smlozano
6 Months Out and 119 lbs. Gone Forever...
Jan 14, 2009
It's completely mind-boggling to me how the past 6 months have flown by since having my RNY, and how many positive changes I've seen with my health. What an amazing gift to have my life back, to feel like a normal person again, to be happy with the way I look and feel, and to have a new-found confidence... I am so grateful to be in this place right now, and to know that my goal is within reach - I'm 2/3 there already!Looking back at my original list of goals, here's an update on my progress:
- Crossing my legs (Yes!)
- Shopping in a "normal" size clothing store (Almost there...)
- No swollen feet and ankles (Long gone...)
- Having a neck again! (Yes!)
- Fitting in an airplane seat and not having to ask for an extender belt (Yes!)
- Not having to worry whether or not I will fit in a booth at a restaurant (or break a chair!) (Yes!)
- Being able to fit on rides at amusement parks (Haven't been yet, but based on the airplane thing, Yes!)
- Swimming in public (Not quite yet...)
- Riding a bike (Haven't tried yet...)
- Not being out of breath all the time (Yes!)
- Ditching my CPAP machine (Yes!)
Last night I attended a support group meeting at St. Mark's Hospital where Dr. McKinlay was the speaker. We discussed reasons why we eat when we aren't hungry, which was a great subject... There were so many things that applied to me before surgery, and even fewer now, so I'm grateful for that. We also discussed how to make better choices when we do eat things that we probably shouldn't. All of the cravings that an overweight person has don't completely go away forever with surgery, so learning how to bridge the gap between making the best and worst choices was a great topic for discussion.
I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, and one of the greatest things I've come to realize about myself is this: From a psychological standpoint, I had always been of the mindset that food and dieting for me were always "All or Nothing" - there was no gray area in between. I would either be 100% on my game, or 100% off the wagon. Either I was really focused and feeling good, or if I slipped up a bit, I had completely failed and might as well give in completely. It was almost as though I would punish myself for failing, under the guise of eating whatever I wanted, which made me happy for a moment, but ultimately left me feeling like a miserable failure... What I have finally learned is that I'm human - I do still want some of the things I shouldn't, even though my ability to eat them (thankfully) is much less than before. In those moments when I feel the urge to eat something "off my normal plan of action" in a typical day, I find myself now making better choices overall. I have come to realize that there is some middle ground between the "all or nothing" approach, and that I'm not a misearable failure if I slip up a little. The real battle in this game of weight loss is truly a mental one, and the real test is learning to retrain a lifetime of skewed thinking about food. I'm so grateful for the many lessons I'm finally learning!
Here's to another AMAZING 6 months of weight loss, self discovery, and good health... I wish the same for you - all of my OH friends and family...
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About Me
Riverton, UT
Location
31.7
BMI
Surgery
07/14/2008
Surgery Date
Oct 30, 2007
Member Since
