BariatricPal Newsletter - December 2015

[Alex Brecher 10,494]

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Hey BariatricPal Members! The holidays are nearly upon us, and that can mean hectic times with family, shopping, and cooking. But before all that happens, we still have a few days. That’s a good time to take a deep breath and refocus on health and weight loss. Here’s what to look forward to in this month’s newsletter to keep you grounded. The BariatricPal Store and Other BariatricPal News Member Spotlight: Meet MichiganChic! Notice: The Holidays Are Coming! Sit back, relax, take a few deep breaths, and enjoy the newsletter. Then come talk about it on BariatricPal before dashing off to the busyness of the season! Thanks for all your support. Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal The BariatricPal Store and Other BariatricPal News We’re still excited about the launch of The BariatricPal Store. More importantly, so were you! We are thrilled with the success we’ve had in just the first few weeks since the store opened. Elsewhere in the BariatricPal world, BariatricPal was at Obesity Week in Los Angeles in early November. The BariatricPal Store: Your Nutritional Needs We’ve got you covered with the bariatric nutritional supplements and meals you need at the lowest guaranteed prices. Be sure to stop by for: -Protein powders, bars, and shakes -high-protein, low-carb Snacks -high-protein, low-calorie hot and cold breakfasts and Entrees -bariatric Vitamins Check out the store blog for the latest store news plus the occasional coupons and recipes. You can also save money by earning points through BariatricPal Rewards. Come by the store if you haven’t already. We hope you’ll be a regular customer and let us keep supporting your weight loss surgery journey success. Obesity Week: The Front Line of the Fight Against Obesity Obesity Week took place November 2-7 in Los Angeles, California, and BariatricPal was there! The conference is jointly sponsored by the Obesity Society and ASMBS. The purpose is to discuss new research on causes of obesity and obesity solutions, including presenting the latest research on bariatric surgery techniques, follow-up care, and other guidelines. BariatricPal had a booth at the Exhibit. We were able to reconnect with surgeons and other leaders in bariatric surgery, and meet new ones. We got caught up on the latest in weight loss surgery, and came away with a ton of new ideas…keep watching for improvements on BariatricPal! Insure Nutrition We are always thrilled to welcome a new newsletter sponsor into the BariatricPal family, and this month, Insure Nutrition is giving us the pleasure of doing just that. Our latest sponsor, Insure Nutrition, is an online company that specializes in getting health insurance coverage for nutritional supplements. Its Post-Bariatric Surgery Nutrition products includes Premier Protein Shakes in chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry flavors and OptiSource High Protein drinks in caramel and strawberry flavors. Checking if you are eligible is easy. Insure Nutrition encourages you to use its online form to find out if you qualify. Our sponsors help make BariatricPal newsletters and other services possible. We encourage you show your thanks by considering them first for your bariatric needs. unjury and Opurity BariatricPal is proud and excited to announce two new sponsors for our newsletters. The new sponsors are Unjury, a supplier of wonderful tasting, highest quality protein supplements, and Opurity (from the makers of UNJURY), highest purity Vitamin supplements for bariatric surgery patients. Their support lets us keep BariatricPal newsletters coming to you each month. Unjury was founded by a master’s degree dietitian who has been helping patients since 1974. It is committed your health. You know the importance of getting enough protein after weight loss surgery, but you also know that meeting your protein goals can be challenging. Unjury makes your task not just easier but actually enjoyable. Product flavors include chocolate Splendor, Chocolate Classic, Vanilla, Strawberry Sorbet, chicken Soup Flavor, and Unflavored. These ready-to-use protein powders come in single-serve and multi-serve containers, and contain high-quality whey protein to keep you full and nourished. Launched in 2007, opurity is dedicated to using the purest ingredients in its supplements. Opurity Bariatric Multivitamins have two unique big advantages: First, each Multivitamin requires only one tablet per day*. Second, Opurity is so dedicated to quality that it is unique in using no ingredients from China. Choose from chewable orange-berry multivitamins for gastric bypass and gastric sleeve patients or for lap-band patients.Opurity also sells chewable Calcium, Vitamin D and folic acid/vitamin B-12 chewables. All supplements come with a 100% satisfaction guaranteed. They return policy is: “Yes you can return it.” Support from Unjury and Opurity helps us continue to bring you the services you enjoy on BariatricPal, so please support these two brands! When looking for your bariatric surgery supplements, first visit Unjury.com and Opurity.com. Purchasing from these companies helps support BariatricPal. Thanks to Unjury and Opurity for your generous sponsorship, and thanks to BariatricPal members who support our partnership! *You still need calcium and sublingual B-12. Back on the Boards… Meanwhile, back on the boards, there’s always a lot going on! BariatricPal members have been asking about getting back on track, going back to work post-op, and the pre-op diet. If you’re looking for some motivation, consider joining an Exercise Challenge or a Holiday Challenge. And, for a little light reading, why not check out the WLS Magazine with recent articles on Lap-Band Myths and The Good Towels? Get involved – it may even help you lose more weight. (That’s science talking, not us). Member Spotlight: Meet MichiganChic! This month’s spotlight is on MichiganChic. MichiganChic had been overweight most of her whole life, and morbidly obese for 27 years. At 5’4” and 325 lbs., she could feel the threat of health issues. Her blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol were all creeping up. As a registered nurse, she knew what was coming, and didn’t want it. She also wanted to “fit in” – whether into a chair or into a group of people. She was sick of standing out in a crowd, and found it embarrassing. She dreaded social situations, knowing she’d be the one to be noticed. She got the gastric sleeve in December of 2012, and is thrilled with her choice. No wonder – she’s lost 144 lbs. and is down to 162 lbs. and a BMI of 27. Now, she can look forward to social situations, not dread them. Her life does not revolve around food; instead, food is something to nourish and to be enjoyed – but not as the “main event.” It hasn’t been a completely smooth journey. These are a few of the challenges MichiganChic experienced. -a surgical infection that took seven weeks to heal. -the struggle coming to grips with the fact that the lifelong change is…for LIFE. -getting over an “all-or-nothing” mentality when it comes to weight and eating. -accepting her body at a healthy weight, even if over a BMI of 25. The highs have outweighed the lows, though. The feeling of freedom overrides everything. She can do what she wants, without her weight holding her back. And beneath that is the knowledge that she earned that freedom for herself. One instance that stands out for her is her job offer from 2 years ago. She would not have even considered responding to the recruiter at her high weight…but 100 lbs. lighter, she interviewed and got the job! She’s also proud of her completing her first 5k recently. MichiganChic uses the BariatricPal forums every day to stay focused by talking to like-minded members. She doesn’t want life to “get in the way of success.” She knows that there’s sure to be others who are thinking about the same things she is, and she loves interacting with “people from all walks of life, and varied experiences and opinions.” For members who are struggling with their weight loss, MichiganChic reminds you to be honest with yourself. It’s hard to break years of habits like overeating and mindless eating. For herself, she knows she needs to track every bite of food. At the same time, it’s important to forgive and forget when necessary: nobody’s perfect. MichiganChic, congratulations on your weight loss surgery success. You have really earned the freedom and happiness you now have. Thanks for sharing your story and journey with us. If there’s anyone you want to see in our member spotlight, please let us know in the Member Spotlight Forum! You can also PM Alex Brecher with your nomination – just put “Member Spotlight” in the subject line. Don’t forget you can nominate yourself, too. A Little Soup…Because You Deserve It When the weather gets chilly, there’s nothing like a warm bowl of soup to warm you up inside and out. If you’re not careful, a bowl of soup can turn into a bariatric nightmare. A bowl of full-fat broccoli and cheese soup with a breadstick, clam chowder served in a bread bowl, and cream of Tomato Soup with grilled cheese can have hundreds if not thousands of calories. That can leave you feeling guilty and worse than before you had the soup. Instead, go for a soup that’s just as satisfying, but healthy at the same time. That way, you’ll feel warm from the soup and from your pride at nourishing your body. Here are a few easy ideas. -Vegetarian chili with Beans, diced onion, tomatoes, bell peppers, and celery, and chili seasoning from a packet. Optional: lean ground turkey or soy crumbles, with shredded low-fat cheddar melted on top. -“Asian” inspired soup with chicken broth, ginger, soy sauce, and garlic, plus tofu, napa cabbage, Water chestnuts, broccoli, green onions, and mushrooms. -Squash or pumpkin soup with cooked pumpkin or butternut squash, black Beans, cilantro, chili powder, and vegetable broth. Puree it for a good meal on the Pureed/Mushies Post-Op Diet. Thanks for reading the newsletter and for all of your support. BariatricPal is continually getting bigger and better, and that wouldn’t be possible without our members. A sincere thanks for your inspiration and for all you do to keep us going!

[ProudGrammy 8,322]

Member Spotlight: Meet @@MichiganChic!

wonderful choice

bud you are aces!!

always love to read you great posts

when you "talk" everyone listens

keep up the great job

i know you will

kathy

hugggs

[MichiganChic 3,262]

Member Spotlight: Meet @@MichiganChic!

wonderful choice

bud you are aces!!

always love to read you great posts

when you "talk" everyone listens

keep up the great job

i know you will

kathy

hugggs

Thanks, Kathy, so sweet of you! @@Alex Brecher has a way of making a girl sound interesting