New Year's Hopes - Join Me?

So I won't call them resolutions - just hopes for myself in 2009 - baby steps, feel free to join me if you like. Thanks for being such a great, wonderful source of support and friendship through these past four-and-a-half years:

1.  I will get back to my fighting weight of 140 - it's where I feel my best and healthiest.
2.  I will get back to feeling fit and strong by working out at least 4 times a week for at least 45 minutes per workout.
3.  I will strive to be a better friend to this Board.
4.  I will accept what I cannot change in my life, and change what I can if it is making my unhappy.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, MARCHERS! Maureen

Whelp.... I have steeper plans. No baby steps here because I need to get with it. I'm with you though. I got a copy of my blood work and also have low protein levels along with being defiicent in B-12; D and Iron. bad numbers all around. Anyway... For me... Come Friday it is a serious change. I am hitting the vitamin shoppe and loading up on: 1. protein 2. liquid vitaimns 3. protein bars 4. sugar free candy (Because i know i'll crave for sweets and this is the closest option without sabotaging myself). 5. high protein snacks... its completely back to the basics for me I have a ton of weight to loose and need to do this in order to get it off. I have to remember the basics and just get back to the way I'm supposed to be eating. anywhooo....  Next step will definitely be the working out. I just have to really take care of myself because I can feel myself falling apart here. My neck is hurting again darnit all and my foot is giving me problems. All need to be taken care of. Gotta focus on me for a while. I want to have a nice summer this year and be healthy and at a good weight.

Cheers!


Happy New Year!

I know how hard this is, Elizabeth, believe me. I forgot - I am going COLD TURKEY on chocolate, I am getting off the stuff altogether. I just can't handle it, so I'm doing the AA, one-day-at-a-time eliminating it completely. Wish me luck, I'm going to need it, especially where I work. The weird thing is, everyone has gained weight from that woman's candy stash! Including that woman herself - and she's laughing about it! But I'm not going to point fingers of blame at anyone - my choices, my consequences. I am officially off chocolate in all its forms come January 1st. By the way, I was reading a book at Borders earlier in the week about a 7-day plan that had more to do with eliminating toxins in the body by primarily getting off sugar and bad carbs and loading up on nutrients... I can't remember the doctor's name but it struck such a chord with me that I'm making the 40 minute drive back there tomorrow to buy the book - I'll post about it when I get back home. We can do this together, sweetheart! We ALL can! Maureen

I've got to add a couple more ...

5.  I am going COLD TURKEY and getting off chocolate completely as of January 1, 2009.   I just can't handle the stuff at all, I know I'm addicted to it so I have to purge my system of it; so I'm doing the AA, one-day-at-a-time method of abstinence (following Karen's lead!!! - I KNOW I can do this!!).
6.  I will canter on my horse, Laela - have not done this yet because she's so young and I'm still a relatively green (novice) rider - this is my goal and I can't wait!
7.  I will strive with all my might to try to lift myself up and out and away from that dark place in my mind that tends to suck me down into deep sadness and depression, when I feel defeated and full of despair. I will work very hard to seek the LIGHT when I feel this happening to me.
8.  I will be a better partner to my husband, Jim.
9.  I will find more opportunities to laugh and play with my teenaged son, Devin.
10. I will celebrate the remarkable young woman that my daughter, Jillian, has become instead of wasting so much time and energy in missing her to the extent that I am emotionally crippled by her absense.

OK, I'm done! Your turn! M.

Hmmm Im still thinking of my resolution.... will post when I figure one out....hope you all enjoy your holiday!

Happy New Year Maureen, I'm going to join you in a new hope for 2009.  I feel so bad, I just keep thinking how good I felt Dec. 25, 2004 and 2005. I had fell off the wagon bad by Dec. 25, 2006 and now in 2008 I feel as bad as I did before surgery. I am gaining so fast , it's not even funny!  My highest weigh was in 1999 and I weighed 264.  March 31, 2004  I was 244 and Arpil 4th I was 255. I lost down to 169 by July and I felt like a million dollars. Then I quit losing. That Christmas I tasted of candy and cake for the first time since surgery and it did not make me sick. Sooooooooo, I've been eating sugar ever since. I wi**** had made me sick!!
I have not told my husband or anybody, but I've gained 7 pounds in the last two weeks. I went back today and looked at my weight journal and I've gained 22 pounds in the last year. I weigh more today than I have in over 4 years.  I weigh 227!!  Today I have not had sugar.  I will put this at the top of my list. NO sugar. If I  can leave off sugar I can do anything else that I need to do.  So, let's make this our best year. I am doing something new tomorrow, read my post to everyone.  Love ya, Judy

Judy, thank you for this post - I always so appreciate your honesty and I'm hurting for you and with you, my dear friend. Continuing to look at "the surgery" as the magic cure-all is such a mistake and when I talk to "newbies" I make sure they understand that while the surgery itself is a marvelous jump start for severely obese people to lose weight initially, the stark reality is that ultimately it falls to us to make the daily choices to remain healthy and fit and at a weight that feels good for us. Navigating through the weight loss is one thing, and that takes about 18 months; staying there is a lifetime commitment and a daily battle. I'm with you, Judy - and with everyone on this Board and throughout the WLS industry to fight the fight. I spent several hours yesterday reading about sugar addiction and it is real and how it messes up the body and the brain is unbelieveable! Brain chemistry, and the endocrine system, and the damage it does to the liver and pancreas and kidneys - I came home and threw out every scrap of sugar in the house! Take charge, Judy - be pro-active, believe in your inner strength and I promise you, you can do this! We're here for you. Love, Maureen

Hi Judy,

Ah thanks so much for your post. Isn't it HARD to post how much we weigh?  I hate it. But we are in the same boat. We can do this together. It's amazing how faaar off the weight loss surgery "diet" slash lifestyle I am. I am going to post what I bought and what I'm planning.... take a peek at my  post. We can do this together. I find  that going to the main message boards and the boards where people are just having surgery or are like 3 months out and what they are eating is EXTREMELY inspiring and reminds us of the drastic change we decided to make and what we should be doing. Hang in there!!! ((hugs!)) 

I am with you all the way, Maureen!!!  When I live in  "today" and don't project into the future (I should have...I could have...I must....I can't...How can I....), I am so much more successful!  So, to not eat chocolate, just for today, is a great way to freedom!  I have found that once I get the crap out of my system, about 7 days, I no longer crave it.  Staying away from Diet Coke and any artificial sweeteners also takes away the craving for sugars, too, for me. 

As far as depression and resentments go, I have learned at AA that whenever I am REALLY wrapped around the axle about something....it's usually about me and not the other person.  If I take the time to really examine what is bothering me, I can usually spot that it is something that I am upset about with myself and if I can deal with my own shortcoming, the resentment will go away.  I can't change others but I can change the way I react to situations and to their crap (like don't get involved).  I vow to spend more time in 2009 just listening and not "fixing."  It sure takes the pressure off to let others mend their own fences; even our kids.

Happy New Year, my friends!

Karen