SOMETHINGS THAT HELPED ME....

I don't know if the following will help some of you out but I know that it helps me out. I have these two things posted up in my house (fridge and elsewhere) that really help me out. Under that is something that I sat down and wrote. It is how I feel about WLS in general. Hope this helps out someone....it really did for me! DO YOU REALLY NEED THIS??? IS IT GOOD FOR YOU? CAN YOU EAT SOMETHING ELSE THAT IS BETTER PROTEIN FIRST WATCH YOUR CARBS Drink fluids - Don't dehydrate! AND THIS ONE TOO!... Put a mental image of WHAT you want to look like as your goal. USE THIS MENTAL IMAGE BECOME THIS!! TIP #1 Getting your protein isn't an option. IT IS A NECESSITY. Ok, you have had WLS. For some of you this has not been an easy process. You have battled through trials after trials. Whether it be from family issues, financial issues or insurance issues. HOWEVER YOU HAVE MADE IT. You are now officially a POSTOP WLS patient. So what to do. GET IN YOUR PROTEIN. I know that this might be a tough love approach but it is necessary. If you are unable to follow the necessary protocol that spells success in the long term, not to mention GOOD HEALTH, then why did you have WLS in the first place? This isn't a quick fix. This is a lifelong committement to adhering to a healthier way of life. I don't want to hear excuses. JUST DO IT! TIP #2 Taking your vitamins and getting good followup care. There are many different types of WLS out there. Many different malabsorbption issues. The fact remains the same. We need our vitamins and we need routine medical care to ensure that we are staying in the best of health. You don't have to buy the most expensive stuff out there if you can't afford it. Don't let that be an excuse not to follow the necessary aftercare program. GET YOUR VITAMINS AND TAKE THEM. Religiously folks. We are talking about wanting to live a long and HEALTHY life. Same for aftercare. If something doesn't feel right, get it checked out. You didn't come all the way through with having WLS just to sit on your duff and ignore the fact that you have to take CARE OF YOURSELF. TIP #3 Exercise - NO EXCUSES There are alot of folks out there that exercise and it is not suprising to find that they are normally the folks that are the MOST successful with their new life post WLS. Why? This isn't rocket science folks. It increases your metabolism. It burns off the excess and tones what is left. Ok... alot of folks don't like to exercise or they say they can't. You don't have to become a "gym rat" to get your exercise in. Walk. Isometric/Isotonic exercises. Park FARTHER away in the parking lot at work/shopping/etc. Start slow but for goodness sakes just START. It isn't going to be easy at first. Heck it might even be pretty darn hard but you are going to start seeing some differences right away. **Disclaimer PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU TALK TO YOUR DR. BEFORE STARTING ANY TYPE OF EXERCISE REGIME. Always follow their advice. TIP #4 Never ever go food shopping hungry This is a no brainer. Why should we never do this? Because we will end up with TONS of stuff in our cart which translates to IN OUR HOUSE that we don't need. Also don't buy into the hype that you are "buying this for the kids/spouse/etc." IF YOU BUY IT...it is going to be in the house for EVERYONE to eat. This is especially true if you have a trigger food that you have major problems with. What isn't there isn't available to eat. Pretty simple eh? I normally will make myself something good to eat BEFORE I go food shopping. I try to get something that is protein dense. A good food. It makes all the difference as I am waltzing down the aisles past the chips/and other crapola... blythely telling myself "neener neener ...you have NO control on me... be gone you evil concoctions"...ok... weird huh...but do whatever it takes to overcome those demons. Give yourself mental high fives or kudos when you overcome those demons. YOU ARE IN CONTROL!.... TIP #5 Identify HEAD HUNGER Vs. Real Hunger Are you really hungry or do you just THINK you are hungry? Identify those issues that you have with food. How are you feeling when you THINK that you are hungry or will just about die if you don't have (fill in the blank with ANY food)? If it helps journal those emotions. It might help you discern a pattern to help identify a potential pitfall. Hit it headon and you will be on the road to success. Also note that alot of the times that we think that we are hungry we are actually THIRSTY. Dehydration can wreck havoc on our systems. WE HAVE TO GET FLUIDS IN US to keep us healthy and hydrated and to help facilitate weight loss. Do you realize that fat is metabolized through our respirations/perspiration and other bodily functions? It also keeps our liver/kidneys from being taxed too much during massive weight loss. Be kind to your body ... we all want to live long happy and HEALTHY lives..... TIP #6 DO NOT KEEP SNACKIE FOODS IN THE HOUSE. This is a followup to Tip #4.. If you don't put it in your shopping cart and trek it home it is NOT there to eat. Please don't fall into the trap that you are buying this for another family member. C'mon now. Really? If you are one of the few folks that can honestly say that you have such extreme willpower that you will NEVER EVER fall prey to those *plug in whatever junk food that trips your trigger .... THEN MORE POWER TO YOU. I know that I can't. So if it isn't there to eat ...guess what? I don't eat it! Be true to yourself. Not to mention your family is going to be eating a heck of alot better and getting healthier too! You say that YOU had WLS but they didn't? hmmmmmmm You are enabling folks. Eating healthy doens't mean that you deny yourself or eat boring foods. Explore different ways to cook GOOD WHOLESOME TASTY foods. Expand your horizons and reap the benefits. If you have kids you are setting them up for becoming healthy adults. Adults that do not have the same food issues that got YOU where you were at to need WLS in the first place! How cool is that folks? Spouse or other family member says that this is no fair to them? Ok... we are talking family dynamics and relationship issues. If you were addicted to drugs or alchohol would it be feasible for them to keep THOSE items in the house knowing that you have a horrid addiction? No it wouldn't and you would say that by doing so they are turning a blind eye and not supporting you. How is this any different? I'm not saying that they cannot have the occasional treat of something that THEY want that is a no no for you. But the fact remains the same. Families and support folks that are committed to health habits are going to spell long term success for Post WLS patients plus they are going to reap benefits too. If you find yourself facing these types of issues family counseling might be of benefit. TIP #7 SURROUND YOURSELF WITH A GOOD SUPPORT NETWORK Some folks utilize online support groups such as Obesityhelp.com (shameless plug!) and some folks use their surgeons/hospitals programs. Others have personal social groups/friends that they use. I feel that this is crucial for long term success. You have to think successful in order to BE SUCCESSFUL. Stop playing the negative thoughts over and over in your mind. It isn't going to get you anywhere but DOWN. You want to think positive in order to BE POSITIVE. Don't fall into the trap that it is ok to screw things up and mentally sweep it under the rug either. No Mulligans in weight los**** your problems dead on and deal with them. You know you have issues? Heck we all have issues. Work on them... make progress ...share what works for you and reap the benefits. We are all in this together! TIP #8 Be your own best friend It is hard to succeed when alot of us have had nothing but negative thoughts/comments our entire lives. For those folks that have always had loving and supportive family situations...be thankful...very very thankful. There are alot of us (myself included) that have battled the negative forever. So much that I even find it hard to plug in the POSITIVE at times to override them. Believe in yourself. Map out a plan of action for your future. Where do you want to go, what do you want to do? Make short term and long term goals. Then set out a plan to ACHIEVE them. Believe in yourself and be proud of WHO YOU ARE! TIP #9 KNOW YOURSELF How many of us have ever looked in the mirror and thought inwardly just who is this person staring back at me? What got you to this point? What are your triggers and emotional issues? What are your strengths and weaknesses. What can you do to identify them and deal with them? This goes along with tip #8 as well. Don't become your own worst enemy with enabling your bad behaviours. Likewise don't fall into the trap of saying that you are a failure as well. There is not a ONE SIZE FITS ALL in WLS. Please don't try to hold yourself up to another person in regards to lbs. lost, need for plastics etc... Really get in touch with the wonderful person that you TRULY are. Embrace that person and do whatever you can to become a success! Things that might help this is journaling, counseling, reading books and educationing yourself, support groups, meditation or any other type of therapy that one finds peace in. TIP #10 BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER... Realizing that we, as WLS patients have had to undergo an extreme medical intervention to save our lives. Thats right folks. Lets all face it. We KNEW that we had to do this in order to survive. Let go of the fact that we are never ..and I mean NEVER going to be "normal" again. I cringe when I hear folks talk about when they will be able to go back to doing this... or eating that. HELLO... we permanently altered our plumbing in order to have a chance at a healthy life. Why would you even want to go back to where you were before? Yes, we can retool our eating and lifestyle to where we can include more food items back into it. We can expand our eating horizons but that is tempered with the fact that if you do NOT deal with your food issues square on you ARE going to be smacked upside the head with them later on. This is after your body has had the chance to make ammends to all the adjustments that we did to it with having the WLS and we suddenly find ourselves with weightloss that is non existent or GASP.. we are even gaining weight! CONCLUSION These tips are not all inclusive just as we, as the wonderful and special individuals we are, are not a ONE SIZE FITS ALL human (no matter what the garment industry believes!) We became WLS patients because we wanted a chance to live. I believe that we owe ourselves the opportunity to become successful. I believe that success starts from within. I believe that we need to love ourselves before we can expect to love others. I BELIEVE! Copywright 2-19-06 Elizabeth Carpenter E~

As I sit and mentally lament all the foods I have agreed to forego, I forget. I forget what it took to get here. I forget that, even if I could eat whatever it is, it still would taste the same way it has a thousand times before. The first few weeks of post-op is emotional and physical. Thank you for reminding me of my battle. Thank you for expressing good resolve. I'd like to hear from some of my buds out there....where are you guys? I've got some stupid things to say and you people are the best victims I have...... ...is peanut butter considered puree? ...can you name a puree protein source that isn't dairy? ...anyone else find they were cold all the time after surgery? Wayne, buddy, where's the diet update? You've had some good menu items and I'm looking for inspiriation? Tracey, where are you and how are you? Elizabeth, you've got the hardest mountain. I can't stand these liquids only and you've got to be getting close to your 6 months? Nana Linda - how ya healin? Thanks Pix, for the post, let's see who pops up and says hello

Melissa, sorry, I called you Elizabeth (post surgical brain cramp)

I hope that it can help you out. A big motivator for me is the struggle that it took just for me to have a CHANCE at having the surgery. Saying that is was an uphill struggle was putting it mildly. I had to fight like a wildcat! I believe that everyone needs to have that one true motivator (no matter WHAT it is) and they need to USE THAT MOTIVATOR and continually use it. To answer some of your questions. I used peanut butter during my puree stage with no problems. I also did puree tuna w/bits of egg in it. Also did a very moist moist chicken salad pureed. Was I cold OTHERWISE KNOWN as I am STILL COLD.. just ask my DH... I'm a chilly little one that is always snagging a blanket or even better yet! My HUSBAND... he is my main heat source! *g* Elizabeth~

Wow Elizabeth, Thank you so much for what you wrote, it was very inspiring. I do agree with everything you have said. I often times say that I do not have time for exersise on certain days because I am just so busy, if I wanted to exersise I would find a way. I know that this is a lifelong process that is why I had this surgery. I agree about people saying I can eat that or whatever---I hope I never fall into that thinking. God gave me this wonderful tool and I plan to be using it for the rest of my life. Thanks again for the encouragment and we all need a swife kick in the butt once in a while. Have a great day and God bless you, Penni

Penni... Thank you... I was just sitting here thinking of the things that kept me on the straight and narrow and VOILA'... I had it typed... I know that we are human and prone to the ups and downs of normal life. I just don't believe in sugar coating things and making light of them. Being able to have WLS is indeed a wonderful gift. A gift that many folks will never be able to have and tragically some folks will end up dying because they can't have it or they die beforehand. Life is so incredibly fragile and so fleeting. You have a great day too kiddo! Elizabeth~

Thanks sooooooooo much for posting this!! I was just chastising myself because I seem to have gotten off track and I keep finding it difficult to get myself back to doing what I know I need to be doing!!! This could not have been a more timely post for me!! Thanks bunches!!!! Connie

Connie... Sometimes we all need a swift kick (myself included)... the other day I was sitting here moping about because I still have 10 lbs. to go... then I got to thinking.. okay 10 lbs. to go ...what about the other 160 that is gone?? Then I got to thinking that I was slacking up on the protein and guess what? I was. I still eat good amounts of protein daily in my normal diet. However I have come to the realization that I need MORE protein than was allotted per my dietician. Without it I stall out and don't loose an ounce. So up goes the protein and down goes the scale. Thanks for being so kind with your words... we are all in this together! Elizabeth~