IS ANYONE ELSE GAINING WEIGHT???

When you and I fall out of regular communication, I know we're both struggling. Thanks for checking in and putting this out there -- next time I feel the overwhelming urge to reach for something I know I should not be eating, Mike, I'm going to visualize our walking that hospital corridor together on March 8, 9, 10, 2004 -- collectively, we weighed over 660 lbs. on that date. Let's remember the past together so we can move likewise toward our futures. Take good care, my friend. Maureen

Well, I keep playing with 5 lbs....up and down, so I wouldn't really classify it as a gain. But then I'm still fighting to lose more so I guess I'm still in "weight loss mode." I do eat crap I shouldn't though...that's why I haven't lost more. But I'm fighting it tooth and nail. I got down to 189 and jump back and forth between that and 194. If I ever saw 200 again I would literally freak. I don't want to see that number ever again...much less 300+ that I started at. I get into trouble when I don't weigh daily though. That's why I need to do it. It keeps me honest on a daily basis... Dina

Dina, if you could bottle your personal strength and integrity, you'd be the wealthiest woman on the planet. I wish I had your strength. I admire you so...Maureen

Isn't it funny? That's what I think of you - you've done so very very well. I figure if I had an ounce of the determination you have I would be at least to 150 by now, but I can't get there because I'm too lazy to do it. I see myself as very very weak..... Dina

We'll talk, darlin...Maureen

i WAS at 150 and lost all of my determination and gained back 25 pounds---this was -i thought- due to the stresses of michael's illness last summer but c'mon--it's been 6 months--what's my excuse now????? i mean, yea, we are still fussing with the furnace and we took out a home equity loan to get outta debt before the furnace died, and michael is going thru preop stuff to get his bowel reattached before christmas and i hate ohio weather and a good friend is dying like any minute and i attended a funeral for a 12 year old the other day and my dad still is not talking to me --and work sucks and and and ...hmmm...are any of you buying any of this??????? kick me...i deserve it........ sorry- i had to hijack somewhere!!!!! i too am very very weak--and my coping skills absolutely suck--how i ever passed the psyche exam is beyond my comprehension!!!!!!!!! michael has to go on two days of clear liquids this week coming up before his barium enema -maybe i'll join him in the clear liquids and go back to basics??? um....willpower-where can one buy willpower??????

I don't know that I can call it gaining, but I've seen the scale jump five pounds and then I've battled it back down again. It's way too easy for me to gain weight so I have to be constantly diligent. I'm a daily weigher and I'm kind of in a panic about going on vacation and not being able to weigh. Call me obsessive compulsive, but it's one of the ways that I stay focused. I can't seem to get to 150, no matter what I do, but I do seem to be able to maintain within a few pounds. It's a constant struggle and it's probably the hardest thing I've ever done. I'm scared witless of gaining this weight back. What I really and truly don't understand is how I can lose focus for just one day and gain 3 pounds. I can literally gain 3 or 4 pounds overnight, but no matter how diligent and strict I am, it will take weeks to lose that same 3 or 4 pounds. I can't figure out what crazy laws of nature are at work here. Thinking about this issue has caused me to realize that I have shut some old friends out of my life and reconnected with others that I had stopped seeing. The old friends who I used to do things like go to the fair and buffets with seem to be a part of my past. I seldom see them anymore. In fact, when they called this year to go to the fair, I found myself making up excuses not to go with them and ended up going with a wls buddy. It wasn't concious and I didn't realize I had done that until just now. Another friend that I always felt self-concious eating around because he was such a health nut is back in my life. I don't know when he crept back into the scene, but it must have been after I lost 100 pounds and felt more confident. Mind you he never mentioned my weight or eating habits, I just felt bad all on my own. I almost stopped dating The Man because of food issues and then he was diagnosed with diabetes and has become very mindful of his eating. I feel better around him now that I don't feel like he's going to try to get me to come to the dark side. OK, I've rambled and probably haven't contributed anything. I have the same fears, I'm fighting the same battle and I can't think of a better person to be fighting it with than you, Reenie. Love ya, Connie

Blubbering like a baby here, Connie. Truth always makes me cry. In a good way. Thanks for sharing where you're at with this. I truly feel fortified and am so thankful for everyone, your honesty is my lifeline right now. Thanks, thanks, thanks. Love ya back. Maureen

Hi Reenie & All, Sorry to be so late on this one, been a little busy this week. I had a seminar & support group meeting this past weekend with my WLS Surgeon and you probably won't want to hear this, but, this is the time we have to RE-COMMIT EVERYDAY & stay below 1200 calories a day or we will not lose anymore weight. If you cut back 200 calories a day you will start losing again. He says this is the time (because of the hunger returning) that we have to fight with everything we have not to go back to our old ways. This is why he made the 9 rules to be addapted from the beginnging & keep them for life. I eat just about anything these days, I try to stay with protein, but every now & then I have to have some carbs & when I do, it starts a mad rush to eat anything in sight. Yesterday, it seems that's all I did was eat. today I have hardly had anything go figure!! His main concern is the exercising & drinking of 80 oz or more water a day. I am still addicted to coffee, so I know that is my problem. I just can't sem to quit. Now that I am on Graveyard have to have it even more Now it is more real than decaf. It use to be the other way around. If we stick to gether as always we will kick our little fannies into submission and make this work. We have come too far to give up now. Have a Great Holiday & Think Protein first that should help get us through the hard stuff. Marilyn, the Bearlady

Hi, Marilyn, thanks so much for this post! I needed it. Can you please post on what these 9 rules, as presented to you by your surgeon, are? ASAP please! Happy, happy holidays. Maureen