Weight Loss Winformation

Internal (or intrinsic) motivation has been noted by researchers as being a healthy predictor of successful weight loss maintenance. Intrinsic motivation comes from within a person rather than from outside rewards or fear of punishment. External (or extrinsic) motivation comes from a desire for some sort of physical reward. Most people, during their pre-surgical psychological evaluations say the r...

In almost every weight loss program there is a focus on behavior modification. In other words, what are you going to do differently from your regular food routine in order to lose weight? Behavior modifications are basically what I refer to as the “Gotta Do Ems.” Behavior modifications focus on keeping portion sizes reasonable, limiting the processed foods you choose, staying away from added sugar...

I couldn’t leave you hanging and not hear the end of Tonimarie’s story of how she re-lost the regain she experienced after bariatric surgery! As a recap, Tonimarie regained all of the weight she lost following bariatric surgery. She was considering having a revision surgery, but learned that her anatomy was still as it had been after surgery. In other words, she realized she needed to get serious...

Like many others who have had bariatric surgery, Tonimarie found herself having regained all of the weight she lost after her bariatric procedure several years ago. In the past year, Tonimarie has put forth the kind of consistent effort that results in weight loss and leads to weight maintenance. Tonimarie utilizes a support group, seeks information online, asks for help from peers and professiona...

The holidays, yesterday (and last year) are over. How were your holidays… foodwise, I mean?! The truth is, it doesn’t matter because we only have today in which to live! Focusing on living in the moment is a great tool to help you forego regrets about yesterday and stay away from worrying about tomorrow. When it comes to bariatric eating, focusing on the moment, or the meal you’re eating in the mo...

The Present is a book by Spencer Johnson. Since we’re in the throes of the holiday season, it seemed pertinent to share this story with you. As a bariatric patient, you can use the lessons in this book to stay focused on the present and create the future you are seeking by learning from the past. You may want to listen to this story several times, reflect on the messages in the book, and think car...

Let’s get a jump-start on the New Year and talk about Resolutions. Here’s my suggestion: Don’t set any! The majority of people who set resolutions (promises they make) don’t follow through with them. If they did, the world would be full of physically healthier individuals as the majority of resolutions are related to improvements in physical health. Goals are a better bet in terms of follow-throug...

Gifts are on most people’s minds during the month of December. In the hustle and bustle of buying, wrapping and unwrapping gifts, take some time to think about that gift that is YOU! You ARE a gift! Your unique combination of talents, traits, and attributes deserves acknowledgement. From yourself! The examples of yourself as a gift shared in this podcast episode is worthy of self-reflection. Baria...

We’re deep into holiday season and the annual festive food is everywhere, tempting us all. It’s important for bariatric patients to keep in mind that food is NOT the reason for the holiday season AND that they chose to have bariatric surgery so they could spend more time living a healthier life with those they love… which is actually very much a part of the reason for the holiday season. While spe...

The holidays add extra layers of stress for most of us. Many bariatric patients struggle to stay on track with healthy habits, especially if they’re out of the early post-surgery “honeymoon” stage. Food triggers are everywhere throughout the year! The sights and smells of holiday foods, along with emotional triggers unearthed during the holiday season, make food even more appealing and seemingly i...

Maintaining weight loss after bariatric surgery can be challenging. Doing so during the holiday season adds another whole level of difficulty when it comes to keeping your weight stable. What if you could get through this holiday season and not gain any weight… and perhaps actually lose some weight? How proud would you feel? What an amazing way to begin the new year, already on the right track! In...

Expressing thankfulness, or gratitude, is known to have positive effects on our mood and attitude. The positive benefits of acknowledging and expressing gratitude have been shown to last for weeks and months! And will be a motivator to keep you moving in the direction of living a healthy lifestyle at a healthy weight. Most of us are reminded from time to time to focus on what’s good and right in o...

We all know what the areas of strength are in our lives… and we also know the areas in which we could improve. What areas of your life do you identify as being really good at? Are you a good employee? A great spouse? A terrific parent? If so, it’s a given that your behaviors… your habits, in those areas of your life, reflect how you feel about yourself in those arenas. Good employees show up for w...

Everyone who has bariatric surgery plans to have long-term success, usually described in terms of maintaining their weight loss over time. As you know, that is not always the case. Regain is a struggle for a lot of people after the “honeymoon period” is over. In the book Atomic Habits, the author, James Clear talks about the emphasis most people place on goals. He wisely points out that regardless...

We outlined how to develop the first two parts of your Personal Protection Plan for staying on course with your healthy lifestyle goals during the last BariAftercare podcast. In today’s episode, I’ll talk you through Parts 3 and 4 so you can complete your plan. It’s only helpful, however, if you actually create it, place it somewhere accessible to you (like on your phone) and then use it! The tool...

The holiday food-fest season kicks off with Halloween this month and seems to continue straight through the new year. Be prepared this year to stay on track with your goals to maintain a healthy weight for your body after bariatric surgery. Work through the four part Personal Protection Plan I have created for you so that you can pat yourself on the back when New Year’s Eve rolls around and proudl...

In the iconic book, titled The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, the author Don Miguel Ruiz shares ancient wisdom related to the source of our self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. The Four Agreements are: 1) Be impeccable with your word, 2) Don’t take anything personally, 3) Don’t make assumptions, and 4) Always do your best. In today’s podc...

Exercise physiologist Julia Karlstad has written two books about exercise specifically for bariatric patients! The titles of her books are Rx Fitness for Weight Loss and Bariatric Fitness for Your New Life. In her first of her monthly videos for BariAftercare, Julia talks about how to exercise to burn more fat after you have bariatric surgery. Julia refers to exercise as the “fountain of youth” an...

Have you ever thought that an obsession with food may have saved your sanity to some degree? I know that doesn’t sound logical, but for those who have been there… they get it! Believe it or not, obsessing about food, calories, weight, grams, recipes, and food shows may be a way YOU protect yourself! Struggling with the frustration of food obsession may be less painful than addressing emotions rela...

When people opt to have bariatric surgery, they are asked several times in the process of preparing for surgery what their “goal weight” is. I find people’s responses very interesting. Some people say they are not overly interested in a particular number, stating instead they are more interested in being off medications, being able to travel, and living longer. Others appear to be very attached to...

Did you know that there are some critical questions you can ask yourself that can help you to make better decisions in your life – about everything, actually. But the ones you are likely super interested in are decisions related to food, eating, exercise!  Better decisions do lead to fewer regrets!  You opted to have bariatric surgery in order to live in better health. Therefore, it would be a gre...

Any time we can work smarter and not harder is a win in my book. It’s interesting to really think about the many ways we complicate our own lives, but that’s a story for another day. Today, I want to share some ways we can simplify incorporating the many behavior changes required after surgery into your life as a bariatric patient. Keep in mind, that simple does not mean easy! While most of the be...

Meet Taylor Rizzo! Taylor is a registered dietician who works exclusively with bariatric patients, both before and after their surgical procedures. And her patients love her! Which is the reason I have asked Taylor to be a regular presence on BariAftercare! On this, her first episode for BariAftercare, Taylor answers a number of questions frequently asked by patients: What is eating frequency? How...

Many people who have bariatric surgery carry a fear of failure into the procedure with them. This fear of failure may be readily acknowledged or could be a subconscious thought lingering from past experiences with weight regain.  Here’s a truth if ever there was a truth: human beings are not failures so if you’ve ever said, “I’m such a failure,” please reconsider! A human being may have setbacks o...

When I ask people who have regained weight what they think led to their regain, the number one response I get is, “Stress!” I always tell them that eating leads to weight regain. But is there a physiological connection between the biological effects of stress and increased food consumption? Or can stress simply be tossed into the general category of emotional eating? In this episode of BariAfterca...