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WLS Center.com E-Newsletter
A FREE publication by
http://www.wlscenter.com
Issue #31, Sept. 1, 2003
Circulation: 8,925

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From the Desk of Barbara Thompson
Author of "Weight Loss Surgery, Finding the Thin Person Hiding Inside You"

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** In this Issue **
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* Words of Wisdom
* Research Article: What Are Net Carbs
* How Do You Maintain Your Weight Loss
* Dealing with Obesity in Children
* Would You Like Me to Speak
* A Whole New Shopping Experience
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Dear Subscriber,

Summer is ending. Yet, as much as I hate to see it go, this time of the year has always signified a time for a new resolve just as New Year’s does. Fall is a more serious time rather than the laid back nature of the summer. So whatever your stage of your weight loss journey, now is a good time to consider what your resolve should be. Is it to exercise more often (or exercise at all?), eat fewer carbohydrates or drink more water? Whatever it is, I wish you the best on your journey.

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** Words of Wisdom **
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My sincere thanks go to Anita Lancaster for submitting the following article. Anita lives in Jacksonville, NC and Sept. 9th will be her one year anniversary. Here is her message:

I want to thank you for writing your wonderful book. I am 11 months post-op and have lost 135 pounds. I have only 20 pounds to go! I read your book several times prior to my surgery and felt very comfortable going into the surgery as it reaffirmed my decision to go through with it. Gastric bypass surgery has given me back my life!

I want to pass some words of wisdom from a man I talked to one day. He was telling me about his struggle to lose weight. He was at least 200 pounds overweight. He told me of a man he worked with that was upset because he had gained 2 pounds and was determined to lose those 2 pounds.

Well of course the overweight man scoffed and wished he only had 2 pounds to lose. Well the man who had to lose 2 pounds replied: "If you had worried about those first two pounds, you wouldn't be in the situation you are in now." For some reason that story has stuck with me throughout my post-operative period. One pound quickly turns to 5, then 10 then 20, and so on. If we consciously take each pound seriously, we can keep ourselves at our goal weight for a lifetime. Good luck to all those that are considering weight-loss surgery and to those who are enjoying the benefits of being post-op.

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** Research Article:
What Are Net Carbs by Barbara Thompson **
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When is a carbohydrate not a carbohydrate? Answer: When it is a carbohydrate that is metabolized in a manner that does not affect blood sugar levels and insulin release. So what does this mean exactly?

One of the 4 Rules of Success that I talk about in my book “Weight Loss Surgery; Finding the Thin Person Hiding inside You” is to eat protein first at any meal. This is because protein will not only help you to heal, but will act as a natural appetite suppressant. Carbohydrates on the other hand will increase your appetite. This is because as you eat carbohydrates, the digestive process turns them into sugar which raises your insulin level. When the level of your blood sugar drops after your body has used the sugar, you then have a tendency to crave more sugar to again raise your blood sugar level. The result is that your appetite will be stimulated by these carbohydrates.

There are however some carbohydrates that do not raise your blood sugar level. These are the carbohydrates that come from dietary fiber, glycerin and from sugar alcohol, such as Maltitol and Lactitol. These have no effect upon your appetite and are actually good for you.

Although net carbs will sometimes appear on a nutritional label, sometimes it will not. Therefore you should know how to calculate it. Take the total number of carbohydrates listed on the nutritional label and subtract the number of grams of fiber, glycerin and any grams the of sugar alcohol mentioned above. The number that remains is referred to as your net carbohydrates or your “impact carbs,” These will have an effect on your blood sugar level. This is the number that you should count when determining your daily allotment of carbohydrates per day.

To be very strict, you would limit your grams of net carbohydrates to 20 per day. But that determination should be made in consultation with a dietician or nutritionist.

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** How do you maintain your weight loss? ** ========================================

Are you 2 or more years post-op? If so, I need to know what your secret is for maintaining your weight. I will be using your story to include in a mini e-book on the secrets of success of weight loss surgery patients. You must write at least 1 full page. Anything less than 1 page will not be useable. I need to know how you eat, what you do for exercise, and any tips that you have to offer. This will be a tremendous help to people who are having the common problem of weight gain following surgery, or are struggling to maintain their weight loss.

Send your stories to Barbara@wlscenter.com

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** Deal with Obesity in Children **
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I would like to thank Mary Valentine for sending in her guidance on how she deals with fighting obesity in her children. It sounds like she is doing everything right!

Barbara,

I have 8 children, 5 are step daughters who don't have a weight problem and 3 are my sons, two of which seem to have inherited the "fat gene".  After I had RNY, I started the whole family on a low fat diet.  They now only drink fat free milk, we try to bake everything instead of frying, and I make low fat snacks (such as veggies, yogurt and low fat cheese and crackers) readily available to them.  I limit their TV, computer, and video game time and encourage outdoor activities.  So far, they are slowly losing weight (which disappoints them after seeing me drop so much weight so fast), but by losing it slowly and adopting more healthy eating and exercise habits, they stand a better chance of keeping it off without having to take the drastic measures that I had to go through.

Mary Valentine

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** Would You Like Me to Speak to Your Support Group? **
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When I speak to a group, it is a real event! We have a wonderful time, we laugh and we learn. If you would like me to speak for your group, do the following:

1) Ask your support group leader if she would like for me to speak

2) If so, and your surgeon does laparoscopic surgery, ask the office personnel if the supplier of the equipment is United States Surgical.

3) If the answer is yes to both questions, send me an email with some contact info and I can arrange it.

4) If the supplier is not United States Surgical, then let me know and I can contact the Hospital. I am currently working on other sponsors, so it is still possible.

My email address is Barbara@wlscenter.com and the toll free number for my office is (877) 440-1518.

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** Permission to Reprint **
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You may reprint any items from this newsletter in your own print or electronic newsletter. But please include the following paragraph:

"Reprinted from Barbara Thompson’s free e-newsletter featuring helpful information and research material to help patients succeed following weight loss surgery. Subscribe at http://www.wlscenter.com. If you like this newsletter, please pass it on to your friends and family."