LoriBecky

I know this isn't a new subject for me, but I think some of our newbies need to hear this again. After weight loss surgery your size will be changing rapidly. Why spend all that money on clothes that you won't be wearing for very long? C'mon people.... let's go pop some tags! I bought almost all of my clothes at thrift stores or consignment stores as I was losing weight. And to be honest... these are still my "go to" stores. I love antiquing and I love browsing for that next great find at thrift stores. I've been at my goal weight for quite awhile now, but if I can spend less money and buy more things... I'M SO THERE!!! Last weekend my wonderful husband took me on a weekend getaway that was very much needed. On the way to Marina del Rey we hit some thrift stores - some in high end neighborhoods (always my favorite!) and as always, i wasn't disappointed! I got some great items, but my favorite was a scrumptious leather jacket. Sure, I need to replace a couple of buttons... but for $39 bucks for an easily $300+ leather jacket - I'm OK with that (it amazes me what rich people will donate!!) there isn't a mark on this jacket - just 2 missing buttons which I bought on Etsy for a total of $6! I say this because too often when we are overweight - we clothe ourselves in ill fitting, old clothes... sometimes because we feel we don't deserve to spend money on clothes or because we keep thinking we'll finally lose the weight and THEN we'll spend the money... well.. you are on your way, but you still deserve to look great on the way to your destination... this is a journey, and the motivation of looking good is real... and when you can buy a new pair of jeans at Goodwill for $4... just do it! Even if you won't wear them for long... you can donate them back and buy yourself another pair for $4 (or even less). Go find yourself something to wear.... feel great about yourself and stay motivated! You may even find something really nice... like my beautiful leather jacket. If you aren't a thrift store person... maybe start a clothing exchange at church or with other weight loss surgery patients in your area. Most major hospitals run support groups... find out... get involved...and look great doing it! C'mon guys... let's go pop some tags and look great doing it!

Don't minimize the benefits of great support. Be it a good bra, compression socks, Spanx, family, friends, or the kind I'm going to talk about today... Sleeve sistas (and brotha's). When we are going through weight loss surgery we NEED support - for the pre-op phase, for surgery, and especially for after surgery. There are so many things we don't consider for post surgery... eating isn't just about nourishment for most of us - we know we should "eat to live not live to eat" but most people don't follow that rule. We eat because we are hungry, but we also eat because we are bored, we are sad, tired, mad, scared, so many other reasons besides nourishing our body. We need help to work through all of those things after surgery. We need encouragement, camaraderie, understanding, accountability, and sometimes a good ol' kick in the butt! We can find that many places, sometimes with friends and family but sometimes we need that from someone that truly understands what we are going through... someone that has been through it or is going through it. The occforum is a great place for that, the posts, the blogs, they are all so helpful. There is another new place where I am finding and giving that support - in the OCC Sleevers Support Group. This group was started by some of our patients and is administered by them. If you are looking for some support why don't you give it a try.... you just may find that extra help you need (and maybe a good bra recommendation too!) https://www.facebook.com/groups/758113717570254/?fref=nf as always, if you have any questions you can email lori@obesitycontrolcenter.com or call 1-866-376-7849 ext. 81

One of our sleeve sistas started a support group on facebook where OCC Sleeve (pre and post) Patients can share pictures, support each other, and keep each other on track! Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/758113717570254/ Join the conversation!

I love seeing how many people have viewed this blog post, but I'd really like to get some feedback on it! Was it a good educational piece? Too graphic or OK? Would you like to see more information blog posts like this? C'mon... over 1800 views and not one comment? Please leave some feedback (preferably positive hahaha) so I know what kinds of posts you'd like to see! Hope your 2015 is being good to you! Lori

First, let me apologize if this post is too graphic, I just think its a fabulous way to educate you on a sleeve surgery. When I was at OCC the first week of December I had the amazing opportunity to observe several surgeries. One of them was a gastric sleeve surgery. We know that the sleeve surgery has fabulous results. Our OCC Sleeve patients get results similar to a gastric bypass surgery without all the risks and complications. And this is why...look at what is removed during this surgery. This picture is the removed portion of a stomach from a gastric sleeve surgery. Look at it... look at what it stretches out to when inflated. That is all space you can't fill anymore. AMAZING!! And look... even the part we remove is still AIR TIGHT. Remember, on the remaining stomach our surgeons go back and over suture over the staple line to prevent leaks and prevent stretching - but even this part, the part that is removed is totally air tight. Now that is a safe sleeve. I know sometimes its hard after weight loss surgery to think about what we might be missing... the foods we can't eat (or eat much of) but I am SO thankful for this... because if I could be eating more, chances are I would be eating more... and I wouldn't feel this healthy, I wouldn't be wearing a size 4 jeans, and this would be a stressful time for me, thinking of how much weight I would gain between Thanksgivng and New Years... and I'm under control, my sleeve keeps me under control. So goodbye excess, stretchy, haven't missed you for a minute stomach.... hello healthy, portion controlled life! Again, if this is too graphic, I'm sorry, but I can't think of a better way to share this - it was a huge eye opener for me, hope it is for you too! Here are more pictures for those of you that can "stomach" it http://www.occforum.com/gallery/album/336-sleeve-surgery-educational-a-little-graphic/ As always, if you have any questions you can reach me at lori@obesitycontrolcenter.com or 1-866-376-7849 ext. 81

What a great week I had! Last week I got to spend 3 days at OCC, observe surgeries, learn more about the amazing advancements in surgical technique happening at OCC, meet with Dr. Ortiz and Dr. Martinez and Lucia, spend time with the great staff there, record some videos...and the best part, the awesome sauce, I got to meet face to face with patients. I rarely get to do that, and I got to do that in spades this time. I was able to meet an entire family of patients, some that have already had surgery, and several coming in for the first time. What an amazing family this is! Originally 2 of the sisters came for surgery, truly they are sleeve sisters, and they have done so well, and were so pleased with their experience, that another sister came in October, and then more family members. Now think about this... I think we are all willing to put ourselves out there for surgery, but bringing your most prized possessions, your family, your sisters, daughters, sons, aunts, the things that mean the most to you, bringing them to Mexico for surgery... i think that says a LOT about Obesity Control Center! I was so inspired by this family and lucky enough to be taken into this group as a sleeve sister. I've been working with this family, praying for this family, rejoicing with this family, and now watching them succeed towards their goals.... did I say it enough... INSPIRING! So, thank you to my patients, you are truly the Awesome Sauce on the Burrito of Life! Thank you for letting me be part of your journey! As always, if you want to reach me you can call 1-866-376-7849 ext. 81 or email me lori@obesitycontrolcenter.com

Count your many blessings name them one by one, count your many blessings, see what God has done! This is the time of year for reflecting on our blessings. I am thankful for so many things! Faith, a merciful God, I'm even thankful for my trials, that is often the times when my richest blessings reveal themselves. I am thankful for a loving husband, my family and friends, my 3 blessings that call me mommy. Thankful for a warm home and food on the table. Thankful that I am able to help those less fortunate. Thankful for my job and the wonderful people I get to work with, including my patients. What are you thankful for? Let's remember that our richest blessings can come from blessing others. Donating your time and resources to your church or food bank, charity, or community center. Reaching out to those in need. Give what you can, help when you can, really... in blessing others you are blessing yourself... and who couldn't use more of that this time of year. Giving thanks... giving appreciation.... giving what you can and turning that into a blessing. I am also thankful for my sleeve... which helps me to stay on track, slaps me back when I want to eat more then I should and keeps me healthy despite myself sometimes... What are you thankful for this season? I wish all of you a safe and blessed Thanksgiving this year... don't forget to stop and remember to be thankful for all that you have!

Hi Brianna, if you have any pre-op diet questions you can email nutritionist@obesitycontrolcenter.com or contact your coordinator directly. We are here to support you every step of the way, before and after surgery. I know it can seem strange to have to lose weight before surgery, but its all about a safe surgery! Remember, this is the last time you'll need to do it without your "tool" for assistance. You can do this!!

If you are an OCC patient your first move should always be to call our 24/7 doctor line 1-866-376-7849 ext. 5.

my beautiful friend, we need updated pics of you! and I would love for you to post a testimonial on our site - email lori@obesitycontrolcenter.com and i'll send you the links and info!

There is an applebee's on the corner! We can also order in food for you. If you would like more information email concierge@obesitycontrolcenter.com

I think I have what you are looking for but its a pdf file so It won't let me attach here. If you email Lori@obesitycontrolcenter.com i'll send you what I have... I'm trying to cut and paste it below but it won't let me do that either - sorry - email me and i'll send it

Sorry its been so long since my last blog entry, things have been very busy! I have always wanted to take a dance class, but before I lost weight, it wasn't something I was comfortable even really considering. I can be shy, I know that isn't the way most people would describe me, and if I have a "buddy" with me, I'm good, but entering into something new, all by myself (I tried and tried to get someone to come with me... my friends were even more intimidated then I was) was really scary to me. I kept seeing the Belly Dance for Fitness classes starting every couple of months, and I just decided to go for it, all by myself, not knowing what to expect, what to wear, how to be, nothing... I just jumped in with both feet (after some nervous butterflies were flying ferociously around in my stomach!) That was 8 weeks ago! I'm on my 2nd round of classes now, and while I still am a total beginner. I'm starting to shake things in mostly the right direction, understand some of the moves and their names, I'm no longer tripping over my own feet, and my body is loosening up, I'm standing taller, and my abs are really getting a work out! Some people would laugh at the notion of weight loss surgery truly changing someone's life in more ways then their overall health and the size clothes they were, but getting into better shape, not being quite as jiggly (I'm still fairly jiggly!), gaining confidence to do things that scare you... I do believe that is all a result of jumping in, having this truly life changing surgery, and letting go of "being the fattest girl in class". I only have to worry about getting my hips to go in the right direction and not shaking it so hard my back goes out... I'm only worried about having fun, trying to learn some new steps, and get my abs in the best shape ever. I'm not worried about what someone else is thinking. I'm not sure if that comes from the losing of the weight, or the fact that I took big steps to change my fate... change my health... change the way I look and that changed the way I feel about myself... I still struggle every single day to see the person on the outside that I really am now, and not the mental image that I still have of myself. I'm not sure the "fat girl" mentality ever goes away, but I am doing my best each day to over come that and live life in the moment... even if that means fulfilling a long dream of being a belly dancer (and yes, I did buy the coin belt and some special outfits to wear to class and I'm LOVING it!!) SO if you wonder where Lori is on a Monday night... she's dancing her heart out, giggling on the inside and the outside, and having the time of her life... and shakin' her groove thang (and everything else that wants to shake along with it) What have you done since you had surgery that you never would have done before?? I want to hear from you!

Hi Missy, you weren't suckered in, we had supplier problems, we refused to go with a sub par product and change our provider. Product is arriving today or tomorrow and we will launch the website by Thursday or Friday. We have been so excited about this new product that we did get a bit ahead of ourselves with the website because we believed and trusted in a supplier that let us down and we took the road of patience to get the best possible product. We regret any inconvenience this may have caused our patients. We were all disappointed in the wait! All products should be available to ship this week, we aren't putting the website ordering up until we HAVE THE PRODUCT IN HAND... we aren't waiting on promises, we are waiting on fact. You won't be disappointed! So excited for all the amazing products for the VITALEPH line!

we have a general support area for plication - is this what you mean? http://www.occforum.com/index.php?s=730a0e6cd63bc254e7d45fbb81a37277&showforum=29 if you are looking for something else, let me know and I'll work on it

and of course a fabulous coordinator doesn't hurt, right? If anyone has any questions about weight loss surgery, or revision weight loss surgery, feel free to call or email me 1-866-376-7849 ext. 81 or lori@obesitycontrolcenter.com

I put a link to a very interesting article in my most recent blog post - breaking the cycle of obesity, and pregnancy after weight loss surgery... http://www.occforum.com/index.php?app=blog&module=display&section=blog&blogid=332&showentry=849

I'm so sorry I haven't posted in awhile. We have been really busy at OCC and I've been really busy at home. Graduations, end of school, water polo season starting. Crazy train - woot woot! I recently read this article about weight loss surgery and pregnancy and long term health of the child, and breaking the cycle of obesity in a family. I had my weight loss surgery after I was done having kids, so I can't say I have first hand knowledge of this subject BUT... (and that's a big but) I will tell you that I have 3 kids. Two of my kids battle with their weight, the 3rd one, my last, hasn't ever had that battle. With my 3rd child, I was diagnosed with Gestational diabetes. I believe I had it with all 3, but it was only diagnosed in my 3rd pregnancy (after much urging on my part for more testing - all my babies weighed over 9 pounds, the 3rd weighed 10!) Since I was properly diagnosed with my 3rd, I cut out all sugar and most of my carbs during this pregnancy. Didn't gain much weight (yes, I was overweight already, but stayed pretty much the same weight throughout my pregnancy unlike the first 2) anyway, my eating habits were much different with my 3rd child. I do wonder if there is any correlation with my eating habits and my older 2 kids difficulty with their weight. So this article made a lot of sense to me. I don't think its just the weight loss surgery they talk about in this article, but the different eating habits that generally go along with a weight loss surgery. So.... I wanted to share this. I get a lot of questions from younger women coming in for surgery about how weight loss surgery will affect a future pregnancy... as always, Dr. Ortiz would recommend you wait 1 - 2 years after having surgery to get pregnant, at least 12 months as that is when most of your weight loss will occur and you want to keep that momentum. Here is the article: health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/womens-health/articles/2009/09/02/weight-loss-surgery-breaks-families-obesity-cycle As always, if you have any questions about weight loss surgery, or revision surgery you can always reach me at 1-866-376-7849 ext. 81 or lori@obesitycontrolcenter.com Enjoy your weekend!