VerticalSleeveTalk Newsletter 07/22/2012

[Alex Brecher 10,494]

Hey, Sleevers!

We’re into the long, lazy days of summer – but there’s plenty going on at VerticalSleeveTalk.com! So why don’t you use this newsletter as a reminder to get on over to the boards? It’ll help you stay on track or motivate you to get back on board if you’ve gotten off track a little. Here’s what you’ll find in this newsletter.

• Burning question: What’s the Big Deal about Protein?

• Member Spotlight: Meet Queen of Crop!

• Sleever Challenge: Record Your Diet!

• Become a Board Expert: How to Get More Involved

We hope you’re having a great summer and feeling great about meeting your weight loss and healthy lifestyle goals. Enjoy the newsletter, and of course please contact me any time with suggestions, comments or any other feedback. See you on the boards!

Sincerely,

Alex Brecher

Founder

Breakfast should be high in protein to give you a good start for the day.

But why is protein so important? First, it’s an essential nutrient for your immune system and as a part of your muscles, skin, bones and other body tissues. But it’s even more important when you’re losing weight so fast, like you are after getting your sleeve surgery. When you lose weight, you’re losing body fat, of course. But if you’re not careful to get enough protein, you’re going to lose a noticeable amount of lean body mass, too. That means you’ll lose some muscle mass and your metabolism will slow down.

Another benefit of protein is that it actually helps you stick to your low-calorie post-surgery diet so that you lose weight faster. Protein takes a longer time to digest than carbohydrates. That means that eating a high-protein meal will help you stay full for longer than a high-carbohydrate meal without much protein. So don’t forget to hit your protein at each meal! Aim for one to two servings per meal, and if you have a snack, include some protein.

What are the best sources of protein? Stay tuned for the answer coming up in a future newsletter!

If you have a burning question that you’d like to see answered in the newsletter, just send Alex a PM over in the forums. It can be about anything – questions about the sleeve, food, fitness, weight loss, health…just let us know!

Member Spotlight – Meet Queen of Crop!

This week’s member spotlight is on…Queen of Crop, otherwise known as Sharene from…somewhere in the world! You all know her as an inspirational and beautiful lady who motivates others on the board to follow in her footsteps, but it took a rude wake-up call and some amazing support from her husband to get her where she is today.

Sharene and her husband sold their business and house in Hawaii last year, when Sharene was 57, and started to travel. From the U.S. they went to Europe, spending countless hours walking and enjoying the sights. She and her husband were truly living every retiree’s dream – until the wake-up call came. At 200+ pounds, and only 5 feet 3 inches tall, Sharene’s body couldn’t keep up. Her hip, knees and feet gave out, and something serious needed to be done.

There was some drama as Sharene and her husband finally talked about the monster in the closet – her weight. But through it all, he was supportive in her need to get healthy. She and her husband were willing to come back to the U.S. if needed, but they found a surgeon in Frankfurt, Germany, who could do the vertical sleeve procedure on her.

Now, their travels are not only an adventure in new places, but Sharene is able to enjoy everything so much more, and she and her husband have only grown closer. Sharene continues to visit VerticalSleeveTalk.com every day for support and to help others, and she is grateful for the information she gets here, not to mention the friends she’s made.

Want to know where Sharene is now and what’s she and her husband are up to? Check out her blog at www.queenofcrop.com. She updates it every Sunday and, as she puts it, it’s a chronicle of a year in the life of a sleever. Thanks, Sharene, for being in our Member Spotlight!

We feature a different VerticalSleeveTalk.com member each week in our Member Spotlight section. Let us know in the member spotlight forum if there’s someone you want to learn more about or if you want to be our spotlighted member! Nominating yourself isn’t bragging. We all want to learn more about you if you’re willing to share your trials, triumphs, tricks and tips! If you’re shy, just PM Alex with the message that you want to be in the spotlight. Thanks!

Sleever Challenge – Record Your Diet!

Each newsletter, we challenge you with another Sleever Challenge. It’s a chance to push yourself a little outside of your comfort zone or get you thinking about ways to make your weight loss journey even more successful. The challenge can inspire you to try things that you’d never thought about but that can make you more successful and confident in your weight loss journey. The challenge is completely non-competitive, but we hope you’ll post your results in the Challenge Forum so that other members can be motivated by your own challenge actions.

Study after study proves that the most successful losers – and maintainers – record their diets. If you don’t already do it, now’s a good time to get into the habit. This newsletter’s challenge is for you to record your diet for three days. Include what you eat, how much and what time you had each meal and snack. You can also put in details like how hungry you were before you ate and afterwards, whether you ate exactly what you’d planned, and whether you were eating with people or alone.

Did you learn anything new about your diet? Is there anything you can change so that your choices are healthier? Let us know how it went in the Challenge Forum! There, you can always look back at the previous challenges and post your results. It’s never too late to try something new.

Better Boarding Tips – Getting into the Swing of Things

For some members, jumping right into the conversations on the board feels natural. You know exactly what to say and have no trouble asking for help and providing your own support. For the rest of us, it can be a little tougher. We may not always know what to say to someone who needs help or how to reach out for support when we need it. How can you improve your social boarding skills? Practice!

The more you post, the more comfortable you’ll feel. Start by filling in your profile, if you haven’t already. Head on over to the Tell Your Story Forum (or you can get there from the front page) and welcome a few new members. Then browse the forums until you see some topics that call to you. You might be able to answer some member questions about food choices or some of the pros and cons that you’ve experienced with your weight loss surgery. You’ll soon feel like an old pro with so much practice, and the other members will sure appreciate your input!

That’s about it for this week’s newsletter. You can always find the old newsletters in the newsletter forum if you ever miss one.

Thanks as always for your support, and we’re looking forward to seeing you out on the boards! Take care of yourself and each other,

Alex

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[iggychic 1,405]

I don't even know how to post given the iPad system is so disjointed, but I hope you read this. I love the people here, but I hate the Internet site on my iPad and the app sucks. I it her get too many notifications or none. I'm giving it a week to be fixed and then I'll find another site.