BACK FROM NYC

Good morning! My trip was fabulous and my friends were stunned by my weight loss so I guess it's really noticable! What was so amazing for me was my ability to WALK all over the city! I must have walked 10 miles all together and could have doubled that with ease. This is what I'm enjoying most about the "new" me -- the sheer joy of moving my body through space. Nine months ago I was a homebound recluse; today I'm restless if I'm sitting too long or inside too much. Will I lose the rest of my weight? Don't know, will try like hell but for now I just want to enjoy the ride. In the meantime, I am REALLY struggling with food cravings; yesterday must have had a 1/2 dozen cookies, a fistful of candy, and KFC for dinner -- could only eat a bite of each (cole slaw, chicken strips and potato wedges) but BAD choice for dinner and I really gave in to the cravings. What can I do about this???? Am starting fresh again today but am SOOOOOO AFRAID of what's going on and where it will lead me. Anyway, I really missed you guys! Have a great day. Love, Reenie

so glad you had a good time. Think about what you posted. Although the choices were not normal for you, you did not have an "over abundance" of those foods. Remember the old saying about easier to give in and have a little than a lot. That is the way I am handling it during this season. It might not be completely right but it is working for me. Two bites is a whole lot better than the whole bag like I used to do. And if those 2 bites take away the craving and you do not go back for more.....why beat yourself up???? We are human beings and have this time to learn our bodies with the new tool we were given. This is an adjustment "honeymoon" period they say. I want to be wise and learn how best to handle the old cravings and still be a real person in the real world. Wishing you a Merry Christmas and continued weight loss.

Martha, you are truly the Voice of Reason on this Board. Thank you so much for your very thoughtful, sensible reply. Like Dina says, "Onward and Downward!" Happy day, all. Maureen

Reenie!!!!!!! I missed you. I'm so glad you had a wonderful time and I'm so glad you're back. I've been to three hoilday parties in the last three days and I've nibbled, but I've nibbled wisely. I've let myself taste anything I think I want and I've lost two pounds. I think the trick has been that I haven't gotten any food for myself, I've eaten a nibble of everyone else's food. Luckily I have patient friends and relatives. Welcome home!!!!! Love, Connie

Connie, sooooo glad you're losing again! I knew that you were just stalled but I sensed your frustration and that you getting pretty bummed out. I'm curious, what is your weight now (if you don't want to share, that's ok, I understand!) -- I'm trying to get a sense on where I will need to be in the numbers to squeeze into a size 12! Thanks, sweetie. Maureen

Hi Reenie, I'd be glad to share my weight if I really knew. My surgeon doesn't take my insurance anymore so I'm not seeing her for official weigh ins. My scale at home varies between 160 and 165 and people tell me it's accurate. Of course that's my weight totally nekkid, first thing in the morning after an empty bladder. The gym scale says 175 and my pcp says about 170. I can't even tell you how tall I really am. I used to be 5'6", but before surgery I was measured and was 5'3". I admit that I was slouching to drive my BMI up for insurance coverage purposes, as if I needed to since my BMI was 48 at the time of surgery. I was thinking that I was really between 5'4 and 5'5, but just found out Friday that the disks between my vertebrae are disappearing fast and some are totally gone, so maybe I really am shorter than I thought. Last night I went out with my sister and her friends. I put on the size 12 jeans that I bought yesterday and couldn't bring myself to wear them. They looked and felt fine with minimal overhang, but it just felt weird. I ended up wearing baggy 14's. You'll be in a size 12 before you know it and please let me know how you wrap your mind around it. I need some help adjusting. Love ya, Connie

Woohoo Maureen is back! I have been wondering how things went! Actually I knew how the reactions would be but I just wanted to hear all about it!!! The cookies are evil evil evil! The KFC - I can think of worse things to give in to by far. The way I look at it, if I ate more "normal" dinners like fried chicken, veggies and mashed potatoes and less Pizza Hut, McDonald's and such, I might not have gotten to be 325 (338 at the highest) lbs. Looking back to the 50's when such "bad" dinners like you might get at KFC were the norm, less people were obese. Of course, there was more portion control back then too, but I just don't see where some things are so bad. I think the worst thing about what you had was just that you didn't have to cook it, and that maybe you were a little rushed at the dinner table while eating it. Heck, if we all cooked our own dinners from scratch and sat down and ate a little slower like we did way back when, we might never have an internal struggle over the kind of food we are eating....unless it's those evil cookies! And I don't think it would be hard to maintain if we just participated in normal meals instead of eating on the go. Speaking for myself here more than anything else. I see my own failings here! Dina

Great analytic look back, Dina, I have never considered these points and you are so, so right on about this. Yep, those cookies can really suck me into a place I just don't wanna be! Thanks, my friend. Maureen

About the only thing that you can do is just like all of us is start fresh the next day. We all get cravings, and we all give into them at some point, but it is not the end of the world. You just start fresh the next day or even meal. Nick

Thanks so much, Nick, I know that many of us are at the same place right now so whatever we can do to share how we are all coping, the better off we are. I am back on track, at least for right now! Maureen