Love from a dear friend!

When life starts to wear me down and stomp on my spirit, I am reminded of how lucky I am to have a dear friend take time to send me such a heartfelt prayer!  Just what I needed...

Prayers for my friend, Traci.  That she can find calm amidst the chaos in her world - whether home, work, school, family or co-workers.  To find a warm blanket of peace and comfort in a snugly feeling that is only found when you know you are being taken care of.  An all comforting spirit of calm that is obvious and long-lasting and true feeling of being taken care of.~TA

I'm thinking this is a good place to start!!

Keystone Habits - Ever heard of these??

Keystone habits... What are they and how do they affect my everyday life was a question from our guest speaker at group a few weeks ago.

I'm thinking we are going to talk about my "bad habits" and give it a fancy name! I realize that certain behaviors I have tend to lead to those "bad habits" and there are times it feels like a viscous cycle.  Then there are times they feel completely comfortable because it has become an everyday behavior/routine. 

My current comfortable behaviors/routines (stopping every morning to get my Starbucks) or some of my old (munching on something salty and crunchy during the evening shows) can take me down that path of shame and weight regain.  GRRRRRRRRRRRRR.........

Comfortable behaviors are just that "comfortable" and why wouldn't I want comfort? Not gonna lie, sometimes it's just too much for me to figure out where exactly to begin to change those habits!

So here is a thought, this is what I learned about "Keystone habits."
Charles Duhigg explains, so-called "Keystone habits" create a chain reaction that can significantly influence the success of other habits. It's like making five good decisions for the price of one.

Simple breakdown: Trigger-Behavior = Reward
Look at any triggers that cause a behavior/habit which then produces a positive outcome/reward. 

Ex: Getting ready for bed in the evenings, setting out your work out clothes = work out.  Planning/preparing healthy meals on Sunday for the week, dividing/packing into breakfast/lunch/dinner portions  = planned/healthy meals!

Both above examples produce healthy behaviors!

 

So my new plan of attack: Each night before bed I go back to setting out things I need to make my healthy breakfast which will kick start my morning with protein and I will change my route to work!! 
My other one will be to get back to basics with making sure my lunch is packed and ready for the next day.  My salad is made, my jug of decaf tea is made and my lunch bag is packed full of protein.  These were all habits I practiced in the first few years of my post op life and they worked for me.

Oh yes forgot my last one, getting my clothes ready at night to take bandit for a walk in the morning and setting my alarm earlier to give me enough time to walk, get ready, make breakfast and not feel like I'm rushing...

Remembering back all of these habits made me feel good and I love the idea that I now have a name to associate with these habits.
Watch out "Keystone Habits" I'm about to kick some butt and take names!!

Realizing My Child was a Victim of Bullying

Do you remember the stories in 2011 of parents being accused of "Parental Neglect" and having their children removed based on obesity?  The overall suggestion was to remove children from their parents and place them in state care which would somehow reduce obesity.

I was completely infuriated hearing about such decisions being made with no regard to the true causes of obesity.  While it may seem easy for the government and the public to judge whether or not a child has been neglected due to their weight, the parental struggles of everyday life, especially in regards to weight and weight bias, are often overlooked or not addressed at all.

Facing the disease of obesity as an adult has been extremely challenging and raising a child affected by it takes things to another emotional level.  This is a very sensitive subject close to my heart and it was not easy putting it all down in black and white but I wanted to share my personal insight in hopes of reaching other parents. 

Below is a link to the article I wrote for the Obesity Action Coalition sharing my perspective of raising a child affected by obesity. 

Obesity from the view of a concerned parent.

Food addiction recovery and the McDonald’s drive thru…..

This is a topic that I could discuss on many different levels so forgive me if I jump back and forth today!  First off I must say that stress STINKS!!!!  You know those days/weeks that seem to drive you nuts between all of the stress from work/home/family/personal etc….. Sometimes trying to manage it all just doesn’t seem doable and these past few weeks have been very trying on my head and heart.  I didn’t have a care in the world of what it was that I was going to eat but I knew I was going to eat a lot of whatever it was.

Through all of this I’ve found myself searching for food throughout my cabinets at all times of the day.  It didn’t matter if it was 8am or 2am I was searching for something salty and crunchy.  I just kept hoping that whatever I found would make me numb enough to not feel the stress or the heartache.

As a recovering food addict there are times when I face relapse and honestly have no clue it’s going on.  Recognizing those signs can be difficult for me to see and admit because I feel guilty and shameful.    I think what floors me the most is being almost 5years out from surgery I honestly thought battling this addition would get easier and I would recognize the signs faster maybe?????  Anxiety/stress was higher than normal, I stopped eating because my stomach was so upset then I’d find myself drained with no energy and stark craving crazy searching for comfort food.  Sleep?  Are you kidding me?  What is that?

I didn’t reach out because I didn’t want to bother anyone and I kept telling myself everyone has stress/anxiety why am I making a big deal about mine?

One day I found myself going through the McDonalds drive thru for the normal un sweet tea.   I pay at the window, get to the second window and out comes a McDonald’s bag with my tea.  I drive off like normal, get on the interstate and about 10minutes later start smelling an awful aroma in my car.  The light bulb finally comes on and reminds me that I have a bag of fast food.  I seriously remember thinking what in the he*& is in this bag?  Holy Schnikies, it was my old friend the famous sausage Mcmuffin with extra cheese that just happens to be my past favorite breakfast sandwich from McDonalds, with the receipt to show me that I ordered it !!!!

ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME??? 

Then the stinking thinking comes into play.  I hear that little voice saying “I should not be struggling with food this far out.  What would happen if I ate just one bite?  What if one bite isn’t enough?  What if I do this again tomorrow?  What if I don’t stop eating and gain all of my weight back? 

The aroma turns from awful to YUMMY, my senses kick in and I couldn’t get that sandwich up to my mouth fast enough!   I start to rationalize by telling myself how ridiculous I sound and that one breakfast sandwich isn’t going to make me gain all of my weight back.   I take that first bite and start to remember all of those pay-days when I would stop by McDonald’s for my breakfast treat and how much I missed the taste.

Ever heard of RELAPSE????  Here’s your sign!!!!

Life is hard and food is easy…. These are the times I have a Love/Hate relationship with food and today I’m leaning towards the hate. 

I love how food tastes BUT hate how it makes me feel at times like this!!!

Words of Encouragement from a fellow WLS friend!

As a life coach in the field of bariatrics, I am blessed with the opportunity to meet so many of my fellow WLS friends in our community.  Today I am giving you words of encouragement from one of my clients who started recognizing struggles early on in her journey and reached out to me around her two year post-op mark. 

She has made huge strides and I'm so excited to see how much she has accomplished over these past few months.
With her permission I am sharing her latest epiphany! 

These few words truly made my heart smile!!

Enjoy!


I'm finally accepting my post-op "differences" about my anatomy and lifestyle ... more importantly, I'm accepting them as a blessing and a choice, NOT deprivation.

I've come a long way baby! Best advice for your clients ... don't give up. Keep pursuing, keep fighting for this. ~Jan  Ohio

**Remember You deserve to live a Happy Healthy Life!**

Life saying...

I came across this saying about life
and wanted to share...

  As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let us down, probably will. You'll have your heart broken and you'll break others' hearts.

You'll fight with your best friend or maybe even fall in love with them, and you'll cry because time is flying by.

So take too many pictures, laugh too much, forgive freely, and love like you've never been hurt.

 Life comes with no guarantees, no time outs, no second chances. You just have to live life to the fullest, tell someone what they mean to you and tell someone off, speak out, dance in the pouring rain, hold someones hand, comfort a friend, fall asleep watching the sun come up, stay up late, be a flirt, and smile until your face hurts.

Don't be afraid to take chances or fall in love and most of all, live in the moment because every second you spend angry or upset is a second of happiness you

can never get back.

- Unknown


Take a moment to reflect on your Weight Loss Journey...

Are you missing out???

Be The Best You!!! We are Perfectly Imperfect..

This is one of those poems I just have to share!!

In our picture perfect world remember no one truly is Perfect..

Besides Perfect is boring...... 

We are perfectly imperfect
and beautiful within
because beauty isn’t skin deep
it’s deeper than the skin

We are who we allow ourselves to become
we get what we give, we give what we get
so give it your all
and don’t ever give up

Be the best you

be the person you want to be
just remember to be yourself
not who others want to see

This day is yours
it belongs to no one but you

put one foot in front of the other
and take a step closer
to making all your dreams come true

You are perfectly imperfect
and this is okay
because no one is flawless
no one is perfectly made

You are beautiful within
and your smile reflects
the love inside your heart
So, share a grin
and let others see who you are

Be the best you

just be who you are inside
be the person that makes you happy
and live your best life..............

Own your personal journey!!

Ever heard a statement like this from someone:

I have a friend who had surgery with Dr. X and she has gained all of her weight back so I don’t want to see Dr. X but my co-worker had surgery with Dr. Y and she is doing great so I’m going to Dr. Y. 

How about the conversation where we compare ourselves to other WLS patients and their success??

One thing about WLS is that we have to own our journey! Surgeons give us a physical tool dietitians give us the nutritional tool but it's up to us to use those tools to the best of their ability. You could line 10 of Dr. X’s & Dr. Y’s patients up who had the exact same surgery around the same time and no two would be exactly alike. Every day we have a choice!! If we choose to not follow the proper nutritional guidelines, not change our behaviors, not make a lifelong lifestyle change and commit to taking care of our "tool" we have to own it.

My thought for you today is don’t make other WLS stories your own....the person sitting next to you at group who has gained weight, the person you read about who eats sugar and doesn't dump so why not have donuts for breakfast and pie for dessert but complains that they have never gotten to goal, the person who eats bread 3x a day and never works out, the one who has never taken a vitamin because their labs were good at the 2 year mark and at 5 years have vitamin deficiency and are hospitalized then go back to the surgeon and say this surgery failed me.  Is that truly a surgeon/surgery issue?

Don't let someones story become yours.  Make your own story! 

 Remind yourself this is a personal journey. This is YOUR journey.

You are not "them" and you can choose how to make this work for YOU!!!!

Bias Busters & OAC help us put an END to weight bias!

If you haven't joined the Obesity Action Coalition yet my first question is WHY??? But let me show you one more reason to join!  You need to check out the Bias Busters page to see the next level of action we are taking.  Here is a bit of information from the site:

Welcome to “Bias Busters.” Weight bias is the last acceptable form of discrimination in today’s society. Each day, individuals affected by obesity are stigmatized in a variety of settings, such as work, school, health care, pop culture and more. Unfortunately, little is done to combat this stigmatization and even more damaging, the public often fails to recognize this stigmatization because we are conditioned to seeing it for years.

And, that is why "Bias Busters" is now here - to put an END to weight bias!

SO what are you waiting for???

Click on the link below and

join us in making a difference!!

http://bit.ly/rsUyg5

Four Year Surgiversary.....

Today I am celebrating my 4 year surgiversary of my RNY Gastric Bypass! Looking back into my pre-op life I remember reading stories about what people were doing after weight loss surgery and imagining how my post op life would look.  I could not wait to start shedding my excess weight because it would solve so many of my issues.  Life would be good and Handful Harry would never show his ugly face again. I was morbidly obese/miserable and was convinced that the grass was greener on the other side because society told me I was outside of the norm.  It was my impression that being “normal” was the gold standard of happiness. 

I always knew that surgery was not the easy way out and that making a lifelong lifestyle change would be hard.  After all of my research, chatting in the forums and attending support group for 2-years I truly felt educated and prepared for life after surgery. 

I’ve come to realize that no matter how much I researched, investigated, talked to patients etc. nothing can fully prepare you for what happens mentally, physically and spiritually until you have gone through the process. 

This journey has introduced me to an amazing community of bariatric professionals and fellow patients who have given me a world of support.   I’ve learned that this is a very individual journey and part of my journey is discovering what works for me.

Things that ring true for me:

·         Handful Harry still shows his ugly head and I deal with him minute by minute, hour by hour and day by day

·         Size/Shape/Weight does not define who I am

·         My journey is personal,  I have to own it and do what works for me

·         I’m human, I make mistakes and I’m not perfect

·         Every day I have the opportunity to make healthy choices

I’m truly grateful for those of you who have touched my life and shared this journey with me.  If it wasn’t for you I would be the person I am today!  MUAH…  (((HUG)))

Moments that take our breath away...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,

but by the moments that take our breath away!

That is probably one of my most favorite quotes...

Those who have followed my blog for a while know that my WLS journey has been eventful and challenging at times.  I've been asked more than once why I chose to have bariatric surgery and if I regretted my decision because of my complications/obstacles. 

We all have different reasons why we chose this path and like many things in life, for me it's the little things! Football season recently started again for the elementary kids so the past two weeks have included practice two days a week and Saturday game times.   

Saturday I was reminded again what this journey has allowed me to do..

Having the ability to carry shoulder pads and a helmet, water cooler, chairs and walking up and down the field without stopping every few feet. There was no stopping every few feet to catch my breath, no racing heart, no sweat pouring down my forehead or the thought that if I took one more step I would collapse!

Sharing the energy with him before each game, seeing the elation on his face after each tackle and being there when he looks for me cheering him on in the crowd....

These are some of my most precious breath taking moments... 

Family Eating Habits - How do we change them?

I recently wrote an article in the summer 2011 Your Weight Matters magazine for the OAC. We all struggle with poor eating habits at some point and this is about trying  different approaches.  Enjoy!

In today’s fast paced world, many of us consume food in a very different manner and time frame due to time constraints brought on by our professional/personal commitments. Families are busy with different social functions, school/church events, sports, appointments and the list continues to grow. The convenience of food is continually growing and can be found on any street corner at a fast food chain or your local convenient store.

Then there are the times our minds tell us we don’t have enough time to prepare a healthy well-balanced meal. We say things like, “I don’t have time to cook,” and “Eating healthy is too expensive and healthy food doesn’t taste as good.” All of these factors can lead to poor family eating habits. What about those meals you prepare and believe you are making a healthy choice? How do you identify if your family’s eating habits are poor?

Fun Ideas on How to Change Your Family’s Poor Eating Habits

IDEA #1: Tell your family you want to do an experiment for a week about the family’s eating habits and you need their assistance. Be creative and give each family member a fun pad of paper or create something simple on your computer to print off along with their favorite color pen. Come up with a prize to work toward at the end of the experiment, such as a sleepover with friends and movie night, new CD/DVD, day at the pool with friends, or a canoe/camping trip.

Start by asking them to write down what they think about the family’s overall eating habits. Do they think the family has good or bad habits, and why? Ask each family member to write down their meals and snacks throughout the next week, the environment while eating (in the car, in front of the TV, standing at the counter, cleaning my plate because mom told me to) and what they do after each meal or snack (took a nap, walked the dog, played basketball, etc.).

At the end of the week, everyone will pass their entries to another family member for review. The goal is to highlight any repeated poor eating habits within the week. Here are some red flags to look for:

• Eating a limited variety of foods
  
• Indulging in too many foods like soft drinks, doughnuts, chips, candy or ice cream
  
• Not including all food groups such as vegetables
  
• Skipping breakfast

Ask everyone to give feedback on any items they highlighted and why they identified those as poor habits, then what a healthier choice would be.

IDEA #2: As a family, make a list of healthy meal/snack choices and post the list in a visible space for everyone to see. Then, make a list of all the recognized poor eating habits and ideas on how to change those to healthy eating habits. Decide together which family members deserve recognition and earn prizes on things such as:

• Identifying the poorest eating habits
  
• Providing healthier choices
  
• Creative ways to change those habits

At the end of the week, ask each family member the same question you did before the experiment started. Do they think the family has good or bad habits, and why? Then compare both answers.

Create a plan of action on how to replace the poor eating habits and what other changes will help promote healthy eating habits.

Make this a fun project by including all family members and assigning tasks they enjoy. For example, purchase a bright colored poster board/trifold science board and create a title that fits your family. Make it visual by cutting out pictures of healthy foods, asking someone to be creative and decorate the board, create a healthy food list, list new habits to promote change and keep it visible in the kitchen as a reminder for the family.

Sample Changes to Help You Get Started

Here is a list to help get you started on some changes to promote healthy eating habits:

1. Keep only healthy food options in your home. Have a family participation session to “purge the pantry” and remove all items not on your healthy list.
   
2. Pick a specific time frame each night and agree to designate this as “family dinner time” with no interruptions.
   
3. Make it a habit to sit together at a kitchen or patio table to encourage the importance of doing this together as a family.
   
4. Slow down – it takes our minds 20 minutes to catch up with our stomachs. Practice putting your fork down between bites to force yourself to eat at a more leisurely pace. Engage in conversation as another way to slow your pace of eating.
   
5. Stop eating when you feel full. The “clean your plate” mentality will lead to extra unnecessary calories in your body.

Ask each person to pick a day of the week and create a healthy meal plan and then help by preparing the meal. Make it fun by adding a theme, (Mexican, American, Italian, etc.) researching the Internet for healthy recipes or a specific color and use paper/plastic (cups, utensils, plates, napkins) to set the table.

Be creative, have fun and step out of your comfort zone while tasting new healthy food items. By encouraging your family to stay involved and repeating these behaviors, their healthy eating will become a daily habit!

Fighting for the education and treatment of obesity.. Who are they????

Have you ever wondered who or what are the names of the organizations out there fighting for the treatment of obesity and how do we find out more information? 

These are some of the most amazing groups of

passionate people fighting for the cause...and for YOU!!

Take a moment to read the latest....

The Obesity Care Continuum (OCC) CONTINUES Discussions with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Expanding Treatment Options for patients with Obesity

Washington, DC – On Monday, July 18, 2011, the Obesity Care Continuum (OCC), represented by The Obesity Society (TOS), the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC), the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and the American Dietetic Association (ADA) again met with the FDA to discuss expanding treatment options for patients with serious medical obesity.

                “We are very pleased that the FDA has taken the time to meet with the OCC to allow us to further elaborate on the need to help those struggling with significant health problems due to their obesity,” said Joe Nadglowski, Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) President and CEO.

                FDA Participants in Monday’s meeting included Janet Woodcock, M.D., Director, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), and other senior CDER officials and representatives from the Endocronologic and Metabolic Drug Division.  OCC and the FDA discussed numerous topics including improving the benefit risk ratio of obesity drugs by limiting the medications to those with serious obesity health related issues and ensuring that individuals who receive such medications do so as part of a comprehensive obesity management program.  In addition, TOS presented a list of 40 obesity experts as potential Advisory Committee Members.

“The tenor of the meeting was positive with the FDA expressing an understanding of the profound impact obesity has on patient health and the significant benefit derived from a modest 5-10% weight loss.  Furthermore, we are encouraged by the FDA’s commitment to continue working with obesity experts in finding safe solutions,” said Dr. Caroline Apovian, The Obesity Society.

The OCC is grateful that the FDA continues to dialogue with the obesity community to help ensure that the more than 90 million Americans affected by obesity have treatment options. Such options have the potential to prevent numerous obesity related deaths, lower cost of the chronic diseases associated with obesity and improve the lives of many Americans.

About the Obesity Care Continuum (OCC)

All of our organizations work together representing patients, registered dietitians, scientists, clinicians, and surgeons to elevate the recognition of both the prevention and treatment of obesity. 

About the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC)

The OAC is a nonprofit, national charity dedicated to helping those affected by obesity. The OAC was formed to bring together individuals struggling with weight issues and provide educational resources and advocacy tools.  Visit OAC at obesityaction.org. 

About The Obesity Society (TOS)

The Obesity Society is the leading scientific society dedicated to the study of obesity. Since 1982, The Obesity Society has been committed to encouraging research on the causes and treatment of obesity, and to keeping the medical community and public informed of new advances.  Visit TOS at obesity.org. 

About the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS)

The mission of the ASMBS is to advance the art and science of bariatric surgery by continued encouragement of its members to:  improve the care and treatment of people with obesity and related diseases; advance the science and understanding of metabolic surgery; foster communication between health professionals on obesity and related conditions; and advocate for health care policy that ensures patient access to high-quality prevention and treatment of obesity.  Visit ASMBS at asmbs.org. 

About the American Dietetic Association (ADA)

The American Dietetic Association is the world's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. ADA is committed to improving the nation's health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy.  Visit ADA at eatright.org.

Listening as Spiritual Hospitality

I loved this saying by sunnibrown.com and just had to share with my post today!

A friend of mine shared this with me and after I read it she said these words to me " I strive to be more like you!" which made my heart smile!  Here is what she shared:

To listen is very hard, because it asks of us so much interior stability that we no longer need to prove ourselves by speeches, arguments, statements or declarations.  True listeners no longer have an inner need to make their presence known.  They are free to receive, to welcome, to accept.

Listening is much more than allowing another to talk while waiting for a chance to respond.  Listening is paying full attention to others and welcoming them into our very being.  The beauty of listening is that, those who are listened to start feeling accepted, start taking their words more seriously and discovering their own true selves. Listening is a form of spiritual hospitality by which you invite strangers to become friends, to get to know their inner selves more fully, and even to dare to be silent with you!

With that being said my friends - Take some time out of your day and truly listen!

Don't overreact to overeating..

Daily Inspiration from Katie Jay and Small Bites: Don’t overreact to overeating.


Remember those days of dieting and veering off the path then beating our selves up for eating something not on our plan?  After years of repeating this behavior it can be a hard one to break. Here are some tips from Katie Jay -


So you’ve made a small blunder in your diet. Treat it as a small blunder. When you make a misstep, do not then give in to the temptation to throw in the towel altogether. Just say “Oops,” and then do the next right thing. The mistake is not as important as what you do in response to it. Chalk up the incident to being human, forgive yourself, and jump right back on track!


Action for the day: Whenever you find yourself straying from your WLS lifestyle, pause and ask yourself, "What is the next right thing to do?" Then, do it!!


Remember: You deserve to live a happy healthy life!  You are worth making the healthier choice!!

Why is journaling important???

A fellow WLS friend asked me "Why is journaling important?" so I thought I would share my answer with all of my WLS friends!

Journaling for me is accountability along with a reminder of where I have been. It was always ingrained in me “If I bite it, I write it.” I’m a visual person so writing down what I ate helped me stay on track because seeing it in black and white made it feel almost like permanent proof that I could never take back. In my mind if I just said what I ate and how I felt then later I could deny deny deny! This way it actually hurt a bit more when I was admitting in writing what was truly going in my mouth and happening in my environment!

When I journal I actually do it online because it’s easier for me to type while my brain is going 100mph. I write everything from what I ate to how I felt physically/mentally and what was going on in my life. I will write down if it was a good/bad day and detailed events if necessary. It’s been a key part of my journey to show me in black and white what is happening in my environment how I felt about it and finding out if my eating patterns change. It has also been crucial for me as a post op with complications to decipher any patterns of actions/foods/feelings that either were or were not associated with what was going on with me physically.

I like to look back and recall where I have been and be reminded of how far I have come. Those times when I felt like I wasn’t doing well in my journey and the stinking thinking would set in I would go back and read where I had been. We get to a certain point in our journey when we are so focused on what we have not achieved and tend to forget how far we have come. This has always been a great reminder for me and like a mini timeline of my journey!

So my fellow WLS friends what would you write about today??

Eat it Up! - A must have in your post op resources!

I have always viewed the choice to have weight loss surgery as a lifelong life style change. For me this life style change affects us not just physically but also mentally and spiritually. After years of obesity how many times did we attempt diet after diet, have weight loss only to gain more back ? Many of us still have a healthy fear of weight regain in our post op lives. We need resources and professionals that recognize those fears and give us the support we truly deserve.

This book was written by Dr. Connie Stapleton who is one of the most supportive/positive/inspiring professionals I’ve met in our bariatric community.

She has a profound knowledge of the psychological struggles we face and has provided us with additional insight and strategies to overcome our barriers. She recognizes the need for a comprehensive approach to mind/body/spirit as a whole.

I highly recommend this book for all post-op patients no matter where you are in your journey.

I am a resource junkie and feel like you can never have enough resources/support in our weight loss journey! By clicking on the link below and scrolling down you will find information on Dr. Stapleton's book. While you are there check out the other additional resources for patients/professionals in the bariatric community.

**Side note this is also a PERFECT gift idea for any weight loss surgery patient**

http://healthyeverydaylp.com/

One of my favorite resources in the bariatric community..

As a weight loss surgery patient I am a fanatic about support and using every resource available to me. One of those resources has always been Obesity Help where I have been a member since 2006. OH gives us a place to go for support on all levels. You can choose to reach out to other WLS friends through the main forum /state forums and even local support groups that have been set up by Obesity Help support group leaders like me.

Another level of support they offer is the OH Magazine which is published 6 times a year and includes a wealth of information. In the magazine you will find personal weight loss journeys from your fellow WLS friends, WOW moments, before & after pictures, articles from professionals who support all of us in the bariatric community, information on bariatric friendly products/fitness/recipes and one of my favorites the OH event information.

Look on the right side of the blog for the offer and discount code for a 1-year subscription.

I encourage all of you no matter where you are in your journey to take a moment and check out this resource which is a wealth of information and support for you.

True Meaning of Stress...

This is something I received from my other mother "Mom H" at the perfect moment. Enjoy!!


The True Meaning of Stress

A young lady confidently walked around the room while leading and explaining stress management to an audience; with a raised glass of water, and everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question, 'half empty or half full?'..... She fooled them all... "How heavy is this glass of water?", she inquired with a smile.

Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. To 20 oz.

She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes." She continued, "and that's the way it is with stress. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on."

"As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden - holding stress longer and better each time practiced. So, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don't carry them through the evening and into the night... Pick them up tomorrow.

Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment. Relax, pick them up later after you've rested. Life is short. Enjoy it and the now 'supposed' stress that you've conquered!"

1 * Accept the fact that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue!

2 * Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.

3 * Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.

4 * Drive carefully... It's not only cars that can be recalled by their Maker.

5 * If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

6 * If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

7 * It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.

8 * Never buy a car you can't push.

9 * Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.

10 * Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

11 * Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.

12 * The second mouse gets the cheese.

13 * When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

14 * Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.

15 * You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.

16 * Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once.

17 * We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.

18 * A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

19 * Have an awesome day and know that someone has thought about you today.

20 * It was I, your friend!

*Save the earth..... It's the only planet with chocolate!*

The OAC needs your vote!! Please show your support.

The OAC needs your help! They are participating in a Facebook contest for nonprofits sponsored by Vivint. This is a great opportunity for the OAC because the grand prize, going to the nonprofit who receives the most overall votes, is $250,000!

The Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) is an IRS registered 501(c)3 National non profit organization dedicated to giving a voice to those affected by obesity. To increase obesity education, the OAC offers a wide variety of free educational resources on obesity, morbid obesity and childhood obesity, in addition to consequences and treatments of these conditions. The OAC also conducts a variety of advocacy efforts throughout the U.S. on both the National and state levels, and encourages individuals to become proactive advocates.

With everyone’s support we can help the OAC win this contest and use the money to continue helping those affected by obesity through education, advocacy and support.

Click on the orange box on the right side of my blog where it says Endorse Now

Thank you for your support!!