Celebrating a Non-Scale Victory – Love My Body
April 2, 2015"I love my new body. Okay, I don't really love it naked. When I'm walking toward a mirror clothed -- whether in work clothes, casual clothes, a dressy dress, or lingerie -- I am still thrilled by what I see. I see a well-proportioned body. I don't see a belly beyond my boobs. I don't see hips that cannot be contained within the confines of the mirror frame.
In my mind's eye, I can see the reality, with a faint outline of the ghost of my past obese body. I can see the difference. I love the way my body moves, how it can easily climb several flights of stairs, carry packages to and from the car, and easily bend and flex to put on socks, or pick something off the floor. I love the way I can get in and out of a bathtub. I love the way it greets me without pain each morning -- okay, well the usual aches, pains, creaks and groans of aging, I guess, but not the constant aching, nagging back, hip and knee pain I used to experience. I love the way it experiences life with me -- enjoying the spray of ocean water, or making love to my fiancee, or hiking through the mountains. I just feel so wonderful in my own skin now.
Somewhere along the way, the food focus changes along this journey. In the beginning, the excitement of losing a lot of weight, the thrill of attention and compliments, and the concentrated effort to do the right thing with food and exercise was at the center of my life, and the focus of my energy and thoughts. Today, I have to acknowledge that I am still a food addict and compulsive overeater, but I have been given this wonderful gift of RNY. Today, I do what it takes to maintain a healthy way of eating and moving so that I maintain a healthy weight. It's not about MORE anymore -- more weight loss, more control, more exercise, more success. It is about living one day at a time, and enjoying one moment at a time while taking care of my body, mind and spirit to the best of my ability."
~ Jill
WLS Success with Gastric Bypass
After struggling with morbid obesity, Jill made the decision to have Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass. With the support of her family and the recommendation of her surgeon, Dr. Lyudmila Pupkova, she obtained approval from her insurance due to her many co-morbid conditions. On May 30, 2007, Jill began her weight loss surgery journey.
The first year was a whirlwind journey of change. Jill shares that the excess weight practically melted off. As she lost weight, she lost the medical need for medications she was taking pre-op for diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, GERD and depression. Jill was able to put away her sleep apnea machine and no longer needed injections for heel spurs. Jill could fit in a movie theater seat, a restaurant booth, cross her legs and fit in her bathtub! She got compliments about how wonderful she looked. Jill was dedicated to eating only what she planned and exercising every day. She also finally had the courage to end her 23-year abusive marriage and find true love with the most wonderful man.
After being post-op for 16 months, life's challenges came up. Jill was faced with the reality of developing a cross-addition of alcoholism. In addition to alcoholism, she had a weight regain as well. With the same determination and commitment she used to lose weight after her weight loss surgery, she became sober and has lost her regain. Jill shares that she thanks God today that while some challenges detoured her, they did not de-rail her completely!
"Relapse is not collapse." ~ Jill
Today, Jill celebrates her five years of sobriety in June 2015! She has lost all of her weight regain plus even more than she did when she first had surgery. She has also returned to support group meetings and is an active member of the OH community.
Congratulations to you, Jill, on your many non-scale victories!
Reach Your Goals & Share your Non-Scale Victories!
Do you have a goal to feel comfortable in your body? You can join others that are working towards this goal too! If you would like to share your Non-Scale Victory and WLS story, we'd love to hear from you! Visit the submission instruction page to submit your NSV.
 | ABOUT THE AUTHOR Cathy Wilson, PCC, BCC, had RNY surgery in 2001 and lost 147 pounds. Cathy is a regular contributor to the OH Blog and authored the "Mind Matters" column in ObesityHelp Magazine. Cathy is a licensed pilot and loves flying. She is a member of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC).Read more articles by Cathy! |
