Protect Your Self-Care When Others Tempt You To Stray

One of the challenges we face as we evolve with our weight loss is protecting our boundaries and efforts for self-care. At times we may feel derailed by others who do not understand the changes taking place with our bodies and our lifestyles. The following article by Linda Dessau has some great hints for protecting our self-care and boundaries without feeling guilty.

Protect Your Self-Care When Others Tempt You To Stray
By Linda Dessau

So, you've set your self-care goals and you're all set. You've even considered the ways you'll sabotage yourself - but wait! What about those well-meaning friends and relatives who:

~ With all good intention pass along clutter from their house to yours – "this would look great on you", or "I can't use this but maybe you can". (Surroundings & Structures)

~ Seem to dwell on the negative or tell stories about how unfair life is. (Emotions & Thoughts)

~ Invite you to have "just a bite", or encourage you to stay out "just a little longer". (Lifestyle Habits)

~ Shy away from your new found honesty and assertiveness. (Friends, Family & Peers)

They probably don't mean any harm but they may DO you harm if they steer you away from the self-care goals you've set for yourself. So how do your put yourself first and get selfish when others are tempting you to stray?

1. Be very clear yourself. If you're unsteady in your commitment that will show through.

2. Ask for what you need. No one can read your mind or know what would make things easiest for you. What request do you want to make?

3. Live by example – don't preach. Just like you weren't ready to take on healthy goals at other times in your life, those you love may not be ready now.

4. Plan ahead. Think of how you will say no, prepare alternatives or plan an "escape route". Do what you have to do to take care of yourself.

5. Be honest. Talk about your goals and what they mean to you. AND if you're going to throw out or give-away that clutter or leftover birthday cake as soon as you leave, you don't have to mention it.

6. Choose who to spend time with. You may choose to spend less time with someone who has unhealthy habits. Think about who it is you'd like to spend more time with - who makes you feel good about yourself, champions your efforts, or is a model of healthy habits and self-care? Focus on spending more time with those people.

As time goes by and your daily practices become more of a habit, you'll protect your self-care without even thinking about it. Until then, hang on for your life!

(c) Copyright 2005, Genuine Coaching Services.

Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, is the author of “The Everyday Self-Care Workbook”. To find out more about the book, or to receive one of her free monthly newsletters, visit http://www.genuinecoaching.com/resources.html

Photoshopping Thin

Much has been said lately about the media's mis-representation of female bodies. I think many of us who are recovering from morbid obesity can say we have been intimidated or frustrated with unrealistic images of women in the media. Common sense tells us that yes indeed, these photos have been altered. But still, seeing perfection on the glossy pages can be intimidating. I found this post over at "Back in Skinny Jeans" and WOW! What an eye opener this photoshopping demonstration is. Take a minute to view the video link - I think you will be amazed at what can be done digitally. As Skinny Jeans writes, "Photo retouching software is a powerful tool for reality distortion." Read her full post: Photodropping away 100 pounds from this model.

Click Here for more great videos and pictures!

Strawberry Season

It is always good to see strawberries in the market - for me this means summer is close. As a WLS-post op I find strawberries to be well tolerated and an enjoyable seasonal addition to my diet. Here's what World's Healthiest Foods has to say about strawberries:

Strawberries are in the peak of their season this week.

This week we celebrate the fragrantly sweet taste of strawberries. They are the most popular berries in the United States and for good reason. Strawberries are a great addition to a summer salad or your favorite morning cereal, plus hundreds of dessert recipes feature strawberries. Because conventionally grown strawberries are listed among those foods highest in pesticide residues, we recommend you select organically grown strawberries whenever possible. Although strawberries are now available throughout the year, in many areas, this is the time of year (April through July) that they have the best flavor and are the least expensive.

Nutritional Value
One cup of strawberries provides 136% of the daily value (DV) for vitamin C, the primary water soluble antioxidant in the body, 25% DV for vitamin K, 21% DV for manganese and 13% DV for dietary fiber. They are also a rich source of a variety of phytonutrients, which help provide antioxidant protection against cellular damage.

I love strawberries just as they are, but also enjoy including them in salads or dipped in a small amount of chocolate for a special dessert. Try these recipes:


Strawberry-Banana Smoothie
Chocolate covered Strawberries

Maintenance Rocks! Changing Seasons

Ok - I'm going to take a moment and toot my own horn..... (forgive me 'o ye gods of humility)

Today was *change-over* day for me. Seasonal change-over, that is, where I bin-up my Autumn & Winter clothes and shake out my stowed Spring & Summer clothes. I cranked up my "Tropical Vacation" play list and got busy folding sweaters and shaking the winter-woogies out of the shorts and tank tops. I welcomed back some old friends from my first goal weight summer. Little shorts, tank dresses and sassy shorts-'n-top sets. Many of these were from my original (and costly) shopping freenzy late summer 2000 and early spring sale 2001. Today my *MOMENT* came when I realized that these ancient things still fit. WLS Maintenance is possible. That for many years I've been the same friggin' size (save it for the occasional 10+ or 10- fluctuation). Whoooo-hooooo!!!!

The bad news??? I really don't need to buy another piece of clothing - - I've got a closet a'plenty. But what about all those darling Spring fashions calling my name? Ahhhh... that be the dark side of maintenance.

I cannot believe how profound the "little clothes" memories are for me. As I unfolded each item and organized my dressing area it was a living scrapbook in fiber, buttons and thread. No doubt a freakish waste of gray brain matter, but I remember my first "normal" girl shorts, my first bra-top tank dress and my first ever Guess Jeans. And here they all are ---- ready for another good Summer run.

Yes --- I struggle --- last fall my weight was well above my appropriate weight. But today I'm in my game, I'm living my life and my little clothes are ready for fun fun fun in the sun.

now where'd I put that sunless tanner.......

May is National Fitness Month

May is National Fitness Month - lead by the Presidents Council on Physical Fitness. I was doing some research on their site and found some interesting bullets that support what so many of us have come to learn --- take a look. And take some time this month to give your body the gift of a little extra movement. You deserve the benefits you will glean from it!

Adults 18 and older need 30 minutes of physical activity on five or more days a week to be healthy; children and teens need 60 minutes of activity a day for their health.

Significant health benefits can be obtained by including a moderate amount of physical activity (e.g., 30 minutes of brisk walking or raking leaves, 15 minutes of running, 45 minutes of playing volleyball). Additional health benefits can be gained through greater amounts of physical activity.

Thirty to sixty minutes of activity broken into smaller segments of 10 or 15 minutes throughout the day has significant health benefits.

Moderate daily physical activity can reduce substantially the risk of developing or dying from cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers, such as colon cancer. Daily physical activity helps to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, helps prevent or retard osteoporosis, and helps reduce obesity, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and symptoms of arthritis.

Poor diet and inactivity can lead to overweight/obesity. Persons who are overweight or obese are at increased risk for high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, respiratory problems and some types of cancer.

Obesity continues to climb among American adults. Nearly 60 million Americans are obese. More than 108 million adults are either obese or overweight. That means roughly 3 out of 5 Americans carry an unhealthy amount of excess weight.

Too Young for WLS?

We hear a lot about the obesity crisis in children. The media calls it an epidemic and the government calls it a grave social problem. I often receive letters from parents asking for advice on when children should be able to have WLS.

I don't have a definitive answer. The argument psychologists make is that children are not emotionally old enough to handle WLS. The medical community argues that you should not alter the organs in a body that is still maturing.

It seems to me that children and teens are too young physically and mentally for the surgery. But you know, looking back, if I could have undergone WLS and the following transformation at age 18 or 19 it would have spared me years of physical pain and emotional torment. Of course we can all play the "what might have been" game. But one cannot help but wonder what different paths our life would have taken. Was I emotionally ready at 18 or 19 to be the fat girl in a skinny world?

CNN reports on a new government study being conducted on teens who undergo WLS. An excerpt from the article reads:

"Surgery has been effective in treating extreme obesity in adults. Researchers want to find out whether adults and adolescents who have the surgery have significantly different health problems and whether there is any benefit to having the operation earlier in life.

"The researchers are responding to the growing problem of extreme obesity among the young.

"We know bariatric surgery is effective for weight-loss. We just need to carefully document how teenagers respond," said Dr. Thomas Inge, associate professor of pediatrics and surgery at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, which is leading the study.

Read the full Article: Researchers study benefits, risks of teen weight-loss surgery

Just about a year ago we discussed this topic in the LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood: Too Young for WLS. With this new study announced I feel it is time to revisit this topic. Are you in favor or against WLS for teens? Has your view changed due to your own experience with WLS? What are your current views? Do you know a teen who has had or wants to have WLS?

It is important to evaluate the effect of obesity vs. surgery when considering surgery as a tool to treat obesity. We have two informative webisodes that address the toll obesity takes on the body and lifestyle of those suffering from this illness:

The Hidden Costs of Obesity and
Obesity and Your Health: How WLS Can Help

What's in a Name?

Yesterday I was doing a media interview about life after WLS and the reporter asked me, "What should I call this surgery?" I didn't understand the question at first but he clarified, "Do I call it gastric bypass, lap-bad, weight loss surgery, bariatric surgery, obesity surgery, fat-loss surgery, stomach stapling or what?"

Now, personally, I prefer to lump all of the procedures together under Weight Loss Surgery (WLS) because it is a general term that is widely recognize and it leads people via search engines to our site, LivingAfterWLS. Bariatric's is not a well-recognized word and obesity surgery just sounds belittling to me. Then the other terms are more procedure specific.

So I'm putting it out to the Neighbors - what term do you prefer and/or use to describe your surgery? What terms do you like and what terms do not set well with you? What other terms have you heard that I didn't mention here?.......

If you are only now considering surgery for weight loss here are some helpful videos that explain the different procedures and expected results:


Getting Read for Weight-loss Sugery: The Process


The Hidden Costs of Obesity


The Pros & Cons of Gastric Banding Surgery


Talking to Your Primary Care Physician about WLS

Administrative Professionals' Day: Managing Energy

Today is the secular holiday celebrating the work of clerical employees such as administrative assistants, receptionists, paralegals and all office workers. I am one of those office workers and to that end spend much of my time at a desk. While I do enjoy my work the sedentary nature of it does not contribute to my healthy LAWLS lifestyle. So I'm always looking for ways to improve my energy and movement during the workday. I know many of you are in the same boat, or shall I say same chair, as me. I found this great article by Nicola Carr that includes some helpful tips for managing energy in the workplace.

Happy Administrative Professionals Day and best wishes to all you desk jockeys in managing your energy.

Helpful Video:
Can you Really Regain Weight After WLS?

Managing Energy In The Workplace
By Nicola Carr

Managing energy is not just about food. It's about managing working conditions that affect how your body releases energy. This includes managing stress, oxygen levels, exercise levels and food breaks. Work demands can zap energy very quickly so you need to have a few tricks up your sleeve to boost your energy supply to help you both physically and mentally.

The Brain Protein Continuum
The neurons in your brain are largely made of fat. The brain cells communicate with each other using neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are made up from amino acids; protein building blocks. Another important amino acid is tyrosine.

Eating protein increase levels of tyrosine in the brain, helping the brain generate nor-epinephrine and dopamine. These chemicals promote alertness. The absorption of protein is assisted by carbohydrates. So eating a balanced supply of carbs and protein throughout the day will keep that brain network humming and avoid that 3pm black hole.

Top 10 Work Day Energy Guidelines

1. Start the day well rested - Treat your bed as an important energy re-supply station and ensure you book in long enough for the process to be completed. That means 7 to 9 hours a night.
2. Try a workout first thing - even 20 minutes will boost your bodies oxygen supply and keep your head thinking straight longer during the day. It's often much harder to feel inspired at the end of the day. If morning isn't your thing - the evening can still work. Try tricking yourself. Change into workout gear as soon as you get home. Switch on the television or put on a DVD, and instead of heading for the couch, sit on a workout bike or yoga mat with some weights. A few seconds later the brain starts connecting the visual messages and before you know it an hour has gone by.
3. Keep the body supplied with fuel - Eat a small, healthy snack every few hour of lean protein and whole grain carbs. The carbs provide a rapid energy release, while the protein provides longer-lasting energy.
4. Keep the body well hydrated - air conditioning is extremely drying on your system, and that includes the brain.
5. Take an oxygen break - if you don't have time for a full lunch break, take at least a 10 minute walk around the block or anywhere where there is more oxygen than car fumes. I use walking catch-ups. If a staff member wants to chat about something briefly I get us both out for a walk.
6. Try boosting energy during the day - some deep breathing [preferably not whilst on the phone to the CEO]; taking the stairs instead of the elevator or just standing up doing some leg raises all help to move oxygen around the body and boost the cells energy producing processes. I keep a small hand weight on my desk and it's amazing what you can do during a phone call!
7. Keep good energy nutrition snacks at work - protein balls are my favourite. I make them on Sunday and they last the whole week in the refrigerator. [that is if I don't eat them all by Thursday]. I use them for my 3pm low zone snack and as a mental pick-me-up before entering a long meeting.
8. Reduce the alcohol during the week - try getting it down to one glass a night - you will be amazed how much easier it is to get out of bed in the morning and you will be more likely to feel like doing that early morning workout. And your skin will look fantastic!
9. Go easy on the coffee - caffeine is not a good long term solution for energy throughout the day. It's addictive and better left to one cup first thing in the morning. You will sleep better also.
10. Reduce the size of your evening meal and avoid carbs after 6pm - you will find you will sleep better and that translates into more energy during the day.

And if you want to contribute to the worlds renewable energy supply - take a leaf from enterprising gym enthusiasts like Doug Woodwring who are harnessing energy created from everyday workouts and converting it into usable power.

Nicola is a fitness and life advocate for anti-tiredness.com Learn how to avoid tiredness and maintain muscle mass using antiaging bodybuilding She has also been a management performance consultant for many years.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nicola_Carr
http://EzineArticles.com/?Managing-Energy-In-The-Workplace&id=486496

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today is my birthday and I’m getting to be the age when it’s girlishly uncomfortable to mention my years, the age when I need glasses to read and the age when my doctor utters those painful words during my annual exam, “Well, at your age you can expect to have aches and pains.” Ugh!! But – it’s a good day! I am happy in love, healthy and engaged in the pursuit of post-WLS living at its best. At LivingAfterWLS we have a tool called the Personal Self-Assessment. It is a worksheet that we try to use quarterly to assess our goals, our progress and identify areas for improvement. Because it’s my birthday I’m going to take time today to use this self-assessment tool and start the next chapter of my life with a plan. As so many of us are learning (over and over again) WLS is not a quick fix or an easy method of losing weight. We truly must pursue the art of living with the surgery for the rest of our lives.

I am profoundly grateful for the surgery and the health that I now enjoy. When I look back at myself ten years ago I see a woman suffering from the co-morbidities of obesity with not much hope or motivation to change my lifestyle. It just seemed hopeless and that obesity was the hand I’d drawn. Had I not taken the path of WLS I’m sure I’d be 100 pounds heavier than I was in 1997. Those aches and pains the doctor tells me are “normal” for my age would no doubt be crippling. And most sad of all, I would have missed the last 8 years of healthy living and joyful evolution as a person. I am grateful for WLS.

Happy Birthday to Me! I hope you all have a great day and if the moment is right take some private time and work on your LAWLS Personal Self-Assessment. Make a plan, revisit your goals and enable your enduring success with WLS.

What is a WLS success? Watch this quick video:
Beyond the Numbers: Defining Success After WLS

Going Green: April 22 is Earth Day

"May there only be peaceful and cheerful Earth Days to come for our beautiful Spaceship Earth as it continues to spin and circle in frigid space with its warm and fragile cargo of animate life."

--United Nations Secretary-General U Thant
March 21, 1971.


Sunday, April 22 is Earth Day - a multi-national holiday to celebrate planet earth. The first Earth day was in 1970. Today over 20 million people participate in observances and it is recognized by governments in 175 countries. From wikipedia: "The story goes that Earth Day was conceived by Senator Gaylord Nelson after a trip he took to Santa Barbara right after that horrific oil spill off our coast in 1969. He was so outraged by what he saw that he went back to Washington and passed a bill designating April 22 as a national day to celebrate the earth."

For a list of Earth Day events visit Earthday Network.

Focus of many Earth Day activities this year is on "Going Gree" - making small changes to protect Mother Earth from global warming. I found a list of 101 Ways to get started and was pleased to see that many things we do in our new LAWLS lifestyle are on the Go Green list. Here are a few of my favorites:

-Weather permitting, take your exercise outdoors
-Skip the elevator and take the stairs
-Find new uses for old things
-Ride your bike
-Reuse your Ziplock bags (think vitamin baggies!)
-Unload your trunk; the lighter the load, the less gas your car consumes (think weight loss!)
-Bring your own bags to the grocery store
-Eat more veggies
-Eat what's in season
-Support recycling by buying products made from recycled materials
-Plant a garden
-Fill up your freezer, since the fuller it is, the less energy it uses to keep food frozen
-Spend more time outdoors


What are some of things you are doing to "Go Green"?

Back Across the Line

Hello Neighbors!!

I know that many of you in the LAWLS world are acquainted with Bamagal aka Diane. She contributed extensively to our Neighborhood Cookbook and is a strong leading presence in our Neighborhood community. It pleases me to introduce you to her new blog: Back Across the Line. Take a look.

She started it at the end of March and it is a fantastic resource of information, knowledge, common sense and wit -- it is Bamagal at her very best! I am so thrilled she has taken public her story because, like a prized diamond, her story is multifaceted. I don't know anyone who seeks knowledge more voraciously than Diane - she gets her facts in order and then she gets her opinions in order. I love this woman. She created a side-blog titled Helpful Links to share her vast collection of internet resources. Be sure to check it out as well (and thanks for including LAWLS on your list. )

Today she writes about "Fatblogging(TM)" --- a grassroots cyber movement for people to blog their diet experiences. "We are on a mission to spread the word of health, happiness, and humor, forgive all diet transgressions, overcome temptations, and to help you reach your goals! Remember it's health that matters, not size. Hallelujah!" Read the Full Post

Thanks for sharing, Bamagal - You make the cyber world a much better place.

Unsoliticted comments: Where do they lurk in your life?

Over at the LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood we have been talking about body image pre and post weight loss. Many of us carry battle wounds from childhood when we were called unkind names by children on the playground and sometimes by insensitive adults. I found this article by Laura Lallone about the wounds we carry from childhood to adulthood. If you are like me her story is all too familiar. I wonder how much of my life I've spent replaying those hurtful unsolicited comments? As she says, "This is not healthy."

She offers hope in the conclusion of the article: Awareness. I'm going to police my negative thought cycle with more awareness, and I hope you will too.

Enjoy!
Kaye

Carrot Legs, Oh Carrot Legs - Why Do You plague me?
By Laura Lallone

When I was 10 years old, a little girl friend turned to me at day camp and said, "Your legs are shaped like carrots. They are skinny at the bottom and fat at the top. Mine are shaped more like string beans."

Right.

When I was 14 years old, a girl named Danni on my swim team informed me and my friends that, "If you can see a roll of skin on your stomach when you sit on the toilet, then you are fat and need to lose weight."

Hmph.

I don't know about you, but when I sit on the toilet (maybe it's my posture) I see two things - a roll around my middle and my thighs smashed to their widest possible girth. I figure in the past 20 years I've sat on the toilet about 32,000 times. I'd say that at least half of those times the little stories from my youth have passed through my mind. Hmmm... that is 16,000 times I've had those thoughts. That is just not healthy!

Unsoliticted comments. We've all received them. Where do they lurk in your life? Why do they stick?

In this case, they stuck probably because I was at a really impressionable age. It's probably because of some nature/nurture, self-esteem, self-worth issue. My rational mind can see that the girls probably said what they said because THEY were feeling insecure in some way. Wait. Does that make insecurity contagious? Can we literally pass on insecurity like a hot potato? That's silly.

There's so much to talk about here. Somewhere inside of each of us, there is a little kid who is still whiplashed from these unsolicited attacks. I guess the issue comes when she (the little girl me) shows up when I'm sitting on the toilet - or otherwise feeling "less than". She doesn't have any more skills or savvy to deal with the comments than she did back then. The adult me has an arsenal though: ways to get grounded, an ability to control my thinking and be more rational, compassion for myself and those other little kids, gratitude for my body and all of its working parts, a sense of humor and a sense of "who gives a flying monkey wrench".

Most of all, when it comes to dealing with emotions rising from old unsolicited zingers, awareness is key. Awareness of what "part" of us is responding inside and out.

P.S. These carrot legs can really kick some stringbean butt.

15 New WLS Webisodes

We have 15 brand new WLS Webisodes to present to you! The topics are terrific and include:

WLS & Health Insurance
Plastic Surgery
Nutritional Supplements
The "jump through hoops" process to get approved
WLS and Reproductive Health
Gastric Banding: Green Zone
Gastric Banding Sweet Spot
Changing Your Lifestyle AFTER WLS
How to listen to yoru body after WLS
Can you really regain weight after WLS?

We've organized these by category on our WLS Videos page. Please take some time and watch these videos that have been created specifically for us by our site sponsor Healthology: Weight Loss Surgery Options.The video categories are:

Pre-op Topics
Surgery and Obesity
Gastric Bypass
Gastric Banding
LivingAfterWLS Lifestyle Topics

We hope you enjoy this resource of up-to-date WLS information. Your comments & feedback are appreciated.

Why Do Some People Live 100 Or More Years?

By Sharon Moore

There are lots of studies going on around the world trying to answer this question. Centenarian studies so far have not revealed any particular "thing" these old timers have in common.

Some centenarians are sweet, some are cranky. Some drink and smoke, some don't. Some exercise regularly, some are proverbial couch potatoes. Some have high cholesterol, some low, and some in the middle.

Genetic research has shed little light on the question, although it's assumed that centenarians have some mighty fine genes working for them. This is only an assumption at this point, though, and other factors play a role.

For example, relative to their advanced age, centenarians across the board tend to have:

Low insulin

Low blood sugar

Low triglycerides

An aside: If any one of the above is high, chances are the other two are high as well.

The key player is insulin - more specifically, insulin resistance. We haven't found the fountain of youth yet, but we have found the fountain of aging - insulin (as insulin resistance). If you have high insulin (hence insulin resistance) you have the basic ingredient in place to promote just about every chronic disease. And what are these chronic diseases? Symptoms of aging.

As we age, we become insulin resistant. That's a fact. If we age prematurely, it's because we are becoming insulin resistant too fast. Thus begins the cycle of chronic illness. No matter what symptoms of any chronic illness you may have, you can bet your bottom dollar that insulin is going have its fingers in illness pie.

Most people know that insulin is a hormone. They don't always know that it's an anabolic hormone, which means it "builds up" the body. It's a regenerative hormone. There are other hormones called catabolic hormones. These are degenerative hormones.

If you have too much insulin floating around in your blood, it's because insulin IS NOT WORKING. When insulin is working, there's not too much floating around - it's being used to do it's regenerative work as it should be.

Yes, insulin keeps blood sugar down by storing it. But that's just one little job it has. Insulin stores nutrients. If you have high blood sugar, one of two things is going on.

Your pancreas is worn out and cannot produce enough insulin. You have type 2 diabetes at this point.Or, your pancreas is churning out plenty of insulin, but your cells are not responding to it. Insulin moves blood sugar (glucose) into cells. If the cells won't listen to insulin and let that sugar in, then your blood sugar stays high and your pancreas keeps churning out insulin in response to all that sugar. You have insulin resistance.

Eventually, your pancreas will give up the good fight. It's exhausted and stops producing more than a dribble of insulin. So now you have gone from being insulin resistant to having type 2 diabetes.

If your cells are no longer responding to insulin to let blood sugar get into cells, then ALL the other nutrients insulin stores in cells are not getting in those cells either.

Let's look at one example of another nutrient: magnesium.

Insulin stores magnesium, just like it stores blood sugar and dozens of other nutrients. If magnesium can't get into cells due to insulin resistance, it comes out in your urine. How important is this?

Well, magnesium is used inside EVERY single cell for all chemical reactions that produce energy. Magnesium is also required for insulin itself to even work. Magnesium relaxes muscles and reduces blood vessel constriction (think blood pressure here). This is just a little sample of the hundreds of things magnesium does.

If you're not storing magnesium inside your cells because of insulin resistance, you're affecting every single cell in your body negatively. Insulin can't build up much of anything as an anabolic hormone because your cells aren't responding to insulin as they should. Indeed, insulin resistance is now increasing as the magnesium flows out in your urine.

There's so much more to say about the problems created with insulin resistance. A book can easily be written on the subject - and books have been written. I'll write more as time permits in our shared quest to SLOW aging.

Final thoughts: STOP EATING SUGAR. That's the first most important thing you can do to reverse insulin resistance and slow aging. That means, of course, taking your carb content very low for a while. Carbs are converted to sugar. Eat poultry, eat fish, eat red meat, eat cheese, eat any vegetable that's green, eat nuts, and go easy on the fruits.

Visit http://1healthyboomer.com - and learn about The 7-Step Plan To Slow Aging. It's one of the best investments you can make in YOU.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sharon_Moore
http://EzineArticles.com/?Why-Do-Some-People-Live-100-Or-More-Years?&id=477853

Update: Leader Helper Program

This is a letter we sent to our Leader Helper subscriber list today. For those who aren't familiar with the entire LivingAfterWLS websuite we thought you might enjoy knowing about another one of our business segments.


"Dear LAWLS Leader,
You are receiving this email because you subscribed to the Leader Helper list at LivingAfterWLS.com.

Over the last year the LivingAfterWLS project has grown explosively. We've come from a 20-page website averaging 1,000 hits a day to a 600-page website receiving over 1-million hits per month. We've added the Neighborhood, our online community now with over 500 registered members and nearly 35,000 posts in less than a year. And our "You Have Arrived" newsletter list has over 3,000 active subscribers. In addition, we published the first-ever Neighborhood Cookbook for WLS by WLS. Talk about exceeding my wildest dreams!

The growth has been explosive and exhausting. We are a small company (3 people) trying to manage this wonderful, overwhelming and sometimes frightening, growth. To that end we were forced to put the Leader Helper program on the back burner for several months. We apologize for this and for disappointing those of you who had come to count our monthly agendas for your live group meetings. It was never our intent to put-on-hold this program, just an unfortunate casualty of growing pains.

We are pleased, however, to announce the Leader Helper Newsletter and meeting agenda will be back in April. We have outlined our program for the year to coincide with the editorial agenda of our other e-zine publications. I believe this program will come back stronger than before and become a powerful resource to all those who are pursing long-term support and success with weight loss surgery. We will also be offering our group affiliation package once again in April.

Thank you for your patience and understanding during this time of growth at LivingAfterWLS. I am proud to count you as friends and partners in this WLS way-of-life.


Best Wishes,
Kaye Bailey, Founder
LivingAfterWLS, LLC

PS - Don't forget we have a special group leaders online forum in the Neighborhood. This safe haven is an opportunity for group leaders to share their unique perspective and challenges. Drop in today for some kind and candid conversation."

Sweet Valentine's & LivingAfterWLS

hearts
Originally uploaded by FeistyScribe.

I'm sure you've noticed the Valentine's offerings: sweet candies, decadent desserts, cute cookies and temptingly delicious chocolates. This can be a challenging time for post-weight loss surgery living. Fond memories of Valentine's past may beckon sweet surrender for even those most committed to following a healthy nutritious food plan. Perhaps the justification, "Valentine's Day comes but once a year" will be the permission we need to venture into these ubiquitous foods.

We all tend to find what works for us when it comes to celebratory holiday eating. To help you find your best plan here are some articles to review:


Smart Sweets

Is there Chocolate After WLS?

Sugar Free Candy: Beware the Danger

Snacking vs. Grazing

Eating After Weight Loss Surgery

Misconceptions About WLS

As weight loss surgery becomes an increasingly popular treatment for morbid obesity misconceptions abound. Patients who undergo gastric bypass or gastric banding surgeries are often depressed and disappointed after surgery because they believed the popular misconceptions.

Some common misconceptions about WLS:

- Surgery brings joy and boundless energy instantaneously
- Laparoscopic surgery is painless
- WLS is an easy fix and permanent fix to obesity
- WLS guarantees happiness
- Others will support the WLS decision
- After reaching goal weight patients can go back to normal

Because patients read about the joy and boundless energy enjoyed by others after surgery they assume these feelings occur immediately. Joy is felt after massive weight loss, not after surgery. In fact, for many patients the first six weeks out of surgery are emotionally draining as they grieve for food and feel fatigued and disoriented.

We read the laparoscopic technique used for 85 percent of all WLS is minimally invasive requiring little recovery time. In truth this technique bruises the intestines, liver and ribs. The surgery is painful and recovery is not as rapid as most patients expect. Patients express feelings of failure when they are sore and exhausted from surgery.

For most patients weight loss happens quickly and easily. True to dieting tradition when patients reach goal weight they tend to go back to “normal” disregarding the high-protein low-volume diet. Weight gain results. Unless patients follow the strict WLS rules daily they regain weight.

WLS does not guarantee happiness. In fact, patients commonly describe feelings of anger, bitterness, resentment, panic and self-loathing as they lose weight. They also express happiness, satisfaction, pleasure, delight and self-love. The pendulum of emotions swings wide.

Having WLS exposes one to attacks from others who feel entitled to criticize the gluttonous sloth that could not lose weight by eating less and exercising more. Not all people, including spouses, siblings, parents and friends will support the decision for WLS.

WLS is a lifetime commitment to an extremely restrictive lifestyle that if used successfully will enable a former morbidly obese person to maintain a healthy weight and diminish the co-morbidities of obesity. It should never be considered the “easy way out” or a “quick fix.” It is a lifetime commitment with no returning to normal.

Learn more about the first year post-op in the LAWLS Library

100-Calorie Snack Packs:Do or Don't?

The 100-Calorie snack pack is all the rage right now with Oreo, Nabisco, Ritz, Keebler and other food producers filling the snack aisle with assorted 100 calorie offerings. But are these really smart choices for weight loss or weight maintenance with WLS? According to Supermarket Sleuth in the latest Food & fitness Advisor (February 2007) the 100-calorie packs contain as much as 23 grams carbohydrate, 3 grams or less protein and 3 grams or less dietary fiber. Many also contain trans fats without being required to list it on the label.

I believe there may be a tendency to say, “It’s only 100 calories, how can it hurt if it curbs my carb-craving?” Have you found yourself in thinking this way? And while portion control is always important, we also must focus on the nutritional value of even small food portions.

“Snacks are snacks no matter how you package them. These 100-calorie packs can be a useful tool for those trying to lose weight; however I would not describe most of them as healthful food choice, since nutritionally they don’t offer much,” says Allison Stevens, RD, a Kansas-based nutrition consultant.

Better 100-calorie snacks that provide nutritional value are:

6-ounces Yoplait Light
1-medium banana
1 slice whole-wheat brad
8 walnut halves
1.5-ounce light string cheese

The calorie-control packs, can however, be a good training tool in portion size and control. We hear all the time that “super-sized” is to blame for our national obesity crisis. Using the 100-calorie packs is an effective means to retrain our thinking (and perhaps our children’s perception) of what a portion size is.

So what do you think?

Are 100-calorie packs a Do or a Don’t for WLS post-ops?

Are 100-calorie packs a Do or a Don’t for children?

Are You Rebelling Against Your WLS?

It seems I've received many emails lately from people rebelling against their weight loss surgery. After months of faithful compliance they have returned to some of the habits that made them obese in the first place. And they are frustrated! Do you find yourself rebelling agasint your weight loss surgery? It happens to most of us at some point.

I believe there are four stages of personal growth for weight loss surgery patients: Conception, Infancy, Adolescence and Maturity. It stand to reason the rebellion occurs during adolescence. This is an excerpt from an article in the LivingAfterWLS Library:

Adolescence is the stage when patients tend to fight the tool. Many patients don’t dump, vomit, snack or eat the forbidden foods until they reach adolescence. But once they approach or reach target weight they take chances and break the rules. Perhaps they eat sugar which results in a blood sugar imbalance called “dumping” or they may stuff themselves with starchy carbs causing vomiting. In the worst case, a patient returns to snacking, a little treat of hard candy here and a handful of popcorn there. This is when patients report weight regain, panic and self-loathing.

The good news: the duration of adolescence is up to the patient. A patient only hurts themselves when they break the rules. Successful WLS patients commit to themselves early to be in control of their own gastric bypass growth cycle.

Read the Full Article: Four Stages of Growth

If you've found yourself taking a walk on the wild side, take a moment to consider the consequences. Unlike our biological adolescence, we can take control of this one. We can chose to hang on to those rebellious urges or we can step ahead to the safer stage of Maturity.

It's up to you.

Helpful Video: Plateaus After WLS: How to Get Beyond Them.

And remember, you are never alone. In the LAWLS Neighborhood we have many friends, all in different stages of growth from Conception to Infancy to Adolescence to Maturity. You are sure to find a friend who has walked in your shoes. Come visit us today.

Four Proven Strategies:Successful Weight Maintenance

The January issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter has a comprehensive article on the findings of the "National Weight Control Registry". I'm sure you've heard of this. Started in 1994 the registry collected information from 5,000 volunteers who averaged a weight loss of 72 pounds. The 10-year study revealed that many participants regained some weight, but most maintained a 30-lb weight loss. The researchers identified 4 consistent strategies for maintenance. While these people lost weight with conventional means I believe the maintenance strategies can work for us here at LAWLS - and I think our own JudyPetite (a 20-year success story) can vouch for all four of these. So here they are:

Eating a low-fat, low-calorie diet. "What ever the method, 99 percent of participants somehow reduced overall caloric intake.

Getting high levels of physical activity. "Over 90 percent of participants incorporated physical activity into their life, the average exercise expenditure was equivalent to about one hour of brisk walking every day.

Eating Breakfast. "Nearly 80 percent of the participants reported eating breakfast every day."

Frequent weighing. "Seventy-five percent of participants weighed themselves at least once a week."