Just a Few Questions & Answers!

Just a few questions and answers !
In the months following my surgery I was asked many questions.Here are a few of the questions and answers that might be helpful to anyone with more than 50 pounds to lose. Again, nothing takes the place of advise from a doctor but this is what has been working for me

1.Did you have surgery toget weight off?"

Yes and No. I have NOT had any surgery involving gastric bypass etc. The surgery I did have was for skin after massive weight loss.
I asked Dr. Beckenstein to describe some of the issues involving cosmetic surgery and weight loss. His response was,"After significant weight loss, the skin that was expanded out due to the excess fat now hangs down. To make things worse, the skin elasticity is broken (why there are stretchmarks) which makes the skin more lax. Surgery can be performed which removes the extra skin and restores a more pleasing contour. If designed appropriately, the scars can be well concealed into normal body creases.The abdomen, breasts, arms, thighs, and back are the more common areas that can benefit from these procedures.These procedures should be performed only AFTER all the weight is lost, those are not to thought of as weight loss procedures! Of course, patients must be in good physical and emotional health to be considered candidates for any surgery!".
2. "Are you going to have anything else done?"
I need one more surgery on my thighs after I get a little more weight off. I can also have a lift on my rear but I haven't decided about that yet.
3." How long has all this taken?"
A little over 4 years now and I still have a tad more weight to go, This is not an overnight fix! It is a brief overview of what can be accomplished with the help of diet and exercise that's incorporated into a lifestyle change.
4, " I tasted a bite of my friend's soy burger once and it was not what I expected. I just don't think I can give up meat!How can you eat that stuff?"
I often laugh when someone asks me that question. There are now 100's of replacement soy products that are wonderful tasting, easy to use and affordable. Remember that a supersized burger with big fries and a large soda cost about 8 bucks and some change so buying a package of soy patties with whole wheat rolls is very affordable. Since I don't have permission from every company to mention their product by name I can't include product name but email me and I will be glad to give you a list of what I use.
5," Does your family eat that stuff?
My little one does eat what I eat most of the time, She loves vanilla soy milk in her cereal and begs for whole edamane as a snack. I will cook a bowl of edamame in the microwave, put a dash of sea salt & soy sauce in the bowl and that is one happy child. I usually make her lunches for school too so I can control the amount of processed food she eats.
6. " I get what you eat but what won't you eat?"
It does seem like I have eliminated many things from my diet but the trade off in pounds is well worth it to me. I eat lots of fresh fruit, veggies, whole grains products, brown rice, soy replacement products and natral sweetners like agave nectar or stevia. I don't eats red meat, chicken,fish or pork. I stay away from dairy products and eggs. I avoid artificial sweetners. I try not to eat overly processed food.
I hope I covered a few of the questions someone may have contemplating a lifestyle change involving soy. I surfed the net many hours and kept my nose in a book before deciding that this would work for me.
If the change seem overwhelming at first, cut out one "bad food" at a time. It may take a month or more to get totally onboard with the food but it can be done. I feel so much better now I made the switch to SOY Good cooking and I am sure you will too.