"If nothing changes, nothing changes!" :-D was the mantra offered up by my running coach early this year. I say it to myself daily, and it reminds me that each moment is an opportunity to make a better choice. I'm not seeking perfection, :halo: rather a complete change of my thoughts about food, nutrition, and exercise. Having had a hysterectomy, bladder repair, and full TT with muscle repair seven weeks ago, I'm even more aware of how that mantra and this TOOL has changed my life. I'm itching to get back to exercising because it has become so very important to me, and I actually enjoy it! :jump: I admitted to myself last October that I was my own worst obsitcle to change. :idea: And could I ever come up with excuses why I didn't have time or resources to exercise. So, I started walking three miles three times a week. I'd walk for five minutes and jog for 30 seconds. This is Jeff Galloway's method. By April 1, 2006, (just one day after my one-year WLS anniversary) I could run a mile in 12.5 minutes and completed a 10K without stopping or walking! :thumbsup: The second thing I did was purchase one of those exercise balls and took it to my office. I moved the chair out and replaced it with that ball so that I was literally exersizing all day long. (I also used one at home when at the computer:type: or watching TV. Just sitting on that ball is exercise!) I started looking at things around me as potential exercise equipment--the stairs, the parking lot, the wall. :cool: I'd climb the stairs up and down until I felt "the burn." I'd park as far out in the parking lot as possible and RUN to the entrance of the store. Once done shopping, I'd run with my cart back to the car. While I didn't see it a good thing to do push ups on the floor while at work, I could do them against the wall! The more I exercised, the more in control of my life I felt. This led to more exercise. More exercise led to a better sense of self, improvement of my health, a more toned body, and a zeal for life nothing else in my 44 years could ever compare! Savanah

Hi Corgimom, Thanks for this reminder. I read this when I was pre-op, and was glad to read it again. It reinforces my thinking that there IS a window, but it doesn't just slam shut at a certain date! As the article suggests, I believe we have much more control over this than some would have us believe. At 15 months out, I have been doing a few things which do tend to close the window, such as poor food choices, and total slackness on exercise lately. I'm doing my dead level best to address my part of this, and my own experience has taught me that if I just do my part, this WLS tool just keeps on working and working! Hope you're doing well! I appreciate your posts! Kathy

AHHH! Your whole link isn't highlighted. Just copy and past the link into the browser and it works. Amy

Hello, I appreciate all of those *****sponded to my recent post about "how are we doing". It is comforting to know there are others out there who feel the same way as I do. Do any of you guys visit Kaye Bailey's website www.livingafterwls.com I think she is a great lady and big supporter of wls. She wrote an article a few months ago about the "window of opportunity". I have re-read it a few times to try and give myself a kick in the butt. Here is a link http://livingafterwls.blogspot.com/2005/11/wls-window-of-opportunityfact-or.html corgimom

Hello all, I,m glad to see some honest people posting about their experiences. I too have stopped loseing weight about six months ago. I know I've have gotten in a bad habit of snacking and I'm not real good about getting my supplements in. I barely drink any fluids throughout the day I just don't feel thirsty. I've gotten to the point that if I wake up in the middle of the night to use the restroom I grab a snack before going back to bed. I'm realizing how many of my old habits have returned. And to be truthful there's not really any one at home who could relate to how I'm feeling. Their thinking would be to just stop all the bad habits and do what I did early on after my surgery. I want to thank you all for being honest it helps me take a better look at myself.