Talk with Tara, MFT

Aloha!

My name is Tara and I am a Licensed Psychotherapist and Life Coach specializing in bariatric surgery and weight loss.  Beginning next week, I will be starting a "Talk with Tara" series that will include helpful tips and information for those considering weight loss surgery and those who have already undergone a surgical procedure.
However, I'd love to hear from you first!   Please feel free to respond to this post and share any topic ideas that you'd be interested in.  For example:   ·         Maintaining motivation ·         Stress reduction tips ·         Emotional eating strategies ·         Relationships & WLS   I look forward to hearing from you and joining you along your weight loss journey!   Tara Griffith, MA, MFT The Surgical Weight Loss Center of Hawaii WLS Support Services  

Excellent, Tara!

By the way... is Dr. C on Maui tonight? I had my calendar marked, but usually see a post regarding his arrival.

Mahalo!!

Glad you're excited! 

It seems that the Maui support group is cancelled tonight.  However, it looks like Dr. Cirangle will seeing patients there tomorrow.  You may want to call the office just to make sure though.

Have a great day!

Thanks, Tara. I checked on your website and saw it was canceled for tonight... darn.

I have to work tomorrow so I won't be able to see him. Darn, again! Guess we'll have to wait until October when he comes back.

Thank you for your prompt response!

Oh! And I vote for Emotional Eating/Boredom Eating and Stress Reduction Tips to start with. Is there such a thing as sabotaging yourself because you don't want the journey to end??? I'm having a heck of a time focusing on the last 10-20 pounds because I am so comfortable and pleased with myself. I maintain very easily. If I lose all I should, then, there won't be anything left to do! Does that make any sense to you?!

 Tara,
I'm new to this forum, having just moved from Louisiana to the Big Island less than a month ago. I had a RNY on October 27, 2008, and have lost 104 lbs. I'm thrilled with my new body for the most part, but have been experiencing lack of motivation to lose the last 20 lbs because a) my size 8 pants are too big, so why keep trying to lose more? b) I'm only 5 ft tall and now that I'm thinner, I feel like I must look like a middle-aged child (I'm 57); and c) although my sagging skin will probably snap back to some extent, it's so discouraging to not be able to wear short sleeves or shorts in this climate because my legs and upper arms are so unattractive. 

What I'm most worried about is that I will start to regain the weight. I'm sticking to my plan for the most part, but with the stress of moving and family problems, I've eaten a small bag of Cheetos here and a box of low sugar cookies there. 

I'm also wondering whether I can attend the Hilo support group meetings even though I had my surgery elsewhere?

Thanks, 

Marcy

Hi Tara,

I am really excited to see you on here. I have some topics that I would like to see discussed if possible.
1. Strategies for dealing with changes in how people treat you. I find that people treat me differently now that I am smaller and it makes me angry. These are people who have known me for the past two years. I liked myself before surgery and I like myself now. I am the same person I just look different. 
2. Does your mind really catch up with your body and are there things we can do to help the process?
3. Any help with stress reduction would be helpful.
4. How do you recognize when you might be sabotaging yourself?
5. Tips for dealing graciously with attention from the opposite sex ?

I am looking forward to your posts.

Ole