Part II to Tammy's "Chew" Post...Top 10

There are so many new people here in various stages of the WLS journey I just wanted to pass on a few observations that have helped me along the way. 1. Remember everyone is different, no two people will lose weight at the same rate, be able to eat the same foods, or have the same experience at any given time. If you follow instructions, your body will do what's right for YOUR body and you will be fine. 2. IMHO 99% of this surgery is mental. You have to be prepared in your head when you do this. Welcome the changes and the limitations of your new lifestyle. Welcome and enjoy each stage for what it is, live your experience everyday. How many times have we all said we wish we could go back and enjoy our children again when they were small knowing what we know now. Don't wish the time away waiting for the next stage, live it to the fullest and know you are really experiencing your own rebirth! 3. Taking pictures and measurements can be so helpful. It really helps to see the changes when our "fat heads" try and trick us into thinking we haven't come very far. 4. next time you feel like your loss isn't enough, go find some equivilent weight...bags if sugar, dog food whatever, and lug it around for awhile. It's amazing how heavy a five pound bag of sugar is. 5. Realize that so much of our well being depends on good old fashioned common sense. Everything we do has a consequence. If you don't learn to portion your food you will eat too much, if you eat too much, chances are you are gonna hurl. lol it's really pretty much a no brainer for things like that. 6. If something feels wrong CHECK IT OUT. Better to err on the side of caution than to have something go wrong that can be easily remedied in the early stages. Asking questions is a good thing. 7. Don't panic. 8. I don't obsess over food anymore. I won't blow up if I eat a carb, my head won't spin around and spit pea soup if I have an odd choice here and there. The goal here is to become NORMAL, learning what so called normal is, is a process, an ongoing never ending life long process. I make good choices 99% of the time. I choose to never eat sugar and test my dumping capacity. I am not condemning those who do test it, I'm just saying it was a personal choice of mine before I entered into this. I simply don't want to know if I can tolerate sugar, I'd rather just assume I can't and live life accordingly. Dieting and funky food obsessions only got me one place in my life and that was to 309 pounds, a destination I don't ever care to see again. 9. Exercise is a fact of life if you want to be healthy. There is always time in the day to do SOMETHING. It can be small intervals, it can be in short 5 10 minute sessions. It can be parking farther away or taking the stairs. Just move your body. You don't have to invest in major money clubs and equipment, walk your dog lol. 10. Number 10 is the same as number 7. Don't panic! Things will be different but you will soon adjust. WLS is a serious matter but isn't the big hairly monster in the closet that main stream media would have us think. If you are pre-op please understand, only YOU can make this choice for yourself. Learn as much as you can, do it for the right reasons, follow your instructions as closely as you can. Make good choices MOST of the time. Yes unforseen things can and do happen, however, most of us so far are happy and healthy and enjoying life more than we have in years. You will go through every emotion known to man at least twice, you will have a few major meltdowns, and you will change your mind about doing this more than once along the way lol. Keep your wits about you and when you find yourself in that OR with your chosen surgeon, get ready for the ride of your life! Just my thoughts, Linda

Linda, That was fabulous!! Thanks so much. I will use the information a lot. Katheen

EXCELLENT Information Linda!!! BTW - still wanting to hear my Wally World report??? Have they broke ground yet? Started building??? Open for shopping yet??? Come on now ... spit it out ......... please?

Hi Tammy, Wally World is slowwwwwwly getting under way. They moved out a business that sold mobile homes that sat on the property this summer as well as gutting several houses there. Today I noticed 2 or 3 construction trailers on site so hopefully they will hurry up and build it! Maybe I should go stand along rt 40 and hurry them along lol. Linda

Thanks Linda for taking time out to share