A frequent question brand-new gastric bypass patients ask is "How do you deal with the loss of food?"

In the first few weeks out of surgery when patients can only eat is Jell-O or protein shakes or broth patients frequently report grieving for food. After all, food is a beloved friend of the morbidly obese. Now it's gone and emotional grieving results. The sense of loss is magnified during the post-op healing phase because patients don't feel well enough to do anything. That leaves time to focus on the foods we loved but are no longer allowed.

How can a patient distract their thoughts from food? Here are a few suggestions to help "newbies" get past this stage!

Read fashion magazines and daydream about your new body in the season's latest fashions.

Practice accepting compliments graciously so you are ready when the cheers start coming your way.

Read a book about nutrition so you are well informed and ready to take care of your new body.

Visit gyms in your area, meet trainers and consider how you are going to exercise the minute you get released for activity.

Read LivingAfterWLS.com for information & inspiration. (Ok, so I had to plug my own site ? SMILING!)

Network with other WLS people and share your common experience.

Begin a journal of your weight loss experience. Be sure to include statistics like weight, BMI and measurements.

Begin your walking program ? most patients are instructed to start walking the day after surgery.

Enjoy yourself! This bland phase of eating is the start of your brand new life.

Kaye Bailey ? 2005 - All Rights Reserved

Kaye Bailey is a weight loss surgery success story having maintained her health and goal weight for 5+ years. An award winning journalist, she is the author and webmaster of http://www.livingafterwls.com and http://www.livingafterwls.blogspot.com

LivingAfterWLS is a no-nonsense resource for people Living After Weight Loss Surgery. Our community is growing in numbers even as we are shrinking in pounds. Together we support one another in this lifestyle, that it turns out, is NOT the easy way out.

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