Author: islacancun

Why Come to Cancun?

Let me explain my reasoning.  I am so excited to bring this event to all of you.

Cancun is such a great location.  It’s is easy to get to.  There are flights from every major US and Canadian city.  The weather is superb and I have chosen a super nice hotel with what I consider to be the BEST beach in all of Cancun.

I have a super good rate for all of our group.  It costs 155us for one room either single or double occupancy. With taxes and breakfast for two, it comes out to 200us per night for two people.  YAY

I have secured that rate for our group from Nov. 2nd  to Nov. 8th. 

The event is on Nov. 5th but you can come earlier or stay later.  You do you Boo.  Bring your husband, wife, best friend, and Mother.  Come alone. Come with another group member. You choose.

We make such good friends online in our groups on Facebook. They become important to us.  Well, I want to transfer that into real life.  Sure, online is great and we have a super support group with the kindest bunch of people.  Why not transfer that into real friendships?

I believe that accountability is so important to stay in the “zone”.  We need to lean on each other if we are struggling.  We have a shoulder when times get tough.  We can reach out if we have a re-gain or we can celebrate when we reach maintenance. We can encourage each other when we have bariatric “wins”. We can take care of each other because we understand this bariatric journey.

I want our group to be the closest-knit group of bariatric winners.

We have until November to solidify some of those goals we have been reaching for.  That’s 6 whole months to push hard and reach some new goals. 

If you’ve had a little re-gain, well it’s time to set some goals and reserve your room.  It could be the motivation you need to get on the losers’ bench again.

Do you have some fitness goals? Time to tackle those now.  You’ve got 6 whole months!

Are you in maintenance mode?  Excellent – stay there and we’ll see you celebrate in 6 months! 

Make a plan and meet us all in Cancun. I’ve put a great day together for all of us.

November 5th starts with gentle yoga on the beach at 7 am. 

We have plenty of time to visit the breakfast buffet post-yoga because our catamaran leaves our beach at noon.  We are sailing into the Caribbean, over to “Isla Mujeres” where we will have some snorkeling time, lunch, drinks, and time to swim and enjoy the most amazing crystal clear water.

We will get back to our hotel at 4 pm.  There is plenty of time to take a swim in the pool, have a drink, and get ready for our Gala dinner. 

Dr. Verboonen is joining us for the entire day.  We will also have a presentation with a video of ALL OF YOU!!  I will be reaching out for before/ after pics for our video compilation.

I’m so excited to spend a day with you.  It is time to hug, laugh, and celebrate your victories. 

Get online at this link, make your reservations, reserve your spot, and email or text me and tell me that you are coming. Get ready to make some great, life-long friendships.

We all need a little bit more fun in our life.

RESERVE HERE

Healthy Hugs,

Sheri Burke – your bariatric RHN

It is so interesting how some people react when my clients tell them that they have had a bariatric procedure, call it the sleeve, mini bypass, full bypass, revision surgery.

“You took the easy way out”.  Excuse me?  “Yes, you had surgery.  That’s not the same as doing it through exercise and diet”.  (say that with a high-pitched, whiney voice)

Let’s back up a bit here.  My clients have done ALL the diets.  They have done ALL the exercises.  Some of them have lost and gained hundreds of pounds.  So you think it is unfair that they hopped a plane to Mexico, paid thousands of dollars, recovered from a surgery, and then learned to eat all over again while getting a lot more active?

Woo Wee, watch me get on my soapbox. 

If you don’t like the fact that “so and so” went to Mexico for bariatric surgery, then look the other way and keep on dieting and exercising and complaining. 

My clients did the math in their heads. They were sick and tired of feeling sick and tired.  They were depressed and tired of feeling out of control.  Their bodies were showing signs of metabolic illness, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugars.  Their backs, hips, knees, and ankles all hurt.  They had tremendous inflammation.

They were all eating the Standard American Diet (SAD), and following the darn rules.  They still kept gaining weight.  Thanks, SAD.  Thanks for LYING to us.  Thanks for selling us all your junk food and pretending to take care of us. Thanks for all your food labels that confuse us.

So “Karen”, you prefer your friend to feel poorly daily.  Do you like seeing your BFF depressed?  It makes you happy for your buddy to have back pain?  Do you feel like it’s your business to shame them?

I think I need to get off my soap-box, because I may start using four-letter words now.

Look, guys, if “Karen” does this to you, remove her/him from your life until he/she chills out. If they are your friend, they will be happy for you.  This decision is hard enough without having the “shamers” try to prevent you from taking control of your health.

“But you only need to exercise”.  “But you only need to diet”.  “But you only need to get some of those prescription diet pills”.  “But you only need to be happy with yourself”.

“Thanks, but you don’t live in my body”. “Thanks, but you don’t live in my brain”.

Don’t allow the “negative Nancy” to prevent you from doing what you know you need to do to get healthy.  Sure, there will be genuinely concerned people.  Those people also love you and understand your decisions. 

If Karen or Nancy is reading this, sorry for using your name.

May I say something?  Maybe (just maybe), if you change and get super healthy, others around you may feel like they have to take responsibility and get healthy also.  Change is HARD.  Most people don’t want to change.  Are you challenging them to do better?  Think about it.  Maybe that is why they lash out at you and your decision to have weight loss surgery?

You do You Boo. 

Your body.  Your mind.  Your money.  Your decision.

Only YOU know what you should do.

You do You Boo.

I’ll support you whether you choose to have surgery, try to lose it on your own, or gain 5 more pounds.  You are in charge of yourself. 

I get it. 

Healthy Hugs.

Sheri Burke – your bariatric RHN

Shout-out to all you amazing bariatric BOSSES.  You made the decision to hop a plane, have your bariatric surgery in Mexico, and take control of your health and your life. 

Now what?  I mean, what comes WITH that decision to lose weight? 

(Ahem) Lifestyle changes!   I know, I know – you already know that.  But do you? I mean, we all “talk the talk”, but are you “walking the walk”? 

Lifestyle changes are going to keep you safe from regain.  They are your protection against “going backwards”.  And, you can make these changes at any time along your journey. 

Let’s say that you had your surgery 3 years ago, you lost weight, you are feeling better but you are starting to slip a bit. You find yourself watching more Netflix, or eating more slider foods, or going to bed very late.  You can make changes NOW. You don’t need to wait for the next 5 years to “see what will happen”.   You already know what is going to happen if you continue along the slippery slope.

What lifestyle changes have you implemented?  I think that some of the most important ones include:

• Becoming more active – Exercising and moving more.
• Learning new kitchen skills – cooking at home more.
• Learning more about nutrition
• Making sleep a serious priority.
• Learning how to manage stress better with techniques.
• Spending less time Netflix-ing.
• Doing some self-discovery as to “why” we gained the weight.

What other lifestyle changes have you made during your journey up to this stage? I am sure you can add to my list above.

Do you see how you can implement any of these lifestyle changes at any time along your journey.  The journey doesn’t end when you reach your goal weight.  This doesn’t have some finish-line.  We are constantly working and striving for better and improved health. 

Ask yourself some questions:

1. “Am I happy with my current diet”?
2. “Am I content with the amount of exercise I am getting”?
3. “Am I taking care of my health”?
4. “Where can I improve my lifestyle”?

Even if you are at your goal, and you are feeling great, where is there room for improvement?

If you are not at your goal and you are struggling, where is there room for improvement?

If you want to discuss, reach out to me.  I’m always here for you.

Healthy Hugs.

Sheri Burke – your bariatric RHN

What a great topic we have this week.  How do you crowd out the bad with the good? What does that even mean?

I often get asked, “how can I improve my food plan”? “How can I eat better”?  “How can I stay safe, and make better decisions”?  “How can I stop eating, rice, potatoes, chips, ice cream”?

My answer is, “crowd out the bad stuff with good stuff”.

What does that even mean?

So, if my client is having a breakfast that consists of cheerios, a sugar-laden yogurt, a glass of juice, and a ½ bagel for breakfast, how can I improve that start to my client’s day?

Where do I begin?  I would start by replacing the sugar-laden yogurt with some plain Greek yogurt, flavored at home.  I’ve crowded out the yogurt and offered a solution to REPLACE the yogurt.  I never took it away right?

Cheerios?  What can we do to replace the cheerios?  I would start with two easy suggestions: 1/ my “no-oatmeal” cereal recipe, which is easy to prepare and quick to make, or 2/ eggs cooked in any style.   I’m not just taking away the cheerios, I am replacing them with whole, live, fresh, natural, good-quality food.

The half bagel and the juice?  Well, I would love to re-invent their diet but why don’t I just take some baby steps and keep those in place for the next two weeks?  In two weeks I will follow up and discuss those two food items and offer new options to replace them with healthier options. Think avocado. Maybe a serving of berries, instead of juice.  Maybe a green juice instead of a fruit juice.

Do you see how I’ve not “demonized” cheerios?  I’ve not said “don’t’ eat that” in horror!!  I didn’t criticize this breakfast or “breakfast-shame” my client.  I’ve just offered some easy swaps to “crowd out the current breakfast” with better options.  That’s how we make real lifestyle changes.

If I lecture my client about the evils of cheerios, I may lose the opportunity to make a real change for the better with their health issues.  Easy does it.  Besides, my recipes taste better than cheerios.  They don’t cost a lot more and my client will feel better and more satisfied with the dietary swaps.

Guess who wins?  My client wins. 

Next up, my client is having a problem eating cookies at 8 pm while watching Netflix.  Do you think she hasn’t thought about “not eating the cookies”?  She has.  She doesn’t need to be told “don’t eat cookies”.  She’s an adult and adulting can be hard.  Cookies happen.

I have an idea.  Let’s improve her current cookies.  She’s eating store-bought ones.  They are full of ingredients like sugar, canola oil, etc.  These are not healthy ingredients.  Instead of smacking the cookie out of her hand, I’m going to offer her a recipe she can make at home with 3 ingredients and 12 minutes. Hello, homemade peanut butter cookies. 

I provide these lessons to my clients, but why can’t we take these lessons and transfer them into our lives today?  What is it that you can improve with your diet/ lifestyle?  What swaps would you like to make?  How can you crowd out your bad habits with better habits?

Healthy Hugs,

Sheri Burke – your bariatric RHN

Resetting Your Tool – Bariatric Edition

Lately, I’ve been seeing posts online discussing “resetting your pouch”.  What does this mean?  I think it’s important to understand what is meant by this phrase.

“Today I am going back to basics and 1/ starting a liquid diet or 2/ going back to the pre-op diet”. 

How many times have you seen this post on social media/ forums etc.? 

Did you wonder “what does this mean”?  Or, did you google the phase?  Did you think it would be a good idea for you to do the same thing to reset your tool?

Allow me to go into details regarding “resetting your tool”.  What is it and does it work?

Why do we lose weight on the current pre-op diet?  Well, if you are my client and you follow my pre-op guidelines, you will see that the plan is high in protein, low in processed carbohydrates.  There is no added sugar or alcohol.  This plan will allow the liver to “take a break” and shrink in preparation for surgery.  The added bonus is weight loss. 

Another important thing to remember is that when you start your pre-op diet, your weight is generally higher than it has ever been.  You are 220, 250, 300 plus pounds.  You will be in a caloric deficit also.  This signifies greater weight loss on the pre-op diet.  As your weight comes down, you require fewer calories to maintain your current new weight and weight loss slows down.

You see, the pre-op diet is not a “miracle”.  It is just a diet that puts your body into a caloric deficit.  It is high protein and low carbohydrate.

If you follow my pre-op diet and you are 250 pounds, you will lose weight quickly. If you are 190 pounds and you follow my pre-op diet, you will lose weight but it will come off more slowly.  This is just how it works.  The more you weigh, the bigger your numbers are in the beginning.  The less you weigh, the smaller your numbers are in the beginning. 

Today, with my weight at 140 pounds, if I perform the pre-op diet, I will lose maybe 1 pound a week. If I want to lose 10 pounds, it is going to be a slow grind.  Sure, could starve myself or perform a total liquid diet but what would that accomplish?

The first thing that would happen is:  I will be starving hungry because liquids are not satiating.  Sure, I could “white-knuckle” it and use purely my willpower but how miserable will I be with all the other aspects of my life?  My poor family would hate me.  I would be a very hangry-Sheri.

Nutrient deficiencies?  Well, protein shakes are not real food.  They are lab-manufactured food-like items.  Just flip over the label and see the ingredients lurking in your protein shake.  We use them as a tool for two weeks before surgery and for a month post-surgery.  My intention is always to switch you from these shakes to whole, live, fresh, natural, good-quality food.  Protein shakes are NOT a health food.

Now, concerning “I am going to reset my bariatric tool” and “go back to basics”… what should that look like.

When we see this statement, it is generally because that person has “gotten off track” and they have started adding back foods that don’t serve them.  Think chips, crackers, popcorn, bread, tortillas, pasta rice – refined and processed carbohydrates.  This is when weight loss slows down dramatically and regain can occur.

So, what can we do when this happens?  We don’t need to do anything other than “remove the offending items”, and “replace them” with REAL FOOD.  When I say “real food”, I mean foods without labels or long lists of ingredients.  Think yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, fish, chicken, lean beef, low carb veggies, berries, nuts, seeds, etc.

• A true “Reset Plan” should look like:
• Eggs for breakfast
• Chicken salad for lunch
• Beef or Fish with veg for dinner
• Rinse and Repeat

Get more active

1. Drink more water
2. Sleep 8 hours a night
3. Reduce stress levels

You are not going to “reset your pouch” by starving yourself.  This doesn’t work long-term.  What works now, and long-term are real lifestyle changes.  Why are we always looking for a quick fix? I am also guilty of this.  We should be looking for ways to protect ourselves long-term.  Haven’t we already tried “everything”?

When you see that statement “reset my pouch”,  don’t fall for it.  Fads never served us in the past and they are not going to serve us today.  Real food for the WIN.  Fill your pouch with high protein options, and veg. 

You’ve got this!

Set yourself up for success.

Healthy Hugs,

Sheri Burke – your bariatric RHN

I know.  Meal prepping is the equivalent of food logging.  We all know we should do it but to do it…not many of us do it.

I can’t help you today with the food logging part, other than saying “do it”.  I currently do not log my food.  I can say that my clients who actually log their food, do better than those who do not.  That says a lot.

I can help you today with the meal prepping part.  I meal prep all the time.  I don’t do huge meal preps for 4 or 5 days ahead.  I don’t have to due to my lifestyle, but I do meal prep for two days.  I mean, I set myself up for healthy meals to not fall into a bag of Frito Lays. 

It makes me happy to prep my fridge for success.  So what does that look like?  It starts at the supermarket. 

My cart hits the fruit and veg first.  I get radishes, cucumbers, orange/red peppers, cucumbers.  When it comes to fruit, I always get berries.  It could be strawberries, raspberries, blueberries or blackberries.  I’m getting the ones that are on sale. 

Next up is the meat department and once again, whatever is on sale is going into my cart.  I cook for 4 to 6 people almost daily.  The sales are where it’s at!!  I plan my meals in my head when I am shopping for food.  If it’s stewing beef on sale, we will be having this on the menu for the week.  If chicken is on sale, get ready for 4 different kinds of chicken dishes.

Now I am headed to get some pickles, good quality deli meat, eggs, and cheese. Hello Greek yogurt.  My Greek yogurt doubles as my sour cream.  I get the kind that has 19 grams of protein per ¾ cup serving.  I use my Greek yogurt as a salad dressing/ dip also.  It is very versatile. I won’t just eat a bowl of it, but I do use it for so many other things.

When I am at the supermarket, I try to stay out of the aisles.  That’s where the danger lurks.  I’ll grab my coffee there, and my avocado oil etc.  I try to keep my hands off the chips, popcorn, pretzels, crackers, cereals.  If I buy the chips, I am going to eat them.

My last stop is at the frozen fruit section.  I like to use frozen fruit to make my “nice-cream” recipe which is ½  a cup of frozen berries mixed in a food processor with ½ a cup of cottage cheese.  Try this!!

When I get home, I put my groceries away and prep at the same time.  I will marinate whatever meat was on sale, get my veggies washed and cut/ stored, get my berries washed/ready to go.  I pop 10 eggs into water to boil. 

That’s it.  That’s my food prep.  I don’t package things into individual containers. I just make sure that there is high quality REAL food waiting for us when the fridge door opens.  It’s just as easy to grab a bowl of berries, as it is to grab a bag of chips.  Pass the nuts, not the pretzels.  Pickles, not ice-cream.

Come to think of it, I am hungry right now.  I’m going to grab two hard-boiled eggs and some fresh strawberries.

Set yourself up for success.

Healthy Hugs,

Sheri Burke – your bariatric RHN