Recent Posts

I saw a commercial the other day and it really resonated with me. It was about making choices and how one good choice can often lead to another. I know that before WLS I often found that if I made 'bad' choice regarding food, I often would often give myself permission to throw in the towel and quit trying to make good choices. I think that the biggest difference for me after WLS is that I'm much more focused on trying to make good choices and much more forgiving when I make a bad choice, realizing that each new choice is a new opportunity to be where I want to be.

Soooo... when you stub your toe and make a less the optimal choice, how do you handle it? Do you handle it any differently after deciding to have WLS?

Are there topics you'd like to see discussed?  I like to hear about foods we can eat during the first 3 months of "soft foods".  I learned about Greek Yogurt and its benefits at one of the meetups - never heard of it before.  Now it's a key part of my diet.

Also might want to do a chat on supplements?  What to take, when to take them, where to get them at the best price, etc.  BTW, when I went to the diet advancement group at three weeks, we were told that we RNYers should take TWO multivitamins daily.  I assume that other changes will come along that only people attending a recent group meeting will hear about.  Of course, I'm talking about DUKE but others could contribute what they learn at their doctor's office.

That leads me to another topic:  "Writing Coherent Questions on the Message Boards."
A well-written question which  includes pertinent info is more likely to be answered. 
I am personally a big fan of proper capitalization and punctuation.  Good grammar is nice, too.
Questions should include the type of surgery the person is having/had.  Sometimes you can refer back to the person's profile for more background, but a lot of folks don't have profiles.
And so on.

How often would like to have a chat?  Maybe start with a weekly chat and see what develops.

Hope that's what you're looking for.

Another idea:  In-person chats at local bookstores like Borders and B&N.  It's free, beverages are available, and they don't mind if you hang out.  No one has to feel pressured to buy a meal so it can be a cheap outing.  We can also vary the location.

I would like to find some ways for us to get to know each other better and to become a more interactive group. I thought maybe, we might consider having some 'chats' where we could discuss a particular topic. I tend to do this with my in person groups that I hold and was wondering if you might be interested in participating in chats. 

If so are there times and/or days that you'd like to see chats?

Are there topics you'd like to see discussed?

How often would like to have a chat? 

Any other thoughts about chats?

I look forward to hearing from you,

I got an article from SparkPeople about emotional eating. I know that it's been an issue for me in the past... not so recent past to be honest. As many of you know, I've been under an enormous amount of stress lately... Well, actually for the last year or so, but it's really ramped up during the past 3 months. During the past year, I noticed that I was succumbing to emotional eating and put on 15 to 20 lbs... I had dropped a little low before, so i was only worried about the last 10 to 12 lbs, but I was comfort eating. I recognized what was happening that was able to identify the problems and trim off the extra 10 to 12 lbs. I found that if my weight is going up, I seem to be able to get a handle on it by logging what I'm eating. It allows me to 'see' what I'm doing and make the appropriate corrections. I didn't really have to 'diet' to the excess weight off, I just made sure that I was leading with protein and keeping my carbs under control. For me, it seems that when I let my carbs get out of control, meaning more than 30% of my total intake, then I gain, but when I can get back in line, the extra pounds just trim right back off.

Being able to see it in terms of balance rather than having diet has made a huge difference for me. 

During the past 3 months, I've actually dropped another 12 lbs and I'm a little too thin. Now that I'm REALLY STRESSED, believe it or not, I've found that I have to force myself to eat. Who would have ever thought that would happen. 

If you'd like to see the article that SparkPeople have on emotional eating, click here. 

Please share any thoughts and/or experiences you have surrounding emotional eating.

Thanks,