When we are no longer in our bariatric honeymoon period and we are “years” beyond surgery, it can be a common thing to worry about “regain”.  As the years pass by and our habits become less strict as they were in the earlier days, we can find the scale moving in the wrong direction again.  It is super important if you find yourself at this point to not beat  yourself up but to get a plan and get back on track again.  Focus on the positive and use your tool – it is still largely in place for you and it will work again if you work it.

Welcome to the Bariatric Reset Program – to get back on track and lose any regain or break a bariatric stall.

What comes next ?  There are no tricks or magic involved – some of us are waiting for a miracle to occur but that is not going to happen.  If you don’t have good nutritional habits and if you don’t exercise the inevitable will occur and you will experience re-gain.  If you slip back into old habits and allow the bread basket to make it’s way back onto your plate which is filled with pasta – you will gain weight.  I am talking about basic rules post surgery.  If you slip-up once, okay ,, but if that slip-up becomes your new norm – you will gain weight.  Don’t allow a small regain to turn into a big one – attack the problem head-on.  Admit to yourself and possibly to others what’s exactly going on.  I have never met a bariatric client who told me that the surgery failed them – they always admit that they failed their surgery.  If this happens it is time to surround yourself with bariatric knowledge and get yourself a plan and get back on track again.  It’s just a matter of admitting your errors along the way and taking back what rightly belongs to you – your bariatric plan.

Don’t blame your thyroid or your terrible genes or your very slow metabolism.  Own your regain.  Until you do, you will not make progress.  Now that is out of the way and we can enable ourselves to make the right decisions to change things around.  Yes, I have a slow metabolism – now is the time to move on with my weight loss.  I own my thyroid and my body and I am going to win.  Bariatric post ops have a surgical tool that is largely in tact.  In all likelihood, the pouch is fine, you’ve been choosing the wrong foods.  Owing it and taking responsibility empowers you. With that out of the way, it’s time to move on and work to change things.

If you feel it is time to reset your pouch and take control of your bariatric journey then welcome to the Bariatric Reset Program   It will tell you what to eat, when to eat and exactly what to do for 21 days.  Finish the 21 days and if you want to redo it – start it again.  It is your safety net for those times when you feel a bit out of control.  We all feel that sometimes but the winners are the ones who reach out for help.  The reset program is a good reminder of how are are supposed to eat/ no tricks or pills – whole, live, fresh, really good quality food, limiting calories, staying full, keeping full and raising metabolic burn rate.  This is the bariatric lifestyle. 

About the author:  Sheri Burke is an RHN – Registered Holistic Nutritionist who has been supporting bariatric clients for over a decade.  She also coordinates bariatric surgical procedures and assists clients both pre.surgery and post.surgery to ensure that they follow bariatric guidelines and have the nutritional information they require for short term and long term success.  When not working, she can be found in the kitchen with her husband and two teens cooking up a nutritional storm.

If you are looking for high quality Bariatric Protein Supplements Plant Based Bariatric Protein

Ready for a Bariatric Detox : 10 Day Bariatric Detox

If you have a re-gain or a stall, you can reach out to the “Bariatric Food Experts” for the Bariatric Reset Program.

Interested in Low Carb / High Fat ?  reach out for the Bariatric Keto Program.

Time for a “bariatric expert” multivitamin ?  Here is a perfect way for bariatric patients to get it now on Amazon: Bariatric Expert MultiVitamins

Eat Like a Bariatric Expert with our Nutrition Plans.

Feel free to share your victories and struggles in our Facebook Group. I would love to connect with you.

Stay motivated with Bariatric Wristbands – post your results online !

There are not many pre or post op patients jumping up and down with energy at this stage in February.

Is it a lack of vitamin D stores or a lack of sun ?  What can we do to beat it ?

Most of us feel upbeat and full of energy when the sun is shining and more tired and lazy when the winter is upon us.  The majority of us are affected by seasons.  Some of us feel it slightly and for others it can be much more severe.  Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) lowers our motivation, and can even lead us to crave carbohydrates. SAD may even be under-recognized as there is no true test to be sure that you are experiencing Season Affective Disorder.

What can we do when feeling down in the winter ?  How can we be  pro-active ?

Step out into the daylight – and make special effort to do this during the morning hours.  Step it up even more and combine this with a bit of exercise at the same time. This can lift your mood and improve sleep by resetting your melatonin levels.

Ever hear about light therapy ?  for light therapy to work, you need to sit close to a bright light (of the blue spectrum) and it works best if done in the morning hours.  You can also use a dawn stimulation device which is an alarm clock combined with natural light.

Could vitamin D stores be low ? Try eating more vitamin D rich foods such as tuna, eggs and salmon. Vitamin D supplements are also a good option.  SAD is prevalent when vitamin D stores are typically low. 

Increase your vitamin D levels and see if you are one of the millions of people affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Bariatric Expert Vitamin D3 Supplements 

About the author:  Sheri Burke is an RHN – Registered Holistic Nutritionist who has been supporting bariatric clients for over a decade.  She also coordinates bariatric surgical procedures and assists clients both pre.surgery and post.surgery to ensure that they follow bariatric guidelines and have the nutritional information they require for short term and long term success.  When not working, she can be found in the kitchen with her husband and two teens cooking up a nutritional storm.

If you are looking for high quality Bariatric Protein Supplements Plant Based Bariatric Protein

Ready for a Bariatric Detox :  10 Day Bariatric Detox 

If you have a re-gain or a stall, you can reach out to the “Bariatric Food Experts” for the Bariatric Reset Program.

Interested in Low Carb / High Fat ?  reach out for the Bariatric Keto Program.

Time for a “bariatric expert” multivitamin ?  Here is a perfect way for bariatric patients to get it now on Amazon:  Bariatric Expert MultiVitamins

Eat Like a Bariatric Expert with our Nutrition Plans.

Feel free to share your victories and struggles in our Facebook Group. I would love to connect with you.

Stay motivated with Bariatric Wristbands – post your results online !

Choosing a clean protein / plant based powder.

How do we go about choosing the best protein powders when wanting to use plant based products ?

Bariatric patients rely on supplementing to achieve their daily protein goals. While we are able to add beautiful super-foods to our protein smoothies, those smoothies may also be filled with ingredients that we didn’t know were there.  So what makes your supplement protein powder truly healthy ?

We all need protein on a daily basis and we all need to aim for 60 grams of high quality protein post bariatric surgery and also “regular people who have not had surgery” ,,,, they also need about 60 grams of protein per day.  Protein makes up a very important part of any healthy diet.  

Lot of folks choose a plant based protein instead of dairy-based protein powders as many people today experience sensitivity to dairy products and some find themselves lactose intolerant post bariatric surgery.  The regular whey protein powders can contain sugar, refined sweeteners, artificial colors and flavors, stabilizers, thickeners, unhealthy vegetable oils, gluten, fillers, soy derivatives, and milk ingredients.  

The best way to find a protein powder that suits you best is to always read the ingredient lists.  When you are unsure, always choose a protein powder with a shorter ingredient list.  Plant proteins that come from one source (such as only pea protein) are not going to be incomplete but products that contain a mixture of plant proteins from difference sources will be a complete protein source (pea protein mixed with hemp protein for example). 

I have tried so many of these products over many, many years and what I have come find it that when I use regular whey protein powders, my stomach feels off and I don’t feel well.  This is why I have tried so many different powders.  What I have come to realize about my biochemical individuality is that I too have a sensitivity to dairy and all the fillers in protein powders and shakes.  The good news is that I am not sensitive to plant protein supplements and less ingredients they have, the better my body is able to digest them.  

Today I have a criteria when purchasing any kind of protein supplement and here are my top necessities:

A/ Free of Allergenic or Harmful Ingredients

B/ Contains 100% clean and complete protein complex

C/ It’s got to taste good and it’s got to combine well with the things I like to add to my shakes, i.e. strawberries and avocados.

D/ It’s got to be Organic and non-GMO. 

E/  It has to be packed full of nutrients.

I am making the choice to use a protein supplement and I use it every single day so it’s one of the most important things in my daily nutrition plan.  I think we all need to take the time to know exactly what is in the supplement that we take each day to improve our health.  

For a plant based protein that meets my criteria, I recommend: Bariatric Food Expert Plant Protein It comes in Chocolate and Vanilla.  It has a great taste and blends well with all my super-food additions.  Take the time to research your supplements so that you feel your best each and every day.

About the author:  Sheri Burke is an RHN – Registered Holistic Nutritionist who has been supporting bariatric clients for over a decade.  She also coordinates bariatric surgical procedures and assists clients both pre.surgery and post.surgery to ensure that they follow bariatric guidelines and have the nutritional information they require for short term and long term success.  When not working, she can be found in the kitchen with her husband and two teens cooking up a nutritional storm.

If you have a re-gain or a stall, you can reach out to the “Bariatric Food Experts” for the Bariatric Reset Program.

Interested in Low Carb / High Fat ?  reach out for the Bariatric Keto Program.

Time for a “bariatric expert” multivitamin ?  Here is a perfect way for bariatric patients to get it now on Amazon:  Bariatric Expert MultiVitamins

Eat Like a Bariatric Expert with our Nutrition Plans.

Feel free to share your victories and struggles in our Facebook Group. I would love to connect with you.

Stay motivated with Bariatric Wristbands – post your results online !