MARCHers going to goal!

What really matters is what you do with what you have.....Shirley Lord What do we have? We have a tool! What really matters? What we do with that tool. We made the decision some 18 months ago to get our tool. We were carpenters on a mission to build - build better health, build a better body, build a new way of life and we needed an extraordinary tool to accomplish our mission, and by golly - we went out and got that tool. Now the tool had not been around for centuries - like say the hammer or the screw driver - but it was a relatively new tool. It didn't come with any type of guarantee, but if the tool accomplished the mission - then it seemed like a pretty good deal. Ladies and gentlemen - we PURCHASED the tool - we had WLS and we now have an itty bitty pouch that can only absorb so much. The tool has helped us build better health, we have built better bodies, and we have built a new way of life. Now in order for this tool to be completely successful - we have to help it along. I ask you, how can you help your tool today...make it successful...complete the journey we have started? Where would a nail be without the hammer? Where would the screw be without the screw driver? Where would you be today without the WLS tool? You know the spill....more water, more exercise, all vitamins taken daily, protein first, good food choices second. Are you working your tool? What really matter is what you do with what you have....go for it today MARCHers....lets make the tool as successful as it can possibly be. Hugs to all....Barbara

Where would you be today without the WLS tool? probably another 50 pounds heavier!!! Have a great day!

And I might add - without the tool I wouldn't have know Rebeka and without you I wouldn't have a Omron pedometer attached to my hip pushing me to 10,000 steps per day!!!! Thank goodness we are not 50 pounds heavier!!!!

Good Morning Y'all. I have been wanting/needing to find some folks that are on the jouney I am on and you have been here all the time. I'm Emile, Louisiana guy, RNY 3/06. down 210 and still losing but much slower now. I agree with your sentiment about having the tools and the realization of "what my life WOULD be like without it" I shudder to think that I would have easily gone over the 500 lb mark, as it is I topped at 495.5. Wasn't moving, had to rest when getting mail, and become so isolated I had a new reality. the dog and the tv. So sad. Still I have my daily struggles but am unable to use food as a comfort and that one change has saved my life and my thought patterns. I now have to apply what I have learned as I am able to consume much more and "working it" is more like dieting. I still have 80 to go and surguery sometime during this final stage to remove the extras. Of course support and encouragement is available and have found a new foe. This is the reason I am searching for an outlet for soem communication to my newest mind games. So many people say so many nice things that my "mind" senses "mission accomplished". But I knwo better, yet the motivation to exercise and eat perfectly is waning. My focus on the prize has drifted to my real life every day routine and thus, my losing has dropped to 3-5 lbs a month for the last 6 months or so. Comments from the two of you on the topic would be nice and helpful Im sure if you have this experience Prior to the completion of the journey. I will be bouncing around the boards and will make this Marchers thread my base for lurking and posting. Congrats to your successes and continued success on this wonderful journey. Yours in life and fitness e aka biloletriguy

Emile, Welcome to the Marcher's board. It's great to have a new person pop in. We are here for you. We are all on the same road together. Have a great day. Rick

Emile, we are so glad to have you among us! Rick should be especially glad to have another guy with him among all these women...(don't tell him, but I bet he kinda likes it...but he is a good guy and will probably share all these crazy women with you!) Anyway, congratulations on such a successful journey so far and know that there are still some of us on the journey - as you are. I myself need to lose another 40 pounds, but it is ever so slowly moving. I have only lost about 2 pounds in the last 3 months and it is getting harder and harder. We can eat more and snack more and we know those are bad things to do. So we must go back to the basics of sharpening our tool and using it like it was intended. I think we have to find a way to deal with the head hunger. So please join us everyday - we want and need your comments, suggestions, motivation - whatever! We are a friendly MARCHer family. I would like to invite you to join us in October for our MARCHers walk-a-thon. We want to walk on paper across the country. If each of us contribute some to the mileage - we can do it - at least get to the Mississippi River! Anyway, don't be a lurker anymore...just jump right in with the rest of us and together we will get to our goal. Again congratulations on such a good job so far. Barbara

Barbara, I don't know if I'm willing to share all of these beautiful woman, but if it is for the betterment of the cause I guess I will. It is so exciting to have someone new stop in after 18 months. Besides it's less miles we have to walk across the country if we can get him to buy in on your challenge. Rick

Welcom Emile....you have entered the wonderful world of the Marchers....everyone in this group has experienced the same or close to the same things as you...I myself have been stuck at between 165-163 for the past 5 months...and it is very frustrating...but when I come in here and talke to my other marchers some are going thru the same thing....some give me the proverbial kick in the pants that I need or the hug which ever the case may be...you didn't mention it so I will ask are you still journaling..I know that when I stop journaling I realize that I am eating too much or too much of a particular food like carbs (the bad ones) so it is good to journal....if you don't know of any online there is fitday.com that is the one I currently use (it is free)....but it does help... Again I welcome you to the Marcher group.....if you would like I could send you some of my sure fire recipes that have help me to control that carb monster and get the headhunger monster out of my head...it is a daily journey we are on and we will be for the rest of our lives...I hope you are having a wonderful day and getting out of the house and enjoying this Pre-Fall weather....this is the best time to do some walking... Jannine 357/163/157

Thnaks for the welcome guys. I've not been lurking, this is my first visit. Ill let you in on some of my story while Im on my break. 46/m cajun dude. Large all my life, and extra large since 95. growing 20 LB a year topping out at about 500lbs. RNY 3/06 lost 210+ but never journaled. Began exercise program and have since become a triathlete and competed in July at my first one. Not married but have been, no kids, and just geting back into the thinking that I may be a good partner and want a family. I cook pretty good and have a better than average understnading of nutrition, supplimentation and exercise. I workout about 6-10 hours a week in 4 disciplines swim bike run and resistance. I eat non processed food almost exclusively and rarely eat food I didn't cook. Im financial planner and tax pro, live on lake in central Louisiana. Raised here and back after 20 years of having some fun tooling around the country. Boston, Manchester, Jacksonville, St. Louis, Denver New orleans Little rock. 3-5 years in each. I sing in church choir and am Eagle scout, so a true choir boy attitude and southern gent. Ive been on Weigh****echers.com boards for 4 years and still post every day. Now i need some support from those that have my same experiences to get my mind right and moving forward again. I hope to fit in and share you ladies with the gentleman from CA. you can probaly count me in for 10-12 miles a week but Ill let you knwo exactly as it happens. I look forward to getting to know you and learning your tricks of the trade. I hope I can offer some tips Ive used as well and learn more about what my body is doing right now, 18 months into the journey e

Welcome to the MARCHers Emile! We're so glad you found us. What an amazing journey you've had so far! I hope you are very, very proud of all that you have accomplished. Your exercise regime is impressive! We hope we can provide you with support, encouragement and a few laughs along the way. Welcome! Hugs, Stephanie