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I heard I should be avoiding carbohydrates, is this true? This is 100% false! Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred source of fuel. Just as your car needs gas to run, your body and brain rely on carbohydrates to give you the physical and mental energy that you need to get through your day. What are carbohydrates actually? The majority of patients identify carbohydrates simply as grain products (e.g. bread, pasta, and rice). When dieters say they’re going on a low carb diet, they typically plan to eliminate or reduce their consumption of these grain products. In reality, carbohydrate sources include many other foods, like milk, yogurt, fruit, plenty of vegetables, and legumes. Did you know that one cup of milk has the same amount of grams of carbohydrates as a piece of toast? Or that a large apple has twice as many grams of carbohydrates as that same slice of toast? Or that a 1⁄2 cup of chickpeas has three times the amount of carbohydrates as the toast? Confused? This is why we challenge our patients in why they want to experiment with low-carbohydrate diets. What does that mean to them? And which foods are they planning on restricting? A lower carbohydrate diet is not necessarily a healthier one! In a world where our food apps can track everything, it’s sometimes hard to make sense of all of the numbers they give us. You shouldn’t be blindly trying to decrease your total grams of carbohydrates or total grams of fat per day without understanding how that translates into food choices and your overall health. The type of carbohydrate is more important than the amount of carbohydrate.Not all carbohydrates are created equal. The most common forms of carbohydrates are:  Fibre (for the purposes of this book, we will refer to fibre as a ‘complex carbohydrates’);  Sugar (for the purposes of this book, we will refer to them as ‘simple carbohydrates’).  Starch. Starch is calculated by taking the total carbohydrates and subtracting both the fibre and sugar from it (for the purposes of this book, we will refer to starches as ‘complex carbohydrates’). Foods that are high in carbohydrates but contain a fair amount of fibre and starch, and a low amount of sugar (i.e. high in complex carbohydrates and low in simple carbohydrates), are typically healthier choices. Complex carbohydrates take longer to digest, which is why they make you feel fuller longer. Examples include:  Barley;  Oats;  Quinoa;  Whole-grain products;  Legumes. Similarly, foods that are high in carbohydrates but contain high amounts of sugar and low amounts of fibre and starch (i.e. high in simple carbohydrates and low in complex carbohydrates) are typically less healthy choices. Simple carbohydrates are quickly digested, which is why they give you a quick boost of energy, but also why you don’t feel satisfied for very long. Examples include:  Pastries;  Donuts;  Chocolate;  Candy;  Juice;  Regular soda;  Sugary cereals. After WLS, protein should always be eaten first, followed by your vegetables and then your grain products (e.g. rice, quinoa, pasta) or starch (e.g. potato, sweet potato, squash). Eating in this order will naturally limit the amount of carbohydrates you consume at each meal because of the limited space in your stomach. Patients who restrict their carbohydrate intake, in our experience, typically have a harder time finding a healthy balance and joy in eating again. One of the biggest consequences of skipping out on carbohydrates at mealtime is that your blood sugar is less balanced, which can result in sugar cravings later on in the day. Remember: All foods fit, but it’s the portions of food that should be the focus in a healthy diet, post WLS. - Lisa & Monica

We are going to take our Vows again and freshen up on our agreement we took to one another two decades ago. Sometimes a “fresh start” rekindles those words spoken when they first occurred can remind us exactly what they meant to us. But what about the Vows we took when we first took the plunge to seriously consider Weight Loss Surgery? Do you remember what you told yourself you would do way back when? Be truthful with yourself, are you still bound to these vows? I remember mine, and the most distinct one for me was that I would NEVER go back to the old me. The obese me, the one who had no hope, who was miserable and feeling lost and scared of my own future. There were several others such as, I promise to work out and become fit for a stronger body. Even telling myself that no matter what, I would not let the scale dictate to me how amazing or awful a person I am. For the most part the scale often told me I was quite amazing (Ha!). I suppose maybe I did listen to the scale back then because it was fun to watch the weight melt away. During those times when the scale didn’t cooperate I used other means of measuring how well I was doing. I checked to see how my clothes were fitting; I kept a running measurement of every part of my body – even my neck and my wrist! Even a quarter inch loss in those areas made me feel better. Then there are the awesome side-by-side photos. Pictures don’t lie! They never did, and that’s probably why a lot of us hid from the cameras Pre-Op. As the years go by Post-Op it really does become easier and easier to forget how we got to our goals and how we have maintained. It becomes easier to tell ourselves that indulging more and more is acceptable and before you know it the pounds creep back up. You will blink your eye and all of a sudden your clothes become tight and you notice a little comfortableness about yourself. I personally have made a Re-commitment to myself not so long ago. I am 50 (and 1) Days into a No Sugar eating plan and I am back to regular routine workouts. Another agreement that I am re-committing to myself is that I will never again ignore the scale. Yes, it’s true I don’t allow the scale to make me feel bad about myself but it is a necessary tool to remind me that I need to make sure I don’t keep going up, or I will be like the mountain climber on The Price Is Right and yodel my way right off the chart cliff. Let’s just say my Re-commitment has done me well and I am more than on my way back to the champion I was a year or so ago. It feels good to take back the control and be reminded that my life depends on me keeping my promises. I needed this in order to take my future health serious. Every day is Day 1, until you successfully make it to Day 2. What were your most outstanding Vows that you recall? Are you still following them, or can you Re-commit to them? If you find yourself needing to Re-Commit, don’t wait! Take this moment to truly reflect on just how well you really are doing. Can you make some new commitments even? This time write them all out on a piece of paper and make a contract with yourself to uphold the Vows of health and fitness with yourself, and sign it and date it. Read it aloud and if necessary show someone that you trust. Read it out to them and be upfront to them about what you are doing. Of course only you can ensure that you are upholding your end of the bargain to the healthy person inside.