1. THE TOP 10 REASONS I’M GLAD I HAD WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY Excerpt from Glenn Goldberg, www.wlslifestyles.com

2. NUMBER 1  Health and Longevity Life without health can sometimes feel like no life at all-spending time running to the doctor’s office and chasing down your prescription medications does not seem like time well spent, when compared to spending time with your family and friends or playing with your children Longevity is proven to increase when a person loses just 5 to 10% of their body weight. How much more time are we gaining with 50 to 100% loss of our excess body weight?

3. NUMBER 2  Mobility and Comfort Bliss with body movement and exercise (as opposed to pain and exhaustion) Being able to keep up with children and grandchildren – Obtaining joy from passing on our new “healthy exercise habit” to them

4. NUMBER 3  Looking Good Looking Good is an added bonus to weight loss surgery, but not the ultimate goal (the goal is Number 1-Longevity and Health. Health without being on blood pressure meds, diabetes meds, cholesterol meds, meds for joint pain because the weight is killing our joints! That is the ULTIMATE goal) But being a normal size human and feeling comfortable in our own skin is definitely the big BONUS to weight loss surgery Buying clothes that feel comfortable, that don’t have to be tugged on to cover our embarrassing features, is an absolutely terrific feeling

5. NUMBER 4  Expanded Comfort Zone and Freedom Remember the fear of not being able to fit in the theatre seat or of needing to ask for a seat belt extender on an airplane? You have to adjust your mind set and way of envisioning yourself to know that those restrictions no longer apply Swimming, biking, riding roller coasters – nothing is off limits to our new capabilities

6. NUMBER 5  Invisibility and Magnetism After weight loss surgery, appearance is once again “normal” – there is no fear of being the largest person in the room and no fear of the judgmental looks and rude words that comes along with that “largest person title.” Comfort to walk across the room without the fear of drawing unwanted attention - One can simply disappear in a crowd Peoples’ response to a thinner person is different - more positive

7. NUMBER 6  Self-Love and Self-Esteem Before weight loss surgery, feelings of weakness, humiliation, shame, and self-blame prevail Shame haunts us because we could not lose the weight on our own After weight loss surgery, we realize that it is indeed just a TOOL that gives us an advantage. We absolutely have to make good food choices and exercise daily - we finally gain the confidence that we can accomplish our goal by being in control of our situation. We begin to love the new person - the weight loss empowers us to live life differently, more confidently

8. NUMBER 7  Sexual Desire and Fulfillment Refer back to number 4 – Expanded Comfort Zone and Freedom Number 7 is self explanatory

9. NUMBER 8  Savings Living thin costs less Lower grocery bill Avoiding obesity related medical costs Being able to shop the clearance rack (no longer big and tall – or up charged for bigger sizes)

10. NUMBER 9  Freedom Life no longer revolves around food No longer think of food 24/7 Food is now an afterthought, not the driving force We recognize food as the fuel that keeps us alive ***Weight regain

11. NUMBER 10  Incredible Lightness of Being No longer being heavy and ponderous

12. ABC NEWS REPORT  Super Dieters 6 Weight Loss Tips: Never skip breakfast Get on scale every day to every 3 rd day (HOLD YOURSELF ACCOUNTABLE) Exercise Daily-4 miles walk equivalent or similar cardio Watch half as much TV as overall population-watching TV means sedentary (NOT MOVING) Eat 50-300 calories less than most people Never Cheat

13. PEARLS OF WISDOM  If struggling to lose weight, then keep food journal-IF YOU BITE IT, YOU WRITE IT. Hold yourself accountable  If struggling to lose weight or have hit a plateau, count carbs for a few days and hit less than 50-70 net carbs daily (carbs in food minus fiber is NET carbs)  Exercise is key to maintenance