gowalking

The best revenge is that you are losing weight and getting healthier. Believe me....if she sees you still or runs into you around town, she's aware....

I'm one of those folks who reminds people that we are more than numbers and to focus on NSVs during our weight loss journey. But even I am speechless this morning. I weigh myself weekly just to stay accountable. Yes...I know when I've eaten well and when I've not, but the number on the scale reinforces what I already know. Since I don't let the number rule my outlook for the day, or even the week, I am OK with the weekly weigh-in. Well...got on the scale this morning and it said 119.2. I had to look at it for a few moments because I couldn't take in what I was seeing. I'm under 120 lbs. That's unbelievable. The very first time I went to WW, I was 15 and 127 lbs. I got down to 113. I was 125 lbs. when I got married and have never been close in all the years since. Oh...I got down to 150 in the early '90s but of course ballooned back up again. Yes...I know it's just a number but it's also a watershed moment for me. I've accomplished something I never thought I would. I'm as small as I was as a teenager. I'm not a teenager though... My skin is terribly wrinkled and I only look good with my clothes on and in long sleeves and pantyhose. I hide the flaws same as anyone would. But...I'm alot smarter than a teenager now and feel that I'm mature enough to make good choices in my life and find future success in ways I thought impossible just two years ago. If all goes as planned, I will be visiting my sister-in-law in China over Christmas. Imagine that...me going to the Far East. Was a time I couldn't hardly walk and now I'm going to the other side of the world. I'm dating again. It's scary for sure, but I'm starting to get comfortable enough with my body that I can appreciate what others see. Not always mind you, but sometimes... It's still a work in progress. Mostly I'm just grateful and happy to be mobile, healthy, and appreciate my life. I give all the credit to the band because that's where it started. Have a great Monday everyone.

I was basically going to write what JustWatchMe wrote. I've been at this nearly two years and I love to shop because clothes look good on me again, and I can walk with very little pain. I don't fear having to walk anymore. That's vital when you live in NYC which is a walking town. Holidays?? Puhleeze....I'm looking forward to them same as I always did but even moreso now because I'm healthier and happier than I've been in terms of my weight than I've been for years. If that means walking away from more than a spoonful or two of a favorite food, so be it. As my signature says, 'Nothing tastes as good as normal feels'.

love the pics ladies!

i hope one day to meet lizzie and eye candy (never been to boston either) and i would LOVE to meet everyone if i am able too Lisa's working on it...collecting names and addresses. I can't wait to meet you guys face to face.

We want to see lots of pics Jim.... You and Kelli with Mickey, Goofy, Snow White, Donald Duck...etc. Congratulations my friend. Isn't living a normal life a wonderful thing? Your bucket list trip is Disney World and mine is the Far East. Unfortunately my dad is having some health issues and heart surgery has been scheduled for next month so the China trip over Christmas has had to be postponed but it might actually work out better as my sister is now considering going with me and my brother as long as we wait till the spring. I promise you all a picture of me at The Great Wall or at the Forbidden City. Just thinking about it makes me want to cry because only two years ago, I thought my travel days were a thing of the past...and at only 54 years old too. Now the whole world has opened back up for me and I am grateful beyond words can truly express.

A couple of the windows at Lord & Taylor set up for Christmas. What a treat! Oh, and then I went into the store to see if there were any sales and found two dresses I got for work...one was a Ralph Lauren and the other was an Elie Tahari. Well made clothes really do feel and fit so much better than the cheaper stuff. Oh, and one of the Ralph Lauren dresses I tried on made me look slutty according to my sister. I nearly bought it. I haven't looked slutty in the longest time.... Enjoy the pics my friends.

As long as folks understand that it's a lifestyle change that will have it's ups and downs, you can call it a journey, an adventure, or a process. I think they're pretty interchangeable....

Was at my son and DIL last night for dinner and to see the nursery furniture they got for my newest grandchild due in April. The crib has the changing table attached and it's a big piece of furniture. The space between the crib and the dresser is a bit narrow so I suggested they might want to rearrange some things and my son said there was no reason to since we were all pretty skinny and wouldn't have any problems maneuvering. I looked at that space and said a silent prayer of thanks because I know that two years ago, I might not have been able to squeeze past so easily. Oh...and a dinner NSV as well. I knew which plate was mine when I saw how much food was on it. My DIL is getting used to mom sized portions and knows how much I eat Loving the new normal for sure.

I love reading these types of posts. Congratulations Carmen. By the way, you are already at goal. You are living your life and that's the real goal...not the number of pounds lost. Great job!!

It exploits the suffering of others under the guise of entertainment. Why else would they make the contestants remove their clothing? It's a sad commentary on just how voyeristic we are (can anyone say trainwreck) and more importantly....the lengths people will go to just to lose weight. How can you say that WLS is extreme but working out 24/7...and on TV no less, is not extreme? WLS will become accepted when it is shown to be successful as a long term solution. Losing weight is far from challenging. Keeping it off is another story.

Make an appointment with the bariatric doctor and the nutritionist and start over. You can do it and find the success you want. Good luck!!

Yay!

This fear is not the least bit silly. I see a therapist to help with feeling like I don't know who I am now that I don't recognize myself. I am physically more comfortable in this small body but psychologically not. I'm not the only one either. There are others on this site who get professional help. Some people love hearing that they are hardly recognizable anymore but there are also plenty of people like me who don't like hearing that. Yes, I know it means I look so much better than I did before but it also comes with a host of other issues. Don't hesitate to ask questions no matter how silly they may sound. I guarantee you that someone on this site can relate to anything you are thinking.

Hi Ivona. First of all, congratulations for making this decision. You sound like a wise woman for someone still so young. All I can do is give you my experience. I am also a big carb lover. Sugar not as much, but I have a sweet tooth and struggle at times. For me, it was more of a psychological struggle rather than a physical one. Oh sure....the liquid diet is tough. I won't lie about that. And yes, I had headaches, nausea, hunger, and was miserable. The only thing I can say is that it it temporary and once you are eating mushies, it's much better. I've also been very fortunate in that I've had no issues with my band and have lost weight fairly consistently. Looking back, it's all worth it as I've improved my health dramatically along with all the other positive changes that comes with losing almost 150 lbs. Good luck to you and please keep us posted on your status.

Isn't our 'new normal' terrific?

Welcome to the other side Kesha and Zoe. What an amazing journey you are both on. I wish I could give you a glimpse into the future so you can know how wonderful things will be a year from now. I'm coming up to almost two years banded and I cannot believe how my life has changed. Things are not perfect...nothing in this world is perfect. But I've gone from morbidly obese and constant joint pain that was threatening to put me in a wheelchair to walking without a cane anymore, swimming, biking, dating, buying cute new clothes, feeling normal, fitting in a restaurant booth, an airplane seat, a chair with arms...I could go on and on. I'm really excited for both of you...and all the newbies who are on this site. Congrats to all.

Congrats Jessy. You will be amazed at how fast these six months go by. And I really do think that the time it takes is good in that you get used to thinking differently about food and food related issues/concerns/triggers. By the time April rolls around, you will be ready for the changes to come. FYI...I was supposed to be banded in October of 2012 and was all set mentally and otherwise. Then Hurricane Sandy hit and the hospital was badly damaged and my surgery didn't happen until January of 2013. I'm sure you can imagine how upsetting that was and yet, nearly two years later, it means nothing. Just one of many blips on the radar. Just keep your head down, do what you need to do, and all will be well.

Well last night's session was a tough one. We started talking about self respect, self worth...all the things I don't feel I deserve for one reason or another. I talk the talk but don't walk the walk. I let people take advantage of me because I just feel that I'm never good enough, pretty enough, thin enough...blah blah blah. I feel awful this morning. I look totally different, but inside, I'm still the same wounded soul. In my zeal to not be or feel entitled, I let myself be used. I have to learn to stand up for myself. Not an easy thing to do when you grew up in a house where you felt invisible and left out all the time. God...I have so much work to do in order to become that confident person I look like, but do not feel like. The weight has some part to play in this, but not all. It was just an outward sign of some of my issues. Now that the weight is gone, I have nothing to hide behind and have to really face these demons. This is hard....

You look so great!! What a transformation. And you look ten years younger. No kidding.

Hang in there....this is the hardest part. And congrats on the 35 lbs. down. That's fantastic.

So...what would you do or say if you had the interaction I just had? I was at the pool for my exercise class and had to put on the float belt because we were going to exercise in the deep end. The instructor knows that I don't like to do exercises in the deep Water because I can't stay stable. She told me the belt isn't tight enough so tonight she tells me to come to her and she'll put it on me so I know how tight it should be. So she puts in on me and while she's making it tight, she says the problem is that I'm too thin and she can't make the belt tight enough. Then she offhandedly laughs and says I need to fatten up a bit. It took all my willpower to not admit how heavy I used to be. I felt like I had to tell her so she would know that I wasn't a thin person. And the irony of someone telling me I needed to put on a few literally stunned me. I just don't know how to handle this type of interaction. I'm so damn uncomfortable with people thinking I'm thin when I know that the fat girl lurks just below the surface. Oh dear...this journey is all about two steps forward and one step back. I'm so glad I have this forum to be able to write this stuff and try to get it out of my system. I don't know what I'd do without it and all of you.

When I was still on the liquid diet just after surgery, my dad said something so juvenile that I couldn't believe it. He was relishing in telling me that he, mom and sis were having a delicious eggplant parm dinner. I heard my sister admonish my dad for being such a d**k. I vowed to 'get even' once I lost the weight, but as JaGo says, the need to get even goes away the smaller and happier you get/feel. I'm chalking my dad's stupid comment up to a bad day because now he tells me all the time how proud he is of my accomplishments. He's not just talking about the weight loss, but all the improvements I've made. If you think a talk with this person will help, go for it. Otherwise, just focus on you and your needs and you'll be surprised how 'revenge' will not matter much as you reach for your goals. Good luck and keep us posted.

Oh very interesting question Meggs. I agree that it probably depends on the person posting and whether or not they are OK with this weight loss 'interruption' or aggravated by it. The only thing I ever post is for those who are worried, I tell them it's normal and the weight will start to come off again as long as they are doing what they are supposed to. Other than that, I don't comment as I've been very fortunate to not have gone through a prolonged stall or plateau. If my weight didn't change over a couple or three weeks, I didn't consider it a stall. I never went months as others have with no weight loss. As I said, I've been very lucky with the weight loss part of it. I hope to be just as lucky with the maintenance part.

Speaking of jeans...when I was in size 16/18ish, I'd buy them really tight in the tummy to try to make it look like I wasn't as big as I was. Of course this was just denial. I'm all of five feet tall so wearing a size that big didn't fool anyone except me. Once I was in size 20 and larger, I just ignored it completely because I was so very large. But I noticed yesterday slipping into my size 6 jeans, that they were a little loose so I thought I needed to buy a smaller size but when I looked at myself in the mirror, I realized my midsection is so small now that the jeans don't have to be tight anymore because there's alot less to try to hide. In fact, the backside and legs sections are alot worse than the tummy/midsection. That's where the jeans are really looking saggy. I guess everything is a NSV when you've lost what's tantamount to a whole other human being.