Some Insights after nearly seven years RNY

Dec 19, 2014

I have a page that I printed out from my SparkPeople web page. I know that some have lamented the loss of significant weight right off the bat from surgery. My advice is just do you.

I have months where the weight was minimum yet I still lost. I am not able nor willing to go back to that person who weighed herself on an industrial scale at work. I cringe each time that I see some show with the contestants being weighed in that manner and usually with minimal coverage of their body. I can relate to the industrial scale. I would get to work and on the east dock step out of my shoes having put my lunch bag and pocketbook down. I had to make sure no one was coming onto the dock nor in the office because this scale was two faced to be read in office or on dock. Just like you, I would cringe when my weight was creeping up.

In February 2007, on a trip with my friend to Dominica, I had brought a book, some strawberry jam and crackers to share with some preschoolers in the school that we help by providing salaries to the teachers and a playground. I gave my digital camera to my friend to have her take photos of me reading to them. I saw to my dismay that the woman I was in a 4X cotton house dress from National Brand was not the woman that I wanted to be. I decided that very day to make use of my time on the island and lose weight. It is a very hilly place and to walk a mile would mean many steep hills. I lost 12 pounds during my stay. Besides the walking in that hot humid climate, I noticed and changed my behavior around the table. My hostess would provide two chicken legs for me and one each for the others. That dinner, I said no to the second chicken leg. You may think that is a small incremental step. It set my course.

From then on I planned and ate half of what I thought beforehand that I might have needed to survive. I did survive as this is testimony to me here and thriving. I found a little black book to note my diet and exercise. I found a book from the Calorie King that let me extimate my caloric intake. l went online and found a protein powder that I drank for a breakfast.

I accounted for everything that went in my mouth. My story is that I lost 81 pounds with 50 lost before I found a surgeon through a friend. He had noticed that I had been losing and was going to this surgeon for a revision surgery in July '07.

Do you want to know some of the changes? My surgery was January 3 2008, and I lost half my original weight by June 23 2008. I lost like this minus 20, -3, -6, -14, -9, -13, -2, -6, -3. Not all are a month apart. Yet, one was almost three weeks difference. I was never discouraged nor thought little of myself. Was that a pun?

Do the best you can. Take your vitamins and get out there and walk. Some of you will be able to run and do all sorts of cardio exercise. Do you only you.

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