wildGoose

Happy New Year Everyone
​Thank you so much for sharing all your struggles during the holidays. It has been difficult. As I lay in bed last night at 9Pm (missed New year's) drenched in sweat and shaking from a regular sized slide of Tres Leches cake, I felt like a complete fool. Did not do a thing to make myself feel better instead opted to suffer through it. But I fell asleep within minutes, so not enough suffering as far as I'm concerned. Yet this morning my first thought was could I have bite of that delicious cake? I don't think I can have any sweets in the house for a while. I have a dinning room table full of sweets. Cookies, chocolates, etc. Yes, family and friends have put a dent on it but there is still a lot. I need it gone. After this cake is eaten I cannot make dessert for like 3 months.
Top goals of 2016 (first week of 2016, really)
1. Go back to the gym
2. Stop eating like Mario Andretti (yes, Wildgoose)
3. Allow enough freaking time to eat a proper meal and not have Snacks rather then meals
4. Sugar gone. It's addicting and it's making me sluggish not to mention sick
​What I have done right so far:
1. Breakfast usually is good. I start my day right and plan my first meal. it's 11:00 AM an onwards that I need to work on.
2. Herbal tea has been my most wonderful discovery. I drink 3 to 4 cups everyday and it feels wonderful. Something about the warm drink is so yummy. I have a large mug each time with 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and a packet of Truvia. It feels like a desert to me and that tiny amount of sugar doesn't matter to me. Mid morning, mid afternoon and evening always happen. I treasure these and I credit my adequate Fluid intake to keeping this trend going.
3. I stay active (not this past week) moving and accomplishing physical tasks has been a drug I feel addicted to. Because I can do so much more, I stay active. I do more on purpose and constantly invent stuff to do just to move more. It works for me. I am driven and goal oriented and if all I have is vacuum, I will do it. I would be in trouble if I had a sedentary existence. That's how I got in trouble in the first place.

Some days, I will look at my pants not believing I am going to be able to get into them. And low and behold, I will slide right in. A miracle.

I just wrote a whole reply to this post on my phone and then I lost it. I am going to try again. I guess I need to say all this stuff twice.
At the support group offered each month by my surgeon, there was a speaker who had gained all his weight back. He did it by eating a loaf of bread (with something on it) every day. I don't know how long it took him to gain the weight, or at what point in his recovery he did that. But I really don't want to go there. I'm 62. By the time I had my surgery I had already had diabetic-related health issues like retinopathy. I have ruined my knees and I have major mobility issues. If I regain the weight I have lost, I believe I will become one of those people who needs a special ambulance to get me to the hospital. I am so terrified of this. About 6 months ago, I started seeing a therapist who deals with body issues. I spent the last 15 years not looking in a mirror. Now I have homework that requires me to look in a mirror for several minutes a day. My goal in therapy is to not live like a fat lady no matter how much I weigh. I do a lot of things right. But I find myself slacking off. I slack off on my physical therapy. I don't go to the pool often enough. Those are my biggest weaknesses as a person recovering from obesity. I have had flirtations with foods. Raw almonds. popcorn popped in coconut oil. I am always looking for ways to get more oil my nutritionist says two tbsp of oil a day. I think I am better off with my love affair with herbal teas. I'm trying to get back in to sugar free popsies. They aren't nutritious, but I'd rather have those than some of the stuff I decide I can have. I'm over the almonds, mostly. I'm over the popcorn. But I find myself looking for some other way to sabotage myself. even the best intentions can turn into self sabotage. I have to press add reply now before I lose this again. Thanks for being here.

One huge change I made after my surgery was that I started drinking tea. I used to be a Diet Coke addict, and that was how I got my caffeine. After surgery I just could not stand the taste of Water so I started on the herbal teas. And I often have some black tea in the afternoon. Every morning I have lemon water first thing. Lucky for me I tend to get enough water/tea. Peppermint tea has been a life saver. I love the check list of habits we've either adopted or not. It is good to remember what we're supposed to be doing.

This might be my favorite post of all time. I east too fast too. It is my worst action around food. I don't eat and drive, I live alone and that makes things easier. But I do like to have my dinner with my television. I eat raw almonds because they are slow. But I do need to slow down. And focus on chew chew chew. I'm really good with my yogurt and fruit that I have every morning. But after that, I turn into Mario Andretti. The good part for me is that I remain very conscious of what I eat. I don't "blackout eat" anymore. I don't want to be one of those people who gains it all back. Thanks for being here. And Beni, thanks for starting this group.

It is amazing what the holidays will do to us. When thanksgiving came around it was like an alarm went off in my head saying "ready, set, eat." Just not fair. I've eaten a few Cookies that someone brought to my house. If my stomach gets weird, I either drink peppermint tea or chew mint gum. I think I should just let myself suffer. My new stomach is still sensitive. I'm grateful that it really won't let me eat much. On Christmas I had steak and roasted veggies. An hour later I had half a baked potato with some butter. That was my planned indulgence. I'm so grateful that I haven't had a drink of alcohol since before my surgery. I had my annual Christmas party that I've been throwing for ten years. The same people every year. They all know the whole story and don't even try to entice me (for the most part). I am still using my fitness pal. At least I start out that way each day. My weight has been stuck at 172-175 for months. My PA says that is normal for my AGE. I don't like weighing that, which is so silly. But wouldn't 160 be "sexier?" I'm a nut!! happy holiday everyone.

Some days, I will look at my pants not believing I am going to be able to get into them. And low and behold, I will slide right in. A miracle.

Some days, I will look at my pants not believing I am going to be able to get into them. And low and behold, I will slide right in. A miracle.

Hugs.

I just wrote a whole reply to this post on my phone and then I lost it. I am going to try again. I guess I need to say all this stuff twice.
At the support group offered each month by my surgeon, there was a speaker who had gained all his weight back. He did it by eating a loaf of bread (with something on it) every day. I don't know how long it took him to gain the weight, or at what point in his recovery he did that. But I really don't want to go there. I'm 62. By the time I had my surgery I had already had diabetic-related health issues like retinopathy. I have ruined my knees and I have major mobility issues. If I regain the weight I have lost, I believe I will become one of those people who needs a special ambulance to get me to the hospital. I am so terrified of this. About 6 months ago, I started seeing a therapist who deals with body issues. I spent the last 15 years not looking in a mirror. Now I have homework that requires me to look in a mirror for several minutes a day. My goal in therapy is to not live like a fat lady no matter how much I weigh. I do a lot of things right. But I find myself slacking off. I slack off on my physical therapy. I don't go to the pool often enough. Those are my biggest weaknesses as a person recovering from obesity. I have had flirtations with foods. Raw almonds. popcorn popped in coconut oil. I am always looking for ways to get more oil my nutritionist says two tbsp of oil a day. I think I am better off with my love affair with herbal teas. I'm trying to get back in to sugar free popsies. They aren't nutritious, but I'd rather have those than some of the stuff I decide I can have. I'm over the almonds, mostly. I'm over the popcorn. But I find myself looking for some other way to sabotage myself. even the best intentions can turn into self sabotage. I have to press add reply now before I lose this again. Thanks for being here.

It is amazing what the holidays will do to us. When thanksgiving came around it was like an alarm went off in my head saying "ready, set, eat." Just not fair. I've eaten a few Cookies that someone brought to my house. If my stomach gets weird, I either drink peppermint tea or chew mint gum. I think I should just let myself suffer. My new stomach is still sensitive. I'm grateful that it really won't let me eat much. On Christmas I had steak and roasted veggies. An hour later I had half a baked potato with some butter. That was my planned indulgence. I'm so grateful that I haven't had a drink of alcohol since before my surgery. I had my annual Christmas party that I've been throwing for ten years. The same people every year. They all know the whole story and don't even try to entice me (for the most part). I am still using my fitness pal. At least I start out that way each day. My weight has been stuck at 172-175 for months. My PA says that is normal for my AGE. I don't like weighing that, which is so silly. But wouldn't 160 be "sexier?" I'm a nut!! happy holiday everyone.

Weight wise I'm at 151 and don't seem to stop losing weight. I was happy with 160. I do try to eat more but I am so busy with all the holiday stuff, I noticed lately I eat even faster. We are talking 5 minutes. In desperation I have tried to eat while I drive because i am sitting there I figure it will naturally slow me down. But my car is going to get (is already) messy. Try eating yogurt and drive. Not easy. My new thing is nuts because I can chew them slowly while I drive. Now my floor looks like a squirrel has a storage facility between my seat and the center console. Some do fall, lol.
Lots of peps that have not seen in a while comment on my amazing transformation. That does feel good. I still love my surgery but need to manage my eating a little better.

I am 60. Pre-op. On my way to surgery I was diagnosed with uterine cancer. (Stage one, grade one), So my journey to surgery has been sidelinesd. I'm having a hysterectomy on April 15 and then will have to wait to see what happens. I'm getting a lot out of reading this group.

It is November 2015. This means that all the readers of this group have been out for one year! For me, I find this to be miraculous. I've lost 110 pounds from Oct 28. Absolutely everything is different. One of the big things I have done for myself is to find a therapist who deals with body issues. She deals with weight loss women and kids and anorexia.
Before surgery, I had gone about 15 years without looking in the mirror. Amy (new therapist) has me looking in the mirror for 5 minutes a day. Believe me, 5 minutes is a long time!
When I started with Amy, my biggest fear was that I would remain the fat lady on the couch. She's still in there on some level, but she's going slowly out the door. When I want to remind myself of my amazing progress, I put on the size 12 button fly gap jeans. I can button them standing up! This gives me a thrill. I am just so grateful. 62 years old. I want to lose 10-15 more. It is going slow but that's ok. I'm so grateful.

@@Luna222
I am glad you are allowing yourself to be happy. I think it's a big struggle for us as a group. For so long we felt miserable about who we were that we got used to it. Our normal was feeling bad and it is hard to change because it was a place we knew how to live in. It's almost like with any other self defeating life style. Like hoarders know it's bad for them but they are comfortable in their misery. I wasn't happy but I was definitely resigned to my role of the invisible fat person in the room. I took crumbs because I felt like I only deserved crumbs. Now I want more out of life. Still not asking for the moon but working on it. After all it is a process.

Nice job. You have made significant progress in the last year!
I have just 14 left to go myself to get to an ideal weight for my height and body type.
Sometimes when I look in the mirror I cannot believe it is actually me, other times I still see the fat lady. It can be very consuming but slowly my brain is catching up with my body.

It is November 2015. This means that all the readers of this group have been out for one year! For me, I find this to be miraculous. I've lost 110 pounds from Oct 28. Absolutely everything is different. One of the big things I have done for myself is to find a therapist who deals with body issues. She deals with weight loss women and kids and anorexia.
Before surgery, I had gone about 15 years without looking in the mirror. Amy (new therapist) has me looking in the mirror for 5 minutes a day. Believe me, 5 minutes is a long time!
When I started with Amy, my biggest fear was that I would remain the fat lady on the couch. She's still in there on some level, but she's going slowly out the door. When I want to remind myself of my amazing progress, I put on the size 12 button fly gap jeans. I can button them standing up! This gives me a thrill. I am just so grateful. 62 years old. I want to lose 10-15 more. It is going slow but that's ok. I'm so grateful.

@@smiley922
Oh my gosh what a great result. I am so happy for you. I am waiting a bit because things are still shifting for me. For example my tummy is looking a lot smaller now. Breast lift, I think will have to be a must. No way things are going to defy gravity.
If you don't mind sharing details of your plastic surgery we would love to hear from you. I am sure we would all benefit from any advise or info you have.

It might be your body adjusting to being smaller. My muscles have to adjust to my bones. I had a lot of pain, but my surgeon referred me to physical therapist. I do the physical therapy in a heated pool, which is really great.

My favorite thing is having people not recognize me! I love flying now, and I used to not go anywhere. I love being told I'm too thin. I love weighing less than my friends. I love putting on clothes I don't think I can possibly get into and having them fit. The simple stuff is the best. I'm 62. Now I'm waiting for my plastics, which I did not think I'd want, but I do. I'm a year out from my liquid diet. I measure from there. 110 lbs. oh my.

My favorite thing is having people not recognize me! I love flying now, and I used to not go anywhere. I love being told I'm too thin. I love weighing less than my friends. I love putting on clothes I don't think I can possibly get into and having them fit. The simple stuff is the best. I'm 62. Now I'm waiting for my plastics, which I did not think I'd want, but I do. I'm a year out from my liquid diet. I measure from there. 110 lbs. oh my.

I like Quest bars, too. I like Choc Chip Cookie Dough and Raspberry white chocolate. If you go to GNC and join their discount program for $20 you can get a box of 12 for $25.

The place between plus and regular size was the worst for me. After my surgery I went from size 22 to size 14 plus. It was easy. I just kept buying the next smallest size of pants - the same kind. I was buying style&eco jeans at Macy's. then I got to the 14s, and I just did not know what to do! I went to Macy's regular women's dept to buy jeans and it was like they totally re-invented buying jeans in the years I was in the plus sizes. I almost had a nervous breakdown right in the store. Rather than embarrass myself, I left. I called a friend, and she told me to go to costco and buy some Gloria Vanderbuilts in a few sizes. they are very cheap And very easy to return. I bought 14 and 12s. the 12s fit - I returned the 14s and bought a second pair of the 12s. since then, I've shrunk into size 10s. since then, somebody gave me a few pairs of size 10 Gap jeans which were perfect. Now I'm ready for the size eights. I think that will be my size.
Shopping was really hard for me. it is getting better. I did not want to spend a fortune on clothes while I was shrinking. the Costco idea was really helpful. I bought leggings there. And when I was thin enough, I bought shorts. my surgery last October 28,2014. So it was about 11 months ago. I've lost 107 pounds and think I can lose maybe 10 more. what an amazing journey. I'm so grateful.

I'm so happy I found this group again. In the beginning, this group was my absolute rock. I'm doing well. Off most of my meds, not being treated for Diabetes at all any more. Since I first went to my surgeon, I've lost 107 pounds. Now, I lose very slowly, but I am totally okay with that. I went to the doctor, well, his PA, and she told me I had to stop losing so fast. Imagine that. Things have been hard here as my neighbor's 8-year-old daughter was raped and murdered by another neighbor, a 15-year-old boy. I ate too much at first, but my food of choice was blueberries! People were talking about yogurt and fruit. That's absolutely my favorite food. I have it for Breakfast every single day. I love FAGE 2%. I gave up the non-fat because i realized I needed to be eating more fat. Every single day I wake up amazed that I can get out bed. I look at my size 10 pants and am sure that I cannot possibly fit into those tiny things. I've learned how to shop for clothes, though I have to admit it was very traumatic at first. My arthritis remains bad, but I go to physical therapy three times a week, and my legs are getting better. Everyday I am totally grateful that I had my surgery and that I have totally hung in there for almost ten months now. I won't lose this group again. I hope everyone is doing well. With love, WG.

No offense Cheri J. You've deleted your commit. I see so many struggling to try and find a way to get the surgery done that I reacted negatively. Congratulations on your surgery, stay focused on your goal and best of luck.