I'm with Stacy.... I HAVE to weigh everyday just to keep control. The addiction is not to the scales. The addiction is to the food and the scales help me to keep that under control. My Dr. set a goal of 135. I set a goal of 125 (and secretly hope for 120 so I will have "room" for that 3rd year). I recently have hit a bump where the scales are not my friend I have not lost any weight and have actually gained 4 pounds depending on the day. I know it is because I am eating more (and not as good as I was) and I know that when I get on the scale it will remind me to try and get a grip that day. If I went more than 3 days without weighing, no telling how bad it would get. I do think my clothes are fitting better and that some of the weight is muscle as I am lifting weights 3 times a week. This is another huge adjustment AND I AM GOING TO A SUPPORT GROUP TONIGHT! 220/150/120

I understand & comprehend what you are saying...BUT I feel too close too my addiction still. EVERYDAY I worry about what I eat, what will I eat. Am I eating too much, not enough. Most people start to regain after the first year. VERY sad & VERY true. Sooooooooooo DAILY I weigh myself, if not several times a day. IT reminds me how far I have come, BUT also how far I need to good to keep my food DEMONS away. I find myseld craving choclate, ice cream, etc etc everyday. I NEED the scale to yell at me. Sadly I will ALWAYS be a food ADDICT. Ang~ 268/156/135??

I agree with you 100%. It shouldn't be what the scale says, but how we feel about ourselves. It's a good idea, but I am adicted to my scale. I have to step on it every day at least once if not more than once a day. I am down to 140lbs and wear a size 5/6 jeans. That's an awesome accomplishment, but with all the things going on in my life me and my weight are all I have. Mentally my body has not caught up to the physical. Will it ever? I hope so. I still look in the morror while I am wearing a size 5/6 and still think I look fat. How can that be when only 9 months ago I was wearing a 20/22? I look at other "thin" people and say that's what I want to look like. The n I have to remember that I do or am close to it. I tell people I have 20lbs to go and they respond by telling me I will disappear. Flattering, yes, but does it sink in, no it doesn't. I set a goal of 120 for myself and am bound and determined to make it even if I look too thin. Because in my mind I will never be thin enough. Almost sounds like someone who is "thin" and says they need to lose 10 or 20lbs. It sounds like the person with an eating disorder such as bulemia or anorexia doesn't it. They always see themselves as fat and no matter how small they are it is never enough. i don't know when I will reach the point of enough. My NP set a goal of 130 and I looked at her like she slapped me. 130lbs no way I want to be 120 or even 115lbs. Her response was what do you want to be a size 3. My thought was well a size 0 would be nice but a 3 is a good start. And I don't think I am the only one to feel this way. When will enough be enough. For me I don't think I will ever lose enough. And I feel the biggest reason is because so much emphasis is put on being thin, but who decides what thin is. That's why I personally can't get away from my scales. Doing so would mean I lost control of a part of my life that I need to control. Am I happy with how I look, yes I am....But I need my scales to remind me that I am now one of the "thin people". I have to have it. And there are days when I look at myself and amazed how far I have come. Unfortunately they are less than my "fat" days. I am sure everything will catch up and I will no longer be a slave to my scale, but until then no matter how much I try I can't get rid of. I need the numbers to prove that my journey has all been worth the emotional and psychological sacrifices I went through. I am so proud that you can do this, but I can't. Sorry I had to rant and rave, but I don't think I am alone in this. Stacy 220/140/ 120ish

That is AWESOME Pat! I still think i am the slowest loser in Gastric Bypass surgery history!! LOL I am stuck at an 85 lb loss and losing slower each week it seems, of course I know it slows down but I've been losing slow all this time!!! I am still happy with the loss, don't get me wrong and the inches have fallen off over the summer but I started out in a 26/28 and I'm just now in 22's and some 18/20 tops. I admit I haven't exercised as much as I should have over the summer but I think I do pretty well with eating and such. I guess I should just get used to the slow weightloss since this has been going on eversince my surgery! Anyway, Congrats to all of you that have reached the 100 lb mark and more!! I wish you all continued success and good health!!!! Hugs, Tracy 306/222/Healthy

Well said....with a few opinions.... But given that, it is a ton easier said than done. I've even had therapy and I sometimes let this monster control my life. I will say that "normal sized" women (whatever that means..) DO let their weight rule their lives. Why do you think that there a magazines such as Cosmo, Vanity Fair, etc., and soap operas where people don't ever age, where love is beautiful & only the fit survive. We all live in a world that is coveted by youth, beauty and sensuality. It is even worse with new reality series such as Extreme Makeover, the one on Fox where women got fixed up and then competed against each other & STILL were unhappy. In some ways, we voluntarily stepped into this world by electing this surgery. I know that for most of us anyway, health reasons and comorbidities played a significant reason for having the surgery, but if we say looking and feeling better about ourselves didn't play into it we'd be lying. This is all a part of the process - at least for me. I guess what I'm trying to say is that normal isn't so normal. Telling women to stay off the scale and be happy is about as useful as telling a depressed person to just smile - it will get better. We are all fighting our own demons regarding our addictions, insecurities and life's disappointments. That is where our local support groups and these boards play a huge role. If people can't vent their feelings about these issues - where can they? I agree with your philosophy, but have a very difficult time following it all the time. I am happy to see that you have mastered it most of the time and can give us an example that once in awhile - the good ones can win. Take care & God Bless! Barbie 281-196-170ish