A Practical Guide to Life After Bariatric Surgery - Second Edition

I bought this book for my sister who is preparing for surgery because I thought it would be an excellent book to help her prepare. I decided to check it out myself after receiving it. My biggest issue, which for some may not be an issue at all, is that the book is super slim. It's tiny! Both my sister and I are big into highlighting, underlining, and making notes. The size of this book it would be impossible to make notes and if you started highlighting and underlining it would soon look like a mess. That made the huge negative impression on me. If you're going to charge me $20 I want a book not something the size of a pamphlet. Again, that issue is important for me.

The other issue I had, which I'm sure is the more important critique for most, is that the information is nothing new. My sister and I both have watch the BBC "Fat Doctor" and have watched numerous American documentaries like "My 600 Pound Life" and read numerous blogs by individuals who have gone through it themselves. So the information in the book was just the information we already knew being rehashed. Because of that I believe this would be a good book for someone with little to no access to the internet and has not already watched documentaries on weight loss surgery.

Everybody considering bariatric surgery or who have had bariatric surgery should read this book. In fact it should be required reading by your bariatric surgeon. It has a wealth of advice, information critical to success and real scenarios to answer any questions, fears or doubts. Thank you to Cynthia Alexander for writing this. And thank you to the Memorial Hospital Bariatric Center for recommending it!!

Outstanding resources for those who prepare for or have experienced bariatric surgery. Both patients and also behavioral health clinicians receive essential, practical cognitive and behavioral suggestions for long-term bariatric success.

I've been searching desperately to find a book which deals, in depth, with the unique problems facing people who've had gastric bypass surgery. There's plenty written about life pre-op and immediately post-op, but precious little about the issues one faces a year, five year, ten years out. The description of this book seemed to promise such a discussion, but it is, in fact, little more than a very basic how-to-diet-successfully book. If you're relatively new to the whole issue of dieting, it might be useful, but if you're a veteran of the fat wars, then not so much.

This really gets down to business on the surgery and how to prepare yourself, family and friends. I found myself highlighting several pages and think it has really helped me get my head around the procedure I'm embarking on.

wonderful book for anyone who struggles with weight issue's. Helps you look deep inside yourself to discover why you have dieted and continue to yo yo thru the years. It is also very informative for anyone who is considering bariatric surgery or who has already had it. I think of all the books I have gotten throughout my life time concerning weight issues this is one of the best. I hope you enjoy!

My siser was very down and depressed after her lap-band prceedure I bought this book for her hoping it would help It was well worth the price she's back on track and loosing pounds and feeling so much better about herself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Emotional First Aid Kit: A Practical Guide to Life After Bariatric Surgery

I am absolutely thrilled with this book. I had bariatric surgery nearly two years ago and recently found myself falling into some of my old habits. When I located this book, I thought it might not help, but couldn't hurt.

This book is jam-packed with relevant information for before and after surgery. Some chapter titles are: Stress Relief and Comfort Without Food; Beginning a Consistent Exercise Program; Behavior Modification; and Weight Maintenance. The chapters have lists of tips and some have an activity that helps to see where I am going wrong.

This is the best book regarding bariatric surgery that I have read, and I have bought and read many!

I was dissapointed with this little book. Treatment of a really important componant of weight loss surgery, your emotions, was superficial. I felt it smacked of someone who had no personal experience of being overweight - I could be wrong. And while it's not essential that the author have had direct experience of being overweight, I just got the sense that the author didn't have a realistic view of what is required to overcome the emotional baggage that someone who has got to the point of having weight loss surgery has.

This is a light-weight book (no pun intended) that didn't provide me with any realistic useful tips to use on my weight-loss journey. The constrant referals to seek out professional help made the value of the book redundant.

Was disappointed in this book. I didn't feel there was anything in it that I haven't read in the many other self-help books about overeating, and in the few others I've read on post-bariatric surgery life. A big let-down.

The book does make some good points, but it essencially makes the point that if you cant control your eating habit on your own dont have the surgery. Part of the reason to have the surgery is obtain a tool that will help one control their eating habits. The author also has not gone through the surgery. Their are more qualified people to write this book that I have spoken to. Dont waste your money.

My expectation was that this book would provide detailed information for those of us who have had the surgery. I didn't expect to read about how to prepare for eating or how things may be different psychologically after surgery. I've already had it. Aside from a short chapter on relapse prevention, there is no focus on how people feel during the years after surgery.

this book is an invaluable reference to me. i had rny just under two years ago and this is the first book that put everything into perspective in an intelligent, thought provoking soundbyte format. i can pick up this book and easily read just a page/point easily. also, many of the tips and mind negotiating tactics/realities could work with others not related to weight loss surgeries.

some of the other bariatric books are merely personal accounts or glossed over tidbits, but this helps you deal with the actual mental battles you have to struggle with on a day to day basis as an obese person considering surgeryor formerly obese individual. the surgery is a tool, all the mental deamons are the same, and this books helps acknowledge them and teach you how to put them into place.

This book has it all. I'm contemplating the surgery and the surgeon recommended this book, as well as one other. The other didn't impress me, but this totally does. I plan to re-read when I lack motivation. (The other book was "The Success Habits of Weight-Loss Surgery Patients.")

I am a Bariatric Coordinator at a medical center in Nebraska. I have many books on bariatric surgery related to care and experience of the patient through all phases of surgery and aftercare. This by far is the best book I have found. It is very forthright and practical! I have members of my support group reviewing several copies that I ordered. We are strongly considering using this book for discussion at some of our support group meetings in 2009. I would encourage you to get this book because it really gives you a common sense approach to bariatric surgery as a patient. Thanks.

This book confirmed my concerns that "emotional eating" was not going to go away after surgey. It helped me understand how it could still happen, how to be prepared for it, and how to get through it. The book provided clear options for handling different situation so I would be able to deal with it successfully. Paperback size allows you to have it with you whenever you might need some help. Great pre-surgery reading to answer questions.

From the Table of Contents, it looked like there would be an in-depth examination of food issues and childhood sexual abuse issues. All she wrote was (paraphrasing) this can be a serious problem and many seek help from a psychologist or psychiatrist.... duh, I guess. Thankfully, I checked it out within the 3-day window and was able to cancel the order.

Overall, though, one of many good resources for people considering or having had bariatric surgery. I found that I had other materials from the program I've been in, that covered all I found in this book.