The power of love to change bodies is legendary, built into folklore, common sense, and everyday experience.  Love moves the flesh, it pushes matter around.... Throughout history, "tender loving care" has uniformly been recognized as a valuable element in healing. 

 ~Larry Dossey 

Rule #2 - Lots of Water

  LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest February 2, 2011 

Rule #3 - No Snacking

LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest February 9, 2011  

Rule #4 - Daily Exercise

LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest February 18, 2011 

MAY FREEBIE

Free Four Rules Magnet Free with Every Order!

If you have an Apple device then we have the app for you.

You can download the app to run any invision message board, including this Neighborhood. Heres what you do.

Login to your Apple iTunes account and go to this link:

IP Board Communities 

Download the app. Then select the Neighborhood from the directory and take it from there.

Health and Wellness >> LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood

Give it a try. The IPS guys are working with us so we will eventually have a branded app button that matches the neighborhood graphics. Its all a work in progress but this should get you started.

App Conversation in the Neighborhood 

Android App in Progress - Stay tuned for details!! 

In the vernacular language of weight loss surgery wearing a sleeve has nothing to do with a piece of clothing that covers the arm; wearing a sleeve describes a relatively new surgical procedure that is fast gaining favor for the treatment of morbid obesity. The procedure involves removing a portion of the stomach and the formation of a tubular stomach sleeve different in shape and function from the more common gastric bypass pouch. This procedure restricts food intake but is not considered malabsorptive which often results in dumping syndrome and vitamin deficiency in gastric bypass patients. It is believed that the sleeve procedure also reduces the amount of ghrelin and other hormones that are released providing a hormonal advantage to reducing caloric intake.

According to Dr. Gregg H. Jossart, Director of Minimally Invasive Surgery at California Pacific Medical Center, the sleeve gastrectomy is an evolution of prior procedures that has its roots in the earliest bariatric weight loss surgery procedures. The first open sleeve gastrectomy was performed in March 1988 as part of what is now called the duodenal switch procedure. By 2001 the open sleeve gastrecomy was increasingly used for treating super morbidly obese patients who were deemed too high risk for other metabolic weight loss surgeries such as gastric bypass or the duodenal switch. Doctors were seeing patients achieve a weight loss of 40 to 50 percent excess weight. Once the super morbidly obese patient achieved this initial weight loss they could undergo a "second stage" procedure, most likely the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery, which brought continued weight loss.

In the meantime advances were being made in laparoscopic gastric surgeries that were reducing risk to patients and decreasing hospital stays while improving the rate of recovery from surgery. Minimally invasive laparoscopic procedures are performed by surgeons inserting cameras and instruments through small incisions using images displayed on TV monitors for magnification of the surgical elements.

Super-morbidly obese patients, those with a BMI greater than 58, are not always suited to laparoscopic bariatric surgical procedures due to the depth of adipose tissue. But techniques were developed by 2003 that made a laparoscopic approach to the sleeve feasible. A small study of super morbidly obese patients undergoing the laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy indicated an average excessive weight loss of 33 percent. These patients were then able to safely undergo the second stage Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery, also laparoscopically.

By 2009 several study groups at different stages post-surgery were all reporting favorable weight loss with the laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. The results were so favorable in fact, results in weight loss were comparable to both gastric bypass and adjustable gastric banding. These results quickly popularized the procedure for patients seeking surgical intervention for the metabolic disorder of morbid obesity.

Todays laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, which evolved from an open duodenal switch to open sleeve gastrectomy, is fast becoming the favored procedure for super-morbidly obese patients as the first stage operation before Roux-en-Y. For patients of lower BMI the sleeve procedure is effective as a single treatment for weight loss and presents another surgical option to the better known gastric bypass or adjustable gastric band (lap-band) surgeries. Bariatric surgeons are happily reporting that the long-term safety of the sleeve procedure is definite as the risk of marginal ulcer or small intestinal obstruction does not exist as it does with gastric bypass.

However, surgeons are seeking to resolve two main issues with the gastric sleeve. The first is a standardized pouch volume. It is believed a smaller pouch volume of 30-40cc will affect a more durable weight loss, but with this smaller volume comes problems. Jossart said, "Unfortunately this smaller volume increases the chance of staple line bleeding or splitting, especially near the gastroesophageal junction. Proper management of the staple line will ultimately optimize the safety of this procedure."

As with all surgical procedures it is critical to have the surgery performed by a board-certified surgeon who is familiar with the anatomy, surgical procedure, and postoperative management of the patient.

Kaye Bailey 2010 - All Rights Reserved

by Kaye Bailey

I believe that for many of us food has been used in a moral way for most of our lives. When we were children good behavior was rewarded with a cookie. If we were chubby we were put on a punishing diet while those around us who were "good" continued to eat unrestricted. As we matured food has played a significant role in our personal reward and punishment cycle which ultimately led to obesity that required treatment with surgical weight loss.

As we mature and learn more about our medical condition of obesity we can remove the moral values assigned to food, over eating and dietary restriction. A good step in that direction is finding substitutes for food as a mechanism for self-reward. One of my drumbeat messages to my WLS Neighbors is to practice the same quality of kindness toward yourself as you do to those you love and nurture. You are deserving of your kindness. I invite you to review this list, add your own nurturing rewards and take a few minutes to give yourself the royal treatment. You will find yourself stronger and alive in ways that food never delivered.    

• Take a Nap. It is no secret that we do not get enough rest. And many of us report feeling guilty when we "interrupt" our day for a brief snooze. Think of a nap as an inexpensive refueling that empowers you to perform better in your daily tasks. If you are doing errands and your car needs gas you stop and fill the tank without feeling guilt. You do this so you can continue the task at hand without coming to a standstill due to an empty tank. Refuel your tank with a nap. No guilt or cash required! 
• Ditch the devices & wander. Our high-tech constantly connected world has diminished our ability to get lost. Take the brave step to ditch the devices and wander leisurely on the road less traveled. New sights and experiences invigorate the mind and feed the soul. 
• Give yourself fresh flowers. Studies suggest mood hormones are elevated when looking at a fresh floral arrangement. Gather blossoms from your yard or treat yourself to an inexpensive market bouquet. Carnations are my favorite and a $6 bunch will last up to 10 days.  
• Take a walk. People report positive feelings of well being even after a brief walk of 10 minutes. When the pressure is too much step up and out. Walking oxygenates the blood and releases feel-good hormones that empower our coping skills. The positive effects of a 10-minute walk can linger for several hours, unlike a sweet food reward that will launch our mood and drop it within an hour.  
• Make a gratitude list. Even for the perennial optimist bouts with disappointment occur. Philosophers through the ages have noted the connection between gratitude and inner peace and happiness. When life brings us down -- at it will -- spare a few moments to list that for which you are grateful. It is nurturing and healing. Inspirational author William Arthur Ward wrote, "Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it." 
• Listen to the music. Dedicate time to enjoy your favorite music exclusively. No double-tasking, just listen to the music. Hear the notes and feel the rhythm and get lost in the moment. Music elevates mood and soothes tension. Some experts believe that getting a favorite song stuck in your head effectively replaces the negative self talk that often gets stuck in our heads.   
• Do something you do very well. Golf pros report that amateur golfers make the mistake of practicing swings they already do well. Why? Because it feels good to do something well; to swing and hit the ball perfectly and watch it fly. When we are feeling down on ourselves we can boost our inner moral by practicing what we already do well. Why not? Take a swing at the ball --whatever that may be-- and celebrate the strong and capable person you are. Remember, the act of doing something well is the reward itself - no need for a food reward: that is past behavior.  
• Stop for a moment; Look where you are. We are intensely goal oriented at the cost of missing the journey. It is the small experiences, the everyday living that is the sum of who we are. When the pressure of the pursuit of goals is too much do as our LivingAfterWLS motto says and "Stop for a moment, Look where you are: You Have Arrived."  

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The LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood: an online compassion driven social space evoking feelings of comfort, understanding, knowledge, warmth, acceptance, trust and happiness for those who have undergone gastric bypass, lap-band or any type of weight loss surgery or those struggling with weight control.

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Attention Gastric SLEEVERS:

Heart on Your Sleeve 

A special forum dedicated to those who undergo gastric sleeve procedures. Named "Heart on Your Sleeve" because so many of us invest our hope and our hearts in a procedure to take back our life. Please share you knowledge and experience and connect HERE  

Weight Loss Surgery Chat 

All things weight loss surgery. Find your procedure peer in our gastric banding, gastric sleeve forums. Or talk to veterans of weight loss surgery. Learn about diet, nutrition, exercise and more after weight loss surgery.

Spring Sunshine Accountability Challenge 

Spring sunshine... is there anything better? Granted, the old saying goes "April showers bring May flowers". What to we most look forward to though? Sunshine. Warmer temperatures. Flowers and fresh vegetables growing in our gardens. The thought of it makes me smile. If we emulate the spring, the season of rebirth and growth, then we will indeed glow like the sun. Let's all eat, breathe, and live like the spring sunshine; let the warmth and happiness that we have shine through. Let's cast off the cares of winter, those dark, cold and gloomy days that weighed us down and embrace the light. Join Us for this Challenge! You set your goals and participate at your pace in your way - empowered by the Neighborhood.  Led by our Ambassador of Accountability Kendalvon! 

5 Day Pouch Test Forum 

Always a popular destination the 5 Day Pouch Test Forum is your place to connect with others who are using this popular plan to get back on track with their weight loss surgery tool.

Harness the momentum of your 5 Day Pouch Test and continue forward with a positive effort at Day 6 Living. Great support from others, like you, who are trying their best to live healthy happy lives with weight loss surgery.

The You Have Arrived Alumni Club 

Connect with others who had weight loss surgery the same year you did and share the journey! From the Pioneers of the 1980s to our newbies of 2010, everyone has a place in the Alumni Club to call home.

The Picket Fence 

A place to stop and share the things in our daily lives beyond weight loss surgery. A neighborly place of support and friendship.

In the pinch of tough economic times a high protein diet can stretch the grocery budget beyond its limits. Yet for a weight loss surgery patient to successfully lose weight and maintain that weight loss they must consume good quality lean protein at every meal. Rotisserie chickens available ready-to-eat at most supermarkets provide a good source of animal protein that may be used in a variety of ways for high protein meals that do not break the bank.
Pictured: This delicious and affordable Lemon Chicken Soup may be created quickly using rotisserie chicken. Recipe

Who can resist a golden rotisserie chicken warm for the taking after a long day's work? At about $7 per chicken this is one of the best bargains in the supermarket because the work is done for you and the cost of heating your oven is spared. We all know that chicken is a great source of lean protein when the skin is removed. In fact, a University of Minnesota study found that no significant fat is transferred from the skin to the meat when chicken is cooked with the skin in place. Just remove and discard the skin prior to using the meat in a recipe or eating the chicken.

Nutritionally chicken is an excellent source of protein, minerals and nutrients. A single (3-ounce) serving of chicken (dark and light meat) provides 25g protein, 162 calories, 6.3g fat and 1.7g saturated fat. People controlling their weight with gastric bypass, gastric lap-band, and gastric sleeve weight loss surgeries are encouraged to eat at least 60 grams of protein a day.

I like to buy two chickens at a time, remove and discard the skin and then pick the bones clean of meat breaking it into small shreds or pieces. Naturally, I'm going to nibble at the chicken while I'm doing this but I do not feel guilty, just comforted! Here area a few of the things I do with the chicken to make it last in a variety of ways. Adjust your portions to serve the number of people at your table. Each recipe uses the shredded cooked chicken: plan about 3-4 ounces per serving.

Marinara-Mozzarella Bake: In a small casserole layer chicken, low-sodium marinara sauce and top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake until sauce is warm and cheese is bubbly. Serve warm with microwave steamed baby carrots.

Chicken Vegetable Soup: Add 2 cups of chicken to 1 quart of low-sodium chicken stock and 1 cup of frozen mixed vegetables. Simmer gently until vegetables are tender. Serve warm topped with a sprinkle of cheese or chopped fresh herbs.

Fiesta Chicken and Eggs: Scramble 2 egg per person. Remove to an oven safe plate and top with 3-ounces shredded chicken, a spoonful of salsa and a sprinkle of sharp shredded cheese. Place under preheated broiler until cheese is melted. Serve with canned black beans (rinsed & drained) and warmed in the microwave, if desired.

Easy-Breezy Chicken Salad: Chill shredded chicken. Chop 1/4 small onion, 1 rib of celery and toss with 1/2 cup shredded chicken, 1 tablespoon light mayonnaise and season with salt and pepper to taste. Eat chicken salad at once or chill until serving. May be served with lettuce greens, if desired.

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Link: Helpful Back on Track Articles