Alex Brecher

betterme38, Congratulations on the good news and thanks for sharing your positive feelings with us! Like the others said, you may need to be on Vitamins for life with the sleeve: Multivitamin, Calcium and Vitamin D, vitamin B12, and possibly Iron. They may be lower doses than with the bypass, but probably a similar number of pills. Definitely let us know how December 22’s appointments with the nutritionist and your psych eval go! It sounds like we have a group of you heading down the pre-op path! Good luck to all of you. Take advantage of all the nutrition classes they let you take!

Amanda, Great article! Thank you for this reminder to value ourselves. You are so right that we deserve to. Also, valuing ourselves and treating ourselves right really IS the first step towards being able to be more valuable to other people. When we’re healthy, happy, and productive, we’re more willing and much better able to give to others. It is self-less! These are some really good practical tips for actually implementing the philosophy! Thanks for reminding us to expect a little resistance, and for realizing we need to take care of ourselves if we expect to be capable of taking care of others. A good holiday to you!

scarlep, Hang in there! When did your surgeon say you could start pureed foods? You’ve already gotten through a week of liquids – that’s awesome! Just hang in there, and you’ll get to start adding foods soon. It’s worth the wait – even though it feels super long! – to add foods back in because they can hurt your sleeve if you add them too soon. In the meantime, I guess just focus on the other things, like getting in enough Protein from shakes and enough fluids from calorie-free and low-calorie drinks like Water and broth.

tmcx28, A lot of the time, 1-2 nights are common. It depends on the surgeon and facility, though. I also wonder if your friend had some sort of condition that meant she would need to stay an extra night. Good luck with your surgery! Make sure you don’t overdo it when you get back home – ask for the help you need, even if it means arranging ahead of time for someone to be there to help you “just in case.” You don’t want to overdo things and risk delaying recovery or worse getting a complication! I am sure things will go fine on Tuesday. Good luck, and let us know how it goes!

Thanks, everyone. Thanks for being part of BariatricPal! Winklie, I hope things turn around for you. It sounds like you are working very hard to make the most of what you have. Thanks for the kind words! I truly do want to help and I am so glad when I hear that I have been able to in some small way. MarciaN, congrats on your pre-op weight loss, and good luck post-op!

Thanks for all your replies! Wow, it sounds like there’s a lot of activity going on this weekend. jenn1, that’s a great idea to have those signs at your gym. They’re probably not a bad idea year-round for all kinds of foods! Sleevy Wonder – good for you for getting in your steps AND your football watching instead of just the football watching! That’s great we have so many 5k’ers and Turkey Trotters! I hope you all had successful outings! Just a reminder (for myself more than anyone else)…the weekend’s not over! There’s still time to hit the roads, gym, or basement and get in some activity and undo a little damage, or get a head start on the month to come!

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style="margin:0;padding:0;background-color:#d8dde8;color:#5a5a5a;font:normal 13px helvetica, arial, sans-serif;position:relative;"> Hey BariatricPal Members! Happy Thanksgiving! It’s a time for family, friends, fun, and food. It’s even a time for health! Don’t believe it? We’ll walk you through some ways to stay sane and even keep losing weight. Here’s the run-down of this holiday newsletter. Giving Thanks: This Year More Than Ever Surviving the Thanksgiving Table: A Few Hacks Healthy Ideas for Thanksgiving Weekend We hope this newsletter helps empower you to make healthy choices and to appreciate everything you have. We certainly appreciate all of our BariatricPal members! Thanks for everything, and Happy Thanksgiving! Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal Giving Thanks: This Year More Than Ever The purpose of Thanksgiving is to give thanks. It’s a chance to remember what we’re truly grateful for. So often that gets lost in the hubbub of making the perfect turkey, cleaning the house to the standards of your fussy mother-in-law, and scheduling trips to the airport to pick up the cousins, nieces, and nephews who are dropping into town for the long weekend. So Much to Be Thankful for Don’t forget to dedicate some attention to being grateful. Look beyond your daily chores, struggles with food and weight, and challenges in your relationships. Silly as it may seem, naming some of the parts of your life that you are grateful for can help you appreciate them a lot more. What about your family, your home, and your weight loss surgery? What about…? -being a lot lighter than you were last year at this time. -knowing a lot more about the WLS journey and what it takes to succeed. -being more confident in yourself and your ability to live healthier. -being able to participate in more activities without holding others back. The BariatricPal Store: Helping You While Following Our Dream BariatricPal has no trouble finding things to be grateful for. For example, we are so thankful for The BariatricPal Store! It’s another way we help the weight loss surgery community achieve their goals and dreams. The BariatricPal Store is the place to go for: -protein powders, bars, and shakes -high-protein, low-carb snacks -high-protein, low-calorie hot and cold breakfasts and entrees -bariatric vitamins Thanksgiving weekend is a great time to shop The BariatricPal Store! Through Sunday, use coupon code BP10Thanksu for a 10% discount off your total order! It’s our way of saying “Thanks!” Our Sincere Gratitude for BariatricPal Members At the top of the list of things BariatricPal is thankful for are our members. You keep the boards going. Our members let BariatricPal continue to be the world’s premier online support system for the weight loss surgery community. Thank you for making it possible! A Reminder to Be Good on Thanksgiving Ahh…Thanksgiving! Almost everyone looks forward to it because this may be the first break you’ve gotten since the summer. Thanksgiving can mean a few days off work, some family time, and the start to the holiday season. Don’t Throw Caution to the Wind But here’s a quick reality check before you get lost in celebrating the season. Let your guard down, and you could be looking at thousands of extra calories…in a single day. What a way to put a quick stop to your weight loss streak and your good intentions. Skip This, Choose That Here’s a quick sampling of some Thanksgiving disasters so you know what to avoid…and what to try instead. -Instead of sweet potatoes with sugar, butter, and marshmallows and pecans (400 calories), try baked sweet potatoes. -Instead of green bean casserole (200 calories), try steamed or roasted green beans or asparagus spears. -Instead of jellied cranberries (100 calories), make your own sauce with fresh or frozen cranberries and stevia. -Instead of pumpkin pie with whipped cream (500 calories), make low-carb pumpkin cheesecake with sugar substitute and fat-free cream cheese. In summary, stick to small portions, and skip the dishes that are sugary, fatty, or starchy…or all three of those! Stick to the Plan Day in, day out, you know the drill. Meals with some lean protein, a lot of vegetables, and some grains or fruit will get you where you want to go. That’s true on Thanksgiving, too. Go for skinless turkey, roasted vegetables, green salad without dressing, and fresh fruit, and you’ll be doing yourself a favor. And what’s also true, just like it is every other day of the year, is that you can get back on track if you get off. So enjoy your Thanksgiving, do your best to keep it healthy, and go right back to your healthy eating plan the next day. Healthy Ideas for Thanksgiving Weekend The meal is over. Maybe it went “well” for your weight loss surgery journey. Maybe it didn’t. Either way, it’s time to look forward. What will you do for the rest of the weekend? Here are a few ideas. Try Some Healthy Leftover Recipes What do you do with the leftovers from a 20-lb. turkey? Give thanks for a shortcut to healthy weight loss recipes! Turkey’s a lean source of protein and rich in nutrients. Why not experiment with healthy recipes using leftover turkey that you might not have the time – or desire – to make if you had to make them from scratch or you didn’t have that cooked meat already ready for you? Here are a few ideas: Turkey chili. Turkey tetrazzini with spaghetti squash. Turkey vegetable soup, with split peas for extra protein and fiber. Turkey wraps with soy sauce and diced vegetables wrapped in lettuce leaves. Turkey omelet for breakfast. For more, head to BariatricPal and ask on the boards! Give New Meaning to Quality Time You have a couple of days that may be a little quieter than other times. It’s good time to spend quality time with friends and family, and make it even higher quality by making it healthy. You can cook healthy recipes together, go for a walk, or even go holiday gift shopping. Of course, stay tuned for the BariatricPal Holiday Gift List to be published in BariatricPal’s Weight Loss Surgery Magazine! Again, thank you for being a BariatricPal member and for your support. We are truly grateful to have you along, and we hope we are helping you achieve your goals this holiday season.

Seems like Quest got the message. I received the following email from them this morning: Team Quest, You may have just received an email offering to receive two free boxes of bars. We accidentally sent it to everyone! It was intended to go only to our select group of Beta Testers. Sorry about that! The good news is… the secret is out! We’ve worked hard on updates to our soluble corn fiber recipe based on your feedback. We’re sending the new recipe to a small group first for their feedback and will be officially announcing the changes very soon. Sorry for the confusion. In our excitement to share this, we hit ‘send’ a bit too quickly! We look forward to sharing soon. Best, Team Quest P.S. If you'd like to learn more about Quest Labs and our Beta Test program email us at QuestLabs@QuestNutrition.com

I'm guilty of using that word a little more than I should these days. Reminds me of this article.

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Happy Thanksgiving! Thank you to all the members that contributed these mouth watering recipes. Here are the winners of the $200 BariatricPal Store giveaway: Djmohr padremama Elode Amy Wolfe You'll receive a PM with your $50 gift card shortly. Here's a $10 coupon that's valid for 48 hours for everyone else who participated: 10OFF24

Make Sure There’s Something for You to Eat The worst-case scenario is sitting down to eat, looking around the table, and not seeing one semi-healthy food that’s on your WLS diet amidst the mounds of candied sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and gravy, dinner rolls and butter, green bean casserole, and sausage stuffing. Don’t let this happen to you! Whether you’re hosting or you’re a guest, you can always make sure there’s at least something for you to eat. Just make a big enough batch to share with the table. You can never have too many salads, sides, and desserts at Thanksgiving, so consider one or more of the following. Acorn or butternut squash roasted with garlic, rosemary, and chicken broth for seasoning. Roasted Brussels sprouts or green beans with Dijon mustard. Spinach salad with cranberries, chestnut pieces, and cubes of cooked sweet potato. Cabbage and roasted beet salad. Fresh fruit salad. Baked apples with cinnamon and sprinkled with chopped walnuts or pecans. These dishes can save your diet and dignity, and they’re pretty simple! You don’t need to aim for fancy dishes and give yourself any extra headaches in the kitchen at Thanksgiving. Protein and Veggies…You Know the Drill You know how to eat right after WLS. Thanksgiving dinner is no different. Protein comes first, then come veggies. A serving of starch can fit in, and watch out for the condiments. That sounds easy enough, and it’s what you do every other day. Ready to put it in place on Thanksgiving? Your lean protein is probably skinless turkey breast, unless you’re vegetarian or having a non-traditional Thanksgiving. Whether you have tofu, crab, chicken, ham, or venison, you can make a small serving of lean protein the center of your meal. Take mustard and only a dollop of cranberry sauce, which is high-sugar. Veggies come next. Load up on green salads, sautéed broccoli or kale, and anything roasted, such as carrots, green beans, and onions. Watch out for creamy corn and green bean casseroles and buttery vegetables. Finally, garnish your meal with a little bit of starch. Sweet potatoes are healthiest, but you can also opt for a small serving of mashed potatoes, half a dinner roll, or even a spoonful of stuffing. Pick One Special Treat You don’t need to deprive yourself completely on Thanksgiving. If you don’t let yourself have any treats, you might eventually break down and eat way too much later. Better to enjoy a few bites of pumpkin pie now and feel good about it than to cave in to the entire pie later and feel sick and guilty. Give yourself permission to choose a special treat that you love and look forward to every year. Whether it’s your mom’s sausage and apple stuffing or your brother-in-law’s homemade biscuits, let yourself have a few bites of that special treat. Savor every bite. Think about its flavors and texture, and what it means to you, and how proud you are that you can enjoy it and be satisfied with that portion. Practice Eating Slowly Eating slowly is essential on the bariatric surgery diet. Thanksgiving is actually the ideal time to practice your skills. When else do you get the pleasure of good company sitting around the table for hours? Take advantage! Engage in the conversation, and focus on the people, not the food. If you stick to the rule of not talking with your mouth full, and you put your fork down and make eye contact when you’re listening to someone else talk, Thanksgiving dinner will fly by, and you may find you enjoyed it more than ever while eating less than ever. Good deal! Don’t Let Leftovers Weigh You Down The dinner’s over, everyone’s left the table, and the house is quiet again. It’s not yet time to let your guard down, though! The leftovers can be even more dangerous than Thanksgiving dinner itself. Pack them up and get rid of the ones that are trouble – like chocolate cream pie. There are plenty of healthy ways you can use leftover turkey. One is to simply freeze it in small portions and defrost them when you need them. You can also try any of these ideas. Turkey wraps with shredded turkey, mustard, and leftover roasted veggies wrapped in lettuce leaves. Turkey soup with a base of chicken broth, onions, carrots, and celery, plus any veggies you want. Turkey curry with cauliflower, eggplant, peas, and Indian spices. Turkey salad with cooked cubed turkey, halved cherry or grape tomatoes, nonfat plain Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, diced pickles, and black pepper. Green salad with turkey, avocado, and black beans. There are so many healthy ways to use turkey, you may not even be sick of it after you finish the entire turkey! With these hacks and a little discipline and creativity, you can get through Thanksgiving dinner and beyond feeling healthy and confident, not stuffed and weighed down. That confidence is worth a lot, and it can carry you through the holiday season as you keep working towards your goals.

It’s time for a Thanksgiving Giveaway! We’ve been thinking about what we’re grateful for, and our members top the list. To thank you, we’re giving away four $50 gift cards to The BariatricPal Store! We’ll be holding a random drawing for the gift cards on Thanksgiving weekend, and we’ll notify you if you’re the winner by Sunday, November 29. That’s just in time for you to go shopping at The BariatricPal Store on Cyber Monday! What can you get at The BariatricPal Store? Bariatric Vitamins, Protein bars and shakes, Fiber supplements, hot and cold breakfasts, protein chips, Cookies, and other Snacks, instant low-carb meals…Stop by and browse! You can enter the drawing by posting up your favorite healthy Thanksgiving recipe on this thread. Everyone who makes an eligible post is entered into the drawing. Here’s what an eligible post includes: The name of the recipe. It doesn’t have to be fancy. “Roasted Onions” or “John Doe’s Carrot Appetizer” is fine. A list of ingredients and quantities. “4 egg whites, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon salt…” Directions for making the recipe. “Drain the Beans and heat them over medium heat with the garlic powder and cumin. Dice the tomatoes and add them to the bean mixture…” We can’t wait to see and try your recipes! Good luck in the drawing, and thanks for being part of BariatricPal!

Thanksgiving is the day dedicated to giving thanks. Here are some of the things I’m thankful for this year. I’m thankful for my lap-band. It got me my life back, and it has let me keep my life. This year, I had it re-filled after some time without it and a bit of regain, and I am so thankful to have this tool. I’m thankful for my kids. They’re what I live for, and I am so grateful to be able to watch them grow up. I’m thankful for every BariatricPal member. You keep the boards going and make it possible for me to continue to help weight loss surgery patients everywhere and at every stage of the weight loss surgery journey. Thank you! I’m thankful for BariatricPal, from the discussion forums to the new store. It is such an honor and pleasure to make a career out of my passion of helping weight loss surgery patients, and it is so rewarding to see our growth. I don’t think this topic ever gets old. When we actually list out what we’re thankful for, it reminds us to actually feel thankful. Also, seeing other people’s lists helps remind me of some fo the things that make me grateful. So, what are you thankful for this year?

There’s a ton of talk about Thanksgiving food on the boards, but what about activity? Now, I want to know how you’re going to keep fit and healthy over Thanksgiving. Do you have a healthy tradition, like taking a walk early in the morning or playing football after eating? If not, maybe it’s time to start one! What are your plans for getting in a workout this Thanksgiving weekend? I’m planning to hit my home gym. At least, that’s what I’m calling it. It’s just a rowing machine that lets me get in some cardio when the weather’s not fun for running outdoors. I’ll probably also lift a few weights. What exercise are you planning to do on Thanksgiving and over the Thanksgiving weekend?

I respond to every PM I receive on BP. Must have missed yours, sorry! Best way to reach me is via email at alex@BariatricPal.com .

dhrguru, Great topic! Let’s see…I have learned to love: Life! So cheesy, but so true. I love life for living’s sake, and not for the sake of the food that comes along with it. Healthy food. I like Greek yogurt, blueberries, salmon, and so many other healthy foods. I like their taste, and I like the feeling of knowing they’re good for me. Unhealthy food: I say I have learned to like it because now I can crave it, enjoy a reasonable amount of it, and get over it. Before, I just ate it. Exercise. Yes, I love running, lifting weights, biking, and being active generally…and not just because it feels good when it’s over (although I like that feeling, too). It lowers stress and makes me feel strong and powerful.

I love pickles! They’re about as devoid of nutrition as it gets (a little salt with your acid, anyone?), but they’re awfully good! I love them plain, in egg white salad, dill pickles, sugar-free sweet pickles, in salads (sorry, I love Subway salads with pickle slices), and pretty much any time. I could eat them pretty soon after surgery, but that’s because I just had the lap-band. Maybe a month or so post-op? It’s been a while.

dhrguru, It’s a shame those comments happened. Try to remember they’re probably not personal – they’re probably coming out of frustration that you’re looking great and he’s not. Gowalking gave some great advice: make it about the food, not about his or your weight. Ask him to help you figure out how to plan the food so none of it goes to waste. And if the subject comes up, make it clear you’re willing to help plan his meals as carefully as you plan yours so he can lose weight like you. It’s possible your husband feels like you’re so far ahead in weight loss and food knowledge that it’s hopeless and he’ll never “catch up” or maybe he feels embarrassed, so try to get through to him that you support him. And if that doesn’t work, just ignore him and keep doing your thing.

Leesa926, Selfish? In what way? For taking the time off you’re entitled to? I don’t see that as being selfish. I see that as doing your job, and taking the time off you need and are entitled to. You were entitled to vacation, and you took vacation. You’re entitled to FMLA, and you can take it. That would be true even if your job were super nice to you and showed appreciation. Since you’re not treated well anyway, that’s even less of a reason to feel bad or selfish.

jackiesleeved2015, Yes, you have to! At least, that’s the short answer. Protein gives you calories, lets you heal, keeps your immune system up,…you need it! They’re really, really hard for some sleeve patients to get down, especially in the first week or two. Sometimes a straw helps (be careful not to suck in air). Some patients take all day to drink their 3 shakes. It’s a tough thing. Like the others have suggested, keep trying different forms of protein. There are tons of different brands and flavors of shakes. Also, unflavored protein in broth is another option. Don’t give up! If you do, recovery will be so much harder and take so much longer. You can do it!

Little_mrs, Thanks for sharing. You look phenomenal – what a testament to hard work! It looks like you have a great family and friends to motivate you to be healthy, too!

Missy407, I’d be furious, and I’m really sorry this happened to you. I agree – it sounds like a HIPAA violation: ““Individually identifiable health information” is information, including demographic data, that relates to: the individual’s past, present or future physical or mental health or condition, the provision of health care to the individual, or the past, present, or future payment for the provision of health care to the individual, and that identifies the individual or for which there is a reasonable basis to believe it can be used to identify the individual.” http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/summary/index.html I would definitely contact the office and find out what happened – whether it was an innocent mistake, possibly by a new employee, or if that’s the office’s standard practice. You could also ask what they intend to do to fix the problem and possibly compensate you in some way. If you want, you could pursue it. I think you can file a complaint through HHS. http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/index.html Again, I’m really sorry this happened to you. On the positive side, those 500 plus email recipients who now know your personal information are probably very sympathetic to your situation.