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I was really looking foward to eating again but there are some drawbacks to coming off a liquid diet. First thing is your stomach wakes up and wants to have a long, serious talk with you,. I woke up today feeling a little sick. Just a little nauseated, a few cramps in my intestines. The tummy is pissed. The tummy wants to know what it ever did to me. And finally, the tummy is putting up with none of the shit I tried to lay on it before. Oh, no. It is in charge now. It is recovering from surgery and no way in hell is it parting with the TV remote. Eating was a little easier today mostly because I applied some of the principles I've read here on the board and also because I gave up trying to eyeball what I thought would go in my stomach and broke out the kitchen measuring implements. 1/2 cup Special K Protein Cereal. Out of the measuring cup and into the bowl. 1/2 cup milk. Slowly. 30/30/30. 1/2 cup Healthy Choice red Beans and rice Soup. Chew. Swallow. Slow slow slow. 1/2 cup cottage cheese. It all went down pretty well but the whole time I've felt guilty for eating at all, and also nervous that I had to measure. See the thing with me is I can either be hyper-undisciplined and just dive into the carb ocean, fall asleep inside a cherry pie. Or I can be like this. Obsessive compulsive. How many calories? How many carbs? If I get it into my head to eat according to the numbers no kitchen implement, measuring device or obsessive thought goes untouched. I was hoping that this surgery would free me of *both* things so I could be a normal person so really just the introduction of digestable food has given me a case of nerves. I caught myself thinking today that I might have gained weight because I ate a mashed potato yesterday and felt vanquished. Okay. So this is all stuff I've read people on the boards saying before. Learning how to eat again is weird and miserable and usually causes some kind of strange breakdown somewhere later in in the first month. I did not actually regret what I did to myself but there was a sudden realization that all the unconscious food assumptions i had made up to right now were no longer going to help. Because my stomach simply was not going to let me get away with a single bad choice. My son told me he thought the reason that WLS works so well is tha basically you're afraid your stomach with explode if you eat too much. It's actually not like that, it won't explode. It will *complain*, the way the villagers complain via pitchforks and barn burning. My stomach now reminds me of my mother, who I would rather kill me than *complain* at me. I allso went swimming yesterday and loved it. I've been looking forward to that for three weeks but a few hours after I got home I felt cold and squeezed out. I couldn't get warm for the rest of the night. I turned the thermostat up to almost eighty and snuggled a heating pad. And finally I realized I overdid it. An hour in the pool after recenly...well, recently...was just too much. Just because you can have a mashed potato does not mean you're fully recovered. On the contrary, it means you've got all this other crap to do like count the number of times you chew your oatmeal and figuring out how to not be so overcome with stupidity you don't even know it's time to get out of the pool. . Recovery is ongoing. Today I recovered from overdoing it in the pool yesterday, and overdoing my portions yesterday because when your stomach says NOT ONE MORE MOUTHFUL it is truly not kidding. And I am also recovering from my fear of food. I figured it was going to be stall week this week and I also figured one possible reason is the stomach's getting back to it's job of digesting stuff. The problem is I didn't figure on how I would feel about it. I am afraid I will never lose another pound now that I am eating again until I can get somebody to take the rest of my stomach out. But that is completely irrational and I know it. I ate 380 calories today and to do it right with no pitchforks it took a lot of attention and effort. Simultaneously I'm worried I am starving and/or gaining back the thirty pounds. This cannot be the new normal otherwise my stomach has just become my new career.

Yea 5 weeks.... The first two weeks I was really positive and this last week I just don't feel like anything is happening, like I am in a stall on the pre-op diet, not sure how that happens, I'm not eating hardly anything. Plus every three months I get a depo shot and it is coming up to get it again, May 2nd, day before surgery. Since I have been getting the shot I never get my TOM, however it must be the drastic change in my diet because I have had a light one for the last 2.5 weeks, enough already.....I suppose that is making me more irritable and frustrated. Sorry if that was TMI. I just want it to get here already and I am afraid if I don't lose anything else, he might postpone me again.... Started reading a new book, so hopefully that should keep me busy. Thanks for the support =) Coming here keeps me busy for a while and I love reading all the successes people have and seeing the photos.

I'm so glad to hear that everything went good and that you are feeling GrrrrREAT! LOL I was the same as you 3 days post op, walking fine and sipping tons of baby sips. I'm almost a month out now and I can handle mushies, tuna and seafood meats like scallops and snow crab very well (they have lots of protein too by the way), which is especially good if you have a hard time choking down any type of protein drink on the planet like me! I wish you the best of luck and success with your weight loss. I lost 20lbs the first two weeks and had the dreaded third week stall everybody talks about, but right after dropped another 7lbs in three days. So, don't fret if or when the scale doesn't move on or about the 3rd or 4th week because it is normal. I too wish I had went to Dr. Almanza a few years back when I didn't have as much to lose :-( Oh well better later than never right! I take a One a Day Women's Active Metabolism vitamin, a vitamin B-6 high potency for energy and metabolism and a hair/skin/nails vitamin from Wal-mart. Even with such a little amount of food I feel FANTASTIC!!!! Take Care. You are going to do really well and lose all of your weight :-)

body composition changing. i have been through two shifts in measurements. kind of surprising. my weightloss stalled for about three weeks. I had a fill so everything is moving again. I am learning the weight goes then the body shifts. I am beginning to wonder if the plateau we go through is more of our body adjusting to the weightloss. I was really shocked yesterday when i put on a pair of pants that were a 20. i am so used to wearing 28-30. Congrats on your weightloss!

The scale hasn't moved since last week. That's an initial eighteen pounds at the end of maybe the first week, and nothing thereafter. I think my three week stall came early and I am making myself not think that this might mean I am going to turn out to be a slowpoke loser. I can't start soft food for another seven days. I have to wait eight days til I can swim. I am still changing my drain gauze. Two days till I can stop fussing with paper tape every day after my shower. I miss my moisturixing body wash and my bufpuf I went shopping yesterday and tried to get excited over cream Soups. Brought them home and attempted to add unjury Protein to these things and three attempts at this ended up in the sink before I gave up and had a Yoplait LIght and Fit Red Velvet Cake. It's clear to me that I am in the valley of the worst part of the recovery period for a VSG. Nothing is happening, eat your Jello. Just eat your Jello and watch Midred Piece on TV and go to bed at a decent hour. Your metabolic chemistry has undergone something like a nuclear detonation so just shut up and whatever you do, do not go on a rampage and get a bottle of wine and a philly cheese steak at Culvers. I am on Day 13 since my surgery but I think I'm on Day 2 of gutting it out.

Hey Dani, Try not to feel disheartened! I know it is diffcult. I am well known for my stalls...lol... and am currently in the middle of a LONG one, but I am not gaining so I am relatively happy! It will pass, at three weeks out concentrate on feel 'well'. Remember that your body is still adjusting and is probably wondering what the hell has happened. Your stall will pass and you will lose weight. Chin up and let us know how you get on... =]

Hello this is my first blog, first let me start off saying I am happy that I made the decision to have the sleeve. I had my life changing event on Feb 22, so that makes me 6weeks out. I lost 22 (310) pounds before the surgery, and another 18 (268) pounds since. I didn’t realize how much work it takes to really work the sleeve, I went in thinking this is my magic cure…and boy was I wrong !!! I have been on a stall two weeks now an it’s kind of frustrating, but it made me look at some of the things that I am doing!! I know for one, I have not been drinking enough water, before surgery water was my best friend after it just had such a nasty taste.. I have been getting my protein but I cut it in half because, I am eating more… I can get down about 3-4oz down per sitting before getting full. I have also been struggling with hunger…it’s like I am hungry all the time even after meals, and it drives me crazy sometimes. The way I dealing with the hunger, I started snacking (not good) now I am chewing gum and drinking water when I get these pangs. Eating 4tiny potions daily, and protein shake/smoothie (with strawberries, and ½ banana, and maybe a slice of pineapple and a scope of protein) Exercise I am working out three times a week about 45min, I am doing about 25min of cardio and 20min on weights. This week my goal is five times week, the two extra days I want to do cardio, I also switched up my routine I started riding the spin bike. I really had to check myself this week because I was starting to go back to some of my old ways…and it is way too early for that!!! I really want to maximize the opportunity…I have been a big girl all my life…and it’s hard to break old and bad habits…but this is something that I have to do a failure is not an option. I love this site…..I don’t mind sharing my struggles with people that actually understand what it is that I am going through.

You've been doing great, keeping on since January! I did a very low carb diet for a month before my surgery (on my own authority). So I commend you for your dedication to do this for three months! I don't know if this will work for you, but this did work for me and didn't stall my pre-op weight loss (30 lbs). Every two weeks or so, I would have a carb-filled meal (usually Pasta, a love of mine), completely guilt free. After that "whatever I want" meal, I got right back on the wagon for the next two weeks of Proteins and low-carb veggies. It helped me feel less deprived and dedicated to staying on track. Now that you're approved, hopefully you won't have to keep it up for another 3 months. I promise, everything you do now is such a big help for after surgery.

I felt the same way. I hit my first stall at 2 weeks post-op and didn't lose anything for nearly two weeks. I looked at my diet and reduced my carb intake (won't take in more than 25 grams a day) and increased the Water dramatically (72-96 ounces a day). The weight started to come off again. That was a little more than a week ago. TODAY, I went in for a second follow-up appointment with my surgeon. I was worried because I hit my stall right after my first follow-up and had only lost 7 pounds (all of which came off in the past week and a half) in the last three weeks. They have this magical scale that tells you not only how much body fat and excess Fluid you have but also how much muscle you have. My doctor came in and I thought she was going to be disappointed but she was very happy. She said "You are doing GREAT". I was like "yeah, right". Then she said "I know you have only seen your scale drop 7 pounds since your last weigh-in but you actually lost 16 pounds of body fat and gained 9 pounds of muscle". She was VERY impressed with that. So even though your scale at home might be telling you that you are losing slowly, your body could be actually dropping the fat and bulking up the muscle. I am happy that I am losing at a slower rate because my skin won't be as loose in the end. Keep your chin up!

I am going throughnthe exact same thing ' I lost 30 lbs first three weeks Then I stalled and I actually think I have gained 6 lbs in the last two weeks , Glad to hear I'm not alone,,,,

There will be weeks sometimes months the scale wont move you cant give up and I had to stop weighing myself everyday it only makes things worse. I didnt lose for six months and that was with fills. You body has been overweight for so long it has to adjust and sometimes it just stalls itself out because it was so use to consuming large amounts of calories now it is starving and doesnt want to let go of the fat. keep doing what your doing it will move eventually. Is it frustrating hell yes but we didnt gain it all in three months either. You cant take off 10 to 30 years of weight gain in a few months it doesnt work like that.

I was going through a little stall. I was eating about 60 carbs per day (as advised by my NUT). I decided to drop down to 40 carbs just to see what would happen. I started losing again, in fact three pounds in a week. I also got some advice to workout first thing in the morning before eating (if that is hard, just eat a little bit of protein). This will force your body to use fat stores for energy. I try to get in at least one morning workout a week. Plus, working out in the morning bumps up your metabolism and you burn more calories the rest of the day. YOU WILL BREAK THROUGH THIS STALL!!!!

I went for my two week post op appointment today with my doctor and I am down 25lbs, 10 pre op and 15 since surgery two weeks ago. Before surgery I feared that I would be the one person that would get this surgery and nothing would happen but so far so good and I'm going to mention it anymore to avoid the three week stall, lol. Thanks again everyone for your continued support and words of encouragement.

OK, this may sound a little crazy, maybe not... but at the end of a 4 week stall, I had a little talk with myself. I realized I had some issues with saying "No" and gave myself a little talk about how I am an adult, and can now say no very well. I think eating was a way to say "No" in several different situations. After I did this, I started losing weight. Other factors- I upped my calories by about 100 a day, and started dance class again(for about three days at the time I started to lose), and ate a little bit of junk. Even with the added exercise and calories, I still think the talk just let my body relax a little.

Hiya Olivam, I am really interested in your post... I am a really slow loser and I seem to hit mini stalls every other week or so and have been doing so since October - I am now 8mths out, was sleeved beg July last year. I often wonder if I am not eating enough, my dr says to eat three meals a day with no Snacks, and with this sleeve, I find it hard to eat 1000 cals with only three meals? i did start to have one protein snack but that didn't really change things. Any advise would be gratefully rec'd ... I don't want or like feeling negative but I am really struggling at the moment! Thanks in advance...

Thank you SO much for sharing this. I cried when you were talking about your kids and the Snacks and having the energy to do the things you want to at home. I can relate to both of those things so much. While I am 100% doing this for me, I am so hopeful for the impact that it will have on my family. I think the part where you described that first small gain was exactly what I was talking about. I am just anticipating that " Oh No....I can't gain this back!" moment and just need to be prepared for it and not freak out. I'm just so thankful that we can all communicate on here and know better what to expect. I can't imagine having hit the "three week stall" not knowing that it's common. Now I think I'll be able to be better prepared emotionally. Thanks again for listening and sharing.

OK, so officially I have been on a plateau between 224-226 lbs for 20 days. I am almost 6 weeks out, so this is the dreaded three week stall... started at three weeks, and lasted for three weeks too! I probably weigh myself too often, but even if I weigh once a week, I would still stay the same for three weigh ins. I'm pretty sure I am doing everything I should. The body is just saying NO right now. I get to start going to the gym again in a few days... so Im hoping that will boost the loss. Wah Wah Wah! Thanks for letting me cry a little!

Wow! Congrats on the 110 lbs in 7 1/2 months. stalling for the last month and a half must be so frustrating. I think the other posters are on track, regroup, and try what Eureka-C suggests. The honeymoon is not yet over. Im only 5 weeks out and i have been on a stall for three weeks! Chin up and back on plan if you need to, or stay on plan if you already are......and read and post here... it really helps.

Just look for the 3 week stall. I stalled for 10 days around three weeks.

I would not worry about it to much your body is in a state of shok and yes your weight will fluctuate up and day every day all day long so maybe you should be one of the people who only weigh once a week. as for the three week stall that is perfectally normal and I promise you as long as you are following your dr's guidelines you will begin to loose again.

I had my surgery on January 17th and everything went great. I even lost 20 lbs in the first 2 weeks! My surgeon said it was impressive and was very happy with me. Shortly after I started purees (about 2 1/2 to 3 weeks in) I stalled. I knew to expect this, so I stayed calm and knew weight loss would pick back up. Well, here I am now, five weeks out tomorrow and I still haven't lost! I've actually gained 2 lbs. Please tell me this is normal and the scale will go back down soon. I've been exercising, mostly walking. I plan to join Curves next week. I'm having a little trouble eating much, I'm lucky to get in 500 calories a day and Protein shakes do not sit well in my sleeve yet. I'm working on it, though, I'm sure it'll come. Without a Protein shake, I can average 45-50 grams of protein a day of my surgeon's required 60. My NUT says to do three small meals plus 3 Protein Shakes, but I'm lucky to get 1 shake in! If I do 3 shakes, I won't eat anything else, because there just isn't room. I'm wondering if this is the cause of my stall, though. I'm getting my Vitamins and fluids in just fine. This will end soon, right? I can't believe the scale hasn't went down in over 2 weeks. So to see a 2 lb gain this morning is just shocking! I had gained 1, but this morning it had a friend. I had a Novasure Endometrial Ablation a year ago, so I don't have periods anymore. If it's my cycle, I wouldn't know, but I guess that could be an explanation. I know people say Fluid retention, but would that last 2 weeks? I felt a little backed up so I took some milk of magnesia, which helped the problem, but like I said, now I'm a pound heavier this morning... thought I would be less!

I was three weeks out on Thursday, so three weeks and two days today, and I am down 17 lbs. So it is very similiar. I don't imagine I will lose huge amounts in the next five days. So, I am fine with it, I think there will be stalls here and there, but then you might be suprised when you step on the scale and it is three lbs less all of the sudden!

Hello! I had my sleeve on January 18th and have lost about 20 lbs, but lots of that was before surgery and have not lost a pound since Feb. 7, in fact I have gained 1b since then. I have done everything I am supposed to do in terms of food progressions and am not snacking or going outside the parameters on amounts or anything. I have been doing about 500 to 600 calories a day! For a week or so I had trouble getting Protein in as the lactaid milk with Protein powder made me too nauseous, but since then I have been advanced to the soft diet and am now getting more protein in through food and doing regular skim milk with lactaid pills which does not make me nauseous. But I too am pretty discouraged, I have been doing pool excercises three times a week (which is as much as I can do due to back and hip issues.) I know I will be a bit slower due to that but this seems ridiculous. All this pain and no reward! My clinic says since my BMI is not as high as some (I have to lose about 100 lbs) and due to age and back issues I will be slower and not to worry, but I was not a terrible eater to begin with and if tiny portions don't work, what will? Did you guys do anything to get out of a stall?

I had a little stall around three weeks. My clothes were fitting bigger though. I really think it is something biological because so many sleevers go through stalls here and there. Then the scale starts moving again.

Here's a great article by Kaye Bailey re snacking: LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest The Four Rules: #3 No Snacking When snacking hurts; When snacking helps February 9, 2011 Greetings! I hope this newsletter finds you warm and well this second week of February. Today we continue our discussion of the Four Rules - we are at Number 3: No Snacking. It's a tough one and I dare say most of will or have struggled with snacking following weight loss surgery. And, as you will see from the articles in this newsletter, not all bariatric centers follow the same Four Rules that include no snacking. But what is consistent, across the front lines of those of us living with weight loss surgery, is that out-of-control snacking on poorly chosen foods leads to a stall in weight loss and may possibly lead to weight gain. So please, take a look at the information here and revisit the information you were provided at the time of your surgery. Find your personal position on the "No Snacking" rule based on knowledge, experience, and environment -- it is the most empowering thing you can do for yourself in this ongoing battle of weight management in a world where it is much easier to be fat. Happy 2011 - We are all in this together! Kaye KayeBailey@LivingAfterWLS.com A Note: We have received the fourth printing of the LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood cookbook earlier than anticipated. We are processing backorders as quickly as possible - so look for yours in the next few days delivered by US Postal Service. Thanks for your patience! Link to view the previously published Weekly Digests in our 2011 Four Rules Series: Rule #1 - Protein First: LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest January 20, 2011 <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"> Rule #2 - Lots of Water LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest February 2, 2011 The Four Rules: Before surgery most of us were taught the Four Rules we must follow in order to achieve the best results with weight loss surgery - any procedure. Those rules (with minor variations from one bariatric surgeon to the next) are: Protein First Lots of Water No Snacking Daily Exercise In order to maintain weight loss and keep the obesity from which we suffer in remission we must follow these rules for life. When we meet patients who have maintained a healthy body weight for several years with weight loss surgery we learn that in most cases they live by the Four Rules. If it has been a while since you have given consideration to the Four Rules I invite you today to spend a little time refreshing your knowledge and enthusiasm about Protein First. Actually, this is my favorite rule because it means good food without the guilt! Link to the articles of interest and take a look at some of our great WLS recipes. There is something for everyone as we get excited again about the Four Rules! Every now and again it serves us well to step back into our pre-op mindset when we were hell-bent on making surgery work to achieve weight loss and improve our health and quality of living. Take a look at this article with your pre-surgery eyes. I think it will help renew your enthusiasm for working "the tool" and living well today: Understand the Four Rules of WLS Before Going Under the Knife Weight loss surgery is frequently perceived as an easy means to weight loss that requires little or no effort by the patient. However, patients who undergo bariatric surgery are prescribed Four Rules of dietary and lifestyle management that they will follow for the rest of their life if they wish to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight. Here is what you need to know about the Four Rules of weight loss surgery before going under the knife. LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest The Four Rules: #3 No Snacking When snacking hurts; When snacking helps February 9, 2011 No Snacking. It is the rule that works. Rule #3 - No Snacking Excerpted with permission from Day 6: Beyond the 5 Day Pouch Test by Kaye Bailey Pages 43-45 - Copyright 2009 - Kaye Bailey - All Rights Reserved "Without a doubt, the "No Snacking" rule is the most divisive in the weight loss surgery community. In fact, I've received more angry letters on this topic than any other of the Four Rules. One school of thought is that snacking is absolutely forbidden. The other school swears that three meals plus two Snacks a day are essential for the nutritional survival of the weight loss surgery patient. "I am not a doctor and I am not a nutritionist. But I work on the front lines with weight loss surgery patients every day, patients who are many years out from surgery; patients who have lost touch with their bariatric centers. What I do know for certain is this: patients who snack and who are not engaged in extreme athletics gain weight. There is a fine line between snacking intelligently and grazing and few, if any, of us have the self-control to toe the line. In my experience and in my opinion there is no reason for the average person post-WLS to ever engage in snacking. If we follow the I {heart} DIET we will not be hungry in the 4-6 hours between planned meals; there will not be a blood glucose emergency and there will not be a physiological need to snack. "This may be a very unpopular stand for me to take. But I have spent the last six years working with my fellow weight loss surgery patients and in every case of weight regain snacking has been involved. And in most cases the initial instructions from the bariatric center were for the patient to eat every 3 to 4 hours and somewhere along the third year things went wrong. Snacking on Protein Bars or nuts became grazing on pretzels and crackers washed down with soda, coffee or tea. Slider foods overruled sensibility. "No Snacking. It is the rule that works. "Now, I'm obligated to tell you to follow the very specific instructions given you by your bariatric center. If they instructed you to have three meals a day and two snacks a day that's fine: please do not feel I'm beating you up here. But please, go get your original notes and instructions. Review the list of approved snacks. Copy that list and post it on your refrigerator to keep your memory refreshed. The snacks your center permitted during the phase of weight loss are the only snacks you are allowed for the rest of your life if you want to maintain your weight loss. "I personally feel the "NO Snacking" rule is a tremendous relief. For several years of my adult life, prior to surgery, I had a 40-minute commute to and from work each day. My morbidly obese irrational thinking had me convinced that I could not last that commute without a large soda and giant cookie: both morning and night. Looking back that was about 1,200 calories of snacking I was taking each day just to "survive" my commute. Twelve hundred calories is equal to our full day caloric allowance after surgery! How was it again, that I became morbidly obese? Hmmm. My car was always full of crumbs and the back seat littered with empty cups and cookie wrappers, not to mention the expense of my snacking habit. What a relief when "No Snacking" took that burden from me. "One reason we are prone to break the "No Snacking" rule is because traditional snack foods are ever present in our society and they tend to set more comfortably in our stomach pouch than protein dense food. Have you found yourself able to eat an endless bag of crackers or chips yet struggle to get a few bites of roast chicken down? The crackers are soft and when consumed with liquid create slurry that never compacts in the pouch the way protein does. The cracker slurry slides right through in a steady stream: slider food (more on this in Part II: I {heart} DIET Basics). Solid protein, on the other hand, settles in the pouch like an unwelcome second cousin on your sofa and lingers just a little too long. So naturally we prefer to eat something that gives us comfort, not discomfort. "But the fact is, the pouch when it is used correctly, is supposed to be a little bit uncomfortable. The discomfort is the signal to stop eating. When we are snacking on slider foods we do not get that signal and we do not stop eating." LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest The Four Rules: #3 No Snacking When snacking hurts; When snacking helps February 9, 2011 Greetings! I hope this newsletter finds you warm and well this second week of February. Today we continue our discussion of the Four Rules - we are at Number 3: No Snacking. It's a tough one and I dare say most of will or have struggled with snacking following weight loss surgery. And, as you will see from the articles in this newsletter, not all bariatric centers follow the same Four Rules that include no snacking. But what is consistent, across the front lines of those of us living with weight loss surgery, is that out-of-control snacking on poorly chosen foods leads to a stall in weight loss and may possibly lead to weight gain. So please, take a look at the information here and revisit the information you were provided at the time of your surgery. Find your personal position on the "No Snacking" rule based on knowledge, experience, and environment -- it is the most empowering thing you can do for yourself in this ongoing battle of weight management in a world where it is much easier to be fat. Happy 2011 - We are all in this together! Kaye KayeBailey@LivingAfterWLS.com A Note: We have received the fourth printing of the LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood cookbook earlier than anticipated. We are processing backorders as quickly as possible - so look for yours in the next few days delivered by US Postal Service. Thanks for your patience! Link to view the previously published Weekly Digests in our 2011 Four Rules Series: Rule #1 - Protein First: LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest January 20, 2011 <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"> Rule #2 - Lots of Water LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest February 2, 2011 The Four Rules: Before surgery most of us were taught the Four Rules we must follow in order to achieve the best results with weight loss surgery - any procedure. Those rules (with minor variations from one bariatric surgeon to the next) are: Protein First Lots of Water No Snacking Daily Exercise In order to maintain weight loss and keep the obesity from which we suffer in remission we must follow these rules for life. When we meet patients who have maintained a healthy body weight for several years with weight loss surgery we learn that in most cases they live by the Four Rules. If it has been a while since you have given consideration to the Four Rules I invite you today to spend a little time refreshing your knowledge and enthusiasm about Protein First. Actually, this is my favorite rule because it means good food without the guilt! Link to the articles of interest and take a look at some of our great WLS recipes. There is something for everyone as we get excited again about the Four Rules! Every now and again it serves us well to step back into our pre-op mindset when we were hell-bent on making surgery work to achieve weight loss and improve our health and quality of living. Take a look at this article with your pre-surgery eyes. I think it will help renew your enthusiasm for working "the tool" and living well today: Understand the Four Rules of WLS Before Going Under the Knife Weight loss surgery is frequently perceived as an easy means to weight loss that requires little or no effort by the patient. However, patients who undergo bariatric surgery are prescribed Four Rules of dietary and lifestyle management that they will follow for the rest of their life if they wish to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight. Here is what you need to know about the Four Rules of weight loss surgery before going under the knife. LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest The Four Rules: #3 No Snacking When snacking hurts; When snacking helps February 9, 2011 Greetings! I hope this newsletter finds you warm and well this second week of February. Today we continue our discussion of the Four Rules - we are at Number 3: No Snacking. It's a tough one and I dare say most of will or have struggled with snacking following weight loss surgery. And, as you will see from the articles in this newsletter, not all bariatric centers follow the same Four Rules that include no snacking. But what is consistent, across the front lines of those of us living with weight loss surgery, is that out-of-control snacking on poorly chosen foods leads to a stall in weight loss and may possibly lead to weight gain. So please, take a look at the information here and revisit the information you were provided at the time of your surgery. Find your personal position on the "No Snacking" rule based on knowledge, experience, and environment -- it is the most empowering thing you can do for yourself in this ongoing battle of weight management in a world where it is much easier to be fat. Happy 2011 - We are all in this together! Kaye KayeBailey@LivingAfterWLS.com A Note: We have received the fourth printing of the LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood cookbook earlier than anticipated. We are processing backorders as quickly as possible - so look for yours in the next few days delivered by US Postal Service. Thanks for your patience! Link to view the previously published Weekly Digests in our 2011 Four Rules Series: Rule #1 - Protein First: LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest January 20, 2011 <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"> Rule #2 - Lots of Water LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest February 2, 2011 The Four Rules: Before surgery most of us were taught the Four Rules we must follow in order to achieve the best results with weight loss surgery - any procedure. Those rules (with minor variations from one bariatric surgeon to the next) are: Protein First Lots of Water No Snacking Daily Exercise In order to maintain weight loss and keep the obesity from which we suffer in remission we must follow these rules for life. When we meet patients who have maintained a healthy body weight for several years with weight loss surgery we learn that in most cases they live by the Four Rules. If it has been a while since you have given consideration to the Four Rules I invite you today to spend a little time refreshing your knowledge and enthusiasm about Protein First. Actually, this is my favorite rule because it means good food without the guilt! Link to the articles of interest and take a look at some of our great WLS recipes. There is something for everyone as we get excited again about the Four Rules! Every now and again it serves us well to step back into our pre-op mindset when we were hell-bent on making surgery work to achieve weight loss and improve our health and quality of living. Take a look at this article with your pre-surgery eyes. I think it will help renew your enthusiasm for working "the tool" and living well today: Understand the Four Rules of WLS Before Going Under the Knife Weight loss surgery is frequently perceived as an easy means to weight loss that requires little or no effort by the patient. However, patients who undergo bariatric surgery are prescribed Four Rules of dietary and lifestyle management that they will follow for the rest of their life if they wish to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight. Here is what you need to know about the Four Rules of weight loss surgery before going under the knife. LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest The Four Rules: #3 No Snacking When snacking hurts; When snacking helps February 9, 2011 Greetings! I hope this newsletter finds you warm and well this second week of February. Today we continue our discussion of the Four Rules - we are at Number 3: No Snacking. It's a tough one and I dare say most of will or have struggled with snacking following weight loss surgery. And, as you will see from the articles in this newsletter, not all bariatric centers follow the same Four Rules that include no snacking. But what is consistent, across the front lines of those of us living with weight loss surgery, is that out-of-control snacking on poorly chosen foods leads to a stall in weight loss and may possibly lead to weight gain. So please, take a look at the information here and revisit the information you were provided at the time of your surgery. Find your personal position on the "No Snacking" rule based on knowledge, experience, and environment -- it is the most empowering thing you can do for yourself in this ongoing battle of weight management in a world where it is much easier to be fat. Happy 2011 - We are all in this together! Kaye KayeBailey@LivingAfterWLS.com A Note: We have received the fourth printing of the LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood cookbook earlier than anticipated. We are processing backorders as quickly as possible - so look for yours in the next few days delivered by US Postal Service. Thanks for your patience! Link to view the previously published Weekly Digests in our 2011 Four Rules Series: Rule #1 - Protein First: LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest January 20, 2011 <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"> Rule #2 - Lots of Water LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest February 2, 2011 The Four Rules: Before surgery most of us were taught the Four Rules we must follow in order to achieve the best results with weight loss surgery - any procedure. Those rules (with minor variations from one bariatric surgeon to the next) are: Protein First Lots of Water No Snacking Daily Exercise In order to maintain weight loss and keep the obesity from which we suffer in remission we must follow these rules for life. When we meet patients who have maintained a healthy body weight for several years with weight loss surgery we learn that in most cases they live by the Four Rules. If it has been a while since you have given consideration to the Four Rules I invite you today to spend a little time refreshing your knowledge and enthusiasm about Protein First. Actually, this is my favorite rule because it means good food without the guilt! Link to the articles of interest and take a look at some of our great WLS recipes. There is something for everyone as we get excited again about the Four Rules! Every now and again it serves us well to step back into our pre-op mindset when we were hell-bent on making surgery work to achieve weight loss and improve our health and quality of living. Take a look at this article with your pre-surgery eyes. I think it will help renew your enthusiasm for working "the tool" and living well today: Understand the Four Rules of WLS Before Going Under the Knife Weight loss surgery is frequently perceived as an easy means to weight loss that requires little or no effort by the patient. However, patients who undergo bariatric surgery are prescribed Four Rules of dietary and lifestyle management that they will follow for the rest of their life if they wish to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight. Here is what you need to know about the Four Rules of weight loss surgery before going under the knife. LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest The Four Rules: #3 No Snacking When snacking hurts; When snacking helps February 9, 2011 Greetings! I hope this newsletter finds you warm and well this second week of February. Today we continue our discussion of the Four Rules - we are at Number 3: No Snacking. It's a tough one and I dare say most of will or have struggled with snacking following weight loss surgery. And, as you will see from the articles in this newsletter, not all bariatric centers follow the same Four Rules that include no snacking. But what is consistent, across the front lines of those of us living with weight loss surgery, is that out-of-control snacking on poorly chosen foods leads to a stall in weight loss and may possibly lead to weight gain. So please, take a look at the information here and revisit the information you were provided at the time of your surgery. Find your personal position on the "No Snacking" rule based on knowledge, experience, and environment -- it is the most empowering thing you can do for yourself in this ongoing battle of weight management in a world where it is much easier to be fat. Happy 2011 - We are all in this together! Kaye KayeBailey@LivingAfterWLS.com A Note: We have received the fourth printing of the LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood cookbook earlier than anticipated. We are processing backorders as quickly as possible - so look for yours in the next few days delivered by US Postal Service. Thanks for your patience! Link to view the previously published Weekly Digests in our 2011 Four Rules Series: Rule #1 - Protein First: LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest January 20, 2011 <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"> Rule #2 - Lots of Water LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest February 2, 2011 The Four Rules: Before surgery most of us were taught the Four Rules we must follow in order to achieve the best results with weight loss surgery - any procedure. Those rules (with minor variations from one bariatric surgeon to the next) are: Protein First Lots of Water No Snacking Daily Exercise In order to maintain weight loss and keep the obesity from which we suffer in remission we must follow these rules for life. When we meet patients who have maintained a healthy body weight for several years with weight loss surgery we learn that in most cases they live by the Four Rules. If it has been a while since you have given consideration to the Four Rules I invite you today to spend a little time refreshing your knowledge and enthusiasm about Protein First. Actually, this is my favorite rule because it means good food without the guilt! Link to the articles of interest and take a look at some of our great WLS recipes. There is something for everyone as we get excited again about the Four Rules! Every now and again it serves us well to step back into our pre-op mindset when we were hell-bent on making surgery work to achieve weight loss and improve our health and quality of living. Take a look at this article with your pre-surgery eyes. I think it will help renew your enthusiasm for working "the tool" and living well today: Understand the Four Rules of WLS Before Going Under the Knife Weight loss surgery is frequently perceived as an easy means to weight loss that requires little or no effort by the patient. However, patients who undergo bariatric surgery are prescribed Four Rules of dietary and lifestyle management that they will follow for the rest of their life if they wish to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight. Here is what you need to know about the Four Rules of weight loss surgery before going under the knife.