WLS Center E-Newsletter
A
FREE publication from
http://www.wlscenter.com
Hosted by
Barbara Thompson
Author of:
Weight Loss Surgery:
Finding the Thin Person Hiding Inside You.
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Much has changed in the 4 years since my
surgery, and one thing is the amount of fast food that I eat. I
rarely visit the drive thru’s. Well I do have to admit to a
weakness for Wendy’s taco salad, but the days of buying Big Mac’s
and French fries and eating them while I ride around in my car are
gone. Thank goodness! You will find out why when you read the
research article section further in this newsletter.
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In This Issue |
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* Research Article: Super Size Me
* Dealing with Winter Blahs
* On Vacation
* Book Excerpt: Diarrhea and Constipation
* Recipe: Deviled Eggs with Bulk
*
Success Story: Debbie Thompson
* Spreading the Word in LA, NJ, WV and PA |
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Research Article:
Super Size Me |
Take one healthy man and 30 days of Big Mac’s
and that is a recipe for disaster as director Morgan Spurlock
discovered as he made his film, Super Size Me.
Spurlock who is a healthy 33
year old man traveled to 20
cities, eating at McDonald’s 3 meals a day for a month and
chronicled the deterioration of his body. Not only did he gain 27
pounds, but he was soon vomiting, suffered from headaches,
depression, and low sex drive. But the most dramatic deterioration
as verified by 3 doctors who monitored him during
the making of the film, was the effect on his
liver which became very abnormal.
The film was recently featured at the Sundance
Film Festival. It does not yet have a Distributor, but hopefully
will be available soon.
Here anarticle about the film:
New Zealand Herald: Film records effects of
eating only at McDonald’s for a month
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/entertainmentstorydisplay.cfm?
storyID=3545438&thesection=ent
The next time you long for a Big Mac, remember
this film! |
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Dealing with Winter Blahs |
Are you surviving winter? There is such a
tendency to burrow in to try to stay warm when the weather is awful.
This can really put a cramp in your weight loss efforts.
So how is your weight loss this winter? Having
problem with plateaus? Has your weight loss come to a screeching
halt, or (gasp) have you put on a pound or two?
If your favorite exercise is walking and you
haven’t found a replacement, you could be in trouble. Try to avoid
the temptation to stay sedentary. You need to be moving to get the
most from your surgery. And if you are in the “Window of
Opportunity,” which is the easiest time to lose weight
following your surgery, then you
can’t afford to waste these cold months by not exercising.
It is too cold to walk in most parts of the
country so today, find an alternative. Try making a list of 5
exercises that you can do when the weather outside is frightful. Let
me help you get started:
- Remember Richard Simmons? Buy or rent one of
the “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” videos and bounce along with Richard.
- Join Curves, your local Y or a gym
- Challenge yourself to try just one new
winter sport (snow shoeing, ice skating, sledding, or making a
snow man?).
- Fill in the blank and send me your
suggestion
- Fill in the blank and send me your
suggestion.
Send those ideas to be at
Barbara@wlscenter.com and I will print them in the next issue. |
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On Vacation |
Our office will be
closed.from Feb. 12th to
Feb 19th for
a much needed vacation. You can still place orders online
during that time, but expect a short delay
for shipment. We will be shipping up to Feb 11th so get your
orders in early.
Books
and CDs can be ordered at
http://www.wlscenter.com/1shopmain.htm
Vitamins
can be ordered at
http://barbarathompson.isotonix.com or
at
http://www.barbarathompson.unfranchise.com/
and clicking on the Health & Nutrition Store.
Orders will start being
filled after we return on Feb.
20th.on a
first come, first served basis.
This also means that I will
not be able to publish a mid February e-newsletter,
but I promise a great one for March 1st!. |
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Book Excerpt:
Diarrhea and Constipation |
Our altered digestive system often causes us
problems that can make our lives miserable. If you are suffering
from either of these problems this portion of my book, “Weight Loss
Surgery, Finding the Thin Person Hiding Inside You” might help.
Digestive problems
are very common post-operatively. Your system is new and needs time
to heal so that it functions properly again. Also, you are not
eating the way you have done in the past. Your system is not
accustomed to this and may rebel in unpleasant ways.
Diarrhea
is very common in patients who have had distal bypasses. But eating
certain foods that you may no longer tolerate well may also cause
diarrhea. Common problem-causing foods include those high in fat
and sugar, milk
products and caffeine.
There are several
remedies that you can try. First of all, avoid those foods
containing high amounts of fat, sugar, milk and caffeine. None of
them are good food choices and should be avoided, even if they did
not cause you problems. Do not eat and drink at the same time. Try
taking Metamucil or try the BRAT diet, which is a diet that most
parents are aware of, and Pediatricians often recommend. The diet
consists of eating ripe bananas, rice, applesauce (unsweetened), tea
(decaffeinated) and toast (whole wheat). These are all very high in
carbohydrates, so you may want to limit this diet to no more than
two days.
The most effective
remedy, however may be to eat yogurt or drink buttermilk. The
healthy bacteria in these cultures may help your body to rid itself
of the unhealthy bacteria in your digestive system that is causing
the diarrhea. You may also take Lactobacillus Acidophilus, which is
the same culture that is found in yogurt. It can be found in health
food stores and most drug stores. If the diarrhea continues,
consult with your doctor. It is important to avoid dehydration.
Constipation
is another common problem. This is often the result of not drinking
enough fluids, eating a diet high in animal fat, or not eating
enough fiber. Foods that are high in fiber are
a problem for RNY surgery patients because fiber can block the
opening (stoma) between the pouch
and the intestines. Also, the normal weight loss surgery diet tends
to be very low in fiber. If you are eating your protein first, this
leaves little room for fibrous food. Constipation
can also become a problem when not eating enough food because your
bowels tend to go to sleep or become semi-dormant. When in this
state, they tend not to move waste products forward.
As a rule, if more
than three days have passed without a bowel movement, the contents
in the bowels tend to harden causing constipation.
It is not necessary to have a bowel movement every day, in fact,
with some people, a bowel movement every three days is normal.
Avoid taking stimulant laxatives when constipated. These include
Correctol, Ex Lax, Dulcolax, Senokot and Fletcher’s Castoria. It is
very easy for your body to become dependent upon them and you may
reach a point where you cannot have a bowel movement without taking
a stimulant laxative. Stimulant laxatives should never be taken
more than twice a week. However, a stool softener may be used
anytime it is needed. These include Colace, Dialose and Surfak.
Your body does not become dependent upon these, and they may bring
you relief. Bulk-forming laxatives are considered the safest.
These are taken with water
and cause water to be absorbed in the colon making the stool
softer. These include products such as FiberCon, Metamucil, and
Citrucel.
If constipation
lasts for more than three weeks, talk to your doctor. As a last
resort, there is a prescription medication called MiraLax that can
be very helpful.
If you do not have your copy of my book “Weight
Loss Surgery; Finding the Thin Person Hiding Inside You,” what are
you waiting for? Many surgeons all across the country will not
allow their patients to have the surgery unless they have read my
book. Order your copy at
http://www.wlscenter.com/Announce_Book.htm#book. |
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Recipe: Deviled Eggs with Bulk |
A special thanks to Patricia Burton for the
following recipe. It is full of protein, low in carbs and easy to
make.
I am 2 years post-op and I have a recipe I
recently created for myself for a party. It was a big hit with
everyone. It went over great not only for me, but everyone at the
party loved it. I was with my family, so I was able to make
something for myself that I could munch without guilt or fear of
getting sick. Try it, you might like it!
Deviled Eggs with Bulk
6 hard boiled eggs halved and scooped
1/2 to 3/4 cups
finely shredded green cabbage
1/2 to 3/4 cups
finely shredded carrots
Combine egg yolks, shredded cabbage and
shredded carrots. Toss together with mayo, pepper, garlic powder,
onion powder and salt to taste.
Sprinkle tops with paprika, parsley, and a
little dill.
If you have a recipe that you would like to
share in future issues of this
newsletter, please send it to me at
Barbara@wlscenter.com |
Success Story: Debbie Thompson |
I want to offer special thanks to Debbie
Thompson. Here is her story:
My name is Debbie Thompson. I had open RNY
surgery 9 months ago. So far I have lost 136 wonderful pounds. I
never felt better and this surgery has changed my life for the
better.
Here are some of the things I can do now that I
have lost the weight. I am walking 3 1/2 miles in a marathon and am
signing up for 3 more. I am able to fit in booths at restaurants. I
don’t have to wear a seat belt extender. When I go to an amusement
park, I can fit in the rides and not have to worry that
I will have
to get off because I don’t fit. I have made exercise a part of my
weekly life. I exercise at least 4 times a week and feel this is
also a reason why I have been so successful.
I went from wearing a size 32 to a size 22 in 9
months. I knew that getting the weight off would change my life but
never realized how much it would change. I am now more out going.
People will now talk to me instead of maybe just smiling and looking
away.
For the rest of Debbie's
story and photos,
Click Here
I
love good news. If you have a success story to share, please send
it to me at
Barbara@wlscenter.com so that I can include it in future issues.
Be sure you are at least one year post-op and include your before
and after pictures. |
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Reprinted
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