Starting TODAY!

Hi everyone!

I'm a 40 year old single mom from Ontario. Some years ago I had great success with Weight Watchers and lost 52 lbs! Last summer I had major emergency surgery where I had about a foot of my small intestine and about a quarter of my bowel removed. In the year since my surgery I have gained almost every pound back. The formula of WW is not really suitable to me any more as the higher the fibre, the lower the points...and now that I have "short bowl syndrome" (aka when ya gotta go, ya gotta go) I'm looking for something else.

I stumbled across this app while looking for something else on the app store, so thought I would give it a try. I'm in love with the bar code scanner - how convenient! No Excuses!

My biggest challenge is that I'm an emotional eater :( I eat for everything, but mostly from stress and boredom...that is what I need to work on more than anything.

Looking forward to getting to know you all!

Replies

  • Sara45431
    Sara45431 Posts: 25 Member
    Welcome! I recently started my journey as well. I was diagnosed with diabetes and pcos. There is lots of support and information here. Feel free to add me as a friend. Good luck!
  • Cerakoala
    Cerakoala Posts: 2,547 Member
    Welcome :) Nice to meet you . THis is a wonderful site and I am sure you will find exactly what you need here. :) WW is a great program but I agree for where you are now probably not the best option for you :) There is so much advice and knowledge here, take a peek around and ask lots of questions. Best of luck on your journey :)
  • zodan1976
    zodan1976 Posts: 30 Member
    Welcome!! I have a lot more to lose than you but I have found all of the support and just really nice people on here help motivate me and they make me feel good!! Add me as a friend if you want!! I love talking to new people and encouraging and getting encouragement!! LOL I am a mom of three and work part time as a baker/ cake decorator (nice job for the big girl huh!! LOL)
  • BuddhaMom74
    BuddhaMom74 Posts: 147
    Thanks Sara:) I haven't had a chance to delve in to the site completely, but I'm looking forward to investigating all the available information.
  • BuddhaMom74
    BuddhaMom74 Posts: 147
    Wow! If I'm reading your tracker correctly - 208lbs lost - what a wonderful inspiration! Thanks for the welcome!
  • MYhealthyjourney70
    MYhealthyjourney70 Posts: 276 Member
    feel free to add me... there is alot of support on here... good luck
  • dwood1231
    dwood1231 Posts: 275 Member
    Welcome to MFP. You have had success before and I am sure you will again. 99.9% of the people and posts here are positive and helpful. I will send you a friend request.
    R/T the emotional eating, I tend to do a bite of that myself, I will when i fell like eating that way log on to MFP and type a post, vent about whatever and it takes up the time I would be eating because I can't type and eat at the same time. After ranting away for a while the urge to eat has passed. If my ranting may upset somepeople I simple dont post it. It I feel it could be helpful I do post it.
    Best of luck to you and may God bless you along the way.
  • BuddhaMom74
    BuddhaMom74 Posts: 147
    Oh man! Sweets are my thing...I'm not sure I'd be able to bake them for a living!! :) The amount of weight we need to lose may be different, but our struggles are often the same. Thanks for the encouraging words! :)
  • BuddhaMom74
    BuddhaMom74 Posts: 147
    Awesome suggestion dwood, thanks! I notice there's a blog function on this site - I'm sure that would be very helpful - and a much better option than eating!! :)
  • Jinnie69
    Jinnie69 Posts: 22
    I find myself in a similar circumstance. I lost 55 lbs over two years, lots of exercise and life style changes. Then in November I injured my wrists, then my feet started acting up, and pretty soon everything hurt and I didn't know why. Took the Doctors 6 months to figure it out, and an additional month for the medications to start working. I regained 15 lbs, but physically I need to start over so out of shape from couch surfing for 6 months.

    I have Spondyloarthropathy, it attacks almost all my joints and made sitting, standing, driving and sleeping miserable. And the fatigue was off the charts. But now that the medication is working I am starting to feel like myself again, and I'm ready to get back at it.

    I need to get back down to my former size before fall, so that I can get back into my winter clothing. Good luck.
  • lauriebusa
    lauriebusa Posts: 5 Member
    Welcome! I too have started recently....well I joined 3 years ago but lost my dad in late 2012. So being an emotional eater I spent the next year and a half suppressing my sadness, anger and guilt ( I am a health care worker and I should have gone with my belief and not listened to the doctors) with food. Good luck to you on your journey. You can do it!!!!!!!
  • JenniTheVeggie
    JenniTheVeggie Posts: 2,474 Member
    Welcome! I've been here for 830 days... MFP has been my best tool. I've lost 135 but still need to keep the scale moving.
  • BuddhaMom74
    BuddhaMom74 Posts: 147
    Thanks for sharing your story Jinnie69 - it really helps to know that there are other people in similar situations - not so isolating! and I hear you about the clothes...my winer coat doesn't do up!! :(
  • I am starting my journey today too. I am nearly 300lbs with Crohns disease. I struggle with eating healthy foods because they often set my disease into action. I love to eat out and find McDonalds an anchor in my life since it is always consistent in the many moves our family has had. I admit I am in love with french fries and cheese burgers but I also am just in love with the comfort of setting there among people even though I don't know them. I need to find ways to replace this pleasure. Fast food is not my only vice but it is a good place to start. I am looking forward to meal planning and looking for clean food options for my family. I recently moved to a more rural area of Arizona. It is far too hot to walk or ride a bike and there is no gym here. Does anyone have a good idea of a video or DVD that would be fun and a good place for an exercise beginner?
  • BuddhaMom74
    BuddhaMom74 Posts: 147
    Thanks for the encouragement lauriebusa!! Emotional eating just sucks! I always wished I was one of those people who stopped eating during stressful times!!
  • BuddhaMom74
    BuddhaMom74 Posts: 147
    Julieroush - thank you so much for sharing your story :) That was my "working diagnosis" for the better part of a year. However, after a recent colonoscopy, my gatroenterologist said there was no evidence to suggest I have any chronic condition with regards to my gastrointestinal system - good news! I hear you though about the food - even though I don't have Crohn's, I do have a foot and a half less surface area in my track, so I need easily digestible foods - the high fibre diet, as promoted by WW is too hard to digest...it's such a tricky thing having gastro issues. We can do this!