Post Bariatric Surgery

Support Groups

April to June 2012
Every Tuesday, 4:30 to 6 p.m., Room 2

$15 per class
Facilitated by Nancy Coto

The Kaiser Permanente Bariatric Support Group is open to people who are preparing for or have completed bariatric surgery, and also for their friends and family members. The purpose of this group is to provide a forum for interaction focusing on high-interest subjects.

Please pre-register for these sessions. Call the Positive Choice Wellness Center, at (858) 573-0090, 7035 Convoy Court, San Diego, CA 92111. Fee is $15 per session, per person. You may enroll for any or all sessions listed on this schedule with only one telephone call.

April 3

Ask the Physician — with special guest, Albert Ray, MD

  • Involve yourself in a personal consultation with Dr. Albert Ray. He will join us from
    4:30 to 5:30 p.m. to discuss your medical concerns.

April 10

Why Exercise? Why INDEED!

  • Explore the benefits beyond weight loss and maintenance that regular exercise provides for us.
  • Learn the ten myths about exercise.
  • Create an exercise plan that fits into your daily life.

April 17

Write to Heal — Therapeutic Journaling

  • Whether you write daily, once in a while, or hate putting pen to paper, therapeutic journaling can be a useful way for us to get around our inner editor and get in touch with our emotional core. We will work through a few different writing exercises to help us access our desires for well-being.
  • No experience required! Spelling and grammar optional!

April 24

Brush Up Your Body Image

  • How do you see yourself these days?
  • Discuss the importance of updating body image as you lose weight.
  • Learn strategies for feeling more comfortable in your own skin.

May 1

Be Healthy Inside and Out: How to Eat Post-Surgery

  • Brush up on your nutrition and food management skills and understand your specific nutritional requirements.
  • Review the importance of protein, vitamins, and minerals in a post-bariatric diet.
  • Share ideas (and recipes) with other bariatric patients.

May 8

Quick, Easy, Creative Post-Bariatric Cuisine Pot Luck!!

  • Bring your favorite post-bariatric dish to share and join us for a lively protein tastetesting session!
  • Please bring along copies of your recipe and include the eating-readiness stage that is required for a post-bariatric patient to enjoy this food.
  • Please sign up early as there is limited space available!

May 15

Clean Out Your Pantry: Creating the Post-Bariatric Kitchen

  • Identify the essential ingredients you need in meal preparation.
  • Review good sources of protein and vitamins and minerals for you.
  • Learn tips and techniques to practice mindful eating.

May 22

Ask the Physician — with special guest, Albert Ray, MD

  • Involve yourself in a personal consultation with Dr. Albert Ray. He will join
    us from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. to discuss your medical concerns.

May 29

Your Love-Hate Relationship with Food

  • Re-examine the role food has played for you in the past and at the present time.
  • Develop an awareness of the connection between eating/obesity and relationships, stress, anger, and sexuality.
  • Define a healthy and successful relationship with food.

June 5

JUST DO IT! A Dialogue with Successful Bariatric Patients

  • Just do it! Exercise matters.
  • Just do it! Recognize that using your surgery tool is a lifelong project.
  • Just do it! Recovery strategies from folks who’ve been there.
  • Just do it! Managing special events, travel, dining out, multiple demands, and unexpected challenges.

June 12

Understanding the Changes to Your Body

  • Review an anatomy lesson on how the digestive tract works both before and after bariatric surgery.
  • Discuss the short- and long-term complications of bariatric surgery and share ways you have worked to counteract these complications.

June 19

Spectacular Strategies to Help You Manage Stress Eating

  • This presentation will give you the opportunity to take a closer look at the stressors in your life and understand a stressful event, using the stress symptom cycle.
  • Learn how to identify stressors and find ways to intercept the cycle with small changes that can help you lower your stress level.
  • Practice mini-relaxation techniques to help you manage eating urges.

June 26

Ask the Physician — with special guest, Albert Ray, MD

  • Involve yourself in a personal consultation with Dr. Albert Ray. He will join us from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. to discuss your medical concerns.