VerticalSleeveTalk Newsletter

Hey Sleevers!

The lull of summer is ending, and autumn is just around the corner. How did you do in meeting your goals this summer? We hope you met your weight loss and health goals, but if not, don’t worry. It’s the perfect time to get back into your weight loss routine if you got sidetracked during a summer vacation. Pick yourself up, return to your bariatric surgery diet and, of course, let us help! Here is what you’ll find in this month’s newsletter.

• Sleever Poll: How Did You Find Out About VerticalSleeveTalk.com?

• Member Spotlight – Meet ShrinkingMama!

• Your Sleeve Gastrectomy lunch – Packing Your food for a Busy Day

• Keep the Forums Positive!

Take a look at the newsletter and then join us at VerticalSleeveTalk.com! We’re always looking for more participation, and we welcome your feedback, so drop us a line whenever you want!

Sincerely,

Alex Brecher

Founder

VerticalSleeveTalk.com

Sleever Poll: How Did You Find Out About VerticalSleeveTalk.com?

A. Search engine (e.g., Google, Yahoo!, Bing, etc…please tell us which one)

B. Friend or family member

C. Your surgeon

D. Your primary care physician (PCP)

E. An offline support group

F. Your nutritionist or dietitian

G. Someone else from your doctor’s or surgeon’s office (e.g., a nurse or receptionist)

H. App store (e.g., iTunes, Google Apps Marketplace)

I. Another way.

Mark your answer and discuss it in the forums!

Member Spotlight – Meet ShrinkingMama!

In this month’s newsletter, we’re happy to introduce ShrinkingMama, a 28-year-old wife of a police officer and stay-at-home mother of a 5-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son. Her family is her world and the reason for her surgery.

ShrinkingMama came from an Italian family, which revolved around food, but she weighed only 140 pounds throughout high school. She began to gain weight during an abusive relationship, and did not lose much even when using Weight Watchers. She met her husband in 2007, continued to gain weight and was 200 pounds by the time she was pregnant with her daughter. As she says, she “did what any other pregnant woman does: eat!” She was on strict bed rest for her third trimester and weighed 240 pounds. She lost 20, gained it back during her second pregnancy and could not lose much with Weight Watchers, diet pills, Jenny Craig, Overeaters Anonymous, hypnosis or SlimFast. The straw that broke the camel’s back for her was last summer, when her weight prevented her from taking her son on a certain ride.

She loved the third surgeon she met, and changed her mind from getting the lap-band to getting vertical sleeve gastrectomy. Her pre-operative preparation went smoothly, and surgery was December 2012. Her first week was rough, but she recovered well and began “dropping weight like crazy.” ShrinkingMama now weighs 147 pounds and is nearly at goal weight of 140 pounds. She has been on a gluten-free diet for about a year because of celiac disease.

She is very proud of herself for making this decision and following through. Her husband has been completely supportive, and her parents have come around, for the most part. ShrinkingMama is looking forward to skin removal surgery when she is at goal weight.

ShrinkingMama is completely happy with her surgery, and she offers this advice.

• Listen to your surgeon and nutritionist.

• Do not compare yourself or your weight loss to others’.

• Talk to other patients to learn.

• Be patient!

ShrinkingMama, thank you for sharing your story and especially your enthusiasm with us! Congratulations on your weight loss and your new chance at life!

If you want to be featured in the Member Spotlight section of our newsletter, let us know in the Member Spotlight forum! You can also nominate another member. If you’re shy, just send a private message to Alex Brecher.

Your Sleeve Gastrectomy Lunch – Packing Your Food for a Busy Day

By mid-September, many of us are back into regular routines. If you have children who take their lunches to school, you make sure their lunches are appetizing and healthy. Your own lunch deserves just as much care. These tips can help you create easy gastric sleeve-friendly sack lunches to take to work.

Have these helpful items on hand:

• An insulated lunch bag

• A small spoon, fork and knife

• A set of small containers with tight-fitting lids

• Plastic baggies

• An insulated beverage container (unless you stick to Water bottles)

Once a week: Figure out how many days you will need to take a lunch to work in the coming week. Plan your lunch menus, make a shopping list and get the groceries you need

The night before: What can you do so that packing your lunch is easier in the morning?

• Measure your chicken breast

• Pack a serving of leftovers from dinner in a small container with a tight-fitting lid

• Wash and cut some fruit and vegetables

• Pack your utensils and a bottle of water

• Count your crackers

Portable protein: Just as it does when you’re at home, Protein comes first when you’re on the go. These are some ideas for brown baggers.

• Tuna or chicken in cans or pouches

• Hard-boiled eggs

• (If you have a fridge at work): cottage cheese

• Fat-free canned refried Beans or low-sodium pinto, black or garbanzo beans

• Low-fat string cheese or light Laughing Cow cheese

• Lean ham or turkey breast

• Leftover grilled chicken or fish

• Peanut Butter

If you’re still in the pureed foods stage, try lentil Soup, Protein shakes, hummus and Greek yogurt.

Nutritious combinations: Combine your protein with vegetables, fruits and whole grains for their Fiber and other nutrients

• Dip and raw vegetables, such as carrot and celery sticks, grape tomatoes and cauliflower florets

• salad with chicken or tuna and shredded low-fat cheese

• Peanut butter on whole grain crackers or with apple slices

• Ham and low-fat cheese rolled up in a small whole-grain tortilla

• Greek yogurt with high-fiber Cereal or melon

• One-half small whole-wheat bagel with fat-free cream cheese and canned salmon

If you’re post-op and not at the solid foods stage yet, try fat-free cottage cheese with pureed canned peaches, fat-free refried beans with low-fat shredded cheddar cheese and instant oatmeal with skim milk and Protein powder.

Have extras on hand. You might get stuck working late or unable to make your planned lunch-time trip to a grocery store. Stash protein-containing Snacks at work for those occasions. Protein Bars and powder, canned tuna and chicken, roasted soybeans and almonds provide protein and do not need refrigeration, so you can keep them at work or in the car.

Lunch after weight loss surgery can be a disaster if you opt for fast food or whatever’s in the vending machine, plan, but you can easily pack a healthy lunch that fits into your diet. Plan ahead, have the containers and utensils you need and focus on lean protein and other nutritious choices so that your lunch supports weight loss.

Keep the Forums Positive!

You come to VerticalSleeveTalk.com for information and support. Unlike many other online forums, VerticalSleeveTalk.com maintains a positive atmosphere and has zero tolerance for rudeness. We welcome anyone who is interested in weight loss surgery, regardless of their personal beliefs about it. When you see a post that is inappropriate or offensive, please report it using the “report post” link located at the bottom of the post.

We realize and appreciate that nearly all members try hard to be welcoming, helpful and polite. These are a few tips to help you avoid avoid accidentally saying something that can be hurtful to another member.

• Say, “my surgeon told me…,” not, “the only right way is…”

• Say, “I think I would choose …,” not, “You made the wrong choice.”

• Say, “Have you considered…?,” not, “You’re not ready for your weight loss journey.”

• Say, “I have found that …,” not, “The right way is …”

Each of these statements let you give your own opinion and advice without accusing other members of doing something wrong. Thank you for keeping the boards positive!

That’s what we have for this month’s newsletter. You can always check out the old newsletters in the archive section. Thank you for reading it and for your contributions to the board! Take care of yourself and each other!

Sincerely,

Alex

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• Say, “my surgeon told me…,” not, “the only right way is…”
  
• Say, “I think I would choose …,” not, “You made the wrong choice.”
  
• Say, “Have you considered…?,” not, “You’re not ready for your weight loss journey.”
  
• Say, “I have found that …,” not, “The right way is …”
  

Love these points! </p>

Thanks so much for putting me in the spotlight this month!! I am honored!!! And proud of course!!

Way to go ShrinkingMama!!