Email Archives Homepage
The following links provide you direct access to previously published newsletters which are the property of LivingAfterWLS, LLC. You are free to use these for informational purposes. To share newsletter content click the "Forward to a Friend" link at the bottom of each publication. All content is protected by CopySentry and plagerism will be detected. Do not re-publish without the written consent of LivingAfterWLS.

Cordially yours,
Kaye Bailey


Page copy protected against web site content infringement by Copyscape

Return to LivingAfterWLS

Return to 5 Day Pouch Test Site


 
  • LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest
  • Articles and News from the LivingAfterWLS network. Lots of Content & Connections in every issue! Good Reads! The orange headline links directly to the newsletter conveniently archived online for your reference.
  • Holiday Traditions-Are you a Flattery Floozie or Yeah-But Betty?  (12/2/2011)
  • We also take a look at some party personalities, I call them Flattery-Floozie and Yeah-But-Betty. Maybe you will identify with one or the other. It's all in fun but I think there are some interesting insights into those of us who tend to treat ourselves a bit unkindly. This is the season of good will and gratitude. In our ongoing recovery and management of obesity maybe it's time we direct some of that good will and gratitude to within. I will work on this if you will.
  • Sweet Stuff! The Skinny on Sugar and Fake Sugar  (10/19/2011)
  • Today I've gathered some tidbits from these trusted sources to look at sugar, sugar substitutes, and sugar alcohol in the American diet and the weight loss surgery diet. I know that my fellow WLS patients are avid researchers and students and I invite you to take this information, expand on it with your own research, and apply to your personal experience. I believe you will find a suitable relationship with sweets in your healthy recovery from obesity with weight loss surgery.
  • 12 Years of LivingAfterWLS; What I *THINK* I Know Now  (9/14/2011)
  • So today I share things that are important to me today, right now, on the 12-year anniversary of my gastric bypass surgery in September 1999. I say these are things I *THINK* I know today but tomorrow's experience may take me in another direction. I hope you find some of these tidbits useful in your WLS experience and I wish you the best along the way.
  • Neighborhood Connections - the importance of support after WLS  (9/7/2011)
  • Today's digest includes several articles and links that are meant to inform and educate all of us in the LivingAfterWLS community. I hope you will find them helpful in your journey. As we forge ahead toward better health I believe we each discover strong, capable, beautiful beings inside. May each new day be one of discovery, renewal, growth and empowerment.
  • Should You Be Scared Straight After WLS  (8/9/2011)
  • So many of us go into surgery making hand-on-the-Bible type promises to not become "one of those people who gain the weight back." Did you make that promise to yourself or to others? The best way I know to keep this promise is to learn from others and to keep building on personal experience and knowledge. So when I share with you what I've learned it is in the spirit of fellowship knowing we are all in this together. You can count on me to be direct and honest about my own experience and what I have learned from you. Here are a few nuggets of knowledge that are golden and that I learned in the WLS-afterlife.
  • Why we feel guilt after WLS & coping with it  (7/18/2011)
  • This Weekly Digest addresses feelings of guilt experienced by many WLS patients. We seek to understand that self-care is essential in our ability to care for others in our life. We will review a technique to say "no" and discuss our WLS dreams.
  • Goal Weight Range Part II: Super Morbidly Obese  (5/17/2011)
  • In our weekly digest on May 10th I presented my method for calculating a GWR --Goal Weight Range-- for weight loss rather than a single goal weight. I have developed this formula while working with my fellow weight loss surgery patients so that we may move beyond a randomly selected goal weight to the more important goal of improving our health. In today's digest we look at how GWR may be used for those who fall into the "Extreme Obesity" or "Super Morbidly Obese" category. When a person has a goodly amount of weight to lose they benefit from shaping smaller goals that lead to the greater objective or ultimate goal. When taken alone the ultimate goal (lose 200 pounds, for example) poses an insurmountable climb up a profoundly steep hill. Using GWR Phases allows us to focus on positive changes and adapt a problem-solving approach toward the shortfalls. Weight management is a journey, not a destination. (...) Remember: The objective with GWR is to create an acceptable range based on data and realistic thinking with some positive confidence building opportunities along the way.
  • The Lies & Myths of Weight Loss Goal Weight  (5/10/2011)
  • Today I'm addressing goal weight as it relates to our experience with weight loss surgery. Prior to surgery patients are in cahoots with their surgeons as they plan for bariatric surgery, set the course and denote the finish line which will be crossed when goal weight is achieved. I don't particularly like to hear what I'm about to say and I know it is a tough thing for my WLS Neighbors to hear, but I'm putting it out there bluntly so we can face it and take action: Few patients will ever reach goal weight.
  • Delicious Ways to Renew Your Menu  (4/13/2011)
  • Today in the digest we spend a few moments refreshing our memory on how to find a good Day 6 recipe that supports our healthy weight management goals. The more we work toward being masters over what we cook and how we cook the more successful we can become at managing our weight and hopefully improve the health and nourishment of those we love.
  • The Four Rules: Should This Be Rule #5?  (2/23/2011)
  • Last week we concluded our four-part Weekly Digest series refresher course of the weight loss surgery Four Rules. You know them by heart: Protein First; Lots of Water; No Snacking; Daily Exercise. I have long wondered, as many of you have, why taking our vitamin supplements is not part of the near-sacred list that is used almost universally by bariatric centers around the world. After all, we are instructed at length about our need for vitamins supplementation after a gastric weight loss surgery, particularly if we have undergone an malabsorptive procedure. So in keeping with our review of the daily activities that support and sustain our health after surgery today we look at Vitamin Supplements . Join me in making this your unwritten Rule #5 for good health and wellness after weight loss surgery.
  • Rule #4 - Most of Us Struggle with This One  (2/18/2011)
  • In this Digest we present several articles and inspiration for following Rule #4. For me exercise never comes easily and I will not make an empty promise that it can come easily for you. But I will say with deep conviction that I consistently feel better on the days I exercise versus the days I do not. And I believe you enjoy the same good feelings of health and wellness on good exercise days. I'm sure many of you can remember back when Jane Fonda lead us in our at-home video workouts with the battle cry, "Make it Burn!" Recently at age 73 she released a new workout video and made this revealing comment, "I don't like to exercise. I do it because the reward is so delicious and worthwhile. It's not like I wake up saying Oh, goodie! Time to work out!" -- Jane Fonda
  • Rule #3 No Snacking - Here's Where We Get in Trouble  (2/9/2011)
  • Today we continue our discussion of the Four Rules - we are at Number 3: No Snacking. It's a tough one and I dare say most of will or have struggled with snacking following weight loss surgery. And, as you will see from the articles in this newsletter, not all bariatric centers follow the same Four Rules that include no snacking. But what is consistent, across the front lines of those of us living with weight loss surgery, is that out-of-control snacking on poorly chosen foods leads to a stall in weight loss and may possibly lead to weight gain. So please, take a look at the information here and revisit the information you were provided at the time of your surgery. Find your personal position on the "No Snacking" rule based on knowledge, experience, and environment -- it is the most empowering thing you can do for yourself in this ongoing battle of weight management in a world where it is much easier to be fat.
  • Rule #2 Lots of Water - When did water get so complicated?  (2/2/2011)
  • Today's LivingAfterWLS Digest is the second in our New Year's refresher series about the Four Rules. We are looking at Rule #2 - Lots of Water. Water consumption and weight loss is old news to those of us who are lifelong dieters. We know drinking water flushes away toxins and facilitates weight loss. As weight loss surgery patients we must make water intake a priority, but we also have to manage water intake around our quirky liquid restrictions. Frankly it can be a hassle sometimes to meet the daily requirements of Rule #2 - Lots of Water. Today's digest features several articles about the hows and whys of water consumption. Take a minute to fill your glass right now and then refresh your memory on this important rule. Remember, when we signed on for surgery we agreed to follow these rules -- for life! Bottoms up!
  • Protein First: Why it Works, How to Get Enough  (1/20/2011)
  • In the spirit of the New Year today, and for the next three issues of "Weekly Digest" we are taking a closer look at the Four Rules - starting with Rule #1 Protein First. In short - Protein First means it should be the first nutrient we eat at any meal and it should account for the highest percentage of nutrients eaten over fat, carbohydrates and alcohol. In order to maintain weight loss and keep the obesity from which we suffer in remission we must follow these rules for life. When we meet patients who have maintained a healthy body weight for several years with weight loss surgery we learn that in most cases they live by the Four Rules.
  • Weight Loss Surgery Split Personality Syndrome  (1/4/2011)
  • I believe this is the most important message I can share with you right now and one that will make a difference in how you feel about yourself and your health and your weight loss surgery. ... So please, accept with an open heart my conversation on the WLS-Split Personality Syndrome*. Let me know if it hits the mark for you. Because once we see it and know it is exists, understanding begins and so does the healing. We did not choose the medical condition of morbid obesity for ourselves; but we most certainly can choose the path of healing and longevity for ourselves. Read the newsletter - Link Above.
  • Cooking with Kaye: Recipe Newsletter for Weight Loss Surgery Patients
  • Cooking with Kaye: Man Food  (11/6/2011)
  • This week in Cooking at Kaye we explored difference between men and women who diet to lose weight. The free ezine newsletter included 14 great recipes that are big on flavor, easy on preparation, and hearty man-happy food. Take a look and put some of these protein plates on your table!
  • Cooking with Kaye: Halloween Treats  (10/26/2011)
  • Today I present several treats you can feel good about enjoying! We had gastric surgery to become healthy so that we could embrace life to the fullest -- not sit on the sidelines. Making small changes in how we celebrate goes a long way making those dreams of living a reality. I wish you the best in the coming days -- may all your haunting be happy!!
  • Cooking with Kaye: Grains, The New Food Plate & WLS  (6/14/2011)
  • Today we are discussing grains and the role they play in our diet after weight loss surgery. In the early months and even years following surgery a goodly number of patients report difficulty and discomfort when eating rice, pasta, and bread. "It just feels like a big ball is stuck" is a common description when we test drive pasta or rice after surgery and it does not go well.
  • Copy of Cooking with Kaye: The New Food Plate  (6/3/2011)
  • After 19 years the USDA has this week updated food guidelines in a move that makes a lot of sense: a Food Plate. Today we are sharing what we have learned so far so that you may join us and jump in with both feet to embrace a new and improved way of nutrition management for ourselves and the entire family.
  • Cooking with Kaye: Pork Guidelines  (6/1/2011)
  • Late last month (May 2011) the United States Department of Agriculture announced new cooking guidelines for pork and this is GREAT news for weight loss surgery patients. In today's cooking with Kaye we have filled the page with great recipes starring pork that are high in protein and flavor. Give these recipes a try and I think you will enjoy pork more than ever before.
  • Cooking with Kaye: Never Count Carbs Again  (4/5/2011)
  • A major area of concern and sometimes confusion for us after weight loss surgery is how many grams of carbohydrates should we eat in a day. Have you been perplexed over the carbohydrate question? Today in Cooking with Kaye we take a look at carbs and the role they play our diet after weight loss surgery.
  • 5 Day Pouch Test Bulletins
  • 5DPT: December Survival Guide  (12/8/2011)
  • While it may not be practical to do the 5 Day Pouch Test for many of us this month, there are things we can take from it and apply to our daily living in the hopes of making healthy choices that support our weight management efforts with gastric surgery. I've collected a few of my favorite tips here for you and also pointed to some key online-destinations where we can connect and continue learning from one another.
  • 5DPT: Holiday Pre-Game Plan  (11/9/2011)
  • During the holiday season many of us tend to put aside our personal care as the frenzy of the season takes priority. It is important to remember some of our weight loss surgery basics so that we can be in optimal health and enjoy the season. You can do a complete 5 Day Pouch Test to get back on track and be ready for the holidays. But if that doesn't fit your schedule take some time to review the basics and keep them in mind.
  • 5DPT: Stop! This is not a contest!  (10/4/2011)
  • Unless you pound-for-pound and fork-for-fork competitively gained weight with another person you have no business competing to lose weight. Contrary to popular culture, weight loss is not a contest. Weight loss is a life saving initiative owned by the one taking action.
  • 5DPT: Top FAQs & Answers & 2011 Mid-Year Review  (7/27/2011)
  • One way to get the most enjoyment out of the summer season, and any season, is to take a few moments to review the basics that keep us on track with weight loss surgery. Nothing will bring the good times to a halt faster than feeling discouraged or disappointed with our surgery and our health.
  • 5DPT: Top FAQs of 2010 and Answers!  (1/17/2011)
  • Answered in one easy place: the top questions we were asked about the 5 Day Pouch Test in 2010. Maybe your question is answered here - click the link and take a look.
  • 5DPT: Separating our character from our disease  (3/1/2011)
  • When we disjoint our moral character, our spiritual self, and our self-worth from the medical condition we are fighting with weight loss surgery we are able to pragmatically approach the control and treatment of the condition without making it personal. We are not bad people if we relapse with weight gain and we are not bad for having this illness in the first place.
  • 5DPT: Liquid Restrictions - More than just rules  (3/28/2011)
  • One of the first places we go off track after weight loss surgery is forgetting to follow the liquid restrictions. Some centers call them water rules. In short, the liquid restrictions mean to cease drinking beverages 30 minutes before meals and refrain from drinking beverages with meals and for 30 minutes thereafter. Read the newsletter to learn more.
  • 5DPT: Answers for People Doubting the 5 Day Pouch Test  (4/18/2011)
  • I suppose in this journey we call life the mission is to try a little harder, to learn a lot, be kind to one another, and just do the best we can. So here are some common criticisms of the 5DPT and my answers. I know this program isn't needed by every WLS patient and I know there are other ways to get back on track. I also know that thousands of people have successfully used the 5DPT and feel empowered by what they learn in the process. So if the 5DPT happens to help you to try a little harder, learn about yourself, be kind to yourself and do the best you can then I have done my job and you have done yours. Link to read newsletter.
  • Introducing the 5 Day Pouch Test  (9/24/2007)
  • The first 5 Day Pouch Test Bulletin published in 2007.
LivingAfterWLS, LLC
Kaye Bailey, Founder
Evanston, Wyoming 82931
Join our Mailing List!