Sum m er
 E XERCISE CORNER ..... 1
2013
 NUTRITON NEWS,
S UPPORT GROUPS ......... 2
 P ATIENT S POTLIGHT ... 3
 RECIPES ................... 4
Life Without
Limits
DR. BRIAN GLUCK
Stress Management Tools
Stress comes in many forms. It can wreak havoc on the body
and sabotage your success. Don’t let stress drive you to the
fridge or push you down to the bottom of the priority list.
These simple tactics may be helpful:
Just Say ‘No’: Many of us want to please others and go overboard trying to do so. We find ourselves helping them before
ourselves. Saying no can be liberating. Only say yes to the
things that have a true meaning or benefit to you.
Keep a Stress Journal: Jotting down stresses is a way to become more aware of stressors and come up with healthy ways
to put them behind you. Keep track of the stress along with
the healthy way you overcame and moved forward.
Be Thankful: You can’t change the past. Focus on the present. Find 3 things you are thankful for each day.
Breathe: Simple as it is, this can help you feel better physically and emotionally. Take several long, deep breaths. Inhale slowly through your nose, feel the breath fill you. Exhale
slowly through your mouth, fully emptying your body of the
breath. Even just a few of these deep breaths can help you
refocus.
Take a Walk: It’s been said that if exercise could be bottled,
it would be the most prescribed pill in the world. It helps
both mind and body. Even a 10 minute walk can do wonders
to reduce stress and help you feel better about yourself. You
never regret it once it’s done!
Life happens. We all face challenges. When you feel
stressed, step back and celebrate how far you’ve come. We
can’t take good care of others if we don’t take care of ourselves.
Get Moving
Summer is a great time to try something new! If you haven’t ridden a bike in a while, hop on and take it for a spin.
Never paddled a kayak? Why not? They’re honestly hard to tip. When was the last time you hiked through Hoffmaster to the beach or walked the boardwalk? Climbed the stairs at Silver Lake? How long have you dreamed of
that first 5k? What are you waiting for? We believe you can do anything you want to. Get out there and get moving! Follow our Facebook page for local active events!
O FFICE
U PDATES
Nutrition News:
Why Take Vitamins?
Vitamins are crucial for success and
long-term good health following surgery. You are making up for what
you cannot consume from food. Gastric bypass patients are also making
up for what they may not absorb.
We find some patients stop taking
vitamins because they feel fine. This
is scary since vitamin deficiencies
can take a while to show up. These
are some health challenges you could
face if you forget your vitamins:

Fatigue, weakness, headaches

Difficulty concentrating, lethargy

Heart palpitations

Burning, numbness, or tingling in
feet and hands

Anemia, sometimes requiring
transfusion

Shortness of breath

Difficulty walking, clumsy gait

Night blindness
Please be honest about vitamins
you are or are not taking when you
are here for appointments. This helps 
us help you.

We are seeing better compliance and
fewer deficiencies in patients taking
four Fusion daily. We believe this is
likely due to the simplicity of one
product. Bottom line: take your vitamins, whether Fusion or over the

counter as prescribed.
Drink up! Urine should be pale to
clear in color besides first thing in the
morning and right after vitamins.
Many vitamins require fluids to be
absorbed.
Support You!
General Support Group:



At Mercy Health Partners, Sherman Campus in Conference Rooms A,B,C
Time : Mondays @ 615pm
Dates: July 15th: Finding Fun Trails;
August 5th-Alteranative Adventures; September 9th: Changing Seasons, Changing
Habits
Morning General Support Group:

This group has been cancelled for now.
We hope to resume it in the future.
Out of Town Support Groups
Year and Beyond Support Group



A support group intended for patients 1 year and
beyond from surgery.
Mondays @ 6pm @ Dr. Gluck's office: July
22nd, and August 12th.
Please call the office to sign up for this group
in advance.
Back on Track Class


AND FAST
FACTS
For those >1 year out from surgery who would
like a “refresher” course or guidance in recommitting to a healthy lifestyle .
Offered monthly and scheduled by appointment,
please call 231-737-8446.
Hart/Pentwater Group: Meets 4th Tuesday of the month. Contact Janice Denby (231) 845-7126 or
Caroline Denlar (231) – 869-2561
Newberry Group: Meets first Tuesday of the month at Helen Newberry Joy Hospital. Contact Barbara Carpenter (906)-293-3538.
Scottville Group: West Shore Community College; Contacts: Mary (231) 464-5567; Jenny (231)
464-7141 or Cathy (231) 843-1432
Holland Group: Contact Karen Bryant at (616) 396-1907 x 274
Cadillac Group: Starting soon. Monthly. Contact Kathleen (231) 878-1897
Follow us on Facebook under Dr. Brian Gluck-it’s a
great way to stay connected! This is where we post
office updates, healthy happenings, and recipes.
Visit our website
www.drbriangluck.com and
check out the patient testimonials. Even better,
share yours!

Dr. Gluck has surpassed
3200 surgeries! Thanks to
all of you!

A friendly reminder to get
your labs drawn as ordered
prior to appointments. This
helps us help you best! If
you lose your lab slip, call
us for a new one.
Patient Spotlight:
The River Bank Runners and Walkers
We decided to spotlight a group of patients, rather than just one this time. Honestly, it
was too hard to pick one! These wives and mothers stepped up to not only take care of
others, but of themselves! They fired up our staff as well as each other! We hope it carries over to you!
Kandy has been with our group the past 3 years, but
this last one meant the most.
In her own words…
Hi there, for me the decision to run was more physical than mental. I had a stroke on August 22nd of last year. At
8 months I finally got the all clear to go ahead and resume normal activities, so I rejoined the gym, hired a personal trainer and told him that in 5 weeks I had a 5k that I was running. He looked at me and said, how many
weeks? I said 5... oh and btw.. I had a stroke...and need help rebuilding my physical strength... let's just say the
look on his face was priceless!!
I told him that my previous 5k time was 49:25 and that I would like to do it in at least 45. So not only was I overcoming physical weakness because of the stroke, I wanted to take nearly 4.5 minutes off a pre-stroke time.
So training began, and boy did we work hard!! The day of the race was FREEZING!!! 46 degrees to be exact! I
could not find the 15 milers sign.. so I said what the heck... Ill just hang with the 12 milers!! What a great
choice.. it pushed me beyond what I thought I was capable of.. and I finished the race at 44:18.. so not only under
my goal time.. but 5:7 better than my pre-stroke time!!!
For me it was not a matter of could I have done this prior to surgery.... it was a matter of .. this surgery saved
my life... and continues to do so. Had I still weighed 300 or so pounds.. I truly believe that the stroke would have
been much worse. So not only did it allow me to run this race.. and plan to run a few others.... it allows me to
continually have life improvements and face physical challenges as a healthier person!!
5 years and 2 months post op, and weighing in at a loss from my top weight of 420, down 212 pounds :) and
planning 3 more 5 ks, a possible warrior dash and even a tuff mudder!! :)
That is my story to date :)
Carol and her husband joined us all
the way from Jackson!
Carols words…
I was limited in how far I could walk
before the surgery. I walked the 5K
without ANY anti-inflammatory
meds!!! Ya! Hoo!!
Kandy (top left), Tracey (back right), and Carol before the start of the 5k Run/Walk.
Amy joined us for the 3rd year in a
row. Her perspective is admirable!
In Amy’s words…
I run because I feel it's a gift I've been
given, a chance at a better life, and I
need to respect my new body. Don't get
me wrong, I do not LOVE running! The
experience has been wonderful, from
the training and support from Erica and
Dr. Gluck's staff, to standing at the
starting gate, looking up at the start
sign, and knowing how far I've
come. Then, as you turn the final corner at the 5/3 run, and THOUSANDS of
people you don't even know are cheering you on, saying you're doing
great. It's so humbling. I decided to
start running because I'd never done it
before. I couldn't run anywhere when I
weighed 309 pounds! I don't feel I've
sacrificed anything to run; I think I've
been set free! I stick with it because I
know it's healthy for me and I would do
a disservice to myself if I didn't. If you
don't treat your body well, where are
you going to live?
Jamie and Amy before the start! Look at those smiles!
Jamie completed her first 5k run since surgery with us!
In Jamie’s words…
I used the couch to 5K plan that Erica had given to us, as a
guide, and tweaked it so I could do it according to my schedule. I can’t say I sacrificed anything except time but gained a
lot of confidence and stamina. I could see from week to week
how much further I could run and it encouraged me to stick
with it.
Before surgery the idea of walking even a short distance
made me anxious because I knew I’d be out of breath, tired
and already getting really hot to the point of overheating. After the surgery I felt completely different and that is
Stacey joined us for the 2nd time. It has been so cool to see her progress up to the 10k (6.2 mile)!
In Stacey’s words…
I had set my goal last year after walking the 5K River Bank with 2 of my good friends. My goal at that point was to
RUN the 5k the following year. I walked/jogged the Seaway Run 5K in June 2012, and that August I RAN my first
5K at the Hey 5K! Over the winter months a fellow post oper and good friend suggested we run the 10K at the Fifth
Third River Bank. I was a little skeptical, but not wanting to let her down, I accepted the challenge. I started training in January, getting back in to the swing of running. By March I was knocking out 5k runs during my training
and the 10k was in my reach! I registered for the 10K River Bank run and became even more determined as the
race was scheduled on my 2 year surgiversary! Excited, I told my girlfriend I registered. She was so excited for me,
but informed me she was relocating to South Carolina and would not be able to run with me. I was saddened to
hear this news but even more determined to do the run now for her! My weeks of training did take its toll. Training
and running unfortunately consumed me. I missed being with my children and husband. I felt terrible after my husband brought this to my attention. From that point on, I tried very hard to balance my training with family time and
events. All in all I greatly enjoyed my experience training and running in this years River Bank Run. I completed
the 10K in 1:11:28 with an average pace of 11:32 Min/Mile. I am very proud of my accomplishments since surgery. I never would have dreamed of running in an event like this prior to surgery. My journey began just a few
pounds shy of 300, and with that I had diabetes, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, and suffered from depression and
anxiety. Now 2 years post-op RNY, I have lost 132 lbs., diabetes, high cholesterol, and sleep apnea! I have gained
a new lease on life and look forward to accomplishing more that I never thought possible!
Tracey joined us for her first 5k. She was enthusiastic for the entire training!
In Tracey’s words...
My surgery was December 18th. After the surgery I struggled to eat and was very tired. Other
than my mom duties, I was not doing any type of exercise program. When we came back in for
our group meeting in February and went around the room sharing our exercise program, I knew
I needed to step it up. It needed to be time for me to stop making excuses for not exercising and
just do it. I really wanted the best results possible from my new life change. After I left that meeting I signed up for the 5K training program. I have never been a runner. In high school, I couldn't even run the mile during our fitness testing. I'm not sure what made me think I could run over
three miles at 40 and seven children later! I asked my 15 year old son to be my "at home"trainer.
He promised to run the whole way with me. The first week of training just about killed me. I was
physically exhausted after my 1 minute walk/ 1 minute run intervals. It really made me question
whether or not I would make it to the end, but each day I just did the next thing. To my amazement, with every day came another success. With two weeks to go before the run I was able to
run over three miles without walking. I wasn't fast, but I was steady and I wasn't walking. When
race day came I was so excited and very confident that I would be able to complete it. It was an
amazing feeling to be running beside my son. He encouraged me the whole way and we crossed
the finish line together. The very next week, I ran another 5K with my 9 year old daughter and
was able to improve my time by 6 minutes. I have 2 more races scheduled for next month and
can't wait to see what is next in my journey. The weight loss is great, but getting my body in
shape has been by far my greatest accomplishment. I still have more weight to lose and I know it
will happen, but I feel great. I have more energy than I have ever had before and this year I will
be able to run up the sand dunes with my kids.
Celebrate Your Success:
For this section we need your help! Please email or drop off any stories/events/milestones you have
experienced with your new health so we can highlight in future newsletters.
Email: Erica at [email protected].
Healthy Cooking:
Summer Protein
Rather than specific recipes, we opted to share cool ways to meet protein needs in
the Summer. All of these ideas have at least 15g protein each.
~1/2 cup cottage cheese with fruit (cantaloupe, berries, peaches) or chopped fresh herbs like chives or dill
~fill celery stalks with 1/2 cup chicken salad made with light mayo, curry powder, and either sliced grapes
or pineapple
~celery stalks filled with 2 ounces shredded chicken mixed with buffalo hot sauce (put boneless skinless
chicken in crock pot with 1/2 cup liquid for 4-6 hours for simple shredded chicken you can use many ways)
~1/2 cup black beans and 1/4 cup low fat cheese tossed with diced tomatoes, cilantro, and a touch of kosher
salt and lime juice
~Greek yogurt layered with Kashi Go Lean and fresh berries
~egg salad made with 2 eggs, light mayo, and dill served on cucumber slices
~1/2 cup edamame (green soybeans) tossed with mixed greens, a few mandarin oranges, and light sesame
vinaigrette
~one Al Fresco chicken sausage sliced and put in grill basket with sliced zucchini, summer squash, onions,
and bell peppers; toss with olive oil and balsamic vinegar
~healthy ‘lunchable’ with 2 ounces low fat cheese, grape tomatoes, and a few blueberries
~Oikos Greek Yogurt Dips in place of mayo in chicken, egg, or tuna salads
1325 E. Sherman Blvd
Muskegon, MI 49444
231-737-8446
www.drbriangluck.com