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Notes from Gail:
Anyone can lose weight, but the biggest challenge following weight loss of any kind, especially dramatic weight loss, is to be fat no more. Few people achieve this illusive goal.

Fat No More – Long-Term Success Following Weight-Loss Surgery is based on my own journey through weight loss surgery, the lifestyle changes it required, and the ongoing success I’ve achieved in keeping the weight off.

In sharing my personal experiences, I share what I have learned that can help anyone lose weight and keep it off. The key is to follow some basic principles and to stay motivated. In Fat No More I present these principles and provide motivation in a way that I wish someone had done for me, like a good friend sharing her experiences and knowledge, understanding my concerns, and providing support.

The book is based on a journal I kept during my journey. Excerpts from this journal became a monthly column in a local women’s magazine and brought phenomenal response from other people on similar journeys, from people curious about weight-loss surgery, and from many people who have never experienced the trials of obesity. The journal entries and the commentaries that accompany them make very important points about the process of going from fat to fit and the necessary changes for succeeding.

Although each of us who undergoes weight loss surgery will undertake a different journey, because each of us is unique, many of you will experience the fear that overwhelmed me for a long time. I was afraid that after going through the surgery and losing the weight, I would gain it all back like every other time. It took me several years and and a lot of work to put that fear aside. You may be looking for information and inspirations that will help you keep the weight off. The goal of this book is to provide that information and inspiration.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Gail Engebretson has struggled with her weight and the issues surrounding this problem all her life. Since early childhood she suffered from prejudice against obesity. By age 50 she weighed 330 pounds and began having medical problems due to obesity. She took the big step of having gastric bypass surgery on March 21, 2004 and within18 months she lost 170 pounds.

A bigger challenge has been keeping the weight off – a challenge for all weight-loss surgery patients. She has been succeeding through educating herself on the effects of weight-loss surgery and changing her lifestyle. She has become more confident, outgoing, and active, spending much of her free time enjoying biking, hiking, tennis, kayaking, dancing, kick boxing, and swimming.

Gail has been teaching violin for over 30 years. She has also written articles for local newspapers and magazines. When she was deciding on weight-loss surgery, a regional magazine invited her to write a series of articles on her experiences with weight-loss surgery. Those articles became the heart of her book.

Gail has worked with people considering weight-loss surgery through the UW Health Bariatric Surgery Program in Madison, Wisconsin for three years. She has provided inspiration and mentoring both to individuals and groups. She has taken that experience coupled with training from theCoaches Training Institute, the largest in-person coach training network in the world, to provide coaching for bariatric patients.to make the most of their new lives.

Robert Magnan is an editor and the author of books in higher education, business, and other areas. He specializes as a book doctor and advisor.

CHAPTERS:

Chapter 1. So You've Made the Big Decision
Chapter 2. Preparation, Surgery, and Recovery
Chapter 3. Power in Protein — and a Few Restrictions
Chapter 4. Build Those Fat-Burning Muscles
Chapter 5. Food on the Go
Chapter 6. Don't Let the Scale Rule Your Life
Chapter 7. Fluids — To Drink or Not to Drink: What, When, How, and Why
Chapter 8. Raging Hormones
Chapter 9. Sweet Stuff and Other Cravings
Chapter 10. Freaking Out
Chapter 11. Have Fun Burning Those Calories!
Chapter 12. Take Your ABCs
Chapter 13. Under the Knife Again
Chapter 14. Problems with Your Body May Be in Your Head
Chapter 15. Relationships
Chapter 16. Enjoy Your New Life, Fat No More

EXCERPTS FROM FAT NO MORE

A Few Selected Journal Entries...

1/28/04
I’ve gone back and forth concerning telling people about my decision to have surgery. I decided that sharing and support are good. My husband is very supportive, which is great, because I’ll have to rely on him a lot. My sister is torn between being excited for me and being scared. I can understand that too. I’d feel the same way if things were turned around.

7/11/04: My New Life, day 110
I did it — I didn’t get on the scale for ten days and managed to take my focus off the numbers again. I lost six more pounds in the last ten days!

8/1/04: My New Life, day 131
The really tough part about going through an emotional low is that I don’t have my old buddy, food, to help get me through. I’ve always used food, especially chocolate, as a salve for the soul. I don’t have that option anymore and I had to work through the emotions without my crutch. Anyone battling an addiction knows what that’s like. I’m sure it’s a healthy process for me, but it’s still no fun.

8/23/04: My New Life, day 153
Today, on the five-month anniversary of my surgery, I did something I never dreamt I’d be able to do. I hiked up Connecticut’s highest peak, Bear Mountain, elevation 2330 ft.!

10/1/04: My New Life, day 192
100 pounds gone as of today!! I can’t quite take it in. When I started this program last March, I hoped for this day — couldn’t wait for this day, but deep inside, never thought this day would come.

1/18/05: My New Life, day 301
I did so well with my food over the holidays that I fell into an old trap. I’ve been rewarding myself by letting up just a little. Whoa! Not a good idea. I’ve got to get past this idea that food is a reward. In fact, I need to take some of my attention off food entirely. I do better when I can keep my mind busy, not spend my day planning what I’m going to cook and eat.

4/26/05: My New Life, day 399
I have an appointment tomorrow with a plastic surgeon. I want to get rid of this extra skin. Yet, I don’t feel ready to move ahead because I don’t think of myself as “done” or thin yet. But will I ever feel “done” or thin? If I wait for that, I could be waiting forever. It’s time to at least check it out.

10/30/05: My New Life, day 586
In our support group last month we talked about staying conscious while you’re eating - thinking before you eat – before anything goes into your mouth -- always being aware of what, why, and when you’re eating. Nothing goes into your mouth without thinking about it and making a conscious decision to eat that bite of food. That’s the operative word — conscious. How much of our eating in the past has been unconscious? Grab a bag of chips and just keep shoveling them in as you watch TV or read a book. How often have you gotten to the end of a meal or snack, looked down at your plate, and thought, “It’s gone already,” or “I think that tasted pretty good, I’ll have to have some more and see,” or even “What did I just eat?”

Excerpts from several Chapters...

Chapter 3. Power in Protein – and a Few Restrictions
“Following the mantra “protein first” will not only ensure good health and high energy, but also keep you on the path of long-term success. It will be of primary importance to push protein all along your journey, not just during that first year. This is especially true if you find that the amount of food you can eat at one sitting is increasing.

Chapter 6. Don’t Let the Scale Rule Your Life
“Yes, the scale is an important tool to determine your weight, but most of us know that it can take over our lives. You have to remember that the number on the scale does not always accurately reflect the changes that are going on in your body. Fluid levels change on an hourly and daily basis, an increase in muscle mass can add on weight, and bodies need time to adjust to rapid weight loss.

Chapter 10. Freaking Out
“Maybe you’re no longer losing weight. Maybe you’re even gaining weight. That can happen after six months or after two, three, four, or more years. In fact, maybe you’re back to your starting weight. Don’t freak out!

It’s never too late to get back on track. Do you sometimes feel ready to give up? Don’t! You are worth all the effort you’ve invested in yourself so far — and you’re worth all the effort you’ll need to continue to put into being fat no more.

FAT NO MORE: LONG-TERM SUCCESS FOLLOWING WEIGHT-LOSS SURGERY is currently available at lulu.com.