What springs to mind when you hear those words? I’m guilty at times – my friends will ask me about the weather but I’m a million miles away thinking about everything I want or need to do by the end of the weekend. I’m away with the fairies or quite simply not present and my mind is elsewhere. As you may know, a distracted mind can affect your dietary behaviour, so today I’d like to put a new spin on our classic phrase. I want to use drinks for doing that, and as usual, I’ll start with some questions…

One of the great Lockdown of 2020 jokes is that some of us have said we should be practising physical distancing from the fridge. And I doubt there are very few people in the world who could honestly say that they haven’t had a few extra snacks (or done some extra baking) over the last few weeks.

More than a year ago I answered the call to share my WLS story. Pretty much daily I have berated, shamed, chastised myself for not delivering what I said I would. I have felt self induced fear, anxiety and panic as each newsletter was due and I had the remnants of another partially written, yet failed attempt to write the ‘perfect’ story. I’m a recovering perfectionist who’s learning to get comfortable with it being okay to be ‘good enough’.

Hello all. This blog post is aimed at motivating you to maintain your weight while we’re in lockdown and preparing and guiding you through this phase with a bit of a protection plan.

I hope you’re doing okay so far. The theme of this blog is that “we’re all in this together,” and I’d like to share some thoughts with you to help with beating back old habits while you’re in the process of building new ones – even in lockdown. The main aim is weight maintenance right now.

It is 100% normal and okay to get frustrated (sometimes often) about where we are at in our health and fitness journeys. The question “am I doing enough?” is one that we ask ourselves a lot. It’s often combined with “am I exercising enough?”, “am I losing the correct amount of weight” and “am I doing this right?”.

So Often We Think Of Health, And Getting Healthy, As ‘Things That I Must Do Less Of’.

When we have been through something as big as weight loss surgery and all that life after entails, it is very easy to get into a mindset of “I can’t have that” or “I am not allowed that”.

I’m writing today post Christmas and in the middle of the summer break. I don’t know about you, but I know I’m enjoying some rest and relaxation to recharge for another exciting year ahead. But, does the festive season start you worrying about a word that starts with ‘re’ and sounds a little bit like brain? I’m thinking regain, and I’m picking on a time in the year I see it start happening quite easily…

With December just around the corner, we thought we could continue on the teachings of our Retreat and use this fun activity of making an advent calendar to practice gratitude.

Well, it’s neither. but you might be asking…is it a seed or is it a grain? Is it a carbohydrate or is it a protein? Right now, it’s getting called a super-food, and so today I’m thinking all about the curious case of quinoa (pronounced keen-wah)…

For me, it reminds me of Sarah Ulmer winning NZ’s first ever gold medal at the Athens Olympics. Speaking of gold medals, was that the first thing that came to your mind? Maybe you were thinking of medals in general…and actually gold, silver and bronze medals are along my line of thinking today…

Calcium. The question is - am I looking at calcium citrate or calcium carbonate? Is there a difference and does it even matter?

Yes indeed, there is a difference, and this month I’m thinking you might like to know why I worry so much about that difference…

Imagine this is your stomach and now I’ll ask the same question. You might be thinking no, and if so, are you thinking the bus driver could control the situation better by limiting the number of passengers being let on? Maybe I’m being a bit cryptic, but there is a moral to this story – or in other words, method in the madness. To give you a clue, let’s just say those inside the bus are called the ‘Carbohydrate Clan’ while and the chap outside is called Paul Protein…

I’m big about practising what I preach. I may not have had bariatric surgery, but I’m forever looking for experiences that give me insight into life after bariatric surgery. I may have large feet compared to some of you, but that doesn’t stop me trying to squeeze into your shoes so to speak.

It all started with the decision to have weight loss surgery. This has been a decision I have always kept very private.

Do you remember the schoolyard lesson – ‘never judge a book by its cover’??? There’s so much more than what’s on the outside. You and I are great examples of that. But what if a book cover literally said ‘read me, I’m a Mills and Boon Romance’ – would you read it? I know I’d run a mile and yet I love reading.

Is it along the lines of the Fred Flintstone has an amazing meal pattern for bariatric surgery considering meat is always on his menu? I sure did, but did you notice how wonderful Wilma’s hair is looking, or how beautiful Betty’s skin is compared to Barney’s? Take a closer look, Dino’s nails are looking nice and strong too.

On Nov 4th, Andrea and I completed the New York City Marathon.

Yes, you’ve got me – this month I’m thinking all about your fluid intake. With Summer right on us, it’s the perfect time for putting this on your radar for thinking about.

What is the link between Little Red Riding Hood, proteins, and carbohydrates?

Let me give you some clues! Red Riding Hood and her grandmother are characters I like, while I’m afraid of the wolf. Now, what if I say I’m afraid of carbohydrates just like I’m afraid of the wolf - can you see where I’m going with this?

Welcome back to ‘Drew’s Desk’ – this month I’m thinking about nutritional supplements. I’d like to talk about the reasons for needing a routine that’s giving your body what it requires each and every day after your surgery. Before that, let’s start with some questions…