About Weight Loss Surgery

Weight loss surgery is a revolutionary and powerful tool to help folks lose weight and take control of their lives. However, it’s a long journey and there’s considerable work to be done beyond the operating room. Those who are most successful recognize that the surgery itself is only the beginning. In fact, many say that losing the weight and making the required dietary and behavioral changes surrounding eating was the easy part. Most people are either unaware of or completely underestimate how remarkable the emotional changes can be following surgery. It’s often those emotional changes that enhance or hinder true success from weight loss surgery, and Through Thick & Thin was written to help you navigate those changes.

The Author’s Mission

My mission was to write a book on weight loss surgery that takes the reader through the entire process, beginning with considerations prior to having surgery all the way to the complete physical and psychological transition following surgery. Each chapter was designed to address an important issue, based on my experience working with patients who have had surgery. I’ve addressed a wide range of topics and I’m confident that you’ll find much of the information to be quite useful. Hopefully, you’ll find reading the book to be time well spent. I wish you the very best you on your journey.

Advance Praise

“This book is brilliant!”
—BARRY LUBETKIN, Ph.D.

“…with the help of Dr. Huberman’s expertise and experience, patients have a better chance at achieving weight loss success. This book continues to teach me about my patients, which makes me a better doctor.“
—CHRISTINE REN FIELDING, MD

“…an absolute must read for anyone at any point along their weight loss journey…“
—KHALIAH ALI

“…both a bible and best friend for those considering or undergoing weight loss surgery…“
—BRADLEY SCHWACK, MD

“…his rapport with the subject is unparalleled… This book is a must have for everyone!”
—MARINA KURIAN, MD

“…an outstanding, authoritative manual for anyone contemplating or having gone through weight loss surgery…with a sense of humor that I have rarely seen in a book of this sort.“
—STEVEN T. FISHMAN, Ph.D.

“This is simply a great read, and a great resource… Dr. Huberman has experience helping thousands of patients, and his experience is clear on every page… I heartily recommend this book to all those who’ve had bariatric surgery, along with their families.“
—GEORGE FIELDING, MD

For Family, Friends and Professionals

I trust that you’ll find this book to be informative and helpful as you care for someone contemplating or recovering from weight loss surgery. If you’re a friend or loved one of someone considering surgery, you no doubt recognize how much he or she has struggled with weight. As a professional, you’ve seen those struggles, challenges and concerns in your work with overweight patients. Perhaps the best way to utilize the information in this book would be to step into the shoes of overweight people. See things through their eyes. In this way, you may be able to better anticipate their needs and concerns.

The chapters in this book were designed to address psychological and social issues common for the weight loss patient. Each chapter generally uses a problem solving approach, first articulating the issue and then providing suggestions for its amelioration. Although the sequence of chapters was designed to be read in order, individual chapters may be read separately, either as a point of reference or to review previously learned information.

The information in the book hopefully will provide you with a better appreciation for the struggles faced by anyone who is overweight, as well as the challenges of those who contemplate and complete weight loss surgery. For many of these folks, surgery is only the beginning. Many find that losing weight after surgery is actually easier than making the behavioral and emotional changes that the surgery invokes. For this reason, the period after surgery marked by dramatic behavioral and emotional changes is when your role as a caregiver or professional is most crucial.

You’ve done your loved ones or patients a great service by picking up this book and volunteering to be of greater help to them. Thank you for your support!

Excerpt from the Introduction

“Perhaps you’ve decided to pick up this book because you’re thinking of having weight loss surgery. Maybe you’re still on the fence and are browsing this book while standing in the self-help aisle at your bookstore. Maybe you’ve had weight loss surgery and are struggling, or want to make sure that you don’t struggle. Or maybe you want to learn ways that you can help a loved one who’s contemplating surgery, or is facing some issues after having had surgery. In all these cases, this book will be helpful to you.”

Excerpt from the Prologue

“What do I remember from childhood? If you’ve been wondering about my personal experience with weight, here’s a glimpse. It was another beautiful October day: fourth grade lunchtime recess in the schoolyard. My daily torment was about to commence. Dodgeball was truly hell on earth—the twentieth century’s equivalent of thumbscrews or being drawn and quartered. But it didn’t just destroy my body. It also devastated my mind and spirit. The torture began immediately with the choosing of teams…”

Excerpt from Chapter One

“This book was designed to be your road map throughout your weight loss journey, to help you understand where you’ve been, to clarify where you’re going, and to anticipate what things will be like along the way. It is my hope that this book will bring many issues regarding weight loss into better perspective. Ultimately, I trust you’ll be able to make an informed and sound decision about whether weight loss surgery is the right choice for you.”

Details

• Title: Through Thick & Thin
• Subtitle: The Emotional Journey of Weight Loss Surgery
• Author: Warren L. Huberman, PhD, ABPP
• Paperback | $18.95 | 290 Pages | 6″ x 9″ | English | June 1, 2012 | LCCN 2011042710 | ISBN 9780975581094
• eBook | $9.95 | 2,444 Kilobytes | English | February 1, 2015 | LCCN 2011042710 | ISBN 9781938313073
• Published by Graphite Press

Buy the Book

This book is available at fine booksellers everywhere.