From the Desk of Susan Maria…

I am not going to talk about what we did during our Before & After Celebration, as the trip details will be the talk of our board for the next week… but I do want to talk about our trip made us feel.

A hundred wonderful people, all with a common thread of having the courage to embrace enormous change, descended upon The Mirage in Las Vegas this week and as I write this have all returned home from our lovely daydream. Instead of the magic of sitting under a thousand yards of billowing white parachute silk while performers and lights danced to The Beatles, or drinking the most delicious Iced Coffee Protein Lattes made by Miss Dolly herself, and laughing with our new friends, we’re unpacking and doing laundry.

Some of us left our towns for the first time in years, driving solo en route to new a state. We nervously boarded planes, lowered ourselves into seats, cautiously buckled belts around smaller torsos and smiled. We hailed taxicabs; navigated through a massive rainforest lobby filled with hundreds of people, and asserted ourselves at an imposing front desk. We all pushed the envelope somewhat and took a leap of faith in meeting at The Mirage. Then we opened our eyes, looked around, and noticed we weren’t all that different from the multitudes living their own Las Vegas adventure.

We intentionally didn’t host seminars on plastic surgery or speeches on the psychology of post op weight gain; we didn’t want to talk about living – we wanted to live - and oh my, did we live! Some would even say that we “rocked”.

The reality of this trip was that passersby neither knew nor cared we were once morbidly obese; no one questioned why we chose an appetizer for our meal, or would imagine that as recently as six months ago some of us couldn’t fit in a theatre seat to watch a Cirque du Soleil performance. We were proud of how we looked in our finery, and confidence soared while we were surrounded by others who shared our secret past, yet the truth was we were every bit as attractive and charming a group as the folks at the other party at Postrio!

We laughed, we loved, we cried, we cheered, we glowed, we felt beautiful … and I have already confirmed with The Mirage that we will be doing it again next year. I had the time of my life sharing this adventure with all of you.

Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see.
It's getting hard to be someone but it all works out, it doesn't matter much to me.
Let me take you down, ‘cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields.
Nothing is real and nothing to get hung about, Strawberry Fields forever. – Lennon/McCartney

Have a joyful month and please remember the important of protein on your summer vacation. We do not plan to fail, we just fail to plan. Live within the wonderful and delicious bounds of your surgery. Take your protein drinks and bars with you, as vacation is not an excuse to throw your hard work to the wind and go crazy on fast food and Doritos. Don’t be sad about things you can’t have; look forward to and enjoy what you can have! Our lifestyle changes are for life so make this summer the first of many healthy and slim summers to come.







Ciao,
Susan Maria


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The Ultimate Before and After

This past week has been surreal to me, and it has given me an opportunity to see myself through others’ experiences. You see it hasn’t been all that long ago that I boarded a plane and took off for Las Vegas with BE. I remember how afraid I was boarding a plane for the very first time, afraid of getting lost in the airport, and afraid of living!

One of the greatest experiences I had this week was witnessing the Smashbox makeovers. After each makeover, the recipient would look into the mirror and the reflection would amaze them. It was as if someone held the mirror up to their face and allowed them to see the person that they were waiting to see again.

It’s my opinion that we from time to time get lost in our own insecurities; we can only see our flaws. It takes someone else telling us we are beautiful then holding the mirror up for us and showing us that we are beautiful--then suddenly, the reflection is smiling.

It was the biggest deal to me that a company like Smashbox saw the importance in making our group feel great about themselves and went to such great lengths to make us all feel great. I have to be honest, I am a lover of makeup and for me to know that I had a beauty lesson and makeover by an International artist is pretty spectacular.

Our artists were Marie, Josef, Kayla, Natalie, Jeannie and Natasha. They worked for hours without taking a lunch. Originally, we were allotted 30-minute time slots but the artists outdid themselves and devoted ever how much time it took to get the right look and thoroughly explain it to us. They were so touched with our stories and our tears; I smiled as Jeannie announced that in 28 years of makeup artistry she had never seen anything so special.

We ARE all beautiful, with everything in life we must accentuate the positive, what a wonderful job they did explaining that. I now have a lot of Smashbox sisters across the US. Some of our ladies had never had a makeover; some had never worn makeup.

This was in my opinion one of the greatest days ever, even though we were running behind schedule most everyone gathered to wait in the hospitality suite and we just talked and socialized. Although our artists had stood all day on their feet and had no lunch they WANTED to keep going and make sure everyone got a makeover. They never complained and honestly they were happy about it, and of course I did start mixing them up protein drinks.

I would like to say a very special thank you to Smashbox and our artist for the great work they did, and for showing a group of beautiful ladies how beautiful they really are!

~Teresa White

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Stepping Out

For all of the months of happy chatter and planning that went into the BE Las Vegas trip, I never ever thought or imagined even for a moment that I might work up the courage to step outside of the comfortable cocoon of my home and go along. Sometimes, when one is daydreaming, they might put themselves in a position that they know they would never follow through with, and at least enjoy the image of it in their daydreams. I never once did that with the BE trip to Las Vegas. It was so far outside of my realm and what I might reach to accomplish and enjoy that I was simply happy to read and enjoy the fun, anticipation and the excitement and planning which so many other BE message board posters were talking about.

But there is something to be said for the pull of others’ excited words, even within a message board format. As I read daily, and the time was quickly approaching for the big event, I did begin to wonder what it might be like to actually meet in person some of the people who were instrumental in helping me though difficult times as a weight loss surgery post-op. There were those whose posts I found uplifting and encouraging and that I followed daily. Now I had the chance to meet those very special people in person if I chose to. There is also Susan Maria, who has been with me…and I mean WITH me every step of the journey as I waded through some crummy post op complications, helping me sort out vitamins and nutrition and eating for healing, finding top doctors, and a myriad of emotional issues too. I could thank her in person if I chose to go on the Las Vegas trip. And Linda, who has become a very good friend though e-mail and personal messages, would also be there. How nice it would be to actually put out my hand and physically touch these people. I still had no intention of making the trip, but I was now thinking non-stop about not going. And, allowing myself to daydream just the wee tiniest bit, of how it might be, if I went.

With the trip just weeks away, the message board fervor was at an all time high with tips on clothes, food, what to pack. Oh, how I wished I had what I needed inside of myself to go. I realized that I had allowed myself to practically become shut inside my own home. Not completely, but it was dawning on me that my fears are beginning to restrict the quality of my life. The longer I gave it thought, the more I felt I needed to do something. Susan Maria encouraged me to go. Teresa White encouraged me to go. Linda said she was disappointed when I told her I was not going to go. My husband, once I uttered the smallest hint that I thought going might be a big growth step, pushed me to go.

Fast forward…I’m GOING TO LAS VEGAS! My husband would sit at the computer to make flight reservations for me and I’d say “No! I can’t do it!” He’d start to get up, and I’d say “Okay, I am going…I can do this”, and he’d sit back down, only to hear the same thing again several more times. Yes, no, yes, no. Finally he ignored my indecision and bought the flights. He looked at me and said “There! Now you are going!” He sure does love me, I’d have strangled me in his place!

I had only about 10 days to absorb the utterly crazy idea of what I had done and to get organized and think about what I would take. I wondered how I would manage this trip when a simple once weekly run to the grocery store without my husband along was beginning to cause more and more feelings of anxiety and panic. What was I so afraid of? Would it get worse? I bet it would. The trip, and my going, was all about not allowing that to happen. It was putting a stop to something that would only grow worse if I did nothing. It was about taking my life back. I have to break the dependence on others that I so easily allowed to grow in the two years following my weight loss surgery. I allowed my husband and children to completely care for and protect me, creating a soft world, a sort of cushion. Suddenly I realized that I have allowed myself to be crippled with fear at standing on my own two feet. No one can get me thought this but myself, as unpleasant and frightening a thought as it is. Making this trip, as large as it seemed, was only a first step.

I didn’t post that I would go once the decision had been made. It was a self-protective decision that I made in order save face in the event that I could not force myself on the plane at the last second. The few people I did tell were Susan Maria, Teresa, Linda, Megan, and Tammy. Teresa called me often with reassurance and encouragement and offered her cell number to used at any time of day or night, to help me talk the chaotic thoughts out, and the calm ones back in, whenever I needed. Thank you Teresa, I wouldn’t have gotten very far on my own.

Susan and Tammy sent encouraging PMs and Linda was so sweet and helped me right down to the brand and color of hose I would need. Being sort of ‘housebound’ for two years puts one out of touch with such things!
Megan was on packing duty. I told her I was having a terrible time getting my cloths into the suitcase. I had the suitcase opened up, and everything I needed laid neatly around it, but not IN it! The mental hurdle that kept me from packing was that once those things were all in the suitcase, the trip was one step closer to real. Megan made sure I conquered the suitcase problem, but it wasn’t until just before I needed to leave for the airport that I managed it. After the first few things went in, I KNEW I was going, and actually felt a tiny bit calmer and the rest of packing was easy.

Because I waited so long to get my flights, I had very little choice in times. I would have to leave the house by 3 am in order to make my 6 am nonstop flight to Las Vegas. While I laid down, I sure never closed my eyes that night.

I am a pretty spiritual person. But when I stepped onto that plane and buckled in, I thought for sure I was headed for my undoing. All thoughts that God was next to me, pushing me along quickly escaped my brain! I have never felt so alone. I had a panic brief attack. While others dozed on the early-morning flight, I sat and wondered if I might be sick. Not from flight sickness, but fright sickness. Too late, I was on my way. I am not a fan of flying as a mode of transportation, especially on my own, left to navigate bustling airports, unsure of how it’s “done”. The last time I flew by myself, things were very different; there were no kiosks, no limitations on carrying a drink of water in your backpack, no impatient security people waiting the scare the heck of us un-traveled innocents, Geeze!

I felt pretty good to be alive when the plane arrived, but now I was in a strange place and on my own. Yes, I had cell phone numbers of Teresa, Megan (who would arrive much later), and Linda, but I was still on my own and determined not to use them. I got in line for a cab. Just as Susan had said it would be, it was easy. However, the second he pulled away from the curb, I wondered what would stop him from driving me behind one of the those mountains, and killing me or even worse, rolling me for my protein supplements and leaving me parched in the dessert to die! Of course that didn’t happen. And when it didn’t, I was able to see that the worst does NOT always happen, and that I can be as independent as I choose to be. Once in front of the Mirage, I did dial Teresa’s cell and she came to meet me outside of the front doors of the Mirage. I was so relieved to finally be there, and so terrified of the next steps, meeting people, having to talk to people that were not my family members that I couldn’t stop myself from physically trembling. (I know you are all my family too, but you KNOW what I mean!)
Teresa could feel it through our hug, and I think she wondered if I would be letting her go anytime soon. Teresa is a very calming voice for me. I felt right away that things would be okay, but for the wrong reasons. I felt that way because I knew she’d take me in hand and take care of me, sort of like being passed from my husband into her hands. Not exactly a growth process, more of a temporary adoption! Not good! But for the moment it was working, so, hey…

It sounds so stupid, but I had no idea of what to do or how to go about checking into a hotel. Teresa took me to the check in desk and showed me how to get the job done! I was mightily impressed at her efficiency and assertiveness. My arrival time was very early and being a pro, she said that I could leave my bags at the bell station and they would deliver them later when a room was ready. Who knew?

It was all pretty overwhelming. I met Lisa, Sarah, and Helen as they sat at the breakfast which my arrival had pulled Teresa from. I felt so tongue tied and didn’t quite know what to do with my hands, so I started wringing them. Hand wringing was to be my main form of exercising for the next 24 hours. When Teresa took me to the hospitality suite to meet Susan and Ty, Susan said “Hello! You made it, I am so glad to see you!” I said, wringing my hands of course, “I wanna go home”. I fought back tears and felt stupid and ashamed for feeling so childish. My discomfort at not being in the small safe existence of my home was catching up to me. It was obvious that Susan and the others in the room had their hands full preparing for so many arrivals. Teresa had plenty that she needed to do, too. Ty was immediately at my side! That soft voice and Georgian accent are so very calming. He and Susan are a perfect complement to each other. He took me into the large bedroom and showed me the beautiful expansive view, pointing out every building and telling me what it was and when he’d been there and how he like it and why. He told me he loves Vegas. It will always be special to him, as that is where he married Susan.

I noticed that my hands had stopped wringing themselves to death. I have never met any more gracious, lovely, people in my life than the few that I met on my early arrival in Las Vegas. Teresa, Susan, Ty, everyone, all were so kind and I could see that they truly were glad I was there. As I got ready to go to my room, Susan, of course, asked if I needed some protein! Always thinking about staying healthy and fueling our bodies…and I lied and said I had just had a bar at the airport when I landed…as if!!! My stomach had been tipped on end for hours. Food was not an option.

I got checked into my room, showered, and soon it was time to get ready for the meet and greet. I wasn’t exactly feeling calm about it. Not only were my hands wringing again, I was wondering how in the world I could get out of going! Hand wringing…such an obvious distress signal. I’m working on stopping that. But, I had gotten through several very difficult hurdles in the past 12 hours and I was seeing that I could get through them without my husband pulling me along. Teresa was doing a lot of pulling, yes, but at least it wasn’t my very familiar husband. I was so tired, both physically emotionally, that it was pretty much a mechanical thing to get dressed and walk to the hospitality suite. I took a deep breath, opened the door, and walked in.

I scanned the room and my eyes landed on Linda, who also spotted me right away. (Thank you Linda for watching for me!) She came straight over and we hugged and I felt some of the weight that I had been carrying around for far too long begin to melt. Not all of it, but Linda was a familiar comfort even before we ever laid eyes on each other. We have talked a lot through email and PMs, so in a way, it was like a meeting up of long-time, familiar friends, who had been separated for years. Slowly I got comfortable with being in a room full of people that I only thought I didn’t know. Once they recognized me and I them, and we spoke, I could see that many were feeling some of the same things that was going through. I realized that I was not the only nervous nelly in the group. We were all “ready-made” friends; not the strangers that I had built up in mind. I truly had relationships with most of these people long before this night. There were many smiling faces and hugs, and laughter all around. What a welcoming and reassuring thing for someone like me, who can be afraid of their own reflection at times!
If I had to plan on my own, a way to break free of my fears of independence, there is no way I could have ever come up with such an effective or more warm and inviting way to do it than this BE trip to Las Vegas. It was the softest possible place to fall and land, and I did it with my feet hitting the ground first. I learned so many things about myself. I can stand on my own two feet. Oh, I know sometimes I’ll need a little help, and sometimes even a lot, and sometimes I will feel that I haven’t gotten anywhere; but this trip was a great launching pad and I’ll only grow and stretch from here if I continue to push myself.

As easy as it would be for me to climb back into my comfort zone, I don’t plan on it. The most worthwhile things are what those that we have to work really hard for so we can appreciate who we have become along the way. Personal struggles are, in my opinion, the very best lessons in empathy. Am I cured for having gone on the BE Las Vegas trip? No, but I took a chance and now have a great start. It’s up to me what I do next. Will venturing out on my own to the grocery store for fresh produce tomorrow be suddenly easy? No, but now I know I can. With time, and with practice, and repetition, it will get easy… or at the very least, easier, and eventually, hopefully, the fears will fade completely. I have gained and grown by finally stepping outside of my comfort zone.

It’s not easy nor fun to be in a situation that makes one uncomfortable, and scared, and downright panicked. But, I did it, and realizing that I will get though the hardest of times is a really good feeling. Before I left for Las Vegas, I had no idea how strong I am. I considered myself a burden to my family, needing always to be with one of them in order to leave my home. In Las Vegas, I was able to discover my own strength, that I don’t need to rely on the strength of others all of the time. There is a right time to do that, yes, sometimes we all need to borrow strength from others, but gosh, what a sense of self accomplishment to find that I have some of my own!

~Laurel, aka “Pinkie”


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Post-Op Pregnancy: Lisa’s Second Trimester

I had the chance to sit down and chat with Lisa one morning in Las Vegas. It was nice to sit down with her and chit-chat over breakfast about her pregnancy and all of the interesting things she’s dealt with as a post-op mama-to-be. She was absolutely glowing with excitement about her new baby…I don’t think the Smashbox artists even had to add any of the “O-Glow” to make this girl’s face shine!

Megan: So, tell me…when you were looking for an OB/GYN, did you specifically seek out a WLS-knowledgeable doctor?

Lisa: Actually, as it turned out, I had a friend who was seeing this doctor. My friend struggles with weight, and the doctor actually spoke to her about WLS, asking her if she had considered the option. When I heard that, I sought her out as my OB/GYN, as I wanted someone who had at least some background knowledge of the surgery. The most important thing for me, as it should be with any post-op, is to have a PCP and an OB/GYN who are willing to communicate back-and-forth, and work in tandem to ensure optimal health for the baby and me. It has been critically important for them to be in close communication with each other throughout my whole pregnancy. At the same time, it is always important to be your own advocate—if something doesn’t sound right or seem like something you should do post-op, speak up and ask about it! Research everything—you’ve got to take care of yourself.

Megan: How has your bloodwork been in your second trimester? Any changes to your vitamin routine, or any major deficiencies?
Lisa: My bloodwork has been really good, except for my iron levels. I have had to triple my iron dosage to provide adequate supplies for the baby and me. This is another example of why it’s important to have doctors who are willing to communicate with each other, because my doctor’s didn’t initally agree on how to treat my iron deficiency. But they worked together, researched, and communicated until they reached a plan they could both agree on. As far as my vitamins go, I’m still using Vista, but I only do them every other day; I rotate with the regular prenatal vitamins—another compromise of the doctors!

Megan: Are there any differences in any of the normal pregnancy routines for you as a post-op than there would be for a non-op?

Lisa: Yes! This is another time that communication between my doctors and my own self-advocacy was really important. There is a test done for gestational diabetes, called the Blood Glucose Test. It involves drinking a highly-sugared drink and then checking your levels. I knew that drinking that concoction would make me dump and I’d be ill, so I spoke up about it. The compromise we reached was that, instead of the usual test, I would do finger pricks at home for a week, twice a day. I pricked and tested my levels first thing in the morning, while fasting, and then again one hour after the largest meal of my day. My doctors were able to tell from those results the same information they could’ve gathered from the blood glucose test.

Megan: Any last pieces of advice?

Lisa: Just because your OB/GYN says to do something, don’t just do it without checking into things yourself. Research it. Learn about your body, learn about the tests…advocate for yourself. Make sure your doctors communicate with each other, and demand that they work together to make sure you are well. It is so important to take care of yourself.

Megan: Thanks, Lisa! It has been great talking with you, and best of luck as you finish out your third trimester and have a happy, healthy baby boy. We can’t wait to see his pictures!

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BIG NEWS concerning our beloved AchievONE!

In Las Vegas, some of you were privy to news that achievONE is going through many very positive changes that will greatly benefit us all – over the next several months. Their VP of sales, Maggi, joined us at the Mirage, and let us know that they will be sending BariatricEating.com the first prototypes of their new protein bar line. They’d like us to put them in your AO orders along with an opinion sheet. The first flavors of the ‘top secret’ bars will be Cappuccino and Vanilla and Maggi said they are fantastic! So watch for them sometime in August.

They also will introduce a new Chocolate and Vanilla non-coffee version of achievONE by year’s end. The big news is that the entire achievONE line has been reformulated so it can be produced in hard plastic 'bottles' instead of glass. Great news for shipping as this means less weight, less packaging, and less breakage! The current glass version is a two-step cooking process and their food chemists had to change the formula to allow for a single cooking process to accommodate the new acrylic bottles. I am told that the test runs of achievONE are even smoother and creamier than the original with no difference in the flavor that we love.

HOWEVER, in the meantime they will make one more run in glass bottles while they tweak the new packaging. This last run should arrive at our warehouses by late August. So there will be a dry spell while they change packaging. From then on, we shouldn’t have any more shortages as the new production is much less labor-intensive and they will be able to make larger batches! Thanks to the makers of AO for gearing up for larger production runs; we love our Hazelnut, Mocha Java, Cappuccino, and Vanilla Nut!

Susan Maria’s tips for ‘What to drink when you are out of achievONE’:

1. Pour half a carton of Micellar Milk into your Blender Ball Shaker, add a heaping spoonful of Nectar Cappuccino powder to the liquid, add a handful of ice cubes, and shake. Absolutely delicious! You can also add a pinch of cinnamon or a splooge of DaVinci sugar free Macadamia Nut, Praline, Raspberry, Dulce de Leche, German Chocolate Cake, or Malibu Rum syrup to the mixture for pure ecstasy.

2. Place a heaping scoop of Whey Gourmet Arctic Frappaccino into your Blender Ball Shaker, fill to the 12 ounce line with cold water, add a handful of ice, and a glug of DaVinci sugar free Dulce de Leche syrup. Screw on the top and shake it, shake it, like a Polaroid picture. The Vegas group can confirm that this is every bit as lip smacking good as AO, and not just because I was the one making them at our protein bar.

3. Stir ½ teaspoon of instant coffee or espresso granules into a carton of Micellar Milk Vanilla and add ice. Put it into another galaxy with a glug of DaVinci sugar free Chocolate sauce or Cinnamon Bliss sauce.

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Jim’s WLS Journey

Jim’s journey through WLS continues this month with his thoughts leading up to and immediately following his surgery…

So, here we are, 3 days to surgery… I won’t get the time of my surgery until 2:00 p.m. on Monday, so even up until the day before there is an element of “what’s gonna happen next”. This has been a really long journey. It has seen me through probably the toughest thing I have experienced in life up until this point, the end of my marriage. First, before I go too much further, I need to stop and just say “Thank You” to everyone in the BE Community and to Susan Maria for bringing all of us together. On average, dealing with our own day to day struggles, it is probably hard for everyone to collectively realize just how much you touch one another’s lives. To prove my point, let me just explain why I joined this board.

I had been researching gastric bypass for years; yes, I had started the process with my first surgeon back in August 2006, but none of that prompted me to join the board when I did. I had been lurking for a couple of months before I joined, just reading, gathering knowledge from those that had walked the path that I was still coming to terms with walking personally, but even that did not cause me to join. Nope, I joined the boards at 11:37 PM EST, 23 minutes before the ball dropped on New Year’s Eve, 2006 when I had pretty much come to the realization that my marriage was over. If you’re board or like a good soap opera, the post can be found here . The support I got from everyone on the board that day and the days to follow was irreplaceable; for that I will always be truly grateful.

I would like to say I am nervous or excited or something about this coming Tuesday but I guess the best way to describe it would have to be “numb”. I guess there is part of me that still does not believe it is going to happen, or that I will somehow be one of the people that doesn’t have success with their surgery. I am sure the panic will finally set in on Tuesday morning (or Monday night when I can’t sleep). I am terrified of needles and this 300-pound, intimidating-looking guy actually gets prescribed Ativan in order to control his anxiety. However, for the first time in my life, I am looking at it logically and saying, “It is only a couple of needles in exchange for a lifetime of better health and better living.” I think I am going to be okay on that part of it too. I have a Blackberry full of email addresses to send messages to once I am out of surgery and a list of people to send text messages to once I able to. Two things are coming out of this surgery… well, two major things that will each have a ripple effect on the rest of my life.

The obvious: Life altering surgery that I can only imagine the impact on the rest of my life. Being able to do things that my weight has either physically or mentally (most cases) prevented me from doing. I am joining an Aikido dojo, I am going to learn to ice skate and roller blade, I will run the Lilac Festival 5K in Rochester, NY next spring, etc… I am going to live life more and watch it from the sidelines less.

The not so obvious: I get to finalize my divorce. The one thing I will always be grateful for is that my soon to be officially ex-wife allowed me to finish up this path to surgery on the insurance I was on when it started. Yes, I could have gone the COBRA route at nearly $400.00 a month, but that would have depleted the money I was saving by using her insurance. I am looking forward to finally closing this chapter of my life. A lot of things have happened recently that confirmed that this was the right decision beyond a shadow of a doubt and I have not looked back once since that cold day in January when it ended.

I have rambled enough, so let me just close by saying I am very glad that I have met each and every one of you and I look forward to continuing this journey on the other side of this with you guys. I could not ask for a better group of friends or a better form of support than the people I have met through BE.

Yours always,
~ Jim

Update:
Well folks, the surgery’s over, and as soon as I can find the bus that hit me, I am filing a grievance against the company! Haha…just kidding…I think. All in all, the surgery went well. I went under at 11:00 am Tuesday morning. By 5:00 am, Wednesday morning I had walked my first five laps post-surgery (all the while with that stupid "27 Laps around Equals a Mile" sign taunting me). By 5:00 pm that night I had walked four miles total. The morning I was discharged (Thursday, the 12th), I had walked my fifth and last mile and I have to tell you, four was the magic number; five was a little rough on the body. I got home around 11:00am Thursday morning, took some pain medicine and rested. I got as much down as I could. By Friday morning I was moving around a lot more, showering, etc. Today, Saturday, July 14th, I am feeling much better. I have not taken any pain medicine since Thursday. When I hopped on the scale, I was down 7lbs already, no complaints here!

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Men’s Corner

Get Active!
It’s a known fact: men like sports. It just seems to work that way. Granted, not all men like sports…but, as a general rule, men and sports seem to go hand-in-hand. However, for many men, especially those who have spent a lot of their lives morbidly obese, they tend to like sports from the sidelines—as spectators, not players.
Well, that’s all about to change! Adult intramural sports leagues are gaining in popularity coast-to-coast, giving former couch potatoes a chance to get out there and shine! Isn’t it convenient that this trend is really catching on at the same time your waistline is shrinking? Hmmm…I think I sense an opportunity here!

C’mon, guys…give it a chance! Get up off the couch, leave the protein chips and jerky on the coffee table, get out there and PLAY! Team sports are an awesome form of exercise, minus the boring at-the-gym feeling.
To find out more about adult sports leagues in your area, CLICK HERE, or google “adult sports leagues” to find local leagues. Have fun!