I'm Gonna Need Your Help

Ugh... I was just getting ready to start typing and my cat caused me to swallow a whole bite of turkey sausage without chewing. That's gonna hurt. I have a cat that has kitty herpes in her throat. She's OK most of the time, but sometimes she gets really snotty and will clear her throat or sneeze a big one all over the place. I usually go through the house every few weeks and clear cat snot off the walls. Anyway, she was sitting next to me and let loose with a big sneeze. I jumped out of the way and swallowed the chunk of turkey sausage that was in my mouth. That's not what I need help with, I just thought I'd share. Who else has a cat that can clear her throat and hauk a loogie? So here's where I need help... end of week one and I've lost 2 pounds. I've worked my butt off all week and kept my calories around 1200 and protein above 90 grams. I'm Ok with the 2 pounds for this week, but experience tells me that as time goes on, I'll loose very little every week and some weeks will gain some. My body is an efficient fat retaining machine. In the past, I've gotten frustrated and quit. I don't want to do that this time around. So friends, hang in here with me. I'm going to need lots of encouragement and support. Hugs, Connie

I'm right there with you, Connie - in fact, gave in to the M&M Monster yesterday...that sets me off and I keep eating crap until the dawn of the next new day - when I resolve to do better, until... there's a lot going on with us WLS type-folks that I don't think we pay enough attention to. First and foremost, we abused our bodies with malnutrition (despite ingesting probably close to 3,000 calories a day in order to gain the kind of weight we all did) - and although we have been living the "normal sized" body life for some time, our bodies retain a sort of memory bank of super-morbid obesity. It's that old notion of how the fat cells have not disappeared - they are like deflated baloons just waiting to fill up again. I believe this. I'm living this. All my tight, taught, firm body parts -- arms and belly, butt and boobs -- have turned soft and are heading south. The other problem we will face for the rest of our lives is the state of our metabolism - no matter how fit and strong we become, we did a number on our metabolism, living so fat for so long. That's still going on. So we're up against it, pure and simple. These two reasons are the most significant reasons we all gain back some or all of the weight we've lost. I do what you do - go great gangbusters with resolving to fight, fight, fight and stay fit and healthy and normal-sized - but I lose my momentum when I don't meet with good success. And then I hurt myself with crap food. I wish I had better news, but these things I truly believe. We are simply up against the fight of our lives. I'm hanging in with you, now and always. Reenie

Reenie, Reenie, Reenie... I'm so familiar with the pattern because it's my pattern. Swear you're gong to do better, slip up, beat yourself up, figure the day is shot so you may as well keep eating and try again tomorrow. Stop the all or nothing thinking. Just because you ate a few M&Ms doesn't mean the whole day is shot. Instead of waiting until tomorrow to start again, forgive yourself and start over right away. I look at it this way, you can accept the M&M deal and just factor in the calories every day or keep working at it, but stop beating yourself up over it. If you do decide to keep working at it, have you thought about offering to fill the candy dish with something you don't like? The other option is to take a treat that you feel good about to work with you. My latest guilty pleasure is one of those 100 calorie packs of Keebler fudge mint cookies. I take a quiet moment to drink a cup of cofee and slowly savor those cookies. I don't do it often because I'm not willing to give up 100 calories on empty calories most days, but it's a wonderful way to reward myself. Another question... Are you journaling everything you eat? You're right about the double whammy of too may fat cells and a dead slow metabolism. I wish I hadn't abused my body for so many years and been such a prolific fat cell grower, but what's done is done. I'm trying to stay at 1200 calories instead of going down to 800 or a thousand as I would have in the past. The last thing I need to do is slow down my metabolism even more. The Man and his dietician think 1200 is too few, but I know I won't lose anything if I eat more than that. Reenie, we just have to just hang together and fight the good fight. Hugs, Connie

Connie! your cat sounds like a ton of fun! I acutally had somethign similar happen to me at the zoo years ago... they had a elephant calf in a pen type setting and there was a bench there, I love animals so I was happy to sit there and watch and was THRILLED when it walked up close to the fence, it made a strange noise and I didn't worry too much til mit made that noise again I put the camera down just in time to get a face full of elephant snot... LOL! at least they will give a warning now if one could only harness that power...LOL I understand completely how you feel about the frusteration, I was doing really good down 2 pounds and then this week I am up like 6...water weight ALWAYS is really bad the week before my cycle...I nearly expired on teh scale this morning... arghhh.....drink more water, drink more water drink more water...and of course teh snack today upstairs is donuts and M&M's...too bad I don't eat donuts and M&M's....I am trying it I did manage to make it out of the lounge donut and M&M free...so there may be something to that... hang in there... Nic not even gonna tell you how much I weigh right now...but my goal is 160 or size 10 which ever comes first!

Nic, I'll take cat snot over elephant snot any day. Yuk. I was slimed by a camel once and that was pretty disgusting. Congratulations on the donut and M&M victory. I'm starting to think that M&Ms are the candy of Satan. Hang in there. The pre-mestrual weight will be gone in a few days and probably a few more to boot. Hugs, C.

Of Course those M & M's are satins candy, Why else would they have such pretty colors & pretty flavors to eat out there. Hang in There Girls & Guys if you are still out there somewhere!!. Mikie & Dawg It's been awhile again!! Ladybug Marilyn

O Hey I have a gross animal story too! I use to help a photographer with weddings. I was the photo pro who held the light stick! I know your all impressed. so we were doing a wedding down by the beach. lots of beautiful sun, sand, waves, birds... the photographer and photgrapher helper had to wear black jackets and pants. i had on a very nice liz claiborne suit. it was at a quiet moment when i sat on a small bench just relaxing enjoying the air sun and sea. a flock of seagulls had been near and took flight. they can be very pretty when they take off. i tilted my head back to watch them fly over just in time for them to crap on my glasses, hair, and all over the back of my nice liz clairborne black suit. i hate seagulls i go into the bathroom, wet some paper towels down and started to wipe things off. my glasses were fine. my hair i wet down and fluffed. i made beleive i washed all the gull poop out. my jacket was a disaster. the wet paper towels were cheap and left little tuffs of paper all over the place along with the traces of gull poop. i threw away the suit as soon as i got home. O yea that was the good part! i had to still keep the suit on because as a photographers helper i was suppose to "blend" in with the background. let me tel lyou there is nothing that sticks out more than someone dressed up in a black covered gull poop liz claiborne suit especailly in 90 degree weather. i don't help photographers anymore.

Where else on the internet can you find a thread which combines discusion of M&Ms and animal body fluids??? I LOVE you all! And I am fighting the same battles -- on the days I choose to fight instead of surrender! It is hard to say whether my biggest issues are the bad stuff I eat, the good stuff I don't eat, or the exercise I don't do! Basically, it adds up to one thing--neglect of self. I wonder why? Do I think I'm not important enough to invest the mental and physical energy? In my head, I know that if I don't take care of ME, I won't be able to do anything for anyone else, but my actions don't bear that out.,, I sure wish they would come up with a WLS for my HEAD! Joy