It seems there are two schools of behavior patients follow after gastric bypass surgery:
The first are the patients who realize WLS is a second chance to make right their nutritional wellness and they exchange the eating habits and poor food choices that made them obese for a smarter way of eating. These patients become champions of healthy ingredients and wholesome eating making conscious choices for how they fuel their bodies. They are non-stop learners in constant quest for information to aid in their health and wellness. They are actively engaged in their own nutrition to improve their health and make strong their bodies against disease. These patients have tremendous success in long-term weight maintenance following massive weight loss.
The second are the patients who rely solely on the restrictive and malabsorptive nature of the gastric bypass to lose weight. They half-heartedly follow the program during the phase of rapid weight loss and little by little the old habits that made them obese sneak back into their daily living. You'll hear these patients say, "I can eat anything I want, just less of it" and they laugh. But the joke is on them because sure enough, these patients will regain weight and suffer from poor nutritional health.
Perhaps the people in the "old habits" school think it's a waste of effort or energy to try and eat healthy ? after all, we eat such little portions. Perhaps they think health food is seaweed and tofu and icky stuff like that. Perhaps they simply don't have the information necessary to affect positive healthy change in their diets.
Dr. Bernard Jensen in "Guide to Body Chemistry & Nutrition" writes, "The old saw "what you don't know can't hurt you" just isn't true when it comes to body chemistry, nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. Ignorance leads to poor nutritional choices, chemical deficiencies and the kinds of diseases that prey on an undernourished body and shorten the life span. Heart disease, cancer and diabetes all take a terrible toll on life in this country, and all three of them are strongly influenced by food patterns and lifestyle habits. . . The right kind of knowledge can always lead us to a better life."
Dr. Jensen writes, "Hippocrates said, "Let your food be your medicine, and let your medicine be your food." In my opinion, the kitchen is more important to our health than the doctor's office or the local hospital. If food selection, preparation and cooking are done wisely, intentionally and properly, very little time will need be spent visiting health care facilities." Dr. Jensen, by the way, wrote "Guide to Body Chemistry & Nutrition" at age 92.
Before WLS surgery I believe it is fair to say many of us "let food be our comfort" and indeed we were well comforted ? that's why we needed surgery. If we can change that thought to "let food be our medicine" and treat it as such, perhaps our relationship with food will improve, our bodies will become healthier and the quality of life will exceed expectation.
It has been noted by many a bariatric counselor that patients are resistant toward learning a healthier way to live. One nurse told me, "Some people want to have doctors take care of them. They don't want to take responsibility for their own lives." But she noted the patients who are eager to learn good nutrition do not regain weight, do not fight the emotional demons of weight fluctuations and they enjoy boundless physical wellness. They never suffer from obesity again.
Dr. Jensen states, "There are arguments, disagreements, people defending their right to eat what they love. I tell them I don't blame them and encourage them to make the change because it's the right thing for them to do."
Kaye Bailey ? 2005 - All Rights Reserved
Kaye Bailey is a weight loss surgery success story having maintained her health and goal weight for 5+ years. An award winning journalist, she is the author and webmaster of http://www.livingafterwls.com and http://www.livingafterwls.com
LivingAfterWLS is a no-nonsense resource for people Living After Weight Loss Surgery. Our community is growing in numbers even as we are shrinking in pounds. Together we support one another in this lifestyle, that it turns out, is NOT the easy way out.
Fresh & insightful content is added daily, check in often. To subscribe to the LivingAfterWLS monthly newsletter "You Have Arrived" click on http://www.livingafterwls.com and enter your details in the subscription box.
Airbnb cleaning service Arlington Heights ..If you've been enjoying life after gastric bypass surgery you... Read More
Axiom Number FourTo have a great selling diet plan encourage... Read More
Most men and women put on weight differently. But on... Read More
New Years Resolutions do not work because you are really... Read More
It seems like everywhere you turn, there is someone trying... Read More
What is a calorie? The definition of a calorie is... Read More
Throughout my childhood and teenage years I watched as my... Read More
Things get so confusing when it comes to understanding what... Read More
The answer to the title of this article is "none."... Read More
I really like Dr. Phil, so I wanted to like... Read More
Dieting is not easy. If it were, we would probably... Read More
Diet drop out, a significant problem for all types of... Read More
Losing weight can make a significant and life altering change... Read More
How's this for a diet: Take in fewer calories than... Read More
America's Obesity EpidemicAs the numbers of overweight Americans continue to... Read More
Nice girls don't speak up. Nice girls take care of... Read More
Recently, I won a family cruise on the Regis and... Read More
Used a diet pill recently and got depressed because you... Read More
Yes, there is more to the Mediterranean than sun, beach... Read More
What is "too young" to begin a weight loss program... Read More
Well, look at you go! You keep moving closer and... Read More
"The sovereign invigorator of the body is exercise, and of... Read More
As I explained in the first part of this article,... Read More
Motivation is a factor often overlooked when it comes to... Read More
1. The lower the calories eaten per day, the harder... Read More
reliable maid service Winnetka ..Yes and no. Moderate calorie restriction helps in controlling and... Read More
Dealing with your sweet-tooth can be one of the greatest... Read More
Here are some everyday, helpful hints to get you started,... Read More
A 'diet' is always seen as a temporary measure. An... Read More
"I tried that diet and lost 8 pounds in the... Read More
Everyone has their own individual reason for joining a health... Read More
In theory, if you're starving, exercising less helps conserve energy.... Read More
(Ailsa's Apple Crumble Diet)I'm Scottish, so it's not a big... Read More
"I eat like a bird, why do I gain weight?"... Read More
Make sure you check out the meaning of many common... Read More
In the early nineties I had the opportunity to work... Read More
Fat Burners refer to the hundreds of products on the... Read More
Many people want to lose a few of those annoying... Read More
Are you Telling Yourself It's Too Hard to Lose Weight?Telling... Read More
You've done everything right this time. You're eating lots of... Read More
Chant the following each day, several times. They are mantras... Read More
1. What is my BMI and how do I calculate... Read More
Permanent Weight loss is not about Diet. If you are... Read More
A new survey has found that heel pain caused by... Read More
The low carb diet craze has become extremely popular amongst... Read More
There are many factors that cause us to increase body... Read More
What is low carb?We've all heard about the Atkins diet... Read More
If you have been eating as usual and the pounds... Read More
What is the relationship between intake of nutrition and metabolism... Read More
Obesity, once seen as akin to laziness and overeating, is... Read More
Weight Loss |