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Home | Mending Minds

Mending Minds

You've probably heard it a hundred times: Weight loss surgery (WLS) is not brain surgery. We enter into our new lives with the same mental and emotional qualities we had before surgery -- for better or worse. To achieve a lasting recovery with WLS, attending to your mental and emotional health is vital. Here you will find articles to help you identify and work on the things that can trip you up as you travel your WLS jouney.

 

Now You Can Maintain Your Weight Loss and Be at Peace with Your Life
Looking at your problems as opportunities is a way to practice a "can-do" attitude. It's a concrete way to begin to change the way you think. . . . keep reading
Bowel Obstruction: Common yet Dangerous
Tonya Luiz
The digestive track of a gastric-bypass patient will never be normal, and post-ops need to be aware of complications that can arise. The most common complication for Roux-En-Y patients is a bowel obstruction. . . . keep reading
How to Say NO to Yourself without Feeling Deprived
Katie Jay
I didn't want this little girl in me to hurt anymore, but until recently the only way I knew to soothe her sadness and rage was to feed her whatever she wanted. . . . keep reading
How to Fill the Food Void
Katie Jay
The deep longing has lessened, but it is not gone. And after weight loss surgery, I have lost my most reliable tool for filling the void -- overeating. Here is how I have worked on this issue in my life. . . . keep reading
How a Thankful Heart Will Save You
Katie Jay
How a Thankful Heart Will Save You Have you ever felt like you were in a churning sea of challenges? Getting tossed around by events that you felt powerless to control? Did you feel so discouraged you sought comfort in food or other compulsive behaviors? . . . keep reading
The Better-known Eating Disorders
There are many diseases, disorders, and problem conditions involving food, weight, and eating, but in everyday conversation, the term "eating disorders" has come to mean anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and binge eating disorder. Any of which can afflict the weight loss surgery patient. . . . keep reading
How to Defeat Your Dark Side Without a Fight
Katie Jay
How to Defeat Your Dark Side Without a Fight Once inside the cave, despite his true desire to resist the dark side, Luke draws his light saber. He is unable to resist the temptation to engage his enemy in battle. Likewise, are you battling food temptations? . . . keep reading
Beware of Transfer Addiction
It's not uncommon for a person who gives up one addictive behavior to pick up another addictive behavior. Here's how it happens. . . . keep reading
How to Save Yourself
Katie Jay
How to Save Yourself Have you ever felt like you were in a churning sea of challenges? Getting tossed around by events that you felt powerless to control? Did you feel so discouraged you sought comfort in food or other compulsive behaviors? What else could you have done? . . . keep reading
The Mourning After
Katie Jay
The Mourning After Weight loss surgery is the beginning of many losses -- ultimately for the good. But it's big adjustment, until you realize a new day has dawned. . . . keep reading
How to Set Achievable Goals
Katie Jay
Sherry's workout was overly ambitious, and she was sore and hating life within a few days of starting her regimen. As a result, she couldn't get herself to go back into the gym, even though she was terrified she'd start to gain weight. Here's how she overcame her resistance. . . . keep reading
Balancing Your Life After WLS
Katie Jay
Most of us have struggled all our lives with obesity. We are like the notorious character Sisyphus from Greek mythology, who was forced to push a boulder up a steep hill, only to have the boulder come tumbling down again once he'd gotten it to the top. . . . keep reading
Who Will You Be?
Katie Jay
Who Will You Be? After WLS you change so quickly, it's hard to hang onto your self image. You don't look like you used to look, you can do different things, you feel different, and people treat you differently (at least some of them). So, who are you? Do you know? Maybe the better question is who will you be? . . . keep reading
Are You Drowning?
Katie Jay
Are You Drowning? Sometimes, no matter how much we don't want to, we have to shine the light of reality on the behaviors that have an impact on our weight. The time to do this is before we have a significant weight regain. . . . keep reading
Is Your Brain Making You Eat?
Katie Jay
According to Dave Krueger, MD, Professional Coach, repetition of behavior is comforting because it's secure and familiar, and we like to know what to expect. He says we substitute familiarity for happiness. Does that describe you? . . . keep reading
How Much Weight Loss Is Enough?
Katie Jay
How Much Weight Loss Is Enough? A common attitude for many weight loss surgery patients is: "My surgeon said I should weigh 150 pounds, but I want to weigh 135 -- the weight I was when I graduated from high school." Have you chosen a goal weight? Is it realistic? Should you even have a goal weight? . . . keep reading
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What professionals are saying about NAWLS:


"NAWLS offers unique information and services in the WLS field. I endorse Katie Jay as one of the most accomplished professionals I have known. Her continuing contributions and those of this organization will benefit deserving individuals around the world. I also highly recommend Katie's book, Dying to Change: My Really Heavy Life Story, which is brilliant and groundbreaking." -- David Krueger, MD


"The National Association for Weight Loss Surgery will help WLS patients achieve long-term success. There is no other national organization like it. Not only does it draw expertise from surgeons, nutritionists, nurses, psychologists, social workers, life coaches, and personal trainers; NAWLS offers critical information, support, and resources to WLS patients. I encourage others to support this incredibly valuable organization." -- Osvaldo Anez, MD, FACS


"NAWLS understands the critical role nutrition plays in WLS success and keeps up to date on the latest information about nutrition and WLS." -- Sally Myers, RD, CPT