Worth Reading

Thought this was worth passing on ..... "Fight to Be the Person of Your Dreams By Cynthia Buffington, Ph.D. Before you learned about surgery, did you ever think that you would ever be thin? That you could get up and down off the floor without assistance and excessive pain? That you could walk up a hill and still be able to breathe the fresh air? That you could be cured of your diabetes, hypertension and various other health problems? Then, you had the surgery and with each pound shed you realized you were a little closer to having those dreams fulfilled. Mobility was improving daily and you couldn't believe the pain that had always affected your knees was vanishing. Your diabetes was cured shortly after surgery; you no longer needed medication for your hypertension; and a CPAP machine was no longer necessary at night for sleep apnea. Your level of energy increased daily and you found it hard to believe that you felt so well and alive. The excitement of seeing yourself developing into the person of your dreams helped to alleviate the anxiety and depression caused by the chronic hopelessness of your former obese self. Self-confidence improved and you even occasionally dared to glance at your reflection in the storefront windows. Feelings of societal discrimination disappeared as you realized that others no longer were judging you based upon your appearance. And, for the first time in years or, perhaps, ever, you began to like being you. Three years later, postoperative jubilation gradually turns into fear and, then, to near panic, as the 15 extra pounds gained over the last year doubles in a period of only 6 weeks. You also notice that you are starting to overeat in response to emotional distress. Watching TV once again starts to replace evening walks or going to the gym, and you realize that you haven't taken your vitamin/mineral supplements in weeks. You know, at this time, that you should return to the clinic and also start going back to support group meetings. But, with the extra 30 pounds, you are now too embarrassed to see the surgeon, nutritionist, nurse or fellow patients at support group meetings who may question why you have regained weight. Even more discouraging, the critical and condescending 'little voice' that once raged within you has resurfaced, accusing you of being a failure. You are NOT a failure. You have an aggressive disease that causes your body to be far more susceptible to fat accumulation and weight gain than others. Fortunately, though, you have a ' surgical tool' in place which, when coupled with lifestyle change, can help you to slow the progression of, or even arrest, your disease. Furthermore, you have a multidisciplinary team of professionals available who want to help you to succeed in maintaining your weight loss if you seek their assistance. There are also behaviors you can adopt that patients successful in long-term weight maintenance are reported to practice. These behaviors include: 1) weighing once a week, 2) burning greater than 2500 calories per week by exercising (walking, cycling, swimming, etc.), 3) exhibiting a high level of dietary restraint, 4) eating frequent small meals (5 times per day or more) and using supplements for some of these meals (protein drinks, for instance), 5) reducing fat in the diet, 6) attending support group meetings or groups with similar issues, 7) learning ways, other than eating, to deal with life stressors, 8) eating high fiber, nutritious foods (such as fruits and vegetables), 9) taking vitamins and minerals (deficiencies in certain vitamins and minerals can lead to weight gain and/or food cravings), and 10) setting reasonable weight loss maintenance goals. In addition to following these principles and seeking counsel from your multidisciplinary team of professionals, it is also of utmost importance that you do not allow that 'condescending' little voice within (or anyone else's negative comments) to make you feel as though you are a failure because you have gained a pound or two. You are NOT a failure! You are suffering from a deadly and progressive disease for which there is, at this time, NO known cure, including surgery. Don't allow discouragement to keep you from being the person of your dreams. Take advantage of the surgical tool that you have and couple that with whatever additional actions are necessary to successfully 'battle' your disease and to claim your right to a lifetime of health and well-being. usbariatric.com/newsletter.htm is the link where this doctor has his newsletters going back to 2002. "

Thanks for sharing this, Mary. As far as staying where I'm am in this journey or even losing the rest, I know what I need to do, its just a matter of doing it. The old demon has raised its head and tried to come back into my life (snacking in the evenings). I've been fighting it and boy is it hard! I've just about come to the conclusion that I'm going to have to find someone (counseling) to help me through this. I usually start my day out with the best intentions but by the time evening rolls around, I want to snack so bad! I've gone to bed early just to keep from snacking. And not only do I worry about gaining the weight back, I now worry about whether or not my body is absorbing all the vitamins, protein and nutrients. I take everything the way I should (that's the easy part)... but with some of us having problems now, I worry about what this means for the rest of us. I tell myself not to worry, that all my bloodwork has come back fine.... but the thought still lingers in the back of my mind. Its such a mind game at this point in my journey! I sometimes feel if I can just make it past this hurdle, I'll be okay. Great post! Thanks! Wanda

Wanda, When I was a member of the Kaiser support group, the nutritionist said that if we sought counseling to ask for someone that was experienced with compulsive eating behaviors rather than a general or eating disorder person. For night time munching, how about a snow cone/shaved ice with SF syrup????? They are crunchy, sweet and filling. I eat one almost daily and they really help. The malabsorption issue is a valid concern. Keep on top of your labs. I have one friend who tracks hers on an Excel spreadsheet so she can see changes. She takes the sheet with her and discusses the results with her doctor face to face. The stats reflect trends in her body and she feels it is a agreat way to catch a change before it becomes a problem. Mary

Thanks, Mary. I'll keep the compulsive eating behavior counselor in mind. I had thought about asking my nutritionist about it. Surely, she has seen this before. I'll ask her about the compulsive behavior. I did make it through last night without a bite after supper. It was hard... but I've JUST GOT TO keep telling myself I've come way too far to let this mess me up. I haven't gained any.... yet. But I'm sure if I keep this up, its bound to happen. I've been eyeing a couple of different snow cone makers at Walmart. I don't really know the difference... One's 14.99 and the other is 24.99. They also have the sugar free syrup. I'm going to pick one up. I love snow cones! The spread sheet is a great idea. I'm going to set one up from previous blood work. I'm due for more blood work in the next few months. I feel great, but who knows when something will show up. This is one of those things that I will have to keep up with closely the rest of my life. I don't mind.... I feel so healthy... it was SO worth it!! Take care........Wanda

Interesting reading, Mary. There are some things I've noticed lately that fit right into this. As you know from previous posts, that even though I haven't regained any weight, that little voice is still awfully critical. It does get softer, though, when my running is going well and I'm feeling good physically. Life for us this far out is all about choices. What sort of life do we want to have and what are we willing to do to get it. That's a choice. Do I care enough about myself and my health to adopt good habits for life? That's another choice. I do realize it's not as easy as it sounds a lot of the time, and that a percentage of people have nutritional issues and complications even when they do everything right, but being true to the intentions more often than not makes it easier to do the right thing the next time around. Otherwise we are our own worst enemies. Take care, and thanks for sharing. Linn

Linn, You are correct, we can be our own worse enemy. Isn't it amazing the negative self talks we can give ourselves or how we can justify mentally the bad choices. It can be a struggle, one that is met sometimes on a daily basis. We are so worth the effort of staying on track and making ourselves the top priority. Mary

Thank you Mary, its easy to recognize the old habits sneaking back in and to quickly lose hope that you will get back on track. I am going to print this out and put it on my wall so everyday I can remind myself that I am a success and I can continue to be one!! sarah