My Bariatric Life

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Hi everyone,

I've recently launched my website, MyBariatricLife.org, and have begun to write in detail about my plastic surgery journey after weight loss. There's lots of other info on the site, but I thought my plastics journey might be of the most interest http://www.mybariatriclife.org/plastic-surgery-with-dr-joseph-f-capella/ I've also written an article about 18 Inside Tips on Plastic Surgery that I have learned over the last two years  http://www.mybariatriclife.org/18-insider-tips-on-plastic-surgery/

I hope these are helpful / of interest and hope you will check out my site. It has been a dream of mine for years and I am glad to finally see it launch. Thanks very much!

@@MichiganChic ewww, my abdominal area feels really bad when I overeat and/or gain weight. So, yes, it helps to motivate me to stay fit -- as well as all that freaking money I spent on plastic surgery that should not go to waste!

As many of you know, Colleen Cook is a successful #RNY gastric bypass patient and founder of BSCI. When I was just starting my weight loss surgery journey, I found her book "The Success Habits of #WeightLossSurgery Patients" to be invaluable. Check out my book review and personal experience. Good luck on your weight loss journey!

Hi MichiganChic - my numbness is not as extreme as your numbness. I am 2-year out from my body contouring and facial plastic surgeries. These surgeries were performed by two different plastic surgeons, both tops in their respective areas. And from each surgery I still have areas of numbness, some more pronounced than others. It is a strange feeling but something that I have begun to grow accustomed to. It sure beats feeling those rolls of excess skin!

I hope this helps.

My Bariatric Life

http://www.mybariatriclife.org

You could not be more right <We have to make the changes that can best fuel our bodies. Given our reduced absorption it is of the outmost importance to be smart about what we eat.> Good for you for seeing the light! I still recall a gal, and this was now 12-years ago, who at the bariatric support group proclaimed how she could now only eat a small fry at McDonald's!

I use almost only fresh foods. The exception are Greek yogurt, the occasional Protein bar for a snack mid afternoon when I have to run out the door. An occasional can of chick peas and a very occasional Diet Snapple with Peach. Everything else is fresh and the best I can find. Even the tea I drink is loose leaf and comes in a can from Sri Lanka.

After surgery. I did look at what I ate before surgery with fresh eyes and the picture of health did not come to mind.

We have to make the changes that can best fuel our bodies. Given our reduced absorption it is of the outmost importance to be smart about what we eat.

I still use Protein shakes. For several months now I've been using Garden of Life. Its a vegan raw organic high Protein powder with lots of amino acids. Here's a product review that I wrote about it, if you're interested. I think it is far superior to whey-based Protein powders: http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/276918/177450/protein-vegetarians-vegans (links to HealthCentral)

Great article! Aside from my Premier Protein shake I drink every morning, I have been trying to eat as much clean, real food since my surgery. And you're right, it's really not as hard and time consuming as people think. But let's face it, losing weight and more imortantly keeping it off requires preparation and planning. I've never seen anyone be successful with either by just "winging it".

I interviewed the lead FDA investigator working on aspartame, which initially was developed for chemical warfare. He quit the FDA because of the corruption that was going on behind the scenes with that product approval. For one thing, the lab rats that developed cancer from aspartame were removed from the clinical trials. Really, a whistle-blower movie should be made about it. And there is lots of data that show artificial sweeteners actually increase appetite and thusly lead to weight increase.

And don't get me started on artificial sweeteners! (That are in all my Protein drinks from my hospital)! The dietician actually hung her head when I asked if there were artificial sweeteners in the stuff I had to buy from them for my liquid Protein.< /p>

I have not seen that documentary but I have seen quite a few others. I believe the first one to really open my eyes was food Inc. As for soy, reportedly it was a product of low value that they could not sell, so they rebranded it as a health food and charged a lot of money for it. Here is why I'll never eat soy: http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/276918/177213/ll-eat-soy (like to my article on HealthCentral)

Have you read Pandora's Pantry? A real eye opener to the food industry. Things we thought were healthy for us are chemically changed...especially soy, it's really not for human consumption! And I always used Canola oil thinking it was a good fat. But it goes thru so much processing, you wouldn't want it in your home!

That's such a great idea to prep food on Sunday. My husband and I used to do this on Saturdays when we got back from the CSA with our haul of fresh veggies and fruits.

My plan to prep foods for the week on Sunday's while enjoying my morning coffee so there is no excuse during the week. Veggies, fruits, lean meats, and some grains. I hope that my daughter will eventually gain better eating, but it doesn't help when she goes to her dad's and he serves food that is not the healthiest (not to mention he is a health educator as well lol)!! Slowly changing the way!!

Great advice, Lizcan! Thank you!!

The saying "eat only things your grandmother would recognize" comes to mind.

I like this "Only eat things that are considered the ingredients for other foods." If it has a food label then I think twice about whether or not it is healthy for me. Thank you for sharing your perspective and thank you for your commitment to cook meals from scratch! Bravo to you!!!

"The food industry also has somehow convinced us that it takes too long to cook a meal from scratch." - I agree with that quote. I try to cook almost everything myself, that way, I know what's in it.

And I try to live by this quote as well, "Only eat things that are considered the ingredients for other foods." :-) In other words, eat foods that are as close to their natural state as possible or with minimal processing.

I had a career that kept me away from my home, and my kitchen, 45-60-hours per week. I did not want to cook after a long day, but I wanted to serve a nice meal to my family. However, I learned to develop fast and simple recipes -- typically 5 ingredients that can be prepared in under 30-minutes.

Our food is killing us. Today's families are fat and diseased from a diet of processed foods, and our children will be the first generation to live shorter lives than their parents. Time is of the essence: We must change course right now. It’s time to start eating real food and stop eating ‘frankenfood.’ This is not just another fad diet. It’s about saving lives.

Gastric bypass weight-loss surgery was my wake-up call in 2003 to reverse my personal obesity epidemic and diabetes and hypertension — the death triad as I now call it (read my story). To borrow a phrase, I was sick, fat, and nearly dead in my 30s, a processed food junkie on ~10 prescription medications. Without bariatric surgery and lifestyle changes I would not be alive today. I would have missed out on my grandchildren. That’s a very sobering and humbling thought. Instead, I cheated death, I surely did, thank you, G-d.

The problem underlying these health conditions is the modern American diet heavily-laden with grains, refined sugars, unhealthy fats, and toxic food additives. Obesity is even harder to treat than the diseases/health conditions it causes. The low treatment success rate associated with obesity is likely because people need to commit to changing patterns deeply woven into social fabric, food and beverage commerce patterns, personal eating habits, and sedentary lifestyle. And if you think the bariatric surgery is an easy pass to skinny, then I’m here to tell you that it isn’t.

My approach is one of replacing grains, refined sugars, and unhealthy fats with fresh, local and seasonal food that is chemical-free, sustainable, and nutrient-dense. That was a complete turnaround for me. I had a career that kept me away from my home, and my kitchen, 45-60-hours per week. I did not want to cook after a long day, but I wanted to serve a nice meal to my family. So I relied on processed foods, aka frankenfood, like frozen stuffed chicken cordon blue, frozen broccoli in cheese sauce, and a white rice pilaf from a box.

However I learned to develop fast and simple recipes -- typically 5-ingredients that could be prepared in about 30-minutes. The food industry is very deceiving in their marketing. They craftily paint a picture of health and convenience for us, labelling processed food products as “healthy” or “all natural” and use words like wholesome goodness, when these claims in reality are not backed by truth. There are no regulations or standards that define “healthy” so just because something is labelled healthy doesn’t mean that it is. And generally-speaking, if a food was “all natural” it would not be packaged in a box with an ingredients label.

The food industry also has somehow convinced us that it takes too long to cook a meal from scratch. I know, I used to believe that lie! It’s really not much trouble to grill a chicken breast and some vegetables and serve it with a salad. In fact, in the amount of time it took me to serve up a dinner of processed foods, I was able to serve up a much tastier and far healthier meal of real food to my family — and the rewards are tremendous.

Dinner in my house typically is a grilled or roasted Protein with fresh grilled or roasted vegetables and a salad. Sometimes I’ll make a stir-fry served over quinoa, or a homemade Soup, or crockpot chili. These are all examples of how I make real food real simple in my home, and anyone can learn to cook like this. By the way, this is the way my daughter cooks for her family, too, as cooking skills whether good or bad are passed down from generation to generation. What cooking skills are you teaching your children?

I use some minimally-processed foods. I try to avoid at all costs those foods with any chemical ingredients, or ingredients list that contains more than 5 items. And I never bring any processed foods Desserts into my home, such as boxed cake mixes, frozen donuts, brownies from the supermarket bakery aisle. If I want dessert then I have to make it from scratch and that’s fairly involved. Because it’s so much work I won’t make dessert every day; heck I won’t even make it once a month! You won’t, either.

Living larger than ever,

My Bariatric Life

www.mybariatriclife.org

Bravo, bravo bavo! May G-d continue to bless you, Robanne!

@@Nate74 I am very happy for you and admire your commitment to Self. I was very fortunate to have a Spiritual Guide help me on my path. Some of the things he told me:

Use your words only to lift people up (Mom told me that one, too)

Love even when it doesn't make sense

It is an opportunity to grow. What have I learned from this life lesson?

Its not my job to fix the other person

When negative thoughts arise say, "No! I refuse to accept these thoughts!"

And he always encouraged me to pray

Something I read in class tonight is that you may do good things in this lifetime and not receive the benefit/rewards of that in this lifetime (I am paraphrasing).

My personal experience is that just like building muscle by working out at the gym, or building a skill such as piano playing through lessons, that this too takes practice to master our emotions so that we are acting through love always. I was just put to the test yesterday and it was natural this time around to keep my emotions under control in a situation that was very painful. I did my best to bring love and harmony to restore peace but it seems I did not accomplish that. And although I'd like it to have turned out differently, I have to resist to try and fix it any further (that would be forcing my will upon someone), and let it be in G-d's hands now.

I read this today, "Non-interference is the most important spiritual law in the universe. Interference is when you deliberately try to control another’s life... If you’re not interfering with others, you can focus on living your own life... Are you trying to fix them, and how exactly are you going to do that? Whom have you ever fixed? It would be more important to ask yourself why you need to solve another’s problems. It’s amazing, when you leave people alone, they like it. This is the understanding of the spiritual law of harmony— non-interference."

Keep up the good work!

@@Puppypaws57 good luck to you and please accept my apology. As I read my reply above to you, I come across to myself as preachy. I do not judge you, I want to be clear about that. I should not have made statements like "It seems to me..." I am passing along some advice that someone gave to me. He was very instrumental in my emotional healing.

I think ! will always have a challenge with weight gain. I have a book on my shelf that says weight gain is caused by suppressed emotions. I gained some weight this year after my mom passed and I am finally at a place where I can take it off. I pray you find inner peace.

@@Puppypaws57 I wanted to check-in and see how you are doing. It sounds like this man was very sick and this must have been awful for you and your family. I would say that you've hit the nail on the head, the fat was there to protect you. I once went to a "survivor's support group" of women who had been sexually assaulted and each woman was morbidly obese.

Again I say this with loving kindness and I hope that you will understand that I am a direct person. It seems to me that you are judging your sister for the way she dealt with this situation. Understand it is not your place to compare your path to her path. Believing she has it easier, perhaps envying that, and criticizing her choices only serves to prolong your suffering. Only look at her through the eyes of love. Find your compassion for her.

As for your parents, sometimes people make bad choices. They were weak. Forgive them for yourself, for your own wellbeing. Let go.

And I say this as someone who has turned around her thinking about a couple of people. I was not a religious person, and I had lost touch with my spirituality having renounced G-d when my beloved mother took ill and suffered a horrible debilitating disease for well over a decade. So it was on New Year's Eve leading into NY Day of this year that I prayed and asked to be filled with the Holy Spirit and only see this person through the eyes of love. And when the painful feelings would surface I prayed even harder. And what happened was my prayers were answered. I had a spiritual awakening. Short story, my life has been different ever since. It has been amazing. That's not to say it doesn't take work. It does, but eventually you become the master of your emotions and your mind just like anything you study or practice. And as I said, it is amazing.

BTW I want to make it clear that the plastic surgeon who sexualized my exam, mentioned in my previous post, was not affiliated with either of my plastic surgeons, Dr. Capella and Dr. Winslow, or their practices.

Good luck to you.

Because Jesus first forgave us therefore we must also forgive.

That is so true. Jesus preached love, compassion, and forgiveness. In every situation we have the choice (free will) to act out of love. In fact, if we were to always project love and light on one another, we would manifest Heaven on Earth.

Way to go, Stevehud!

There are so many ways we can live life to the fullest. My personal branding statement, "living larger than ever," has real meaning to me. I don't let fear (or fat) hold me back any longer from doing the things I want to do or saying what's in my heart.

It's also really important that we show others the way. How to do what we have done. That they, too, can live a life free from obesity and disease and processed food addiction.

We all can wake up and become the greatest aspects of ourselves! Good luck with the 5k and guitar and all else that you aspire to do. And enjoy the journey!!!

I got to thinking, now that I was not spending all those precious moments eating, how would I fill-in my dash? Do you know what I mean by the dash? It's that short line that will appear on my tombstone and sums up my life. And along that dash are the many moments in time that make up my life. What would I do to make this life, my life, a life that is worth living?

Living larger than ever,

My Bariatric Life

Visit me on MyBariatricLife.org, Flickr, Vimeo, Twitter, YouTube, StumbleUpon, Google+

View my Borne Appétit recipe collection on Pinterest

I had a lot done so I am not sure how much just my facelift was, I think maybe 6k.

Thank you so much for posting this. Every word resonates with me, although less and less now.

Hugs

Kate

You are very welcome, Kate. I find that wherever I am in my journey that I still have lessons to learn.

Health isn't just about eating right and exercising. It is also about taking care of yourself emotionally and mentally. There is an attitude adjustment needed when we strive to transform our physical bodies. Our “being” consists of body, mind, and spirit, which are all highly inter-connected. Our whole being, our self, has to be involved in success.

Health isn't just about eating right and exercising. It is also about taking care of yourself emotionally and mentally. There is an attitude adjustment needed when we strive to transform our physical bodies. Our “being” consists of body, mind, and spirit, which are all highly inter-connected. Our whole being, our self, has to be involved in success.

So following an Eastern philosophy to keeping healthy, I try to please all three aspects of my being in order to keep it in balance. Where applicable, I’ve added my real-world experience using techniques that have helped to transform emotionally and mentally in areas where I’ve experienced a loss of power.

I hope these words of wisdom will inspire and strengthen you during your weight-loss journey.

1. Stop doubting

Observe and assess your thoughts. Do you notice habitual patterns of negative thinking? If so, make a conscious decision to replace those negative thoughts with kind or positive thoughts. Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t — you’re right.”

I took the Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction 8-week course (MBSR) developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., professor of medicine emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Scientists have proven that meditation strengthens the immune system, increases heart health, reduces stress, slows biological aging, strengthens coping skills, even changes brain chemistry - and can be instrumental in helping us create positive behavior changes. A study by Davidson and Kabat-Zinn et al showed that after training in MBSR for eight weeks, study participants process information in a more positive way, using more optimistic sides of their frontal cortex rather than negative sides.

2. Stop limiting yourself

See in your mind’s eye what you want for yourself and your life. See, imagine, dream of the person you want to be. See, imagine, and dream of the life you want to live. Act as if you are that person. Live into your dream. It's not who you are that holds you back, rather it is who you think you're not.

I was taught a visualization technique by Rev. Mark, my spiritual guide. He told me to visualize three TV monitors playing a scene from my life that I want to transform. This could be any one issue, from a relationship that was not serving me well to a lifestyle choice that was not completely healthy. I would mentally watch that scene play out on each of the three monitors then take a steel ball bearing and throw it through the screens to shatter the images. I would then turn around and visualize one large screen TV playing out that scene in the way I want it to be — depicting me behaving in a manner that is completely healthy inside and out. Do this for 30-days straight to bring you closer to achieving that state.

3. Stop waiting

Being strong sometimes means facing the need for positive life changes head on. Live positively for your health and happiness. Not only you, but your loved ones, friends, and associates will be inspired.

Today, we accept that there is a powerful mind-body connection through which emotional, mental, social, and spiritual factors directly affect our health. I recently became reacquainted with the practice of meditation, specifically as a spiritual practice. Meditation allows me to clear my mind of emotional debris such as sadness, lack of forgiveness, lack of self love or self care, blaming, and anger. It also helps to release any emotions I may be holding on to that may 'weigh me down' emotionally, spiritually, and physically. I believe that meditation helps me to release negative energy like sadness and anger, instead of turning to food as a coping mechanism. Self soothing with food was my pattern of behavior when I was morbidly obese — a habit that likely played a pivotal role in my becoming morbidly obese in the first place.

4. Stop making excuses

You cannot just sit and wait around for someone to solve your problems. You’ve got to get out there and make what you want happen. Otherwise, if you change nothing, then nothing will change. It’s OK to seek the help of others, just don’t expect others to do the work for you.

5. Stop quitting

The pessimistic mind will stay stuck in inaction, perhaps afraid to change, thinking that his or her situation cannot change, or that change is too hard to be had. An optimistic mind notices the opportunities, things to be grateful for, and that even though things may be hard or bad right now they will change once again.

Rev. Mark also taught me to do positive affirmations. This is a daily practice that has no ending because the pessimistic mind can easily overtake the optimistic mind if given the chance. Facing east, look into a mirror and into your left eye (east is of the mind and the left eye receives). Concentrate and set your intentions that you are creating your reality; this focus is similar to a meditative state. Now say your affirmations in the present tense. For example say, “I eat fresh healthy foods that nourish my body,” rather than, “I will eat fresh healthy foods that nourish my body.” Gregg Bradon, New York Times best selling author, says the universe takes your words very literally. So if you say something in the future tense then the universe will manifest this in your future; however, the future never comes now does it? It’s like saying “someday I will eat healthy…”

6. Start believing

It is not the future that you are afraid of. It’s repeating the past mistakes that makes you anxious. Stop putting your past in the present and ruining your future. Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life. Tiptoe if you must, but take the step.

I completed the Landmark Forum, as have many of my professional colleagues and friends. It is a powerful personal development program designed to bring about positive, permanent shifts in the quality of your life in just three intensive days. Participants are given a technology for putting the past where it belongs – in the past. Then begin to design their lives as a free and authentic expression – from what is possible, rather than what has been. This dramatic shift enables participants to think and act outside existing views and limits, and to redefine themselves and the reality they have known.

These are just a few techniques that worked for me so feel free to try whatever resonates with you. We each must find what individually keeps us in balance as each of us is a being as unique as our fingerprints.

You also may enjoy my series of interviews with Lori Rosenthal, MS, RD, CDN, a bariatric dietitian, and Susan Harrow Rago, MS, RD, LDN, who has been involved in health programming for more than 25-years. Read more at HealthCentral:

Keep the Weight Off for Life

Long Term Weight Loss Eating Habits

Controlling Emotional Eating After Weight Loss Surgery

Support is Key to Maintaining Weight Loss

Weight Loss with Nutrition Counseling, Q&A with Susan Harrow Rago

I paid $7k for my Tummy Tuck in April 2013

I am sharing my wonderful recipe make-overs with BariatricPal that I originally published on HealthCentral Obesity, a health news and information site similar to WebMD. These are the recipes that have helped me to be successful in maintaining my weight loss from bariatric surgery in 2003. These include delicious Protein shakes - some of which taste even better than the delicious fat and sugar-laden Frappucinos at Starbucks, protein bars that are far more healthy and affordable than those you buy online/in-store, and awesome recipe-makeovers of foods you love but are no longer part of a bariatric life food plan.

Paleo Caffé Freddo from Borne Appétit

Now, some purists say “sugar is sugar” and not considered Paleo. It also is refined, which may exclude it from some Paleoists’ plan of eating. On the other hand, some Paleoists consider coconut sugar one of the preferred sweeteners. I use coconut sugar in moderation, even sparingly, not on a daily basis. I drink my daily coffee with an equal part of pure coconut Water and a splash of pure low-fat 100% coconut milk. As long as coconut sugar doesn’t give you problems, such as a “crutch” to keep your sugar cravings alive, then occasional use is okay in my opinion. Just don’t label it “Paleo” and use it as an excuse to begin to drink sugar-sweetened beverages again.

Coconut sugar reportedly carries a lower glycemic load than other refined sugar. However, the devil is in the details. Glycemic load and contents vary by brand due to different processing techniques. So I advise smart sourcing of your coconut sugar, and be sure to buy certified organic.

With that disclaimer made, let’s get to my recipe…

Follow this link to HealthCentral to get the recipe for Paleo Caffé Freddo from Borne Appétit