Question:
Would love some advice on good reading for post ops.

I've heard of "Pouch Rules For Dummies". Can I get that at any large book store? Also, I was looking for "head" help and books on nutrition and anything else related. Thanks in advance, Joan    — Joan R. (posted on January 10, 2004)

January 10, 2004
hi joan, i have enjoyed reading carnie wilson's book Gut Feelings. it wasnt very into much nutrition but it just helped to hear someone who had also had wls. what i do EVERY day is read the serenity prayer from AA and read the 12 steps from AA. i just substitute the word food for alcohol. it does help me with the head part. time helps with the head part too. I have had a REALLY hard time adjusting and am much better now..... good luck to you! xoxoxoxoxo, mimi
   — mimi H.

January 10, 2004
Here's a link to a "pouch rules for dummies" someone sent me. http://www.mehtabariatriccenter.com/pouch_rules_for_dummies.htm
   — Steve R.

January 11, 2004
I found <i>Rational Eating</i> by Dr. Albert Ellis to be most helpful. It addresses dealing with "head hunger" and your feelings about yourself. He also goes over different diet plans, giving the pros and cons. He does not have a diet, per se; he helps you with self-therapy while you are making yourself healthy in body.<br> He also discusses the evolution of obesity. He says that through the times of famine, those best able to utilize their food and store fat are the ones who survived (survival of the fittest). Therefore, all of us are descendants of those of the species who were super efficient at using food, i.e., able to store fat. This survival characteristic is no longer useful, and for some reason, society has decided that it is undesirable. It made me feel better to realize that my body is extremely well adapted and efficient! <br> Another thing he discusses is society's attitude toward obesity. He says the attitude is completely irrational; 75-80% (I forget the exact figure) of the population is "overweight", so why is the "normal" considered undesirable and "abnormal"? Somehow, this statement helped me see that other people's attitude is <b>their</b> hang-up, and I don't need to buy into it.<br> I find this book most helpful and inspiring; I bought a copy and read exerts frequently. I didn't mean to do an entire book review here *G* Linda
   — Linda S.