1. Weight Loss Surgery: The Real Skinny by Nick Nicholson, M.D. & B.A. Blackwood

Weight Loss Surgery: The Real Skinny by Nick Nicholson, M.D. & B.A. Blackwood (buy)

Rating: (4/5)

Nov. 13 2013, Obesity Resources Publishing, 109 pgs

Ages: (18+)

"As a way to help educate Americans who are considering bariatric surgery, or those who have already undergone the procedure, well-regarded bariatric surgeon, Dr. Nick Nicholson wrote the book, Weight Loss Surgery: The Real Skinny.  In his new book, Dr. Nicholson shares his passion for healthy living to encourage people suffering from obesity to make the necessary changes to live a healthier lifestyle.  
Weight Loss Surgery: The Real Skinny also reveals:

• Why diets don’t work for most obese people
• What weight loss surgery is really all about
• Ways for patients to choose the right surgeon
• How emotions play a crucial role in maintaining a healthy weight
• How weight loss surgery impacts relationships: the good, the bad, and the ugly  
• Simple ways to develop a post-surgery weight loss plan that really works
• Common obstacles people face after the surgery and what they can do about it."

Received a review copy from the publicist.

I am a few months over two years out from having bariatric surgery.  I had a complete gastric bypass and was interested in what this book had to say about the process I had been through and to gather some insight into the maintaining aspect that I am in now.  For a slim book, this is very concise with no wasted words and gets right to the point.  Bariatric surgery is not a cure-all but a second chance to get yourself together if you are obese and in dire medical condition.  This book explains the process but focuses on what you, the one having the surgery, will go through and what you can expect plus what you will emotionally have to conquer  as obesity is not all about food and eating.  It is psychological, emotional and lifestyle.  The book is very easy to read and I found it described what I went through very accurately.  I did not lose an astounding amount of weight but did lose 100 pounds and went from a size 24 to a size 12, which I am now slightly struggling to maintain, 3-5 lbs up and down.  This little book is very informational and I'd certainly recommend it to those who have decided to go through with the surgery so they can get down to the reality of what will be happening to them.  I found the section on maintaining the most informative, of course, and learnt some new things, alongside being inspired to put some new healthy living practices into action.  I am a Canadian so I did not read the chapter on choosing a surgeon as our healthcare system pays for this operation and a surgeon is assigned to us; we don't get to choose.  I also did not read the chapter on getting back into the dating scene as my now 18 year marriage is completely intact, and all the better for the surgery.  Not that there weren't some rough spots for my husband adjusting to the new me.  The only thing I wish had been added to the book was a chapter on plastic surgery.  The hanging, flabby skin is mentioned but not addressed seriously enough; tummy tucks and breast lifts or reductions are very common concerns for many after the two year mark.  This is the place I find myself now, along with maintaining.  Certainly a recommended book, which I was quite impressed with.