For many individuals growing up overweight, the need to psychologically protect themselves from criticism and manage their internal shame became a habitual act of self-protection. At the expense of the development of a true self, the psychological protection included destructive behaviors as forms of punishment. In addition, a false self
Do you find yourself weighing yourself five times a day or maybe even every hour? Obsessing over the number staring back at you, and becoming a slave to the scale? Although it may be exciting to see the pounds melt off your body after your post-bariatric surgery, you should take
We all have at least two kinds of hunger and fullness – physical and emotional. Although weight loss surgery can be great at helping us recognize and honor our physical hunger and fullness, it does nothing to help us with our emotional hunger and fullness. After surgery, the body may
A month ago my dog passed away. Chaz had been in my life for over eight years after we got him from a rescue when he was five. Although he was an older dog and I knew eventually it would happen, the sudden loss of him in my life was
"Be careful how you talk to yourself because you are listening." -Lisa M. Hayes Weird question: Would you ever knowingly poison yourself? I am betting your answer would be no! Yet, how many times a day do you talk to yourself in a way that diminishes your value or undermines
I love those moments when I see someone doing something I only do in my house, alone, while I'm thinking, "I must be the only person in the world who does this." It relieves me greatly to know that when I experience things, I am not alone. Well, if you,
Living in Austin Texas for almost 40 years I've seen many, many changes, but nothing like the expansion of highways and the explosion of traffic. It used to be the usual traffic delays in the morning and after 5, but soon a lunchtime congestion merged the two creating continuous traffic
Transfer Addiction After WLS: Addiction is like a whack-a-mole game: just as you clobber one, another one seems to pop up! If you struggled with food addiction prior to WLS, than you are at greater risk of developing a substitute, or transfer addiction after WLS, because addiction is the ultimate
Hi, I’m Nikki: human, mother, student, writer, blogger and – probably most pertinent to you all – speaker at the 2014 Obesity Help Conference. The title of my session is, “Awkard! Dealing with uncomfortable food situations and social settings after weight-loss surgery.” I’m currently planning this session and, heads up,
Through my clinical observations on relationships after weight loss surgery, I have developed what I call, The Thriving Principles. The journey of weight loss after surgery can be one of the most profound life changes. The fact is, somewhere around half of all marriages in the U.S. end in divorce,
