I feel I've neglected the blog activity since I returned to work. So I am at work, taking a break to blog. I can't believe a month and 5 days has gone by. It took just about as long to get to twoterville, and I was starting to panic when it did not happen as fast as I hoped. Patience is a virtue that I believe was extracted during my VSG. So, I thought I would share my key learnings.

1) Listen to my body. How my mind works and my body works are two different things. My mind (stress triggers) say eat, when my body is not hungry at all. If I listen to how I feel as I eat, I learned that I can avoid feeling any pain or discomfort from eating.

2) Slow & steady is a challenge, but it works. I have really struggled to pace myself and take my time eating. When I do, it is a good experience, when I don't I suffer the consequences.

3) Mood swings and emotional uncertainty is OK. I've woke up crying for no reason. I get overwhelmed easily. I find myself crankier that I used to be some days and happier then I ever was other days. Taking my daily vitamins has helped with the erratic moods.

4) Surrounding myself with support (via this forum) and friends has been instrumental. I find that I can share my success and my failures openly and I'm not judged.

5) Damn these incisions! They are taking for ever to heal! I have a few straglers that just won't heal. I learned that my skin is fragile and that there is alot of stuff that touches your stomach every day, the desk, the table, the kids, it's hard to keep it protected.

6) Exercising is not that easy. In fact, I've slacked. I admit it. I was good the first 2 weeks and since then I've not walked for two weeks - just got the key to the gym near my house and every time my husband asks, "did you walk today" I feel like releasing fire ants on his feet and stabbing them with ice picks. (I'd never do that, but the mere fact that he asks, pisses me off.) I find myself struggling the most with this. I even bought an X box Kinect and Zumba Fitness to play on it. Do I use it. NO. I have done one thing. I park as far from my office chair as possible - I go in the opposite side of the building cross the building take the stairs and then cross the length of the building again to get to my desk. That is the only pro-active exercise thing I've done. Tomorrow is a new day.

7) Weighing my self daily is NOT Necessary, manaing how I feel daily, IS.

Eventually, I will get it right - I'm still learning and becoming the me I see through VSG.