Thank You and Quote about our "Inner Fire"

I can across a quote that made me think about many of my WLS friends and those who have been a part of my journey. “In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit!” ~ Albert Schweitzer

Think about those times in your journey when you were struggling, feeling overwhelmed, or your inner fire went out and who was there to spark that fire and pick you back up. Take a minute today to send that person/persons a card, email or text message and let them know how much they are appreciated. Think of family, friends, mentors, colleagues, doctors, dieticians, or someone who has inspired you!

Thanks to all of you who have touched my life during my WLS journey. I would not be the person I am today without your support!

Happy Holidays!

This is the time of year for celebrations, parties, presents and everyone is very FOOD-Focused. Make this year about focusing on you and your health. Turn your focus to gratitude and goals. Send emails/cards to those who have been by your side during your journey and let them know how grateful you are. Make a list of your goals and share those with the people you will be spending your holiday time with. Ask for support from others to help you stay on task and reach your goals. Remind yourself why you chose this journey in the beginning and give yourself a pat on the back for what you have accomplished to date.

If you are celebrating at someone’s house offer to take a food choice that you can eat. When others push food items on you kindly say “Thank You” and then pass on the item. Tell yourself it’s OK to say NO. Other ways to deal with food: Eat before you go to a party, carry a drink with you at all times because we don’t eat and drink at the same time, don’t congregate around the food table, stay out of the kitchen and when everyone is done eating offer to help clean up to keep yourself busy and put away the leftovers.

If things get to overwhelming and you find yourself in a situation you don’t want to be in, remove yourself from the environment and go text/email or call a friend to help you. That’s what your WLS friends are for!! Asking for support is one of the best gifts you can give yourself and to others during these times when everything is very food focused.

You are in control of your life! You have choices and during this holiday season make the choice to take care of you by eating healthier. You are worth it!

Remember you deserve to live a happy healthy life!

Have a safe and warm holiday season!

A heartfelt Thanksgiving! -

At support group the other night I passed out something that was given to us by Obesity Help and it rang true to me so I wanted to share!


Keep your own “GRATEFUL” front and center in your life:

Good – it is easy to focus on the negative. When a situation occurs that appears negative, ask yourself “What is something good that I might have missed and can take away for myself?”

Reach Out- Help someone else. It can be a family member, a friend or supporting a WLS friend. Not only will you help another person but reaching out makes you feel good.

Attitude – Do you have an attitude of gratitude? Do you ever slow down enough to notice all the blessings in your life? Focus on three things from every day that you are grateful for. Keep a gratitude journal list.

Time – Value your time. Make the most of everyday. Don’t take your time for granted. Fill your days in a meaningful way.

Enthusiasm – Live your life with zest. Being enthusiastic about your day is a powerful way to be grateful.

Fun – When was the last time you had fun? Fun is important in order for you to feel grateful. Regularly schedule some fun.

Unusual – Do you do the same old same old each and every day? Life has many cool things available, so why die the daily death of “I’ve always done it this way before?”

Live full out – Want to feel very grateful this time next year and most days in between? Then live full out. Let it rip!

Daily Inspiration from Small Bites by Katie Jay

Manage your mood.

When it comes to food, sometimes people let unchecked emotions cloud their choices. When you are angry, you might crave something crunchy. When you are sad, you might want something warm and smooth. If you are an overeater, you will most likely eat when your emotions are swelling.

Consider working on managing your mood. Many things can affect your mood. You might have a chemical imbalance in your brain. You might not be getting enough sleep. You might have low blood sugar. You might be eating sweets. You might be ignoring your real needs. Maybe you are unwilling to feel certain feelings. No matter what the cause, allowing your emotions to take over your life can lead to overeating.

Action for the day:

Are your moods ruling you? First of all, don’t let yourself get too hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. Second, meet with a professional (for example, a therapist who specializes in food addiction) to examine this aspect of your life and to determine what you need to do to manage your mood in a healthy way.

Don't contribute to the crap...

Don’t contribute to the crap – Just say NO

Sometime last year I started a just say No campaign which involved all aspects of my life. If it wasn’t good for me I was no longer going to say YES or participate. I decided I needed to do what was good for #1 ME.. Part of this just say NO campaign is also about food choices and with the holidays just around the corner the focus on food will be magnified. Everyday pressure with food is bad enough for me personally. As a bariatric patient I have to make healthy choices everyday and that is hard when our society focuses on large amounts of food (super size) and not to mention the not so healthy food choices. It’s about what kind of crap you can get for $1.00.

Pitch in’s at work go on all year long for baby showers, birthdays and celebrations and I always use to “contribute to the crap” and bring in desserts and goodies. The pitch in ends up being about how many desserts can be brought rather than focusing on the event surrounding the food; it’s the food surrounding the event that counts. Bagel Friday turned into donut and how much crap can you bring in Fridays. I can honestly say that I felt like my blood pressure would rise when I walked into the lunch room on Fridays to find all of the sugary, high caloric, fattening items lying on the counter. It was so bad that I would avoid the kitchen on Friday’s all together.

After surgery I made a vow that I was going to make healthier choices for me and that I deserve to live a happy healthy life. So now not only do I have the just say NO campaign but I also have the “I don’t contribute to the crap” campaign. When it’s time for a pitch in and the holiday parties start happening first I choose whether I want to participate or not. It is not mandatory that I be a part of all the festivities that revolve around food and that is my personal choice. If I choose to participate I sign up to bring a salad, or veggies/fruit or a cheese/meat tray.

Halloween is this weekend, (it’s all about the candy), Thanksgiving is next month (it’s all about who is bringing what favorite dish and the pumpkin pie), and Christmas is next (it’s all about the cookies, the bread, fudge and grandma’s pecan pie).

This year I say join my campaign and “Don’t contribute to the crap” First decide if you want to attend the festivity (not because you feel guilty) and then if asked offer to bring something bariatric friendly and healthy!

Take care of #1 YOU… You deserve to live a happy healthy life!