Sunday, July 27, 2014




ORLANDO!!! ALWAYS A TREAT.

I am so ready to see everyone at #YWM2014 in Orlando.



This group is so positive, so enthusiastic - and so wise. The feeling is community - we have all been touched, one way or another, by a disease that is so poorly understood, and so often isolating. There are so many different individual journeys and perspectives. It is a welcoming place, a sincere place, a safe place... OAC is truly a membership based organization - and YWM2014 is the best chance of the year to get the most out of it, and the best place to give forward if you can. Hope to see you all there!

Monday, July 07, 2014

You Gotta Read This - Walter Lindstrom's 20 year Wisdom

I don't like to gush... but this is as important as any post I have ever read in the obesity world.

Walter Lindstrom puts a book's worth of wisdom into a single post

Partly I am posting this so I don't ever lose it... Thanks Walter, from "the other Walter" Much respect.

Importance of Body Composition - rechecking over time (a cautionary tale)




I was lucky a few months ago to start using Sarah's trainer in Billings. Riley Stephenson is at Granite Health and Fitness - wonderful guy and very knowledgable... So we do body composition as part of my orientation. Remember that I am a mild but frequent lifter - but know that my intensity is low. Good shape but not great shape.

Out of work - doing job search while I do 10 steady weeks of 2-3 30 minute lifting sessions per week with Riley. HARD lifting, at least 5 times more effort and time than my normal. Get a lot stronger, and balance training as a bonus!

However, this was a stressful time, and I had more TIME TO EAT... My weight ran 202-205 pounds mostly, but got down to 199 pounds the week I left Billings Clinic - devastated. Well, by mid-may my weight is UP to 212 pounds or more. -figure I am just losing my grip, and start to think all the horrible stuff we WLS patients do when "failing".

As we get set to move to SLC, I ask Riley to recheck my body composition - mainly to know how bad my damage is from all this extra eating (tried to do mostly protein, but definitely made a dent in protein bars,hummus,cheese, yogurt, smoked salmon more than I should have)

Long story short - GAINED OVER 10 POUNDS of MUSCLE!!! Actually lost 2 pounds of fat. Please remember this lesson (we say it all the time, but I still doubted) - your weight is not the only measure of your progress or health.

I plan to do body comps at least twice a year now and forever - what a motivation, and humbling lesson for me as an "expert" - ha!

Hope this inspires, or at least stimulates you on your journey - peace.

PS - look out for videos - Dr Cottam is really committed to supporting YouTube content, and I intend to contribute!