Stacey Halprin

george from seinfeld is on a diet

2010-02-07T16:36:00.001-05:00

I laughed my head off, when I saw that Jason Alexander was going to be the new Jenny Craig spokesman. I saw the commercial for the very first time last night, he asks Valerie Bertinelli to help him lose 30 lbs.

Imagine George Costanza on Jenny Craig! It would have made for a few very funny Seinfeld episodes. He should have called Tommy Lasorda and got some advice, after all he was the slim fast man for awhile. It’s fun to think of who will make the next spokesperson after George, I don't think Lou Grant would be interested! lol

Tough Decisions

2010-02-05T13:09:00.002-05:00

Decisions... Decisions... Decisions. I have been given a wonderful opportunity, a very reputable weight loss camp has asked me if I would come this summer and help motivate the kids and at the same time help me meet my weight loss goals.

Of course, I won't go into the weight part portion, as I promised you to stay off that topic for one month and this is week number two. The owner of the camp saw me speaking at one of my engagements and came up to me and said "Did you go to weight watchers camp in Pennsylvania when you were a kid?" I said "Yes when I was 13." He said "I was your waiter!" My mouth hung open. "Are you kidding me?" I said. How did you recognize me after all these years? For some reason he did and now he wants me to be part of his camp experience.

The first thing I asked was can my dog come and he said yes. What a thrill to be given a chance to be part of a child's life that is in this weight war. It would be for six weeks in North Carolina. I thought, wow this could be a chance to get off those extra pounds that bother me so much and to have a real effect on a child's life. I wish when I went to camp, I had a woman like me to talk to. Trust me I have a lot I could share with them. For some reason I have not said a full yes as of yet. I am a bit hesitant and I cannot figure out why. I am going to take the rest of the weekend to think about it and I'll let you know.

By the way if you want to hear a fabulous story about a women who beat the odds with her weight go to bariatrics4diabetes.com , you will be amazed at this story and they will continue updates following her amazing life through this battle. Well I have some decisions to make and will keep you updated. Let me know what you think of Dana's story.

With love,
Stacey

THE MOST COMPLICATED YET GREATEST RELATIONSHIP- MOMS

2010-01-26T21:25:00.004-05:00

Well, my mom finished her radiation treatments in New York and went back to Florida this week. I know she was happy about going home, but we were both sad also, because we got to spend six weeks together. It’s funny how when you get older your mom becomes more of a friend than she is a mother figure. We shared a lot of things we would have not normally shared years ago. Yes, we fight like cats and dogs, but the beauty of a good mother/daughter relationship is no matter how bad we fight, or the not so nice words we said, the next day we are back to normal and the slate is clean, I find this much harder to do that with friends.

For the first time in my life I can really see my growth, as a person, through my relationship with my mom. I was able to be there for her 100% for the very first time in my life. When she got on that plane, I felt no guilt, no remorse or no wishing I had said or did something different. That was one of the best feelings in my life. I could tell that my mom trusted that I would be there for her and she could count on me which is so much growth for me. It’s a new role my life to have people in general look to me for answers and strength. My role was to always be the needy one. I like my new role in life, and I look forward to being there for other people. I get to do that a lot through the [Our Resolution] campaign. I look forward to the spring and to traveling again to meet people and to get a chance to make a difference in their lives.

My dog Tushy turned one this month and the poor guy just had his manly parts cut off. I really did not want to do it, but just in case the doctors are right and his chances for bad health are greater I thought it was best. He is such a friendly dog to children, adults and other PETS that I decided this year; we will get certified so Tushy can be a comfort dog. Eventually, we will visit people in hospitals, especially children to cheer them up. Tushy is a Maltese and is a non allergic dog and does not shed so he will be perfect.

Have a good week my friends, with great love and respect STACEY

No Weight Talk Challenge

2010-01-21T21:56:00.002-05:00

If someone tells me I need to change something about myself, I do not listen, as I pride myself on my uniqueness. If two people tell me that I might want to think about changing something about myself, I do not listen. If three to five people tell me, I still do not listen, but after five I know it's time to look at this behavior that people are calling to my attention. I call this blog the "NO WEIGHT TALK CHALLENGE”.

In April of 2010, it will be eight years since I had my gastric bypass surgery. I have maintained a three hundred pound weight loss for about five years now. When I meet people for the first time as I am doing today I feel compelled to somehow see, to bring the conversation to the fact that I once weighed 550 pounds. It's almost an obsession. I feel as if I do not have a lot to offer if I do not bring my accomplishments to the table, again hence the obsession.

My own boyfriend of almost two years tells me that I talk about the old me way to much. He tells me that he does not know that me, that it was before his time. Recently someone I work with asked me why all my blogs somehow always go back to the topic of weight. This women told me I have so much more going on in my life and I live in a very exciting city and she tells me I have great stories to tell that have nothing to do with my weight. My answer to her is that I am now a proud spokesperson of one of the greatest companies called Covidien part of the [Our Resolution] campaign which you can visit at www.OurResolution.com. I am also a motivator, so in my mind I assume that is all people wish to talk about. The woman also told me, yes all those things are true, but you are also a fabulous women with lots to share and I should try to share other stuff too.

Ok, so I've heard this over and over even from Oprah Winfrey, who told me live on her show that when I was dating I was giving out too much info about my past too soon. So here is where I am finally acknowledging it's time to be the new me. Does that mean I won't talk about weight issues, no way, of course I will. I feel A RESPONSIBILITY to share with people about my success and how just a few short months after having weight loss surgery my diabetes, my high blood pressure and my high cholesterol have all resolved themselves to normal numbers. I also see now that I have to embrace the new me, the me that is not just about her weight issues. I am giving myself a one month challenge ,for one month from today after this blog is posted I will not mention weight issues AT all unless to announce somewhere I will be speaking or if someone writes in a weight related question. There's more, I also will not discuss my weight with anyone I meet for the first time or old friends unless of course they bring it up. So, for the next month’s blog they will be non weight related and at the end of the month I will report to you how I did and if I learned anything. I will be sure to share it with you. So here goes, wish me luck...

With love and respect,
STACEY

"We are as sick as our secrets"'

2010-01-13T16:16:00.001-05:00

Every year, since I can remember, my New Year’s resolution had to do with weight and never anything else. This year it is going to be different, for the first time, because I now believe if I can work on this particular issue, everything that has to do with weight will just keep getting better.

When people lose a lot of weight, unfortunately they usually exchange it with another bad addiction, which usually takes the place of the old one. I talk about this more in my book “Winning after Losing’. For some it becomes like alcohol as Carne Wilson admitted she struggled with for awhile, for others it can become a sex addiction (my body is not in good enough shape for that one lol!} For me it turned out to be a shopping addiction. It all started out very innocently. .

My whole life I had to order all my clothes from a dress maker, because even the larger size stores did not carry my size. It would normally take about a month from the time I purchased the material till I got the finished clothes back; so when I got to the point where I lost enough weight to buy clothes in the stores I was literally (no pun intended) like a kid in a candy store. When I realized I could actually take the clothes home with me the same day well I went nuts!!!!!(More food talk lol) I started buying everything in sight just because it fit. It got to the point that if I had a guest stay at my apartment, I had to borrow a clothing rack to put in the living room. I have a small one bedroom apartment in Manhattan, so I was getting a bit closed in. It graduated to beyond clothes I had became a home shopping network addict. I almost bought a garden hose even though I don’t even have a backyard just because they described it on TV so well ha ha but I swear.

It had gotten so out of hand that I no longer allowed my boyfriend to come over to the apartment for several months, because I was embarrassed at what my apartment had become. I finally along with the help of my shrink, my mom and the cable show “Clean house” put two and two together. I had replaced half gallons of ice-cream and whole pizzas with “stuff”, and it did not matter if I went into debt to get it. It started to affect my healthy food choices and that’s when I realized how big this problem was. I vowed that this will be the year I de- clutter my life and my mind and even lose some more weight.

I once heard, ‘We are as sick as our secrets”. So this year, I am coming out of the closet, along with a lot of other junk, and I am going to fix my mess. I started already, in the last two weeks I have removed over twenty big garbage bags of trash out of my house. This is going to be just as hard for me as it was losing 300 lbs, but at least I know I am capable of that kind of change. So how about you? Do you have a junk draw or two that needs tending too? Join me on my de-clutter campaign in 2010. Have a great week…. with love Stacey

2010

2009-12-28T17:11:00.000-05:00

OMG, it cannot possibly be a few days away from 2010! It seems like just yesterday, we were all waiting till midnight, the year of Y2K to see if our computer world would fall apart. Where did the time go? I know where it went; mostly it got divided into good and bad choices that we made with our lives.

To say the least, New Years Eve was never my favorite time of year, I always felt forced to have fun and for the most part that never worked. Two years ago, I had my very first New Year’s date, which was very memorable to me, to have someone actually ask me out for New Years was such a new experience for me. I use to be the girl who stayed home and ate a half gallon of ice cream and told everyone I had plans so they would not feel bad for me, It amazes me how quickly my life changed for the better once I turned my bad choices into good choices.

One day, I was saying how will I ever lose 300 lbs and then I had lost 200. One day I had type two diabetes and then very shortly after I started losing weight my diabetes numbers were normal. We might feel totally overwhelmed today with our lives, but I am here to tell you every choice you make counts and your life can turn around for the better so fast that you would not believe it. There are so many things I still want to get right in this life and sometimes it truly overwhelms me. I need to slow down and remember what works for me and then repeat those behaviors. I learned from the Oprah show to write 5 things every day that I am grateful for and I started this at 550 lbs . . . . in the notebook I wrote even the littlest things, like I’m grateful I got out of bed today, I’m grateful I have friends, etc. It is not important whether they are big or small, what is important is that we learn to appreciate things.

So here is my new year’s 2010 grateful list for today:

!. I am grateful that my mom is alive

2 I am grateful that I can go outside everyday and enjoy life

3 I am grateful for my wonderful new dog

4 I am grateful that this year’s mammogram was clean

5 I am grateful that people feel I motivate them

Now start your grateful list and have a great New Years with love … Stacey

New York, New York

2009-12-08T15:49:00.004-05:00

If you happen to be in New York City at holiday time, you are very lucky, because there is nothing like it in the whole wide world. The sights… the smells…the friendliness of the people are all not to be missed. The store windows will have you in a jaw dropping awe. They are filled with colors and sounds like no other place. You can barely walk two feet in front of yourself, but it is all worth it to experience the mayhem of New York City.

I was in Macys, on 34th Street Sunday, thinking Sunday, would be a perfect day to shop, because it is a work week area, but boy was I wrong. I took my mom to lunch and we had to wait 45 minutes to be served. There was a long line to get in the restaurant, but no one was doing their usual complaining, instead, people from out of town were asking suggestions of what New York places would be fun to go to. There is a window, in New York City that is so worth talking about, that it was news worthy. I call it the naughty window, near the store Lord and Taylors. This window is set up to look like an apartment and in the apartment there were six girlfriends, hanging out in very scantily clad lingerie. They are just hanging out and pretending that the whole city could not see from the outside. They would go to their dresser drawers and try on different night gowns and lingerie behind a screen then come out and talk with their girlfriends on the couch. This went on for two weeks with changes in shift of course. People crowded around the window all day and not just men. Only in New York!

I do have some sadness at holiday time, although, my mom is fine, she still has to go through radiation during this time and that makes me feel bad. The other thing and something I don’t share too often, but I have a gaping hole in my heart for my precious dog Gertie, who died nine months ago. I will never get over her. I never run out of tears for her, because she was my first dog after I was well enough that I could walk a dog, and nothing and no one ever made me as happy as her. I remember all the things we did last Christmas and I miss her terribly. I LOVE YOU GERTIE-not a day goes by! I hope you all have a joyful holiday season with much love Stacey

P.S. Above photo of Gertie and I last Christmas

Then and Now

2009-11-30T17:14:00.000-05:00

This Thanksgiving, while I on my way to my families, I had a memory of a Thanksgiving Day ten years ago. The memory, made me realize how grateful I am for my new life. A close friend of mine was making a big Thanksgiving meal for family and friends out in New Jersey. I knew I was going to be there all day and way into the night. So I packed what I thought to be important to me to have for the day. I brought my pocketbook and a shopping bag. In the bag I put ten individual Tupperware dishes, so my friend could fill them up with leftovers for me to take home. I was not going to take a chance that he would run out of takeout dishes. The other item in the bag was a hand held shower massager that I had someone take out of my shower so I could bring it with me. At that time, I was so big that I could not take care of myself after I went to the bathroom, I needed to bring the hose to hook up in my friends shower so that I could wash myself throughout the day. This memory boggles my mind, because it is not an isolated incident, this was the way I was used to living.

Fast forward now to ten years later to this past Thanksgiving, the only thing I brought to my families was my pocketbook and a hostess gift. It was an effortless day of playing with my 2 yr old cousin and helping to clean the table after dinner. I did not have to worry about anything. I am so happy to have been a dinner guest as opposed to having it myself, because of one thing LEFTOVERS! If I ever make Thanksgiving, I will assure you that all the food will be packed to go for those who came. The only thing I would keep is the turkey and the veggies. I know my weaknesses. Some people pride themselves on being able to handle leftovers, but not me, no way no how. I am glad that I know myself that well after all these years and I am very happy to enjoy a holiday, and not have to eat the whole next week. Hope that you had a great thanksgiving and enjoy all the upcoming holidays. With love, Stacey

Living or Dying?

2009-11-24T11:10:00.002-05:00

Many years ago, someone asked me a question that has stayed in my mind for all this time. I have asked myself this question often over the years. They said “Stacey, are you working on living or dying today?” At the moment I was shocked, and did not even know what they meant, but now I do.

Each day we either do things that is for our well being or not. Every day we have to make choices and sometimes those choices do not support us living a happy and healthy life. If I am eating out of control, obviously that is not working on living. If I choose to stay in bed all day or tell myself I cannot exercise because I am disabled, then I am not working on living. You know what the good news is, with very little effort you can do a few things each day that means you are working on living. If the first day you just start with ten minutes of exercise when you have not done anything in a long time, if you send out two job resumes, if you eat one healthy meal out of three, well then you did more than you did yesterday . I try to do at least three things each day that will move me toward the future I desire. Am I always successful? No, however, I am much more successful than I use to be. You will be surprised how much better you get when you really make a conscious effort. Feeling proud of yourself at the end of the day, makes your next day better and it works like the domino theory. So I ask you are you working on living or dying today?

Thanksgiving Day tip: Eat all the turkey you want. Protein will fill you up. If you want cake have turkey. If you want cookies have turkey. On that day do not worry about eating too much turkey. The scale will reflect carbs way more than turkey ( sans stuffing of course) wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving and wish me luck because I’m a shopping addict and black Friday is coming ! Oh no! LOVE STACEY

Here comes turkey

2009-11-16T19:57:00.008-05:00

"Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil". Who knew that I would be
thinking about food when I heard that quote. Here we go--one week until the floodgates open up all over the place. Four months of severe temptations and then we womder why we feel and look so terrible by the time summer rolls around.

This year I am going to have a new focus. I will exercise instead of obsessing about
what I will not eat at the holiday tables. My new focus will be shifted to when I can walk, when I can walk to the dog park and when I can get outside and push myself
away from the table. I will not dwell on guilt. Instead, my goal will be to move. In place of shooting the breeze in my cousin's room, I will go outdoors with her and chat while we walk. I'm overwhelmed figuring out what I can and cannot eat. This year I'm going to have one plate of whatever I desire and stop.

Lately, I have realized that taking my dog to the dog run is as therapeutic for me as seeing my shrink---just different. It is both exercise and a social event that
calms me and makes me feel at peace.

Find what makes you feel peaceful and less tempted to eat. Let's not feel guilty about food. Keep moving and do your best to make healthy choices. If we eat too much, then we'll walk more or do whatever exercise you choose. Forget that thinking that tells us that if we eat, we blow it all, because that type of thinking is what
stops us. I said it in my book and it is worth repeating---nobody got fat from one binge--never!!! Let me know how you are going to handle the holidays.

With love,
Stacey

Tushys day to shine

2009-11-13T07:18:00.002-05:00

Here is a photo of my dog Tushy,dressed for his first Halloween as a dinosaur. He made everyone from a small child to an elderly man smile that day. I took him to the dog park in my neighborhood of Manhattan and we had a ball. Spending time with my dog not only relaxes me, it also reduces my blood pressure. I take him every place that dogs are permitted, anywhere from Bloomingdales to a
local bar.

This was an emotionally rough week, worrying about my mom. In the end, they did not find any more cancer cells and she is in stage one, That is great news compared to the other possible alternatives.
I'm happy to say that she will be around for a long time and we can have many mother-daughter arguments as well as a lot of shopping time and pleasurable moments.

Have a great week and cherish the things in your life that reduce your stress level.

Love, Stacey

MOM AND MOVIE

2009-11-04T08:53:00.000-05:00

I'm sitting in the hospital waiting room while my mom is undergoing surgery. In my heart, I know that she will be okay and I never doubted that for a minute but I feel badly that she has to go through all of this. Another part of me is grateful that I am able to be here for her. When I was in my larger non-walking days, I could not have been there for anyone even if I wanted to. It's a very good feeling to go from the person who counted on everyone to the person who can be counted on.

On another note, I went to see the Michael Jackson movie and I was totally blown away by his talent . As a person who has always suffered from depression and an eating disorder, I wanted to see if watching Michael in his final days would give any clues to his anorexia and depression. Many times when I watched him being interviewed, he had the saddest
eyes I had ever seen, In this movie there was not single sign that his life was almost over. There was none of the sadness from previous interviews. He cleverly hid his thin body
with layers of clothing. Then, it dawned on me that when he was on stage there was no sign of sadness because he was in the one place that made him happy------the stage.
Although the movie was uplifting, you could not help but leave the theatre with a sense of great loss. The world will certainly miss out on at least 20 years more of the Michael
Jackson magic.

Have a great week and make some of your own magic.

Stacey

Success

2009-10-27T10:18:00.001-04:00

I just got home from speaking in Minneapolis. It went quite well. I got the chance to
speak to a lot of folks who just needed some hope and I had plenty to supply.

Last month when I attended my very first Expo in New York, I wasn't aware of how many freebies and valuable information are distributed. My handbag couldn't hold everything.
This time I got smart. I brought along an empty rolling duffel bag and went from booth to booth filling it up. It felt like adult trick or treating.

After speaking at two seminars, I went to the Covidien booth to meet and greet the people
who wanted to talk. Who knew that the booth I was working at had my favorite gift of the
day. It was a journal, but not just any ordinary journal. This one was designed to record
food intake for the day.

Sometimes we need to go back and repeat a behavior that has worked for us in the past to help get us back on track. Inside the cover of the journal it says, "Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out". Not only did the journal have space to jot down
my thoughts and food, it also had eight little drawings of water glasses to record water intake, three ladies jumping rope to represent exercise, a box to check off multi vitamins
and calcium and finally the one that made me laugh was a drawing of women resting on an
armchair to represent relaxation. Why not eight little chairs, I chuckled. Thank you
Covidien for such an ingenious journal.

I have more to tell you about the event in Minneapolis so stay tuned as this is enough writing
for today. Have a great week.

With love, Stacey

flying in formation

2009-10-19T18:16:00.006-04:00

When you see geese heading south for the winter flying along in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds at least 71 percent more flying range than possible if each bird flew on its own. People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going more quickly and easily because they are traveling on the thrust of one another. When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front. If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those who are headed the same way. When the head goose gets tired, it rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point. It is sensible to take turns doing demanding jobs, whether with people or with geese flying south. Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. Finally -- and this is important -- when a goose gets sick or is wounded by gunshot and falls out of formation, two other geese fall out with that goose and follow it down to lend help and protection. They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly or until it dies. Only then do they launch out on their own or with another formation to catch up with their group. How wonderful it would be if we had the sense of a goose, and would stand by each other like that.
—"Are You a Goose?" by Tom Worsham

A good friend of mine sent this to me and I found it very valuable. It reminded me of something I tell my audiences every single time that do a speaking engagement. I inform them that the biggest lie we tell ourselves is that we can do it alone. Maybe the geese in this story really get that and i hope you get it the way I finally did!

With much love,

Stacy

P.S. Check my homepage for my next speaking engagement on October 24th in
Minneapolis.

2009-10-12T10:28:00.002-04:00

Boy, what a week, Thank you all for your e-mails, blogs and phone calls, praying for my mom and wishing her well. It's been a week of going back and fourth
to different cancer specialists with my mom. Tomorrow is her final test, a pet scan. Tuesday we will get all the results and the doctors will come up with a plan
for her, I am hoping that no more surgery is necessary The tumor is small, but they have to make sure that there are no more cancer cells in her body.

I am not in very good spirits, but I'm holding myself together. I would like an immediate resolution, but everything requires waiting. As a result, I am shopping
online excessively because that's the way I relieve stress. That has to stop.

On a more positive note, I am getting ready to travel to Minneapolis soon and trying to focus on getting ready for that trip. It will be another American
Diabetes speaking event. Since I love doing that, I have something to look forward to, You can check my web site this week for the dates. I would love to
hear from you.

One more thing for all of you dog lovers like me. Someone introduced me to a most incredible online store called "Bloomingtails". I love the name. They have the
most unusual things for pets. I am currently looking for a Halloween costume for my male Maltese named "Tushy". You must see all the cute things they offer.
Go to wwwbloomingtailsdogboutique.com.

Hope you had a great weekend. All my best,

Stacey

Waiting For The Shoe To Drop!

2009-10-06T19:42:00.002-04:00

Sometimes life is going along so great. My physical, emotional and spiritual being all seem to be in line. I feel happy, fulfilled and loved all at once… and then the shoe drops.

My mom flew in from Florida to come see me speak at the Javits Center last Saturday for the American Diabetes Expo. My mom has seen me do it all. Not only has she seen me thru 11 surgeries but she has seen me film a movie, be on television, act in shows, and write a book. The only thing she has not seen me do is talk to people and motivate them. Also she has not seen me do a book signing. It was a lot of fun for us.

Two days later I was to meet her for lunch to say goodbye and she would head back to Florida. My mom has been a breast cancer survivor for over 20 yrs and once a yr when she is in New York visiting me she goes to her cancer doctor for a mammogram and check up. I was to meet her in the lobby after her very routine exam, and then we would do lunch. Instead of her being in the lobby I got a call on my cell phone telling me to come up to the doctor’s office because she needed to have a needle biopsy on a lump the doctor found. From that moment on everything changed.

Three days later I was waiting for her to come out of surgery. She has not gone back to Florida yet. They won’t know anything till Wednesday, and I will meet her at 9am to hear the results. Because of the news, I am hungry and scared.

On the positive side, I have seen my mom recover from cancer before, but I really thought after twenty yrs it was done. It also brings up my own fears as we have an extensive breast cancer history in the family. My mom is a very strong woman and I believe she can get thru anything, but it is just hard to deal with. I want to be there for her but sometimes my own fears for her overwhelm me. Wednesday will not be easy, but stuffing it with food would only make it worse and also aggravate my own chances for cancer. I love my mom and I am happy to be mobile enough now that I truly can be here for her. I am thinking about you all and hope you have a great and productive week. All the best…..StaceyWAITING

AMERICAN DIABETES EXPO- THANK YOU COVIDIEN!

2009-10-01T13:37:00.008-04:00

Thank all of you who came to the American Diabetes Expo this past Saturday at the Javits Center, I felt like the day was one gigantic hug! Years ago I wanted to attend a seminar at the Javits Center but I heard rumors that the place was as big as two football fields and at the time walking was not possible.This day would have not been possible without Covidien.They gave me the wonderful opportunity to share my story and meet with people who need the support and help just like I did.I am totally flattered that Covidien chose me to be a spokesperson for this important cause. I am happy to say that I walked that day with ease but even more happy to see how accommodating the place was and wheel chair accessible to those who wanted to come but just could not do it on foot. There was so much great information being given out, and all the latest breakthroughs to help diabetes were on display. I got to speak about how having bariatric surgery has resolved my type two diabetes and plenty of people wanted to hear my message. I was happy to meet so many Oprah fans who poured out love to me and stood on line so they could get a copy of my book.

They taped my seminar in a webinar so if you want to see it just click on the following link www.orlive.com/covidiensurgical/videos/surgery-providing-hope-and-immediate-resolution-from-type-2-diabetes

I got to see an exercise craze called “Zumba” and everyone in the room was moving even if it was from a sitting down position. The music is infectious. I am going to order an exercise DVD for my mom and I because it’s the perfect thing to do to move around when you cannot get out. I was very motivated to see how many people were looking for answers for themselves and family members suffering with diabetes and obesity. I also saw a lot of success and motivation going on under one roof. Diabetes is a very serious illness and people were out to hear about hope. I believe they got it! I met a lot of new friends on Saturday and hope to see them on my blog soon. I wrote two important words in the books I signed that day and I want to share them with you. ‘HEALTH FIRST.’

All My Best,
Stacey

2009-09-22T17:14:00.001-04:00

Hey Friends!

Start spreadin' the news: [Our Resolution] is coming to NYC!!!

I wanted to let you all know that I am finally speaking in New York City and I have to say that it's nice to be home!

I'll be speaking at the ADA’s Diabetes EXPO at the Javits Center on September 26, 2009 at 11am! The event is FREE for the public, and I would love to see you there! Please RSVP at www.ourresolution.com.

I will be joining members of the [Our Resolution] team to talk about the options folks have to battle their Type 2 Diabetes. I'm really lucky to be able to share my story with you all. In addition to sharing my personal experience, I'll be joined by one of the best bariatric surgeons in the world, Dr. Franceso Rubino and Dr. Judith Korner, a wonderful endocrinologist and obesity guru. They will be able to answer any questions you have about Type 2 Diabetes, obesity and bariatric surgery.

Come join us! I'll be signing books after the workshop at the Covidien booth -- my gift to you all -- so please come on down!!!(sounds like The Price is Right game show--ha!!).

For more information, please check out www.diabetes.org and click on EXPO!

If you cannot attend -- NO SWEAT! The [Our Resolution] team will air this workshop LIVE on the Internet! I will send the link to you as soon as I can. And if you have question, you can ask them during this webinar, or send us your questions or comments to us at the website for a whole year -- I'll be waiting :)

Have a great week and check back tomorrow for more details.

With love and respect,

Stacey

IT'S NOT ALWAYS FEAST OR FAMINE

2009-09-15T18:56:00.006-04:00

Can you go to a feast and not feast and still have fun? The answer is a resounding YES! My whole life I have been a black and white thinker and with dieting it was always on or off with nothing in between . Do you know what that way of thinking has done for me? It kept me over 500 pounds for many years. When I got well, I decided to let go of the all or nothing thinking. I don’t stay away from events that I want to be at just because they have a lot of food. I plan ahead. As you get to know me you will notice I use the word "plan" a lot. Even though it’s been seven and a half years since my bariatric surgery there are so many activities on my list of things I want to do and I have not gotten to them all. My boyfriend knows if he helps me cross one thing off my list there will be extra “lovin” in store for him. This weekend he took me to a Manhattan festival that has been around since before I was born. It's called the San Gennaro Festival or Feast. Growing up I would hear about it, but I could not go because it involved a lot of walking, which I could not do. I knew it was a food orgy which lined about two miles worth of streets with tempting and fried Italian food and desserts. They even have fried Oreos now Also there were a
lot of other fun booths, shopping and rides. My plan was that we would eat our dinner there and I would walk as long as I had to in order to find the healthiest choice. In a sea of fried foods, I chose to have a stuffed artichoke , one soft shell crab and a single bite of a famous Italian dessert called zeppole. This was a major victory for me as I had really thought it out. We went on a fun ride, shopped, held hands, and walked away the calories. At the end of the night I realized my memory would be more about the fun than the food. This was an important epiphany for me. So get out there and do the things you love but PLAN,PLAN,PLAN. I wanted to also remind you I will be speaking in New York city on September 26th at a very important event. For details go to my homepage. I would love to see you there. TTFN( a friend recently taught me this)--- it means ta ta for now in computer talk.
All my best wishes for you…… Stacey P.S. Keep blogging to me. I love hearing your thoughts

Beware of holidays

2009-09-09T18:16:00.006-04:00

I seldom talk about topics from my book, "Winning After Losing", but this is an exception and I find it timely and valuable. Are you one of those people (like I used to be), who says, "I'll diet after the holidays?" If you are, then please say out loud or write on a sheet of paper what your weight is today. Now, I will tell you what you are up against.

September-------Rosh Hashanah (lots of food)
Yom Kippur---you fast for a whole day and then eat twice as much in the evening for the Break-Fast ( and break it we do)
October----------Halloween----Boo
November-------Thanksgiving and all the trimmings
December-------Christmas and Hanukkah
January----------New Years and New Years Day
February--------Valentine's day and 50% off candy the next day
March------------St. Patrick's day
April--------------Easter and oh those peeps
May--------------Mothers Day
June------------Fathers Day
July-------------Independence Day and all those barbeques

My friends, that leaves you with August----the only month without a holiday that you can take care of yourself and eat healthy. For "after the holiday" dieters that can mean serious trouble. Holidays do not have to be just about food. You can maintain your weight and even lose a few pounds if you are a planner.

I talk about "the winners circle" in my book. Those are the folks who keep the weight off from five years to a lifetime. They do nothing without planning ahead and it really seems to work for them. It does not mean that you have to go without but it does mean that there are limits and times when added exercise is necessary even if it is only walking after a holiday meal.

The first year after bariatric surgery, I had no holiday meals at all and I really did survive. By year two I was ready and it went well. There are many strategies one can implement to survive the holidays, but mine was simple. I made one rule. I would allow myself to eat whatever I wanted, as long as there were no second helpings. I filled one normal sized plate (not piled to the ceiling) full of food.

Stick with other family members and friends who share your common goal as a support system. You don't have to add another ten or 20 pounds to the number you said out loud today.

Good luck to all of you and let's stick together.

All my best wishes.

Stacey

STACEY AND NEW YORK CITY

2009-09-04T17:01:00.001-04:00

It is important to let you know that the first 300 pounds I lost I dined out for 50% of my meals. My reason is it was easier for me to eat out than deal with leftovers. I had a whole procedure. Usually, I never asked for a menu because seeing one was too enticing. When I went to a restaurant, I always knew beforehand what I would order. When the waiter came to the table I requested a takeout box with the food order. Before eating, I divided the meal into two portions and took one home. All sauces and dressings were on the side.
My New York haunts pre-surgery were places I could go and eat in the car like McDonald’s on Tenth Ave. – it’s the only drive through in New York City! I would go to the window and order about $40 worth of food, eat half in my car and would sneak into my apartment with the rest.
Since I crave sweets, I would get out of the car to go to specialty cupcake stores – they were my target places. I did not go to most restaurants because I could not fit in the seats. For my last binge before surgery, I insisted my friends take me to a restaurant called Cowgirls on Hudson Ave., where southern cooking is the specialty. I had to go because they have a dessert called baked potato that was my favorite. It looks like a huge potato but it is made all from ice-cream and cake. The appetizer I loved was a bag of Fritos cut open topped with sour cream chili and guacamole. Drum roll, please…..and for the main meal it was chicken fried steak.

Fast Forward
Today, I eat in several places over and over again – where I have no problems with ordering special. I love Houston’s on Park Avenue South. I order the very best peel and eat shrimp and get a great veggie burger – no bun – topped with onions and tomatoes. My current favorite food is an egg white omelet which I eat four times a week. A whole egg has 80 calories and an egg white has only 15 and still has a lot of protein. I get three different fillings each time – mushrooms, onion and peppers. It is very filling and delicious! I get whole wheat toast with jelly – no butter or margarine – as jelly has ZERO fat. Two places that I frequent to get omelets are Visage on 2nd and 7th and Velselka on 9th and 2nd.

Please share with me how you eat healthy when you eat out!

Warmest wishes… Stacey

headlines

2009-08-25T17:14:00.003-04:00

Do you think we will all survive if Paula Abdul does not go back to American Idol? Do you think we will ever get over the fact that Michelle Obama wears shorts?? Headlines, headlines, headlines!

It amazes me what people focus on and think is important. I started to laugh to myself when the media started talking about the president’s wife in shorts (heaven forbid). I remembered back to when I was over 500 lbs and I used to think, “Thank god my father is not president!” The headlines would read: “President’s daughter caught in drive thru at McDonalds!” Ha! The only bar they would report me in would have been a salad bar.

Fast forward to today, I am at the beach and enjoying all the sights and smells of the sand and water. Do I wish I looked different in my bathing suit? Yes, but I cannot let it stop me anymore from enjoying all the things that I have put off for so many years. My bucket list will never be completed if I let my body image and negative thoughts stand in my way.

When I went back to the beach I thought to myself “the last time I went to the beach, about 20 yrs ago, I don't remember as many people being overweight. “ I think I attribute that to the digital age we live in. We are more and more sedentary and everything is getting easier to do - I do not even have to get up anymore to answer my phone because it is always within my reach. I wish I were more like the overweight people I see today because years ago I would never have dreamed of going to the beach even at the weight I am now. I let my weight hold me back from everything and that lack of activity contributed to my weight getting so high at a very early age.
I am honored that I will be speaking at the ADA Expo on Saturday, September 26, 2009 at the Javits Center in New York City. Talking about Type 2 Diabetes is very important because it is a horrible illness, but one that can often be resolved with weight loss and, in my case, bariatric surgery.

Keep doing the things you love doing and ignore the negative messages you tell yourself over and over.

Have a great week!
With love, Stacey

Julie & Julia

2009-08-20T16:51:00.002-04:00

My boyfriend and I take turns picking movies, and this was my weekend to choose. He would never pick anything unless there was tremendous amount of violence or an FBI plot. Me? I'm easy to please, "just a little romance" and I’m happy. This weekend we saw "Julie & Julia."

My recommendation is: do not spend $12 to see Julie & Julia unless you are looking for a two and a half hour superb imitation of Julia Child from Ms. Streep. Other than my adoration of her amazing acting skills, I knew I had to prepare myself to see this film. This is the kind of movie that makes me hungry — and, if I'm not careful, can lead me into the temptation of overeating. Since I knew it centered on food, I planned our dinner for after the show and included healthy options that I knew would fill me up.

Let me tell you, it has taken a lot of hard work to get to this point. In the old days when I was over 500 lbs., just a mere Burger King commercial could send me into the car to head for a drive thru meal or two. Today I know better.

Do you know what your temptations are? Do cues such as seeing culinary shows and movies send you to food? Can the smell of cinnamon buns piping into the mall or IKEA's meatballs send you into a food tail spin? In my case, the answer is YES, and it has proven over and over again in my life.

When I first started to lose weight I consciously flipped past the food commercials until I felt stronger. I'm not saying you should wear nose plugs in the mall or stop watching TV, but it certainly would not hurt to shop with a supportive friend.

It was around the time I had my gastric bypass that I started watching the Food Network. I would watch it with very good intentions. First I watched all the healthy recipe shows, then I would watch other shows and try to make fattening recipes into healthy ones on my own. Even with these good intentions, by the end of the show I always was eating. Although I was having healthy snacks like 100 calorie bags of popcorn, I was snacking nevertheless.

I think it's important to be aware that there are food temptations out there. The phrase "will power" does not just mean having the will to say no; it also means having the presence of mind to know when there is a situation you should avoid.

Enjoy these last few weeks of summer and know I am wishing you as little temptation — and as much will power — as possible.

With love, Stacey

Recipe for Success

2009-08-05T21:20:00.001-04:00

When I was recovering after gastric bypass surgery, I always looked for foods that would not hurt my stomach going down, and had a lot of protein. You cannot eat a lot the first few months after surgery, but you must make sure you eat a high level of protein during that time, and for the rest of your life. In fact, they gave us a rule to use for the rest of our lives — always eat in this order:

Protein
then
Vegetables
then
Starch

The reason for this rule is so that when you get full, at least you know you ate the most important thing (protein).

From time to time, I will put some of my favorite protein-rich recipes on my blog, and I hope you will share yours with me!

I love this one so much that, even seven years after surgery, I continue making it. During the first few months post-surgery, this can be a whole meal! After that, supplement with a green salad or your favorite steamed veggies.

Bariatric Egg Drop Tomato Soup
One can low sodium tomato soup
Eggs — one or two
Cooking spray

Spray the bottom of a saucepan with cooking spray and then fry your eggs right out of the shell (do not add water or milk). When done frying, add the can of tomato soup and half soup can of water. Cook until hot and bubbly.

It's "mmm mmm good!"

Beware of Negative People, They Might Cost You a Pound

2009-07-22T23:02:00.001-04:00

Do you ever feel misunderstood? What sends you to food?

One of the best ways I can take care of myself and stay out of the danger of over-eating is to stay away from negative people or negative conversations. You know the people I am talking about: the ones who are not happy unless they are constantly complaining about anything and everything!

I am often accused of being a loner or a private person. With my friends and others who are, for the most part, positive (we all get negative now and again), I am an open book and very outgoing. I used to get upset when people would say that I was snotty if I said hello and moved on without stopping to make small talk. I would cry to myself because I sometimes felt so misunderstood, and those feelings would make me very hungry.

I have finally learned how to deal with it. If someone tells me I’m standoffish or that I’m not friendly, I tell them the truth whether they understand or not. I simply say that I often notice they complain a lot or talk about negative things, and I would love to talk to them, but my history with negative talk leads me to food. I might be even doing them a favor, in a way. Sometimes people who complain don’t even realize that they always sound so negative. A little bit of honesty beats a bag of Oreos anytime!

I suffer from depression and I need to stay in a positive frame of mind or else I am in danger of becoming 500 pounds again. Most the time, truly negative people will never get it. I understand I do not need to justify myself to anyone, but telling the truth makes me feel better for now. I’m hoping at some time in the near future I will no longer care and will be able to say nothing and move on. The weight comes off quicker than these emotional changes, so I just need to be patient with myself – and you should be, too.

I also want to let all my friends and NY City-area fans know that I will be speaking at the American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes Expo this fall. The Expo is a free event, held in the Jacob Javits Convention Center in September. If you would like to RSVP, or for more information, you can email me at newstacey2004@aol.com.

Have a wonderful week and try to stick with positive people!

All the best,
Stacey