BariatricPal Newsletter 02/01/2014

[Alex Brecher 10,494]

Hey, BariatricPal Members!

First, we admit it – we goofed! We have to apologize to those members who received multiple copies of the BariatricPal newsletter because of a bug in our system. We also apologize to those members who did not receive a newsletter. Our technical team has been working on it, and the problem is fixed now. Sorry about any inconvenience.

And now, on to the January newsletter!

It’s hard to believe that we’re already through January and into February! We hope that so far in 2014, you have been achieving your goals in weight loss and in life. BariatricPal is the best place for weight loss surgery support, so we hope you’ve been visiting frequently. If not, come on back and join the conversations! Before you do, take a look at this month’s newsletter. You’ll find:

• Member Poll: How Do You Beat the Cold?
• Member Spotlight: Meet Joanna!
• BariatricPal Social Media – Stay Connected!
• Surviving Super Bowl Sunday After Weight Loss Surgery

Enjoy the newsletter, and then talk about it – and whatever else is on your mind – at BariatricPal. There’s always plenty going on there to take your mind off of the winter weather and to motivate you to stay on track with your weight loss. See you on the boards!

Sincerely,

Alex Brecher

Founder, BariatricPal

Member Poll: How Do You Beat the Cold?

This year has seen record-setting freezes and winter storms throughout much of the country, and the cold weather will stick around for a few more weeks. Whether you are a New Yorker who has seen temps dip below 0 degree Fahrenheit or a Californian who shivers when it is below 50 degrees, what do you do to keep warm?

• Exercise more. It gets my metabolism going and keeps me warm for hours. Plus, I burn extra calories!
• Drink some hot coffee or tea to warm up my insides. Plus, since my weight loss surgery diet doesn’t let me eat solid foods when I drink liquids, drinking coffee or tea keeps me from turning to food to warm me up.
• Turn up the heat or start a fire in the fireplace, pile on the blankets, and distract myself from the cold by reading, knitting, using the computer or talking on the phone.
• Nothing in particular, but I need help! Since weight loss surgery, I have been less able to tolerate cold than I used to be.
• I hate to admit it, but the only thing that warms me up is some good old comfort food…macaroni and cheese or freshly baked Cookies. Luckily, I can’t tolerate much after weight loss surgery!
• Other (tell us!).

Click on this link so you can select your answer and give us more details in the forums!

Member Spotlight – Meet Joanna!

We are thrilled that our first member spotlight of the year is on Joanna. Joanna knew she was overweight, but the deciding factor in getting surgery was when she had to get off of a roller coaster because she could not fit into the seat! She is a gastric bypass patient who got her surgery done in June of 2012. Her health insurance approved the procedure, and her hospital stay was two days.

At a height of 5’7”, Joanna weighed 289 pounds and had a BMI of 45. Since losing 73 pounds, she has achieved a BMI of 33, and is about halfway to her goal weigh of 150 pounds.

The journey has been hard, but she has no regrets and would do it again. She says that the drawbacks are that she has low Iron and Vitamin B12 levels, and she does not like constantly being on medications. On the other hand, she recommends the gastric bypass to anyone who needs it because it could save your life.

She watches everything she eats to make sure she loses weight. Joanna says she chooses fat-free and no sugar-added choices whenever possible. She tries to avoid junk food. And her favorite snack? Greek yogurt with fruit. Great choice! It’s high in Protein, low in fat, and high in dietary Fiber. You know what you’re doing, Joanna!

Thank you, Joanna, for being in our spotlight! All the best to you as you continue on your journey, and thanks for sharing it with BariatricPal. We also want to mention that Joanna welcomes questions from other BariatricPal members!

Our member spotlights feature BariatricPal members who have gotten any type of weight loss surgery. This is to help promote BariatricPal’s mission of providing a unified front for all types of weight loss surgery. We can all learn from each other, regardless of where you are in your weight loss journey or what type of surgery you have or are considering.

Are you interested in being in our member spotlight? Do you know a BariatricPal member that you would like to see spotlighted? Let us know! Nominate yourself or someone else in the Member Spotlight topic or send Alex Brecher a private message (PM).

BariatricPal Social Media – Stay Connected!

BariatricPal isn’t just at our website and on our mobile apps for Android and for iPhone, iPod, and iPad. We are all over the internet on your favorite social media. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and check out the latest happenings on Google Plus, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. All of the links to our social media sites are available at the bottom of each page of BariatricPal.

Be the first to know what is happening at BariatricPal!

Surviving Super Bowl Sunday After Weight Loss Surgery

Super Bowl Sunday is Sunday, February 2. Even people who do consider themselves diehard football fans tune in to the big game. If you are one of the 150 million people who are expected to watch this Sunday’s game between the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks, chances are that you have to face the food that comes with a Super Bowl party. chips and dip, jalapeno poppers, chicken wings, snack mixes, pizza and cupcakes just aren’t for you anymore after weight loss surgery. They are not only high-calorie, but they can give gastric bypass and sleeve patients dumping syndrome or cause obstructions or blockages for lap-band patients.

You can still enjoy good food at your Super Bowl party, though. Just plan ahead, and use these strategies to help you.

Be Sure There is Something You Can Eat

If there is no food available that you should eat, you will probably end up eating something that you should not eat. Make sure that there is some food available that is part of your weight loss diet. You can prepare enough only for yourself, or you can prepare one or more larger dishes or platters that everyone can share. Easy Snacks for yourself include hard-boiled eggs, mixed nuts or peanuts (small serving size!), low-fat string cheese and beef Jerky.< /p>

If you prefer to bring a dish for everyone, try a vegetable platter with hummus or dip made with Greek yogurt, or a large Greek salad with lettuce, tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, and chicken breast. Everyone will appreciate your contribution, and you will have healthy food to munch on during the game. These are some other ideas for snacks.

• Stuffed mushrooms with extra lean ground turkey, Tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese
• Grilled chicken breast on skewers with roasted zucchini
• Meatballs with ground turkey and Italian seasoning
• Egg, spinach and ham bites baked in muffin cups
• Apple slices with Peanut Butter
• Cheese platter with grapes and nuts

Pace Yourself

A football game can last three or more hours. You will feel sick if you eat constantly during this time, even if you are eating healthy foods. Unfortunately, food will probably be offered the whole time. Your best bet is to pace yourself with a few snacks that fit into your weight loss surgery diet. For example, you could plan to have one small snack during each quarter of the game. That works out to about one snack per 45 or 60 minutes. Take a break during half-time to focus on the show and the commercials, and drink some Water.< /p>

Move Like an Athlete

Get some exercise in the morning or early afternoon before the game-starting coin toss. If you live somewhere with good enough weather, go for a brisk walk outdoors. If the weather is too extreme, go to the gym or do a short workout with hand weights at home.

During the game, use the commercials as opportunities to get some light exercise. You don’t have to skip the famous advertisements; just be sure to move during them. When you keep moving during the game, you will be reminding yourself that you are working hard to lose weight. That gives you extra motivation to eat well!

Do you have any other strategies for surviving Super Bowl Sunday? Talk about them at BariatricPal so that all of us can benefit, and let us know what you think about our tips. Enjoy the game!

That is about it for this month’s newsletter. We hope you found it inspirational and informative, and we look forward to seeing you on the boards! Remember; feel free to contact us at any time with feedback, questions, and suggestions. Our members keep us going, and we love hearing from you!

Take care of yourselves and each other.