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Quit dancing around the subject and start using the STAPLE ingredient in the Recipe for Recovery: COMMITMENT. If you're guilty of doing the RECOVERY HOKEY POKEY, it's time to put your WHOLE SELF IN!


The Recovery Hokey Pokey
You put your right thigh in.
You put your right thigh out.
You put your right thigh in…
and it jiggles all about…
You do recovery hokey pokey and
it turns you inside out
Yhat’s what it’s all about!
Weight loss. There’s simply nothing like it. The pounds come off. You feel great. People notice how much “better” you look. The scale is showing numbers you haven’t seen since high school. And then…it stops. Everything stops. The great feeing…the compliments…the scale.
Maybe this “losing weight” thing isn’t all it’s cracked up to be after all. What happens when all the excitement fades? What happens to the motivation? What happens to that “high” you felt when you jumped out of bed to greet the day each morning at the beginning of the weight loss adventure? What happens to the excitement of doing exercises you’ve never been able to do before?
Oh – reality! Yes, reality and the ordinariness of life sets in and now you don’t feel so inspired to do the things you need to do to get what you say you want. You know – improved health and a better quality of life. Those are the reasons most people (initially) state as their reasons for having weight loss surgery.
“I don’t think I’ll work out today because…I’m tired and deserve to sleep-in.”
“Maybe I’ll workout tonight, after work, when the kids are asleep.”
“Gosh! I had a long day, and the kids are down…maybe I should get some sleep while I can. I’ll exercise in the morning.”
“You know, I haven’t eaten anything ‘bad’ in a long time; I ‘deserve’ a little treat for all of my hard work. I’ll just have a little bowl of something sweet.”
“I’m really hungry. Maybe I’ll just eat the other half.”
“Who brought the donuts? I wonder if there’s a “plain” one in there…that wouldn’t be so bad.”
Sound familiar? Your enthusiasm wanes, then your motivation flies out the window, and whammo! You’ve lost enthusiasm for the commitment you made to your healthy recovery. What happened? What is commitment, anyway?
A commitment is a promise you make to yourself to do something or to be loyal to someone or something. We love the definition of commitment from Urban Dictionary:
“Commitment is what transforms the promise into reality.
It is the words that speak boldly of your intentions.
And the actions which speak louder than the words.
It is making the time when there is none.
Coming through time after time after time, year after year after year.
Commitment is the stuff character is made of;
The power to change the face of things.
It is the daily triumph of integrity over skepticism.”
by Ashbash January 13, 2005
Your commitment to living a healthy lifestyle can be a promise you make to yourself, to your children, or to your entire family. Commitments that you write down and share with others are more likely to be maintained. Stating your commitment to your healthy lifestyle every day (out loud is best) will remind you of the promises you made to follow through with the behaviors that result in improved health and a better quality of life – the reasons you chose to have weight loss surgery.
SO – when you wake up each morning, maybe sing this version of the Recovery Hokey Pokey:
I put my whole self in.
I put my old habits out.
I put my best effort in…
And I get good results out!
I stop recovery hokey pokey –
And I get rid of all self-doubt!
THAT’s what it’s all about!
Are you singing the Blues or Happy Days in your Recovery? Tune into the June APODCast on June 17, and you just might hear The Doc might sing The Recovery Hokey Pokey.

If weight loss surgery is in your future, you’ve surely heard of the “liquid diet.” You may have heard of a clear liquid diet and a full liquid diet. You may know they come sometime before and after surgery. And beyond that, it may be a little hazy.
Doing your liquid diet right can help you succeed with weight loss surgery. It can help you heal faster and lose more weight. So here’s the scoop on the liquid diets: what they are, when you follow them, and why they’re so confusing!


Clear Liquid
On a clear liquid diet, you only drink only clear liquids, that is, liquids you can mostly see through. Examples include water and flavored water (such as Crystal Light), sports and electrolyte drinks, diluted apple, grape, and cranberry juice, decaf tea, sugar-free juice drinks such as Kool Aid, broth and bouillon, and sugar-free popsicles.
A clear liquid diet does NOT include protein shakes. It also excludes orange juice with pulp and carbonated drinks.
Your surgery may ask you to go on a liquid diet a day or two before surgery. After surgery, you’ll be on a clear liquid diet for 1 to 2 days. Your surgeon may have you stay on it longer. When you get the clearance, you can begin your full liquid diet.
Full Liquid
The full liquid diet is more nutritious than the clear liquid diet. It can keep you nourished for weeks or months at a time. You may be on a full liquid pre-op diet for a few days or even weeks before surgery.
A full liquid diet includes all the liquids on a clear liquid diet, plus milk. Your surgeon may allow watery cream of wheat and thin yogurt.
A full liquid diet DOES include protein shakes. That’s key because it’s where you get most of your nutrients from.
After surgery, you’ll stay on a full liquid diet until about 1 to 2 or more weeks post-op, depending on what your surgeon and nutritionist recommend. Then you’ll move to a pureed foods diet.
The sooner you move from clear to full liquids, the sooner you can give your body important nutrients like protein. Still, don’t rush it! Giving your pouch, sleeve, or stomach more than it can handle is a sure way to develop complications, whether you’re shortly post-op or you just got a band fill.
If you have the lap-band, you may be on a full liquid diet after a fill or adjustment. This may last a day or so.
What’s the Point?
Why go on a liquid diet? It’s a way of keeping you hydrated – and nourished, on the full liquid diet – without eating solid foods.

Pre-op: It shrinks your liver, so the surgeon can see better and your surgery is safer. It also makes surgery safer because it helps you lose weight. Finally, it
Post-op: It lets you stay hydrated without harming your surgery scars or getting in the way of healing. Your body uses some of the protein on a full liquid diet to help heal your wounds.
After a fill: It lets you stay hydrated and get some nutrients even while you may be a little sore from the fill.

What About Nutrients?
Ask your surgeon or nutritionist what your daily goals are on the diet. You’ll probably be asked to have a minimum of 64 ounces of fluids, PLUS (if you’re on the full liquid diet) at least 65 grams of protein per day.
You might be able to meet your nutrient needs if your protein shakes are fortified, but you might also be asked to take vitamin supplements. Liquid vitamins can help you get your vitamins without swallowing pills. Nearly all bariatric patients should take a multivitamin both before and after surgery.
You might also need liquid iron, sublingual or liquid vitamin B12, and liquid calcium with vitamin D. If you’re among those weight loss surgery patients who are worried about losing hair after surgery, you might also want to consider a liquid biotin supplement.
Ask Your Surgeon or Nutritionist!
If you’ve done your research on liquid diets, you’ve probably noticed something: they’re all different! Ask five different experts or visit five different sites, and you’ll probably get five different sets of guidelines on liquid diets. They can vary in when you follow them and what you’re allowed to have. Why so different?
For one thing, there’s a certain amount of risk and reward to weigh. Everyone agrees, for example, that you shouldn’t have celery and sunflower seeds the day after weight loss surgery. The risk of getting it caught in your band or ripping your surgery stitches apart are too great.
But what about something less obvious, like decaf coffee? Some surgeons forbid it, claiming the acidity is too much of a risk. It can increase risk of heartburn irritate the stomach, which can slow healing. Other surgeons allow it. They may reason that the benefits of allowing it (hydration!) outweigh the risks of it doing any harm. There’s no single right answer; it’s a question of your health professional’s judgment.
Another reason for different guidelines from different surgeons is that we don’t always know what’s best for YOU as an individual. Some patients respond differently, and there is no way to predict. So, some surgeons are conservative and forbid many foods, while others are more likely to allow you to experiment with a wider range of liquids.
So, that’s all there is to it. The clear liquid diet is a short-term plan that can last a couple of days, while a full liquid diet can keep you going for weeks or more. Do your best to follow your surgeon or nutritionist’s guidelines, and you’ll be doing yourself a big favor!

Weight loss surgery is hard work, and being in a time crunch can be another challenge. After weight loss surgery, you may need to spend extra time planning meals, preparing your food, and working out. That time can become a barrier to success
So how can you fit weight loss into your already-packed life? We have a few tips that can help you save precious minutes here and there.


Serve one meal per family.
Do you regularly make your family one meal and make yourself another? You’re doubling the time you spend cooking. You’re also showing your family that healthy eating is something that only YOU do, not something “normal.”
Save time and make the healthy eating bandwagon more welcoming by planning to serve one basic meal at each family dinner. You can always alter it to make it a little lower calorie for yourself, or to add some of the treats that your family loves but that are off-limits for you.
Take a spaghetti dinner, for example. You can skip the pasta but serve it to everyone else, while making lean ground turkey meatballs in tomato sauce with a side of veggies that you and everyone can enjoy. If you’re craving noodles, use some low-carb ones or make zucchini noodles. Then, if your family wants, offer extras such as parmesan cheese and garlic bread. It’s no extra work for you, and everyone gets what they want…while they get some good nutrients in them, too.
Use meal helpers – the healthy ones.
We’re not talking about boxes of rice or pasta helpers or family-sized frozen mac and cheese or pizza. We’re talking about healthy meal helpers, such as already-marinated chicken breast, pre-cut salad and veggies, and rotisserie chicken. They’re nutritious, and they save time.
You can also stockpile instant high-protein meals for anytime. BariatricPal has tons of hot and cold breakfasts and lunch and dinner choices that are ready in minutes and designed for weight loss surgery patients. Choose them for breakfast or lunch at work, for a quick dinner, or when you just feel like a great-tasting entrée without needing to cook.
Multi-task when appropriate.
We’re not fans of multi-tasking when it comes to focusing. In fact, multi-tasking can actually be one of the biggest time-wasters of your day since it takes so much time to switch your attention from one task to another. But in its place, multi-tasking can be a brilliant time-saving move.
Doubling up on family time and chores is one of the most sensible ways to multi-task. You’ll get to spend more time with your family, while making chores more pleasant and saving time. Take your children with you to the supermarket (bonus: they can learn to read food labels!), and work on household chores together. Cleaning the house is a lot more fun when it’s a family activity, and it’ll teach good habits and responsibility.
Multi-tasking can also be a great way to fit more exercise into your life, since one of the biggest excuses for not getting active is lack of time. Walk them to and from school while you chat about their days. Walk laps, doing jumping jacks and squats, or even help out the coach and run drills with the kids if you’re watching your children’s sports practice. Encourage your children to play outside, and make it fun for them by being right there with them. Walk on a treadmill, use an exercise bike, or march in place while watching TV or during commercial breaks.
Make movement part of life.
Did you know moving for even a minute at a time can give you tons of benefits? There are plenty of ways to add in activity without taking an extra second of your time. You can try different games with yourself to see which works for you. You might decide to stand up every time you send a text message or check your phone, or remind yourself to walk around your office whenever you’re on the phone.
Now, we’re not saying to quit your gym membership or give up on your regular workouts. Just know that every little bit counts, and getting in a few minutes here and there can keep your metabolism going and help you think more clearly…so you can make better food choices.
Plan ahead to save time.
Sometimes it’s hard to set aside a few minutes to plan the week’s meals, recipes, and grocery shopping, but it saves time overall. You’ll be able to zip through the grocery store and get meals on the table faster when you already know exactly what you’re making. Planning ahead can even let you plan for leftovers, so you don’t have to cook another meal just yet.
You already know that sustainability is the key to long-term weight loss surgery success. The more you can fit your healthy weight loss surgery habits into your regular life, the easier it’ll be to keep up those good habits. They don’t need to take up much time as long as you plan them carefully.