Alex Brecher

Where are you located in NY? We're highly considering opening a brick and mortar BariatricPal store over the next year. Would you travel to a store that specializes in Bariatric products?

Weight loss surgery can be a godsend. Getting the surgery could be the best decision you ever make. It can give you your life back and help you become healthier than you have been in years – or ever before. But what you need to do to stick to your new lifestyle isn’t so different from what other healthy people need to do. If you want to be thin and fit, you need to think and act like a thin and fit person. Bariatric Surgery: Necessary But Not Sufficient Weight loss surgery is a significant part of the solution to surgery. If you can’t lose weight without it, it’s necessary. But, on its own, it’s not sufficient for weight loss. As every weight loss surgery patient knows, weight loss surgery only works when you add other components, like a healthier lifestyle, to lose weight permanently. Don’t Give Up It’s easy to start feeling sorry for yourself when regular diets don’t work for you. You may feel that your doctor’s recommendation to get weight loss surgery is official recognition that your obesity is out of your control. After weight loss surgery, it can seem like you’re still working harder than the “skinny” people, and you may feel like giving up. There’s no point in feeling doomed to obesity. Don’t bother resenting your “bad luck” with obesity. The truth is that most fit and healthy people need to work hard at it, just like you do. Have a Plan Don’t leave things up to chance. Skinny people may not have as many dietary restrictions and requirements as you, but you can bet many of them think carefully about what they eat. They plan what they’ll order at a restaurant, and you should, too. They’ll also compensate for oversized meals by exercising a little extra or eating a little less at the next meal. Be Honest Are you really acting like a skinny person? Their behaviors are the same as many of the rules you’re supposed to be following on your weight loss diet. If you’re not losing weight like you think you should be, look carefully at your habits. Are you ending your meal when you’re barely full, or eating for another reason, such as eating to keep everyone else company while they eat? Are you driving straight home, or passing through the drive-thru? Are you drinking only water between planned meals and snacks, or are you getting in calories from juice and sweetened coffee drinks? Are you eating only at the table, or are you nibbling while standing? Watch your skinny coworkers and even housemates carefully, and you may start to notice some of their good habits. They may be lucky enough have those habits formed naturally while you need to work a little harder on them, but you can do it. Ask Away Yes, you’ll see a lot of skinny people doing a lot of things you wouldn’t dare try because you’d be afraid of gaining weight. They may pack away a hot dog, an ice cream sandwich, and a few beers at a baseball game, or munch their way through a bag of potato chips with dip while watching television. Ask them how they get away with it if it’s your friend or someone in your family and you feel comfortable enough. You may get a frustrating answer (“I eat whatever I want and don’t worry about it.”), but you may get something helpful (“I eat very carefully six days a week so I can veg out and eat chips on Sunday” or “I knew I wanted to relax and enjoy myself at the game, so I worked out for an extra hour this morning to burn a few extra calories”). These tips can reinforce the strategies you already know and add to your collection of strategies. They can also help you realize that everyone works hard at staying fit and thin – weight loss surgery or not. You may not be allowed to eat an ice cream sandwich and drink beer on your weight loss surgery diet, but you can exercise ahead of time as a strategy against If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Join ‘Em Until you hit goal weight, you may be most self-conscious about your weight when you’re at the gym. You’re likely to be surrounded by fit people with strong-looking and lean bodies. Don’t just think of these people as another species. Instead, use them to your advantage. Strike up a conversation with them, being careful not to interrupt their workouts. Catch them while you’re both on the elliptical, bike, or treadmill, or when they’re done with their workout. Some people will let you know that they’re not interested in making friends at the gym. Don’t take it personally – it has nothing to do with your fitness level, weight, or personality. Some people just go to the gym because they want to feel alone. Other people will be delighted to talk to you. Most people love talking about themselves, including their workout schedule and goals. They’ll be happy to give you pointers. You can learn what they do to stay in shape, and how often they hit the gym. Possibly most inspirational of all is what you’ll learn about their dedication to their health. They had to get up just as early as you, they’re just as busy as you, and they worry about their diets just as much as you – and they make it a priority to get to the gym almost every day. It Comes Down to Attitude So much of your weight loss journey success depends on your attitude. When you feel like you’re working harder than everyone else, you may be tempted to stop trying. Once you realize that everyone needs to work hard to be fit and healthy, you’re more likely to stay committed. Act skinny, and you’ll hit your goal weight.

Pandora, Thanks for the article and the reminder that machines at the gym are notoriously generous with the calorie burn they claim! You’re absolutely right that these numbers can be very misleading and add up to big mistakes when you’re trying to lose weight by counting every calorie burned. I don’t know how true it is, but I’ve heard a good rule of thumb for ellipticals is to subtract about one-third of the calories they tell you (so if they say 300 calories, subtract 100 and you’ve probably burned 200). That’s about what you suggested – 20 to 40%. A lot of times, if it sounds too good to be true, it is.

Rene, Thanks for this article! You make a lot of good points. Breakfast is such an interesting topic. There is some research supporting your points, and breakfast is commonly believed to be crucial. But, there is research questioning a few things. For example, does breakfast eating cause those benefits, or does something else that influences people to eat breakfast also lead to the benefits you cite? And, is it better to eat breakfast and have lower hunger (but possibly higher caloric intake in the day) or be hungry but keep calories lower? And does And even, what is breakfast? Does the definition depend on when and how much you ate for dinner? So, it seems to me that it comes back to the same thing it often does…eat right in the best way possible for you. If that means eating breakfast to keep you on track, reduce cravings, and hit your nutrient goals, go for it! Either way, keep calories in check and get enough Protein. Thanks for the food suggestions for healthy breakfasts – quick and easy!

hello2brenda, Best of luck to you in your weight loss journey. It is not just a process of losing weight, but also of learning many things about yourself. You’ve already started with that important realization that you rely a lot on food. Maybe you can build on that as you figure out how to change your relationship with food and find something else to fill the hole and keep away the boredom.

At least you’ve discovered a trick…keep yourself occupied with work and anything else besides food so your diet seems less boring! And now when you get to pureed foods, you’ll be able to appreciate every bit of variety you can get!

Sounds like you’ve hit the three-week stall! The only thing to worry about is if you get discouraged and stop eating like you’re supposed to. Otherwise, you’re doing fine! Keep eating right, and let your stomach keep healing, and you’ll start losing again.

Sounds risky! Ask your surgeon to be sure. That’s the safest. You’ve worked so hard to get where you are now. The last thing you need to get some popcorn stuck among the stitches in your sleeve and cause it to split open. You could even get popcorn stuck in your throat (just like a non-WLS patient) and cough really hard – no big deal before surgery, but now before you’re fully healed, it could lead to needing more surgery if you cough so hard you split the sleeve. It's hard to appreciate how smoothly your post-op recovery is going until you have a setback...and then you wish you could go back in time! Good luck.

Tisa, I’m sorry to hear about your frustrations, but thanks for sharing them. You’ve gotten some really good advice here already. It’s really common to have that stall when you’re several months out from surgery, and a lot of times you can get over it by taking another look and being super honest with yourself. It looks like there’ve been a few suggestions. One is about logging your food – I’d suggest doing it, even if you don’t want to! And measure it. I know it’s a drag, but you don’t have to commit to it forever. Just do it for long enough so you’re 100% sure you’re eating exactly what you think you are. An extra ounce here or there can add up to a few hundred calories over the course of a day, and that’s enough to stop your weight loss. The most important thing is to be patient and not get discouraged. You will eventually lose weight again if you are really being honest and following the diet you are supposed to. The body works in strange ways, and sometimes it takes a tweak here or there or just some extra time before it starts to let go of weight like you want it to.

ilikecake2much, Welcome to the forums! Yes, of course - Big Hug your way! Nobody can tell you what to do except you. Nobody. Not your potential surgeon, or your doctor, or some strangers on a weight loss surgery forum. That said, I wanted to chime in with my two cents. You can definitely get good advice here from the “been there, done that” crowd. They can tell you what went right and what went wrong and whether they were pleased with their own personal decisions. On the other hand, remember you may be getting biased opinions. Many of the people who are posting are those who are happy with their decisions. So just keep in mind that you need to think about yourself: can you lose weight without WLS? Do you want to lose weight without WLS? Are you just waiting for someone else to make the decision? If your doctor suddenly said you’re not a candidate and you need to do this on your own, would you cry, or would you be relieved? If you’d be relieved, WLS may not be for you. So, good luck! It’s all about you, and we’re all rooting for you.

People being mean in any way. · “I made the best decision.” · “You’re not doing it right.” · “You should have known this already.” · “You have to…” · Etc.

GreenEyes604, Should someone get bent out of shape over a discussion forum post? No. Might they? Yes. People on this board can be in very vulnerable positions. They may be seriously worried about a complication, or whether they’re eating right, or any number of other things that are very, very important to them. They may have nowhere else to turn, and they feel that the answer they receive here is the “truth.” Or, they may be taking out their insecurities on this board because they need to keep functioning in their real lives. So, no, nobody should get upset, but when you’re posting, remember that they really can.

LipstickLady, yes, I agree with you completely. I want so badly to say something when I see people, especially young people, who are clearly on their way to needing WLS or other serious interventions…but of course we can’t. I wish I could wear a sign on my forehead that said, “I used to be 100 lbs heavier and I lost it with WLS. Ask me for the details if you want!” That way, it would be their choice to find out how much of a struggle it is, and how they should do whatever they can to prevent it! YES we need nutrition education! But if we can’t even keep up funding for physical education, we’re far from having kids learn basic nutrition. Administrators and teachers don’t want to give up class time for something as useless as basic nutrition. Oh, wait. It saves lives. As for saying something to people with bad habits, like overweight coworkers eating potato chips, that just goes in the category of needing to filter myself. It’s just like when I see someone wearing some terrible combination of clothes – it’s none of my business.

Nope, I don’t follow a paleo diet. I can’t ignore all the studies linking whole grain consumption to reduced risk for heart disease and diabetes. And I really don’t see a problem with Beans and dairy (as long as you’re not lactose intolerant, of course). Yes, it’s great to cut out many processed foods with added sugars, solid fats, and too much salt, as the paleo diet does. I think there’s a happy medium between the SAD and a paleo diet. For me personally, it’s about the calories. If I eat the same number of calories, I can eat them from (say) oatmeal and yogurt (non-paleo) or from (say) chicken and broccoli (paleo) and my weight will turn out the same. So, I try to eat unprocessed, high-fiber, and high-protein, but I don’t eliminate food groups like whole grains and dairy and legumes.

Oh, come on…we’d be great at the 1,000-year-old egg eating challenge. We’re all professional egg eaters here…at least the whites.

kndoster, Sorry to hear you are disappointed…but you shouldn’t be! You’ve been losing 3 lbs per week. At that rate, you’ll hit your goal weight of 130 in 6 months. That would be incredible! How long have you struggled with obesity? And to possibly hit goal weight in six months?? You’d look back at this post and laugh at yourself! You can’t compare your own weight loss speed to others’. Everyone’s body is different. Plus, you’re smaller than a lot of other WLS patients, so your weight may come off more slowly. The only thing you can do is be super honest with yourself when you count calories and do your exercise. Don’t worry about low-fat versus low-carb as long as you’re getting in your Protein. As long as the calories are low, you’ll lose weight…like you are. As for your mom, don’t let her “disappointment” affect you. You’re doing great!

Congratulations on hitting this goal weight! What an amazing accomplishment…more than 2 years of serious commitment and dedication. You look fantastic, and I hope you are as happy and proud as you appear and deserve to be! Good for you for being brave enough to set your sights higher (or lower!) than your surgeon’s goals. Keep letting us know how you’re doing.

Blashlee, good luck, and thanks for keeping us posted. You are teaching us a lot! How exciting for you. That is absolutely wonderful that your boyfriend is supporting you so well. If he keeps it up, your entire journey will be so much easier.

Thank you for sharing your weight loss surgery YouTube video! We recently added a Video Section to BariatricPal. Can you please post some of your videos? It takes two minutes and our members would greatly appreciate it!

Thank you for sharing that weight loss surgery YouTube video! We recently added a Video Section to BariatricPal. Can you please post some of the videos? It takes two minutes and our members would greatly appreciate it!

Thank you for sharing your weight loss surgery YouTube video! We recently added a Video Section to BariatricPal. Can you please post some of your videos? It takes two minutes and our members would greatly appreciate it!

Thank you for sharing your weight loss surgery YouTube video! We recently added a Video Section to BariatricPal. Can you please post some of your videos? It takes two minutes and our members would greatly appreciate it!

Thank you for sharing your weight loss surgery YouTube video! We recently added a Video Section to BariatricPal. Can you please post some of your videos? It takes two minutes and our members would greatly appreciate it!

Thank you for sharing your weight loss surgery YouTube video! We recently added a Video Section to BariatricPal. Can you please post some of your videos? It takes two minutes and our members would greatly appreciate it!

Thank you for sharing your weight loss surgery YouTube video! We recently added a Video Section to BariatricPal. Can you please post some of your videos? It takes two minutes and our members would greatly appreciate it!