Katie Jay, MSW and wellness coach, is a nationally-recognized authority on weight loss surgery success for life, and the director of the National Association for Weight Loss Surgery (www.NAWLS.com). The author of two books, Dying to Change: My Really Heavy Life Story and Small Bites: Daily Inspirations for Weight Loss Surgery Patients, Katie is an obesity survivor, who underwent RNY gastric bypass in 2004 and maintains a 180-pound weight loss.
She founded NAWLS to provide a safe, nonjudgmental online and live support community for bariatric patients who struggle with weight maintenance and regain, carbohydrate sensitivity, transfer addiction, and emotional eating. Katie has presented workshops, keynote presentations, and trainings to WLS patients and bariatric professionals across the country.
Connie Stapleton, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist and owner of Mind/Body Health Services in Augusta, GA. A native of Iowa, she received her doctorol degree from Texas A&M University in Counseling Psychology. She is an expert in recovery from addictions of all sorts. Her passion is the mental, physical and spiritual health of parents and families. She serves on the Mental Health Advisory Board for ObesityHelp.com and maintains certification as an Addiction Counselor. She is a member of the Board of Directors for the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Certification Board of Georgia. She has worked for 18 years in the field of addiction and speaks publicly on the topic. She works with professional students at the Medical College of Georgia and has a private practice. Dr. Stapleton has been a featured expert for articles in OH, New Physician and Pregnancy magazines. Her 17-year professional history includes an ongoing private practice, teaching at the university level and conducting lectures and workshops. Her book, Eat it Up! The Complete Mind/Body Guide to a Full Life Following Weight Loss Surgery is available for purchase at the events. Future book topics include mind/body books related to weight loss, alcohol and drug addiction, parenting and the family. In her public speaking career she inspires others to implement the tools that lead to a full happy life. She is married to her husband and business partner of 25 years. They have three grown children who are their greatest joy. (Conniestapletonphd.com)
Ken Coleman (Season 3 Biggest Loser Contestant, kenpaysitforward.com)
Ken Coleman lives in Gresham and has lost 200 pounds since he joined the 2006 cast of “The Biggest Loser, Season 3,” on NBC. Before joining the show, he maxed the scales at 410 pounds. The reason he succeeds? Exuberance and self-determination. Ken is committed to “paying it forward” by encouraging others.
MD, FRCSC, FACS
Dr. E
mma Patterson (www.oregonweightlosssurgery.com) is known nationally and internationally as a leader in laparoscopic bariatric surgery, having performed thousands of laparoscopic bariatric surgeries. Each year, she performs hundreds of lap-bands procedures, laparoscopic gastric bypasses and laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomies. She has also mastered revisional procedures, and is the principal investigator on many research studies. In the year 2000, Dr. Patterson was one of the first surgeons in the US to perform adjustable gastric banding surgery, and in March, 2011, she performed the first microlaparoscopic LAP-BAND in the world.
Chef Dave Fouts (chefdave.org) received his culinary degree in 1994 from the Florida Culinary Institute in sunny West Palm Beach, Florida. Soon thereafter he was hired by the prestigious AAA Five Diamond Award-winning hotel “The Breakers” in Palm Beach, where he worked for several years. Other professional appointments included; director of food services at Hippocrates Health Institute , one of the premier vegan/vegetarian resorts in South Florida; executive chef for Omni Hotels; and personal chef for a wonderful family in Naples, Florida. In 2008, Chef Dave joined talents with Vicki Bovee, MS, RD/LD, and started Simply Smart Food, Inc. Currently Simply Smart Food, Inc., is serving as a consultant for Obesity Help, Inc. and JourneyLite, a subsidiary of ASCIRA LLC. Chef Dave is the creator of the Simply Smart Food pilot program which is being hailed a success in the Edmond Public School District for eliminating processed foods and bringing scratch cooking back to the schools.
Over the last several years, Chef Dave has written, contributed and advised on several editorial boards for publications throughout the country. Chef Dave is the exclusive chef for WLS Lifestyles magazine and food columnist for the Edmond Sun. Chef Dave’s newest Cook book Weight Loss cook Book for Dummies, was released October 2010 By Wiley Publications.
These days, you can find Chef Dave lecturing and performing cooking seminars across the country. He advises on food and product developing teams for companies such as Keebler, Uncle Ben’s, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and many others. In addition Chef Dave is on the advisory board for WLS Lifestyles and Obesity Action Coalition. In 2009 he was featured on the front cover of WLS Lifestyles magazine in their quarterly issue. Besides his national speaking engagements, Chef Dave is kept busy in Edmond, Oklahoma, where he lives with his two children.
Cari De La Cruz is a gastric bypass patient who happily maintains a weight loss or half her original body weight. She loves to share about her amazing Bariatric After Life™ because she knows “you can’t keep it if you don’t give it away.”
Through passion, humor and truth she helps others achieve success in their own weight loss journeys and freedom from their food addiction. She can be seen doing witty and informative product reviews and discussing weight loss surgery on her YouTube channel, Tweeting about her latest blog posting or epiphany, offering positive inspiration on Facebook, chronicling weighty matters on her blog, or talking about all of it at as a keynote speaker at obesity related events, conferences and educational forums.
An outspoken advocate for obesity rights, her ardent desire is to shape the discussion, change societal attitudes, and offer hope to those who battle the disease of obesity, every day.
Answering YOUR questions!
Connie Stapleton, PhD and Cari De la Cruz (the post op) will be leadng a breakout session — answering ANY question that YOU might have concerning your WLS journey!
Sandi Henderson and Gloria Samuels will be offering a breakout session: The Lessons Of Successful Lap Band Patients where they will share what they have learned, and answer any of your questions about Banded Living. Gloria and Sandi are the founders of bandedliving.com, the community for gastric banding patients, by patients, and the authors of the book, Is Lap Band Surgery for Me? Gloria Samuels is a highly successful LAGB patient and mentor to bariatric surgery patients. Sandi Henderson is extraordinary in the world of LAGB, having lost 250 pounds since her surgery in May 2004. She has maintained her weight-loss since 2006. Sandi and Gloria are both active advocates for those affected by obesity. They are on the Advisory Board of OAC (Obesity Action Coalition). Sandi is newly appointed to the WLSFA Board of Directors.
Rob Portinga will be offering a breakout session: Life and Weight Loss From a Dude’s Perspective
Early on Rob Portinga realized that being a dude in the world of weight loss surgery put him in the minority. While there were a number of great WLS oriented web sites out there, they were almost exclusively being done by women, so Rob started formerfatdudes.com to chronicle the weight loss experience from a dude’s perspective. While he is the main contributor, other ‘dudes’ do chime in with their own unique experiences from time to time.
Rob had his RNY surgery in April of 2009 and has maintained about 170 pound weight loss for over a year now. After losing his job in construction management, he decided to take what he had learned about eating well and exercising along with his life long love of cooking and get training to become a nutritional coach. Now certified in Fitness Nutrition, he continues to pursue further education in the field of nutrition as he builds his coaching business, Positively Healthy .
Additionally, Rob volunteers at his surgeon’s office, speaking to potential patients at the informational sessions, facilitates a men’s WLS support group, volunteers his time doing webmaster tasks and other duties for the WLSFA . Does cooking videos for Bariatric TV and is one of the hosts for a weekly health and wellness radio show, The Wake Up Call , which broadcasts in the Minneapolis area.
Rae Gordon sings the blues with style and flair
By Laurie Morrisey
What do you get when you add the best of Aretha Franklin and Janis Joplin, with a touch of Mae West? That would be our own Rae Gordon, one of the fabulous singing mavens who wows crowds at various local venues.
Influenced by the likes of Bette Midler, Rae says when she started doing blues it was Aretha Franklin and local favorites like Sonny Hess, Duffy Bishop and Ellen Whyte that helped to shape her. “A big influence in opening up my soul to blues was the music of Robbie Laws, too.”
“I continue to be influenced by the amazing talent we have in the NW—from the seasoned pros to the newer blues converts that grace the jam stages. You can learn from everyone.”
“I have had the incredible opportunity to play with some great people, both in band projects and as a special guest performer. They allowed me to learn and grow from them and play catch up,” Rae said.
“I started my first blues band in 2002 and was with the Sonny Hess Band for two years, finishing up last year. I didn’t cut my singing teeth on karaoke, but took a part time job running it for a while, and it was a great chance to really enjoy being the host of a music party, which helps with running a jam.”
Rae is also known for her gospel shows. These shows started at the now defunct Hopper’s, thanks to former owners Al and his wife Tammy who reached out and asked her to do it. “I didn’t know a word of gospel,” she said. After finishing a stint at Beale Street NW, the gospel show found a home as the First Sunday Gospel Show at Trail’s End Saloon and celebrated a year last April. Now the show will also be the third Sunday of every month at Pig Heaven in Vancouver, Washington.
Currently, Rae has several different performing configurations. On any given night, the band lineup may include: Ken Brewer on keys/guitar/bass/kazoo (so she says, “cuz the dude can play anything.”); Jim Buix (“Boo-ee”) on drums; Jim Solberg on bass during jams; or Jeff Barnes on guitar, who she says has been a big help along the way with his great advice and his sense of humor. She also works with Gaddis Cavenah on guitar and Ben Partain on keys.
Currently Rae is working on a fundraising event—the 20/20 Art & Music Benefit for the 1190 KEX Kids Fund (info at www.creativecakenw.com), set for January 16th (also on CBA website).
You can find Rae at the Trail’s End Saloon on Thursdays. “I call it Blues Therapy (it’s ok to cry) and figure that an hour there is worth three in the chair. I feel honored to be running a jam exactly where it all started and where I found blues, Trail’s End Saloon.”
For more information and a list of upcoming shows visit www.raegordon.com.
Antonia Namnath, founder of WLSFA will be sharing some exciting news. The WLSFA is a nonprofit organization powered by Weight loss surgery patients & their supporters, Bariatric Surgeons & their practices, Hospitals and Corporations. Together we raise funds and gather resources to give away in the form of Surgery Grants to people denied access to the medical treatment of obesity.
The WLSFA defines the WLS Community as people who need or have had weight loss surgery of any type and the people who support them. Formed by and for the WLS community the WLSFA focus will always be on helping people in the WLS Community with their special needs. The board of directors of the WLSFA will always be composed of a majority of members who are them selves WLS patients.
The vision and mission of the WLSFA is creat a national “Network of Care” that brings together the Patient, Corporate and Medical Professionals to raise funds and resources to give away as surgery grants we call “Episodes of Care”
Bariatric and Reconstructive Plastic Surgeons can refer their patients in need to our Grant Program. Guide lines for referral are available HERE.
Surgery Grant recipients will receive the funds they require, a year of follow up care from the Bariatric Practice who performs their surgery, surgery complication insurance, A years worth of bariatric supplements and community support form the WLSFA. Grant recipients agree to raise 10% of the funds they request and to “Pay It Forward” after recieving surgery by supporting the WLSFA.
The WLSFA goals include education for the public to understand morbid obesity and the tool of weight loss surgery.
The WLSFA and it members work as advocates for people effected by obesity.
The WLSFA will always strive to improve the lives of people in the WLS community.