Have you ever had a moment that made you say “wow”? Here are just a few of those moments from OH members like you!

My wow moment was being able to go hiking at Mt. Shasta in California. The beautiful scenery was worth the hike. Prior to surgery, I never would have made it. I have lost 90 pounds and am at my goal weight of 135 pounds. RNY has saved my life and brought joy to exploring nature.

Kristy.

After losing 140 pounds, I finally fit into the cockpit of a kayak without exceeding the weight limit of the boat. Now I can enjoy kayaking with my husband and son.

Lauri

On my six-month post-op date, my husband took a picture of me with my uniform pants that I wore pre-op, and I couldn’t believe the difference!

Cindy  

I owe my new life to my Lap-band. I have gone from driving 50 meters down to the shop to running my first 10K road race in October.

Sharyn

I sat in my car and pulled the seatbelt over me and clicked it without moving over to slip in the clasp. I pulled it across my body and clasped my seatbelt several times before driving off with a huge grin.

Lisa

My son, Jason, flew to Missouri to run a 5K with me. We both won the gold medal.

Brenda

Want to share your own wow moment?

Send your name, a short description of your accomplishment and a high-resolution photo to wow@obesityhelp.com.

Doctors and nutritionists hear it from patients all the time: “I tried every diet and still am unable to lose weight.” What these patients do not realize is that many are suffering from metabolic syndrome, which can be corrected with proper nutrition and an understanding of their personal healthy weight range.

Bariatric and family practice physician Dr. Caroline Cederquist of Naples, Florida, has devoted a majority of her practice to working with patients who have a common metabolic condition that responds to the proper diet for their metabolism. “Losing weight is always a combination of things, but 80 to 90 percent of the people I see in my practice, including children, have a very common but undiagnosed metabolic condition that makes it hard to lose and easy to gain weight,” explained Dr. Cederquist. “It is common in women after menopause, so many women who have never had a weight issue, or alternatively, who always have had a weight problem but controlled it, will find that they can’t control it at all after menopause.”

Dr. Cederquist explains that metabolic syndrome is a condition that may develop as people age and their bodies lose the ability to metabolize carbohydrates efficiently. “People who have a strong family history of diabetes are at higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome” she said.....Read more.

Check out ObesityHelp's Recipe Forum to read the entire article, Overcoming Metabolic Syndrome Through Nutrition.

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Exercise can be joyous! Any dreaded task can be joyous if you approach it with a playful attitude. Think back to when you were a child. Do you remember what if felt like to be playful? It feels happy, innocent, creative, free and lighthearted. Find the physical exercise that at least halfway appeals to you, whether it is cycling, swimming, hiking, aerobic dance, etc., and approach it with a playful attitude. With a playful attitude, you will look forward to experiencing the joy you derive from regular exercise. And you will not only experience joy, but also improved body composition, strength, cardiovascular conditioning, flexibility, stress reduction and self-esteem! Any dreaded task can be joyous—even exercising—when approached with a playful attitude!

Click HERE for a short, relaxing video clip to help you focus on joy.

Denna Shelton, cPT, inspries others in the field of health and fitness, focusing on wellness in body, mind and spirit. For more information, visit www.twentygems.com. 

OH member Michael Bialowitz (username: Michael B.) had the goal to hike to the top of Camelback Mountain in Phoenix, Arizona. That’s just what he did! Here’s what he had to say about the experience:

Camelback Mountain is not a tremendous mountain that you need ropes and equipment to climb, but it is a 1275’ gain in elevation from the base to the summit. I actually hiked it once before when I was in high school and about 50 pounds heavier then I am now. Back then it was an ordeal to say the least. I had to stop every five minutes.

I’ve been doing quite a bit of hiking the past few weeks, as I have found that it is a type of exercise I actually enjoy because it allows me to combine several things I enjoy: nature, flowers, photography, exercise and adventure. I had been saving this hike, though. And the date I chose for this occasion? The one-year anniversary of the surgery that started me on this path!

I decided to take the Cholla Trail, which traverses the southwest side of the mountain. Thirty-five minutes in, I took my first break to enjoy the view and get a short breather. A little further up the trail the hard part appeared: a 1/4 mile run up about a 45-degree slope of boulders. My heart pounded as I set off scrambling up the boulders. I had to pull myself up in spots, picking and choosing my route, but amazingly I made it up that section without stopping, although my thighs were burning and I had to remind myself not to whine.

At the end of this section, I got my first glimpse of the summit. I was almost there! My legs were tired, but thanks to the enthusiasm that I felt from glimpsing the finish line, adrenaline began to course through my veins. I began walking faster, scurrying over boulders the size of small cars. I was almost there—a few more steps. The theme song from the Olympic Games started playing over and over in the soundtrack of my mind.... I made it! One thousand, two-hundred and seventy-five feet, over a trail one-and-a-half miles long!

I found the tallest rock at the summit and climbed up. I just stood there. I took it all in and then started thinking about the moments in the anesthesia holding room at the Durham Regional Hospital in North Carolina. It had only been 365 days ago, but it seemed like such a distant memory. I thought about how grateful I was for the opportunity to be given the tool that I needed to finally turn around and walk away from my life as a morbidly obese man headed down a dark road of complications and suffering. I turned around, started walking, and didn’t stop until I was as high as I could go.

Where will I go next? I don’t know for sure, but I can tell you that without the extra 130 pounds weighing me down, the sky is the limit!

Share your achievements with OH Magazine by sending high-resolution photos of yourself achieving your goal to editor@obesityhelp.com.

SHARE A GOAL ON ObesityHelp.com! It’s easy to create and share your goals with other members.

1. Go to www.obesityhelp.com/goals and log in to your account.

2. In the “My goal is to …” box on the top right, type your goal. (example: run three miles)

3. Press the button that says “I’m going to do this.” You should see a list of similar goals.

4. If you see a goal you like, click on the link that matches. (example: Run three miles)

5. On the page for that goal, you will see a button that says “I want to do this too.” Click it.

6. Press “Save”.

Not a member of ObesityHelp yet? Get access to all of ObesityHelp's great features by joining today!

In order to define who you are after weight loss surgery, it’s important to answer a few questions. The most important question may be “Who do you want to be?” However, before you answer that question, let’s walk down the road of your past and define who you have been. You will discover qualities about yourself that you want to hold on to and develop as you move forward in life. You will also discover some things about yourself that you need to permanently abandon.

Life after bariatric surgery is most assuredly about redefining yourself. You have gone from seeing yourself, and being seen by others, as “the fat person” to being “that person who had bariatric surgery and has lost so much weight.” It’s easy to find yourself wondering who you are at this point—many pounds lighter than you were not so very long ago. You’re probably tired of all of the comments and questions related to how much weight you have lost and how you have done it. It’s time to start living the new life you have worked so hard for. However, you may be confused about who you are now that you have lost so much weight and the hype of the weight-loss process is over. You may find yourself staring into the mirror wondering, “Who am I?” Click here to read more.

Check out ObesityHelp's Mental Health Forum to read the entire article, REDEFINING YOURSELF and your place in the world.

Not a member of ObesityHelp yet? Get access to all of ObesityHelp's great features by joining today!

An adequate discussion of the various types of WLS and what is realistically expected of you afterward is never a five-minute conversation. Addressing these issues frequently takes an entire informational seminar. Most patients understand that it would be difficult to have an individual discussion for two hours with over 100 patients each month, but this is what the job requires. Be very wary of programs that spend little time discussing your options or describing their post-op program. If they are not willing to give you ample time pre-op, how much time do you think will be devoted to you post-operatively?

Be Flexible

I believe it is important to consult with a surgeon who performs more than one type of operation. This is the only sure way to obtain an unbiased opinion as to which surgical option best fits your needs and your risk stratification. You do not need to have your surgery with this same surgeon....Read more. 

Click here to read the entire article, Choosing a Bariatric Surgeon or Program.

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June 17, 2008, ObesityHelp.com was in attendance as thousands gathered for the Walk from Obesity – Walk on the Capitol in Washington, DC, to raise awareness of obesity.   

Here is what two of our attending staff had to say:  

Tammy Colter, Director of Media and Public Relations: “I was proud to take part in the Walk from Obesity and to see so many amazing, caring people come together to bring public awareness to the fight against obesity.”  

Jason Riddle, Marketing Director: “Inspiration!” 

Tammy Colter asked the following question of two highly respected walk participants, "what does the walk from obesity mean to you?"

Dr. Cowan: "I am an obesity surgery addict who has been fighting for patients for 30 plus years.  This walk helps to satisfy my addiction...but there is more...much, much more."

Dr. Yasrebi: "I have been performing bariatric surgery for 27 years.  There is no single treatment for obesity. Combining surgery with walking and a healthy diet maximizes the success of the surgery."

 Dr. Cowan & Dr. Yasrebi at the Walk on the Capitol!

We wanted to share with you some of our favorite photos! Over on the side of our profile area, you can get to where we have uploaded the photos that we took or here is a direct link to the album.

Did you participate in a Walk from Obesity? We'd love to see your photos.  Upload them to your Photo Album and then we suggest tagging them with keywords so that they can all be grouped together with ours and others in the community (if you attended different walks substitute appropriate location and year): walk, politics, reform, movement, community, walk from obesity 2008, event, washington dc, 2008, walk on the capitol, advocacy 

Click here for a quick tutorial on this if you need help.

We know a lot of you have walking goals, so don't forget to join a walk in your location - keep walking!

Mind Matters - Body Image, It's Not What You See in the Mirror

Everyone has a body image—a set of beliefs, perceptions, and feelings related to their body. Surprisingly, body image is not necessarily related to objective measures and does not refer to what you actually look like. Not liking your body makes it difficult to accept yourself and is associated with depression, anxiety and withdrawal. Research shows that many patients experience an improved body image within the first year after weight loss surgery. However, some patients continue to perceive themselves inaccurately and negatively, or change their focus from their body size to sagging skin. It sometimes takes your mind time to “catch up” with your rapid and dramatic body changes.

How to improve your body image

1. How are you talking to yourself? Often, you feel bad about your body because of your thoughts. Try to avoid inaccurate, negative terms like “my disgusting fat hips” or “the elephant skin under my arm.” Rather, use more descriptive and neutral terms (e.g., “round hips” or “the way my underarm skin sags and has wrinkles”). When you feel particularly bad about your body, write down your thoughts and see if you can alter them to be more accurate and neutral. It may help to ask yourself if the thought is helpful or hurtful. If it’s hurtful, then restructuring it to be neutral may make a big difference....Read more.

Visit ObesityHelp's Mental Health Forum to read the entire article, Mind Matters - Body Image, It's Not What You See in the Mirror. 

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Virtual Reality - Online Dating After Weight Loss Surgery

“How many more websites with pictures of happy couples will it take before you take the plunge and throw yourself out there to the lions?” I was frustrated when I jokingly asked a client this question. She had gotten a Lap-band two years before and basically was still asking why she could not get a date. She responded the way many weight loss patients respond when this sort of question is asked of them: “Well…I just don’t trust those dating services.” Then I followed with the second question: “So…are you sure you don’t trust them, or are you more afraid of actually taking a step into the dating arena?”

This patient is stuck in a place I as a therapist recognize. It is that place where you either risk losing your safety and familiarity, or you end up depressed and alone. She is basically safe now, but she is also very lonely, bored and frustrated. My encouragement to “do something” is acknowledged—but that is what her weight has protected her from. This weight loss patient is like many of us. She was overweight all of her life, never had experience dating and now she is in her forties, looking good, but terrified of what she doesn’t understand....Read more.

Click here to read all of Virtual Reality - Online Dating After Weight Loss Surgery.

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Whether you are post-weight loss surgery or on a low-calorie diet without WLS, caloric restriction can make it difficult to maintain exercise intensity for a significant amount of time. Individuals who are calorically restricted often complain of nausea and/or lightheadedness during or after exercise. This occurs because significant caloric restriction makes it more difficult to maintain blood sugar levels as exercise increases in duration and/or intensity. In other words, when blood sugar drops, it may cause you to feel nauseous. Since a reduction in caloric intake is an extremely important facilitator of weight loss, increasing caloric intake is not always the answer to this problem. For that matter, neither is increasing your protein intake, as protein does very little to provide energy during exercise. Consuming the proper nutrients at the right time will help you maintain blood sugar, exercise intensity and exercise duration.

Try the following guidelines to ensure a productive and pleasant exercise experience.

• Do not exercise on an empty stomach!
• Eat a piece of fruit or some high-quality complex carbohydrate 30-45 minutes prior to exercise. This will help maintain blood sugar levels far better than protein alone.
• Stay hydrated. Make sure you are consuming adequate water prior to and during exercise.
• After exercise, consume a mix of protein and high-quality complex carbohydrate or fruit.

Connect with others on ObesityHelp's Exercise and Fitness Messageboard!

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