Weight Loss Winformation

The number of women for whom I conduct pre-surgical bariatric evaluations far outweighs the number of men! According to the National Institutes of Health, 80% of those who had bariatric surgery in the ten years beginning in 2002 were women … meaning only 20% were men. These numbers remain pretty consistent today. Consequently, men are left out of the post-op bariatric community in a number of ways...

One of the things I love most about the Internet is being able to connect with people in other parts of the world. Last year I had the opportunity to attend a bariatric conference in Australia. I met a number of professionals who are passionately working in the field of bariatrics. In this episode, I talk with Jacqui Lewis from BN Healthy, a bariatric vitamin company based in Australia. BN Healthy...

The scale… for some, this box of springs, pins, and gears shoved into a stainless steel or aluminum case… is a source of neutral information that can help them make behavioral adjustments in order to lose, maintain, or even gain weight (can you imagine…)? For others, the scale is the equivalent of a ferocious monster capable of mass emotional destruction should it display a number dreaded by the e...

Struggling with body image is a pre-surgery issue for many, a post-surgery issue for most, and a no-surgery problem for nearly everyone! The VAST majority of women (as in over 90% of us) struggle with body image issues while only 5% of women naturally have the figure traditionally depicted in media as THE ONE we should all aspire to have! Well, those are not good odds! Yet so many of us continue t...

People, to include medical professionals, seem to be throwing the term Body Dysmorphic Disorder around willy nilly these days. Unfortunately, many people are uneducated about what Body Dysmorphic Disorder actually is. In the world of bariatrics, it is my suspicion, based on the fact that only 1-2% of the population suffers from Body Dysmorphic Disorder and 90% of people (at least women) suffer fro...

I read a fiction series one time and the female protagonist was referred to by the author throughout the series as being “inimitable.” I loved the word… after I looked it up to see what it meant. The word “inimitable” means, “impossible to copy; unique.” That is how I think of Laura Preston. Laura is an 18-year post-op who has also worked in several professional roles in the bariatric community. M...

Are you really fearful of succeeding at weight loss or are you possibly afraid of the life changes that often accompany weight loss success? Do you fear changes in your relationships? Changes in the amount of attention you will receive after losing weight? Changes related to what others may expect of you as a healthier-weight, more active person? Are you afraid of the amount of effort it will take...

If you’ve ever lost weight before, only to gain some, most, or all of it back, then you are likely familiar with fear of failure! Now you’re considering, or have had bariatric surgery, you may realize that the pesky old fear of failure lurks in the back of your mind, never too far from consciousness. Let’s talk openly about this nagging nuisance. AND let’s talk about some great ways to minimize th...

One of my favorite sayings is, “No one can do it for you, but you can’t do it alone!” Meaning… you are the one who ultimately does the DO-ing required for making the changes in your life. However, without the support, encouragement, accountability and an occasional loving kick in the rear from others, the DO-ing may not get done! In this episode of BariAftercare, the Podcast, meet the amazing grou...

The diet mentality can keep you sucked into the vortex of maintaining an unhealthy relationship with food… which, by the way, often impacts your relationship with yourself… also in an unhealthy way. One of my hopes, which is also shared by Dr. Susan Mitchell, a registered dietician who has worked in the world of weight loss and bariatric surgery for many years. In this episode, Dr. Mitchell talks...

You know how we get ourselves in trouble with expectations? We mistake wishes, wants, dreams and desires for realistic outcomes. Expectations are defined as a strong belief that something will happen or be the case in the future. Realistic expectations are based on what is actually possible, not on desire or dreams alone. When it comes to weight loss, unrealistic expectations run amok. Let’s dig i...

Have you seen the latest headlines by professionals in the world of bariatric medicine? Extra, Extra… read all about it: Obesity Is Not Your Fault! Who doesn’t want to hear that? Besides me, that is… Why don’t I want to hear that obesity is not your fault? Is it because I believe that obesity IS your fault? I certainly do NOT think your genetics are your fault, nor do I think your childhood enviro...

Brittany Spears confessed it many years ago, and many of us could do the same most days of our lives: “Oops. I did it again.” I can’t remember what Brittany had done again, but when it comes to sabotaging weight loss and healthy lifestyle efforts, there is no shortage of examples. As with most behaviors, those we engage in that lead us away from our goals usually begin in our thoughts. Oh, the pow...

If you’re regularly dissing on yourself in what you say to and about yourself (or even think negative thoughts about yourself), not only will your life suffer, but so will the lives of those around you! Let’s be honest… if you’re feeling angry with yourself, if you’re down on yourself all the time… it’s like being lost in a mental boxing ring in your head and you’re about to knock yourself out bec...

Who wants to acknowledge that their behavior broadcasts to others their level of self-esteem (at least to some degree)? Let’s see… when my body was emaciated from anorexia, it was an outward sign, unfortunately, of my internal low self-esteem. When I got drunk five nights a week during my last two years of college, it too, was an indication that my self-esteem was in the toilet, as did my abuse of...

Some self-disclosure for you on THIS episode of BariAftercare! The SELF is a work in progress throughout our lives. There is a big TO DO following bariatric surgery when it comes to the SELF. Why? Because how we feel about ourSELF has a LOT to do with how we treat our bodies, the kinds of relationships we have … with other people, with food, with finances, with alcohol and many other things. Liste...

I found a quote I really like and it’s perfect for today’s podcast. The quote goes like this, “Success is never owned; it is only rented – and the rent is due every day.” Rory Vaden, the author of “Take the Stairs: 7 steps for Achieving True Success, is the person who said that. Basically, what Mr. Vaden is saying is the effort you put in today – to whatever it is you’re doing – determines your su...

Many years ago, I was a patient in an outpatient program that met four nights a week. One day, the counselor approached me and told me I could no longer wear any makeup – to include mascara – to the sessions each night. From that night on, I was held accountable for following through with the no make-up/no mascara agreement as the counselor literally scrutinized my face every evening! Accountabili...

I was with two of my grandsons this weekend… on Saturday and Sunday … for quite some time. On Monday my son, their father, informed me that not only did both boys test positive for strep throat on Monday, so did my son and his wife, their mother! I adamantly told my son that I am NOT going to have strep throat! My insistence that I won’t be getting strep does NOT negate the reality that I was expo...

In the movie, Cool Runnings (a must see in my book), the main character, Daresse, who is preparing for the Olympic try-outs as a sprinter, says to his wife, “I don't care how fast they run, I'm going to run faster. I don't care how much they want it, I want it more . I'm going to the Olympics, baby. I feel it.” THAT is a positive attitude! And having a positive attitude is crit...

“Connie! You’ve got to be careful with your voice!” people would tell me... a lot of people… “What do you mean?” I asked, sincerely not sure what was wrong with my voice. What I learned was that, unaware to myself, I always spoke very loudly, I sounded angry and more intense than I was feeling. I was unaware. Completely unaware that I came across that way. With awareness, I have learned that I can...

Relationships … we have relationships with family members, friends, co-workers, partners, pets, … and yes – we have a relationship with food! What is the quality of your relationships? Are some of them healthy and others unhealthy? What makes a relationship healthy or unhealthy anyway? If you have an unhealthy relationship … with food, in this case… what can you do to improve that relationship? Li...

We’ve all heard that actions speak louder than words. This definitely holds true in the world of bariatrics! Prior to surgery or any weight loss program, most people talk about their commitment, their readiness for change, and proclaim their promises to do things differently this time. In this episode of BariAftercare, we’ll explore 9 objective factors that can help determine if a person is realis...

In the bariatric world, we focus a lot on setting goals. A goal answers the question: What do you want? As a post-op, you want to lose weight, improve your health and the quality of your life, and you want to maintain that healthier weight for life! Those are truly great goals! Having a process, or system, answers the question, “How are you going to reach those goals?” Goals point you in the direc...

Calling all MEN! (And ladies, you need to listen to this, as well!) Meet Rob DiMedio, a history teacher, post-op and POST-OP MENTOR! When I suggest that people IMMERSE themselves into their recovery from obesity, Rob is the STELLAR EXAMPLE! You're gonna love him. AND... he is going to assist me in the FIRST EVER MEN'S RETREAT for post-ops to be held in Atlanta, from August 9th - 13th. Gu...