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What I Leaned about Regain at the
ASMBS Conference
by Katie Jay, MSW, Certified Wellness Coach
Director, National Association for Weight Loss Surgery
www.nawls.com
 
For this week's article, I thought I'd share what
I learned -- or was reminded of -- from one speaker
in particular. Dr. Cynthia Buffington gave an
interesting presentation about regain and what we
can do about it.
 
She said the following things could help:
 
1. Getting regular, moderate exercise.
I know. We all know this. But it was a great reminder
that moderate exercise really does make a difference.
I will add that exercise does not have to feel like
work. Consistency trumps intensity in the long run.
For me, getting an iPod made a huge difference in my
level of enjoyment. I also have branched out and tried
some new things -- including dancing in my living
room :o).
 
2. Eating enough quality protein.
The truth is, some of us do not eat enough protein.
I hear rationalizations about this all the time. In my
own personal experience, when I upped the amount of
quality protein I was eating, my hunger became much
better controlled, and my grazing became much less
frequent.
 
3. Increasing dietary calcium.
I hadn't heard this before, but I plan to go online
and find out what foods, in addition to dairy,
contain a good amount of calcium. I also plan to
talk to my dietitian about what amount of dietary
calcium is a good target for me.
 
4. Consuming omega-3 oil.
I'm going to talk to my dietitian about this one,
too. It's an easy addition to my supplement routine.
 
5. Getting 30g/day of fiber.
That's a lot of fiber for WLS patients, when we don't
eat large quantities of whole grains. But there are
things we can use to increase our fiber intake. Again,
the dietitian can give us ideas.
 
We WLS Patients Have a Lot to Keep in Mind!
 
I realize that the WLS regimen is challenging. That
is why I have made a schedule for myself. I check it
several times a day so that I can keep the most
important things in mind.
 
Some of us don't like to be so regimented, but in my
mind, I treat it like any disease that is in remission
-- I do what will keep my disease at bay, one day at a
time. And I am grateful for the opportunity.
 
Also, as you know, I am big on experimenting to find
what truly works. I use a log to track various things
(depending on my current focus). The log is not to
judge my behavior, rather it's to help me see in black
and white how what I do affects my mood, my weight, my
labs -- whatever I need to understand. Clarity, for me,
breeds willingness.
 
One More Thing
Dr. Buffington also mentioned the importance of sleep,
and I whole-heartedly agree that enough sleep is
critical. I logged my sleep and hunger levels for a
month (last year) and found that when I got less than
7 hours of sleep, I was hungrier during the day.
If you would like to do the things Dr. Buffington
mentioned, you can add them one at a time to your
daily routine, or all at once.
 
There is no wrong way to move forward! Just do
something :o).
 
And have a great WLS day!
*********************************************************
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From Small Bites, the email newsletter for the
National Association for Weight Loss Surgery.
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Thanks Judy!!  You are so awesome and encouraging!!  

oh Molly... I can so identify with this twisted thinking.....
It isn't easy to break free from it --- but it can be done!

YOU WILL SUCCEED!!! 

Very good point Kathy - I need some baby spoons!

So happy for you!!! It's just around the corner.  Do you have an angel yet???  Someone to report back on the actual day?  If you don't I'd be happy to do it!  Let me know!
Hugs, Y