Amelia Mahone

If metabolic syndrome is the cause of your weight gain, a diet that is low to moderate in calories coupled with an exercise plan may not be enough to lose the weight. And if you continue to eat the wrong foods, exercise and diet may not help at all.


In the late 1970s the government mandated we get the fat out of our food. The food industry responded by putting in more sugar. And that, we see by historical data, correlates to the time when America’s obesity epidemic began. Read my article, “Cause and Cure of Obesity in America.”
In the New York Times best seller Fat Chance: Beating the Odds against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity and Disease, author Dr. Robert H. Lustig, a renown expert on obesity, points out that “a calorie is not a calorie.”
Not all calories are equal. Whether the calorie comes from fructose, glucose, Protein or fat is important to its metabolic effect and how much fat that calorie accounts for.
Fructose and glucose — just two of the many names that sugar goes by — and even protein are said to be the culprits behind insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. Insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome are two primary causes of obesity in both adults and children.
If you are struggling with the problem of an overgrown waistline, aka “belly fat,” this may be an indicator of these health conditions. Read my article, “Belly Fat is a Danger for All People.”
If metabolic syndrome is the cause of your weight gain, a diet that is low to moderate in calories coupled with an exercise plan may not be enough to lose the weight. And if you continue to eat the wrong foods, exercise and diet may not help at all.
What are the Wrong Foods?
Sugar goes by a variety of names, about 52 in all, including glucose, maltose, sucrose, and fructose. The result has been an altering of our biochemistry that has driven our eating out of control, according to Dr. Lustig. Dr. Lustig further states that so-called healthy sugars such as agave, coconut and palm sugars are all “crap.” Checkout this HealthCentral sugar infographic named Sugar is to Blame:
http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/380545/179644/sugar-blame-infographic/
Dr. Andrew Weil, a well-known guru for holistic health and integrative medicine, agrees on this point. Dr. Weil warns that sugar is toxic, and coupled with modern industrial food, has disastrous effects on the hormones that control hunger, satiety, and weight.
Both Dr. Lustig and Dr. Ron Rosedale, author of The Rosedale Diet, advise that branch chain amino acids (BCAAs) and protein contribute to insulin resistance and obesity. I’ve been eating a high-protein diet and taking BCAAs because I thought I was doing my body good.
Whey protein, which I and the majority of bariatric patients have been conditioned to consume, is one of the worst foods for releasing insulin in the body according to Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt, a Swedish medical doctor and specialist in family medicine.
Dr. Eenfeldt, commonly known on the web as the “Diet Doctor,” interviews Dr. Lustig on the "Causes of Obesity" in the video below (or watch it on
). The Bottom Line
If you think metabolic syndrome may be the cause of your weight gain, then eating a traditional “healthy diet” combined with exercise may result in failure to lose weight. Talk to your nutritionist.
Further, you may wish to explore three diets for metabolic syndrome from Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Robert H. Lustig, and Dr. Andrew Weil in my article, “Metabolic Syndrome and Weight Loss.”
Living larger than ever,
My Bariatric Life

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I WILL BE SLEEVED JAN.21/22. I AM ON liquid diet, BUT WHAT I REALLY WANT TO KNOW IS HOW MANY CABS /PROTIEN WILL I HAVE TO CONSUME A DAY TO CONTINUE TO LOOSE AND MAITAIN WEIGHT LOSS?
I DONT UNDERSTAND HOW PEOPLE ADD SUBTRACT FAT CALORIES AND CARBS. I NEED A INSTRUCTER FOR IDIOTS.

Evolving. I still largely avoid simple carbs and starchy carbs, but I don't freak out over a piece of fruit or a glass of milk anymore.

I am all about balance. My nut taught me from the very beginning that you need to focus on a balanced plate of food. Fruits and vegetables are a part of that balanced plate.
I use myfitness pal to track my Protein, calories and carbs. I know exactly where I need to be consistently to lose weight. I will soon figure out where I need to be to maintain. I think maintenance for me will be somewhere around 1300 calories, less than 100 grams of carbs and between 70 and 85 grams of Protein, not in that order.
I do try to select good carbs everyday but I also have to be realistic, there are times when I do indulge. Those Cheezeits or a tiny piece of cheesecake once in a while is not going to kill me.

I have to really watch it...of course I love,love,love carbs but carbs don't love me...

I have no problem with carbs in the form of fruit or Beans, etc. I do when it is not something I can justify in terms of getting other nutrients. A banana is still a better thing than chocolate. A carrot is better than a piece of bread.< /p>
I don't see them as good or bad just which is the healthier choice I can make overall?

I'm early into this deal but have found that I do best when I avoid breads, Pasta, pizza and certainly sugar.
I've not had any fruit since being sleeved, either.
Steamed or grilled vegetables, Beans and avocados are carbs that I do enjoy every few days. I love freshly made guacamole.
I do best when I stick to this. No carb cravings or anything like that.

Protein has the reputation of being the most important nutrient and the one to focus on at each meal. People think of Protein, and they think “good.” That’s especially true in the WLS community. Gastric sleeve and bypass patients in particular need to focus on protein to prevent malnutrition. Plus, protein helps you stay full and lowers blood sugar swings.
But carbs? You hear all sorts of things about them…many of them pretty bad. However, there are all kinds of studies linking carbs to health benefits – as long as we’re talking “healthy,” high-fiber, less process carbs, and not refined starches and added sugars. Think oats, Beans, fruit, and vegetables – all linked to lower disease risk and even lower body weight!
Still, carbs can be high-calorie – think of a cup of whole-grain Pasta, Beans, or sweet potatoes with over 200 calories. And many kinds of fruit are so high in sugar they can spike your blood sugar levels.
So, what are your attitudes towards carbs? Do you avoid them? Limit them? Choose only healthy ones? Make sure to balance them with protein and fat? Not worry about them as long as you’re within your calories? Share your thoughts and advice here!

Well said...sip Isopure zero calories Protein drink....

The reason you feel so hungry after eating is not getting in your Protein. Protein is needed because it is essential to make sure your body has enough to maintain muscles and basic function (hair, nails, skin, muscles... all need lots of protein to function well). Protein makes you feel full and satisfied longer as well.
SO skipping your protein because you don't like the drinks is really bad - you risk losing muscle mass, your hair will start falling out faster, your skin and nails will look like crap and you will feel bad because losing muscle mass just makes you weaker. and you'll start feeling vunerable to eating crap again - it is a bad cycle to get caught in.. so stop doing that!
Find protein drinks that you can tolerate. Go buy a few different types at the grocery store, and check out the recommendations on these boards for others available online. You will find one that tastes okay eventually.
Most grocery stores carry a type of low lactose/sugar high protein milk. I am lucky to live where they have one that tastes wonderful - Mootopia (in TX HEB stores) - but there are others like Fairlife I think that are going to be great for a high protein low sugar drink. If you added some Protein powder to that, it probably could be just as good as a regular Protein Drink.
Start reading labels and find things at the store that could work out for you at each stage of your diet. Kroger makes a decent yogurt called Carbmaster that has only 60 calories and 4 grams of carbs, but 9 grams protein and they taste pretty good.
I know when I was finally cleared to eat things like eggs I still couldn't because I threw it up (and continued to throw them up until almost 4 months out). You don't want to rush things food-wise not only because you are trying to relearn how and what to eat, but because your stomach might not be ready for them either... you might not have had that happen yet, but believe me, I'd rather have waited and never experienced the egg intolerance!
In the mean time, work on eating what you're supposed to be eating. Cheating is bound to happen and what you did isn't going to hurt your staples or stretch your stomach, but you have to realize that the only person you're cheating on is yourself. We all end up doing dumb things every once in a while, but don't dwell on them - just resign yourself to getting back on track and recommit to sticking to the program. Get psyched up - you are going to be happy and healthy and rock this sleeve!!!

i am surprise you didn't throw up if your going to cheat you better go walk every day until you lose at least 40 lbs once you lose the 40 now your ready to run burn more than you eat. I had the sleeve done in April 2015 today i am 80 lbs less i went from a size 18 to 10 or 12 depending the cut of the jeans i don't have the perfect diet but its not a diet its a change of eating i exercise every day i burn at least 400 to 500 calories a day i don't even eat that much i drink alot of Water don't like water put crystal light in it helps i eat alot of yogurt most Protein i find a health shop that makes Protein Drinks, still not good with solids my last meal is at 4pm i dont eat after 7pm why i am just laying around watching tv or going to sleep just to get up for work plus if i have too full of stomach i need to purge so too overeat is not worth the crappy feeling. lighten up relax .

Thanks you guys...you're totally right....I'm not straying off again...it's so hard because I am such a foodie. I need to reset myself right now and just keep telling myself there's no going back now (not that I'd want to) and tell myself I'm worth it.

Nip that in the bud now. You need to follow your plan to the letter while you heal. Find another way to get potein in other than shakes. Dont set yourself up for failure or worse. You can do this.

I'm going to be straight up with you on this, it's understandable that you're tired of your choices on liquids. But here's a fact. You worked hard to get this surgery. Why shoot yourself in the foot so early on? Being bored on liquids for a finite period of time is a drop in the bucket in the overall rest of your life. You're investing in your healthy future. That is worth sticking with the program when it gets, boring, inconvenient, or othewise a PITA. You're worth it. Act like it.

Hi guys,
I'm so scared and ashamed of myself. I was sleeved December 10 and here it is December 27 and I already cheated. I am not getting my Protein in (maybe 20 g a day) I hate the taste of my Protein Shakes already and I'm so tired of Soup and cottage cheese, grits and oatmeal. I ate 2 deviled eggs today ( chewed them to mush ) but I just felt like I had to have them. Now I am scared a piece will get stuck in my staple or something and I feel like a total failure. I can only eat about 3 oz at a time which I know is correct but I get hungry so fast, within an hour. I know some of it has to be head hunger, but I'm trying not to be a failure at this and just keep thinking if I failed my full liquid diet already, am I just setting myself up to fail at it all? I wasn't supposed to start puréed foods until 4 weeks which will be on January 7th. I lost 27 pounds the first 2 weeks but now I haven't lost anything for the last 4 days. Can anyone help with any advise? I'm not going to cheat again and am praying so hard I will be successful at this.

THE SLEEVED LIFE

KEEP CALM!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'VE BEEN SLEEVED!!!!!!!!!!!

THE SLEEVED LIFE

GOT SLEEVED!!!!!!!!!

KEEP CALM!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'VE BEEN SLEEVED!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm sorry I don't have any advice for you, I just am interested to see that you've been having hunger since week two. My surgery was 5 days ago and I'm starting to feel hunger. I cannot comprehend how acid is supposed to feel like hunger. I am taking Protonix and Pepcid.
Maybe walking around will help with gut motility. It sounds like you were eating for psychoological reasons rather than real hunger. Maybe you were faced with foods you normally don't allow yourself? Or the social situation?

Yesterday my whole schedule was out of whack. We went to the OAC meeting in LA, good but very poor turnout. I was off on my food schedule, Vitamins, etc. They had free food, fruit, hard boiled eggs, yogurt, etc, so I ate, and a little while later ate again, I could not stop, just like I used to do before sleeve 8/3 of this year. Was full but managed to eat twice while we were there for about 3 hours. Later that day I was so hungry, have been hungry since week 2, yes I get all my liquids, Protein 100gms or more and vitamins, and pepcid, cannot take a PPI. I snacked in afternoon on some cheese and triscuits, we are allowed to have them. Anyway what was worse we went to dinner and I soooo overate, just kept shoving in the salmon, chicken and some veggies, all good stuff, but this was the first time I really thought it was coming back up. Still feel full this AM. Does anyone else do this and how do you stop. I am so grateful for my sleeve, but yesterday it felt like it was not 100% working. Feel depressed and so guilty, any comments or suggestions will be very much appreciated.