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Are you disappointed and frustrated with your weight loss results after bariatric surgery? Maybe you didn't get the best information from your surgeon. Link to the article below to learn one of the most common reasons weight loss stalls and weight regain happens.  What Your Bariatric Surgeon Forgot to Tell You That Will Cause Weight Gain. A significant number of people who undergo bariatric Kaye Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10330982864862899261noreply@blogger.com0

When I saw the below *graphic photos last week from UK news sites, I was not surprised -- and considered sharing them to the blog -- but I did not.  However they have made them here to the good old US of A and it appears that this is what Mr. Paul Mason of England would desire - is publicity.  

Mr. Mason was A Man Of Very Large Size.   :)

He nearly reached 1000 pounds at his highest weight, and with the assistance of bariatric surgery he is now down an amazing 644 pounds and left with a massive amount of excess skin.  This is obviously quite a feat -- and as a WLS patient yourself -- I am sure you can imagine the skin issues are inexplicably awful.

If you recall, (as maybe one or two of you out there in the interweb do...or not?) I started blogging (... in 2005) hoping to save any pennies I earned doing so for "plastic surgery fund!"  (No, I never had any plastics.)  

Reconstructive surgery after massive weight loss is not inexpensive, nor easy.   I completely understand Mr. Mason's reasoning for throwing his photos out there.

And, I'm throwing them here.  Maybe someone will take him on.  

Via NY Daily News -

Related articles Study - Expectations for weight loss and willingness to accept risk among patients seeking weight loss surgery. Apathy and failure Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Perioperative Nutritional, Metabolic, and Nonsurgical Support of the Bariatric Surgery Patient - 2013 Update Regain After Weight Loss Surgery. Report: Some money in Lap-Band settlement to pay for billboards on weight-loss surgery risks

By the time you read this, I'll be en route to Las Vegas for #WLSFA2013 the Weight Loss Surgery Foundation of America 2013 Meet + Greet.  Likely, I will be drooling on myself and hopefully not singing "Annnnnd I Will ALWAYS LOVE You" and getting escorted off my plane.  Just saying.

This makes my third trip to Vegas for the WLSFA Event - and fourth trip to Vegas for a WLS-related event in a row.  (Tells you something about the destination, eh?) 

I am unlikely to have much actual blog access - but - I will be on my phone and Facebook all the time.

Some highlights - http://www.wlsfa.org/event/agenda/

• Lunch with Carnie Wilson 
• Meeting my BBG friends!  SQUEE!
• Paris Night - Thanks @celebratevitamins
• Dr. Yoni Freedhoff
• Dr. Garth Davis
• Gala Night with Carnie Wilson - Thanks @allergan @wellesse 

Make sure you're following the fun -

• Follow Melting Mama on Facebook 
• Follow The World According To Eggface on Facebook
• Twitter 

Related articles Study - Expectations for weight loss and willingness to accept risk among patients seeking weight loss surgery. Obesity Help National Conference 2013 Wellesse Stay Behind WLSFA Meet and Greet Swag Bag Giveaway TIMES FIVE... PLUS Free Sample Offer is BACK!

 

150. I am there.  This is my lowest adult weight.  I was here once before at one-year post gastric bypass many years ago for a very short time, I think it lasted one day.  My BMI is 26.2 at this weight, and I am just a few pounds away from a "normal" BMI, which I have never seen.
I'll take it, even if it takes fooooorrreeevveeerrrr to get each ounce off at this stage.

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Related articles Recommended Carbohydrate Levels After Gastric Bypass 9 Years Post Gastric Bypass.

• Gastric Bypass Supplements just launched a brand-new website.  Please go check it out.  
• Give them a like on Facebook as well!

Related articles Recommended Carbohydrate Levels After Gastric Bypass 9 Years Post Gastric Bypass.

• Gastric Bypass Supplements just launched a brand-new website.  Please go check it out.  
• Give them a like on Facebook as well!

Related articles Recommended Carbohydrate Levels After Gastric Bypass 9 Years Post Gastric Bypass.

Looking for the LivingAfterWLS Publications? Check out this bundle! Value Book Bundles  LAWLS Bookworm Bundle - Save 25% on Bundle! Save 25% and build your WLS Library with quality publications! Exclusively sold at LivingAfterWLS Kaye Bailey's work is internationally acclaimed and supported by bariatric centers, nutritionists, support groups, and people just like you doing Kaye Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10330982864862899261noreply@blogger.com0

Looking for the LivingAfterWLS Publications? Check out this bundle! Value Book Bundles  LAWLS Bookworm Bundle - Save 25% on Bundle! Save 25% and build your WLS Library with quality publications! Exclusively sold at LivingAfterWLS Kaye Bailey's work is internationally acclaimed and supported by bariatric centers, nutritionists, support groups, and people just like you doing Kaye Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10330982864862899261noreply@blogger.com0

Delicious breakfast recipe from DiabeticLivingOnline. Ideal for the weight loss surgery high protein diet. Cheddar and Zucchini Frittata Recipe MAKES: 4 servings SERVING SIZE: 1/4 of the frittata CARB GRAMS PER SERVING: 6 1Kaye Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10330982864862899261noreply@blogger.com0

Delicious breakfast recipe from DiabeticLivingOnline. Ideal for the weight loss surgery high protein diet. Cheddar and Zucchini Frittata Recipe MAKES: 4 servings SERVING SIZE: 1/4 of the frittata CARB GRAMS PER SERVING: 6 1Kaye Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10330982864862899261noreply@blogger.com0

What a great recipe find this is!  It comes from the packaging on Sea Cuisine(TM) Wild Caught Cod Loins and I share it for your delightful enjoyment of a high protein meal with nutrient rich vegetables and dairy protein. Figure about 1 cod loin per person and prepare a generous amount of tortillas and condiments for a make your own taco bar. If you are lucky enough to have some leftovers you Kaye Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10330982864862899261noreply@blogger.com1

Interesting article on one woman's year of not looking in mirrors. The author, btw, is a Ph.D. Candidate in sociology at UCLA and a self-proclaimed "body-image expert with a body-image problem." Great interview on USA today, follow link: Body-image alert: mirrors aren't all they're cracked up to be Product link to Amazon: Amazon reviewer: "“Gruys is an engaging, empathetic, and insightfulKaye Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10330982864862899261noreply@blogger.com0

In about one week, I am headed to Las Vegas for the Weight Loss Surgery Foundation's Annual Meet + Greet with about *holds up fingers* this many of my closest WLS pals!

This is my fourth trip to Vegas in a row, and the third for the WLSFA Event.  Yay, Vegas.  

Feeling lucky, and want to win something?  

Five lucky winners will receive a Wellesse Liquid Supplements Swag Bag full of Wellesse goodies just like you would get if you were going to the WLSFA Meet + Greet in Las Vegas.  

Some swag I photographed last year in Vegas.

 Wellesse -

It has been firmly established that bariatric patients have an increased need for nutritional supplementation, pre- and post surgery, and that pills are often inappropriate for weight loss patients after surgery. The severity and type of nutritional deficiency varies by patient, which could be brought on by malabsorptive procedures or restrictive procedures, both of which limit food (and therefore nutritional) intake.

Wellesse products can be easily integrated into a routine by adding one ounce or less a day to a smoothie or protein shake, water or juice, helping patients achieve better compliance.  Our naturally flavored liquids become a fun, flavorful treat while fulfilling the important nutritional requirements of bariatric weight loss surgery patients on their journey to ever increasing good health.

Even if you can’t go to Vegas you can still be a winner! 

• Leave a comment on this blog post to enter 
• Like Melting Mama Facebook page at www.facebook.com/MeltingMama
• Like Wellesse at www.facebook.com/wellesse.

• Everyone can be a winner too by requesting free Wellesse samples at http://www.wellesse.com/melting-mama-sample/  while supplies last!
• Wellesse is the proud sponsor of the WLSFA and the keynote sponsor for Carnie Wilson, May 18th in Las Vegas.  
• Wellesse is also the provider of a one year supply of supplements to the latest WLSFA Grant recipient Jackie Jackson. 
  
• BECAUSE Wellesse is amazing.  You didn't know, did you?
• Go give them a like, a love, even, would you?
• Winners picked next Tuesday, prizes shipped direct from Wellesse.

*MM notes - We're lunching with CARNIE.  Squee!

 

 

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New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has come to the dark side. 

He got banded.   Go him.   Good for him.

New York Post -

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie secretly underwent lap-band stomach surgery to aggressively slim down for the sake of his wife and kids, he revealed to The Post last night.

The Garden State governor agreed to the operation at the urging of family and friends after turning 50 last September. He told The Post he was thinking of his four kids and how it was time to start improving his health when he decided to have the procedure.

“I’ve struggled with this issue for 20 years,” he said. “For me, this is about turning 50 and looking at my children and wanting to be there for them.”

He also insisted that, contrary to what observers may say, the effort to slim down was not motivated by thoughts of a presidential bid.

“It’s so much more important than that,” he said.

Christie checked in to a surgery center on Feb. 16. A source said he registered under a false name.

The operation included placing a silicone tube around the top of his stomach, where it restricts the amount of food he can eat at one time and makes him feel fuller, faster.

“A week or two ago, I went to a steakhouse and ordered a steak and ate about a third of it and I was full,” he said of his newly tamed appetite. He declined to say how much he lost, but sources said he has already shed nearly 40 pounds.

Christie has struggled with his weight for decades. He sometimes jokes about it, while other times, it’s a sensitive topic. Insiders said it was the only thing keeping the straight-talking executive from higher office.

Despite Christie’s denials, political fund-raisers say that the surgery is a clear sign that he’s going to join the 2016 race — and will do whatever it takes to win.

“This means he’s running for president. He’s showing people he can get his weight in control. It was the one thing holding him back,” a top political donor told The Post.

Sources said Christie didn’t make the decision lightly — he even had private conversations about the operation with once-rotund Jet coach Rex Ryan.

Ryan lost about 100 pounds — down from a massive 350 — after he had the same procedure done in 2010.

Christie has never revealed his weight, but estimates have run from about 300 to 350 pounds.

He hired the same ace laparoscopic and bariatric surgeon as Ryan — Dr. George Fielding, head of NYU Medical Center’s Weight Management Program.

Read more:

New Jersey Gov. Christie has stomach surgery as part of weight-loss plan - NYPOST.com

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/chris_cuts_waist_oAUDrJ8Sm1fY6awWgFY6nN#ixzz2SbUfkYFX

Related articles Report: Some money in Lap-Band settlement to pay for billboards on weight-loss surgery risks 2013 WLS Awards Announcements

Katie Jay of www.nawls.com was the keynote speaker at an event at Southcoast Center for Weight Loss in Wareham, MA yesterday.

She is amazing.  

Thank you, Katie.  

Here we are -

150 patients returned to the Southcoast Center for Weight Loss Saturday for a reunion as the group marked its own milestone: 3,500 patients since Dr. Rayford Kruger launched the unit nine years ago.It is now the largest and busiest bariatric surgery program in New England, with three surgeons who perform about 650 procedures at Wareham's Tobey Hospital a year.

 

Related articles Report: Some money in Lap-Band settlement to pay for billboards on weight-loss surgery risks Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Perioperative Nutritional, Metabolic, and Nonsurgical Support of the Bariatric Surgery Patient - 2013 Update Obesity Help Announces Keynote Speaker for 2013 National Conference Apathy and failure Gastric Bypass Supplements to Attend Bariatric Patient Reunion

• MM <3's this flavor.  THANK YOU BA for BRINGING THEM BACK. 
• Shop my link to help MM buy her own vitamins.  So, thanks.
• Click to multivitamins.
• MM Reviews here.

Related articles Arctic Zero Frozen Dessert Review - I got time for this.

Recently when I saw a fresh weight loss and posted it, I was confronted with a commenter who asked me why I posted my body-weight.  It is a fair question and I do not challenge her asking it, because it's been asked of me many times when I have posted my actual weight-as-a-number.

I will say that number-sharing is the norm (...or was?) in the weight loss surgery/bariatric community as a whole for as long as I have been a part of it -- and that is at least 10-12 years that I have actively read and participated in emails, groups and chats.  I posted the question as a poll this morning on Facebook as well.  Go answer!  Come back.

Back in the hey-day of message boards we would add a line of text to our signatures (..siggies!) to signify our -

• HW (Highest Weight)
• SW (Start Weight or Surgery Weight)
• CW (Current Weight)
• GW (Goal Weight)

They would look alot like this!

Beth 

HW - 320  SW - 298  CW - 151 - GW - 150

Don't judge the comic-sans.  

I would go back to *my old posts circa 2003/2004 and show you, except I was banned from my message board back then, and my posts via BethLButterfly disappeared.  She posted in Comic Sans at times. Her demise is why MM exists.

Number or weight sharing is.  Was.  Always will be?  I would say that in general -- most individuals that have bariatric surgery are often proud of every single pound lost, and want to wear their "pounds lost" as a badge of honor.  Some post ops are extraordinarily proud and not only wear the pounds lost, current weight, but will add things like "LBS GONE FOREVER!"  

Losing weight is no easy feat, and after bariatric surgery -- it feels like victory. Why wouldn't someone want to own it -- even just for a while?  I suppose when you've been 500, 400, 300, 250 lbs -- wearing a newly slimmed down self is quite a change and being able to put that number out there to the universe -- even just for a while is worth it.

Now, for me.  This commenter wondered if my posting about my actual number was an obsession - let me clear it up here.  No.  I've always weighed myself.  

Bariatric surgery and the life afterwards is ALL ABOUT NUMBERS.  Losing pounds, inches, and sometimes counting calories, measuring food, and exercise.  If you're a pre-op that doesn't want to 'hear that' - I am sorry - but it really, truly, is.

I absolutely understand that some people take these numbers to an extreme - and extremes are unhealthy at any level -- and that is how we get into situations like: needing bariatric surgery.  Extreme caloric intake is unhealthy, an extreme sedentary lifestyle is unhealthy.  We require balance.  

It takes a very long time for some people to learn this:  example ---->  ME.

While I have always "weighed-in,"  I am also The Queen Of Avoidance, and as soon as I see the scale move up - I remove the scale.  (That's magic, if I can't see my regain, no one else can.  That is, until I SEE THE PHOTO EVIDENCE MYSELF AND SCREAM.  *See below.)  

So what has changed?  I removed myself from the effects of negative influences -- changed my views on some things and ... GASP ...

I added ACCOUNTABILITY to my daily life.  I now weigh myself near-daily, or at LEAST weekly.  I check-in my food nearly every single day on a journal.  

Is that obsessive?  No.  Why?  Because before -- not paying attention led to weight regain.  Surrounding myself by people with negative and apathetic views on life - brought me down.

Apathy causes failure.  

Yes, I am fully aware I am a Bariatric Bad Girl - but maybe now you understand - BAD DOES NOT EQUATE "BAD," or breaking rules, or doing things WRONG.  

It's BAD-ASS.  (Help us help, BTW.)

*June 2012 - April 2013

 

But, recently I started paying attention - and seeing results:

My brain likes to see results, black and white, literal, on paper, in lines, to show me that if I DO X - Y WILL HAPPEN.

Because it works.  (Shut up Weight Watchers.)  And my little brain likes proof.   

If I can see tangible results I will keep going - I will keep doing a thing if I can see a result.  I do not like to work for "free - " you see.  Does that make sense?  Here's an example, a very simple one.  I started going to the gym and doing basic exercise (...long walks on the treadmill and seated elliptical) about a month ago (...I'll check back in my Facebook check ins) and I noticed a tangible result the night before last.  My leg muscles are coming back.  This is enough to create a positive reaction to keep me motivated.  

It's not about obsessing about a number.  I don't have a goal.  

•  Help the BBGC Help.  

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From Dr. Colella and the HuffPost Healthy Living website Outstanding article by one of the best bariatric surgeons in the US. My favorite sentence: "In my practice, I've operated on more than 3,000 patients, many of whom would fall into the category of extremely obese (those with a BMI greater than 60), and I can tell you this: They don't wake up saying they want to be fat." Link below toKaye Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10330982864862899261noreply@blogger.com0

The May 5 Day Pouch Test Bulletin is live in our archive for your reference and enjoyment. Great WLS inspiration & tips -- plus a delicious high protein supper you can fix tonight! Check it out by following the link below! 5DPT Bulletin: The Magic of Day 4 If you started the 5 Day Pouch Test on Monday then today is your Day 4! I like to think of Day 4 as the magical breakthrough day when Kaye Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10330982864862899261noreply@blogger.com0

It's not uncommon for those of us who have lost massive amounts of weight with bariatric surgery to have major issues with body dysmorphic disorder or problems seeing ourselves the way we really look.

Some post weight loss patients suffer terrible with body dysmorphia -- some to a much lesser degree. But, could brains actually be different in those who have BDD? UCLA -   Do you obsess over your appearance? Your brain might be wired abnormally.  Body dysmorphic disorder is a disabling but often misunderstood psychiatric condition in which people perceive themselves to be disfigured and ugly, even though they look normal to others. New research at UCLA shows that these individuals have abnormalities in the underlying connections in their brains. Dr. Jamie Feusner, the study's senior author and a UCLA associate professor of psychiatry, and his colleagues report that individuals with BDD have, in essence, global "bad wiring" in their brains — that is, there are abnormal network-wiring patterns across the brain as a whole. And in line with earlier UCLA research showing that people with BDD process visual information abnormally, the study discovered abnormal connections between regions of the brain involved in visual and emotional processing. The findings, published in the May edition of the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, suggest that these patterns in the brain may relate to impaired information processing. "We found a strong correlation between low efficiency of connections across the whole brain and the severity of BDD," Feusner said. "The less efficient patients' brain connections, the worse the symptoms, particularly for compulsive behaviors, such as checking mirrors."
People suffering from BDD tend to fixate on minute details, such as a single blemish on their face or body, rather than viewing themselves in their entirety. They become so distressed with their appearance that they often can't lead normal lives, are fearful of leaving their homes and occasionally even commit suicide. Patients frequently have to be hospitalized. BDD affects approximately 2 percent of the population and is more prevalent than schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Despite its prevalence and severity, scientists know relatively little about the neurobiology of BDD. In the current study, Feusner and his colleagues performed brain scans of 14 adults diagnosed with BDD and 16 healthy controls. The goal of the study was to map the brain's connections to examine how the white-matter networks are organized. White matter is made up of nerve cells that carry impulses from one part of the brain to another. To do this, they used a sensitive form of brain imaging called diffusion tensor imaging, or DTI. DTI is a variant of magnetic resonance imaging that can measure the structural integrity of the brain's white matter. From these scans, they were able to create whole brain "maps" of reconstructed white-matter tracks. Next, they used a form of advanced analysis called graph theory to characterize the patterns of connections throughout the brains of people with BDD and then compared them with those of healthy controls. The researchers found people with BDD had a pattern of abnormally high network "clustering" across the entire brain. This suggests that these individuals may have imbalances in how they process "local" or detailed information. The researchers also discovered specific abnormal connections between areas involved in processing visual input and those involved in recognizing emotions. "How their brain regions are connected in order to communicate about what they see and how they feel is disturbed," said Feusner, who also directs the Adult Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Program and the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Research Program at UCLA. "Their brains seem to be fine-tuned to be very sensitive to process minute details, but this pattern may not allow their brains to be well-synchronized across regions with different functions," he said. "This could affect how they perceive their physical appearance and may also result in them getting caught up in the details of other thoughts and cognitive processes." The study, Feusner noted, advances the understanding of BDD by providing evidence that the "hard wiring" of patients' brain networks is abnormal. "These abnormal brain networks could relate to how they perceive, feel and behave," he said. "This is significant because it could possibly lead to us being able to identify early on if someone is predisposed to developing this problem."

 

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