Alex Brecher

Jamie Miles is a lap-band patient who lost 100 pounds with the band. His weight loss gave him the confidence he needed to pursue an acting career. This weight loss surgery hero is an inspirational example of how you can change your entire life after weight loss surgery. He switched careers to pursue an acting career. He is also a real-life story that we can all relate to. Weight loss wasn’t easy, and he isn’t able to follow his weight loss surgery diet perfectly. Here’s Jamie’s story, complete with triumphs and struggles. You can read more about Jamie’s acting career, plus see headshots and look at his resume, by clicking here to get to his website. He’s also on Facebook and Twitter. And, don’t forget to watch for his upcoming column, “Regain-ing Control,” in BariatricPal Magazine. Familiar Story: Big Kid to Lap-Band Patient For many weight loss surgery patients, Jamie Miles’s story will be familiar. He was a big kid with low self-esteem, and he turned to food for comfort. Later, he tried every diet in the book, from Weight Watchers and South Beach to the grapefruit diet. Jamie found out about the lap-band surgery when he saw an ad in a newspaper that he was reading in his break room at work. He knew his insurance covered bariatric surgery, and he did not like the idea of getting the gastric bypass like some coworkers had. So, he went for the lap-band. Time to Chase a Dream For years, Jamie had dreamed of becoming a commercial model, but his weight was holding him back. Once the pounds began to come off, Jamie began to think seriously about fulfilling a dream of acting. After losing 60 pounds, he landed some “extra” roles. He progressed to some speaking roles in local productions and commercials, and went to acting school. That’s when he lost his day job in marketing and promotion. While the old Jamie might have turned to food, the new Jamie decided to use the chance to pursue acting full-time. Two days later, he signed with a local agent. His career has blossomed to include roles in commercials and local and national films. The lap-band may seem far from acting, but Jamie says the entire experience helps him in emotional roles. He is able to apply the feelings from years of personal pain and being called names, dumped, and treated poorly. What he’s also recognized is the effect of confidence on life. He now realizes that many actors are larger, and the reason he could not dedicate himself fully to acting is that he was not confident in himself. He was afraid others would not see his abilities, and would just judge him based on looks. Relationship with Food: “Complicated” Before the band, Jamie’s social life revolved around food and drink. Plus, he was an emotional eater. Since getting the lap-band, Jamie’s relationship with food can only be described as “complicated.” He started to get a bit depressed when he could no longer tolerate red meat, pork, and chicken breast – the very foods he was supposed to be eating! Now, he tries to focus on what he can eat. He’s able to eat chicken thighs, seafood, and salad when he’s sticking to his diet. Unfortunately, he still loves fast food, and his band allows it. His solution is to avoid trigger foods like Taco Bell and chips. The Challenges Continue A “typical” day for Jamie might begin with some protein and green vegetables. His snacks can consist of almonds, a protein shake, or a 100-calorie Jell-0 pudding. But that’s when he’s being good. Just like so many weight loss surgery patients, Jamie let his guard down a little. When it happened to him, soft drinks, fried foods, and other poor foods crept back into his diet. In fact, he gained back 25 pounds when “life happened.” Jamie still has a lot on his plate, so to speak. He’s pursuing a full-time acting career and working a part-time job in a stressful position. He needs to see his bariatric doctor, and fears his band has a leak, but doesn’t have the cash on hand. And, of course, he wants to lose the extra weight for once and for all. “Re-Gaining Control” on BariatricPal! Jamie has learned a lot along the way. He needs to take care of himself. He needs to love himself. He needs to eat healthy and work out. He wants to help other bariatric surgery patients. He did some public speaking while he was losing weight after surgery, but feels embarrassed to do so with his regain. He can’t wait for this mindset to change once he takes back control. Jamie is planning to get to his goal weight, and he is going to share his journey on BariatricPal! His column will be called “Regain-ing Control,” and it will be a very real and personal journey complete with weigh-ins and photos. As he says, “some days will be good, some bad, and all very real.” He hopes to help readers get back on track, and for readers to inspire him to do the same. Stay tuned for the new column! Jamie’s story begins like so many others, but Jamie has worked hard to make it unique. He is living a dream of his by using his new looks to give him confidence to be an actor. Plus, he will be helping thousands of weight loss surgery patients when he shares his journey toward “Regain-ing Control.”

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A lot of weight loss surgery patients struggle with weight for their entire lives before deciding to get surgery. The same is true for Michele Elbertson. The difference is that Michele was only 23 when she hit 427 pounds and got her wake-up call. She got the lap-band, changed her lifestyle, and dropped 260 pounds. She’s run 6 marathons in the past two and a half years, and is training for her first Ironman triathlon this spring. Bigger from Birth…And Then College Hit Michele was always big. She was at the top of her height and weight charts from the time she was an infant. She remembers times in her childhood when she couldn’t or wouldn’t participate because she was so big. She didn’t like physical education or sports, and the other children teased her. Food was a comfort. Michele describes the situation as a vicious cycle. The more kids teased her, the worse she felt. The worse she felt, the more she ate. The more she ate, the more she weighed. The more she weighed, the more she got teased. College was a disaster in terms of her weight. Forget about the freshman 15. What about the freshman 40? And the sophomore 40? Add to that the junior 40, the senior 40, and, for good measure, the super-senior (fifth-year) 67, and you now know how Michele Elbertson got to be 427 pounds at the age of 22 years. A Young Weight Loss Surgery Patient with New Relationships Michele made the decision to get the lap-band on her own. She needed a tool to help her control how much she ate, but understood that it was up to her to control what she ate. She only told her parents about her decision after she was sure about it. They were supportive, and have been since then. Michele has taken full advantage of and responsibility for the band. She has lost 260 pounds – 260 pounds! – in less than four years. As she says, she’s a determined person who will accomplish anything she sets her mind to. Michele began to “eat to live” rather than “live to eat.” As her relationships with food and exercise changed, so did her relationships with some friends. She lost some friends whose relationships centered only on food. She gained many more, though, through her new activities. She says the friends she’s gained through running and fitness far outweigh those she lost by changing her lifestyle. An Athlete Is Born Michele ran her first 5k after losing 100 pounds – when she was still 327 pounds. She was hooked. She loved the training, the atmosphere of the race, and the accomplishment. She has never looked back. Since then, she has run countless other races, including 38 half-marathons, 6 marathons, and a 50-miler ultra-marathon. She has also competed in triathlons. Now at an athletic 159 pounds, Michele has her sights on even greater challenges. In the near future, she wants to run a 100-miler and complete an Ironman. Both are feats that most people wouldn’t even dream of. Marathons, Ultras, and Ironmans Now, not everyone’s a distance runner or triathlete, so to understand Michele’s accomplishments, here are a few facts about these endurance sports. A marathon is 26.2 miles. All marathons are 26.2 miles. An ultra-marathon is anything over 26.2 miles. Michele’s recently completed ultra-marathon was 50 miles, and she is training for a 100-miler. A triathlon includes swimming, biking, and running. An Ironman triathlon consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile marathon. Fitting It All in Every Day Michele works out 6 days a week. Currently, she’s training for an ulta-marathon and is running 5 days a week and lifting weights 3 times. She also does Zumba classes. She takes a rest day once a week. Michele has built her life to be able to accommodate her training schedule. She recently quit her teaching career to focus instead on helping others achieve their fitness and health goals. She is a personal trainer and group fitness instructor. Working at a gym is pure genius – it leaves her with no excuse not to get her workout in! Eating Like a Bariathlete How do you have energy to train like an athlete and work full-time while losing over 200 pounds in 4 years? Ask Michele. Here’s how she eats and works out in a typical day. 7:00 a.m. breakfast: almonds and yogurt or eggs/romaine lettuce 9:00 a.m. snack: protein bar Workout, such as running, lifting, or group fitness class, such as Zumba or bokwa Noon. lunch: soup or salad, usually the largest meal of the day 2:00 p.m. snack: cheese and crackers or something small, equivalent to 200 calories (may include a fruit or vegetable) 4:00 p.m. snack: hot tea 6:00 p.m. dinner; lean protein, veggie, possibly a carb 7:30 p.m. snack: lemon water/hot tea. The number of calories Michele eats during a day is 1,800 (her resting metabolic rate) plus half of the calories she burns through exercise. So, if she runs 10 miles and burns 1,200 calories in exercise, she’ll eat 1,800 plus 600 calories, or 2,400 calories. She allows herself an occasional treat meal with junk food, but still counts those calories. The Accolades Michele is more than your typical bariatric patient, and she’s been getting the recognition she deserves for her extraordinary achievements. These are a few recent examples. Runner’s World magazine Cover Contest Finalist. Makeover on the Rachel Ray Show. Local feature on 6ABC Action News in Philadelphia. Dealing with Negativity – Don’t Worry About It One of the most striking things about Michele is her drive. She has worked very, very hard to get where she’s at today. She’s lost 60 percent of her body weight through being very disciplined every day. And, she has run marathons. Anyone who has run a marathon can tell you that it is was harder than they had ever imagined. Anyone who hasn’t run a marathon cannot imagine how difficult it is. But with all the publicity, Michele has receive a lot of nasty comments. How is she supposed to react when people slam her? They say she hasn’t accomplished anything, that the band has done it all. In fact, they basically say what a lot of weight loss surgery patients hear all the time from people who don’t know any better. So how does Michele react to negativity? She doesn’t want to respond directly and add “fuel to the fire.” She knows they don’t know anything about her, and she’s probably done more exercise and worked harder than they ever have. So, she just goes about her business. Leading by Example Michele says she hopes her successes and story will give others hope. She describes herself as a “real person” and “very down-to-earth,” and she hopes others will see that they can accomplish what she has. In the future, she would like to travel to seminars as a motivational speaker. In the meantime, we congratulate her on her amazing story and wish her well in her 100-miler this spring!

The day-to-day worries of a weight loss surgery patient can be enough to make you lose sight of the big picture. The end of the year is a good time to stop and take a look back on 2014. How would you describe your weight loss surgery journey over the past year? Great! I got weight loss surgery and am losing weight steadily. Quite well. I am continuing to lose weight, even if it’s not super quickly anymore. Excellent. I was able to maintain my weight at or near goal weight. A bit rough. I’ve been battling complications or other obstacles that haven’t let me focus on my weight loss as much as I’d like. Okay. I made the decision to get weight loss surgery, and am looking forward to it in the next year. Could have been better. I wasn’t so strict with my diet, and the scale’s showing it. Other. See my answer in the conversation below! Mark your answer, then explain it in the discussion below. We want to know how your year went and how you’re going to use it to build motivation for 2015!

Fred, Our live chat rooms have died down. We switched over to a new chat platform and it seems like members don't love it. The chat rooms are available within our main site navigation. We plan on adding chat to our mobile apps in the near future. I think that'll help quite a bit. I'm open to hearing and implementing suggestions from our members as well......

Exercise can be an important part of your life after weight loss surgery. It burns calories, makes you more disciplined, and keeps you sane. The winter weather can make exercise more difficult, whether you’re facing snow and ice, or whether you’re looking at rain or temperatures just a bit below your comfort zone. How do you change your exercise routine during the winter? I exercise more. I love winter! I don’t change my routine. I just dress a little more warmly. I exercise indoors anyway, so I don’t need to change anything. I hit the gym more and go outside less, but my total exercise time is about the same. I exercise less, whether it’s because of the weather or the short days and dark mornings and evenings. Other. See my answer in the conversation below. Mark your answer, then tell us about it in the conversation below. Do you have any good ideas for staying active in the winter?

Ditto!!

Weight loss surgery is challenging at any time of the year. The weight loss surgery diet is strict, and following it takes a lot of discipline and planning. Acquaintances and close friends alike may make comments about your weight loss and appearance. People who don’t know the first thing about weight loss surgery may not be shy about sharing their opinions of it. This can all get more intense around the holidays. You need even more discipline and planning when there are holiday treats everywhere you turn. People may notice your weight loss even more because you may see them only once a year. And the ones who share their negative opinions of weight loss surgery may be your relatives. It’s easy to lose sight of the big picture and get down on yourself during this season. But you’ll get through it, and come out on the other side ready to keep losing weight and following a healthy lifestyle. Staying positive helps. Here are some of the barriers you might come across, and how you can try to overcome them and stay positive. Comments from Other People Regarding Your Weight or Weight Loss Surgery You probably get some comments all year. People may notice your weight loss, or want to talk about your weight loss surgery once they find out about it. But during the holidays, this can get nearly unbearable. The people noticing your weight loss may be friends or family who are in town only once a year, and haven’t seen you since last year. They can be shocked at, proud of, or jealous of your weight loss, and any of these reactions can be uncomfortable if you’re not the type to enjoy attention. The other set of comments you might get include comments on your weight loss surgery. Almost every bariatric surgery patient has heard some unfair things about bariatric surgery, such as people saying that it’s “cheating.” What makes them worse now is when they come from family members. These comments can get you down. You may start to feel self-conscious about your body. You may feel defensive about your decisions. The negative feelings can wear you down. What to do about it. You have a few different options here. First, try talking to the people who are making the comments. For example, tell them: “Thank you for complimenting me on my weight loss. I appreciate it, but it makes me feel self-conscious. Do you mind not mentioning it, especially in front of other people?” “Thank you for your concern over my weight, but I think I’m doing okay. I’m working closely with my doctor and surgeon, and they both agree that I still have a few pounds to lose.” “I wish weight loss surgery were a magic solution, but it’s actually not. Would you like to hear about how it works and what I have to do to lose weight? Until you tell them directly, people may honestly not realize that it bothers you to hear comments about your weight. They may not know that weight loss surgery isn’t magic, and that you really do work hard every single day to lose weight and stay healthy. Talking won’t solve every problem. The next step is to prepare for the comments. If you know they’re coming, you can put up your guard mentally so they don’t get a reaction out of you or make you feel bad or defensive. You can also recruit a few allies, such as close friends, your spouse, or your parents. Ask them to stick with you at parties and gatherings so they can change the subject if your weight loss or weight loss surgery come up. Feeling Guilty. You go to a party. You eat a bit of this and a little of that, and then find yourself in the bathroom with dumping syndrome. Or you sneak in a treat here and a taste there, and at your weekly weigh-in, you find that you’ve gained weight. Bad eating and weight gain happen all the time during the holidays, and they can make you feel guilty. The problem is that guilt isn’t usually very productive. It’s more likely to drag you into a vicious cycle of overeating, feeling guilty, and overeating. What to do about it. First, forgive yourself. You can’t work with yourself if you’re mad at yourself. Admit you did something you’re not proud of, then accept your apology to yourself. It’s time to move on. Next, focus on the future. You can’t change the past, but you can shape the future. Recognize that you feel guilty, figure out why you have been making poor choices, and think of what you can do to do better next time. Log every bite, good or bad. Something as simple as keeping an honest record of what you eat is enough to stop you from taking that extra bite. Predict problems, and avoid them. If you know you can’t pass up fudge, don’t walk by the candy shop with free samples in the mall. Plan ahead. Take a salad, some chicken skewers, or a basket of mandarin oranges to your next holiday party so you can be sure there will be healthy food to eat. Feeling Deprived. The holidays are filled with delicious food. There’s candy at work, Christmas cookies from your neighbors, egg nog and finger foods at parties, and feasts with family. The problem is, you can’t have any of it. At least, you can’t eat the way you could before weight loss surgery. You’re limited to a few bites of certain treats. It’s easy to feel deprived. Your feelings can be even worse if you feel sorry for yourself for “needing” to work out, especially if you’re getting up early or staying up late to squeeze in a workout. The solution. This one’s not easy, but you can make it a lot better by changing your attitude. First, know that you’re not alone. Everyone feels that way. Don’t believe it? Go up to the most fit-looking person you know and ask. They will tell you that they are tempted by the holiday food, and they work very hard not to overeat. They’ll also tell you that they have to work to make exercise a priority during this busy season. Next, try to think about what you’ve gained by changing your lifestyle, and not about what you’ve lost. Sure, you can’t eat frosted cinnamon rolls anymore because they’ll give you an obstruction or dumping syndrome, but you can keep up with your friends at the mall. Or, you can’t drink spiked eggnog at Christmas parties, but you can fit into a flattering dress or suit to wear to the party. The holidays are about celebrating, being grateful, and appreciating friends and family, but you’re not alone if you find yourself getting down during the season. Weight loss surgery changes your life, and some of the changes can be magnified during this time. You can fight this by staying positive and planning ahead – just like you do to succeed the rest of the year.

BariatricPal Wishes You a Happy, Healthy Holiday Season!#subject#> body,div,dl,dt,dd,ul,ol,li,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6,pre,form,fieldset,input,textarea,p,blockquote,th,td { margin:0; padding:0; } table { border-collapse:collapse; border-spacing:0; } fieldset,img { border:0; } address,caption,cite,code,dfn,th,var { font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; } caption,th { text-align:left; } h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { font-size:100%; font-weight:normal; } q:before,q:after { content:''; } abbr,acronym { border:0; } address{ display: inline; } html, body { background-color: #d8dde8; color: #5a5a5a; } body { font: normal 13px helvetica, arial, sans-serif; position: relative; } h3, strong { font-weight: bold; } em { font-style: italic; } img, .input_check, .input_radio { vertical-align: middle; } legend { display: none; } table { width: 100%; } td { padding: 3px; } a { color: #225985; text-decoration: none; } a:hover { color: #328586; } div.outer { margin: 0 auto; padding: 14px; } table.wrap { max-width: 800px; margin: 0 auto; } td.logo { background-color: #0f3854; padding: 8px; } td.content { background-color: #fff; font-size: 14px !important; color: black !important; line-height: 150% !important; padding: 8px; } ul { margin-left: 25px; } Dear BariatricPal Members, Season’s Greetings! If you’re one of the 2 billion people in the world who celebrate Christmas, Merry Christmas! Happy Kwanzaa if you’re about to celebrate it, and, if you celebrate Hanukah, we hope it has been a happy one. Whether or not you’re in the middle of a celebration, we hope this newsletter finds you well and enjoying the season with friends and family. Here’s what you’ll find. Healthy Tips for This Joyful Day Try a Christmas salad Recent Weight Loss Surgery? Make the Most of It Read through the newsletter, then go enjoy your family and friends. When you need a break, head on over to BariatricPal.com and join the conversations. Have a wonderful holiday, and thanks for sharing it with BariatricPal and the other members! Sincerely, Alex Healthy Tips for This Joyful Day Christmas is supposed to be a day of celebration and thankfulness, but it can be a day that leaves you feeling guilty and sick if you’re not careful. If you celebrate Christmas or if you are just enjoying a slower, quieter day, there can still be a lot of temptations. Don’t let this day end Christmas with you at a higher weight and with dumping syndrome or a needing to visit to your emergency surgeon. Here are some tips to help you get through the day feeling happy and proud. Depend on Hot drinks. Hot drinks are calming, and they take a long time to get through. They’re an ideal defense against high-calorie foods because you’re not allowed to drink while you eat after weight loss surgery. You may need to turn to a hot drink: When your children are opening presents and nibbling on Christmas Cookies in the morning, When your family curls on the couch to watch a movie and everyone else is hitting the popcorn. Before or after Christmas dinner when there are appetizers or Desserts all around. Make yourself a low-calorie cup of coffee, cinnamon or other flavor of tea, or diet hot cocoa. Use Water and, if you need it a little creamier, add some unsweetened almond milk. It has only 30 calories per cup. Add a half-cup to each of four cups of coffee or hot tea throughout the day, and you’ll be only 60 calories to the bad for the day. A packet of diet hot cocoa has 50 calories. Compare that to the hundreds of calories you’re saving by sipping instead of munching! Make a nice breakfast. You know the importance of breakfast, but how often do you really make a gourmet one and take the time to savor it? Probably not often enough! While your family’s chowing down on Christmas casserole and sticky buns, you can be enjoying a high-Protein treat like an egg white omelet with red and green bell peppers or green spinach or kale and red diced tomatoes. Top it with nonfat cheese and serve it with a strip of turkey bacon, and enjoy your 200-calorie breakfast! Just be careful – you may need to make extra if your family starts asking for some! Stay Busy What do you do after the presents are opened and you’re back from church? You’re doing well as long as you choose anything besides eating! But after the long run-up to Christmas and the excitement of the morning, it’s easy to come back home and mindlessly munch. Anything you do to stay busy and prevent the munchies can only be a good thing. Here are some ideas. Write thank-you notes. Serve meals at a soup kitchen. Act out a play or have a reading with your family. Ask your children if you can watch them play with their gifts. Get Moving What are your top excuses for not getting enough exercise? Too busy? Can’t get to the gym? Don’t want to leave your family? Today may be your lucky day – it’s possible that none of those are a problem! You’re not working, the gym’s closed, and if you feel guilty leaving your family to exercise, don’t. Include them in your workout! A simple walk with the family is a good start if the weather’s cooperative. If you don’t live in a snowy climate, you can also ask your kids if you can play basketball or whatever sport they’re currently into. (If you don’t have kids, you get to choose the sport!). If you live in a cold climate, you can make snow angels or have a snowball fight. No matter the weather, you can always stay inside and dance to Christmas carols. They’ll be gone for the year soon enough. Try a Christmas Salad Do you have a Christmas dinner planned at home or at friends’ or a family member’s house? Whether you’re a guest or the host, there’s sure to be a lot of food. The problem is, there may not be anything you’re supposed to eat. How do you make sure you can stick to your weight loss surgery diet and still enjoy the dinner? Take charge by bringing or serving a green salad with some protein. Make enough for everyone and serve it with the main course or ask your host to do so. Then, pile up your plate with salad and have only small bites of some of the other treats. These are some ingredients you might consider. Baby greens, Romaine lettuce, or spinach leaves. Grilled chicken or low-fat mozzarella. Cranberries, pomegranate seeds, or strawberry slices. Toasted pecan pieces or sliced almonds. Water chestnuts or diced pears or apples. Cranberry or raspberry vinaigrette. Recent Weight Loss Surgery? Make the Most of It The holidays are tough enough after weight loss surgery, but they can be even more challenging if your weight loss surgery was recent. You may still be following the post-surgery diet progression. You’ll go from liquids to pureed foods to semi-soft foods before you can eat regular solid foods again. Things may seem bleak since you can’t eat most of the treats and you may still be in pain or discomfort from surgery. Worse, you still have a lot of weight to lose. Why even bother trying? Because it’s worth it, that’s why! If you make it through the holidays on your weight loss surgery diet, you have a lot to gain! Healing well so you don’t have setbacks. Laying the foundation for rapid weight loss in the coming year. Proving yourself that you can do this. Keep reminding yourself why you’re doing this. You want to lose weight and be healthy. These holiday foods will all be around next year. Maybe you can have some then. This year, you’re doing what you can to start a new lifestyle. You don’t get this kind of opportunity often, so try to be excited about it. Think about how much you’ll weigh by this time next year. Remind yourself that by the time January 1 rolls around, you’ll be proud of yourself for sticking to your post-surgery diet. You’re doing a good thing for yourself! Recent weight loss surgery or not, BariatricPal wishes you a happy holiday. Be safe, and be healthy. Thanks for being part of BariatricPal.

I'd suggest trying the Gardein Stuffed Veggie Turkey Roast available at Whole Foods.

Our policy is not to delete a topic once members have responded. We can go through the entire post for you and remove the info you'd like removed. Hope that works for you.....

Nope, we had a toxic marriage from day numero uno. I believe WLS didn't have an effect one way or the other.

I'm divorced as well. Just breaking in here for a comedic moment:

The holidays are tough. Food is everywhere, and there’s not always as much time to exercise. Almost everyone has trouble eating normally at this time, and the stakes are way higher for weight loss surgery patients. If you find yourself getting off track during the holidays, with a little extra nibble here and there and the occasional excessively large meal, how do you get back on track? Each time I eat too much, I feel like the day is shot. I concentrate on starting fresh the next day. I think hard about what went wrong so I can try to prevent it from happening again. Nothing in particular. I just try to forget what happened and get back to my usual meal plan. I don’t worry about it now. I’ll get back on track in the New Year. I don’t get off track. I’m super careful and I use a bunch of strategies. Read about them in my answer below! Other. Read my answer below! Let us know if you get off track during the holidays, and what you do about it. Your answer will help other BariatricPal members fight their own holiday battles!

The holidays may be the happiest and most exciting time of year, but they can also be the most dangerous for your weight loss and weight loss surgery. It’s hard to resist the holiday treats, which can be everywhere for the entire month of December – if not since before Thanksgiving! Plus, you can easily lose your focus when the family is around and sitting on the couch is more appealing than going for a walk in the rain or snow. You’ll probably find your own strategies for getting through the holidays without gaining weight and without getting into trouble with your gastric sleeve, gastric bypass or Lap-Band. Here are a few tips to get you started. Follow Your Weight Loss Surgery Diet Rules Go back to the basics if you want to stay on track this holiday season. Portion size rules are still in play. A quarter-cup of mashed sweet potatoes is very different than a few large ladles. Measure everything you can. When it’s not possible to measure, eyeball the portion sizes. Enough is enough, and another bite is too much. Stop eating when you’re barely full. It’ll keep you from gaining weight or from getting dumping syndrome or feeling sick. Choose protein first, whether it’s turkey, ham, or the egg whites from deviled eggs. Go for vegetables and fruit next, whether it’s salad, roasted veggies, cut raw veggies on a vegetable platter, or a fruit salad. Keep moving. Make time for your regular workouts. On the days when things get too busy, think about moving as much as possible. Go for walks whenever you can as long as the weather does not involve icy conditions, white-outs or other dangerous situations. Always Be Prepared You don’t always know when they’ll happen, but challenging situations are sure to hit. Always be prepared so you can come out on top. For example, you can keep some almonds and yogurt at work so you have a high-protein snack available at any time. That’ll help you stay away from the chocolate-covered raisins on the secretary’s desk. Also, plan activities that will keep you out of the kitchen. When you’re off work and at home without anything to do, you might find yourself wandering over to the fridge. Keep yourself busy with anything that will keep you away from the fridge, whether it is meal planning, taking a walk, doing needlepoint, or going to the mall. Make Holiday Recipes Healthier Make healthy substitutes for holiday favorites. Try broccoli slaw or grated turnips fried in cooking spray instead of potato latkes deep-fried in oil, and serve with apple slices and Greek yogurt instead of sweetened apple sauce and sour cream. Turkey or ham instead of duck or brisket. Roasted root vegetables with rosemary or green beans with almonds instead of green bean casserole. Roasted sweet potatoes or acorn squash instead of candied yams or sweet potato pie. Baked apples with cinnamon instead of apple pie. Hot tea with a cinnamon stick instead of hot cider or spiced hot wine. Be a Good Guest and Host How does that help you lose weight? When you’re a guest at someone’s party or event, bring a dish to share. The catch is that you make it a healthy dish. If there’s nothing else healthy for you to eat, you can always keep munching on the dish you brought. If you’re hosting a holiday party or dinner, you can still serve everyone’s favorite dishes. Just make sure to make some dishes that you can enjoy, too. The following are good party dishes. Shrimp cocktail Skewers with cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, and low-fat mozzarella or feta cheese Stuffed tomatoes with fat-free cream cheese and olives Salad with spinach or mixed greens, pistachios, and cranberry vinaigrette Chicken and vegetable skewers Roasted Brussels sprouts with chestnuts and sage Fruit salad Spoil Yourself You are someone who is entitled to eat only the very best, and not someone who must eat everything that is available. Think of yourself as picky, not deprived. Unless, of course, you are afraid of dumping syndrome or you have certain food intolerances, you can eat your favorite holiday foods. Just keep the portions small, and choose only the ones you truly want. You’ll feel better deliberately eating a few controlled and measured bites of your aunt’s sausage stuffing than you will if you skip it and later eat a cup of it, plus some mashed potatoes and gravy, because you feel deprived. Want It When Willpower Runs Thin Want it. We all run out of willpower around this time of year. Instead, think about your “want power.” It’s not about, “I need to gather the willpower to pass up this cinnamon roll.” It’s about, “I’m going for a walk in about an hour, and I’m going to feel way better during it if my stomach isn’t bugging me because of a cinnamon roll.” Drink Water. Drink Water. This tip has so many benefits! Drinking water instead of alcoholic beverages can save tons of calories. Choose water or hot tea instead of cider, hot chocolate, and other caloric drinks. There are other reasons to drink water. Sip on water at parties. As long as you’re circulating the room with a glass of water in your hand, you won’t be able to carry and eat from a loaded plate. Plus, your weight loss surgery diet doesn’t let you eat solid food while you’re drinking water. Choose the water over the solid food for most of the party, and you. Enjoy the Company, or Pretend to This may be the only time of year you get to see certain friends or family members. Take advantage of it. Focus on them, and not on getting seconds and thirds. You may actually find that you enjoy your holiday events more when you notice the non-food aspects of them. Socialize even if you don’t like the company, because it’ll keep you from digging into high-calorie food that you don’t need or want. Look at it this way. If someone told you you could lose weight and the only thing you’d have to do is listen to your coworker’s friend’s husband talk about his snail collection for an hour, you’d do it, right? Well, do it. You can stay healthy this holiday season as long as you focus and plan ahead. Once you do, you’ll feel very proud of yourself, and with good reason. Happy Holidays!

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One result of losing a lot of weight is getting a lot of comments about it. The comments can be especially frequent during the holidays when you see friends and family members who haven’t seen you since last year – which could be 100 pounds ago! Some bariatric surgery patients find the comments encouraging, while others find them insulting or discouraging. How do you handle comments about your weight loss? I love when someone notices my weight loss because it makes me feel proud. I say “thank you” and feel more motivated.It depends who says it and how they say it. I feel good when it’s someone who truly supports me, but I feel ashamed or angry when it’s someone who just seems to be calling attention to me. I don’t like it because I think people should be more considerate, and I don’t mind telling them so. I feel embarrassed, but I don’t say anything because I don’t want to make a big scene. I haven’t lost much weight yet because I haven’t gotten surgery yet or I just got it, but I’m reading this poll carefully to think about how I’ll handle the comments next year! Other. Read my answer in the conversation below! Mark your answer, and explain it in the conversation below. We want to know what you think about these comments, and how you respond to them. Your answers can help other weight loss surgery patients turn these comments into positive motivation!

Just heard about a fellow Bander, Michele Elbertson. Michele is 28 years old and had the Lap-Band back when she was 23. Since her procedure, she has lost 260 pounds! In the past three years, she has run over 38 half-marathons, 7 full-marathons, one 50-mile ultra-marathon, and two triathlons. Michele was chosen as a finalist for the December issue of Runner’s World Cover Contest and beat out of thousands of submissions. In addition, she was featured on The Rachael Ray Show yesterday and was given a full makeover. You can check out her transformation here. She decided to write down her success story and wanted us to help spread her story – you can find that here. Her story was too inspiring not to share with our members. She has a Twitter account in the event you want to follow/engage with her directly - https://twitter.com/M_Elbertson

This issue should now be resolved. Don't be scared to start your own topic next time you have any technical issue.

We should have a fix out for this by the end of the week, thanks for your patience.

We should have this fixed at some point tomorrow, thanks!

I know *exactly* what you're talking about. We try really hard to support all mobile and internet connect devices but it's gotten quite difficult to keep up with technology. Now I'm sounding like my own parents We have a major update to BP planned for some time in 2015 which will resolve most of these annoying issues.

Are you still having this issue please ?

Surprised you haven't received any responses on this one.....I know MANY of our members have been through changes after surgery, including divorce.