ObesityHelp

How old is Noah now? My son turned 10 mos old today. I can't hardly believe it either. How is your weight loss going since you had him? Mine has pretty much been at a stand still. I know that I need to exercise and I look forward to much warmer days when I can take Luke walking with me after school and it stays lighter longer as well. Then I think that I will get back on track. I have been doing with lighten up Iowa with teachers at school, which has gotten me back into weighing myself every week and helping me to keep myself honest and monitor better what I am eating. I know that my eating has not gotten out of control, I do have a few sweets here and there, it is just the lack of exercise that pretty much does me in. Any pointers would be great. Stephanie

Congratulations on your loss so far. It is wonderful to be able to experience those wow moments. It just makes this journey all the more enjoyable. Keep up the great work. One of these days you will be a year out and won't be able to figure out where all that time has gone and how some of those challenges early on were. I don't know how long it takes for our heads to catch up with the idea that we are no longer carrying around all that weight. I am 14 mos out and I can't get my head around it yet. I still have to stop and look when I finally get to a mirror that shows a whole body shot. No wonder other people don't recognize us when we don't even recognize ourselves. Hope you have many more wow moments.

anyone have any size 20-24 that they would like to part with? I will pay shipping if you want..I'll even pay you for the jeans if needed! I bought a pair at a thrift store...they had those stupid overbleached stripes on them..you know the style is cool...wide legged and all, but the new style of striping...yuck...well anyway, long story short, I over dyed them with black rit dye...they turned out really nice...the stripes are hardly noticeable, and they are a way nice very dark blue color.... anyway...anyone looking to get rid of some clothes? I also am looking for XL t shirts...can't believe it...JUST XL...2 years ago I was begging for 6X! WOW!

I just wanted to shared a wow moment I had this weekend. I'm now out 7 months and down 142 pounds. I feel great but still don't see the difference. I use to wear a size 26/28 and now I'm in size 14 so I know there is a difference and see it in pictures but when I picture myself in my head I still see the old me. Well anyways this weekend my husband was out of town and I went to pick him up at the Kansas city airport. When he came off the plane I was waiting for him. He looked right at me and turned around and walked the other way. I was like why did he do that. Then my cell phone rings and it was him. I didn't answer and came up behind him and graphed him. He was like where were you. I was like you looked right at me. He didn't recognize me!!! My own husband didn't recognize me. It was to funny. I think he was still looking for the old me. It made me feel so good that I look so different that he didn't recognize me. Also on Saturday I was at Wal-mart and saw a girl I use to work with. I hadn't saw her in like 2 years. She looked at me and walked right by me. I said what your not even going to say hi. She stopped and turned around and her mouth just dropped. She couldn't believe it was me. So I had 2 really good wow moments this weekend. Thanks for listening to me. Melissa 337/195/170

You gals are sucn an inspiration -- talking about sizes like 8 - 10 - 12 -- makes me wonder if that will happen for me too? I'm really doing this for the health reasons -- but gosh -- if I can be thin and beautiful too -- what a bonus Started my 2-week clear liquid diet today -- this will be a challenge to balance my glucose, etc.... but as I have said many times recently, "I CAN DO THIS" (gotta keep convincing myself LOL) Hoping my "amazing journey" is as remarkable as all of yours!

Lisa, I'm so sorry that your Mom isn't there to support you. Try not to be so hard on her though. Since she had her surgery 30 years ago, she had the one that is easy to eat through. I know of so many people who had surgery in the 70's & even later who have gained all their weight back. It must be mortifiying for her to be mistaken for a pre-op at your meetings & even wose if someone asks her why it failed. See, her surgery didn't fail. She did & she knows it & she is probably pretty embarrassed about it. I wouldn't be surprised if she doesn't expect you to fail & maybe, deep down, hopes you will so it will somehow prove to her that she didn't fail. Don't let her do that to you. Keep doing what you do for yourself. Show her that this surgery is the best thing you could have done for yourself & that it, & you, will succeed. She doesn't need to be at your meetings. You can go alone. You're an adult & don't need her there if she doesn't want to be there. Let her ride along for the company & if she wants to shop during the meeting, let her. She obviously isn't interested in a revision or she would be anxious to go along. It is only a reminder to her of how badly she has done. People can be so insensitive. Several months ago, at support group meeting, I was sitting at a table with a mother & daughter and one other member. That member has lost a lot of weight & never forgets to remind you how well she is doing. She has done wonderfully, partly because she had several serious problems at first & even now has food issues. She now makes sure everyone knows that she needs to gain weight. Anyway, she doesn't always think before she speaks & she asked the daughter when her surgery was scheduled. My jaw hit the floor. I knew that she was a post-op & several months, in fact. She had been quite large to start out & had actually lost over 100 lbs. You could see how hurt she was by the question but she told the thoughtless one that she was almost a year out & that she was very happy with her weight loss so far. I was proud of her response to the question but to be honest, I can't remember if she has returned to support group. She has the support of her mother but she also needs the support group. That thoughtless act may have chased her away, thinking maybe she wasn't doing a very good job of losing. Your mother, too, doesn't want to go through that humiliation & I don't blame her. That's not to say that you should give up on her. Be there for her but don't be a facilatator. If she calls & asks for cookies, tell her to get them herself, that you won't contribute to making things worse. If you can't tell her that, then just forget to get them. Ya, she'll be mad, I bet but eventually she'll get the idea. You apparently watch Dr. Phil at least ocassionally. Awhile back he had someone on there who was huge & could no longer leave his home because of his weight, however, he still was eating Big Macs & cookies & all the bad things that got him there. How did he do it? He had a well meaning friend or family member, who couldn't stand to say No, bring them home for him, just helping to kill him. They didn't really realize just how much damage they were doing and it was their responsibility to not do it. You need to take care of yourself & make sure you do what is best for you. I know this has to cause you stress and can't help your depression. Don't let what she is doing to herself make you fail. As far as the handicap tag goes, yes, I guess it is probably illegal but I will admit that I did the same thing. Before my surgery, I hurt so bad that if I couldn't find a parking place close by I'd leave. I had Mom's sticker that she got when she had cancer & if there were several handicap places open, I'd use it. I'm not proud of that but think back to when you were at your largest. I know that if I had gone to my docotr & admitted just how much I hurt, he'd probably have written an order for me to use legally. I was just too ashamed to do that so I used Mom's. I'm not saying it's OK but I can understand why she does it. Hang in there, Lisa, we're here for you. Dixie

Date movie was funny!! If you like Scarey movie you will like date movie. I am soooo back on track, although McDonalds sounded good for lunch before school but I came home and ate salad. I meet my surgeon March 3. I am going to Davenport to get it done. I won't have surgery until the first week in June, that is my school break. If you ever get around Ft. Madison/ Burlington area let me know. You have so much info on this it would be nice to talk!! Have a great day everyone I am off to Micro lab Bobbi

Hi Jessi, I made it to Rockford and back with a few side trips on the way. I got off the interstate to soon and got a little lost but I found my way and was only a little later than I thought I would be. Which is real good for me. I didn't panic or anything when I got lost. I did however make one of those illegal U turns in the middle of I39. I only got honked at 2 times doing it and no tickets.(yet) I didn't have to go down 20 at all. So I couldn't stop to see you but maybe if I get this traveling thing down, I will take a road trip this summer and come see you. My daughter after I got there and had packed a few boxes told me she had been offered a job in Banglor India for 1 year. I was so disappointed. I thought I was going to get her home. But I cheerfully said, well dear what are you going to do? She isn't sure, and I want to be supportive for her. She would have to give up her cats if she goes. We all took care of them for her while she was gone for 6 mos. but can't do it again. We all have to many animals of our own. I hate it because I have fallen in love with them. Her oldest cat has developed diabeties so we would need to give her shots, and the other one doesn't get along with others well. Any how that will be the only thing to keep her in the states. She has signed papers to purchase a condo in N. Liberty but can get out of that. So time will tell. One of my goals for this week is to get my mind straight about her leaving and let her live her life for her, not me. I know this in my head but my heart breaks. She would make a good deal of money but money isn't everything. She is 29 yrs old, and single. Scares me to death but she is one strong woman and knows her job very well. Ok any how, going to pack her to move was great I got some handme down clothes or hand me up. She has lost so much weight being in India for 6 mos. none of her clothes fit. But we took 10 bags of clothes to goodwill and I didn't go through any of them. I was so proud of my self. I don't need all that many clothes either, and they probably were to young styled for me anyway. I was just happy to get a few pair of pants and 2 suits from her. I look great today at work, all professional and all. Some of my coworkers and the students wanted to know why I was all dressed up today. Well I have rambled along enough for now and will let you all get on to your day. Jesi I am glad you had a good time at Tanger, and at the motel. The kids probably enjoyed it also. If you decide to come back this way again let me know and I will try to meet you there. Have a great week and good luck with your future procedures on your gbladder. Cindy G.

Hmmm, Jesi, not having school yesterday make you lose a day? Last I checked it was Tuesday I do that all the time. When we have a day off on Monday, I'm lost for the rest of the week. I had to work yesteday but when it's not a "pricing day" (when the stock markets are closed) it's always an interesting night in the computer room. Tuesdays are usually kind of quiet with the smallest amount of output but it won't be tonight. We'll be making up for last night & I can bet that there will be problems along the way. Speaking of jobs, I heard back about Friday's interview. He wants me to come in to job shadow & take a documentation test sometime this week, probably tomorrow. It's going to be interesting. I sure hope I'll not be judged by my typing speed. I was not trained to be a data processor & my speed sucks. My goal, the same as it's been for months is to finally get over this hump & start my weight going down again. Yesterday I ate nothing but protein rich foods. Only thing with carbs was my salad & I don't think veggies are bad for you. Last night my weight was on the bottom of my "up 2, down 2" cycle. This morning, I'm back up 1 1/2. Now explain that to me. How did I gain overnight? Oh, I wanted to say that I had supper with Janie on Sunday night. Talk about looking hot! To look at her, you'd never dream she was once obese & she hasn't had a bit of plastics. I have a theory. The secret is falling in love. That must be it. Jesi, I'd be happy to trade husbands. Al has never had to watch his weight or exercise & doesn't understand what we go through every day. Milking has kept the weight off & he's in great shape physically. He expects all those good fattening foods, the ones that tempt me so. I'd love to not have them in the house or on the table. But, I suspect that like you & your husband, there'd be lots of arguments if I ever had to help him lose weight. Come to think of it, a couple years ago he got the results of his cholesterol test & it was high. The doctor sent him a heart healthy diet to follow which ended up in the garbage. He said he'd rather die eating well than eat that "crap." I believe my answer was that with all the life insurance I have on him, I'd be a really merry widow. It didn't help at all. I suspect that the way he's going, one day we'll find him under a cow, dead of a heart attack, but not until he's 80-85 years old. I'll have him around another 20-25 years, thankfully. You have a good TUESDAY. Dixie

Good morning (YAWN) I didn't want to wake up and get out of bed this am......I am tired! We had fun at the Amana's.....the waterpark was a little small and a lot crowded, but the kids had fun and thats what mattered. I did make it to the Tanger outlets before going home, and spent way too much money Wilsons Leather was CHEAP-so we got new coats for next year. My hubby really liked me in a fitted Red leather one And I did look hot But I just couldn't spend that kind of money on something I wouldn't wear very often. Got some new walking shoes and work out stuff at the Reebok store....and got the kids some cute spring outfits at Gap and OshGosh......I love outlet malls. But with kids and hubby in tow, I couldn't get to all the stores I wanted...oh well maybe next time.....the drive there was so nice, and short since all the highway is done from Dubuque.....I might just do it, more often My biggest thing *I didn't go into the chocolate store* That is good for me Well it is 7am and I have to start getting the girls ready for school......Just wanted to stop in and see how everyones weekend went? What kind of plans do you have going on this week???? Any goals you would like to mention??? I am eating good, drinking good, and TAKING ALL MY PILLS, plus I got cleared to exercise SO I better start that too. (have had good excuses not to exercise with all the plastic surgerys since august ) But I am gonna kick myself in the butt and get moving Come hell or high water I am going to get in shape and get to goal by July....10 year class reunion I wanna look my best!!! Oh yeah and if that isn't enough.....hubby has informed me, he can't diet by himself.......I have to do it for him......so we might be fighting a lot around here He doesn't have any control (he says)!!!! So thats it from me.....Hope to hear from everyone......Have a great week......Take Care Jesi