frustrated

90 pounds since July is awesome! But, I know exactly how you guys feel. I am in the same boat. I can't go to my state board or my surgery month board. It's too frustrating and depressing. They are all at goal and talking about PS. I'm not even half way to goal yet! I started with a BMI of 69 and it's now 51. I weigh more now than most of them did when they had their surgery, and I've lost 122 pounds! I only weigh myself once a month. It's too depressing to get weighed more often. It is very frustrating and depressing at times. Some days are better than others. As long as the scale continues to go down, it's all good. Huggs, Ruth

Hi, Ruth! You make a very important point that we all need to remember -- as long as the scale continues to go down, it's all good. I was the fattest person in my surgery class, and there were a couple of people there that looked so small to me that I wondered why they needed WLS. One of them is already at goal after only four months. When I heard that, I was pretty darn envious! My surgeon says that once I've lost a good deal of weight, I'll need PS to have about 50 lbs of skin removed. I knew I'd need PS, but 50 lbs worth?! This is why I love this board -- everyone here "gets it". Hugs, Kix

greetings mariah as several of the others have said, that's why this board is great for us. i had the same experience with my surgery month board...everyone was at their goals, and i was still weighing more than most of them started at. i was so delighted to find this board to call my home! as far as keeping a positive attitude, as long as the pounds keep coming off, you should feel good! i started at 463 lbs., with a bmi of 66.4. i'm down to 192, with a current bmi of 27.5! it's been nearly 30 years since i was last in ONEderland! so it is possible...hang in there (and hang out here!) - you can do it! all the best to you. deb

Thank you for sharing. I am doing better about not being so depressed. I just have a few days it really gets to me. Usually happens more on the weekends than during the week. During the week I have more to keep me busy and not think about it I guess. How long did it take u to get down under 200 lbs. I just cant even imagine me being that thin. For some reason I figured if I could just get to 220 I would be happy. I just cant see myself as ever being a Normal size...... Mariah

hi! i just realized you're a fellow hoosier, and with dr. cacucci, i assume you also went to st. v's. how cool, it feels like we're "teammates" or something! it took about 19 months to get below 200. it was not something i thought would ever happen. dr. huse told me my goal should be 210, and while i dreamed of weighing less that 200, i never realistically thought it would happen. now that it has, i want to get to a "normal" bmi. at my height, the highest weight to achieve a normal bmi is 173...so i have a way to go yet. and maybe i won't get there, but i can keep trying. best of luck to you! hope to keep seeing you around here. deb

Dear Mariah, You mention that it is only a couple of days a month that you struggle with your positive attitude--are those around your period by chance? Not to diminish what you feel, but that may give you a heads up as to when to stop listening to your self-talk and replace it with more positive things. I started with a BMI of almost 67. When I looked in the mirror then, I could only think of Jabba the Hut! Now I am still obese, but when I look in the mirror I simply see a fat woman. And that's okay. I'll always be overweight--even at goal--but I'm not monsterous in my own eyes. My legs are horrid but there's always pants. And I have a very firm foundation for all my middle parts! Jello has nothing on my jiggles. For me to stay sane, I have to keep focused on balance--balance between the fantasy of thinness and the ugly truth of my weight history. Between the two is the reality of who I am and what I can reasonably expect to achieve. I take my victories where I can--in the looseness of a pair of pants, "almost" fitting into the winter coat, weighing less than the contestants on "The Biggest Loser" for the first time, etc. I still weigh more than many at my support group, and they will probably reach their goal before I do, but from the beginning I tried to create goals that were about behavior not pounds because that was what I could control. In some ways, I really have to create my own little world and not let what others are achieving change my orbit. But remember to focus on what you have achieved and are achieving. You might want to put together a box filled with favorite motivational quotations. On those days you are blue, pull one out and let it help you refocus. I have 55 more pounds to lose to reach my goal. That is still a lot but I never really thought I'd ever get to that point again. "Just" 55 lbs.! For me this surgery was all about restoring hope. To believe that what I did would actually make a difference. Take care of yourself and good luck, Sally