3-Step Process To Create A Better Reality

BRIEF ARTICLE OVERVIEW: It’s really only a hop, skip and a jump to believing the impossible. A satisfying life awaits you in only 3 simple steps. Use your imagination to picture your new life.

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Avoiding Holiday Hijacks

BRIEF ARTICLE OVERVIEW: As the holidays arrive emotions have a tendency to run high, trying to cloud the mind with deceiving thoughts of engaging in destructive behavior. But before you indulge in any sweet sugary confections or fat laden goodies…help has arrived. A local weight loss surgery support group offers their ideas on how to make it through the holiday season relatively unscathed.

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Mystery of Metabolism

BRIEF ARTICLE OVERVIEW: Slow the aging process? Find out in true Sherlock Holmes fashion; learn to look beyond the obvious. Once you understand the metabolic process the rest is elementary.

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How to Feed Your Hunger Without Gaining Weight

BRIEF ARTICLE OVERVIEW: It’s not uncommon to find the hungry feelings and the urges to eat creeping back in after weight loss surgery. But amazingly losing weight doesn’t have to mean going hungry. In fact, learning to feed your hunger is one of the most powerful things you can do after bariatric surgery. Hunger has many forms, and it’s not all about food. Be mindful about hunger and feed it in satisfying ways.

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Tricks of The Trade: Hidden Calories

BRIEF ARTICLE OVERVIEW: A little bit of this and a little bit of that, next thing you know you’ve piled on 10 extra pounds. Sad to say that even healthy foods give us a false sense of security. Find those hidden calories before they find their way to your waistline. Gather a greater understanding of label reading before putting that so called healthy food item in your grocery cart.

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Too Cold Outside to Exercise?

BRIEF ARTICLE OVERVIEW: No one wants to be average. Average holiday weight gain is from 4-8 pounds. Find the warmth of fitness even in the cold weather. Chilly temperature tips are a great way to add variety to your exercise routine.

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Finding a Therapist

BRIEF ARTICLE OVERVIEW: Prevent post weight loss surgery relapses from becoming surgery collapses. Structure House Clinical Director, Lee Kerns, suggests considering psychotherapy. The first step is to find the right therapist. A few simple guidelines facilitate the therapist search process.

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The Food Diary: Reducing the Power of the Scale

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Patty uses her food diary to track overeating episodes and triggers, and to maintain communication with me, her therapist. She has lost 70 pounds to a weight of 323. A recent 10-day plateau resulted in the following comments in the diary: “Grazing on ice cream, feeling sick of this weight, tired of carrying it around.” During phone contact she explained that despite her success, she felt a mounting impatience with her rate of losing weight, and then tries to numb these feelings with passive, mindless eating.

Recently I reviewed 50 weight charts kept by our program’s participants. There were two common themes: 1) Weight can be gained from one day to the next due to fluid fluctuations, perhaps a result of sodium intake but not always. 2) Plateaus can go on for many days, sometimes up to two weeks. These things can get very frustrating and can lead someone to act like a light switch, and “click off,” deciding all the work is not worth it. They then use this as a justification to return to old overeating patterns.

Studies suggest that often there is a gap between weight loss expectations and reality, and this can produce negative feelings. Patty’s situation is a reminder of how difficult it can be to appreciate success when the scale no longer provides pats on the back. One study of very successful weight losers concluded that the best attitude to take is to view weight loss as a natural result of living life in healthier ways: de-emphasize the scale, focus on healthy behaviors, keep track of all the non-weight benefits of success. I advise clients to keep a log of success markers such as: changes in clothing sizes, improved health metrics like blood pressure and cholesterol, fitness improvements, enhanced daily functioning (more stamina, the ability to tie shoes, climb stairs, walk the dog, get a good night’s sleep, wear a seat belt), internal changes such as better mood, self-esteem and confidence. While weighing yourself is an important component of self- monitoring, it is equally important to reduce the power of the scale by tracking many other success indicators.

Lee Kern, M.S.W., L.C.S.W., is the clinical director for Structure House, a residential weight loss facility in Durham, NC. Kern leads the post-bariatric surgery program. Designed for patients following weight loss surgery, the program offers surgery-focused medical assessments and personalized eating and relapse prevention plans. For information, visit www.structurehouse.com or call 800-553-0052.

WLS Lifestyles - www.wlslifestyles.com - Copyright 2007

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Weight Loss: It’s All In Your Head

BRIEF ARTICLE OVERVIEW: You’ve got the power to control cravings and stop overeating. A snapshot of his forthcoming book, Thomas J. Kersting, PhD delves into the conscious and subconscious workings of the mind. Like a powerful computer, the mind only uses a small amount of its capabilities. At its center is the subconscious mind; learning to use it and harness its strengths is easy when you use his special technique to show you how.

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Managing Emotional Eating

BRIEF ARTICLE OVERVIEW: Lisa, an emotional eater, takes preventive measures, utilizing therapeutic relapse recovery lessons, to gain back control from using food as an escape.

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Obesity In America: The Enemy Within

BRIEF ARTICLE OVERVIEW: Unmask obesity enemies. Try a holistic approach to weight loss, connecting the body, mind and spirit. It takes more than knowing what to do, you must develop beliefs which keep you doing what you know is right.

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Five Keys to Effective Weight Loss

BRIEF ARTICLE OVERVIEW: Like a mystery waiting to be solved, weight loss can be a hard case to crack. Determine what pieces are missing in your life. Each of the five keys to weight loss is like linking together the numbers of an access code opening to a balanced and healthy life. A lifestyle built around these five time-tested factors to weight loss will help you gain healthy, consistent principles to live by.

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Longing to Master Your Eating Behaviors? Take a Lesson From Pygmalion

BRIEF ARTICLE OVERVIEW: Weight loss surgery patients struggle with finding the ideal approach to their eating problems. Research shows the number one reason people don’t seek help for their addiction is that they don’t believe they can stop their self destructive behaviors. They were defeated before they began. Mythological figure, Pygmalion, reminds us to stay engaged, visualize and embrace success.

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Laws of the Lean

BRIEF ARTICLE OVERVIEW: Develop a weight management lifestyle. Stay on track implementing these no nonsense eating laws. Change negative eating behaviors and focus on leading a healthy life. A healthy nutritional lifestyle is more than a systematic plan of eating; it is a change of heart as well as a change of foods.

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The Food Diary: Your Partner to Success

BRIEF ARTICLE OVERVIEW: Behind every weight loser is a good food diary. Many icons of greatness rose to success as partnerships. So it is no surprise that this applies to weight loss surgery as well. Ensuring long-term weight loss success makes the food diary your faithful partner. Let the food diary stand as a strong, functionally empowering way to monitor your food intake.

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Practice What is Preached

BRIEF ARTICLE OVERVIEW: Six lifestyle strategies that “support” post-surgery success and demonstrate healthy habits for you and your family. Be a healthy lifestyle helper, not an obesity enabler. Knowing that you are leading by example will help you stay aware of your actions and produce great rewards.

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Keys to Long-Term Success

BRIEF ARTICLE OVERVIEW: Reclaim your life. Weight loss surgery is a jumpstart and when paired with other strategies is a wonderful tool. Make simple, yet sensible changes. Enroll in a good cognitive behavioral program to lessen the fear of weight regain. This is a crucial step in taking hold of old behavior patterns and resolving to map out a new road to weight loss success.

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Eating the Mindful Meal

(Nutrition)

BRIEF ARTICLE OVERVIEW: The practice of mindful eating offers an alternative to the dead-end road of mindlessness. While it may not be easy to wrestle control back from food, you can do it. Weight loss surgery is a tool. Mindful eating can be another. Follow these practical steps and gain insight into new food alternatives.

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What Exactly is An Exerciser?

BRIEF ARTICLE OVERVIEW: This is a new you now. It is time to leave the past behind and start focusing on your future. No better way to do this then with CONSISTENCY. This is the most important part of exercise. And it has to be a lifelong habit if you want to maintain your weight loss. There are no quick fixes in life and Americans in particular must learn to have more patience, with a few easy “can do tips” lend a little help along the way.

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The Healing Power of Your Next Meal

BRIEF ARTICLE OVERVIEW: By developing a healthy nutritional lifestyle we can bring a balance and harmony back to our human existence and it can begin with the next meal you eat. Believe it or not, maintaining good health in large part depends on proper digestion. The best defense against disease is a good defense, look over the list of foods provided and try something new for a change, and you might just like it.

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Know Your Fats

(nutrition)

BRIEF ARTICLE OVERVIEW: Some basic terms review and help clear up the confusion about fats. Learn about the various types of fats and which ones to avoid.

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Planning to Exercise, a Key to Long-term Commitment

BRIEF ARTICLE OVERVIEW: Exercise is vital in maintaining muscle mass and aids in reducing weight. Forget past good intentions that failed and start anew by making physical activity a priority and scheduling it into your day. Prepare for a long-term commitment to exercise, finding the right plan or program that allows for immediate gratification until a habit or rhythm of exercising has developed.

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Reclaiming Your Power Over Food = Reclaiming Your Authentic Power

BRIEF ARTICLE OVERVIEW: Even after 2-3 years post-op bariatric patients still struggle with obsessing over food. They feel powerless over the control it still has in their lives. Giving in to a strong desire to eat when not physically hungry can run the risk of dealing with some uncomfortable feelings. Take a hard look at emotional issues that contribute to obesity. Choose a behavior that supports good health and reclaim power over food.

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Help! I’m Regaining Weight

BRIEF ARTICLE OVERVIEW: Making poor food choices and overeating, successful single parent Becca gains back 40 pounds after weight loss surgery. Feeling out of control she turns to psychotherapy to help her deal with her painful emotions. She had to learn that her feelings were okay, but food was not the answer to handling difficult situations. Emotional skills need to be developed; the behavior therapy process can help gain control over undesirable behaviors.

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Stick-to-it-iveness

BRIEF ARTICLE OVERVIEW: The imaginary ST (stick-tuit) muscle has a very real impact towards exercise feelings. Fitness failure is usually due to lack of understanding. A few modifications and simple realizations and exercise can become an ally. Condition the mind to take little steps and working out can become a welcome part of daily life.

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How Mind-Body Fitness Regimens Can Help You to Pursue and Maintain Weight Loss Long Term

BRIEF ARTICLE OVERVIEW: Two standard fitness regimens still reign as popular approaches to wellness and harmony. East meets west in the mind-body disciplines, bringing joy, balance and healing to the weight loss maintenance process.

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Too Much of a Good Thing: Nutrient Overload

(Nutrition)

BRIEF ARTICLE OVERVIEW: Nutritional supplements play an important role for post weight loss surgery patients. Taking larger doses of nutrients can create toxic overload. Keeping healthcare professionals informed of specific needs by maintaining regular blood work and check-ups. Adhere to the advice of healthcare professionals regarding nutritional supplements for optimal health.

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Kicking the Fitness Fears to the Curb, Exercise… No Longer an Option!

BRIEF ARTICLE OVERVIEW: Fear of exercise failure is not an option. Exercise is a must have component in place before and after weight loss surgery. Ill-founded mental conditioning can prevent gaining overall control over fitness. The benefits of exercise far out weigh the losses or excuses and work to better all body functions. Four sensible fitness/exercise foundations can be a start on the right foot.

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Four Exercise Rules to Live By…

BRIEF ARTICLE OVERVIEW: Eat right and exercise. Many Americans have found this simple idea disappointing. False beliefs lead to exercise mistakes. Fat loss is a two step process consisting of transportation and burning. Three common, but false beliefs about exercising : any physical change is adequate physical change, aerobic exercise equates with rat reduction. More is always better. Exercise and eating right applies to all not just weight loss surgery patients.. Take control over the way your body looks and feels. Following four common sense rules can result in positive physical body changes.

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