My Thoughts......
So, surfing OH and notice "HELP!/Need to get back on Track" such posts. I have pondered this for a bit. I am not being arrogant or prideful but WHY O WHY???? Here is my logic: It's just like smoking. We KNOW it's not good for us, we KNOW it could kill us someday, ect and yet some of us did it anyway. OR it's like the High School teenager who got pregnant and all the students whispered and mocked and YET they were doing the same actions as this girl but never got "caught" so to speak. NOW apply that to WLS. You may ask how I do that. We are given rules. You either obey or you don't. Simple as that. "Testing the Waters" MAY OR MAY NOT get you "caught" but then again IT MAY!! Why risk it? Am I "PERFECT(haes that word)"? No, but I DO KNOW that when I HAVE "tested the waters" I CAN TELL in more ways then one!!! I feel crappy, bloated, tired(more so), and the scale shows a pound or two. You may think "SO WHAT"?? Well, that pound or two adds up. THUS the "HELP/Need to get back on Track" posts. My theory with WLS: I didn't go thru this to slack off and waste my time OR money!!!
THEN!! I have a question/thought!! I am so proud of LaraKata(sp?) who just posted that she is 5 yrs out and is back at her goal!! WHAT GREAT INSPIRATION!!! The tool will still work at 5yrs post op as it did in the begining!! SOOOOO, I sat and thought again(YES MY THOUGHTS)......that "10% regain" that we here soooo much about: Is that a FOR SURE or is it "possible"???? WHEN does it happen IF it happens???? DOES it HAVE to happen?? I THINK this ties in to the above that I wrote about "getting off track" or "testing the waters"....I MAY BE WRONG BUT I am starting to think (and will learn the further I go out) that it is just individual results. Stay on track or gain. AND I HAVE learned personally and watching others that your pre-op habits follow you post op!!!
OK!! PHEW!! Got that out of me brain before it exploded
!! AGAIN , Just my thoughts and sorry they are always sooooo long
.HUGS and have a GREAT weekend EVERYONE!!!
~Sandie~ 
-147!!WLS:12-12-06:Preop 268,Ht.5'4",BMI 44.9
Click on link to see my journey!!!
http://www.onetruemedia.com/my_shared?z=2bfaca5561a1d558fceb
87&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=text_url
"Do unto others as you'd have done to you"~ The Golden Rule to Live by!
You are what you EAT and WHO you hang out with! Choices=Outcome~ what's YOUR choice??
I'm not perfect but I am going to die trying!!!
Food kicks my butt still - even 3 1/2 years out. It will try to fool me and then I'll try to rationalize what I'm doing to myself in my head. It's a struggle each and every day. Do I know what I'm supposed to eat? Heck yes. Do I also eat what I'm supposed to eat? Unfortunately no. Yep, it's totally my fault 100% and I can't blame anyone else for this.
My $.03,
Farrah
Please spay and neuter your pets!
HUGS
~Sandie~ -147!!WLS:12-12-06:Preop 268,Ht.5'4",BMI 44.9
Click on link to see my journey!!!
http://www.onetruemedia.com/my_shared?z=2bfaca5561a1d558fceb
87&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=text_url
"Do unto others as you'd have done to you"~ The Golden Rule to Live by!
You are what you EAT and WHO you hang out with! Choices=Outcome~ what's YOUR choice??
I'm not perfect but I am going to die trying!!!
I have heard this many times before, on many different plans, but I am starting to view it this way and to a certain extent it is helping, rather than giving the power to my head or the food, I am looking at food as if it is just FUEL for my body, nothing more, nothing less, just fuel that makes the engine run?
I am going to "retrain" my mind to think that way!!! THANK YOU!!! ~Sandie~ -147!!WLS:12-12-06:Preop 268,Ht.5'4",BMI 44.9
Click on link to see my journey!!!
http://www.onetruemedia.com/my_shared?z=2bfaca5561a1d558fceb
87&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=text_url
"Do unto others as you'd have done to you"~ The Golden Rule to Live by!
You are what you EAT and WHO you hang out with! Choices=Outcome~ what's YOUR choice??
I'm not perfect but I am going to die trying!!!
But you know...why do we find the need to post "help" "carbs are kicking my butt" "the sugar **** has found me" etc. etc. etc.? I think it's the "if I confess, I'll do better" mentality maybe.
We are ALL going to slip up a little each day at some point. We're either going to have a little something we shouldn't based on our new lifestyle or we're going to yell at our kid(s)/spouse/family member, or we're going to take a swig of alcohol, or go shopping & spend too much money, we're not going to drink enough water or eat enough protein, we're going to drive too fast, or whatever it may be. I just believe that if we have an A+ day, then we ought to really rejoice at the end of the day!
And do you think that some of it is old diet mentality? "I'm tired of dieting so I'm going to have WLS to fix me and then I won't have to be deprived in order to lose weight"??? Has anyone every thought that?
Each person on this board and other boards knows what they need to focus on each day to make their day successful. None of us can really help except to say "hey, we've been there done that" or "we understand what you're going through". But it is up to each of us individually to meet our goals each day.
And if we can individually lay our heads down on the pillow at the end of the day and say "yes, today was a great day", then you know you did well. If instead you lay there and something is bothering you, then write it down, let it go, and fix it the next day.
Each day is a gift! Let's live life like it's meant to be lived. And if ya'll need a little teary kick in the butt, jus****ch someone else struggle. Go to YouTube and watch the Barbara Walters special interview with Patrick Swayze!!! My Lord! Or pick any other struggle because we can eat and we can choose to feed our bodies to fuel it or we can choose to junk it up and make it a tired mess like it was before. We choose. Each day, we choose.
That is a scary thought! I truly hope no one thinks that about wls! I don't think that with most types you can continue to think that way after you have it because with most types you simply can't eat whatever you like....even in moderation! Due to dumping, etc. If they did think this....they are in for a horribly rude awakening after surgery. :(
I'm so glad you guys post your thoughts and ruminations here! It makes me think and that helps me grow!
~Sandie~ -147!!WLS:12-12-06:Preop 268,Ht.5'4",BMI 44.9
Click on link to see my journey!!!
http://www.onetruemedia.com/my_shared?z=2bfaca5561a1d558fceb
87&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=text_url
"Do unto others as you'd have done to you"~ The Golden Rule to Live by!
You are what you EAT and WHO you hang out with! Choices=Outcome~ what's YOUR choice??
I'm not perfect but I am going to die trying!!!
You say, why post the "help I'm off track" posts? My counter question to you is, "Would it make OH a better place if no one posted "I'm off track", "I need help", "Carbs are attacking me" posts?"
The point of a support forum is to help those that need help. Yes, there are rules, yes, we should follow them. In a perfect world, we'd all be posting nonestop WOW moments and cheers. But the world (obviously) doesn't work that way. If it was a perfect world, none of us would have addictions, personal issues and frankly, none of us would have gained all this weight and none of us would have turned to such a drastic measure as weight loss surgery.
So we come back to the same idea... we all do the BEST we can from day to day. If I felt like this forum (and frankly, sometimes I do) was NOT a place to cry, spill my guts, be frustrated, post about my hate for carbs, my inability to exercise even though I KNOW I should, etc, etc, etc.... then OH, as a forum, would have NO PURPOSE.
We all started out struggling (hence getting surgery) but we all have different goals in mind, different paths, different struggles. One person might have a goal of a size 2 and being a 5K runner... while another person's goal may be to get to a size 12 for the first time in their life and be off their diabetes medication. How we get to those goals depends on our family situation, financial situation, surgery type, mental health problems, how we were raised, etc, etc, etc... AKA so MANY factors. That being said, every individual on this forum will face their unique demons: carbs, transferred addiction, lack of exercise, need for plastics, not being able to ge****er in, etc.
I know that was long-winded... but it's my 10 cents on it. Thanks for listening!
Elena, I love your post. 
Sandie, I think I understand where you are coming from. 
Why break the rules when we know it could lead to bad then worse outcomes. For me, I anticipate to have some bumps in the road because if I didn't - I'd wonder how come I had to turn to weight loss surgery in the first place. For example...When I was on Jenny Craig, why didn't I just eat all their food and not stray from their meal plans? Why did I do that to myself and waste paying all that money for their food? This is what I have been obsessing about for the past 10+ years while I have tried every diet program known to man!!! I hear you Sandie...it frustrates me to no end. I don't even want to add up all the money I have spent to lose weight.
Like Elena said, we are all different people with different goals & struggles...it's what makes the world go round! I love that people feel free to come on OH and ask for help. I have just learned in the past year and a half how to be more comfortable asking for it. Life is so much easier knowing that you can ask for help and someone will be there to pick you up.
Stephanie 
