Alex Brecher

Same here!

I forgot to mention that we would be open to training group chapter leaders and co-leaders. We plan on offering free Bariatric Support Group Leader certification courses (23 CE's) to members that are interested in assisting us.

Thanks! The merged thread can be found here.

Hi, BariatricPal Members, I hope you are doing well! BariatricPal provides a social platform that is safe and welcoming for the weight loss surgery community. The main goals are to provide information and encouragement needed to allow for healthy weight loss and better patient weight loss surgery outcomes. I am always trying to figure out how to improve BariatricPal to better achieve these goals, and today I am coming to you for your input on a potential new opportunity called BariatricPal Local Chapters. BariatricPal Local Chapters…a New Way to Connect With BariatricPal Local Chapters, you would get to meet BariatricPal members in person. This could speed up your weight loss by expanding your knowledge about success after weight loss surgery, increasing your accountability to yourself and your Local Chapter friends, improving your boosting your confidence. Plus, you might make new best friends for life! Each BariatricPal Local Chapter would be defined geographically, so that you would belong to the location nearest to your home. I am considering the following items: Monthly or quarterly meetings. A fun or educational activity at each meeting. Examples include preparing a weight loss surgery-friendly meal, filling out a customized meal plan, or going for a group-wide nature walk. Presentations by surgeons, nutritionists, other professionals or bariatric product companies at local meetings. Annual national meeting of BariatricPal Local Chapters in a location such as Los Angeles, New York, or Huston. Option to go on an annual cruise What Do You Think about BariatricPal Local Chapters? What I would like to ask you for is what you think about the above suggestions. Also, what are your answers to the following questions? Would you be interested in attending regular local chapter meetings in person? Would you be interested in being a leader (or co-leader)? Would you like BariatricPal to provide agendas for meetings? What additional support could BariatricPal provide to encourage your participation and/or leadership? Should there be limits on the minimum and maximum numbers of members that each Local Chapter can have? What other ideas do you have? Please join the conversation thread below to let me know what you think about BariatricPal Local Chapters. I really value and appreciate your opinions, and I can’t wait to hear your thoughts. Thanks again!

????? Let's drop the race conversation and continue on topic please....

Dr. Ninh Nguyen is President of the ASMBS. He's a very well respected surgeon and I'd highly recommend him.

You know that you will never hit your goal weight if you intentionally try to cheat on your diet by sneaking bites or deciding not to log certain foods. But what if you think you are doing everything right and are still not losing the weight you expect? Hidden calories may be to blame. Figure out the sources of hidden calories in your diet, and you just may have a weight loss breakthrough! Overeating is Possible after WLS You got WLS so that you could lose weight, but it is important to remember that WLS is only a tool. To lose weight, you need to use that tool properly. If you fall into the trap of thinking that WLS automatically leads to weight loss, you might never hit goal weight. As a reminder, these are how the lap-band, vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG), and gastric bypass can help you lose weight. Lap-band: The lap-band creates a small pouch, or stoma, to help you fill up faster so that you eat less. Vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG): The surgery removes most of your stomach and creates a small sleeve out of the remaining portion. The gastric sleeve restricts the volume of food you can eat and it reduces hunger by reducing the amount of ghrelin, which is a hunger hormone. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: The surgery restricts food intake by creating a small pouch, and reduces nutrient absorption by having food from your stomach bypass much of your small intestine. Your weight loss surgery will not work for you if you cheat in these ways. You eat more frequently – and take in more calories – than your surgeon suggests without feeling the restrictive effects of the adjustable gastric band. You eat sugary, fatty high-calorie foods. The lap-band, especially, is unlikely to cause you to develop dumping syndrome. That is good because you will not get the unpleasant symptoms, but it is bad because it does not prevent you from eating sugar, starch or fat. Even with a stoma size of just 4 ounces, or a meager 1/2 cup, you could fit in 400 calories’ worth of M&M’s in with room to spare. You drink fluids when you are eating solids so that you are able to consume more at a single meal or snack. Drinking fluids while eating solid foods can also cause your stomach, sleeve or pouch to empty faster so that you get hungrier sooner. You sip on beverages that provide calories but do not fill you up. How Hidden Calories Might Be Throwing You Off What if you think you are following your weight loss surgery diet diligently? You measure your food whenever you can, you use your dietitian’s food list when you go grocery shopping, and you order chicken and vegetables when you go out to eat. You get protein at every meal, and you drink plenty of water each day. Hidden calories are the ones that creep into your diet. You might not know you are eating them, or you might think that you eat so few “extra” calories that they don’t matter in your diet. But, they do impact your weight loss. An extra 20, 50, or 100 calories here or there really affects your weight loss. Remember that a pound of body fat equals 3,500 calories. That’s an average of 500 calories per day to lose a pound a week. If you are getting hundreds of hidden calories a day, that could easily be a pound a week that you’re not losing. Where Are the Hidden Calories? Good question! They can be almost anywhere. Starches are not necessarily unhealthy, but they should only be part of your meal after you eat your protein and vegetable or fruit. Protein is the first thing you should eat at each meal and snack, but it is also a source of calories. Fatty meats and poultry with the skin can have 100 or more extra calories per 3-ounce portion compared to lean meats and chicken or turkey breast. Healthy foods can be high-calorie. A handful of nuts or dried fruit or a big spoonful of peanut butter can have 200 to 300 calories. Condiments can wreck your diet. A tablespoon of mayonnaise has 100 calories, a tablespoon of jam has 50 calories, and a tablespoon of salad dressing has 80 calories. Ketchup, teriyaki sauce, and marinades can have 15 to 20 calories per tablespoon. Restaurant foods can be tricky. Vegetables that you think are steamed can have butter in them, and chicken, fish and other proteins that you think are good choices can come in sauces with 100 or 200 calories per serving. Portion sizes can be several times what you need: a 12-ounce steak is 4 to 6 WLS-sized portions, and a 3-cup plate of pasta is 6 to 8 WLS-sized portions. o Examples of each of the below. Carbs: toast, crackers. Eat celery. Smaller pasta, more protein meatballs. o Protein. It’s a nutrient, but it’s also a source of calories. Esp. if with sugar/carbs in supplements, or hi-fat protein foods. Bacon o Healthy hi-cal foods: nuts, pb, dried fruit (fresh). Portion sizes. Avocado. o Condiments. Fatty dressings (choose low-fat), use less (use herbs), sugary o Portion sizes. MEASURE. Nibbling without measuring, eyeballing. You get 60 extra calories every time you take a piece of cheese that is the size of your thumb (1.5 ounces) instead of weighing it to make sure that it is only 1 ounce. o beverages o Restaurants: salads, fat added to “grilled” foods or steamed vegetables, beverages, “healthy” bagel instead of low-cal doughnut o Eating too frequently. Tips for if you’re starving (protein, no fluid with meal); tips to make meal smaller (if you’re eating so many meals, don’t need to be big) The Good News The good news is that small changes add up to big calorie savings. Have an ounce of low-fat cheese instead of full-fat, and save 50 calories. Have a quart of regular or sparkling water instead of a quart of a sports drink, and save 200 calories. Skip the bite of cookie dough after you finish baking for your children, and save 100 calories. Have 3 ounces of 95% lean ground beef instead of 85% lean ground beef, and save 70 calories. Rinse the spoon instead of licking it after you serve yourself peanut butter, and save 30 calories. Spread peanut butter or tuna on 3 large celery stalks instead of 6 triscuit crackers, and save 90 calories. Have one-third of a cup of pasta with your meatballs instead of a full cup, and save 120 calories. This works for exercise, too. Every little bit helps. When you walk for just an extra half-mile, or about 10 minutes, you burn 50 extra calories. Start to think about where extra calories may be coming into your diet, and see what you can do to limit them. You’ll be happier with your weight loss results!

Please post the URL's to these three threads. I'll take a look.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie quietly had lap-band surgery in February of 2013. As you can read in this month’s BariatricPal newsletter, recent political events have made the topic resurface, highlighting his 100-pound loss and his current weight of 320 pounds. What do you think about the issue? He failed because his BMI of 45 keeps him in the morbidly obese category. He is doing great because of his 100-pound weight loss in a year. It’s too soon to tell. He’ll fail if he doesn’t lose any more weight or gains it back, but the surgery will be a success if he keeps losing weight. I really can’t give an opinion – I do not know anything about him or his diet, and I would not want people to judge me if they didn’t know me. Other – Read my answer in the discussion! Mark your answer and let us know what you think in the discussion below!

Great article Jennifer!!

New Scholarships Available for Support Group Leader Certification Since 2000, Bariatric Support Centers International has worked diligently to improve the quality and consistency of bariatric support groups throughout the world. With much gratitude to our Support Groups of Excellence Sponsors - Bariatric Advantage, Celebrate Vitamins, BariLife, BariatricPal. We are pleased to announce that a select few scholarships are available for Support Group Leader Certification in 2014. Scholarship Recipient will receive $495 towards registration for the live or web-based Support Group Leader Certification Course of their choice. Scholarship Requirements: Scholarship applicant must be a post-op bariatric patient at least one year from surgery in need of financial assistance to obtain this certification. Must not currently be working as a paid staff member of a hospital or doctor based bariatric program. Must have a desire to give back to the bariatric community as evidenced by their volunteer contribution to the bariatric community either online, at an event, for a bariatric program, association or in a local support group. If a live course is selected, recipient must be able to pay for all travel related expenses including travel, hotel & meals. Provide the contact information for two references (1 personal and 1 from a member of their bariatric staff, ie doctor, RN, RD, Program Coordinator etc. Submit a paragraph detailing how they will use the certification to improve their support group. Allow scholarship sponsors and BSCI to announce this award through all media channels including social media platforms, website and email campaigns. Must possess an interest in and commitment to furthering their education and work with in the bariatric community. Click here to download the application Deadline to apply is March 1st, 2014 Discuss this announcement HERE

LOL

Thanks to those of you who notified us about the technical difficulties that you found as we were getting the site up and running. We have addressed them, and we hope that you are visiting the discussion forums regularly! One particular major improvement that we want to tell you about is our improvement to the Chatrooms. Shortly after we made the switch to BariatricPal, many of you noticed that the Chatrooms were slow and difficult to use. We have now upgraded the Chatrooms and are proud to offer these features. Available 24/7, so you can chat in real-time with your friends and meet new ones Text, voice, and video features, so you can join the conversation however you want. Ability to support thousands of users at once – no more crashing! Works with all regular browsers and also on Android and Apple mobile devices. A general chat chatroom, and Gastric Sleeve, LAP-BAND and Gastric Bypass chatrooms. We invite you to test the new Chatrooms! Come by whether you are a veteran chatter who recently got frustrated with the older rooms, or whether you are a chat newbie who is just learning the ropes. See who else is around and have a good time sharing ideas and advice and just hanging out. Thanks for your continued support of BariatricPal!

Your diet after weight loss surgery is likely to be entirely different from the eating habits that you had for years before surgery. Before surgery, junk foods, fast foods, and convenience foods may have been regular parts of your diet. After surgery and your return to solid foods, your diet should rely mostly on lean proteins, vegetables, fruits, and low-fat dairy products. A common concern for weight loss surgery patients is that healthy foods have the reputation of being expensive. You might fear that the commitment to years of healthy eating will be outside of your budget, especially if you paid for weight loss surgery out of pocket. But, you can eat healthy on a budget. Junk Food May Seem Cheaper at First Your pre-surgery eating habits may seem cheap. For $1, you can order a burger, taco, burrito, sandwich or fries from at value menu at most fast food places. Candy bars, chips, crackers, snack cakes and sodas from vending machines also cost about $1 each. For $5, you can get an entire pizza, a fast food value meal with a burger, fries, and a drink, or the workplace cafeteria’s daily lunch special with a fried chicken sandwich, onion rings or fries and a drink. Almost everywhere, ordering larger portion sizes and extra side dishes gives you bigger discounts. These options seem inexpensive at first glance. For example, if you compare the cost of a pizza to an alternative of ordering grilled chicken and a salad for lunch at a sit-down restaurant, the pizza is cheaper. Similarly, a doughnut from a convenience store is far cheaper than a fresh fruit salad from the same convenience store. However, you can make better use of your food dollar. Convert Your Pre-WLS Food Dollar into Post-WLS Nutrition Most of the foods on your diet before weight loss surgery may have been relatively inexpensive, but the total cost may have been more than you think. Consider this sample day to see how your post-surgery diet can continue to fit within your budget. Breakfast: Before WLS ($5): coffee and a bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon. After WLS: 2 hard-boiled eggs, a cup of cantaloupe and a slice of turkey ham ($2). Save $3. Morning Snack: Before WLS ($3): a muffin and a coffee. After WLS ($1): string cheese and a half an apple. Save $2. Lunch: Before WLS ($7): a sub sandwich, chips, and a drink. After WLS: tuna, whole-wheat crackers and a cup of cooked cauliflower ($3). Save $4. Afternoon Snack: Before WLS ($2): a soda and a bag of cookies. After WLS: peanut butter and carrot sticks ($1). Save $1. Dinner: Before WLS ($4): steak, mashed potatoes, a dinner roll with butter, a green salad, and cheesecake. After WLS: ground turkey, green beans, almonds and a half a banana ($3). Save $1. Eat In More Often Save money by preparing more of your own food and eating less often at restaurants or fast food chains. Another benefit is that you have more control over what you eat when you prepare it yourself. You can keep your homemade food simple and still have a nourishing diet. Consider these restaurant meals and home-made alternatives to try. Each of the suggested alternatives is simple to make and it is more nourishing and less costly than the restaurant choice. A sugar-sweetened, flavored coffee beverage plus a cinnamon roll versus fat-free yogurt and fresh or frozen fruit. A burger, fries, and drink versus a salad with lettuce, grilled chicken breast and pecans. Breadsticks and a dip, soup, and fettuccine Alfredo versus broiled salmon with steamed spinach. Soda, an alcoholic beverage, or another beverage versus water. Shopping Strategies to Cut Costs and Improve Nutrition Without caution, you can spend a lot and leave the supermarket with plenty of unhealthy foods. On the other hand, a plan and some practice can help you stretch your food dollar while you stock up on healthy foods from the grocery store. Use a list. This helps you avoid impulse purchases of high-calorie, high-cost foods. It also ensures that you remember key ingredients so that you do not have to get them at the last minute from an expensive convenience store. Watch the sales. Staples in your kitchen might include tuna, peanut butter, whole-wheat pasta, beans, frozen fruits and vegetables, frozen chicken and lean beef and spices. Stock up on these non-perishables when they are on sale. Buy in bulk. Purchase larger packages, since they are usually cheaper than single-serving packages. Measure out single-portion servings when you are ready to use them. This is an especially good strategy for family-sized packs of chicken and fish, for snack products such as nuts and whole-grain crackers, and for yogurt. Buy store brands. They usually taste the same as the national brands and are far less costly. Dairy products, cereals and frozen and canned goods are good candidates. Check out your neighborhood. Discount stores and ethnic stores often have certain high-quality products for far cheaper than the chain supermarkets. Check for fresh produce, spices, and condiments at ethnic and discount stores. Buy in season. Out-of-season fruits and vegetables can be prohibitively expensive, but in-season ones can be on sale and higher quality. Some fruits and vegetables that are relatively consistent year-round are apples, cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, lettuce, onions, and celery. Your new diet after weight loss surgery requires major adjustments to your eating habits. Practice and also planning are necessary so you can get the protein and other nutrients you need, avoid the foods that are bad for you, and lose the weight you want. With so much to worry about after WLS, you do not want to have to worry about the cost of the healthy foods you need. These tips can help put you on the path to healthy eating within a reasonable budget.

Great TED talk. So so inspirational. Thanks for posting!!

Thanks! What a wonderful idea. I've grown indoor herbs and veggies with some success. It's a great feeling eating off your own land.

Dear BariatricPal Members, Happy Valentine’s Day! It’s a day that should be full of love and appreciation for the special people in your life. It can be a challenging occasion for weight loss surgery patients because of the chocolate and other decadent foods, but don’t worry. This newsletter has tons of tips to help you celebrate Valentine’s Day without the extra calories. Gifts That Say “I Love You” (and I Want You to Be Around Forever!) Your Valentine’s Day Meal (with a recipe) Valentine’s Day Menu Reminders for Eating Out Love Yourself Take a look at the newsletter for ideas and inspiration to stay on your WLS diet while enjoying this festive day, and then come to BariatricPal for more conversations. Happy Valentine’s Day! Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal Gifts That Say “I Love You (and I Want You to Be Around Forever!)” A box of chocolates, a dozen freshly baked frosted cupcakes, and a basket of dried fruit and candied nuts are just a few of the standard Valentine’s Day gifts. These treats may come with the best of intentions, but other gifts can be more meaningful. Select a Valentine’s Day gift that supports health and, at the same time, lets the two of you spend quality time together. Consider some of these gifts that say “I love you” and have another message. “I want us to feel good…together.” A couples massage or other spa treatment lets the two of you relax together while the pampering energizes your body. “I want us to be healthy together forever.” A cookbook with WLS recipes is an invitation for your significant other to spend some time with you in the kitchen as you both follow a healthy lifestyle. “Let’s commit to some time together, healthy eating, and some exercise.” Some seeds, seedlings or gardening tools are what you need to start a garden. If Valentine’s Day is still too early for gardening because of the cold weather, the two of you can can take some time to plan your garden. As the months progress, you can garden together and cook fresh vegetables as you harvest them. “You’re my greatest inspiration.” A gift of matching workout clothes or fitness equipment for both of you sends the message that you value your partner as an inspiration and a workout buddy, and that you want him or her to be as healthy as possible. “We’re committed to this.” Registering both of you in an upcoming 5k fun run/walk and showing the training schedule for the two of you to complete together shows your commitment to each other’s health and happiness. Valentine’s Day WLS Menu Eating right always makes you feel proud and healthy. On Valentine’s Day, your dinner can go one step further and set a romantic tone for the rest of the night. Many traditional Valentine’s Day menus can leave you feeling stuffed. Worse, they can cause complications after weight loss surgery. For example, Pasta can lead to obstructions in lap-band patients, sugary desserts can give gastric bypass patients dumping syndrome, and rich foods can make vertical sleeve gastrectomy patients feel nauseous and overly full. These effects can quickly dampen the romantic mood! With a bit of planning, you can make a special Valentine’s Day dinner that fits into your weight loss surgery diet while it kindles the love in the air. Stick to the rules you know, such as focusing on Protein, eating slowly, and watching your portion sizes. Try the following menu, or use it as inspiration for your own creations. Starter: Stuffed Portabellas Remove the stems from 2 portabella mushrooms and cook the caps on the stovetop or in the oven or the microwave. In a separate bowl, mix 4 egg whites and 4 slices of turkey ham. Divide the egg mixture evenly into the mushroom caps and bake until the eggs are cooked. Serve the mushrooms in halves or quarters with an optional dollop of fat-free Greek yogurt. Main Course: Turkey or chicken Cutlets with Mashed Cauliflower Slice 2 red peppers into strips and grill them. Sprinkle 1 ounce of parmesan cheese on each of 2 turkey or chicken breast cutlets, and top with basil and bell pepper strips. Roll each cutlet and stick a toothpick in it to hold it together. Bake them until the chicken or turkey is thoroughly cooked. Then slice the rolls in half-inch-thick slices so that the pieces look like pinwheels. Serve with tomato sauce. Using pinwheels instead of serving the entire cutlet helps you with portion control. For the cauliflower, thoroughly cook a bag of frozen cauliflower and cook a peel small sweet potato. Mash the cauliflower and the sweet potato with 2 tablespoons of reduced-fat margarine, and add garlic powder, salt, and black pepper to taste. Dessert: Chocolate-Dipped strawberry Slices Mix together one-half cup of fat-free yogurt, one-half cup of unsweetened baking cocoa (not sugary hot cocoa mix), and one-half cup of calorie-free sweetener of your choice (such as Equal, stevia, or Splenda). Add skim milk slowly until the mixture resembles a thick sauce or thin dip. Serve sliced strawberries on the side and dip them into the chocolate sauce as you eat them. Reminders for Eating Out Are you taking going out to eat at a restaurant on this Valentine’s Day? Enjoy the break from the kitchen, but don’t forget your common sense. A main dish at a restaurant can have over 1,000 calories, and that is before you add bread or chips, appetizers, beverages, soup or salad, and dessert. A typical restaurant can make weight loss surgery patients feel sick. However, you can use these reminders to stick to your weight loss surgery diet while you enjoy this special Valentine’s Day dinner. Ask the server not to bring rolls, breadsticks, or chips, and skip the appetizers and dips. This is a great time to study the menu as you look for weight loss surgery-friendly options. Keep your portion sizes small by ordering a kids’-sized meal or asking the server to pack up half of your dinner to take home. Or, make the night even more romantic by splitting a meal with your significant other. Ask for modifications when you order. Order broiled or grilled chicken or fish instead of fried options, ask for sauces and dressings to be served on the side, and substitute a side of steamed vegetables for potatoes, rice, or pasta. Eat your protein first and chew slowly, just like you do at home. Avoid caloric beverages. You shouldn’t be drinking fluids while you eat, anyway. In particular, avoid alcoholic beverages. They are high-calorie and they can give you poor judgment so that you overeat. Skip dessert and order decaffeinated coffee or tea instead. Since you are not allowed to drink fluids while you consume foods, your tea or coffee will signal the end of the meal. If you must have dessert, ask for some yogurt or applesauce, a piece of fresh fruit, or some cottage cheese. Have fun! Remember that the purpose of eating out is to celebrate the day, whether you are with your significant other or one or more friends or family members, or whether you are taking some time to yourself. Focus on the occasion rather than how much food you can eat. Love Yourself Don’t forget to show yourself a little love and appreciation on this Valentine’s Day, whether you are single, dating, or happily married. Set aside some time for yourself. You might be able to get away to go shopping or see an art exhibit. Even just a few minutes to yourself at home can be enough. Remind yourself how proud you are of yourself. Think about where you are in your weight loss journey, what you have accomplished, and what you will continue to work for. Remember how grateful you are for everything in your life – including your own personality. Feeling good about yourself is the best way to help others feel good about you. That’s what we have for our Valentine’s Day newsletter! We hope it was useful and motivating. Don’t forget to drop by BariatricPal to see what our members are talking about!

Great question! You can limit your content based on the surgery type selected within your profile:

I sent you a private message.

That's a pretty average/reasonable price for a fill. Your case might be considered a pre-existing condition and your insurance might be forced to cover even if they have a WLS exclusion. Let us know what your Benefits Manager says. I'm really curious!

Thanks for reporting this issue! We're working on it and will respond as soon as it's corrected.

The holidays are behind us, but it is not too late to consciously think about what we are grateful for. Take weight loss surgery, for example. Weight loss surgery changes almost everything. It can affect what and how much you can eat, your exercise goals, the attention you pay to your health, your daily schedule, and even your personal relationships. Achieving success after WLS means saying goodbye to pizza parties where you eat the whole pizza, trips to the drive-through for a pre-dinner meal on the way home from work, and polishing off the half-gallon of ice cream in the freezer while you watch late-night television. That can seem like a lot of sacrifice, but success depends largely on your attitude. The difference between rapid, healthy weight loss and a bumpy road filled with complications and struggle may be as simple as the difference between saying “I can’t have that” and “I get to have that.” Here are examples of changing your attitude to improve your weight loss journey. From “I Can’t” to “I Can” There are plenty of things that you can’t safely do after weight loss surgery, such as overeating, eating high-fat and high-sugar foods, and drinking alcohol without restriction. Instead of thinking “I can’t” eat that when you are at a dinner party or restaurant, think “I can” have a better time than I used to before weight loss surgery by focusing on the people instead of the food. Don’t think, “I can’t” order a large popcorn and soda while at the movie theater with my friends. Instead, think “I can” fit in the seat now and enjoy the movie! From “I Have To” to “I Get To” Some of the daily tasks after weight loss surgery can seem like tedious chores, but think of them in terms of the benefits you get. For example, measuring each serving of food can be a nuisance and is something that you “must” do, but it is also something you “get” to do to help you lose weight, learn portion sizes, and stay in control. Similarly, taking your daily vitamin and mineral supplements and monitoring your health is something that you “have to” do, but you also “get to” enjoy better energy and improved health numbers, such as blood sugar and cholesterol, when you visit the doctor. It’s not that you “have to” go to the gym; more accurately, you “get to” go to the gym to enjoy your new, healthier body and make it stronger and leaner. From “I Lost” to “I Gained” You might lose some alone or family time each day when you go to the gym, but you gain it right back in quality. When you are in shape, you can keep up with your children, spouse, and friends. The time you spend with them is higher quality than when you might have been too heavy and out of breath to do anything but sit and watch from the sidelines. And, you can say that “I lost” the chance to go to the donut shop on the way to work each morning, but it is more accurate to say that “I gained” time and money from not going to the donut store, and also the self-respect from skipping the morning sugar load. From “Never-Ending” to “Constant Progress” The post-weight loss surgery journey is long…the rest of your life! You are bound to get discouraged if you think about the journey as a “never-ending” struggle. Instead, stay motivated by looking at your constant progress. For the first year and more, your progress can include regular weight loss, smaller body measurements and smaller clothing sizes. For years afterward, progress can include improved fitness or certain athletic milestones, such as completing a 5k run. Other progress might be reduced cravings for sugar, better relationships with your family and having improved health. Eliminate Doubts One of the most important attitude shifts you can make is from being doubtful to being confident. When you know that you are going to make the right decision, you do make the right decision. When you let doubt creep in, you are far more likely to make a regrettable decision. Each day, be confident that you will make the right choices. Think about what you will do, and not whether you will do it. If it helps, attach a reason to each statement. You will go to the gym as planned because it will give you momentum for the rest of the day. You will take your healthy breakfast, lunch and snacks to work so that you can get the protein and other nutrients that you need. You will walk past the secretary’s desk without slowing to look at the chocolates so that you can feel proud of yourself as you work in your office. You will drink the amount of water that you are supposed to because it will help you lose weight, stay awake, and be less hungry. As with so many other things in life, successful weight loss depends on you following certain rules and actions. Beyond that, your attitude makes the difference between being able to make the right decisions, and making decisions that you will regret later. Will weight loss surgery be a burden to endure, or will it be a privilege to appreciate? It’s up to you…and your waistline and happiness may depend on your answer!

Thanks! My before and after pics are in my profile.

You rock! Thanks a mill for arranging the meet n' greet! Later on this year we plan on creating local BariatricPal chapters in every state. These chapters will hopefully facilitate more personal and close interaction between members by organizing local events and meetups.

It was AWESOME meeting everyone! Thank you very much for putting this together!!