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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.
Issue #113 |
March 15,
2007 |
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Barbara
Thompson
The Voice of Obesity |
Hello Everyone,
We are in that time of the year here in the Northeast when I know
Spring is coming, but many days it just seems so far away. We have
some really nice days, but then there are days like today when it
rained all day and then turned into snow. I just heard the
weather report which is calling for 2 to 3 inches of snow! But I
know that Spring really is just around the corner.
This reminds me of weight loss. You know
that you’ll be successful if you just stick to it. You have many
good days, but then those bad days creep in and it seems like the
bad days will never end. But they do. If we could just be as sure
of our success as we are sure that Spring will come, we would be
better off. Be strong!
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In This Issue |
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* The Latest Study of Diet Soda
* Milwaukee Retreat
* Healthy Food Puzzle
* Cruise to Paradise
* Recipe: Citrus Chicken
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Success Story: Ron Nippe
* Spreading the Word in Park Rapids, MN; Milwaukee; Washington, DC;
Greenville, PA; and the Western Caribbean |
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The Latest Study on Diet Soda |
If you were normally a soda
drinker prior to your surgery, as most of us were, you have probably wondered what
the big deal is regarding drinking soda after surgery. You
have probably heard the arguments that the carbonation in
soda will expand your pouch. Therefore you may have reasoned
that you will let the soda get flat and then drink it. Of
course the time you wait for the soda to
go flat may have gotten shorter and
shorter, so that you may just be drinking the soda right
after opening the can. And besides, if you are many years
post op, the fear of expanding your pouch probably left you
long ago.
And then there is the argument that if
you drink decaffeinated soda, then there is no caffeine to
dehydrate you because caffeine acts as a diuretic. So what
could possibly be wrong with drink decaffeinated diet soda?
There is a new study reported March 12th
on MSNBC from the University of Texas. Researchers followed
600 people over an 8 year period. They found that of those
who drank 1 to 2 cans of diet soda per day, 54% of them over
the 8 year period became obese. Those who drank 1 to 2 cans
of regular soda, 33% of them became obese.
I am not suggesting and neither is the
study that you should drink regular soda. And there is an
argument to be made that the group drinking diet soda may
have had a predisposition to obesity. However, this study is
one more reason to consider how artificial sweetener acts in
your body.
Most diet sodas contain aspartame which
studies have shown decreases the serotonin in the body.
Serotonin is the neurochemical that regulates emotions and
appetite, among other things. Therefore a decrease in
serotonin can cause depression which can lead us to turn to
comfort foods as well as increase our appetite. So the
caffeine free diet soda that you are drinking may very well
be making you more hungry and causing cravings.
The jury is still out on Splenda. There
have been some adverse reactions reported, so you may not be
safe substituting Splenda for aspartame.
Just try going a week with no diet soda
or artificially sweetened products and see if you notice a
difference. Here are some substitutes for diet soda that you
might want to consider
- Water – pure and simple
- Water with a little fruit juice
mixed in
- Water with a slice of lemon or
orange
- Herbal tea
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Healthy Food Puzzle |
Please let me know how you like these puzzles and if you
think they are a fun addition to the newsletter. Email me
at
Barbara@WLScenter.com
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Citrus Chicken
¼ cup lemon juice
2 T Dijon mustard
¼ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. pepper
2 T frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 T plus 1 tsp. vegetable oil
1 packet instant chicken broth mix, dry
1 T dried parsley
1 pound boned and skinned chicken, cut into chunks
1 T plus 1 tsp. cornstarch
1 cup water
Spray a large skillet with Pam. Sauté chicken
pieces 1 ½ to 2 minutes on each side. Remove chicken and add lemon
juice, garlic powder, pepper, orange juice concentrate, oil, broth
mix and parsley to the skillet. Heat until hot.
Add the chicken and cook, turning frequently
until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Reduce
heat, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Remove the chicken. Dissolve cornstarch in
water. Add this to the remaining liquid in the skillet and
completely stir in. Return the chicken to the skillet. Increase
heat. Stir and cook until the mixture is slightly thickened.
Makes 4 servings. Each serving:
233 Calories
10 Carbohydrates
17 grams of Protein
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 |
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I want to offer a special thanks to Ron
Nippe. Here is his story:
I am
sure this is nothing new, that you have heard it before. The
occurrence that pushed me over the edge and slapped me into
realizing I needed to address my weight problem was a pre-operative
airline trip from Manchester, NH to Ft. Myers, FL, a trip I make
several times each year.
Last
summer, I sat in my seat with my lovely wife of 30 years (110
pounds!) next to me.
Thanks
to the designer of most aircraft seats, we are able to raise the
armrest between us and there was (was!) then ample room for my 6’4”,
331 pound frame to sit comfortably.
On this
particular trip, I could not buckle my seatbelt. Rather than face
the embarrassment of publicly asking the flight attendant for a seat
belt extension, I placed the belt in my lap and covered the buckle
area with a magazine…When the cabin crew made the pre-takeoff seat
belt inspection, I passed (luckily) without a second glance!
Over
the past 5 years, I had ballooned from 275 to 331 pounds! It was
partly due to anxiety medication and appetite, partly due to junk
food and my business lifestyle. Heck, I would even hit Mickey D's on
the way home for dinner for a junk food pre-dinner.
I
carried the weight well. Family members and even the doctors at the
hospital in Boston that performed my surgery last year asked me
several times why I was doing this. The answer was simple and
obvious to me! I was 100+ pounds overweight. I had perfect blood
pressure, perfect cholesterol, and no co-morbidities. I had some
knee discomfort (wonder why?). My family supported me but could not
understand…save for my wife!
Now, at
220 pounds and dropping, back in the gym 5 mornings per week, eating
“right,” and feeling great, I will never again be dreading the many
flights I make each year!
Here
are my dimensions pre and post-op
Then Now
Neck 20”+ 16”
Chest 56” 44”
Waist 50” on a good day! 38”
Pounds 331 220 and dropping
(goal is 200)
Have a
great day!
Ron Nippe
rnippe@ftmc.net
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Congratulations Ron |
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You achieved your
goal, be proud and tell the world.
I am running low on success stories. If
you have a story to share, are at least 1 year post-op and
have before and after pictures, please send them to me at
Barbara@wlscenter.com so that I can include
them in a future
issue. |
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Park Rapids,
MN; Milwaukee, WI; |
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Washington, DC;
Greenville, PA |
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and
the Western Caribbean |
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Saturday April 14th, 10 AM to
11:15 AM, sponsored by Dakota Clinic, Park Rapids, MN. Call
Laurie Hanson, 218-732-2829 for information.
Tuesday May 8th, OR Thursday August 9th
(date tentative), Walter Reed Hospital, Washington, DC.
Wednesday May 23rd, 6:00 to 8:00 PM, Thiel
College Auditorium, sponsored by UPMC Horizon, Greenville, PA.
Call Jonathan Bailey, 724-589-6642 for information
Please Note: I am asked very often about
coming to speak for various practices. If you would like me to
speak, I am sponsored to speak by either the Hospital or by a
corporation. Call me for details 877-440-1518. |
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Attention Nurses |
If you are a nurse and would like for me to
speak on positive patient outcomes, patient satisfaction, or
obesity sensitivity for your State Nurses Association, please
have the conference planner for your State Association contact
me. I have a corporate sponsor who will pay my fee and expenses
so it is free for your Association. I also speak for many
hospitals on the same topics.
Contact me at
Barbara@WLScenter.com or 412-851-4195. |
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“Reprinted from Barbara Thompson’s free
e-newsletter featuring helpful information and research material to
help patients succeed following weight loss surgery.
Subscribe at
http://www.barbarathompsonnewsletter.com ”
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