Welcome to some new to the board but nearly at goal – you have been so
successful – I think others would benefit from your advice.

We have all been given a tool by Dr. Zapata, not all will get to goal – it
is sort of like tires – mileage varies widely depending on the driver. On
occasion wls fails because of mechanics – it can happen and I think it is
important not to blame the patient but look at the total picture. The
possibilities for metabolism are infinite so we go into this literally
fighting with our bodies, our bodies love being fat, it is our genetic
heritage! However, sometimes we don’t all use our tool as wisely as we
should – our inner child (and mine is a spoiled rotten brat) win out over
sensible decisions of what to put in the mouth.

We are all in this together – people who have never had weight issues don’t
have a clue about how hard it is to diet stringently with no success – or to
lose a large amount of weight only to regain with friends. Even with the
best of tools, success can be challenging – without our tool there is almost
no hope of beating the odds.

So for today, we each have a tool – and we can work it one day at a time.
Take this moment to be thankful and make good decisions only for today
without worrying about tomorrow. This is how people succeed at weight loss
- one day at a time, being mindful of the rules and forgiving yourself if
you have a weak moment. We all have weak moments – the goal is to make
good food choices 95% of the time and forgive the other 5% because we are
human. Keep the voices in your head kind and gentle – we all respond better
to kindness than criticism and we are all our own worst enemy. Today is a
gift, use it wisely.

1# Rule of banding – just because you can – doesn’t mean you should.

There is no band tight enough to keep ice cream or chips from going down. A
Lapband controls the quantity – you still must control the quality.
Actually – there isn’t a weight loss surgery that is infallible – all have
good points and bad points. The Lapband and Sleeve are purely restrictive
procedures, they will restrict the volume of your stomach and you are
supposed to eat reasonably healthy. When I say reasonably – no one is
perfect – we all have good days and bad days, the goal is to strive for 95%
of your days to be good days. When you have a bad day don’t beat yourself
up – just make a conscious choice to try harder the next day.

Eating healthy – there is no reason to have certain foods in your house -
just as if you were an alcoholic or drug abuser you wouldn’t stock vodka or
pot in case a family member wanted them – you simply wouldn’t allow them in
the house. The same holds true for foods! Pringles are one of my trigger
foods – they are not allowed in my house regardless of circumstances. If
my sons want to OD on Pringles they need to do it in their homes, in their
cars or at work and not in front of me because I will fall off my wagon. I
don’t allow things like Cakesters, HoHos, Ding Dongs, crap that my grandkids
would love but will give them the same weight issues I have – I am opting
for better choices for them. Snacks of fresh berries, yogurt and granola,
raw vegetables or lean meats.

How many of you have OD’d on carrots, celery, pineapple, spinach salad,
broccoli, tuna, chicken? These are the foods that should be in your fridge
and your chances of eating too many carrots or apples are slim at best, you
will hork before you can eat so many that you will gain weight. Just like
drugs – say NO to ice cream in your freezer, pizza, or foods that you know
are trigger foods for you. Keep that white board on the side of your fridge
and change the listing daily of what is available in there for you for
snacks so when you are hungry or stressed – good choice ideas are right in
front of you. For me, bad choices happen when I am hungry, tired or
feeling vulnerable. I NEED this reminder of what is acceptable to grab and
eat.

Learn your triggers, find your weak points and craft a plan to avoid being
in circumstances that might allow you to make bad choices. Planning is so
essential to effective weight control, success isn’t just luck – it is great
planning, good execution of your plan and being able to examine your
mistakes when you deviate from your plan and using creative thinking to keep
yourself on track.

Success with weight loss surgery doesn’t just automatically happen, and it
isn’t the easy way out. Success is the result of examining your life and
habits without demeaning yourself and creating, crafting and executing a
plan for success that you can live with

I just came back from a Seattle WLS convention and am preparing for our Houston event. We talked at length about what helps us be successful and what things undermine our success and we came up with some strategies for success.

• Journal your food and feelings daily – keep an accountable finger
on your pulse daily!

• Never grocery shop on an empty stomach!

• Stay on the perimeter of the store – the inside isles are filled
with processed foods you don’t need! dairy, meat, fresh fruit, fresh
vegetables and good whole grain breads are on the perimeter.

• Use a white board on your fridge – when my kids lived at home I
posted daily what was for dinner and what was available in the fridge for snacks. If you know what is in there and have a variety of healthy snacks – you won’t be as tempted to fall off the wagon.

• 5- P’s – Poor Planning Predicts Poor Performance – translated -
plan your menus a week ahead- buy what you need to complete those menus. Be flexible enough to be able to switch Thursdays 10 min grilled chicken and veggies to Wednesday if you run short of time on a particular day. Start your meal preparation in the morning when you are rested and have eaten your breakfast. We live in a world where time gets away from us too easily – if the salad is made, the veggies prepped and a meat or protein dish prepped – your odds of sticking to your plan are significantly increased than if you walk in the door after a day from hell with hungry kids, a crabby husband and the pizza fridge magnet screaming your name.

• Don’t allow trigger foods into your home! You don’t keep alcohol
or drugs in front of an addict – don’t put pizza, chips, ice cream in your
home – this will actually help your children have healthier relationships
with food!

• Make sure you are well rested by setting boundaries on your
evening time. Don’t allow other people or events to intrude on your down time. Boundaries are important and successful people establish boundaries and guard them.

• Give yourself adequate time to eat with your family in a
stress-free environment. When you slam down food in a car with cranky kids is when you will PB or eat beyond full and be in pain.

• Get adequate exercise, walking the dog, cleaning your yard,
gardening, biking, hiking, – time doing any activity with children or
friends outside of your home.

• Don’t be afraid to ask loved ones for what you need – you don’t
have to be in this alone, your children/husband can help by peeling veggies, helping with chores if you explain to them that being overwhelmed is a trigger for heading off your path.

• Be kind to yourself – keep the voices in your head gentle and kind
- change is the result of being kind to yourself, self criticism defeats
you.

• Write up a disaster recovery plan – what you can do to put
yourself back on track – mine is a long list of small daily goals that are
achievable – results are cumulative.

]]> http://ready4achange.com/blog/2010/03/20/strategies-for-success/feed/ 0 http://ready4achange.com/blog/2009/12/09/pineapple-cake/ http://ready4achange.com/blog/2009/12/09/pineapple-cake/#comments Wed, 09 Dec 2009 10:00:42 +0000 Ruth Rosa Lenox http://ready4achange.com/blog/?p=112 Pineapple Cake

Ingredients 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1 cup granulated sugar 2 teaspoons baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional) 1 can (20 ounces) unsweetened crushed pineapple, in juice (not drained) 1/2 cup egg substitute (equal to 2 eggs)   Procedure : Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the first four ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix pineapple with egg substitute. Add to dry ingredients and mix until blended. Pour into a 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 30–35 minutes.

Makes 16 servings Each Serving Carb Servings: 2 Exchanges : 2 carbohydrate Nutrient Analysis : Calories : 121 Total fat : 0g Saturated fat : 0g Cholesterol : 0mg Sodium : 172mg Total carbohydrate : 28g Dietary fiber : 1g Sugars : 15g Protein 3g

This moist cake does not use any fat. It can be served plain, or with fat-free whipped topping. Cream Cheese Topping is very good on this cake.

 

]]> http://ready4achange.com/blog/2009/12/09/pineapple-cake/feed/ 8 http://ready4achange.com/blog/2009/11/26/sausage-and-bean-soup/ http://ready4achange.com/blog/2009/11/26/sausage-and-bean-soup/#comments Thu, 26 Nov 2009 10:30:53 +0000 Judy Cohen http://ready4achange.com/blog/?p=106 Sausage and Bean Soup

Here are some more recipes from Brenda of Quick and Health fame.
Keep up your weight loss but don’t forget to eat well.
This is delicious I tried it out.

Ingredients 1 package (16 ounces) low-fat turkey smoked sausage 1 medium onion chopped 4 cans (about 15 ounces each) of beans of your choice, drained and rinsed, (beans that work well are: black, kidney, pinto, garbanzo, lima) 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes*, not drained 2 cups fat-free chicken broth* 2 cups water 1 can (4 ounces) diced green chiles 1/2 cup salsa, thick and chunky 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro   Procedure Cut sausage into bite-size pieces. In a large kettle, combine all ingredients except the cilantro. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve topped with cilantro.   Note: One serving is an excellent source of fiber. This recipe is higher in sodium and should be limited by those on a low-sodium diet. *Sodium is figured for no added salt/reduced sodium. ** Half of the grams of fiber have been subtracted from the grams of total carbohydrate when figuring Carb Servings and Exchanges.

Makes 12 cups (8 servings) Each Serving: 1 1/2 cups Carb Servings**: 2 Exchanges** : 2 starch 1 vegetable 2 lean meat Nutrient Analysis : Calories : 261 Total fat : 6g Saturated fat : 2g Cholesterol : 35mg Sodium : 877mg Total carbohydrate : 38g Dietary fiber : 12g Sugars : 8g Protein : 19g

This meal in a bowl can be prepared in minutes. Also makes enough for leftovers.

Quick & Healthy Recipes and Ideas, 3rd Edition, © 2008 Brenda J. Ponichtera, R.D.; www.QuickandHealthy.net; Published by Small Steps Press.

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