MIIIIIKE!!!! I'm here!

Hey Guys, Thanks for asking about me. I'm around - just swamped. First was the Alaska trip in March. Once I got back from there, I had a ton of catching up to do on the home front. Last week I was in the deep South - New Orleans, Mobile, Mississippi casinos, etc... My family is something right out of a Jeff Foxworthy routine. You might be a redneck if you're one of my relatives. I spent 5 days eating every deep fried food you can imagine off of every one else's plate and lost 4 pounds. I ate fried oysters, shrimp, alligator. I had grits and eggs with butter every morning for breakfast. I drank my weight in Hurricanes and Bloody Marys. I got home, started eating right, working out and gained back 2. I don't get it. I've had a friend from out of state visiting for the last week. She's also a wls gal. She had surgery 4 months before me and it's interesting to see how she handles things. In the week that she's been here, she's eaten a bag of Fritos, a bag of Cheetos, 2 boxes of chocolate covered granola bars and she puts away 4 or 5 pints of Guinness every night. She's maintained her weight at 145 and looks terrific. I'm astounded. I'd be back up to 286 pounds in a month if I did that. I've come to accept that life is not fair and I just have to get over it and buck up. I will not maintain my weight unless I work my ass off at the gym on a regular and consistant basis. I cannot eat Fritos and Cheetos and expect to keep weight off. I will forever have a slow metabolism. Too bad for me, I just have to get over it, quit whining and get my butt to the gym. While in 'Bama, I got the opportunity to spend time with my sisters and brother. I have always been the biggest in the family. Make that WAS the biggest in the family. My sister who is 4 years younger than me always wore size Xtra small and took great pride in her tiny size. She's now 40 years old, has had 4 babies and weighs a good 40 or 50 pounds more than me. My heart just broke for her. I know all too well what it feels like to be the biggest one in the room. She is miserable about her weight, her self-esteem is in the crapper and she's at a loss for how to bring herself out of the funk. We spent long, long hours talking and there's really nothing I can do for her except be there. She doesn't weigh enough to have surgery, but weighs too much to be happy with herself. It was hard for me to feel excited about my own success when I knew she was cringing everytime someone complimented me. OK, I've got to get back to my company. I'm being rude here, but I promise to be on line more next week. Hugs to you all and thanks so much for thinking of me, Mike. Connie

Connie, It is good to hear from you. You are doing the right things when it comes to the WLS stuff. Even thought your friend is maintaining right now, its a proven fact if you don't change the way you think & eat along the way. You will gain the weight back. Your tool is only a tool for so long then it wil revert back to the old weight very easily. Our Doc out this way has always preached into our heads that CHANGE & the healthy CHOICES is what keeps this weight loss off for the rest of your life. I for one do not ever want to go back to the old me, so I watch what I eat everyday. Yeah occasionally I will have a bag of munchies, but certainly not everyday & I have yet to have any carbonated drinks. My only downfall is still Coffee, Way too Much!!! But like I said Keep doing what you are doing & don't stress over that scale so much. I stopped weighing every day as I getting too frustrated. So now I only weigh once a week & that seems to look a lot better to me lately. Keep up the great work you look wonderful. Love ya, thanks for letting me ramble & glad you are doing O>K> Marilyn, the Bearlady

Heeeeyyyy Connie; Great to hear from ya kiddo! I'm glad that you're doing OK!! Catching up with family is important and something I have been having trouble with lately. I'm sorry that your sister is having troubles and I know exactly how you feel. My older daughter is as thin as a rail, but the younger one is fairly heavy and I'm terrified that she is going to follow in my footsteps. I try to gently point her in the right direction, but I know from my own experience that the decision to control ones weight comes from within and outside pressure tends to have the opposite effect from the one intended. I'm hoping that I can influence her by example so that she doesn't need to get her insides re-arranged the way I did. Anyway.... it's great to hear from you, Connie....Please stay in touch! Mike