Before and After. Living and Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery

My wife bought this to be prepared for bariatric surgery, but looking through it I think theres lots of applicability for my non-surgical Atkins-type diet, too. Most of the recipes are high protien and low carb. perfect. Looking forward to some of the holiday treats.

I bought this book and met Susan Maria at a book signing this past weekend in Arlington, TX and she absolutely ROCKS..... I read it from front to back on the drive home. I made the cheesecake recipe from her website www.bariatriceating.com and got excellent comments at work. They didnt even know it was sugar free. Susan has been in in our shoes and she helps us actually enjoy eating the small amunt that we can. Meeting her and listening to her wonderful stories, made me so excited to buy the book and put it into practice. The surgery is a tool, not a magic answer and Susan Maria helps use actually enjoy eating again. We dont have to live on protein shakes and bars for the rest of our lives. I definetely recommend this book and to use it in combination with her web site to anyone who has had WLS, diabetes, or to anyone who wants to eat healthier. Two thumbs up

This is a nice, well-rounded book in terms of the gastric bypass experience. The best part, however is that she provides really great recipies and discusses their possible uses in different phases of recovery after post-op, and how to adapt them both to the patient and the patients family. I havent tried a recipie in this book yet that my family didnt love.

The story was nice, and shows the good side of the surgery, which I can relate to. Mine was TOTALLY uneventful and I have had no problems whatsoever.
My fave part of the book are the recipes. I made alot of her recipes early on and they were delicious.

Enjoyed many things about her book, but wanted a more detail desrcription of the downs as well as the ups before and after surgery. Her story makes it look like a breeze most of the time. I would have enjoyed more story and less on recipes also. Not an ideal book to get the down to earth facts about all aspects of this surgery. I could hardly put this book down

Great shake recipes for new post ops. I was gagging down protein shakes and totally stopped drinking them and was in a weight loss rut until I got a hold of a few of Susans protein shake recipes.

Im happy to note that the shake recipes are delicious and I have started my weight loss again. Great fish recipes for new post ops like myself. Fish is perfect for a few weeks to a few months out, I cant wait to try a few more variations of the old stand bys Ive been using.

Thanks for writing this book Susan, its hard enough to figure out what to eat after WLS let alone how to make foods we love safe and dump syndrome free.

I am 2-1/2 years post op, made goal in 7 months andamp. have maintained since andamp. love this book... Susans recipes are very post op friendly. The desserts cure my constant sweet cravings andamp. I can live without the guilt andamp. weight gain. The meal recipes are delicious andamp. simple to make, not a 5 minute meal but eating healthy takes work andamp. effort, being lazy is what got me MO in the first place. If you want to be successful andamp. still eat normal read this book, learn it, use it live it, my success is all about the way my diet changed. This lady tells it like it is, she has all of our post op needs in mind. You will get years of use out of this book. I cant wait til the next one comes out...

i think the book was great and i wish i had seen it before my surgery. i liked the recipes, and i like that the author translates foods so that i can eat them as a wls post op. she speaks from the heart. im glad i bought the book.

This book was like an infomercial selling her vitamins. Wow if this is all it takes to make money, Im going to write a book too and make millions. Nice try Susan Maria. As preachy as she is on OH and always slamming the wonderful Carnie Wilson, she really needs to follow her own advice and there is no way she weighs 135 Lbs. I met her and I can vouch for that. I just wish people who have had WLS can be honest about how much weight they are really losing and keeping off. I had WLS and I am smaller than she is and weigh 135 Lbs.

This was exactly what I needed to read after my operation. This book gives hope to people having RNY that food can still be something that we can look forward to and still enjoy post-op. The chapters on pureed and soft foods and shakes are perfect for the early stage that Im in.
I found that there were simple recipes as well as fancy recipes. They all sound wonderful and the ones Ive tried so far have been incredible. Thank you Susan Maria...

This book is absolutely wonderful. Susan Marias story is inspiring and true to her heart. She is a wonderful example of someone who has put their mind over matter and made a difference in the lives of the pre op person and especially the post op person. The recipes in the book look amazing. I havent tried any yet but only because I just got the book and havent had time. But I have tried recipes from her website bariatric eating.com in the past and those have always been delicious and quick. The book is top notch as is Susan Maria. Two thumbs UP..

Susan Marias book was so easy to read and had so much information for a postop and preop patient. She shares her incredible journey and the receipes are wonderful.

Im sorry, but this book was more of a travelogue of Susans adventures jaunting around the globe after her surgery. Please spare me the details of how exquisite the gardens were, or how lovely a time you all had - just give us relavant facts about the experience of Weight Loss Surgery. While there was useful information in the book, you had to wade through her sappy stories and useless details. Sorry, but I wish I had spent my time and money elsewhere.

In the journal type section, I felt as if Susan was speaking directly to me. Black and white explanations as to why our post op nutrition is so important plus recipes to keep us on track. I love her chapters on Protein shakes, and Soups Purees andamp. Soft Foods as this is the stage where I am right now at one month out of RNY surgery. Thank god for her shrimp salad and egg custards. I am not a major cook and yet I find her recipes easy to follow plus they dont assume that I know how to do anything. Some recipes are more for company or special dinners but the majority are easy enough for me. I am excited about trying many of them once I am further along. Loved seeing the writer on the TODAY SHOW. She is my new hero.

I am a new post op RNY Bypass patient and was thrilled to see something being written on the subject by someone who had actually something positive to say. I was to say the least disappointed that Ms Leach didnt follow most of the guidelines for eating post-op. Further she didnt suggest to others that you might not EVER be able to eat the way she was eating. Also Alcohol is a big NO NO which she talks about at length. There was some useful information, but on the whole the book lacked true content and was certainly not worth the -Wait for a used copy or if it come out in paperback-Thats about how much the information that was useful was worth.

Im 5 months out of WLS and I find this book horrible. Im glad I did not read this before surgery because I would think that life after surgery was perfect. She quickly skims over her bad episodes while going on ad nauseum about her triumphs. We all go through good and bad and it need to have equal weight. Any body who has had surgery will tell you to follow your surgeons dieticians advice. She offers advice on eating that is not the norm followed by most surgeons. The one point she did not bring home is that everyone is different.

This had to be the worst book Ive read on Gastric Bypass. I should have read the other reviews before I purchased this one. I could not relate to the author and her jaunts to her new condo in Daytona and all the name dropping. Do we really care where she ate at If you are looking for an informative book that will give you insight on the pros and cons of Gastric Bypass surgery this is not it.

Great shake recipes for new post ops. I was gagging down protein shakes and totally stopped drinking them and was in a weight loss rut until I got a hold of a few of Susans protein shake recipes.

Im happy to note that the shake recipes are delicious and I have started my weight loss again. Great fish recipes for new post ops like myself. Fish is perfect for a few weeks to a few months out, I cant wait to try a few more variations of the old stand bys Ive been using.

Thanks for writing this book Susan, its hard enough to figure out what to eat after WLS let alone how to make foods we love safe and dump syndrome free.

This book doesnt have much information that I needed for my weight loss surgery. Most of the recipes seem to be for post ops who are over a year out and many that just sound too much bother to make with too many off the wall ingredients (that I would have to go out and shop for or order online). I need meals that are fast and easy to prepare, not a recipe for a Bloody Mary that contains 12 ingredients.

Weighing 278 pounds and unable to tie her bathrobe closed, in June 2001, Leach had her stomach reduced to the size of an egg. But her battle with food didnt end there. Like all those who undergo weight-loss surgery, Leach must diligently watch her food intake. eating more than a few bites of a dish or ingesting too much sugar will result in dumping, a bodily reaction as unpleasant as it sounds (it involves food emptying from the stomach too quickly). Leachs journal of her post-operative year (which followed her loss of 143 pounds) shows that she remains just as obsessed with food as she was before surgery. Leach isnt exceptionally self-reflective and doesnt analyze what readers might find most helpful. how her relationship with her husband has changed. He grows jealous of her girls-nights-out and tries to force her into eating key lime pie, even though it will make her sick. Later, in a qandamp.a section, Leach matter-of-factly answers such inquiries about weight-loss surgery as Does insurance cover it and How fast should one lose weight In the books final third, Leach provides more than 100 tasty (and dump-proof) recipes for protein shakes, main dishes and holiday meals. Many of the recipes can be found in other low-fat cookbooks, but Leachs recipes for desserts are unique (e.g., Lemon-Almond Sponge Cake). Although her journal may paint an overly rosy picture of post-weight-loss surgery life, those who have undergone or are considering such surgery may find it helpful.
Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Book Description

At 278 pounds, Susan Maria Leach couldnt fit into a roller coaster seat, couldnt tie a bathrobe around herself, couldnt even ride with her husband on the back of his Harley. Enough was enough. Susan underwent gastric bypass weight loss surgery. Now Susan weighs in at a mere 135 pounds. Her book, Before andamp. After, is the story of her incredible journey from being too big to enjoy her life, to being able to truly enjoy life to its fullest.

Now Susan can fit into that roller coaster seat, completely tie that robe, and ride on the back of her husbands Harley.

More than one hundred thousand people had weight loss surgery in 2003, and as those pounds continue to drop, the number of people opting for the surgery continues to rise.

Part memoir and part cookbook, Before andamp. After includes a foreword by Susans surgeon, comments from a nutritionist, and a section on frequently asked questions. It is an intimate account of Susans own transformation, as well as a universal guide for those who have undergone or are considering the procedure.

After her own success, Susan participated in support groups for weight loss surgery patients. There, she discovered that people had as many questions about life after surgery as they had about the operation itself. Before andamp. After answers those questions and many more. An accomplished home cook and longtime culinary enthusiast, Susan quickly became known as the lady with the recipes.

Determined not to give up good food and a flexible lifestyle, Susan worked hard to develop recipes that meet her nutritional requirements, yet are delicious and satisfying for her, her family, and her guests. The 100 recipes -- which include everything from Roasted Salmon with Mango Salsa and Italian Meatballs to Belgian Chocolate Cheesecake and Lemon Meringue Pie -- make about four servings, but each comes with a measured serving for WLS people along with a calorie/carb/fat/protein count. Susan has recipes for every step of the way, from tastes-like-the-real-thing milk shakes for those first post-op days to an entire Thanksgiving menu. Before andamp. After is a journal of Susans own inspirational story, where she shares her ups and downs, her tips and techniques, but mostly its a book about hope for anyone who has a serious weight problem.

About the Author

Susan Maria Leach gained her knowledge of weight loss surgery through her personal experiences and research. She holds a degree from the University of Vermont in Medical Laboratory Technology, specializing in microbiology, hematology, and blood chemistry. She lives with her husband, Ty, and her cats, Sushi and Ziti, in Florida.