Broke My Stall - Interesting observation... (another photo)
An amazing post...thank you so much.
I'm pre-op, and the OH boards have been so amazing, but I do find that sometimes it gets to be a bit too much - the obsession over every little detail, every ounce, very pound etc.
I don't mean to offend anyone by saying this, but in a way it seems like trading one eating disorder for another - it may be physically healthier, but is it mentally/emotionally better?
One thing that had actually stopped me in the past from considering weight-loss surgery was exactly the fear of becoming obessessed with it. Part of the reason I'm so heavy now was an eating disorder I had in high school, which was eerily similar to what goes on post-op (obviously it was more than that, but still).
But I now have a plan, and I'm going to stick to it - it may not be for everyone, but I believe it's what's best for me as a whole - only weighing once a week, sticking to healthy choices and recording everything, but not obssessing over numbers all day every day, exercising in ways that are both effective and enjoyable and re-visiting my plan if it in any way starts to take over.
I am having this surgery to give me back my life - to be able to truly live. Stressing over every little decision is not going to help me live life to the fullest and most meaningful. What's important is the big picture, the overall victory - not the tiny battles.
Thank you for making me feel like I'm not the only crazy one! ;)
I'm pre-op, and the OH boards have been so amazing, but I do find that sometimes it gets to be a bit too much - the obsession over every little detail, every ounce, very pound etc.
I don't mean to offend anyone by saying this, but in a way it seems like trading one eating disorder for another - it may be physically healthier, but is it mentally/emotionally better?
One thing that had actually stopped me in the past from considering weight-loss surgery was exactly the fear of becoming obessessed with it. Part of the reason I'm so heavy now was an eating disorder I had in high school, which was eerily similar to what goes on post-op (obviously it was more than that, but still).
But I now have a plan, and I'm going to stick to it - it may not be for everyone, but I believe it's what's best for me as a whole - only weighing once a week, sticking to healthy choices and recording everything, but not obssessing over numbers all day every day, exercising in ways that are both effective and enjoyable and re-visiting my plan if it in any way starts to take over.
I am having this surgery to give me back my life - to be able to truly live. Stressing over every little decision is not going to help me live life to the fullest and most meaningful. What's important is the big picture, the overall victory - not the tiny battles.
Thank you for making me feel like I'm not the only crazy one! ;)
Interested in my journey? Visit my blog at http://lessofsarah.wordpress.com
Thanks LessofSarah! You are absolutely right (and definitely not the only crazy one - lol) - it can be so easy to get 'caught up' in this weight loss/post surgery journey. It can take over before you know it, and a gift turns into a curse. I love your statement, "...what's important is the big picture, the overall victory - not the tiny battles." This is so true - we can't allow ourselves to become so tunnel-visioned that we can't see the truth of the matter and only zone in on the reality of the moment. We have to develop the skills to work through our thinking and recognize when things aren't working anymore or even when our processes are becoming unhealthy.
I refuse to look at this as a new form of bondage. It's like we've been set free and we won't walk out of the jail - we just keep closing the cell door. So many things we're experiencing are new - but many of them are old, tender spots from previous hurts and set backs - so learning to take it one day at a time will be key to us enjoying this new found freedom. If you're like me (an all or nothing kinda girl) it's easy to get into trouble with obsessing. So any time I start leaning towards those thoughts I know I need to stop and regroup. And it's important for me to not only make up my mind, but to share it with someone else - it's freeing. Uncomfortable - but freeing. lol.
You have taken one the most important steps in your journey - identifying the origins of your weight issues and setting boundaries to help you navigate this process. If you haven't already - write it down in detail - from time to time you'll need to reflect back on this understanding to keep yourself focused and balanced. I'm so excited for you - you're going to do great!!!!
I refuse to look at this as a new form of bondage. It's like we've been set free and we won't walk out of the jail - we just keep closing the cell door. So many things we're experiencing are new - but many of them are old, tender spots from previous hurts and set backs - so learning to take it one day at a time will be key to us enjoying this new found freedom. If you're like me (an all or nothing kinda girl) it's easy to get into trouble with obsessing. So any time I start leaning towards those thoughts I know I need to stop and regroup. And it's important for me to not only make up my mind, but to share it with someone else - it's freeing. Uncomfortable - but freeing. lol.
You have taken one the most important steps in your journey - identifying the origins of your weight issues and setting boundaries to help you navigate this process. If you haven't already - write it down in detail - from time to time you'll need to reflect back on this understanding to keep yourself focused and balanced. I'm so excited for you - you're going to do great!!!!
I needed to read a post like yours. I am in the same boat that you've found yourself to be in lately.
Post-op I was doing GREAT. I dropped 50lbs within 4 months and felt like I was on top of the world. And then, the dreaded stall hit....and when I say hit, I mean it HIT! I've been on a 7 week stall now and have not lost a pound. This has been the hardest 7 weeks of my journey. (Next to the pre-op liquid diet that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy-haha) I'm depressed, feeling "ugly" and "fat" and even ashamed when my co-workers ask me how much I've lost....the fact that I've been saying the exact same amount for almost two months is making me sick.
Ever since surgery I've never really obsessed about what I was eating. I just ate when I was hungry and knew the foods to stay away from. All of the sudden, all of my old habits came back....potato chips, huge portions (not really huge bc I can't eat "huge" anymore...but not listening to my stomach when it says i'm full), pasta, rice...etc etc....all of the things I should not be eating. This week I made a pact to myself that I would get back on track. I've emptied the cabinets, bought healthy, "bariatric friendly" foods and I am starting back on the protein shakes. I have not lost anything as of yet but my goal is to be in "one-derland" by Christmas. I can do this!
Thank you for your post, it encourages me to know that I am not alone and that other people are going through the same thing I am!!!
I wish you luck as you continue with your loss and pray that I can be in the same boat with you and start loosing again!! :)
Post-op I was doing GREAT. I dropped 50lbs within 4 months and felt like I was on top of the world. And then, the dreaded stall hit....and when I say hit, I mean it HIT! I've been on a 7 week stall now and have not lost a pound. This has been the hardest 7 weeks of my journey. (Next to the pre-op liquid diet that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy-haha) I'm depressed, feeling "ugly" and "fat" and even ashamed when my co-workers ask me how much I've lost....the fact that I've been saying the exact same amount for almost two months is making me sick.
Ever since surgery I've never really obsessed about what I was eating. I just ate when I was hungry and knew the foods to stay away from. All of the sudden, all of my old habits came back....potato chips, huge portions (not really huge bc I can't eat "huge" anymore...but not listening to my stomach when it says i'm full), pasta, rice...etc etc....all of the things I should not be eating. This week I made a pact to myself that I would get back on track. I've emptied the cabinets, bought healthy, "bariatric friendly" foods and I am starting back on the protein shakes. I have not lost anything as of yet but my goal is to be in "one-derland" by Christmas. I can do this!
Thank you for your post, it encourages me to know that I am not alone and that other people are going through the same thing I am!!!
I wish you luck as you continue with your loss and pray that I can be in the same boat with you and start loosing again!! :)
Hi SaraH128 - you are defintely not alone. And after this past week, I felt like I couldn't keep my experience to myself - this journey can be lonely enough. It can be so discouraging when that scale isn't moving - especially when you've been knocking those pounds out pretty consistently.
You absolutely CAN and WILL do this!!! You've already accomplished so much, and in such a short period of time. You've got a plan - you're taking action - the scale is going to start moving in no time!
In the mean time - be extra good to yourself. Pamper yourself. The work you have put into your weight loss is no small thing - and sometimes we need to focus on our successes to bring it all into proper perspective. I think a little pampering will make you feel better overall - and once you feel better the stress subsides and the weight will start to melt away again.
If we think back over those first several months when we were losing rapidly - it wasn't just that we were eating less - our expectations were different. We were losing, and we expected to lose. So our bodies weren't having to fight the fat and added stress. But when we hit the first day of a stall and panic, it only gets worse from there. I'm convinced my stall lasted as long as it did because I was completely stressed out and discouraged about the slow down. The harder I tried to get things going the more my body seemed to hold on to what it had.
So try to relax and don't be hard on yourself. Even though I wish sometimes there were - there is no cookie cutter way to get through this process. Some will zoom through in a few months - others will have ups and downs. That's not important. What's important is that you make it through. I'm rooting for you. Stay encouraged!! :-)
You absolutely CAN and WILL do this!!! You've already accomplished so much, and in such a short period of time. You've got a plan - you're taking action - the scale is going to start moving in no time!
In the mean time - be extra good to yourself. Pamper yourself. The work you have put into your weight loss is no small thing - and sometimes we need to focus on our successes to bring it all into proper perspective. I think a little pampering will make you feel better overall - and once you feel better the stress subsides and the weight will start to melt away again.
If we think back over those first several months when we were losing rapidly - it wasn't just that we were eating less - our expectations were different. We were losing, and we expected to lose. So our bodies weren't having to fight the fat and added stress. But when we hit the first day of a stall and panic, it only gets worse from there. I'm convinced my stall lasted as long as it did because I was completely stressed out and discouraged about the slow down. The harder I tried to get things going the more my body seemed to hold on to what it had.
So try to relax and don't be hard on yourself. Even though I wish sometimes there were - there is no cookie cutter way to get through this process. Some will zoom through in a few months - others will have ups and downs. That's not important. What's important is that you make it through. I'm rooting for you. Stay encouraged!! :-)
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