Before and After: Living and Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery [Hardcover]

Susan Maria Leach (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 4, 2004

At 278 pounds, Susan Maria Leach couldn't fit into a roller coaster seat, couldn't tie a bathrobe around herself, couldn't 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 & 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 husband's 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 & After" includes a foreword by Susan's surgeon, comments from a nutritionist, and a section on frequently asked questions. It is an intimate account of Susan's 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 & 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 includeeverything 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 & After" is a journal of Susan's own inspirational story, where she shares her ups and downs, her tips and techniques, but mostly it's a book about hope for anyone who has a serious weight problem.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

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 didn't 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). Leach's 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 isn't exceptionally self-reflective and doesn't 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 q&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 book's 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 Leach's 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.

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.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Cookbooks; 1 edition (May 4, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060567228
• ISBN-13: 978-0060567224
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (94 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #316,030 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Blah, blah, blah, June 22, 2005

By 

Beth "bibliophile" (Northwestern PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Before and After: Living and Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery (Hardcover)

I'm sorry to be rude, but did anyone else want to trip this woman as she headed down a flight of stairs? I knew before I opened this book that it was not the best weight loss surgery book to read. But I reviewed several different books and decided that I wanted to read the good with the bad. This book wasn't just bad, it was arrogant and hypocritical. I think only once does she mention feeling sorry for other heavy people. The rest of the time, she's telling me about how she fit into a paper thong at the spa or felt like such a "badass" because she bought some leather chaps to ride on her husband's Harley. She all-too-often sings the praises of life after gastric bypass, but she also forgets to mention that her charmed life is due to the fact that her husband is a real estate salesman whose clients are able to afford million dollar dwellings while she's throwing up in the bushes outside. I'm only halfway through this swill and if she tells me how gorgeous, beautiful, or perfect she is one more time...I'm throwing it right into the garbage with the rest of the trash.

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars buy it only for the recipes, and the recipes only, June 23, 2005

By 

Marianne S. (Allentown, Penna.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Before and After: Living and Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery (Hardcover)

Written in a breezy, chatty style, the narrative part of this book is only a prelude to the recipes, which are great. The narrative is 1/2 of the book, and is basically a travelogue description of the expensive restaurants she has eaten at since WLS(you can tell she's rich)and how she coped at them. She does has some unbelievable dessert recipes, all high protein and/or low carb. It should have really been marketed as a cookbook, because for WLS surgery info, its a zero.

If you need post WLS recipes--its a really great book. For pre and post-op WLS info, the very best choice is Weight Loss Surgery: Finding the Thin Person Hiding Inside You by Barbara Thompson. That book is what I credit as the one thing that made the decision for myself as whether or not to have WLS.

26 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars This is not the book you want, March 17, 2005

By 

J. Hamilton - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Before and After: Living and Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery (Hardcover)

This had to be the worst book I've 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.