid fortifying my water with body cleansing lemon.  After drinking lemon water so long my body knows when I've skipped this beneficial tonic. Older and wiser now, I always opt for the easy bottled or packet solution and accept no excuses. Do what works for you!

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From the Archives: Managing Slider Food & Evening Munchies

5DPT: May Bulletin - Managing Slider Food & Evening Munchies

ICYMI: In Case You Missed It the 5 Day Pouch Test May Bulletin is now available live in our online archive. Link to 5DPT Bulletin to read your information packed newsletter full of facts, tips, and hints to successfully manage your weight with weight loss surgery, the 5 Day Pouch Test, and LivingAfterWLS. Click now - the information is great & free! Enjoy. Link: 5DPT May Bulletin

    "Thank you for joining me today in this information packed 5 Day Pouch Test Bulletin. I have been following various conversations in social media groups about weight regain after bariatric surgery and share with you today articles that I hope will promote a calm understanding of how weight regain happens. Featured topics include slider foods, ways to relieve nausea, and protein supplements. I hope you find something useful as you pursue a long lasting healthy weight with surgery. Thanks for taking time from your busy life to join me here today."  Continue Reading

Remember the Official 5 Day Pouch Test Website is open 24/7!

Four easy things for a perfect WLS day

Hot Off the Press! LivingAfterWLS Inspired Reminders email bulletin.

Link to check out our fresh new layout and power-packed content to support your weight loss surgery health and weight management goals. View it live in our archive or subscribe to receive this valuable information delivered free to your Inbox.

LivingAfterWLS Inspired Reminders September 8, 2016

Enjoy a perfect WLS day by doing these four easy things this morning.

Do These Four Simple Things Today!

Broken eggs and a perfect day

by Kaye Bailey

The old wisdom warns that trouble comes in threes and I've found it to be more true than not. It seems if my day gets off to a rocky start things are unlikely to improve as one problem leads to the next. Maybe, like me, you have all the desire in the world to get your day off to a great start doing what is necessary to support your WLS goals and then, as the saying goes, life happens and off track we go. In the 5 Day Pouch Test we use the metaphor of broken eggs: if we drop one egg from the carton and it breaks we don't discard the rest of the eggs. We clean the mess and move forward understanding that broken eggs happen but one broken egg is not worth spoiling the whole dozen. In the day-to-day of living we can apply the metaphor and rationalize that one oops in a day doesn't mean the entire day is a disaster. But sometimes it is easier said than done, at least for me.

What if we had a sure-fire strategy to start the day with four easy actions that support our big picture goals of weight loss and weight management using the WLS tool? If we've already accomplished four simple actions in favor of a good day won't those help shield us from the bumps and bruises of the daily "broken eggs" we are bound to encounter?

Today's Inspired Reminders Bulletin offers four easy, quick, and affordable things we can all do to prepare the way for a perfect WLS day. I invite you to try these four little actions every day for one week and just see what a wonderful world of success opens for you as you pursue the best life, Living INSPIRED After WLS.

Link to the Bulletin

New eBook Release: Protein First

New today from Kaye Bailey:
Protein First:
Understanding and Living the First Rule of Weight Loss Surgery

Hot of the Press! In this third release in our LivingAfterWLS short-read eBook series by Kaye Bailey we take an in-depth look at the Protein First Rule, why it matters, and how to live by the rule in a world bursting with simple carbohydrates.

Protein First: Understanding and Living the First Rule of Weight Loss Surgery (LivingAfterWLS eBook Shorts 3)

If you are asking “How much protein should we be eating for a Protein First diet?” here are the answers. Stop leaving your WLS results to chance and make a plan with current information and facts. Leaving it to chance and hoping for the best isn’t working for many of us; we are not eating the amount of protein our bodies need for optimum health, weight loss, and weight maintenance. Valuable information for all bariatric procedures and patients at all stages post WLS.


42 Tempting PROTEIN FIRST Recipes from Kaye's Kitchen!

"The reason I take time to research and report this information to you is because it can singly make a difference in the amount of weight you lose and your overall health and well-being. As disgusting as this (digestive) process is, the chewing and the mixing and the grinding – it is the difference between health and sickness, and vitally important to weight loss management and the avoidance of weight loss stalls." (Ch. 3 - Stumbling Blocks)

Super Value Priced just $4.95 (approximately 70 pages)

Exclusively at Amazon Kindle
Protein First: Understanding and Living the First Rule of Weight Loss Surgery (LivingAfterWLS eBook Shorts 3)
No Kindle? No Problem! Just download the free Kindle eReader app and take your Kindle library wherever you go on whatever device you prefer! Easy Fast Portable Efficient! Never lose your eBooks to a phone or device upgrade.

Go ahead! What are you waiting for? Get on track with Protein First right now!
Protein First: Understanding and Living the First Rule of Weight Loss Surgery (LivingAfterWLS eBook Shorts 3)

Jack-O-Lantern: Your New Exercise Buddy

Learn the role of exercise during the 5 Day Pouch Test:
The 5 Day Pouch Test: Express Study Guide

We know that Daily Exercise is Rule #4 of Weight Loss Surgery. But daily exercise can become monotonous. The folks at HuffPost Healthy Living have a fun workout perfect for Halloween. A full body workout with your good buddy Jack-O-Lantern. You can see the whole thing online and get moving today. Here's more from the article:

"Here are just a few ways to use your pumpkin to get a full-body workout. Costume changes not required." HuffPost Healthy Living

Halloween means candy and costumes, but it also brings an abundance of pumpkins to seemingly every grocery store and front stoop. Sure, you can cook them and carve them, but why not use them to switch up your workout, too?

As long as you pick a pumpkin that's not too heavy (and not too light!), that gourd can give you just as good of a workout as any old medicine ball, kettlebell or set of dumbbells.

Check out the article here, on HuffPost Healthy Living, complete with cute and short Vine videos of each exercise. 

• Exercises: 

• Pumpkin Lunge with a Twist
  Standing Pumpkin Chop
  Single-Leg Pumpkin Deadlift
  Sumo Squat with Overhead Pumpkin Press
  The Offset Pumpkin Pushup
  The Kettlepumpkin Swing
  V-Sit Pumpkin Twist

What are you waiting for?  Have a spooktacular workout!

Rule #2 - Lots of Water

The 5 Day Pouch Test: Express Study Guide

"Whatever your preference, choose carefully. The last thing you want to do is stall your weight loss."
~~ Dr. Seun Sowemimo, MD, FACS"

Any dieter knows that drinking lots of water promotes weight loss and drinking other beverages can stall or sabotage weight loss efforts. WLS Rule #2 - Lots of Water. But it never hurts to be reminded. I came across a great article by one of the leading experts in the bariatric field, Dr. Seun Sowemimo. Dr. Sowemimo is a board-certified, fellowship-trained New Jersey-based bariatric surgeon specializing in minimally-invasive laparoscopic weight loss surgery. His private practice, Prime Surgicare, is located at the Donna O’Donnell Medical Arts Building at CentraState Medical Center in Freehold, NJ.

Water is Still Best for Weight Control

"Here’s the the FYI on H2O:

•     Plain water is a terrific antioxidant.
•     Every day, drink at least six 12-ounce glasses.
•     Many people confuse thirst signals for hunger.
•     Toss in a few slices of citrus and drink it with plenty of ice. Your skin will also thank you for it!

Beverages like hot and iced teas can fill you up and offer added health benefits. But there are many drinks out there that add sugar, calories and carbs to your diet. Most of my weight loss patients say they prefer to eat their daily calorie allotment rather than drink it.

Whatever your preference, choose carefully. The last thing you want to do is stall your weight loss."
~~ Dr. Seun Sowemimo, MD, FACS

Dr. Sowemimo advises: Drink these Four Beverages with Caution:
Here are a few of the more common beverages people consume when trying to lose or maintain their weight. 

1. Diet Sodas
2. Green Juices
3. Cocktails
4. Coffee

Visit Prime Surgicare for the complete article.

Want to enjoy success on the 5 Day Pouch Test? Do This!

Truth:

During the 5 Day Pouch Test participants who keep a journal of their experience report the greatest long-term success at weight management.

Download the Journal Now
http://www.5daypouchtest.com/tools/5DPT_Journal_Portrait.pdf
 

Not only is this simple tool useful in keeping track of food, exercise, water, and vitamins on the day – it becomes a living reference to be called upon when we are feeling off-track. 

Kaye redesigned the journal for the new 2nd edition 5 Day Pouch Test Owner's Manual to provide more space for recording activity output and dietary intake. On the reverse of this page is the journal presented in landscape 8x11-inch format, two days; one page.  For your convenience we have attached a second sheet printed with one portrait one-page, one day format and reversing to landscape format with 2 days per side. Use this white page for making copies for your personal use.  This gives you five record keeping places for your 5 Day Pouch Test.

Free Download: 5DPT Journal Page

We extend our permission for you to copy these pages for your personal use only. Before using make copies from the white page and keep in your “original copy” file for future use. Use the pages daily, well beyond the 5DPT as part of staying on track and taking charge of your health. You can easily download blank pages in .pdf format from the 5 Day Pouch Test website:

5daypouchtest.com – click TOOLS.

You will find many more helpful free downloadable tools on that webpage: 5DPT Tools

Best wishes to you. Kaye Bailey and the entire team at LivingAfterWLS are excited for you to join us in the life-long pursuit of better health and weight management with weight loss surgery. We are all in this together!!

CHEERS!
Kaye & LivingAfterWLS Team