Hi there!  My name is Denise Roden and I’m a bariatric patient.  On August 11, 2004 my life changed.  I had Roux En Y Surgery to lose weight; and I did.  I lost 100 pounds over 18 months and I felt like I was a new person! I was buying new clothes, going to the gym, dating – I was on cloud nine.  I soon discovered that this is what is referred to as “the honeymoon phase.”  Just like a new marriage – there is a period of time right after where everything is blissful, your in love, it’s so easy.  You didn’t even have to try . . . or did you? Once that phase wears off, couples have to learn how to communicate and compromise.  In bariatric surgery – you have to learn how to eat and exercise properly in order to make your tool work for you long term.

I maintained that weight loss for around 3 years then started “the creep.”  This is the second phase of weight loss surgery for me.  Over the course of the next 2 years I put back on 30 pounds.  My clothes were too tight, my energy level went down and I felt like those around me that were so proud of the weight I had lost (me included) started to look at me and think she’s going to gain it back. Always, in my head, I had that point of no return number on the scale.  I immediately hired a trainer and headed back to the gym and back to the plan.

Weight loss surgery gave me a life and a voice and I wanted to give back.  Over the years, the bariatric programs have gotten better but they still have a long way to go in the education department.  That’s why I left my job and opened Bariatric Center for Success!  I received a health coaching certification from Georgetown University of Continuing Studies and became a licensee of Bariatric Support Centers International.  I now teach two curriculums – Success Habits and Back on Track live and as webinars.  I would like to share my knowledge of new obesity therapies, how to keep the weight off, staying on track, and low carb recipes with the bariatric patient community so check back soon!Posted in Bariatrics, Clean Eating, Health and Wellness, Weight Loss | Tagged Bariatric Education, Blogging101, Low Carb Dining | Edit