LaBelle509

*** You must release yourself in your mind to be slim**** that is so true!!!!

I wish I could offer you some hope, but I can't. I went from 40DDD to 36C. Honestly, I could probably fit a B, I just can't bring myself to buy such a small cup though lol!! I loved my big girls!!! I am getting them done this December

I wish I could offer you some hope, but I can't. I went from 40DDD to 36C. Honestly, I could probably fit a B, I just can't bring myself to buy such a small cup though lol!! I loved my big girls!!! I am getting them done this December

I love this article. I am almost two years out and do feel like I was pushing my sleeve a little too much. I am going to watch closely how much food I placed on my plates.

Thank you so much for right this!!!

You’re tired of your old body – the fat one that’s caused you so many problems – but are you ready to move into a new one?


The idea for this article came to me in a dream.
It was what I call an anxiety dream, in which I’m trying to accomplish something important but encounter obstacles everywhere I turn. That’s kind of a parable of life itself, isn’t it? When I wake from a dream like that, I feel frustrated because I didn’t get to finish my dream task, but at the same time I’m relieved to be released from the endless struggle.
So in this particular dream, I was moving into a new, multi-story house, kind of like the old tenement buildings you see in dying New England mill towns. It was essential that I quickly locate and organize all my belongings so that I could use them to start an urgent and important project. Every time I carried something into another room to put it away, I would find other people there, already moving my stuff, wreaking havoc on my carefully ordered household. When I went back outside for another load of stuff, more people would be poking through it as if it was so much garbage left out to be collected and buried at the dump. These interfering people ignored my pleas to leave my things alone. For every armful I took into the house, they carried out ten.
Then my husband started a load of wash in the laundry room a few feet away from the bedroom, and the sound of the washer’s spin cycle woke me up. Thank God.
I trudged off to the bathroom, pondering the meaning of the dream. I haven’t moved into a house for 14 years, so why was I having a dream about moving house? As I made the bed and thought more about the dream (which didn’t want to leave my head just then), I suddenly knew what it was about.
My big moving project for the past 6 years hasn’t involved moving into a new house. It’s involved moving into a new body. Like any move into the unknown, it’s been both exciting and scary. I no longer have a jumbo, custom-built pantry to hold 50+ years’ worth of bad habits and warped beliefs about myself. I keep forgetting where I’ve put things, and have sabotaged my own efforts numerous times. At times, circumstances beyond my control have put my new “home” into disarray, but I’ve kept working at it, carrying things in, bringing things out, rearranging things…a seemingly endless task.
I think I’m pretty much settled now. I watch elderly people who have to work so hard to accomplish the simplest tasks – sit down, get up, button a shirt, open a jar – and remember my mom talking about the way her body had betrayed her as she aged. I suppose that could happen to me sooner or later. But for right now, I’m in a good place: my new body - the home I carry with me everywhere.
As you continue on your weight loss journey, please take good care of your body. You may not like it much now, but it’s your home. Your very own home. As it changes, you will have to learn its new floor plan. When you go to a closet to fetch a size 16 dress and find only size 18’s, you may feel so disoriented that you forget the size 20, 22 & 24’s you took to the Goodwill Store last week. As you pass through the front hallway of this new home and see yourself in the mirror, the person you see might look like a complete stranger. What’s she doing there? She’s fat, I’m not, so why is her reflection all I can see? Where did this mirror come from, anyway, the funhouse at a circus?
Don’t give up. One day you’ll have all the curtains hung, the walls painted, the furniture arranged, a fire burning in the fireplace, and you’ll think, “I’m so glad to be home.”

Regain glasses suck.
The moment regain becomes a problem we put on those regain glasses and NOTHING looks good.


A few years ago I distinctly remember reading a post from a woman that went something like this.
I hate my hair. I don't like my face and don't know how to use makeup. I hate what I'm eating every day and I'm sick of it. Oh and I gained 5 pounds.
One of my most often repeated quotes...."we are rarely upset for the reason we think". Of course I assume you can guess what she was really upset about. I wrote her and told her to get a cute haircut, go to a department store and get someone to show her how to do makeup (free) or check out thousands of makeup videos on You Tube. I also told her she could change what she eats every day. Of course none of that made her feel better because she didn't FEEL like doing any of that because she was wearing her regain glasses loud and proud.
It seems that for most people everything looks pretty awful through those regain glasses. I want to help you take them off. You say "Yeah right…like I haven’t tried… and mostly..... I don't FEEL like it. I don't feel like doing anything." I have often pointed out that when you were at this weight on the way down you were ecstatic! Do you see how your perspective totally messes with your head? Why do we obsess about the lowest weight we ever reached instead of constantly realizing what our highest weight was and being grateful we aren't there? And if you choose to obsess about your lowest weight, doesn't it make sense to move towards doing something about it instead of continuing to walk down regain road?
Unfortunately we have this big adjustment to make after weight loss surgery because the first year we are wearing the "honeymoon glasses" and EVERYTHING looks GREAT! Remember how wonderful everything was when you lost your first 30-40 pounds? Yet you were heavier than you are now. You could hardly mess up at all the first year. It was all good!
One day you wake up and you can't find your honeymoon glasses. You start to take for granted the little things like being able to tie your shoes, paint your toe nails, fit in an airplane seat..... and the next thing you know it isn't enough anymore. Some of us hang in there for a while or even a long while and eventually something shifts and you start to think about how much you miss those honeymoon glasses.... you start looking for that feeling in other things like our old friend Mr. food. He’s tappin' you on the shoulder every day..."Pssst....remember me? Remember how much fun we had? Oh come on... a little sum-um sum-um won't hurt you". All the while your old friend has some regain glasses stuck in his back pocket just waiting to slide them on your face.
One of the most extreme cases of the perspective meter being out of whack was a woman I met who had lost 485 pounds. Not a typo! She lost 485 pounds but she had gained 40 back. She was all out of sorts and literally more miserable than when she weighed her heaviest.
I asked her to imagine that 485 pounds sitting on the floor. Right next to it 40 lbs. I guess we could say it looks something like this. (For those with perfectly analytical brains please forgive me…I guesstimated it)

I told her not to give that 40 pounds the time of day and dust it off. We give that regain so much power and of course we can pile plenty of shame on top of that for good measure. Shame is toxic, shame keeps us down. Shame keeps those damn regain glasses cemented to our face.
Here's the thing....if you don't take off the glasses and begin to turn things around....chances are that you'll look up in another year with more regain. Get off the insanity train today. Of course you remember... “Insanity=doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome”
Everyone is different but here are a few suggestions. You can’t build Rome in a day but you can always do the next best thing. (Thank you Post-Op and a Doc for “the next best thing”)
Look at your before picture in the morning and FEEL what you felt like. Sit it that for a while. I do that every morning without fail. Remember the things you wanted so badly. BE GRATEFUL you aren't there. If I could put you back in that body for a week you would be SO grateful to be you right now.
Quit thinking about the perceived mountain you have to move and pick up the shovel and start with one scoop at a time. Instead of Nike's "just do it", change it to "just start". (Thank you Chuck for that one) It’s too overwhelming to plan into the next century. I can hear the questions now….how long will this take? It DOES NOT matter. Just move toward your goal instead of away from it..... just for today. Today is all that counts.
Get the crap food out of your house. I know many people who find creative ways to do this with a family that feels they have to have the crap food. Put it in a place it can locked up but you'd do your family a favor by getting it out of their reach as well. Sugar and junk food is as addictive as any drug and they will guarantee that you will still be wearing those regain glasses. See my “M&M” story in this post.
Find a way to move your body that you can enjoy. I LOVE to dance. I hate to run….I wanted to love it but I don’t. I wanted that runner's high and I just could not get it. I love yoga and if you think you can’t do it, watch this! I describe yoga as slow dancing with yourself. Abby Lentz from Heartfelt Yoga is a dear friend. Look her up, she has DVD’s.

http://video.pbs.org/viralplayer/2365170173


You won’t do anything for very long if you perceive it as suffering. When you eat healthier food envision how you are nourishing your body. Remember it will make you feel better and look better instead of putting on more weight which equates to depression, physical pain, more misery and a shorter life span. Again the most important part of this is to stop the bleeding that has begun with regain. Nothing in life is easy so here comes your choices…...choose your hard.

A weight loss plateau or stall is a temporary cessation of weight loss that can happen at any point in your weight loss surgery journey and can last days, weeks, or months. Plateaus happen to almost everybody sooner or later (no matter what means they're using to lose weight), no matter how hard they work at weight loss.


Why do plateaus happen even when we’re doing all the right things? The human body wants to preserve itself. It fights weight loss by adapting the metabolism to accommodate decreased calorie intake and/or increased calorie output. The body's new plan of attack is multi-pronged: increase calorie intake by making you hungrier (so you eat more), use less energy to accomplish physical activity (so you burn fewer calories) and hold on to stored fat (so it can use it for energy).
I think plateaus often happen because we're in a rut. So even if you believe you're doing all the right things in terms of diet, exercise, and mental or emotional effort - try changing them. If nothing else, it will prevent boredom and help you feel that you're taking positive action instead of being a victim of fate.
Here are some things you can try to shake up your routine.

Change the intensity, duration, frequency and type of exercise you're doing, so your body doesn't become too efficient at burning calories when you work out.
Don't neglect strength training - muscle burns far more calories than fat does.
Don't over-train - take one day off exercise a week.
Plan all your meals (the "how much" as well as the "what").
Weigh and measure your food before you put it on your plate.
Log your food intake - you might be surprised to see what and how much you're really eating.
Try calorie shifting: vary your calories - eat 1200 one day, 900 the next, and so on, to keep your body guessing.
Eat 3 small meals and 3 healthy Snacks a day instead of 3 meals a day.
Increase your Water intake.
Decrease your sodium intake.
Don't weigh yourself every day - switch to once a week.
Don't skip Breakfast.< br>
By the way, if you weigh yourself every day and think that no weight loss for three days running is a plateau, you're going to have a long journey ahead of you. Get off that scale, now!
I have one more suggestion that you probably won't want to hear: CULTIVATE PATIENCE. No, it's not one of my virtues, either. Give it a try anyway.

Those who have had weight loss surgery often ask how much they should be eating. Whilst is seems a simple question, there is no simple answer.


Those who have had weight loss surgery often ask how much they should be eating. Whilst is seems a simple question, there is no simple answer.
How much you should be eating is a hot topic on many online forums or support pages. If you have read the discussions it becomes clear that weight loss surgery clinics and support teams widely differ in how much they are recommending their patients eat. This is also clear when I chat with other health professionals at our obesity surgery conferences. If the professionals working in the area can’t get their story straight, how are people to know what to do?
Some surgeons recommend you limit meals to half a cup, some may say one cup, and others will say a bread and butter plate of food. Interestingly, one cup of food nicely fits on a bread and butter plate and this is the guide we use in our clinic.
Accredited Practising Dietitians (in Australia, Registered Dietitians in the USA) are university‐qualified experts on food and nutrition. Whilst even their recommendations on what you should eat following surgery will vary, what they will generally agree on is that it is difficult to meet your nutritional requirements eating half a cup of food, three times a day.
To date, there are no scientific studies on the exact amount of food people should include after gastric band and gastric bypass surgeries. Hopefully in time this will evolve. Research from Mercy Bariatrics in Perth, Western Australia, provides some excellent data to help guide serving sizes for those who have had a sleeve gastrectomy. Whilst initially very small amounts are tolerated, at six months after surgery most people will manage about half a cup of food at a time. By 12 to 18 months most people will manage about one cup of solid food. This is a guide only and will vary between people as there are different size sleeves.
A point relevant to all surgeries is that the people studied found they could indeed ‘fit’ more food in than what they felt satisfied with. After all forms of weight loss surgery, eating to the maximum amount you can tolerate is not recommended. I have a favourite quote from Dr. Teresa Girolamo, one of the GPs in our clinic: “It’s not a matter of seeing how much you can eat and get away with, but how little you can eat and be satisfied.” Testing the limits of how much you can eat increases your intake, particularly if it occurs repeatedly, and can compromise your results. Tune in to your feeling of satisfaction after eating and let that guide the amount of food you need to eat. Always stop eating before you feel any discomfort.
Create an environment that makes it easy for you to eat small portions. Ensure family and friends know you use a smaller plate/bowl/cutlery. Take these items with you if you travel. When eating out, order entrée size meals or if there are none available, separate your meal into an appropriate portion before you start eating. Tapas style menus, Asian or Indian eateries are often tailored to meals being shared, allowing you to dish up a small serve to suit your needs. It is fine to leave food on your plate when you have had enough, even if it is a smaller serve. Avoid the temptation to ‘clean the plate’. If ‘wasting’ food concerns you, carry a container with you when you eat out and take a serve home to have for another meal.
After gastric band surgery some people may find it takes some time before they feel satisfied on small amounts of food. Many people need their gastric band adjusted several times to help them feel satisfied on small serves. If small meals of solid food do not satisfy you, keep in regular contact with your support team until they do. Some people will find this will occur early in their journey, for others it may take longer. Be patient.
Whilst it is not necessary for you to measure or weigh everything you eat, it may be helpful to measure the amount you are usually serving. When you eat a meal, take note how much food it takes for you to feel satisfied and how much it takes to feel full. The aim is to feel satisfied after eating, so if you know roughly how much food this is you can avoid dishing up too much in future.
The recipes in my book and on my blog have been designed to provide approximately four, one cup serves. This does not mean a one cup serve is right for everyone, but does allows you to easily adapt the recipes to your requirements.

Clients often tell me one of their biggest challenges after weight loss surgery is eating slowly.


Clients often tell me one of their biggest challenges after weight loss surgery is eating slowly. Eating too quickly means that you are unlikely to chew foods properly. This can cause discomfort, pain and in some cases, regurgitation.
To be able to eat a variety of foods comfortably after weight loss surgery, you really need to concentrate while you are eating. The following tips may help you do this:
Set aside time for meals and avoid doing other things whilst you are eating.
Sit up straight and avoid slouching. Sit at the table rather than the couch. Avoid eating whilst preparing food.< br> Move away from the television or computer. You cannot focus on what you are eating if you are immersed in something else.
Avoid playing with your mobile phone or other electronic devices.
Avoid getting really hungry. The hungrier you are when you start a meal, the more likely you are to eat quickly, take big bites and not chew properly.
Avoid eating with your hands as you will tend to take bigger bites. Use cutlery to cut food into small pieces. The more pieces you need to cut the longer it will take to eat.
Avoid eating on the run, or in the car.
Put your cutlery down between mouthfuls. Wait until you have swallowed your food before cutting the next piece. Avoid having that next mouthful loaded on your fork ready to go.
If you really struggle to slow down, use your cutlery in the opposite hand until the pace of eating feels more natural.
Choose a relaxing environment to eat. If the staff room at work is too distracting, head outside to a nearby park. Opt for a quiet café rather than a noisy food court, where you may be tempted to rush.
Be especially careful when eating socially, as during conversation it is very easy to become distracted. Eat during a break in conversation.
Avoid the tendency to want to keep pace when eating with others.

Take notice when you do slow down your eating. Do you feel more satisfied? Do you enjoy your food more? Many people report they enjoy food more after surgery as they eat more slowly, allowing them to really taste the food and savour the flavours.
Get in the habit of eating slowly. It could take up to 20 minutes to eat a small meal – between 10 and 20 minutes is a good goal. If there is food left on your plate after this time, discard it. There is a risk of eating too slowly which can turn a meal into grazing, which defeats the purpose of weight loss surgery.
Time how long it takes you to eat your next meal. It may just surprise you!

Recently I have found myself spending a lot of time talking with my weight loss surgery clients about getting the most from what they are eating, in particular, feeling satisfied after eating. Whilst the purpose of weight loss surgery is to help you feel satisfied on a smaller amount of food, the type of foods you choose is important to help maximise this.


Recently I have found myself spending a lot of time talking with my weight loss surgery clients about getting the most from what they are eating, in particular, feeling satisfied after eating. Whilst the purpose of weight loss surgery is to help you feel satisfied on a smaller amount of food, the type of foods you choose is important to help maximise this.

There are two key ingredients in helping you to feel satisfied after eating:
1. High fibre, low glycemic index carbohydrate-containing foods

2. Protein-containing foods.


This post will demystify the glycemic index, or GI. Protein will be the focus of a later post.


The GI is a measure of the effect that different carbohydrate-containing foods have on blood glucose (blood sugar) levels. It describes the way our body digests and absorbs these foods. Carbohydrate-containing foods include:
breads, cereals, rice, Pasta and noodles
starchy vegetables including potato, sweet potato and corn
legumes including baked Beans, kidney beans, chickpeas and lentils
fruits and fruit juices
milks, yoghurts, custards and ice cream
any food containing flour or sugar.

Some carbohydrate-containing foods are broken down and absorbed quickly, so they raise our blood glucose level faster and higher. These are high GI foods. Other carbohydrate-containing foods are digested and absorbed more gradually, causing a slower, longer lasting rise in blood glucose levels. These are low GI foods. Low GI foods keep us feeling satisfied for longer after eating.



Often people experience a 'honeymoon' period following weight loss surgery, where weight loss seems automatic. Unfortunately this may not last forever and weight regain can occur with all surgeries. Maximising the satisfaction you get from the food you eat is crucial to keep losing weight and maintain that lost weight. A lower GI eating pattern also helps us feel satisfied for longer after eating, which can help with losing weight. For example, if you eat high GI foods at your meals, you are likely to become hungry sooner after the meal than if you eat low GI foods. This can make you more likely to snack and if you have not planned for this, you may be forced to grab something from the biscuit barrel or vending machine. 
 


Appetite control is not the only benefit of a lower GI diet. Research has shown that people eating a lower GI diet can reduce their average blood glucose levels, which is particularly important for people with diabetes. Lower GI foods are often also higher in fibre. A high fibre diet helps prevent Constipation, decreases the risk of heart disease as soluble fibres can help remove cholesterol from the body and helps protect against bowel cancer, haemorrhoids, irritable bowel syndrome and diverticulitis.



Foods are classified as low, moderate or high GI.



To follow a low GI diet, try to choose one low GI food at each meal. Eat high GI foods in small amounts, or less often. 

Head to my website to see a simple table of low, moderate and high GI foods.
Go to www.glycemicindex.com for further information.

congrats on your lost!!!

I feel your pain! I just broke a five weeks stall myself! I stayed stuck at 202.2 for all that time. Finally I dropped to 199.2 lbs, but today I went up to 199.8 lbs which is making nervous and frustrated !! I guess this all part of the process. All we can do, is keep doing the right thing( eat clean, Water, exercise, rest) and wait for the darn scale to budge. Good luck

Sleeve gastrectomy surgery reduces the size of the stomach by stapling along its length to form a long tube that looks similar to a banana. The majority of the stomach is then removed and discarded. The new banana shaped stomach is long and thin hence is often referred to as a ‘sleeve’.


Sleeve gastrectomy surgery reduces the size of the stomach by stapling along its length to form a long tube that looks similar to a banana. The majority of the stomach is then removed and discarded. The new banana shaped stomach is long and thin hence is often referred to as a ‘sleeve’.
About 80-90% of the stomach is removed making it much smaller, hence it holds much less food than it did previously. This smaller stomach helps you feel satisfied after eating a small amount of food. In addition, the part of the stomach that is removed is the part that secretes much of the hormone called ghrelin, which is involved in stimulating appetite. It is thought that producing less ghrelin further helps to reduce hunger after surgery. Although ghrelin levels start to rise again after surgery, they don’t seem to return to their previous levels and so hunger is more easily satisfied.
Unlike the adjustable gastric band the sleeve gastrectomy is not reversible. The stomach may stretch, or adapt to fit a little more food, but it cannot grow back. A sleeve gastrectomy therefore is a commitment for life.
As you will be eating less after sleeve gastrectomy, making the most of your food choices is important to help you obtain all the nutrients required for good health.
Following a sleeve gastrectomy most people will lose most of their excess weight in the first year. After this time weight loss often stabilises, so make the most of this period by making good food choices and regular physical activity a habit for life. After the first year, your ongoing success will depend on your efforts to change your lifestyle and maintain these habits in the long term.
Whilst the size of the stomach changes after surgery, the type of foods that can be eaten does not. Choosing high-energy (calorie or kilojoule) foods regularly will hinder your progress. As with other types of weight loss surgery, snacking or grazing, lack of physical activity and poor food choices can lead to weight regain. Positive, lifelong changes to eating and physical activity will ensure your long-term success.
Poor food choices can also cause dumping syndrome. Dumping syndrome had been thought to occur only following gastric bypass surgery, however it has been seen following sleeve gastrectomy surgery. Avoiding fatty or sugary foods will help prevent dumping syndrome. We will discuss dumping syndrome in a coming edition of the newsletter, but for now you can see a simple explanation here. Avoiding fatty or sugary foods will help prevent dumping syndrome.
A 2011 study found that those who had regular follow up after sleeve gastrectomy achieved better weight loss, health improvement, quality of life and food tolerance, than those who did not. Your support team is there to guide you to acheive the best results following surgery, so make the most of the team and keep in touch! They have all sorts of hints and tips to help you achieve success on your weight loss journey.

Last year I asked my Facebook followers the foods that were always on their shopping list since having weight loss surgery. Read more about their responses.


Last year I asked my Facebook followers the foods that were always on their shopping list since having weight loss surgery. Following were the most common responses:
yoghurt
mince
avocado
eggs
porridge
cottage cheese
low fat ice cream.

What do you notice about this list? What do all these foods have in common? They are all ‘easy to eat’ foods.
This theme resurfaced in a similar conversation I observed recently about crackers. Following weight loss surgery, some people prefer to choose crackers over bread. It seems that easy to eat crackers, the ‘puffed’ varieties that dissolve in the mouth like Cruskits™, are a popular choice. You can eat them more easily, allowing you to also eat more of them, than a more challenging and nutritious cracker, like a grainy Vita-weat® or Ryvita®. So why are you choosing easy to eat foods?
The purpose of weight loss surgery is to feel satisfied on a smaller amount of food, preferably nutritious food. So I ask, what would make you feel more satisfied? Taking time to chew, chew, chew through the higher fibre, more nutritious, grainy Ryvita® or Vita-weat® crackers? Or taking half the time and effort for the Cruskits™ to dissolve in your mouth after a quick, half-hearted chew? It is an experiment worth doing. Perhaps also note how many of each of the crackers you need to eat to feel satisfied, as well as how long you remain satisfied after eating them.
In the hundreds of weight loss surgery clients I have seen I have noticed that after recovering from weight loss surgery some people never really progress past the ‘soft food’ stage of mornays, stews, casseroles and mince dishes. Or, they progress onto more solids foods but gradually slip back in to these softer, easier to eat foods, particularly those with a gastric band, as their band is adjusted and becomes tighter. I recall conversations with clients telling me they prefer the soft foods as they are “easy” and they “can eat more”. However, when we discuss this further, their true hunger is satisfied just as much on a smaller serve of a food, which is more challenging to eat. Eating larger amounts of soft, sloppy food or easy to eat, ‘dissolvable’ food is eating to satisfy our eyes, rather than our true hunger.
I am fully aware that some people with a gastric band have difficulty eating particular foods. I also believe however that there are thousands of people with poorly managed gastric bands that are not able to eat healthy, solid food. Unfortunately there is a misconception with gastric bands that tighter equals better, and that regurgitation is normal. Whilst I have no scientific studies to back this up, in my work the people I see who successfully lose and maintain their lost weight with a gastric band are those who can eat a good variety of solid, healthy foods, not those who must survive on Protein Shakes, Soups and juices as their band is too tight to eat anything else. If you can’t eat a range of healthy foods please speak to your team, or get a second opinion. It may be that you need to work on your eating technique, or you may need some medical intervention.
Unfortunately the perception that easy to eat foods are necessary has become quite widespread and is not only confined to the gastric band community and with many online weight loss surgery communities these beliefs spread.
Are you choosing easy to eat foods out of habit? Could you eat more challenging foods that will satisfy you more? Consider this ‘food for thought’ as you move forward on your journey.

In talking with clients I am constantly reminded of the dietary myths that circulate to leave people confused about weight management. Here I bust some of my favourite weight management myths.


Myth 1: Don’t eat after 7pm (or 7:30pm or 8pm, etc)
Our body doesn’t switch off at night. Our metabolism continues ticking over as our heart pumps blood, our lungs breathe, our muscle tissue repairs, etc. This happens all day and all night. In fact, we burn calories when we are sleeping, just as we do when we are awake. Our metabolism does not shut down at 7pm, so there is no reason to stop eating at any one particular time.
It is important however not to leave all of our eating until the evening. We should fuel our body regularly throughout the day so that it can perform at its best. This is even more important following weight loss surgery, as you can no longer eat the size of meals you once did. Therefore, you can’t skip your meals during the day and expect to meet your nutritional needs at night. Regular meals throughout the day are also important to control your hunger. Being ravenous at the end of the day is another trigger for overeating late at night.
Some people find rules that they should not eat after a particular time at night appealing, as this is when they tend to overeat. Overeating at night can act as a ‘reward’ for getting through the day, or as a way to relax and wind down. It may be habit as we watch TV or a movie. This is when night eating is problematic, as it is not eating for hunger. Do you eat for reasons other than hunger at night? What else could you do to relax? Could you sort through those photo albums that are overflowing, have a bubble bath or phone a friend you haven’t spoken to for sometime. What about a jigsaw puzzle, a crossword, scrapbooking, sketching or even an evening walk? The options are endless.
Myth 2: There are good foods and bad foods
food is neither good or bad, it is what we do with it that counts. Of course, some foods are high in energy (calories/kilojoules) and have little nutrition, so these should be eaten in small amounts. However, food itself is morally neutral. We assign it the ‘good’ or ‘bad’ label, or define it as ‘allowed’ or ‘not allowed’. By labeling food in this way, we are then ‘good’ or ‘bad’ if we eat it.
A better view of food is one where all food is morally neutral. You have permission to eat any foods you choose, you can choose eat those that are more nourishing, most of the time. I often say to clients that there are 21 meals in a week, if one or two are not perfect nutritionally, it is not a problem. If the balance is reversed however and only one or two are nutritious, then this is not going to help you achieve good health.
Some foods that provide little nutrition may provide much enjoyment, so may play a very valuable role in your diet in other ways. You can and should include foods that give you pleasure, it is managing the amounts of these foods that are important in achieving good health.
Myth 3: Carbs are fattening
Nothing is fattening in isolation. Anything can be fattening if you eat too much of it. Food is made up of combinations of carbohydrate, Protein, fat, Vitamins, minerals, fibre and Water. Carbohydrate, protein and fat provide energy, the other nutrients do not.
If we look at the nutrients that provide us with energy in their most simple form:
• Carbohydrate contains 4 calories per gram
• Protein contains 4 calories per gram
• Fat contains 9 calories per gram.
Whilst not a food, alcohol contains 7 calories per gram
As you can see, carbohydrate itself is quite low in calories. So why does carbohydrate have such a bad reputation?
The problem with carbohydrate containing foods is the way we have come to serve and eat them. We heap rice, Pasta and noodles on our plates, leaving very little room for protein foods but more importantly, vegetables and salads.
Low glycemic index, carbohydrate-containing foods can be quite nutritious and when eaten regularly, in appropriate amounts, help us manage our hunger through the day. We just need to look at how we serve them. For example, rather than serving spaghetti bolognaise as a plate or bowl of pasta topped with a little meat sauce, serve equal amounts of meat sauce and pasta on half the plate with a side salad on the other.
Myth 4: You can do some extra exercise to compensate for eating ‘bad food’
The problem with this myth is that is feeds into the ‘good food’ and ‘bad food’ myth. If exercise is something we do when we eat ‘bad food’, exercise is seen as a punishment. Exercise can help you feel good, help you sleep better, give you more energy and help you become healthier. It should be enjoyed for these benefits.
Myth 5: You need to eat every 3 hours to keep your metabolism up
Every body is programmed differently and will have a slightly different metabolic rate. Some bodies will need to be fed more frequently than others. If we set a basic meal pattern, our body will let us know how much we need to eat.
If we provide our body with appropriate fuel three times a day, it will then let us know if we need to eat more often, we just need to tune into the signals. If we start the day with breakfast, our body is given the signal we are starting the day and can help regulate how much we need to eat through the day.
You may have heard a ‘rule’ after weight loss surgery to eat only three (or less) meals per day. I strongly believe that there is no one rule that fits every person. The only way you can tell if you need to eat between meals is to tune in to your hunger and satiety signals. If you are genuinely, physically hungry between meals it may be fine to have a small snack. If you are eating as you feel bored/tired/frustrated/lonely or simply watching the clock, then you need to work on another solution.
Myth busting your way to success
Whilst the internet has brought a whole world of information to our fingertips and can help share dietary fact, it has also perpetuated lots of dietary fiction. Think about some of the food facts you have come to believe over time. Write them all down and take them along to the dietitian in your weight loss surgery team. They will help you sort the fact from fallacy.

I guess I see my friendships differently -- which is just different, not necessarily better or worse. I like that my best friend sees me -- not weight. I've never felt defined by my size. My friend is beautiful and thin, but she's always made me feel beautiful, too. She's not jealous of me -- and when I was her MOH, I'd never want to take attention away from her special day. I don't think people who truly love us think about weight like we do. She hasn't said anything about the 80 pounds I've lost, and frankly, I don't need her to. For me, validation about my weight loss comes from within. Again, not better or worse, just a different perspective.

As rediculous as it might sound, yes, it could come down to that. You didn't feel comfortable sharing your surgery with her, she's either oblivious to your loss or respecting your privacy by not saying anything. You say this is a very close friend of over 20 years, but you don't see each other more than once per month, and you're upset about her not noticing. If you bring this up with her, you risk the friendship. If you don't, you're going to have to deal with it until she finally notices.
I lost 100 lbs. All but one of my close friends live far away. I told them I was having the surgery, but when I saw them, there was no "OMG" moment. I didn't care...I was happy to see them.

Sorry, I thought you said the two of you were good friends, best friends through High School and such. I think a lot of people are trying to see the best in her because she is (was) such a good friend of yours. Also, I thought you said you see each other once a month since last fall, so I assumed she had seen you every month since, well ... last fall. I think by your own presumption, she doesn't have to know what your starting weight or sizes are to notice a difference. A drastic one, at that ... right?
So, I'm just going to come right out and say it appears you have already determined you are upset your friend didn't meet your expectations and have come here to validate your feelings. Anything contrarian is going to fall on deaf ears (eyes), so, I will wish you well on your journey and suggest you not let others live rent free in your head.

No way to know ...? Dropping 60 pounds in 3 months? Uh ... she has an idea something is going on. Even on the greatest of diets, a small fraction of people can be hitting those kinds of numbers. You say she is observant, my guess is she is also respectful.
If I were to try to go inside the female mind for a second, I would think: "Something has occurred with her that she is losing this weight. She looks healthy and appears to have great energy, so it must not be an illness ... it might be a bariatric procedure ... but we have been friends for so long, surely she would have told me about this decision. Maybe we are not as close as I thought we were. I don't know exactly what it is, but obviously she wants to keep it to herself, so I will respect her privacy and not say anything."
I post on this site quite often about expectations. They are future resentments. Communication here is key. If you want to know about something, ask. It is not their fault if you get a resentment over something.
Oye! I am so glad I'm a boy!
I'm just curious, since the wedding is in October, how are you going to do the whole fitting thing? This is going to be something you are going to have to discuss with her. You will have to ensure the dress you get will be easily alterable. Not all dress styles nor materials are conducive to alterations. (My first wife was an extraordinary seamstress)

This is my experience as well. The more people hide their WLS the more it seems like something to be ashamed of. If I'd known how common WLS really was I could have benefitted from it over 10yrs ago. Nit to mention situations like this where you're angry (or at least upset) at a friend because they're not commenting on a secret your keeping from them.
Have you considered the possibility your frustration is really just a misplaced and unnecessary feeling of guilt? Are you seeking validation of your weight loss because you're having a hard time acknowledging you needed/wanted WLS?
I don't know your friend but I can say that everything your feeling is from how you're perceiving things. You have made a major decision and had excellent results. Seeking validation from others is a dark path filled with self doubt. I would encourage you to feel proud of your actual results regardless of anyone else noting them.

You said that you have known her for 20 yrs. When people get that close they can often tell when something has changed. If I had to guess I would say she knows you got the surgery. Maybe she chooses not to say anything because she is hurt that you didn't tell her about it. Just a thought.

Beside self confidence and pride, feeling free from food!! Being able to eat and walk away from the table without stuffing my face is INCREDIBLE!! I used to eat to a coma, and dream of what I was gonna eat next.

Beside self confidence and pride, feeling free from food!! Being able to eat and walk away from the table without stuffing my face is INCREDIBLE!! I used to eat to a coma, and dream of what I was gonna eat next.

Beside self confidence and pride, feeling free from food!! Being able to eat and walk away from the table without stuffing my face is INCREDIBLE!! I used to eat to a coma, and dream of what I was gonna eat next.