Weight Loss Winformation

Joy had bariatric surgery 14 years ago and lost weight as expected following surgery. Prior to surgery, Joy rarely consumed alcohol and did not knowingly engage in any other addictive behaviors or consume other addictive substances. More than a year passed before she took a sip of alcohol. Her first post-surgery drink was four ounces of wine. She was almost instantly dizzy and intoxicated. The nex...

Addiction professionals say some very wise things. For instance, Dr. Vera Tarman, author of Food Junkies (I recommend reading the 2nd edition as she talks about bariatric surgery in this version) says, “From food addiction to food serenity – freedom tastes great!” Tennie McCarty, author of Shades of Hope says, “If you can’t take it or leave it, you’re probably addicted to it.” Dr. Gabor Mate, one...

I recently heard what turned into a controversial discussion on a radio show about whether or not someone who smokes suffers with low self-esteem. I gave the issue quite a bit of thought, broadening the question to pertain to those with food issues, alcohol issues and other addictive-type issues. My personal experience and my years as a professional working in the field of bariatrics, leads me to...

 “You’re Only Responsible for the Effort You Put Into Whatever You Do.” This sentence has had tremendous impact in my life. And I hope it will become a sentence that you learn to live by! People who have bariatric surgery tell me they want to live at a healthy weight and have an improved quality of life. In order for that to happen, they need to develop a healthy lifestyle that lasts for the rest...

The absolute best way to REFUSE REGAIN is to follow the bariatric basics. Today’s episode is one you will want to listen to on a regular basis. Today I interviewed Dr. Susan Mitchell, bariatric RD and host of her own, acclaimed podcast, Bariatric Surgery Success, which you want to listen to regularly. The link to her website is below. Be sure to sign up for her newsletter, as well! I learn all sor...

Consciously or subconsciously, many post-ops resist making the changes necessary to lose weight and to keep weight off. Well, that doesn’t make sense! People choose to have bariatric surgery. They’re informed prior to having it what they need to do behaviorally after surgery as they lose weight. They are told very specifically what behaviors they need to engage in to keep that weight off. So why w...

For the next several weeks I’ll be talking about regain… how to avoid it and how to lose it if it’s found you! Set it firmly in my mind that you REFUSE REGAIN! Use the information in this video and the next several videos to maintain your weight loss or to help you lose any pounds you may have regained. And then… again… REFUSE REGAIN! In today’s episode, I’ll be explaining what my 4 ACES are and h...

I’ve been hearing a lot of post-op bariatric patients using the words “body dysmorphia” quite a lot in the past couple of years in relation to how they are experiencing the changes in their bodies after major weight loss. I did some investigating as the little bit of information I had about body dysmorphic disorder did not seem to fit the description of what I heard these people discussing. Tune i...

Health coaching is becoming more and more popular, particularly in the field of bariatric medicine! Not everyone needs the deeper dive that takes place in therapy sessions, but could definitely use an additional support person. Health coaches are tremendous for assisting you in setting goals and being an accountability person to help you remain consistent in following through with your goals! Heal...

The information I recently learned about sleep as it relates to our health and weight has decidedly got me re-thinking the importance of sleep in my life! Bariatric patients often have one or more health comorbidities to include diabetes, sleep apnea, cardiovascular issues and hypertension. Wait until you hear how getting less than eight hours of sleep a night impacts those very same health condit...

What does “overall psychological strength and stability” mean and what does that have to do with maintaining weight loss? Having what the researchers of the article we have been discussing for the past several episodes call “overall psychological strength and stability” basically means being a healthy adult. Well… that doesn’t clear things up very much! Listen in and I’ll explain why being able to...

Are you an autonomous adult? Say what? Are you a person who makes decisions for themselves, who is independent and chooses their own path in life? I’m sure that in many ways and in many areas of your life, you are indeed an independent decision-maker. How about when it comes to make decisions for your life about having bariatric surgery, what foods come into your home, whether you take your lunch...

What is the truth about sugar? How much is it okay for you to have in a day’s time? And what about all the sugar substitutes? Are some of them better for you than others? Or are all of the ok? Or maybe they’re all bad? Oh, yeah…. And then there are those things called sugar alcohols? What’s up with them? Listen in and get the scientific facts from Taylor! And be sure to share this information with...

Self-efficacy is a person’s belief in their ability to succeed in a particular situation. When it comes to keeping weight off following bariatric surgery, many post-op patients struggle mightily to believe deep down in their heart of hearts that they will succeed in keeping their weight off for the long haul. They may or may not verbalize this sense of doubt. For every patient who does admit to ha...

Life is stressful – both before bariatric surgery – and after bariatric surgery. You’ll continue to run late in the morning, your job will continue to overwhelm or overload you, your family will still say and do things that hurt your feelings or frustrate the bejeesus out of you, parents will continue to age, spouses and partners will disappoint you, and food triggers will remain everywhere you lo...

Of course you want to lose your excess weight when you have bariatric surgery. You also (hopefully) want to keep that weight off! A group of researchers has informed us that having and utilizing a healthy support system after bariatric surgery is a great predictor for keeping weight off. Let’s bring this home. Do YOU have a support system? People in your immediate life that are there for you as yo...

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...