WLS support and inspirational information

MacMadame

Well, I don't think you *really* want to marry a surgeon of any sort. They're kind of douche bags a lot of the time. :laugh:

I found that my views of myself changed constantly as I was losing. It was a wild ride. I just hung on! I'm married so my romantic live was kind of steady but my social and work life were in constant flux.

Now that I've been at this weight for a while, I am at the point where I look pretty fabulous in street clothes. But I spend a lot of time in swimsuits and skimpy tight exercise clothes. Plus there are a ton of clothes I can't wear -- short shorts, strapless dresses, tank tops -- anything that shows the flaps of skin under my armpits, the saggy folds around my middle, the really horribly wrinkled skin under my butt.

So some days I look at my profile in street clothes and I feel HAWT! I'm so happy with my body. Other days, all I see is the skin.

On those days, I remind myself that I'm saving up for plastic surgery.

Oh and I hate my face more than anything. I can disguise the rest but my face, with it's jowls and weird folds of skin is always out there.

frogmama

Wow MacMadame, that whole glycogen/water thing seems pretty complicated to me. I'll just aim for 1200. I usually can get close but I do not eat additional exercise calories.

The only thing we have to remember is that changes in calories and exercise routines can cause us to both retain and lose water so we shouldn't get too excited when we have a big eating day and still lose or start exercising more and don't lose.

Everything else is just for science geeks. :laugh:

Hi all just wanted to join you! Thanks Mollie for telling me about the group:flowerforyou: I started at 535 in 2001 and have made it to 333 just over 200 pounds in 10 years ugh:noway: has it been that long.

Hey, it's a journey, not a destination, right?

Seriously, even after you get to goal, it's not really over. I'm still dealing with things all the time. I think I'll never be truly "done" though I have made some big milestones and the space my head is in changes over time.

Do you have something you can where with a number on it as a constant reminder of your goal. They use to recommend this sort of stuff at weight watchers. the called it an Anchor.

My hero Chrissie Wellington does that during Ironman races. She writes inspirational quotes to help focus her on her water bottle so she sees them every time she takes a sip.

frogmama

Well I guess you could say that I haven't figured out quite how to use the "quote" feature. :laugh: MacMadame: just wanted to let you know that I have also found out something else that causes my weight to fluctuate. I have been weighing myself and graphing my weight every day for about 4 months. My "official" weight that I record on MFP is on Monday, and this is the weight that I count. However I have found that my weight fluctuates according to days that I sleep later! I normally get up for work at 3:30 am. My days off are Thursday and Friday, and then I sleep till 7. When I look at my graph over the last several months, there is usually a dip of around a pound on Thursday and Friday. :noway: Then, it goes back up on Sat. My eating or exercise habits do not change on those days. It is just the wake up time. I guess what this has shown me is one of the dangers of weighing oneself everyday and believing that any change is a permanent one. :frown: At least I don't feel bad when I weigh in on Sat mornings, and why I use Mondays as the official weigh in day!

KristieKRN

Well I guess you could say that I haven't figured out quite how to use the "quote" feature. :laugh: MacMadame: just wanted to let you know that I have also found out something else that causes my weight to fluctuate. I have been weighing myself and graphing my weight every day for about 4 months. My "official" weight that I record on MFP is on Monday, and this is the weight that I count. However I have found that my weight fluctuates according to days that I sleep later! I normally get up for work at 3:30 am. My days off are Thursday and Friday, and then I sleep till 7. When I look at my graph over the last several months, there is usually a dip of around a pound on Thursday and Friday. :noway: Then, it goes back up on Sat. My eating or exercise habits do not change on those days. It is just the wake up time. I guess what this has shown me is one of the dangers of weighing oneself everyday and believing that any change is a permanent one. :frown: At least I don't feel bad when I weigh in on Sat mornings, and why I use Mondays as the official weigh in day!

I work 12 hour midnight shifts, when I have a couple of days off and get to sleep more "normal" My weight can vary by as much as 5 pounds. I weigh myself everyday naked as soon as I wake up. I attribute this to water weight and having to do with my body not resting correctly because of the change in schedule. So, I have been weighing in on Fridays since I usually have Thursday nights off.

KristieKRN

I am not having a problem adjusting to the new face it's the sagging skin everywhere else that has me thinking bad thoughts about my body. I have tried the affirmations in front of the mirror and it doesn't work I still see the folds and I know my personal life (nonexistent) has suffered from this negativity. Any suggestions for helping me love the body I'm in until I can lose 130 more pounds an marry a plastic surgeon?:laugh:

Just before Christmas I had gone to buy some new clothes... for the first time in about a year. And when I undressed in the fitting room and saw myself in the mirror... I just about died! The boobs have dropped a good 4 inches (and those are my best asset), my butt is squishy, and my apron is on my thighs. I felt great and looked great in the new clothes that fit right, but under those clothes is some of the most disgusting things I have seen. As things are tightening up, I am grateful, but not yet happy. I am looking forward to the day that I stabilize and can go have some work done to update this old model! I just keep thinking about the new sizes I am in, and that when dressed I think I'm looking pretty darn good.

for a laugh - the sex is sooooo much better! one night I said to my husband "honey! I'm on top and you can still breathe!" we laughed for a good 10 minutes.

We WILL be happy with ourselves someday!

skbark

Hello,

I'm new to the site and am loving it. I have the app for my Droid. In March of 2008, I had Lap-pand surgery. I've lost 70 lbs and have about 40 more to go. I know I can do it!

Would love some WLS friends on here. Feel free to friend me.

Sandy

MacMadame

Okay, I think I sent everyone who's posted in this thread a friend request, but if I missed anyone, just send one to me.

AmyNVegas

MacMadame you got me:)

Well I spent the day yesterday cooking all my low carb meals and portioning them out for easy reheats. It's a bit of work one day a week but it makes it so much easier when I come home tired like today. One of the teachers was out on my hall so I didn't get a break today I had to cover her class during my prep because they didn't get a sub until halfway through the day.

AmyNVegas

I redid my ticker to show my total weightloss from the beginning (535 to now). I just really need to see that big number right now to keep motivated and on track.

IsMollyReallyHungry

Well the skin thing and face thing is a big dilemma. I so know my face looked better rounder but I will take the thin healthier face. It took a while to get used to it all and deep down I believe this is why I started to regain.

But this time around I am not going to focus on how I would look to someone naked if I were to have a boyfriend. I will deal with that later. My lower body is my worst areas because I am pear shaped and and I have much junk in my trunk for sure. I can't even begin to imagine what I will look like 100 pounds later but I am thinking positive positive positive and I quickly stop thinking about this when I dwell on it too long.

I agree with you all that for now I am going to take it that I look really good girdled and dressed up! :laugh: I am going to continue to focus on that.

You all rock and I am so glad you all are here!! Thanks again!

IsMollyReallyHungry

I redid my ticker to show my total weightloss from the beginning (535 to now). I just really need to see that big number right now to keep motivated and on track.

Amy,

Well you see I am the ticker queen!!:laugh: so I so understand wanting to see your numbers. Do what works best for you. Everyone is different.

IsMollyReallyHungry

Since we have more support please feel free to post any accomplishments, goals, etc. Please feel free to share.


For February, my goal is to continue to be consistent with my eating and drop 10 more pounds. Protien 1st and staying under 2000 calories. When I get 2000 calories down I will go to 1800.

I am good with my exercise but not with my eating. I have been doing good the last 2 months but I feel the challenges I have entered has helped me stay more focused on that. Whatever it is I am happy for it. I have lost a total of 16 pounds in the last 2 months and I hope to do the just as good in the next 2 months.

I also exercised over 1400 minutes this month which was my goal even though ticker has 1600. I put 1600 so it will never reach the end. But basically my weekly goal is to exercise 360 to 400 minutes a week.

IsMollyReallyHungry

Hello,

I'm new to the site and am loving it. I have the app for my Droid. In March of 2008, I had Lap-pand surgery. I've lost 70 lbs and have about 40 more to go. I know I can do it!

Would love some WLS friends on here. Feel free to friend me.

Sandy

Welcome Sandy!! Congrats on 70 pounds lost so far!

Well I guess you could say that I haven't figured out quite how to use the "quote" feature. :laugh: MacMadame: just wanted to let you know that I have also found out something else that causes my weight to fluctuate. I have been weighing myself and graphing my weight every day for about 4 months. My "official" weight that I record on MFP is on Monday, and this is the weight that I count. However I have found that my weight fluctuates according to days that I sleep later! I normally get up for work at 3:30 am. My days off are Thursday and Friday, and then I sleep till 7. When I look at my graph over the last several months, there is usually a dip of around a pound on Thursday and Friday. :noway: Then, it goes back up on Sat. My eating or exercise habits do not change on those days. It is just the wake up time. I guess what this has shown me is one of the dangers of weighing oneself everyday and believing that any change is a permanent one. :frown: At least I don't feel bad when I weigh in on Sat mornings, and why I use Mondays as the official weigh in day!

I work 12 hour midnight shifts, when I have a couple of days off and get to sleep more "normal" My weight can vary by as much as 5 pounds. I weigh myself everyday naked as soon as I wake up. I attribute this to water weight and having to do with my body not resting correctly because of the change in schedule. So, I have been weighing in on Fridays since I usually have Thursday nights off.

I think the weight has to do with urine and bowel movements.......:-) I am no expert but that is my take for me. If I wake up at my normal time for working out on any day which is about 4:30 to 5:00 AM, I weigh more than if I go back to bed and get up 3 or 4 hours later because by then I have went to the washroom 1 or 2 more times.

IsMollyReallyHungry

Weight Loss Surgery Support:
Daily Inspiration for February 1, 2011
Katie Jay, MSW

Move forward with optimism.

Practice an optimistic outlook--a hopeful and eager view--to multiply your chances of success. Optimism puts into play a powerful force on your behalf. Even when life is hard, know that nothing lasts forever. As you have heard before, "This, too, shall pass."

It's easy to get discouraged when you have had a lot of practice being discouraged. But, now it's time to practice optimism.

Action for the day: Pay attention to your thoughts today. When you have a negative thought, immediately replace it with an optimistic thought. Optimism can be learned.

© 2009, Katie Jay. All rights reserved.

IsMollyReallyHungry

See below article -- Pick a change you want to work on and post it right here in the comments. You’ll get the benefits of writing it down and making a public commitment. The best time to start is right now.


Tips for Breaking Bad Habits and Developing Good Habits
Written by Scott Young

Most of life is habitual. You do the same things you did yesterday, the day before and every day for the last month. It’s estimated that out of every 11,000 signals we receive from our senses, our brain only consciously processes 40.


Habits, good or bad, make you who you are. The key is controlling them. If you know how to change your habits, then even a small effort can create big changes.

I’ve been using these techniques for years to re-engineer many aspects of my life. That includes overhauling my diet, exercising regularly, cutting out television, and bulking my e-mail and work routines. Little changes that, when put on autopilot, can result in an improved quality of life.

Here are some tips to get you started:

One Habit For 30 Days – Steve Pavlina, popularized the 30 Day Trial. You focus on one change for thirty days. After that time it has been sufficiently conditioned to become a habit. I’ve used this as the basis for most of my habit changes. It definitely works to sculpt the automatic programs that run in the background of your mind.

Use a Trigger – A trigger is a short ritual you perform before a habit. If you wanted to wake up earlier this might mean jumping out of bed as soon as you hear the sound of your alarm. If you wanted to stop smoking this could be snapping your fingers every time you feel the urge for a cigarette. A trigger helps condition a new pattern more consistently.

Replace Lost Needs – If you opened up your computer and started removing hardware, what would happen. Chances are your computer wouldn’t work. Similarly, you can’t just pull out habits without replacing the needs they fulfill. Giving up television might mean you need to find a new way to relax, socialize or get information.

One Habit at a Time – A month may seem like a long time to focus on only one change, but I’ve found trying to change more than a few habits at a time to be reckless. With just one habit change you can focus on making it really stick. Multitasking between three or four often means none become habits.

Balance Feedback – The difference between long-term change and giving up on day 31 is the balance of feedback. If your change creates more pain in your life than joy, it is going to be hard to stick to. Don’t go to the gym if you hate it. Find diets, exercise, financial plans and work routines that are fun to follow and support you.

“But” to Kill Bad Thoughts – A prominent habit-changing therapist once told me a great way to nuke bad thinking. Anytime you feel yourself thinking negatively about yourself, use the word “but” and point out positive aspects. “I’m lousy at this job – but – if I keep at it I can probably improve.”

Write it Down – Don’t leave commitments in your brain. Write them on paper. This does two things. First, it creates clarity by defining in specific terms what your change means. Second, it keeps you committed since it is easy to dismiss a thought, but harder to dismiss a promise printed in front of you.

30, 90, 365 – I’d like to say most habits go through a series of checkpoints in terms of conditioning. The first is at thirty days. Here it doesn’t require willpower to continue your change, but problems might offset it. At ninety days any change should be neutral where running the habit is no more difficult than not running it. At one year it is generally harder not to run the habit than to continue with it. Be patient and run habits through the three checkpoints to make them stick.

Get Leverage – Give a buddy a hundred bucks with the condition to return it to you only when you’ve completed thirty days without fail. Make a public commitment to everyone you know that you’re going to stick with it. Offer yourself a reward if you make it a month. Anything to give yourself that extra push.

Keep it Simple – Your change should involve one or two rules, not a dozen. Exercising once per day for at least thirty minutes is easier to follow than exercising Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays with yoga the first day and mountain biking the third day, except when it is raining in which case you will do… Simple rules create habits, complex rules create headaches.

Consistency is Key – The point of a habit is that it doesn’t require thought. Variety may be the spice of life, but it doesn’t create habits. Make sure your habit is as consistent as possible and is repeated every day for thirty days. This will ensure a new habit is drilled in, instead of multiple habits loosely conditioned.

Experiment – You can’t know whether a different habit will work until you try it. Mix around with key habits until you find ones that suit you. Don’t try to follow habits because you should, but because you’ve tested them and they work in your life.

IsMollyReallyHungry

Consistency is Key – The point of a habit is that it doesn’t require thought. Variety may be the spice of life, but it doesn’t create habits. Make sure your habit is as consistent as possible and is repeated every day for thirty days. This will ensure a new habit is drilled in, instead of multiple habits loosely conditioned.


I am all good with my exercise, but I struggle with consistency with my food. That is what I am shooting for in the coming months. Consistency. I know I am not perfect but I want to have good healthily eating 80% to 90 percent of the time. This to me is consistency and is my ultimate goal.

AmyNVegas

My fight is my all or nothing attitude with dieting and changes. If I stray a little I want to give up the whole thing for the day and that turns in to a week and so on. So my change has been to get right back on plan at the next meal not the next day.:flowerforyou:

MacMadame

That's great, Amy. That's actually a major accomplishment IMO.

What are some WLS blogs people enjoy. I like this one:

http://www.formerfatdudes.com even though I'm not a dude.

AmyNVegas

Barbara Thompson's newsletter is pretty good and has recipes, too. You can sign up at http://www.barbarathompsonnewsletter.com/

frogmama

Mollie, Congratz on the 16lb weight loss. That is fantastic. Keep it up