5 Day Pouch Test Bulletin
Too busy for the 5DPT?
That's Okay! You can still use techniques and tricks to thrive during the Feasting Season. 



November 2012
This is your year to say NO! 
to holiday weight gain.




Today's Bulletin
Inspired Quotes
Taking WLS Back to the Real World
Free Downloads
On-track Strategies
Featured Recipe: Turkey Filled Colorful Peppers
LivingAfterWLS
Losing weight and staying sane in a world where
 it's easy to be fat.

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Inspired Quotes
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We have changed the environment but forgot to tell our body!

"We have changed the environment that we live in over an incredibly short time--one generation or perhaps two generations at most, and this has challenged our ancient metabolism, which for thousands of generations has been geared to fighting famine."
Researcher Andrew Prentice

Glorified Gorging
Through human history there have been many stringent taboos on watching other people eat, or on eating in the presence of others. Yet today eating and overeating "is glorified to the point it is a spectator sport. Pre-eating contests at county fairs have given way to televised championships where the best gorgers become minor celebrities. And yes, there is the International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE). This group seeks 'to achieve objectives consistent with the public interest - namely, creating an environment in which fans may enjoy the display of competitive eating skill."
-Dr. Kelly D. Brownell & Dr. Katherine Battle Horgen
Food Fight, page 41


Personal Responsibility: Our best weapon against biology and environment
WLS patients have a tremendous sense of personal responsibility in controlling their health through weight management with surgery. In summarizing the research on biology and environment in relation to obesity expert George Bray said, "Genes load the gun, the environment pulls the trigger." No wonder we struggle, even with surgical intervention, in the fight against obesity. Dr. Brownell attaches great hope to personal responsibility saying, "Calling on people to make better decisions and providing them with the skills to do so should always be the first step, always the default. This is consistent with our country's character and also with psychological principles; people who change through their own efforts have enhanced self-esteem and maintain the changes longer."


Useful Tool:
Free PDF Download:
LivingAfterWLS Quarterly Self-Assessment

 


November Coupons: 
Two Great Offers! 


$2 off any order: no minimum.
Code: THANKSTWO2012 


10% off $29 minimum Orders
Code: THANKSTEN2012

General Store: Books
Taking WLS 
Back to the
Real World
Autumn Leaf People who undergo weight loss surgery are often heard to say, "The surgery was on my stomach, not my head." It is true there are some complicated mental and emotional issues that manifest following WLS, but what is often overlooked is the fact that we take our brand new digestive system and new life style rules right back to the very environment in which we became obese. No wonder we get wonky in the head! 

With the 5DPT I've tried to empower you with understanding that this is a difficult challenge and setbacks are not personal failures or character flaws: they are stepping stones and learning tools. On Day 5 of the 5DPT I ask participants to carefully consider the tools and techniques available for navigating this world with our new surgical tool and new lifestyle. Take a look at these "Key Learning Points" from Day 5:

Losing weight is a matter of health:
it is not a competitive sport. Contrary to popular culture, weight loss is not a contest. Weight loss is a lifesaving initiative owned by the one taking action. This is your journey: enjoy it at your pace.

5DPT Bulletin: WLS is not a contest

WLS is Not Competition Poster:
Free Download

Learn to measure your worth by means other than the bathroom scale. Focus on your whole self: your intelligence, social grace, spiritual
connections, and professional and scholastic achievements.

Develop strategies for navigating in the real world. When we have surgery we changed and then we return to the exact environment we lived in prior to surgery: the very environment that contributed to our obesity. The only chance we have to make the surgery work is to evolve strategies for navigating our new body in the old waters.

Always practice kindness. Be kind to yourself, our ongoing theme. Express gratitude for your weight loss tool and for your personal empowerment.
Celebrate doing the best you could to find a middle ground to respect yourself and your traditions and your new WLS body. This you deserve."



We are all in this Together.

LivingAfterWLS supports the
American Red Cross
as the trusted source for helping those in need during any crisis. Please join us.

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In Case you missed it:
5DPT Bulletin
Archive
Free Online

Protein First:
We are falling short
September Bulletin
How much protein have you had so far today? "As a group, we are not eating enough protein and this shortfall is putting our health at risk." We know that after weight loss surgery we should follow a high protein diet. We call this "Protein First" - the first of the Four Rules of WLS. Mainstream studies of people managing their weight without bariatric surgery continue to indicate a diet high in protein supports weight loss and weight management in addition to promoting health.
Go to Bulletin

Review Top FAQs

February 2012:
Today we take a look back at the most frequently asked 5DPT questions in the last year. As the 5 Day Pouch Test has become more widely known information about it --both accurate and inaccurate-- abounds.
Link

Is this Dangerous?
March 2012:
Answering the tough question - Is the 5DPT dangerous to my health? Link

Help! I'm Stuck!
May 2012:
If you are frustrated with a plateau give the 5 Day Pouch Test a try. Get that scale moving again and renew your confidence in your pouch, your personal power, and decision to have surgery in the first place! This month's 5DPT Bulletin is all about using the plan to boost your metabolism, bust a plateau and get back on track with your weight loss surgery! Link

Days 1&2 are Hard!
June 2012
This month's 5DPT Bulletin takes a look at some of the pitfalls that derail us on Days 1 and 2. I then give solutions and suggestions to avoid these pitfalls so we all may successfully get back on track with our health and weight management using the weight loss surgery tool in the manner that serves us best. Little things make a difference and I think if you give Days 1 and 2 another try a pleasant surprise awaits you come Day 3.
Link



 
Free Downloads from LivingAfterWLS
Rainbow of Ribbons downloadsBuild Your WLS Toolbox
LivingAfterWLS offers several free download worksheets (.pdf format) to assist you in keeping records and setting goal in your weight loss surgery journey. May we recommend:

Quarterly Personal Self-Assessment Worksheet

5 Day Pouch Test 2-Page Journal

Fit Is It Exercise Log

Day 6 Menu Planner & Shopping List

LivingAfterWLS Downloads Page

5 Day Pouch Test Tools

Greetings Neighbors!

Fall Flowers
To all of our Neighbors affected by Superstorm Sandy I send my heartfelt wishes and prayers for your safety and health. My heart aches for the suffering and destruction brought about by this act of nature. I am supporting your recovery efforts with a contribution dedicated to all LivingAfterWLS Neighbors to the American Red Cross. May peace be with us all.

This November 5DPT Bulletin is all about taking little steps to manage our weight with surgery. There is no question that the 5 Day Pouch Test has helped thousands of people get back on track with their WLS goals. One reason for this success is that the plan forces us to look at the very basics of the WLS lifestyle and return to the behaviors that helped us lose weight initially out of surgery. Sometimes all we need is a reboot, a reminder, an ah-ha moment of rediscovering a tool or technique we may have forgotten. Today's Bulletin is loaded with tools and techniques that work in our weight management and we can use them as part of a successful 5 Day Pouch Test or a less-dramatic reboot.  I know I need the occasional back-to-basics refresher course; I hope you will benefit from my experience.

Be sure to check-out today's Featured Recipe:Turkey Filled Colorful Peppers. Enjoy this on Days 4 or 5 of the 5 Day Pouch Test or anytime on Day 6!

We are all in this together!

You are more powerful than you think and
You Can Do This!

Kaye

Business Note: Shipment Delays. Due to Superstorm Sandy shipments from the LivingAfterWLS General Store in the US Postal System are taking longer to reach our valued customers. Please check the Shipping Policy on our store's support page for updates.


Personal Empowerment: You are in Control

Feeling empowered is not just a good turn of luck:
Feeling empowered means working and taking control of your destiny. It is a state of mind cultivated with education, thought and validation.


The LivingAfterWLS philosophy states, "Personal empowerment is not borne of the statement "I am empowered." It is a state of mind cultivated with education, thought and validation." The following are three keys to achieving personal empowerment.

Rationality: Ayn Rand said, "To know one's own desires, their meaning and their costs requires the highest human virtue: Rationality." Loosely defined rationality is the logical pursuit of goals. So cultivate some rationality. Face the fact that morbid obesity is a disease that when treated with weight loss surgery can be controlled. But the burden of that control is not on the surgeon, the insurance company, the spouse or the child. The burden is on the patient. Accept the rationality and embrace the burden. Empower yourself to become a WLS success story.

Productiveness
: Engage actively in making life after surgery successful. Become an information sponge. Learn about nutrition, healthy cooking and eating and physical and mental fitness. Pursue knowledge and living with a zealous heart. Celebrate your chance to make right an unhealthy life by becoming fanatical about good living both of body and spirit. If you feel defeated then start today productively taking control of your post-WLS life. It's not too late.

Pride
: Pride refers to a strong sense of self-respect, a refusal to be humiliated as well as joy in accomplishments. Give yourself permission to be proud of your decision, proud of your success, proud of your soul and your appearance. This is difficult for recovering morbidly obese people because we are better skilled at humility and self-degradation. Stand tall and walk proudly. Share a smile with a stranger. Cultivate your self-confidence because you have earned the right to be proud.

Easy?
  Are these three keys easy to accomplish? No. Can you have them overnight? No. But any day that you empower yourself in pursuit of personal ownership and success is a day far better than one of torment and self-loathing. On days of empowerment you will speak aloud, "The question is not who is going to let me fail; it is who is going to stop me from succeeding?"

"Keep learning. Use the 5 Day Pouch Test and beyond to continue your education about health, nutrition, weight management, and living after weight loss surgery. Continued education works to keep us informed, trying new things, and renewed hope that lasting remission from our medical disorder is achievable. Seek knowledge from reputable publications and from peers. This process of support and learning becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy as we benefit from the give-and-take of a generous spirit. Learn, teach, and share. We are in this together."
~Kaye Bailey - 5DPT Owner's Manual 2nd Edition, p.29


LAWLS Neighborhood
Be sure to check-out these dedicated spaces in the
The only official online community for the
5 Day Pouch Test:


5DPT Plan, Recipes, Tools, FAQ
5 Day Pouch Test in Progress
5 Day Pouch Test Results



For informative and inspiring reading please visit
our 5 Day Pouch Test Articles Collection


You are our valued reader. We respect your rights and privacy by never sharing your information with a third party. Please respect our creative rights by honoring copyright laws and prevent plagiarism.
No time for 5DPT?
Use these on-track strategies to navigate the
feasting season
Retro Icon Oval
Little Reminders: Big Results!
by Kaye Bailey
I work with people doing the 5DPT all the time, but that doesn't prevent me from suffering occasional "sensibility amnesia" regarding our post-WLS lifestyle. Not long ago I had that OMG moment when I realized I was drinking water with my meals. What? How did that old habit creep back to my mealtime? Upon this realization I knew I was not at the point of crisis where I needed to do the 5DPT. But I also knew I had to take action to change my trajectory. I took time to review the Four Rules and liquid restrictions and recommitted to following them. This helped me return to the comfortable knowledge of doing what works with WLS to manage my weight and overall health.

In the coming weeks you may find yourself off-track without the opportunity to commit to a 5 Day Pouch Test. Go ahead and review these principals and click the links to further reading. You are powerful and knowledge is fuel to empowerment and success. And a little reminder now and then goes a long way toward sustained weight management and personal satisfaction.

Don't Drink & Eat: In the coming weeks there will be much socializing where food and drink play a starring role. This is not new to our generation. Since the human race began people have gathered to break bread and share drinks - it is part of our cultural DNA and quite frankly, I love this part of our human experience. Gathering and sharing is universally nurturing: this is obvious because the tradition endures the test of time. But after WLS eating and drinking are independent activities. We are taught to eat our meals without beverages and have our beverages without food. Take a look at the October 5DPT Bulletin where we discussed Rule #2: Drink lots of water, and the Liquid Restrictions and Slider Foods. Link Here  In a social setting keeping a distance between food and drink is challenging. Some people use the "One Hand" technique where they have either food or drink in one hand and keep the other hand free for hand shakes, fist bumps, cheek pinching, and elbow squeezing.  The one hand technique allows us to participate in the social ritual of food and drink, but also helps us better manage the food and beverage requirements of WLS.

Become arrogant about the foods you put in your body, treat your body respectfully.

Start the Day with Protein: If you are puzzled by the need to boost your metabolism to break a plateau or initiate weight loss start the day with protein. Aim for at least 30 grams of protein in your first meal of the day. Try adding a scoop of protein powder to your coffee (let it cool to drinking temperature before adding protein for best results). Number 1 of our WLS Four Rules is "Protein First" and that applies for the duration of our post-surgical life. Protein provides energy, essential amino acids for healthy cells, and sustains fullness without feelings of lethargy experienced after eating starchy carbohydrates. Digesting protein requires more energy (calories) than the protein contains. Find ways to include extra protein throughout the day. Convenient options include protein bars (keep sugars below 6 grams), protein shakes, and protein enhanced beverages such as Protein to Go or Special K2. Look for a variety of products in the vitamin and supplement section of your discount store or grocery store.

Accept the Four Rules. Embrace them. They didn't tell us these are the rules until you get to goal weight. They said these are the rules. That meant the rules for life.

Appeal to your inner Vanity: Most of us with WLS profess that we had the surgery for health reasons, not for vanity. But losing weight boosts our self-esteem and it should because obesity is a stigmatized condition where we have likely been teased and discriminated against. Who wasn't hit hard by the social bias when we were obese? Weight loss is a vehicle for repairing those wounds and healing those scars and we have every right to feel good about our accomplishment. We have every right to strut our stuff! Take these feelings of confidence and cultivate them in your own style. Dress the part, walk the walk, scream and shout and celebrate your recovery from illness. When we focus attention on this --our vanity-- there is little time to dwell upon social gorging on foods that do not support this celebration of living. We know what gingerbread and eggnog taste like so we can minimize that eating experience at the same time we magnify the experience of feeling good and celebrating feelings of self-confidence and joy, perhaps a less familiar but equally satisfying indulgence.
Read LAWLS Weekly Digest - Are you a flattery floozie or Yeah-but Betty?

Cultivate a passion for healthy living. It's much easier to overcome obstacles if you are passionate about what you are doing.

Prepare and Plan: Plan your menus so that you are not caught off guard and unprepared without a plan. Do not leave your nourishment to chance. Each week we have 21 meals to nurture our body and support our weight management by making thoughtful choices and following a plan. When we plan and prepare for the meals we can control stress associated with the seasons constant abundance. When temptation recedes we become better empowered to enjoy deliberate indulgences. Leaving things to dietary chance contributed to our obesity before surgery: we have already learned that lesson so no need to relive the experience. Planning and preparation does not need to be rigid, but it needs to exist or we are surrendering to chance and hoping for the best. Surgery is life changing: why would we go back to what we know doesn't work?
PDF Downloads: Menu Planning Worksheets

Avoid the trigger foods that you have not been able to control. You know what these foods taste like and you know how you feel after eating them. You do not need to re-learn this over and over again. Avoid trigger foods.

For informative and inspiring reading please visit
our 5 Day Pouch Test Articles Collection
GeneralStore

Two Great Offers -
Our Thanks to You!


November is a month of gratitude and we are more grateful than ever for the support and loyalty we enjoy with our LivingAfterWLS General Store Customers and Neighbors. It pleases us to offer two different coupon codes this month, a token of our appreciation of you. Please use the coupon that gives you the best bargain and enter the code at checkout.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Coupon Code: THANKSTWO2012
Save $2 off any order! No minimum purchase.

Coupon Code: THANKSTEN2012
Save 10% off any order over $29.00
Four Rules Magnet
5DPT Bargain Bundle - Everything You Need to Get Back on Track!
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Featured Recipe: Turkey Filled Colorful Peppers
Turkey Filled Colorful Peppers
peppersWith a Halloween Spin
Find us on Pinterest  I saw stuffed peppers carved to look like Jack-O-Lanterns on Pinterest
and it was such a clever presentation I just had to give it a try. I learned carving a pepper is much easier than carving a pumpkin, and gutting a pepper is much more pleasant than gutting a pumpkin. I used a paring knife to carve the peppers (red, orange, and yellow) before stuffing and then cooking following the recipe below.

This recipe is from my forthcoming book, "Cooking with Kaye: Methods to Meals" on page 171. The peppers are stuffed with lean ground turkey and vegetables then baked in the slow cooker. The recipe calls for a topping of shredded Monterey Jack Cheese. In the example above I substituted a mixture of equal parts crumbled crackers and grated Parmesan cheese.  I hope you'll give this a try - with or without a Jack-O-Lantern smile!

Use for Days 4 or 5 of 5DPT or Day 6 anytime!

Turkey Filled Colorful Peppers
Freeway Chef, delectable aroma,
low carbs, high nutrients, low calories

Oven-baked stuffed peppers require the ground meat be cooked in a skillet before the peppers are stuffed and baked. Slow cooker stuffed peppers eliminate this step while producing a moist meaty Protein First meal.

Ingredients:
3 sweet bell peppers; assorted colors
1 (20-ounce) package Jennie-O� Lean Ground Turkey Breast
1 small onion, minced
1 carrot, grated
1 stalk celery, minced
1� teaspoons Mrs. Dash� Original Seasoning
� teaspoon ground pepper
1 egg
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 to 2 cups chicken broth, reduced sodium
3 ounces shredded Monterey Jack

Directions: Wash and dry bell peppers. Depending upon how peppers will fit in your slow cooker remove stems and cut vertically so each pepper half will rest on its side; or cut top off so peppers will rest upright. Remove seeds and membranes; set aside. In a medium mixing bowl gently mix the ground turkey, onion, carrot, celery, seasoning blend, ground pepper, egg, and tomato sauce. Spoon mixture evenly in peppers; arrange peppers in slow cooker; add enough chicken broth to fill bottom of cooker 1 to 2-inches deep. Cover; set cooker to low and cook 4 to 6 hours or high and cook 2 to 4 hours. About 30 minutes before serving check meat for doneness using an instant-read meat thermometer: temperature should be 160�F. If turkey is done top peppers with cheese; return cover and continue cooking 10 to 15 minutes until cheese is melted. Serve warm.

Nutrition: Serves 6. Each serving provides 201 calories, 29 grams protein, 6 grams fat, 6 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram dietary fiber.

Try This: Prepare 2 cups cooked white rice and serve with stuffed peppers.

Cooking with Kaye: Methods to Meals Reprinted with permission (c) LivingAfterWLS 2012
Cooking with Kaye: Methods to Meals
Page 171

Reserve your copy today!
Books ship beginning November 20.

 

Introductory Price: $23.95

Lowest Introductory Price Guaranteed through 12/31/2012  

(Publishers Price: $27.95 - Save $4)

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Refresher:
Four Rules


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.

 

 

 


Customer Top Rated
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Ultimate Success Book Bundle
Put the Power of the Pouch in your hands with Kaye Bailey's two best selling books plus the highly effective Ultimate Pocket Diet Journal. Our customer favorite Lasting Success Book Bundle includes:

~The all new 5 Day Pouch Test Owner's Manual 2nd Edition (July 2012)
~Day 6: Beyond the 5 Day Pouch Test (2009: 2nd Printing August 1, 2012)
~The Ultimate Pocket Diet Journal
.

700 pages of inspiration, motivation, empowerment & know-how to get you on track with WLS and keep you there! Great recipes, inspiring hints and proven secrets! Spoken in Kaye's compelling voice of compassion and "You Can Do This" spirit. Great bundle ensuring your lasting success with Weight Loss Surgery.

List Price: $66.95
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Save even more! Coupon code THANKSTEN2012 takes 10% off orders of $29 or more  at checkout!
The health content provided by LivingAfterWLS 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.

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