The Next Step:Normalizing Life with Surgical Weight Loss

(This is me and my husband, January 2007)by Kaye BaileyFor three years of my life my thoughts, actions and focus were on one thing only: weight loss surgery. Nothing but weight loss surgery. This full-throttle-focus began the year I researched and scheduled my gastric bypass and continued for the next two years post-op as I morphed through the biggest change of my life.And then one day I yelled "

Live Chat is Back

The Neighborhood Live Chat is back and better than ever!More secure.More user friendly.More fun!The live chat is open to three Neighborhood registered user groups: Foundation Members, Premier Citizens and Members. It is closed to guests and search engines: this is part of our "safe haven" policy.To become a registered member in the Neighborhood and connect with others who understand you please

5 Day Pouch Test Journal: Useful Tool

Hello!Yesterday in the You Have Arrived Newsletter we presented a new LivingAfterWLS Tool: The 5 Day Pouch Test Journal. This is a downloadable worksheet for use during your pouch test. Our servers were overwhelmed with requests for this tool - if you were unable to get it please click the link below and download your free form:Download the 5 Day Pouch Test JournalUsing the Pouch Test Journal:

Ello!

It's ok I have not died or anything...
We have been camping for a bit and all over the country doing this and that. Summer (apparently that's what its called) is always a crazy time. I always look forward to having a lovely rest, and in fact it turns into a nightmare or social engagements! but its fun!

I am busily planning DS's work for this year too. I have so far printed off all the writing curriculum that we are using, and then found there was another load of guide books to print, but ran our of ink. Great. I have a couple of items at the printers at the moment being bound... they are Maths worksheets and Language Arts stuff.. I have to get it all organised into a manageable schedule that's not too punishing, but not too easy either. that's quite hard to manage to be honest, because I don't have anything else to gauge it against. If he turns and says "I can't do it its too hard" is he just fobbing me off, or is he for real... Similarly the other way around. He can be a lazy toad at times, so we shall have to see.

I would like to grill a teacher to be honest. One that is not out to prove that their methods and the education system is better. One that will honestly gauge his level and give me an honest answer about whether the work I give him is reasonable and attainable, or whether he is mugging me off.

I doubt there is a teacher out there who wont have their two-penneth to add like "Well... we do this and we do that" because every teacher I have asked to date has looked at me down their nose like I am a piece of scum, and tried to make themselves look good and like I have my work cut out.

To be honest I am not interested in that. All I want to know is if he is genuinely complaining because the work is unattainable, or whether I have to say "No excuses, get on with it".

Anyway, enough of that. We have our curriculum covering Maths, writing, reading, history, science, language and art. I think that's pretty thorough for an 8 year old.

Weight wise, I have been a naughty naughty girl. I haven't bothered to do any kind of diet at all, because *lame excuses coming* mainly my port has been hurting constantly for so long that I have just felt down in the dumps. I have also had my star week last week, so the run up to that was a chocolate fest and it just continued right up until Saturday.

But I am holding at 17 stone 11. One shall try and be good to oneself, but one doubts if one has the will power. I love food.

Kaye Answers Questions About Pouch Test

Here are some questions about the 5 Day Pouch Test that I answered in today's You Have Arrived Newsletter:Kaye, Is this something you came up with yourself or did you get it from your doc?This is a plan I developed based on the post-op stages given me by my center. Over the years I've done it 3 or 4 times to get back on track. When I first did this plan it was for 7 days, but it seems like 5 days

Going Green Beans

This time of year is one of my favorite “eating seasons”. The abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables brings variety and wholesome goodness to the table. Green beans are one of my favorite vegetables. They are a nutritious source of vitamin C, folate, iron, beta carotene and rich in fiber. One cup of cooked fresh beans contains 44 calories, 4 grams dietary fiber, 2 grams protein and just a trace

Fixing Broken Windows

I am posting this essay from the July 10, 2007 You Have Arrived Newsletter. We have so many new members who may have missed this - and it talks about some key steps to attacking a stall or weight gain. I hope you enjoy and would love to hear your thoughts. Fixing Broken Windows by Kaye Bailey There is a popular theory in urban renewal that suggests fixing broken windows as they happen is the

What is Fun Friday?

Fun Friday is an interactive Neighborhood game where we become better acquainted with one another by answering questions. We started Fun Friday in March of 2006, shortly after the Neighborhood was born. Each week a community member poses a question, another member offers prizes and the person who posed the question awards the prizes for the week. That person is also responsible to tag the next

Support: Another LivingAfterWLS Power Tool

We have been talking about getting back on track with our weight loss surgery lifestyle. A scientifically proven key element in long-term healthy weight maintenance is the existence of a support group. We all know this and in fact, many of us participated in live support groups prior to surgery and in the first year or so following surgery.An interesting trend to note is that as we near or reach

High Fiber Diets

Most people don`t eat enough fiber on a regular basis. If you look back at what all you ate yesterday, it´s likely that you consumed less than 10 grams of fiber unless your diet is high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains or legumes. Fiber provides roughage to our digestive track and helps prevent constipation. Eating a high fiber diet is an easy way to lose weight and feel full and satiated. See an informative video which recommends 35 grams of fiber daily here;

Let's Get Physical!

Happy Monday Neighbors! It's a new day, a new week and another new chance to reclaim your best weight loss surgery living. How did you do over the weekend? I have heard from many of you doing the 5 Day Pouch Test and it sounds like things out in LivingAfterWLS Land are going well. Now, some of you have mentioned that Day 2 (the second day of liquids) is difficult. Maybe you feel grumpy or

GDL: Grit Determination List

Since we are focused on getting back on track, rediscovering our pouch and empowering ourselves with success now is a great time to make a Grit Determination List. (grit: indomitable spirit: pluck)A Grit Determination List?Absolutely! This is a list of your Grit Priorities - the things in life about which we are unyielding; the things you will accomplish without regard or acknowledgment of life's

Hell-Bent to Get Back on Track

Hello Friends!Have you started your 5 Day Pouch Test yet? Perhaps you are waiting for the weekend or a special day to start. Perhaps you are on day 2 already. So many of you have written and are excited to use this as an opportunity to reclaim your pouch and your health. This excites me and inspires me to keep fighting my own battle against a regain.We have our food plan in order and even some

What a difference a day makes

Well all that was hellish yesterday was turned to gold today... just like even the tiniest amount of oil poured on water. All is dreamy and the MASSIVE problem resolved.

I had a wonderful couple for hours out this morning with DS and Natasha. It was really lovely. Even the rain at the end was refreshing. Its amazing when you place your trust in God, because you simply cannot do anything else but that... things seem to lighten up like a burden lifted.

If felt wonderful when I got home. I only had an hour before I was supposed to leave to pick up our housekeeper from the city (an hours drive away!!!!!) and I was not stressed, me and DS went to the bakery and bought rolls for lunch and shared a cake (a first for me and him!).

We went to collect M our H.K. at 2pm and arrived in plenty of time. We then chatted for a while and then got a few bits from Lidl. She asked me if I had a list of things, and was exceptionally organised and focused! I was stunned to be honest. So the only things I did not have was those scourer sponge thingies and a hard scrubbing brush. So we got a packet of those and and a brush and that was it.

When we got back, I decide to take her to TB for a coffee before we went back to the house as I hadn't seen TB for a while and I wanted M the H.K. to meet her and know who she was etc. This also gave us more of a chance to bond a little and chat about interests etc. Because she is also living with us, its more that just someone who comes and then takes their money and goes home... you have to get along too.

So then we got back home at about 4pm. I decided that I wasn't going to waste any time, and showed M how I did things... I had purposely left the Dishwasher from this morning and also the washing so that I could show her how it worked. We worked systematically through each room and she was quick, too notes and assimilated all the things that needed doing and stuff immediately. As I was like sweeping up and things, I reached out to get something and it was in my hand!!! She had kind of second guessed what I would need. She was focused, targeted and obviously didn't actually need me at all!!

So after about an hour of random tidying up, I let her kind of go off on her own. The next thing I heard was giggling and laughter from upstairs where DS was spraying the doors (YES DOORS!) with polish and she was rubbing them down. He would NEVER have done that for me!! HA HA. But then again, I don't think I have ever polished my doors either!! ;o) HAAAAAAA

So things were great. I got the dinner on and the house around me is already spotless and she has worked about 3 hours straight today. It kind of looks like other peoples houses!!

My bathroom smells gorgeous and cleansed... most odd. I don't know how she got it to smell that way.

She also went to bed at 9pm. FAB!

So first day's thoughts are that this is the best thing I have ever done!!!

...remind me of thisd in 6 months when her initial enthusiasm has drained!! Now Now I mustn't be so cynical.

Recipe Suggestions: 5 Day Pouch Test

Many of our LivingAfterWLS Neighbors are enthused about trying the 5 Day Pouch Test and a few have written to ask for recipes. As we explained in the original post, lean and clean protein is the best way to work this plan. But you can be flexible and cook recipes with more ingredients to enhance flavor. Remember, the objective is to give your pouch a two day rest, then progressively "tighten" it

Gutten Abend....?

BLEUGHhhh

Today has worn me out. Yes it has. its nearly midnight and I am still awake and writing this blog.

I feel in dire need of something. I am not actually sure what it is I am in dire need of though. Here are a few things I could be in dire need of:

Running for 30 miles non stop
Streaking naked down the street with wet hair
Eating my body weight in penny sweets
16 litres of Shiraz
Having a screaming contest with myself
Razoring my head
Stabbing myself with pins... piercings? hmmm
Picking 6000 spots - all with great goop in them
Biting something really really hard - like an arm or thigh
Work in a coal mine for 24 hours

I have had THE worst day.

One of those days where you simply cannot do anything except get stressed, and then some.

Its so awful I can't even speak about it, because that will push me over the edge and I will have to go and do one of the above.

On a positive note, tomorrow I am mostly going to be sleeping. I am going to be in a minute and then I am not getting up until I WANT TO. Then at 2pm I am going to pick up our new housekeeper from the city. THANK GOD Then I am going to show her the ropes, and then I am going to go back to bed.

I told DH that I could not be a wife, mother, child educator, career woman and a skivvy. So I hired some help. If DS was at school things might be easier. Not a lot, but I would at least have 6 hours a day when he was not here. So basically somethings got to give, and it was getting close to being my sanity.

I think that Prozac is the best drug in the world. I tried lowering my dose over the last few months. I was down to one tablet a day. So much for that. I am back to 2 pills daily. I haven't noticed the kick yet, but hopefully it will be soon. I need to be SANE.

Its 6 months since banding tomorrow.

I thought I should tell you all that I didn't go for my fill on Saturday as I had planned. It was too much stress. The thought of driving down there again made me feel ill. DH's car has also been resprayed and I would just die if something happened again!

Anyway, I am going to go back soon once I have got my head together.

I am off to bed now.

Five Day Pouch Test

Does my pouch still work?Have I broken my pouch?Have I ruined my tool?These are questions many weight loss surgery post-ops find themselves asking occasionally during their journey. Perhaps it feels like we can eat more food or we know that we are eating more food. Sometimes these questions are asked when there has been a weight regain.Today I present a 5-day plan that I have developed and used

Long time no post

Hi all,

I am still alive. Things have just been crazy here.

I have no idea how my weight is doing, as I haven't been to the shop to get weighed because last time I went it was out of order (GRRrrrrr!) and I haven't had a chance since.

I am still trying to weigh in on a Monday, so I will go on Monday and see how its going.

It will be 6 months since banding very shortly... 14th August. I can at least say I have lost weight with the band. Even if I dont lose weight, thankfully its not going on as badly.

Since my last post, I have been a combination of good and bad. Angel and Demon... I even bought a perfume in France called that!!! Its lovely and by Givencey (or how ever you spell it)

I have been so busy finishing stuff, DS has been to camp, the pool is complete (see pic below) and we have all been in it. DS has had a party for all his friends, which was cool and they had an ace time... and at the moment I have two Poles staying. They have been helping me out. It has helped me make the decision about getting another Au Pair... so we are getting another one on Monday. I can't wait!! At last I will have the help I need around the house that means I wont make my port sore. Just washing the floors makes it ache like crazy for a couple of days. Its just not good.

So today we went to Legoland. What a load of crap. Don't go there if your kids like fun. DS was pretending the enjoy it, but we all know we could have had more fun on a trip to the local superstore. It was the most expensive walk with wasps I have ever been on. I am glad we only used Tesco Clubcard vouchers for it and didn't stump up hard currency, otherwise I might have had to have a little cry.

It was totally out for making money. Everywhere you turned there was a shop, or an amusement that you had to pay for (basically everything that your kid actually wanted to do was NOT free!!). Rubbish

Right, I am off to bed with a sore port again... too much walking about I guess.

Take it easy!

Sizzling Hot BamaGal

Ladies and Gentlemen stand on your feet and put your hands together for our own BamaGal who has been named by Jimmy Moore one of the Sizzling Hot New Low-Carb Blogs for 2007!!! This is no ordinary blog shout-out - this is HUGE!!!! Jimmy Moore is a leader in the grass roots low-carb movement and he knows a good thing when he sees one. Diane started her blog in March 2007 and is now a leader in

Fat Burn: Catching the Regained Weight

Early this summer I found myself in the same fat-pants as many post-WLSers a few years out: I had regained some weight. About 16-18 pounds over my best weight. I blame it on stress eating and relaxing the rules. Actually, there were no rules and it showed. I knew I had to do something, for myself and for the weight loss surgery community that is such a part of my life. Afterall, I often answer

Thiamine Deficiency and WLS

I just finished reading another great piece of research and information from our own Professor Bama (aka Bamagal) regarding Thiamine (Vitamins B, B1) and thiamine deficiency in gastric bypass patients. This is an extremely important issue, particularly for those in the first two years of post-gastric bypass. Bamagal writes, "As you can clearly see, this can be very dangerous. We're talking about

Hair Loss Cause - Blood Circulation

Hair loss is a concern for most new weight loss surgery patients. We have heard the stories about patients losing their hair during the first year of massive weight loss. Many of us take vitamins believed to improve the health of the hair and prevent hair loss including silica complex and biotin. But here is another approach to avoiding hair loss: improved blood circulation. Mr. Silva writes, "

Religious Weight Loss

Maggie Sorrells used to weigh 440 pounds. And her husband was even bigger. They've lost an astounding 580 pounds between the two of them. Maggie now weighs 140 pounds.

They went on a faith-based weight loss program soon after they married. The Weigh Down workshop teaches people to conquer their addiction to food by turning to God. See their incredible before and after pictures as well as their full story here.

Obesity – Is It Contagious? – Study Says Yes

Not Sure which diet is best for you?Check out our Diet Reviews===========================As you probably know, Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the Western world, particularly in North America. Statistics show that two thirds of Americans are now overweight or obese. Obesity is now America’s 2nd leading cause of preventable death, next to cigarette smoking and is closing in on becoming

Success with LA Weight Loss

Jennifer Liles lost sixty pounds with the help of LA Weight Loss. She works as a bartender and used to eat a lot of hamburgers with fries. When she joined LA Weight Loss she weighed 191 pounds. (She's 5'4" tall.)

She says "It's different for me now. People treat me differently. I'm happier. Being thin feels better than that hamburger tastes."

See her story at the San Jose Mercury News.

In Praise of Star Jones Reynolds

Star Jones Reynolds has been taking a media and blog-lynching for years. First because she was fat, next because she did something to gain control of her weight and health, next for refusing to share her private medical information with the public. And now for publicly disclosing a very personal and private matter: she had gastric bypass surgery.If you are looking for Star-Bashing then move along