Laureen S.
Goal of a Disney
Apr 24, 2013
I went on vacation to Florida last Tuesday, not that that in and of itself is terribly unique, because I have been going there for over 30 years now, but last week, something was different. . .
I arrived in Orlando to spend some time with my two daughters, the older who turned 38 last Wednesday and she told me that we would be going to Disney the following day, me, her and her sister (my 35 yo baby). We had talked about doing that last time I was there, so I was happy that she was able to get us in (the price was right (almost free)), she has a tenant in the apartment complex she manages that works there and he got us in. . . anyway, I spent the entire day walking, taking photos and riding various rides. . . not unusual you would think. . . but a mere 6 years ago, I could not do such a thing, as my obesity kept me from enjoying such things. You see it was 6 years ago in March that my then 9 yo granddaughter asked if I would go to Disney with her, she'd been there many times, since they live there, but she wanted to go with me and it was that request that ultimately sent me to seek out a surgeon I could have a consult with, because life was passing me by. . . I was 51 years old and had stopped living a full life because I had become a prisoner to my own body. One of the goals I set when I set up my profile on OH was to go to Disney with my granddaughter. . . well, while she was not with us, I am now able to say I have accomplished that goal and DAMN I AM PROUD of THAT!!!
After Orlando, I headed to Pompano Beach to spend time with a dear old friend and while there we walked and walked, one day walking about 3 miles or more on the beach, me loading my pockets with coral that washed up on the beach, then the last day, she had a tennis match and they have a walking track at the park, it is a 5k track and I walked it 1.5 times in about 55 minutes and came home from vacation weighing 3 lbs. less than when I left. I thank God each day for the gift of WLS and while I don't use my tool well each day, I use it well enough to be living a life that is fuller and richer than it was for a number of years. . .
For the many who were on this site before me, offered their insight and words of encouragement in the pre-and early post-WLS days, wherever you are, whatever you are doing, I wish you peace, joy and happiness, you made me believe I could do things that for years I dreamed of. . . TODAY I DO THEM!!!
So if you are considering this lifestyle, and like me you feel held back by your obesity. . . be willing to live your dreams, because life is an interactive experience. . .
Laureen
LIVE LIFE. . .
Aug 07, 2012
Recently I had my, now 14 yo, granddaughter up for a visit, that same one, who was part of the reason I made the decision to have WLS. When I asked her, at 9 what she wanted for her birthday, she had wanted me to go to Disneyworld with her, that was just not happening because my weight and mobility factor were quite different than it is today. . . We never did make it to Disney, but not because I can't, more because I have not been inclined to go there and since she lives close to it, she gets there enough. What I did more recently was take her, on July 4th to NYC, where we walked crosstown, took the subways, walked the WTC Memorial, from there to Battery Park, stood in the sun waiting for the ferry to Liberty Island, walked the Island and then back where we walked to the subway again and found our way back to my car. . . and a few days later, we did the same thing in Philadelphia, walked and walked and saw the different sites, both days involved close to 8 hours of walking in 90+ temps, enjoying my granddaughter, now that is the reason I had WLS in the first place. . . to LIVE LIFE and as I look back on what life was once like, I am grateful and happy with the choice I've made, even with some regain, I am not giving up on ever getting down to the weight I want to be at, but I AM healthier and more able to LIVE LIFE than ever and I am 57 years young . . .
1 comment
Long time since I added to this blog . . .
May 23, 2011
As someone commented on my last post, it brought me here and made me think on where things currently stand. . .
Well I've regained 25 lbs. from my lowest weight and that has me fearful, had a support group meeting on Sunday and there are a good number of us that are having regain issues, now I know it is not the end of the world, that my tool is still intact and that I can get it under control, but I came to a realization and that is that going into this I believed that once I acheived my goal, I would then have an easier time somehow maintaining it, well that is not the case and so I must surrender to all that I learned, which basically goes back to good habits, make success continue, returning to old habits create a sense of doom and bring back that old familiar attitude of "I failed". I do not wish to fail and I can and will regain control over what I can, which is simply making the right choices, for to not do that, I will fail and heck I really don't want to buy a whole new wardrobe (lol). . .
Life is still good and I am healthy and happy otherwise.
Wishing anyone reading this success in their journey.
L
2 comments
Well I've regained 25 lbs. from my lowest weight and that has me fearful, had a support group meeting on Sunday and there are a good number of us that are having regain issues, now I know it is not the end of the world, that my tool is still intact and that I can get it under control, but I came to a realization and that is that going into this I believed that once I acheived my goal, I would then have an easier time somehow maintaining it, well that is not the case and so I must surrender to all that I learned, which basically goes back to good habits, make success continue, returning to old habits create a sense of doom and bring back that old familiar attitude of "I failed". I do not wish to fail and I can and will regain control over what I can, which is simply making the right choices, for to not do that, I will fail and heck I really don't want to buy a whole new wardrobe (lol). . .
Life is still good and I am healthy and happy otherwise.
Wishing anyone reading this success in their journey.
L
Two and a half years. . .
Mar 16, 2010
Wow can it be that I am now a WLS veteran of sorts. . . I remember how long the process took when I was considering and planning to have my surgery done, and now 2-1/2 years has gone by. . .
Life has changed for me in countless ways, all of them good, my health has probably not been this good ever and I have pretty much maintained my weightloss for a year now, not getting to my personal goal, but not giving up hope that I won't yet make it one day. The truth of it is, I have areas I could improve upon, notably not eating as many refined carbs as I have been, and adding more physical activity, but be that as it may, I get on my scale almost every morning to monitor myself and keep things in check, I still log what I eat and my calorie intake is seldom at 1500 calories a day. I enjoy food as much as ever, just in limited quantities and much of what I used to "stuff" in my mouth is not something I even want to eat now. I have learned to adapt recipes to healthier ways of eating and therefore there is no deprivation to my tastebuds.
Some of the many joys in life are my ability to get tired from actually doing things, if the truth be told, most of the time I overdo now, guess I'm making up for lost time. I can clean, do gardening, play with my grandchildren, spend a day walking, shop in almost any store and just be a person among many, instead of standing out in a crowd.
I've met and made countless friends throughout my WLS community and now am looking forward to living longer and healthier and hopefully giving back to those considering this path.
If you are someone reading this and wondering if you want to take this path, do so with lots of thought to it, it is making a lifetime commitment to doing things that MUST be done, taking vitamin supplements, getting in the proper amount of fluids, moving and realizing that this is not a quick fix, that if you don't change your thinking, while your body is altered, you can still wind up back where you were before you underwent this surgical intervention. Support is a key component, please get involved, whether it is regularly here at OH, or at a local support group, it helps, because our families, our friends, no matter how much they would support us, unless they have gone this path, well, they just don't understand it quite the way another who has does. . . besides, you will make the acquaitance of wonderful people and what you lose in pounds, you will gain in friendships.
Peace and good wishes, Living life to the fullest!
1 comment
Life has changed for me in countless ways, all of them good, my health has probably not been this good ever and I have pretty much maintained my weightloss for a year now, not getting to my personal goal, but not giving up hope that I won't yet make it one day. The truth of it is, I have areas I could improve upon, notably not eating as many refined carbs as I have been, and adding more physical activity, but be that as it may, I get on my scale almost every morning to monitor myself and keep things in check, I still log what I eat and my calorie intake is seldom at 1500 calories a day. I enjoy food as much as ever, just in limited quantities and much of what I used to "stuff" in my mouth is not something I even want to eat now. I have learned to adapt recipes to healthier ways of eating and therefore there is no deprivation to my tastebuds.
Some of the many joys in life are my ability to get tired from actually doing things, if the truth be told, most of the time I overdo now, guess I'm making up for lost time. I can clean, do gardening, play with my grandchildren, spend a day walking, shop in almost any store and just be a person among many, instead of standing out in a crowd.
I've met and made countless friends throughout my WLS community and now am looking forward to living longer and healthier and hopefully giving back to those considering this path.
If you are someone reading this and wondering if you want to take this path, do so with lots of thought to it, it is making a lifetime commitment to doing things that MUST be done, taking vitamin supplements, getting in the proper amount of fluids, moving and realizing that this is not a quick fix, that if you don't change your thinking, while your body is altered, you can still wind up back where you were before you underwent this surgical intervention. Support is a key component, please get involved, whether it is regularly here at OH, or at a local support group, it helps, because our families, our friends, no matter how much they would support us, unless they have gone this path, well, they just don't understand it quite the way another who has does. . . besides, you will make the acquaitance of wonderful people and what you lose in pounds, you will gain in friendships.
Peace and good wishes, Living life to the fullest!
I finally heard the words. . .
Oct 29, 2009
Are you done? How much more weight do you want to lose?
To which I replied, that I was happy where I was, but hoped to lose about 10 more pounds. . . It was my dental hygienist who said those words to me and she has been someone who knew me before I lost my weight and it was nice to hear her say, I think you look fabulous and if you lose any more weight, I think your face might not look very good. That was a bit of a wow moment, because while I heard some comments to the effect, oh you look good now, I was not where I am now and I can say that so long as I maintain the weight I am now, I can be happy with my results and feel like a champion in my own world. Which is not to say I am done, it's a lifestyle and I must continue to stay involved in order to maintain and continue "successing"!
Two Years Today!
Oct 16, 2009
Two years ago, under the wonderfully skilled hands of Dr. Pupkova, the tool of gastric bypass was given to me and as I look back now, I want to share some of the experiences I’ve had along the way. As a disclaimer here (lol), I want to state this is my journey and my experience that I am sharing honestly with you, so you can understand where I could have done better and what I feel I have learned along the way. . . I have found that each one of us embarks on this journey for our own reasons, a good many of us need to do this for health concerns and I, based on my family history of heart disease and adult onset diabetes due to obesity, which ultimately took my own mother’s life at the early age of 65, certainly had those concerns. At age 51 I found myself weighing 254 lbs and unable to move about freely, the simple act of walking had become something I could no longer do with ease. My life had become greatly limited and I thought to myself that this was the beginning of the end to what had once been a richly social and active life and I was just not willing to accept it. I had seen the results of WLS in my own family, it worked where diets had failed over and over again and while, prior to that doctor’s visit in March of 07, I had looked at WLS as a ““last resort” for people who were looking for an easy way out” I began in earnest to look for a surgeon that I could discuss the possibility with. I posted on the NJ/PA boards and had done some homework myself, which ultimately led me to Barix Clinics in Langhorne. It was there on the Friday beginning Memorial Day weekend that I met with Dr. Pupkova in a seminar that was to begin my journey. I knew from that first meeting with Dr. Pupkova that I wanted to pursue this and wanted her skills to be utilized to aid me. It was also on that day, that I met for the first time one of my good friends today, Sister Jan, who was leaving Barix having had her surgery by Dr. P (as she is well known by her patients) a couple of days prior.
It was then I began, what seemed like a long tedious process of jumping through the hoops, getting the insurance company on board was the first order of it all, then the tests, cardiac clearance by way of stress test, gastro because they had to scope me to see the condition of a hiatal hernia I had, bloodwork, x-rays, and the follow-up calls for all of it, making sure the paperwork got where it needed, which was very seldom the case, driving Michelle (Dr. P’s assistant, crazy with follow-up calls), driving Peggy (the person in charge of getting a surgery date) nuts, etc., etc., and then the call came, the one that said I was to be at Barix on October 16 for what was to become a life changing event, I was given my PATs date and told to be sure that I had gained no weight at that visit, or I would be cancelled from surgery, and the excitement from that point was phenomenal.
I had been involved in support, at first through OH and at a home held support group, hosted by Heather W. in Harleysville (miss you dear Heather), where I met a host of wonderful people and, so, that very important component of support was in place. Everyone encouraged me and told me I would do just great. I will tell you all that this journey is best had with the support of like travelled people, people who know what you are going through, who will cheer when you tell them that you can cross your legs for the first time in a long, long time, or that a regular bath towel now fits around your body with spare room, because they understand what, to the average person, is such a silly thing. They also know how humiliating it is when you have to scan a room for a comfortable place to sit, or the look on someone’s face when you are going to sit next to them on a train, bus or plane, they know like no one else does, and so it is with these people that I need to continue to push through what has been and continues to be the most challenging journey of a lifetime.
I have not always followed the path I should, on Christmas Eve of 2007 I tested my pouch and found I could tolerate small amounts of sugar, because I had a mini cannoli at my family holiday; not a good thing, but I am being honest here and that choice was made too soon, but it is a part of my story, and I share it so that hopefully you will pause when you decide to test and see if you too can get away with it. It may be a reason why I have yet to reach “goal”, because along the way I have told myself, and, for me, and only I can speak for myself, I have made choices that I will pay for by coming up short on the goal side of things. I cannot claim what I am not, perfection is not me, nor do I know anyone who is, but what I will say is, my personal belief is that I was given this tool to help aid in my ability to make better choices for myself, what I have learned along the way is if I do not do my part, via choices of what I put into my body, as well as how much activity I pursue, the results will either benefit me or make me into what I once was, as this is not a magical solution, so I must maintain a level of honesty, and a big part of that for me is the therapeutic value of showing up daily via some form of accountability.
Slowly the bondage of my body fat has melted away and in it’s place I have gained friends who support and encourage me. I look in the mirror and most days I see someone there who I can’t believe is really me, and on the days when I am feeling shaky, when I look in the mirror and see me as I used to be, I know where to turn for help, because beyond the physical changes that have noticeably taken place, the mental changes are ongoing and I am learning that this process will probably not be an event but more about a lifetime of putting the negative committee to bed. Among you, my peers, I found help in facing the challenge of my perceptions of self in ways that do not involve covering my feelings up with food, which is still challenging at times, but a whole lot less so than before I began this journey.
I will end with this, while I have not reached a “weight goal”, I have far exceeded my own goals, last week I had a wedding to attend, I went to Marshall’s to buy a dress and picked up this cute dress, size 14, I held it up and said, well let’s see, wasn’t sure I would look good in it, walked around the entire store with it in my arms and decided, ah what the hell, for what they were charging for it, I’d take it home try it on and if I didn’t like it, I’d bring it back. . . well I went home, put the dress on, looked in the mirror and this is a first for me. . . I looked in the mirror and said to myself. . . “Gee, I really look pretty in this dress”. . . I felt pretty in that dress, so much so that I did not want to take if off when I came home Saturday night and so much so that I will wear it again at Tammy’s wedding tomorrow!
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, thank you!
1 comment
It was then I began, what seemed like a long tedious process of jumping through the hoops, getting the insurance company on board was the first order of it all, then the tests, cardiac clearance by way of stress test, gastro because they had to scope me to see the condition of a hiatal hernia I had, bloodwork, x-rays, and the follow-up calls for all of it, making sure the paperwork got where it needed, which was very seldom the case, driving Michelle (Dr. P’s assistant, crazy with follow-up calls), driving Peggy (the person in charge of getting a surgery date) nuts, etc., etc., and then the call came, the one that said I was to be at Barix on October 16 for what was to become a life changing event, I was given my PATs date and told to be sure that I had gained no weight at that visit, or I would be cancelled from surgery, and the excitement from that point was phenomenal.
I had been involved in support, at first through OH and at a home held support group, hosted by Heather W. in Harleysville (miss you dear Heather), where I met a host of wonderful people and, so, that very important component of support was in place. Everyone encouraged me and told me I would do just great. I will tell you all that this journey is best had with the support of like travelled people, people who know what you are going through, who will cheer when you tell them that you can cross your legs for the first time in a long, long time, or that a regular bath towel now fits around your body with spare room, because they understand what, to the average person, is such a silly thing. They also know how humiliating it is when you have to scan a room for a comfortable place to sit, or the look on someone’s face when you are going to sit next to them on a train, bus or plane, they know like no one else does, and so it is with these people that I need to continue to push through what has been and continues to be the most challenging journey of a lifetime.
I have not always followed the path I should, on Christmas Eve of 2007 I tested my pouch and found I could tolerate small amounts of sugar, because I had a mini cannoli at my family holiday; not a good thing, but I am being honest here and that choice was made too soon, but it is a part of my story, and I share it so that hopefully you will pause when you decide to test and see if you too can get away with it. It may be a reason why I have yet to reach “goal”, because along the way I have told myself, and, for me, and only I can speak for myself, I have made choices that I will pay for by coming up short on the goal side of things. I cannot claim what I am not, perfection is not me, nor do I know anyone who is, but what I will say is, my personal belief is that I was given this tool to help aid in my ability to make better choices for myself, what I have learned along the way is if I do not do my part, via choices of what I put into my body, as well as how much activity I pursue, the results will either benefit me or make me into what I once was, as this is not a magical solution, so I must maintain a level of honesty, and a big part of that for me is the therapeutic value of showing up daily via some form of accountability.
Slowly the bondage of my body fat has melted away and in it’s place I have gained friends who support and encourage me. I look in the mirror and most days I see someone there who I can’t believe is really me, and on the days when I am feeling shaky, when I look in the mirror and see me as I used to be, I know where to turn for help, because beyond the physical changes that have noticeably taken place, the mental changes are ongoing and I am learning that this process will probably not be an event but more about a lifetime of putting the negative committee to bed. Among you, my peers, I found help in facing the challenge of my perceptions of self in ways that do not involve covering my feelings up with food, which is still challenging at times, but a whole lot less so than before I began this journey.
I will end with this, while I have not reached a “weight goal”, I have far exceeded my own goals, last week I had a wedding to attend, I went to Marshall’s to buy a dress and picked up this cute dress, size 14, I held it up and said, well let’s see, wasn’t sure I would look good in it, walked around the entire store with it in my arms and decided, ah what the hell, for what they were charging for it, I’d take it home try it on and if I didn’t like it, I’d bring it back. . . well I went home, put the dress on, looked in the mirror and this is a first for me. . . I looked in the mirror and said to myself. . . “Gee, I really look pretty in this dress”. . . I felt pretty in that dress, so much so that I did not want to take if off when I came home Saturday night and so much so that I will wear it again at Tammy’s wedding tomorrow!
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, thank you!
Something I posted today that I want to remember. . .
Aug 20, 2009
Last night I went to my monthly support group and it was good to see people and we had a couple of people who are just coming up on the 1st year post-surgery and listening to them talk about how this has changed their lives just reminds me of all I have to be grateful for.
There was someone there, who sadly told their story, of having had WLS in 2001 and after losing a substantial portion of their weight, their spouse of 27 years left and that person resorted back to old habits and had regained all of their weight back and then some, they can't have revision due to a bloodclot issue and so are on a medically supervised 700 calorie a day diet to help lose weight. A sad story, but the upside is they are doing something about it. Another of our group members, someone who is 6 years post-op, spoke of how at 18 months post surgery, they got tired of doing the right things and a year later was 60 lbs. heavier, so that person went back to doing what had given them a new lease on life and lost the regained weight. That story I go back to over and over in my mind, because I think the further out we get, the more "normal" our mindsets become, and therein lies the danger of regain, which is a big fear of mine. I worked so hard to get where I am and lately I've lost some of the wind in my sails, so to speak, I am not exercising, which makes me feel guilty, the scale has crept up some, but still within my 5 lbs. of lowest weight and I do a fairly good job of journaling what I eat to keep myself honest and on track. I miss the exercise portion of things, however, I can't bring myself to spend the time in the gym, when I don't have things I have to do, or things of a social nature, I just want to be at home with Dillinger.
As I come closer to my 2 year post-surgical time, I had hoped to be at my goal, which in truth is not far from being realized, so while I can recognize the achievements, I still have an unrealized goal that makes me feel that I have failed somehow. There is my addict brain thought process, black/white for all to see, never enough. . . What I have to reply to that thought process is I've had lots of life challenges this past year, things that would have sent me searching for consolation in the form of my first true love, FOOD. . . I can say that with all truth, I seldom gave in to it and mostly did not even consider it, so I share this with all of you, as a way to purge the negative from my mind and to let you know that some days just knowing that we are all on the same journey, no matter the distance from it, it's the commaradiere that we share that keeps me looking for and counting my blessings and knowing that the number on the scale does not determine my success for this day.
Hugs, Laureen
1 comment
There was someone there, who sadly told their story, of having had WLS in 2001 and after losing a substantial portion of their weight, their spouse of 27 years left and that person resorted back to old habits and had regained all of their weight back and then some, they can't have revision due to a bloodclot issue and so are on a medically supervised 700 calorie a day diet to help lose weight. A sad story, but the upside is they are doing something about it. Another of our group members, someone who is 6 years post-op, spoke of how at 18 months post surgery, they got tired of doing the right things and a year later was 60 lbs. heavier, so that person went back to doing what had given them a new lease on life and lost the regained weight. That story I go back to over and over in my mind, because I think the further out we get, the more "normal" our mindsets become, and therein lies the danger of regain, which is a big fear of mine. I worked so hard to get where I am and lately I've lost some of the wind in my sails, so to speak, I am not exercising, which makes me feel guilty, the scale has crept up some, but still within my 5 lbs. of lowest weight and I do a fairly good job of journaling what I eat to keep myself honest and on track. I miss the exercise portion of things, however, I can't bring myself to spend the time in the gym, when I don't have things I have to do, or things of a social nature, I just want to be at home with Dillinger.
As I come closer to my 2 year post-surgical time, I had hoped to be at my goal, which in truth is not far from being realized, so while I can recognize the achievements, I still have an unrealized goal that makes me feel that I have failed somehow. There is my addict brain thought process, black/white for all to see, never enough. . . What I have to reply to that thought process is I've had lots of life challenges this past year, things that would have sent me searching for consolation in the form of my first true love, FOOD. . . I can say that with all truth, I seldom gave in to it and mostly did not even consider it, so I share this with all of you, as a way to purge the negative from my mind and to let you know that some days just knowing that we are all on the same journey, no matter the distance from it, it's the commaradiere that we share that keeps me looking for and counting my blessings and knowing that the number on the scale does not determine my success for this day.
Hugs, Laureen
Been a Long Time and So Many Challenges. . .
Apr 30, 2009
I have not written in my journey section in a very long time. Well in this time I've faced many challenges and some food demons have come out to haunt me, but I won't let them take over my being.
The first challenge came in February when I had to leave a Barix support group meeting because I got a call that Dillinger was not himself, I rushed home and into action and a "tummy tuck" later (what it cost me), Dillinger is still with me. Those days were very stressful and sad and I made it through without turning to my old friend, food. Well a week and a half after Dillinger came home from UofPenn I lost my job of the past 13 years. Being home has been both a blessing and a challenge, the routine of work was wonderful in keeping to my food plan, I packed, took my vitamins, drank my water and went to the gym. . . now I cannot afford a gym membership, good thing there are painting projects as the house project that's been going on since October is coming to an end, so there is lots of physical activities to be done, but being so close to the refrigerator has been the biggest challenge and/or running and not eating properly. I am learning to balance myself, making sure I drink at least 1/3 of my water intake before having a cup of coffee in the mornings, to eat breakfast by 9, a light snack if I truly feel hungry by 11:30 and then lunch by 1:30, dinner by 5:30, fruit and yogurt and occasionally one of those yummy protein bars are my snacks these days, I did face the temptation of the "reduced fat" kettle chips and had to banish them from my hands and what I can say is that I find my pouch still does it's part, if I do mine as the 4 lbs. my scale moved upwards has now gone bye-bye and I intend for it to stay that way as I still have 8 lbs. to my personal goal of 150 lbs. which I truly hope to meet by summer's end.
I have set goals and achieved many, but what has happened is I now have a new relationship with food, though the ghosts of yesterday's habits continue to haunt from time to time and I accept that this will be a lifelong journey, that some days will be better than others, but so long as I stay the course and connected in some way with my friends who are on the same journey, I can maintain where I am today.
I am grateful for the life I now have, I can climb ladders, lift heavy bags of garbage, walk on the sand at the beach and not feel as though I am in quicksand, get on my knees in the dirt and plant something, instead of pointing where I want it planted and having someone else do it. I am truly living my life and while I am still seeking a job, I also believe that being a thinner person will help me there too! I have energy that is incredible, I sleep like a baby and encourage anyone thinking of taking this journey to consider that it is a lifelong commitment to taking charge of your health with a tool that your surgeon creates out of your own body, what and how you use that tool is going to get you where you want to be, but the tool without the change in mindset will not take you far enough. I am "successing" and you can too!
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The first challenge came in February when I had to leave a Barix support group meeting because I got a call that Dillinger was not himself, I rushed home and into action and a "tummy tuck" later (what it cost me), Dillinger is still with me. Those days were very stressful and sad and I made it through without turning to my old friend, food. Well a week and a half after Dillinger came home from UofPenn I lost my job of the past 13 years. Being home has been both a blessing and a challenge, the routine of work was wonderful in keeping to my food plan, I packed, took my vitamins, drank my water and went to the gym. . . now I cannot afford a gym membership, good thing there are painting projects as the house project that's been going on since October is coming to an end, so there is lots of physical activities to be done, but being so close to the refrigerator has been the biggest challenge and/or running and not eating properly. I am learning to balance myself, making sure I drink at least 1/3 of my water intake before having a cup of coffee in the mornings, to eat breakfast by 9, a light snack if I truly feel hungry by 11:30 and then lunch by 1:30, dinner by 5:30, fruit and yogurt and occasionally one of those yummy protein bars are my snacks these days, I did face the temptation of the "reduced fat" kettle chips and had to banish them from my hands and what I can say is that I find my pouch still does it's part, if I do mine as the 4 lbs. my scale moved upwards has now gone bye-bye and I intend for it to stay that way as I still have 8 lbs. to my personal goal of 150 lbs. which I truly hope to meet by summer's end.
I have set goals and achieved many, but what has happened is I now have a new relationship with food, though the ghosts of yesterday's habits continue to haunt from time to time and I accept that this will be a lifelong journey, that some days will be better than others, but so long as I stay the course and connected in some way with my friends who are on the same journey, I can maintain where I am today.
I am grateful for the life I now have, I can climb ladders, lift heavy bags of garbage, walk on the sand at the beach and not feel as though I am in quicksand, get on my knees in the dirt and plant something, instead of pointing where I want it planted and having someone else do it. I am truly living my life and while I am still seeking a job, I also believe that being a thinner person will help me there too! I have energy that is incredible, I sleep like a baby and encourage anyone thinking of taking this journey to consider that it is a lifelong commitment to taking charge of your health with a tool that your surgeon creates out of your own body, what and how you use that tool is going to get you where you want to be, but the tool without the change in mindset will not take you far enough. I am "successing" and you can too!
"I didn't recognize you"
Dec 13, 2008
Last night I went to my "sister from another mother" son's wedding. It was a fabulous wedding and one of the things I am realizing is that food is not the main event in my life anymore, as between Thanksgiving and now this affair, I came to realize how I used to look forward to all the food choices that would be available to me and now I look and make very selective, healthy choices and enjoy what I eat, but a bite here and there satisfies my "lust" for food, which is no longer the biggest thing about attending such festivities, now it is the social aspect I enjoy, which brings me to the story of my title. . .
Jeanne and I have been best friend's for 21 years now, I know her family and most of her friends and on several occasions last night I got the impression that some people saying hello to me, did not recognize me. . . well it was late in the evening and I went to get a cappuchino during the Vienese hour, when one of the guests came up to me and said, "I have to apologize to you, as I just realized who you were, you look fabulous, absolutely incredible, about 20 years younger and I honestly did not recognize you, asked my wife who is that sitting with Jeanne and Mike and when she told me, I nearly fell off my seat. . ." it was so funny, as Rita (his wife had told me just a few moments earlier that her husband did not know who I was). . . Then when people were starting to leave, Jeanne's SIL came to our table to say her goodbyes, she looked right at me and said, "I don't know you, but goodbye", to which I laughed and said, Gina, it's me, Laurie (a name my family and old friends call me). . . well her jaw literally dropped and she was just floored, said she didn't believe how different I look and how wonderful it was to see me looking so great! Oh and then the last bit of fun, Jeanne's husband Mike asked if I had had plastic surgery on my face, because he said he kept looking at me all night, thinking how much different my face looked, younger and so he thought sure I had somethng done, to which I laughed and replied, not yet, and shared my chicken neck story. . . where upon visiting with my daughter at Thanksgiving, I was in her house all of 5 minutes and she said, Mom you look awesome, but you really have to do something about that Turkey neck of yours (lol), as my friend Anthony would say, apples and trees, but I think I have learned the art of tactfulness through my lifetime, something I'm beginning to think Marlene never will. . .
Jeanne and I have been best friend's for 21 years now, I know her family and most of her friends and on several occasions last night I got the impression that some people saying hello to me, did not recognize me. . . well it was late in the evening and I went to get a cappuchino during the Vienese hour, when one of the guests came up to me and said, "I have to apologize to you, as I just realized who you were, you look fabulous, absolutely incredible, about 20 years younger and I honestly did not recognize you, asked my wife who is that sitting with Jeanne and Mike and when she told me, I nearly fell off my seat. . ." it was so funny, as Rita (his wife had told me just a few moments earlier that her husband did not know who I was). . . Then when people were starting to leave, Jeanne's SIL came to our table to say her goodbyes, she looked right at me and said, "I don't know you, but goodbye", to which I laughed and said, Gina, it's me, Laurie (a name my family and old friends call me). . . well her jaw literally dropped and she was just floored, said she didn't believe how different I look and how wonderful it was to see me looking so great! Oh and then the last bit of fun, Jeanne's husband Mike asked if I had had plastic surgery on my face, because he said he kept looking at me all night, thinking how much different my face looked, younger and so he thought sure I had somethng done, to which I laughed and replied, not yet, and shared my chicken neck story. . . where upon visiting with my daughter at Thanksgiving, I was in her house all of 5 minutes and she said, Mom you look awesome, but you really have to do something about that Turkey neck of yours (lol), as my friend Anthony would say, apples and trees, but I think I have learned the art of tactfulness through my lifetime, something I'm beginning to think Marlene never will. . .
One Year Post-op Visit w/Dr. Pupkova
Oct 31, 2008
Today I met with my surgeon and she was very pleased with my numbers (I have lost a total of 78.3 lbs.) and how I am looking, she said I look smaller than the size 12 I can now fit into and agrees that probably 15-25 more pounds would be a good weight for me. What she told me is to keep up the exercise and NO EXTREME MEASURES should be taken and she emphasized that 2X, meaning that I should eat as prescribed, which the NUT told me that now that I am over a year and not losing at a fast pace any longer, is to down my protein intake to about 50, protein should still be first source of eating and Dr. P said my activity level should be within reason, cardio 3 or 4x a week and weight/strength/core 2 or 3x a week, so that it is at a level I can maintain over the course of my lifetime, said it's good to mix it up and such to keep it interesting. I am to keep up with my vitamins and calcium supplements pending the outcome of my bloodwork, which I had not gotten done due to lack of paperwork (I could not find it), and things will be adjusted if need be once the bloodwork comes back.
Barbara the NUT went over the pyramid of food choices with me, explaining the nutrional needs I now have at this stage and when I asked about calories, she basically told me that if I stay at the 1000 level, I should continue to lose weight at the rate of .5 to a 1 lb. a week, give or take, but that I can expect the weight loss to be considerably slower, which is pretty obvious to me.
I feel good about how this visit went and am optimistic that eventually I will reach my goal, even if it takes time for me to get there. I was reminded that factors of age and body type, etc., play a part and that I have done an excellent job of using my tool and will continue to succeed if I simply follow the plan. That is my commitment, which was made when I chose this way of life one year and 2 weeks ago.
Barbara the NUT went over the pyramid of food choices with me, explaining the nutrional needs I now have at this stage and when I asked about calories, she basically told me that if I stay at the 1000 level, I should continue to lose weight at the rate of .5 to a 1 lb. a week, give or take, but that I can expect the weight loss to be considerably slower, which is pretty obvious to me.
I feel good about how this visit went and am optimistic that eventually I will reach my goal, even if it takes time for me to get there. I was reminded that factors of age and body type, etc., play a part and that I have done an excellent job of using my tool and will continue to succeed if I simply follow the plan. That is my commitment, which was made when I chose this way of life one year and 2 weeks ago.
About Me
Maple Shade, NJ
Location
29.3
BMI
Surgery
10/16/2007
Surgery Date
Jan 09, 2006
Member Since
