In This Digest
Social Connections
The Neighborhood-Hints to make the most of it
Go & Wake Up Your Luck!
Recipe: Your Lucky Day Stew
Featured Links
You Have Arrived
   
Whatever else you have on your mind,  
Wherever else you think you're going, Stop for a moment and
 look where you are:
 

You Have
Arrived!

 

May your blessings outnumber
The shamrocks that grow, 
And may trouble avoid you 
Wherever you go. 
-Irish Blessing 



"I'm a great believer in luck and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it."
~Thomas Jefferson
Social Connections
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The Neighborhood

Your Safe Haven Circle of Friends
10,568 Neighbors - 155,088 Posts  

10,000 Neighbor Milestone 

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.

 

Bunny Swap 

Check out the Neighborhood Bunny Swap and join the fun!

 

 

5 Day Pouch Test 

Share your 5DPT experience in the Neighborhood. Great place to give & receive support.

 

 

Recipes & Cooking 

Share your favorite WLS recipes and find new things to enjoy as well! 

 

      

LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood:

  

 

Four Rules
Refresher Course:
Four Rules Magnet 2
 




We started 2011 with a 2-month comprehensive refresher course that covered the nitty-gritty of our weight loss surgery four rules. Our readers responded with excitement: it seems no matter where we are in the journey a little reminding goes a long way in keeping us on track. By popular demand we will address the rules again in January - February 2012. Until then here are quick links to our 2011 Refresher Course:

Rule #1 - Protein First:

LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest January 20, 2011

   

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  


The Four Rules: Should this be Rule #5?
LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest February 24, 2011.

 

Hair loss from WLS?
Help is here!
Beautiful Hair Bundle

"You've heard the stories about hair loss associated with weight loss surgery. Maybe dramatic hair loss is your story. It was mine. Six months out of surgery I was several dress sizes smaller and going bald. You too? That was 12 years ago and I was on my own to figure out how to fix it. Now I'm pleased to say I have healthy lustrous hair and these are the products that are working for me. I offer them to you with confidence, and the assurance you do not need to spend 12 years trying to get your hair back. Please take a look."
--Kaye Bailey, founder LivingAfterWLS & 12 years post RNY Gastric Bypass.

Hair health after weight loss surgery is best approached internally with added vitamins, minerals, and herbal nutrients from supplements and externally with all natural biotin and keratin protein fortified shampoo, conditioner and a scalp emulsion. Feeding hair with supplements promotes stronger healthier hair growth while using fortified products to clean and condition hair improves the look and feel of hair. In combination the vitamins and minerals work with the hair care products to build healthy hair and arrest the hair loss associated with anesthesia, surgery and a low-calorie diet. Of course, results are unique to the individual. But if hair loss is is taking joy out of your weight loss experience give these quality products a try and get the shine back. As a bonus, the supplements are also known to support skin and nail health.

Learn More: Healthy Hair Bundle

 

Good Luck and Weight Loss Surgery
Are you one of the "Lucky" ones?
      

 

March 20, 2012 

LivingAfterWLS, LLC - All Rights Reserved 

 

Thoughts from Kaye:

Greetings Neighbors!

Over the weekend we marked St. Patrick's Day - a celebration of Ireland's culture of which luck plays a starring role. Legend and folklore entwine luck in song and tale about the Irish people. Symbols of luck - the four leaf clover and pot of gold at the end of the rainbow - abound. And classic Irish blessings bestow luck upon the deserving. So here at LivingAfterWLS under our own beautiful rainbow we searched for the pot of gold to find how luck plays a role in our weight loss surgery experience. Please join us in the wearin' of the green as we explore the lucky side of weight loss surgery in this You Have Arrived Newsletter. And please enjoy a pot of slow cooker stew (recipe below) on us - You are sure to feel lucky with this in your bowl.

Have a safe & healthy week good Neighbors. I leave you with this traditional Irish blessing:

May you always have work for your hands to do.
May your pockets hold always a coin or two.
May the sun shine bright on your windowpane.
May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you.
And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

Cheers,
Kaye


Personal Self Assessment
Now is a great time to do our LivingAfterWLS Quarterly Self Assessment. This is our little two-page worksheet that helps us learn where we are and map a path for where we want to go.
Download Now For Free
 
Spring Savings Sale!
LivingAfterWLS General Store
Code: SPRING2012 - Save $3.00*

Are you ready to get back to the basics of weight loss surgery and make 2012 your healthiest year ever?  We are ready to help you set achievable goals, conquer destructive habits, get on track and achieve your greatest weight-management potential.

5DPT Build a Bundle


Code: SPRING2012 - Save $3.00 At Checkout!
*$29 minimum order 
 
Go & Wake Up Your Luck!
Before & After Surgery Strategies 

by Kaye Bailey
As patients of weight loss surgery there are some proactive things we can do to increase our luck for success at weight management using the surgical tool. Here I have divided those things into efforts we can do before surgery, during the first year following surgery and finally throughout the course of our life with weight loss surgery. Consider your stage in this journey to find opportunities to improve your own luck.

Before Surgery:
1. Research your options. At this time three procedures (gastric bypass, gastric banding and gastric sleeve) are the most commonly performed surgeries for weight loss. A good reference is The Expert's Guide to Weight-Loss Surgery by Dr. Garth Davis. Published in 2008 this book details the surgeries currently  offered and is written in user friendly terms outlining the benefits and risks of each procedure. Apply your personal health history including lifestyle and dietary habits to the conditions of all surgical restrictions to best predict which surgery will work best for you. In other words, fit the surgery to you so that you may optimize it and improve your luck in making it work for you.

2. Find a qualified surgeon & established bariatric center. Look for a surgeon who is a certified member of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) who practices in a "Centers for Excellence" facility. Beyond that speak with your primary care doctor and other patients to learn about their experience with that doctor and facility. Avoid any practitioner who does weight loss surgery as a side practice or who does not provide lifetime follow-up care for gastric surgery patients.
 
3. Build your support network. Share your knowledge and concerns as you build a team of supporters. This team may include family members, friends, coworkers, local support groups and online support networks. It is crucial to your good luck that you surround yourself with those who will support and empower you throughout the process of surgery and during the transformation from disease to improved health as you recover from obesity. The LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood is a great place to connect online for support.

First Year Post-op:
1. Follow directions precisely. Over the last several years I have observed that patients who follow their weight loss surgery instructions precisely for the first year reach goal and suffer  very few setbacks. Patients who tweak the rules early on struggle and seldom reach their goals. It is also the patients who break the rules and are struggling that are most likely to say, "I'm just not one of the lucky ones that the surgery is going to work for." Follow the rules for the first year and put luck on your side.
 
2. Ask for help. Just like parents bringing home an infant weight loss surgery patients have brought home an infant digestive system for which we are uncertain how to care for. When you have doubts ask questions. When things aren't right, ask questions. It is not enough to hope for the best. Go back to that support network you put in place pre-surgery and find answers. Turn your luck around by becoming a willing student and excellent learner. Learn the Four Stages of Growth.

3. Document your journey. The first year of life after weight loss surgery is one of the greatest odysseys of your life. Document it in words and pictures. Publish it online with a blog or keep it private. This will become a valuable tool to you down the road when maintenance is routine and old habits are knocking on your door. A reminder of how far you have traveled will keep you moving forward in the direction you desire.

Lifetime:
1. Conduct routine assessments of your physical, mental & emotional health. This is a lifetime journey and achieving goal weight does not mean we are finished. Many confirm that weight  control and health maintenance is more difficult than weight loss. Routinely assess your health to measure progress or setbacks. From your assessments make adjustments setting short term and long term goals: do not leave your health to chance. Again, use the support system and health care network that you have in place. Use the Personal Self Assessment tool.

2. Continue your education. Just as you researched your options for WLS continue to seek knowledge about nutrition, health, wellness and longevity. Be an informed steward of your body and make wise choices in the care and nurturing of that body: don't leave the care of your body to Lady Luck. You deal the cards and manage how this game is played.

3. Stay connected with your support community at all times. It is very common to sacrifice our support system when life gets in the way. Yet it is in times of stress we need our support network the most. Stay connected. We don't unbuckle the seat belt just before a crash, by the same token, we don't disconnect from those who can help when we need them the most. A well chosen support community is there for the good and bad times. Stay connected.

Luck gets much of the credit for the work of persistence. We have more power over our fate than sometimes we believe. So rather than leave things to chance or luck let's put things in place to pro-actively manipulate our own luck and make things happen. You can do this!

You deserve to thrive in the best healthy life you choose. I believe in you.

Luck is the by-product of busting your fanny.
-Don Sutton

Find a Friend in the Neighborhood




Save $8 on 2-Book Bundle
May we recommend:

Bestseller Book Bundle

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Your Lucky Day Stew
You'll consider yourself lucky when you come home at the end of a busy day to find this delicious stew just waiting for you to enjoy after cooking all day in the slow cooker. Enjoy it with beef, lamb or game meat.

Ingredients:
3  medium carrots, cut lengthwise into halves, then cut into 1-inch pieces
3 medium celery stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cup fresh chopped onion
3 medium garlic cloves, chopped
1 bay leaf
4 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
3/4 teaspoons ground thyme
3/4 teaspoons ground basil leaves
1/2 teaspoons black pepper
2 pounds beef (lamb or game) stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, reduced sodium, undrained
1 (14.5-ounce) can beef broth, reduced sodium
1/2 cup cold water
1/4 cup white all purpose flour

Directions:
Place ingredients in the slow cooker in the following order: carrots, celery, potatoes, onions, garlic, bay leaf, Worcestershire, thyme, basil, pepper, beef, tomatoes with juice, and broth. Cover and cook on low 8 to 9 hours.

Remove beef and vegetables to large serving bowl; cover and keep warm. Remove and discard bay leaf. Turn slow cooker to high, cover. In a small bowl, stir water into flour until smooth. Add 1/2 cup cooking liquid; mix well. Stir flour mixture into slow cooker. Cover and cook 15 minutes or until thickened. Pour sauce over meat and vegetables. Serve immediately.

Serves 8. Per servings: 334 Calories; 27g Protein; 28g Carbohydrate; 11g Fat (4g Saturated).

More Recipes from LivingAfterWLS


Thank you for being a loyal Neighbor of LivingAfterWLS. We are proud to serve you in your weight loss surgery journey.

 

Sincerely,

Kaye Bailey

LivingAfterWLS, LLC

 


The health content in the LivingAfterWLS website is intended to inform, not prescribe, and is not meant to be a substitute for the advice and care of a qualified health-care professional.