Last week, while scrolling through my social media, I saw a lot of ads about “getting fit” pop up in my newsfeed.

I wonder what I was researching?  Obviously, I googled something with regards to physical fitness, as google now seemed to be stalking me with this same topic.

This took me back to the nutrition convention I attended last May in the city of Toronto.  There were a lot of different speakers and topics discussed.  We dove into “gut health” and our microbiome.  We learned about “brain health” and how to remain young as we age.  We dove into “inflammation in the body” when consuming the standard American diet.

And of course, we discussed the importance of physical fitness and how exercise can have a huge impact on our mind and also our body.  

There was an important discussion about how exercise is like an anti-depressant.  It regulates our endorphins and raises serotonin levels.  This is one of the reasons why we feel happier after hitting the gym.

At one point, the lead speaker asked the audience a question.  He wanted to know what we thought was the very best form of exercise.  Which form far exceeded the others? 

Can you imagine all the hands going up in a room full of nutritionists?  Every one of us had the correct answer.  Some of us yelled, “WALKING”!  Others shouted out “SWIMMING”!  

The answers kept coming …. GARDENING, SALSA CLASSES, YOGA, 5KM RUNS, BIKING, LIFTING WEIGHTS!!

The speaker kept shaking his head side to side.  None of us knew the answer?  How could this be? 

Finally, the crowd got quiet and we were ready to listen and hear what this magical exercise could be…

This is what he said:  The most important and impacting exercise routine is THE EXERCISE YOU DO CONSISTENTLY.

AHHHHH, of course.

All forms of exercise are great.  But if you do it once a month and then don’t do it again, it doesn’t do much for you, right? 

So from my standpoint, as your bariatric nutritionist and surgery coordinator, what I ask you for is to move your body CONSISTENTLY.  I encourage you to MOVE.

• If you want to take Zumba lessons, then ZUMBA.
• If you are into biking, then BIKE.
• If walking floats your boat, then WALK.
• It doesn’t matter what kind of movement you like or perform – what’s important is that you do it CONSISTENTLY.

We already know what physical activity recommendations are.  Our social media feeds are full of them.  We all know that in order to stay healthy, we are recommended to move our bodies for 150 minutes each week.  That breaks down to 20 minutes 7 days a week or 30 minutes 5 days a week.  

The “how” is a bit more complicated.  How do you want to move your body?  In the gym? In a class? In your garden? Behind your boat with water skis?  What is it that makes you WANT to move your body?  You need to be HAPPY with the movement you choose.

You know what? Let’s uncomplicate this.  Sometimes I like to bike.  Other times I like to walk.  There are days when I feel like taking a yoga class.  The Spring season makes me feel like jogging.  Why do we always need to be doing the same thing over and over again?  

The most important part of this equation is to just get moving.  We need to focus on consistency with movement.

This is a bit like “self-discovery”.  We all know that exercise makes us feel happy once it is done.  The biggest hurdle, most of the time, is to just get started.  Once you are in a routine, it gets easier.  

Monday and Wednesday you can lift some heavy stuff.  

Tuesday and Thursday could be a bike down your local trails or around your neighborhood.  

Maybe Saturday is a good day to visit the local indoor pool with your goggles and a speedo.

I encourage you to just sit down and work your plan.  Take some time to dig deep and give yourself some encouragement.

If you are already active – GREAT and keep up the awesome work.  

If you are not active – LET’S DO THIS.  Let’s make a plan.  Don’t run before you can walk.  Take the important steps to get a plan in place.

My personal plan … I run marathons (in my head).  I am a super active person (in my dreams).

Right now, at this stage in my life, I love to SPIN and LIFT WEIGHTS and do BOOTCAMP CLASSES. 

This is what floats my boat right now.   I don’t spring outta bed ready to ROAR any day.  I need to move slowly in the morning.  I need to walk my dog and drink my coffee before I start my day.  BUT, I make sure to work the time into my days to treat myself to a 45-minute workout.  

Do you know what happens?  I am a happier person after my workout.  I am a better person after my workout.  I am a less depressed person after my workout.  I am a better wife and Mom after I workout.  I am a better nutritionist post-workout.

When I don’t feel like moving, I remind myself that I want to feel happier.  This is my catalyst.  You need to find you. 

Pick a start date.  Send me that start date to be accountable.  Work a plan out on paper.  

I promise you if you get started, and you are CONSISTENT, the MAGIC HAPPENS.  

Your mindset will shift as your endorphins are released through movement.  The movement will no longer be a “chore”, it becomes a wonderful “gift” that you give to yourself.  

Love yourself enough to move that beautiful body of yours.

FaceBook LIVE  Friday, September 13th at 3 pm EST.

I run an online support group.  If you would like to be a part of our community, go HERE and send a request to join.  I will approve it and you can be a part of our community.  

In our support group, I posted a question last week.  That question was, “What are your biggest struggles when it comes to health and post-surgery weight loss”.  

We got a ton of responses.  Some of you have trouble drinking enough water, others have heartburn.  There are few members who have trouble seeing the  “new person” in the mirror.  They still see their former 250-pound selves.  But, there was one underlying response that concerned me the most. 

 There are a lot of members who feel constantly hungry.  

For some reason, people believe that the VSG procedure will relieve them permanently from feeling any hunger.  This is because when the gastric sleeve is performed, there is a part of the stomach removed that produces the hormone Ghrelin. Ghrelin is known as the “hunger hormone” because it stimulates appetite and promotes fat storage.  Ghrelin is just one of the MANY factors influencing hunger and fat storage.

Obesity is a disease.  It is a hormonal disease and there are MANY hormones involved and one of the main hormones is insulin.  We need to understand insulin in order to understand so many other things.  It’s one of my favorite topics because a true understanding of insulin answers so many questions we have about diseases like obesity and metabolic issues like type two diabetes.

I am not going to dive into a physics and anatomy course in this blog.  I want it to remain simple and readable and I want everybody to finish it to the end. 

A huge slice of the population has issues with the hormone insulin.  You may be in that huge slice.  My goal as a holistic nutritionist that specializes in bariatric nutrition is to help people lower their insulin levels.  I know that most of my clients have troubles with insulin even if they have not been diagnosed with insulin resistance, pre-diabetes or type two diabetes. 

 You see, insulin resistance is just the beginning of the road to full-blown diabetes.  You can have issues with insulin for years and even decades before the diagnosis of even pre-diabetes is made.  

Are you always feeling hungry?  Do you eat something and then an hour later feel the need to eat again?  Do you feel like you are chained to the refrigerator at times?  This may be due to the fact that you are having issues with insulin.  

I know that I have troubles with insulin.  My labs come back normal but I still know that I am on the road to insulin resistance and pre-diabetes if I continue to eat the standard American diet.  I found myself constantly hungry.  I called it my “food panic”.   Many years ago I used to think it was a type of low blood sugar or hypoglycemia.  Why would I go into food panic and need to eat NOW?  I guess I just thought it was “normal for me” and it was just the way I had to live.

I went back to school as an adult and studied nutrition full time.  It was in the classroom where I had my “AH-HA” moment.  It finally all made sense.  You see, I thought I was eating a fantastic diet.  I ate whole grains and quinoa.  I loved my beet salads and I brewed my kombucha in my kitchen.  Beans and brown rice were a staple in my kitchen.  I baked my bread and I made sure that my family ate the same way that I did.

What I realized was that my diet was completely wrong for my biochemical individuality.  I was slowly creating insulin issues for myself.  When I ate those foods that were very high in carbohydrates, my blood sugar soared.  When my blood sugar soars (high glucose levels), the bodies response is to make insulin.  Insulin’s job is to grab the glucose and get it into the cells where it can be used.  Blood sugar cannot just hang out in the blood or we would have a diabetic crisis after each meal or snack.

So the more grains, beans, fruit, carbs that I ate, the hungrier I became because INSULIN MAKES US HUNGRY.  

I want to write that again …. insulin makes us hungry.  So, if high insulin levels make us hungry, what would happen if we have low insulin levels?  What would that look like?  Exactly!!!  Bells went off in my head.  If I changed my diet and ate foods lower in carbs, would I feel less hungry?  That is exactly what happened.  I did it slowly and I started removing the rice, beans, fruit, and corn from my diet.  I started feeling better.  I started sleeping better.  My eczema got better.  

All of this happened to me over some time.  I didn’t dramatically overhaul my entire kitchen overnight but I did make small changes that added up over a long period of time.  My family also started eating this way.  Now, they don’t have issues with insulin (yet) but would it be safe for them to also follow my low carb lifestyle?  Of course, it is safe for them!  We eat protein, healthy fats, tons of vegetables, berries, nuts, seeds, full-fat yogurts, etc. etc.  We no longer eat the standard American diet.  And guess what, I no longer have issues with being chained to the refrigerator due to the inability to be able to stabilize blood sugars.

Are you hungry?  All the time?  Do you think you may have an issue with insulin?  

If you do think that this may be something that is affecting you, you can try a week of very low carb eating to see if you can balance out your cravings.  It works like a charm for me personally.  If I eat foods high in carbs like bread, pasta, rice or tortillas, I can feel the hunger hit me like a hammer an hour after those foods are in my stomach.

So do I eat bread every once in a while?  Of course, I do. I am only human and I will ALWAYS love my french fries.  But, I also know that I need to take care of my blood sugars and insulin levels.  I eat low carb MOST of the time and I allow myself treats every once in a while.  

Do you know what happens when you eat real food?  You feel more satisfied and you are not craving the carbs like you used to.  Do yourself a favor and give it a try.  Lower your carbs and increase healthy fats and see how you feel overall. Keep a diary and check in with how you are feeling between meals.  

You may just find that your hunger levels are back in balance.  

FaceBook LIVE  3pm EST on Friday, August 30th.

Who feels like this?  Stuck?  In a weight-loss RUT.  

Who has fallen off the pink cloud? 

Who has realized that their bariatric surgery is just a tool?

Who wants to use their tool better to get unstuck? 

We all have these feelings at one time or another after weight loss surgery. 

The first year after surgery can be one big, exciting time because we have so many “wins” during that FIRST YEAR. 

• The weight is falling off.
• Our doctor is happy with our cholesterol levels.
• Some of us have ditched the high blood pressure medications.
• Some of can bid adieu to diabetes medications.
• Our backs, knees, hips and feet have less pain.
• We get to buy a new fun wardrobe.
• No more seat-belt extenders on the airplane.
• We are sleeping better.
• We are happier.

The “I lost a lot of weight” pros-list can go on and on depending on your specific circumstances.

We move into year two with confidence. 

Have we made the changes that needed to be made in order to keep our first-year results?  Time to re-evaluate. And we can re-evaluate at any time along this journey.  Not just at the 12-month mark – we can evaluate 2 years, 4 years, 10 years, 20 years later.  

If you are stuck …. it may be time to re-evaluate and make some new changes.  It is NEVER too late to make healthy changes.  Please remember that.  Every single day is a new day.  Every single day is an opportunity to make the next meal a healthy meal.  We get a second chance every time we eat so don’t get discouraged if you find yourself in a rut or if you feel stuck.  

We can “unstuck” ourselves at any time.

The “bariatric pink cloud” lasts for about a year but our tool stays with us for a lifetime. 

So what kind of changes can we make to get the scale moving again, or to get our sugars back to normal, or to help our blood pressure stay in the normal range? 

Let’s start with food.  What foods should we be avoiding? 

• Fruit that is high in fructose (sugar)
• Processed food
• Crackers
• Chips
• Pretzels
• Bread
• Buns
• Bagels
• Tortillas
• English muffins
• Candy
• Ice-cream
• Pasta
• Rice
• Potatoes

You should aim for a diet which is low in SUGAR and STARCH.

What sorts of foods should we be eating to get back on our pink cloud? 

• Whole Live Natural Good-Quality FOOD 🙂
• Meat, poultry, eggs, fish
• Lots of low carb veggies
• Small amounts of low sugar berries
• Nuts and seeds
• Full-fat dairy products
• Healthy fat

Notice how most of the foods listed above are whole foods?  They don’t have a long list of ingredients.  Most of them do not come with a label either.  They are just real food.  There are no tricks or pills or shakes.  

What about exercise?  

Exercise is so important!  I always say, “weight-loss occurs in the kitchen” BUT “good health occurs through exercise”.  

We cannot exercise our way out of a bad diet.  Especially when we hit a “certain age”… who has the time or energy to spend 3 hours a day in the gym and is that realistic or even good for us and our joints?  

Exercise helps keep us healthy and it lubricates our joints.  It helps to prevent age-related diseases and it eases the symptoms of depression.  Exercise is a big key to success on this bariatric journey.  Find something you like.  Walk or jog.  Bike or run.  Go to the gym or participate in yoga classes.  Swim or garden.  Just please try to do something every day to stay active.  

I have personally seen what inactivity does to the body.  It scares me.  Please don’t allow this to happen to you.  Love yourself enough to move that beautiful body of yours.  If you have been inactive, guess what, today can be the first day of the rest of your active life.  Please move.

Sleep is the best free medicine.

Shout that from the rooftops.  Sleep is the BEST medicine and it is FREE.  Every day we get an opportunity to sleep better.  Sleep is powerful.  It is a time for our body to rebuild and regroup and when we don’t take the time to sleep properly, we get out of balance.  

This puts a lot of stress on our body and our hormones (like cortisol)start to rise and high levels of this hormone make weight loss more difficult.  Please take your sleep seriously and put together a sleep hygiene plan.  

Is your bedroom the perfect temperature?  Is it dark enough?  Is there a noise that is waking you up? Are you eating too close to bedtime?  Figure out what you can do to improve your sleep conditions.  Take advantage of this healing time and allow your body to get sufficient rest.

We all go through periods where we feel stuck.  The champions rise to the top and they don’t stay stuck for long.  They get back on the elevator and take it to the next floor!  They put together a plan that starts NOW and they take back their control.  Nobody can take that away from you.  Make your plan and “unstuck” yourself now.

Reach out and tell me what you are going to do today to hop back onto your pink cloud 😉

FaceBook LIVE  3pm EST on Friday, August 16th.