Month: January 2020

Therapy and counseling for weight management.

Looking back over the course of my 40 something years, I have learned a few things. One of the things I wish I had done sooner was seek counseling or therapy for my obesity and weight management. I started dieting when I was 12 years old and I cannot remember a time when I was not on a diet.

In my 20’s I remember looking at pictures of myself at age 12 and realizing I was not really that overweight. I can remember being teased about my weight since the second grade. My mother, God Bless her, sewed me a dress made from brown corduroy and it had a matching bunny in the pocket. The first day I wore it to school, I was called names on the playground. I think it was less about the outfit, but being the young age I was somehow thought the outfit made it worse.

The benefit for some in getting therapy is to discuss any situations or trauma that might have impacted a persons weight. It might help determine what is a genetic component vs behavioral and when to seek additional treatment. One of the first questions my psychologist asked me was if I thought a trauma or event triggered my overeating at a young age. She said it was important that this be addressed in order to move forward. I was surprised when I burst into tears during a session with my psychologist.

Here is a link to the American Psychological Association about benefits of counseling and therapy for weight management. https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/weight-control

This is a subject I could write on all day. I would recommend if this is something you might benefit from to do some further research. I wrote a paper in college on one form of therapy called cognitive behavioral therapy. I went to the John Hopkins website and found an article that discusses the benefits of this type of therapy for weight management. Here is the link: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/intensive-behavioral-therapy-for-obesity

Do some research, talk to a counselor or a clinician to find out if this is something you might benefit from. I chose the John Hopkins link because they have been around many years and have a good reputation. The company I work for partnered with John Hopkins on a project to address obesity and I participated in the project. My BMI qualified me and so I signed up. This involved lifestyle changes through exercise and calorie reduction with a focus on higher protein diets and less fat. I received access to a lifestyle coach I spoke to on the phone. I lost over 24 pounds and kept it off for a while.

As you all know I’ve shared that over the years I was able to control my weight off and on. After my early 40’s though I felt like my diabetes, PCOS, and some other conditions were out of control and losing weight through dieting alone was not working for me. I therefore reached out to explore bariatric surgery. In that process I do have access to a psychologist and have found the sessions to be very helpful in recognizing patterns.

It’s also important to remember that even with therapy, counseling, or cognitive behavioral therapy, obesity can really be a genetic condition that you have little control over. One of the things I’ve treasured the most about my bariatric surgery team is when they told me my hormones were out of control and that my weight was not all my fault. I felt like a successful person in so many ways and then a real failure when it came to my weight. I do highly believe in therapy for many reasons and to help manage weight at the same time as I do recognize that therapy may just be a starting point. Cognitive behavioral therapy might not be for everyone, so finding the right counselor or therapist to point you in the right direction is important. It might help you sort out what your priorities are or suggestions to try something new or different.

Another suggestion is to check in with your primary care provider to see if they have a counselor or therapist recommendation. Some dietitians also offer types of food related counseling and might have some further recommendations for you.

The reason I wished I had done it sooner was perhaps it would have helped me create a more positive body image and then help me create new behaviors to control my weight. At this time in my life, I used it to prepare myself for my new journey and stay on that path. As people we need to feel okay and give ourselves permission to seek additional guidance and counseling. Remember this is written from my opinion, my personal journey, and from those I know in my personal life. It is always best to check in with your clinician to find out what is right for you. Well wishes to all of you on your life path and journey.

Mandy

Making the most out of your weight loss/health program

Happy Saturday. I hope you are all doing well. I’ve had an interesting week. I saw my Podiatrist this week and my left foot continues to be stable. I have shared about my Charcot foot that I was diagnosed with in May of 2017. I’ve been stable now for two years which is exciting. I continue to count my blessings. I went swimming on Wednesday this week which was really great. Swimming remains a big plus for me because I can go as often as I want without impacting my foot.

I did take a bad fall on Friday. Usually I’m extremely cautious in the snow and ice because of my feet. I walked outside though on an ice covered sidewalk and did not even think about it. My feet went out from underneath me and I landed hard right on my back and right side. I am quite sore today, but thankful nothing was broken. The only thing hurt was my pride because I burst into tears in front of other people. It happens though and I am fortunate that people rushed to get me ice and make sure I was okay.

Today I want to share my ideas for making the most of your weight loss or health program. I’ve shared that I use Lose It to track all of my calories and macros. I track the key items that my dietitian has told me are important to my journey. I’ve gotten tracking down to a science and I really work hard to track every day and timely. Lose It is one of those apps that sends a notification to my phone when I have not logged which I then use as a gentle reminder. Some days I’m on it before I get the notification. I pay a little to use the journal ahead feature and sometimes if I’ve had a rough eating day, I use it to journal my plans ahead of time for the next day.

I know myself well and because of this I do try and track most of my day early in the morning. I do better when my day is very well thought out and planned. If I know I have a business lunch or lunch with co-workers, I try and estimate how much and what I will eat. I then have a lighter breakfast knowing I will eat more for lunch. I do recognize this takes time to get in the routine of doing. Trust me when I say I know what it’s like to be busy. My day starts around 4:30am and then at work I stay extremely busy as a manager at a busy healthcare job. I have a thirteen year old son who has after school commitments and so sometimes I leave work to rush home and get him. We are committed to cooking most of our meals at home, so dinner is often a bit later. I’m still doing a lot of cooking on Sunday’s though to help with the early week rush. My Instant Pot is turning out to be a truly great gift on busy nights to get a quick meal out. Tonight I made a whole chicken flavored with oranges and seasonings in under fifty minutes.

I use the recipe feature to input my homemade dinners and treats because I often try to lighten them up a little. Using the recipe feature I can see how many calories, protein, and carbs are in a cup. Sometimes if it is higher than I would like, I experiment right in the recipe feature to cut something out or substitute something healthier.

Making the most of your weight loss or health program takes time and energy. In my opinion though the longer you are in the routine, the easier it gets. I learned from a weight loss class long ago that people who journal are more successful. I track every bite, lick, and taste as my Weight Watcher’s leader used to state. It does not help me if I fib on my daily journal. I also track all of my daily activity even if it was housework or extra walking at work.

Some people greatly benefit from meetings and this is one thing my app does not offer. I do belong to a bariatric support group on Facebook and in fact just joined a second group for support. One of them does offer support group meetings. I find social media helpful in these support groups because I’m engaging with other people who want to lose weight or who are losing weight. When I met with my Psychologist before my Gastric Bypass, she made joining some type of support group a condition of my surgery. To have the support of others is really important. Many of the health programs or weight loss programs have forums you can join.

Talking to my Psychologist has also been extremely helpful in identifying patterns I wanted to break. As I have shared surgery was a tool. It did make the initial weight loss a little easier because I physically could not eat. It’s not an easy process by any means, but surgery did help me cut my portions way back. Now eight months after surgery I do have moments or a whole day that my eating has not been on track. I’ve not had any weight gain other than a pound or two of water/fluids, however I still make choices sometimes that worry me. I do not want to end up where I was before. The difference now though is I’ve journaled for over 220 days straight without fail, I participate in my support groups, and I’m committed to this process. I ate 12 pieces of Dove Candy on Thursday, but recognized what I had done. I stopped eating for a few hours and drank about 3-4 cups of water to flush my system. Then for dinner, I had rich hearty broth from a Taco soup I made and added some cheese for extra protein. I ended my day at about 200 calories above normal, but I have to be okay with this. This is going to happen from time to time. It’s not about perfection, but about getting back on track quickly. Weight gain is even normal now and then, but not letting it stop your overall goal and progress is important. I do incorporate treats into my daily calories often, however the 12 pieces of candy was extreme. I decided for my future success buying a whole bag and keeping it in my office is not going to work. 🙂

I reflect when I need to about overeating, but I try and celebrate success often. Non Scale Victories are also a must on your journey. It is important to focus on things that are not linked to a number on a scale. Some of my early non scale victories were loose fitting clothes, lots of energy, less medications, better sleep, and so much more. One of my favorite non scale victories is just feeling more in control than ever of my choices.

Please feel free to share your personal success with me so we can celebrate together. You are also welcome to post a question to me in comments or on Facebook. Best wishes to all of you on your journey to better health.

Mandy

The right program for you

This is a screen shot from my weight loss app. I love the comparison it gives for weight loss. Puts it into perspective

As we are getting into the New Year, I want to write about choosing the right program for you. As you all know I had bariatric surgery last year to lose weight for my health conditions. I still use the Lose It app to journal all of my food that goes into my mouth and all of the activity I do. I list housework, small walks with the dog, bowling, swimming, etc. The app is free to use although I paid for a year so I could use the journal ahead feature and set my specific macro goals and get some extra data. I do not use the social message boards on Lose It, but am a part of the Facebook Bariatric Weight loss group where I had my surgery. I use this to check in, get advise, get motivated and encouragement, etc. My goal might be very different than your goal.

I believe this is step one in this process is figuring our your goal. Is your goal to exercise more, lose weight, maintain your weight, find out if you are eating balanced meals, focus more on protein or carbs, etc? The second step is to look at the programs out there and determine which one suits you better. I believe putting some time into considering options will work better in the long run and help you be more committed. Consider making a list of what is important to you in a program. Is it the cost, the time it takes, convenience, meetings vs online, something new or different? I’m going to outline a few basic types of programs and if you want more information I would encourage you to look online, connect on social media, ask your healthcare provider, or ask people you know.

I checked in with my Bariatric Weight loss Support group and many of them are using the free apps such as Lose it, My Fitness Pal, and some are using Baritastic. Most of these are free apps to download, but do have an option to upgrade depending on the features you want. Many of my support group report using multiple resources. For example, one person commented she uses the Lose it app to track food, uses the Baritastic app for the social/community chat, and the Fit-bit to track activity. Some of these will even sync up together. I believe I could use a Fit-bit to sync to my Lose it app. One person mentioned what she likes about My Fitness Pal is the ability to download recipes directly from the web rather than enter every ingredient for a recipe. The Lose it app let’s me enter all of my own recipes, but does take some added time. Most people do eat the same meals consistently though so once you have them entered they are always there. The one down side for me is that sometimes you get 100 results for one food and some of the information is not accurate. You can easily get around this by looking for the green check mark that means it has been verified. I also use the scanner for most of my foods. Again, I pay for the service because I do like to journal ahead when I know I have a special event. My goals on Lose it are the ones my dietitian set for me.

Some big corporations or businesses offer weight loss or health programs within their own structure. This is also true of health insurance companies so this might be another option. I work for a large company and they offer wellness programs which include programs to lose weight or to exercise more. It’s paid for by the company. You might check into this to see what your company or health insurance can offer. Some companies also have wellness groups of people who simply come together to focus on health related goals. We have a walking club at work and another club that gets together and does Yoga. I once participated in a health program through work and I had a coach I talked to on the phone with scheduled calls. This was really helpful. Most primary care clinics also have dietitians on staff and your insurance might cover a visit to get started or set up. Your primary care clinic can also help you determine goals.

If you are looking to lose weight even if a small amount, a program like WW might be right for you, In the past I have been very successful on Weight Watchers, now WW. I loved the point system and did very well with it for many years. I struggled a bit with it when they changed the point structure a few years ago. In my personal life I’ve known many people who have done well and reached goal on this program. One of the people I am close to has lost over 80 pounds on this program in the last year. I’ve not done the program for a while, but I’m liking the advertisements about choosing the right program for you. They have options now for a few different point based systems and other ideas as well. You can also still go to meetings if connecting in person works best for you. The online feature has everything from support communities to recipes, exercise ideas, tips and tricks, and so much more. This program does have a cost so you will need to consider that when making the choice. In the end though, if you do decide to eat healthier, you may save some money and this can be used if you are interested in this concept.

I also talked with some people who have done meal replacements such as such as Medi Fast, or slim fast, etc. I have heard the recommendation is to get input from your provider before choosing this program or any program to get some guidelines. I did some meal replacements after surgery to get my protein intake up and for me I did not care for the mos of the flavors. Many people on my Bariatric support group do like the meal replacements and are using them under the advise of their dietitian. This option can be expensive, but again goes back to doing what you know will work best for you and depending on your goal of weight loss vs. just eating healthier in general. I do have some meal replacements such as dry soup packets and meal bars I use when I might be in a hurry and need some nutrition.

I’ve also met people who have been successful on other types of meal replacements such as Nutrisystem or like Jenny Craig. I thought about giving this a try if I was not able to have my surgery. I thought the pre measured food portions would work well for me until I lost enough to get used to eating smaller portions and more healthy. Some people are concerned about doing this when they cook for their family. I can say though at least for me and my family, I often eat different meals than I cook because of my surgery. It’s not as complicated as I thought. I would say though they are eating more of my meals now and doing okay with it. This is something to consider though if you feel you can cook too meals each day or if someone else could cook, etc.

When I was in my mid twenties I decided to stop trying to lose weight and I stopped weighing myself. I practiced healthier eating and tried to eat when hungry and stop when full. After 8 weeks I did weigh and had lost 16 pounds. I did maintain this for a while. I do know someone in my personal life who is doing this along with exercise and has lost some weight, but most important is overall healthier.

In conclusion I want to remind everyone that this is not a thorough review of all that is out these days. This also reflects my opinion and those I’ve spoken to. I am not here to make specific recommendations for my readers. I want to be here to offer choices, ideas, and my support. This was meant to give you all some ideas when trying to decide what is right for you. I wish you all quite well and am looking forward to hearing what is working for you. Also if you are finding a program successful that is not mentioned here, please feel free to comment.
Mandy

New Year, New Resolution, New Goals, New Hope….

Source for picture: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/536561743096553743/?lp=true

The New Year is here and I believe with that comes new hope. It’s that time of year where people set goals or make resolutions. For me 2019 was a good year. I went through my weight loss surgery, lost 85 pounds, gained my health, and decreased my medications. I have a lot more energy than before and feel like I can devote more time to my job, my husband, my son, and myself.

I have given a lot of thought to my resolution for this year and goals. I would still like to lose a few more pounds and tone my stomach and my arms. I did have this magical dream that losing all of that weight would result in a better body. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy with my transformation, but did expect more toned muscle and skin. So, I’ve decided to work on some strength training this year to help with that.

In my personal life, I’m working on my finances as a continuation from last year. I got our retirement accounts in order last year and this year am going to focus on some investments. I’m going to start small. This last weekend I sat down with a yellow small legal pad and wrote out every pay day for the year with itemized bills and financial goals. It was a lot of work and I know things can change and maybe need to be re-arranged, but it made me feel good and was worth my time. It helped me to see that this year I can make a difference.

I also resolve to be less quick to anger and upset at home. At work, I’m very even mannered and calm. My staff comment on this all the time. I’m not a raving monster at home, but sometimes I am quick to overreact. I am working on ways to improve this and slow down my thoughts. I love spending time with my family and look forward to that in 2020 as well.

I read a great article on setting New Year’s Resolutions that stick. I’ve attached a link to the article from Harvard. One of the suggestions is sharing your goals with others. I hope you will feel comfortable leaving a comment here or on Facebook about your goals. I’m hoping this year to continue with my goal of becoming a support to those around me. Here is the link: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/seven-steps-for-making-your-new-years-resolutions-stick

Please also feel free to let me know what you want to hear more about or how I can support you. I continue with my belief that we need to love ourselves no matter what and I believe that you can be overweight and still live a healthy lifestyle. I was one of the people though that weight was impacting several health issues and some of my health issues were impacting my weight. Weight loss surgery was my answer and although it is a mixed bag, I do not regret the life it has given me back.

Best wishes and blessing to all of the readers who have joined me in my journey and on your own personal journey!

Mandy