Long post - The 4 RULES....

This post came from Kaye Bailey's Living After WLS newsletter. It bears repeating...even though we KNOW the rules, a gentle reminder is always helpful! It is cold in New England this morning - waiting on the New England Patriots vs. the Indianapolis Colts playoff tonight! I love the PATS...but my daughter was good friends with Peyton Manning (the Colts quarterback) when they went to the University of TN together - he used to get her to tutor his football players in French! Today she will see one of them playing professional football on one of the teams and say..."I used to tutor him in French"! A language other than English was mandatory to graduate and she helped more than one football player get through French! Anyway, have a great rest of the weekend! Barbara The Four Rules by Kaye Bailey There's more to gastric bypass than surgery and rapid massive weight loss. Patients who undergo weight loss surgery (WLS) sign-up for a lifetime of rigid behaviors to guarantee their long-term success. Just imagine: If you knew what those behaviors were, could you lose the weight and keep it off without surgery? Take a look at the four rules WLS patients live by: Rule 1: Protein First: The first rule for living after Weight Loss Surgery (WLS) is Protein First - that means eating protein for three daily meals, and protein must be 50 percent of food intake. Animal products are the most nutrient rich source of protein and include fish, poultry and meat. Dairy protein, including eggs, is another excellent source of protein. Nuts and legumes are also good sources of protein, but sometimes difficult for the bariatric patient to consume. Science is proving that a protein rich diet will prompt weight loss and increase energy. The body contains over fifty-thousand different active proteins all made out of the same building blocks: amino acids. Amino acids are made of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen as well as sulfur, phosphorus and iron. Many diseases - including obesity - indicate an amino acid deficiency. Weight loss surgery patients don't have a choice, they must eat lean protein or they will get sick, anemic, and weary. Weight loss will cease if they eat processed carbohydrates instead of lean protein. Dumping or vomiting may also result if patients do not eat lean protein for the first half of every meal. The distinction must be made between high fat proteins and lean proteins. A gastric bypass patient cannot tolerate high fat proteins such as bacon, fatty beef or sausage products or greasy fried chicken: these foods cause nausea and vomiting. In addition, these high fat protein rich items are contributors to obesity and should be avoided by anyone wishing to control their weight. Rule 2: Drink lots of water Dieters are often told - drink water. Drink a minimum of 64 ounces a day - eight glasses a day. Gastric-bypass patients don't have a choice: they must drink lots water. Other beverages including coffee, tea, milk, soft drinks and alcohol are forbidden. Water is the essential fluid for living. Water is one of the most important nutrients the body needs to stay healthy, vibrant and energetic. A tell-tell sign of a gastric bypass patient is the ever-presen****er bottle. The human body is a magnificent vessel full of water. The brain is more than 75 percen****er and 80 percent of blood is water. In fac****er plays a critical role in every system of the human body. Water regulates body temperature, removes wastes, carries nutrients and oxygen to the cells, cushions the joints, prevents constipation, flushes toxins from the kidneys and liver and dissolves vitamins, minerals and other nutrients for the body's use. Nutritionists say a precise measure of the body's need for water is to divide body weight (pounds) in half and drink that many ounces every day. That number could well exceed 200 ounces a day for morbidly obese people actively engaged in weight loss. The body will panic if actual water intake is significantly less than required. Blood cannot flow, waste processes are disrupted and the electrolytes become imbalanced. Proper hydration prevents inflammation, promotes osmosis and moistens lung surfaces for gas diffusion. It helps the body regulate temperature, irrigate the cells and organs and promotes all functions of elimination. Certainly by drinking plenty of water many people could resolve inflammation and elimination problems that result from insufficien****er intake. Adequate water facilitates weight loss. Rule 3: No Snacking Gastric bypass patients are instructed to avoid snacking. No exceptions. Snacking is the worst possible thing a WLS patient can do. If patients snack they cease to lose weight and could possibly regain weight. In addition gastric bypass snackers risk severe swings in blood sugar levels and glucose overdose, they fail to move forward to the healthy life that surgery makes possible. They feel like failures when the WLS does not result in weight loss. The nature of gastric bypass surgery gives patients an edge on beating the snacking habit. When a patient eats three protein-rich meals a day the body's fuel requirements are met and satiation results. Hunger does not occur if water is sipped throughout the day. If a patient is taking vitamins they will not be nutritionally wanting. Given that, patients who snack are doing so out of the very habit that contributed to obesity. If a dieter must snack they must be mindful of their choices. Fruits, vegetables and lean proteins will contributed to wellness and weight loss. Processed carbohydrate convenience foods fail to meet nutritional needs or facilitate weight loss and should be avoided. Successful WLS patients understand that snacking is bariatric purgatory. When they begin to snack weight loss will cease and weight gain will certainly result. Successful weight loss patients - those who maintain their weight loss years after surgery - do not snack. The same is true for all successful dieters regardless of the means by which they initially lost weight. Rule 4: Exercise (Thanks Ruth Ann for always reminding us!) The final rule, the one WLS despise the most, patients must exercise every day. Nothing is more disappointing than hearing a gastric bypass patient brag that they didn't have to exercise to lose weight. It's true; patients will lose weight without lifting a finger. But patients who do not use the time of rapid weight loss to incorporate exercise into their lifestyle are doing themselves a grave disservice. Kaye Recommends: Leslie Sansone Walk Away The Pounds Obesity cripples the body. Bone tissues are compromised, joints are swollen, the vascular system is inadequate and the skeleton overburdened. As weight is lost, the burden on the bones, joints and vascular system is decreased. However, the body is a magnificent machine. Given proper nutrition and physical motion it will rebuild its broken framework. The systems can become strong and vital. The most effective way to heal the body from the ravages of obesity is to exercise. Exercise means moving the body: walking, stretching, bending, inhaling and exhaling. Exercise is the most effective, most enjoyable, most beneficial gift one can bestow on themselves in the recovery from life threatening, crippling morbid obesity. People who successfully maintain their weight exercise daily. Conclusion: Successful weight loss surgery patients will tell you these are the four rules they live by, that the gastric bypass is only a tool to facilitate mindful behavior for better health. They will confirm that weight control, even with surgery, takes a lifetime of diligent attention to their bodies and behavior. They will assure you it isn't easy, but the results are worth the effort. LIVE THE RULES TODAY!

I'm trying I'm trying to do my best. Snacking is a toughy for me. I just ordered the DVD's so I'm going to try them. I'm already bored with chicometrics! lol As for water, I'll never get the recommended amount in me. Never in a million years, BUT..I'm trying. =)

Which of the DVD's "walk away the pounds" did you order? I am going to order some also since it is getting too cold to walk outside for any length of time. Also, I just made the apple crisp for the 3rd time! It is absolutely delicious and will make it again for Thanksgiving dinner...thanks so much for the recipe - unfortunately it is somewhat addictive, but I try to justify it has no real particular sugar in there so it must not be so bad! I am bored with the chocometrics also, but do believe it is working. Guess we all need to practice the 4 rules everyday - especially during this season of food, food, food! Barb

Barb, thanks for this reminder of the rules! Four basic guidelines seem so easy to follow. Too bad they aren't! I think overall I do fairly well with these rules. But perfect, I am not! I do know, however, that I am feeling stronger of both mind and body since my surgery. The exercise is a big part of that. And oddly, I think my fluid intake is also part of that. When I think about how little water I was consuming before surgery, I shudder. I could have done such damage to my body! I hope your weekend was great! GO PATS! Hugs, Stephanie

good post and so true! I just read your reply to Mama, I made another apple crisp too! I'm also making one for the chiropractors office tomorrow (they don't believe apple crisp can be sugar free and taste good)! This is the Leslie Sansone dvd I bought http://www.amazon.com/Leslie-Sansone-Mile-Walk-Miles/dp/B00006BS7P/ref=pd_sim_v_3/002-9992 498-0547242 I thought about buying the 1 and 2 mile dvd, but skipped the 1 mile so I push myself to do the 2 mile (timewise there isn't much difference between the 1 and 2 mile). You're right about the cold hitting New England... I'M FREEZING!!! I went out and bought a 100% wool Irish cable knit sweater(size large ) for those winter days that it doesn't get above 20 (not looking forward to it at all )!! hope all is well, can't wait to catch up next week!

Thanks for the post Barbara. I have been not so good on rules 2 and 3. I need to be drinking more water and definately need to cut the snacking out. I had started losing weight again so good but I know my snacking is just too much and now I've been stuck again. Perhaps its just a natural stall since I lost again, but I keep getting closer to that onderland and am feeling like I'll never make it again. LOL But I know my water and snacking need work. I just can't keep my hands off those nuts. If I dont have them in the house then I'm antsy, but when they are here I pick pick pick. I'm not snacking on bad stuff per se, no sugary junk or anything they are still tabu, I pick on proteins, cheese and nuts but too much is just too much no matter what it is! Thanks again!!