The Lies & Myth of Goal Weight

LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest
May 10, 2011

Today I'm addressing goal weight as it relates to our experience with weight loss surgery. Prior to surgery patients are in cahoots with their surgeons as they plan for bariatric surgery, set the course and denote the finish line which will be crossed when goal weight is achieved. I don't particularly like to hear what I'm about to say and I know it

LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest: Refresh You WLS Menu

One of my favorite things about spring is the variety of fresh berries and vegetables that come to the markets. After a long winter of cooking from the pantry I welcome the light freshness of asparagus and strawberries and baby lettuce and such. There is just something about this time of year that renews my interest in cooking. Today in the digest we spend a few moments refreshing our

I'm Freezing! Why are we so cold after weight loss?

Happy Groundhog Day everyone! Temperatures across North America today are ridiculously cold! Are you staying warm? After significant weight loss many of us struggle with body temperature regulation and truly suffer when cold weather hits. There are some very good biological reasons for this - take a look:


I'm Freezing! Why are we so cold after weight loss?
Body temperature is the result of your

Getting Party Ready with Your WLS Tool

I wrote this article for the 5 Day Pouch Test Bulletin published 12/06/2010. For anyone with weight loss surgery who is preparing for a holiday party the advice is timely. I think it defines so well what many of us say our new objective is after weight loss surgery --- to enjoy LIVING!


Not so good conventional advice...


Eat a small meal before the party I'm sure you are familiar with

Weight Management with Weight Loss Surgery

Three Red Flag Warnings Leading to Weight Gain After Bariatric Surgery
Before undergoing bariatric surgery for weight loss it is hard to imagine that we could possibly ever become one of "those people" who gain weight after losing it with the help of surgery. Sadly, at some point most patients who have gastric surgery as their last hope for weight loss eventually regain some weight back. It can

New Articles from LivingAfterWLS

Three Red Flag Warnings Leading to Weight Gain After Bariatric Surgery
Before undergoing bariatric surgery for weight loss it is hard to imagine that we could possibly ever become one of "those people" who gain weight after losing it with the help of surgery. Sadly, at some point most patients who have gastric surgery as their last hope for weight loss eventually regain some weight back. It can

Hot Off the Press!

Apples and Exercise Promote Body Fat Loss After Weight Loss Surgery
For some exercise enthusiasts carbo-loading is key to supplying the body with adequate energy for extreme workout sessions. But for the rest of us the simple apple may be the best carbo-loading secret around when it comes to supplying the body with energy before a workout. Read More

Three Keys to Lasting Weight Loss Surgery

Three Keys to Lasting Weight Loss Surgery Success

By Kaye Bailey

Nearly a quarter-million people in the United States will undergo weight loss surgery this year to arrest their morbid obesity and lose weight. In spite of the drastic nature of gastric surgeries not all patients will reach a healthy weight and some may eventually regain weight they lost initially with surgery. Obesity is not a simple cosmetic problem of excess body weight than

Sex After Weight Loss Surgery - When is it Okay?

By Kaye Bailey

People recovering from bariatric surgery for the treatment of morbid obesity often look forward to a healthy sex life that may have alluded them due poor health associated with obesity or simply the mechanics of sexual activity with a morbidly obese body. Surgeons are frequently asked how soon a patient will be able to enjoy sexual intimacy following bariatric surgery.

Can You Fly With Those Wings?

Bat Wings After Massive Weight LossBy Kaye Bailey

That hanging flapping upper arm of the song leader in the second grade was a great source of jokes for many of us as children. But after massive weight loss when we look in the mirror only to see our own arm flap waving back at us it is no laughing matter. A surgical procedure called brachioplasty may be the solution to correct what surgeons

After WLS: Not What I Was Expecting

I read and write a lot about weight loss surgery, and more importantly, LIVING after weight loss surgery. Recently I received an email from a disappointed post-surgical weight loss patient. This patient had only lost 10 (ten) pounds. She was discouraged and anxious. And she was 7 (seven) days post surgery ready to give the 5 Day Pouch Test a try since "the surgery did not work for her." How sad

9 Years Post Weight Loss Surgery

Hello Neighbors!Today marks nine years since I was gut-whacked; uh, I mean had laporoscopic gastric bypass surgery in San Diego, California. Nine years. You know, some times I do not remember what it was like to be morbidly obese. Then again, most of the time I never forget what being overweight was like.A couple of days ago I bought a new pair of denium jeans: size 8. I was pretty disgusted with

Fun Friday in the Neighborhood

Greetings Neighbors!Happy Friday to you all! I hope you enjoyed a good week of treating your body well and living your best life after surgical weight loss.Today is Fun Friday in the Neighborhood. That means a quiz game with fabulous prizes and better yet, a chance to get to know your Neighbors. This week I ask the question(s) - Five questions to answer with one-sentence each. Quick and easy yet

My Bad: Gender Bender

Sorry Jerry --- I did a bit of gender-bending when I mentioned our WLS-"sister" of the blog Unsaved Loved Ones. my bad. Jerry is a dude with a great take on WLS from the masculine point of view. Check out this post today regarding WLS and Booze:So I’m not having a Saul on the road to Damascus paradigm shift here…I never say never, but I really do feel at this point that the responsible thing to

Visit These Blogs!!

Hello!As you know, at LivingAfterWLS we celebrate the WHOLE person, not just the person who happens to have undergone surgical weight loss treatment. Apparently we are not alone - check out these blogs from real life, real people who are fighting morbid obesity and LIVING! That's what I'm talking about! Take a click - you won't be disappointed!To inspire and motivate your creativity! by Jana in

Where are the WLS Veterans?

There is a GREAT conversation underway at the LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood. Our friend Kimbre, who will be "Arriving" in February asked posted:"I'm a pre-op though I'll be able to submit to insurance at the beginning of February (YAY). I ran across something this week that disturbed me a little bit. I ran a across a blog that I hadn't seem before and the blogger had posted a comment from someone

When Surgery Does Not Work

Published in the October 2, 2007 You Have Arrived NewsletterThoughts From KayeWhen the surgery doesn't workWhen someone is frustrated with their surgical weight loss, perhaps by a plateau, complications or even weight gain, I often hear the words of despair, "I guess I'm just one of those who the surgery is not going to work for." Early in my weight loss surgery work I thought this was a false

Winner's Edge and Weight Loss Surgery

Hello Everyone!First let me say that I'm not a sports enthusiast and have only a vague understanding of professional sport strategy and politics. Even so, I enjoy the World Series of Baseball: have enjoyed it since I was a kid when we attended the LA Dodgers games in the early hay-day of record making manager Tommy Lasorda.So it has been with enthusiasm and wonderment that I've watched the first

Gastric Bypass Dumping Syndrome

Hello Everyone - Welcome to Monday!Lately I've received several letters from people who are suffering from dumping syndrome or constant feelings of a low-grade dump. It's hard to pinpoint the symptoms but can be described as simply feeling "off". A return to the high protein diet that worked for weight loss will often diminsh the symptoms of dumping. Several people have successfully returned

Delicious Autumnal Menu

Hello Everyone!This is one of the most requested menus from LivingAfterWLS. The menu was originally published on October 1, 2006 in the LivingAfterWLS Recipe of the Week newsletter. When the newsletter was published a grassroots butternut squash fan club emerged. People left the farmer's markets and produce stands with freshly harvested squash. They prepared the recipe and rejoiced - We love the