Today's Word - Perserverance
~ Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other ~ Walter Elliot
~ A little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed hopeless failure may turn to glorious success. ~ Elbert Hubbard
~ Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish. ~ John Quincy Adams
~ Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did. ~ Newt Gingrich
~ Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. ~ Winston Churchill
~ No one succeeds without effort... Those who succeed owe their success to perseverance. ~ Ramana Maharshi
Why do these thoughts speak so loudly to me today? Because I had a happy moment this morning when I stepped on the scale - no, not ONEDERLAND yet, but I can see it from here! My scale said 209.5, and that got my brain percolating.
I was what you could call SGRMO (Super Ginormously Ridiculously Morbidly Obese). My highest recorded weight was 377, although I'd bet I was closer to 400 after my 2nd pregnancy - and the case of Pringles I ate while on maternity leave. I'm pretty sure, although I long ago destroyed any such records, that I weigh less now than I did even in Junior High.
When I started this ride, I was wearing size 32/34 jeans, and XXXL tops - IF they fit. I've found, in my few attempts, that I can wear about 50% of the size 14 jeans I try on. (For those of you I have never had the opportunity to meet in person, I'm 5'11" and something of an Amazon...)
Out with friends Saturday night, I breezed through a long, narrow, CROWDED bar to get to the bathroom - a situation that would have caused me such anxiety in the past, that I'd have opted to hold my bladder as long as it took to find a bathroom WITHOUT the maze of pretty people to navigate through. By gosh, I even made eye contact and exchanged smiles with a few good looking young men!!
So what's the big deal? Why my fascination with "perserverance"? Because yesterday marked 2 years and 5 months since my WLS. No, I did not drop all my weight by my 6 month surgiversary. I wasn't at goal at my one or even my 2 year surgiversary. In fact, I'm not there yet - my surgeon's goal for me is 205. MY goal for me is to see ONEDERLAND.
I'm FAR from perfect in working my tool. I don't believe there is such a thing as "perfect". But, I have NEVER given up, NEVER decided I'm done. As a matter of fact, I don't believe, no matter WHERE my weight eventually bottoms out, that I will EVER be "DONE". And frankly, I don't think anyone who embarks on this WLS journey should EVER consider themselves "DONE". At almost 2.5 years out, I'm STILL trying to do right by my tool, and when I do, I see the rewards.
So the moral of my rambling is more for those who are pre-op, newer post-op, or just struggling along the way - NEVER GIVE UP. DON'T EVER FORGET THE GIFT YOU WERE GIVEN. You can live life, you can eat evil things once in a while, and it's NOT the end of the world. Just don't ever stop.
Next stop for me? ONEDERLAND, BABY!!!
~ A little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed hopeless failure may turn to glorious success. ~ Elbert Hubbard
~ Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish. ~ John Quincy Adams
~ Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did. ~ Newt Gingrich
~ Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. ~ Winston Churchill
~ No one succeeds without effort... Those who succeed owe their success to perseverance. ~ Ramana Maharshi
Why do these thoughts speak so loudly to me today? Because I had a happy moment this morning when I stepped on the scale - no, not ONEDERLAND yet, but I can see it from here! My scale said 209.5, and that got my brain percolating.
I was what you could call SGRMO (Super Ginormously Ridiculously Morbidly Obese). My highest recorded weight was 377, although I'd bet I was closer to 400 after my 2nd pregnancy - and the case of Pringles I ate while on maternity leave. I'm pretty sure, although I long ago destroyed any such records, that I weigh less now than I did even in Junior High.
When I started this ride, I was wearing size 32/34 jeans, and XXXL tops - IF they fit. I've found, in my few attempts, that I can wear about 50% of the size 14 jeans I try on. (For those of you I have never had the opportunity to meet in person, I'm 5'11" and something of an Amazon...)
Out with friends Saturday night, I breezed through a long, narrow, CROWDED bar to get to the bathroom - a situation that would have caused me such anxiety in the past, that I'd have opted to hold my bladder as long as it took to find a bathroom WITHOUT the maze of pretty people to navigate through. By gosh, I even made eye contact and exchanged smiles with a few good looking young men!!
So what's the big deal? Why my fascination with "perserverance"? Because yesterday marked 2 years and 5 months since my WLS. No, I did not drop all my weight by my 6 month surgiversary. I wasn't at goal at my one or even my 2 year surgiversary. In fact, I'm not there yet - my surgeon's goal for me is 205. MY goal for me is to see ONEDERLAND.
I'm FAR from perfect in working my tool. I don't believe there is such a thing as "perfect". But, I have NEVER given up, NEVER decided I'm done. As a matter of fact, I don't believe, no matter WHERE my weight eventually bottoms out, that I will EVER be "DONE". And frankly, I don't think anyone who embarks on this WLS journey should EVER consider themselves "DONE". At almost 2.5 years out, I'm STILL trying to do right by my tool, and when I do, I see the rewards.
So the moral of my rambling is more for those who are pre-op, newer post-op, or just struggling along the way - NEVER GIVE UP. DON'T EVER FORGET THE GIFT YOU WERE GIVEN. You can live life, you can eat evil things once in a while, and it's NOT the end of the world. Just don't ever stop.
Next stop for me? ONEDERLAND, BABY!!!
Imperfect does not = unsuccessful
Wonderful post - you are something else, woman! I want to meet you someday. I want to be like you when I grow up - and that's big because I'm older than you!
Mary
"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you CAN do." John Wooden
I'm down 120 pounds - thanks to RNY! Working on the next 25. Then I'll tackle more...
"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you CAN do." John Wooden
I'm down 120 pounds - thanks to RNY! Working on the next 25. Then I'll tackle more...
Mary, I can't begin to tell you how flattering your words are.
TOMORROW IS YOUR DAY, BABY!!! Go into it with more excitement than fear, more determination than dread!
And be sure you have some clothes in a few sizes below where you are today, 'cuz it don't take long to drop trow when your ASS is shrinking rapidly!!!
(you're just gonna have to trust me on that one...
)
TOMORROW IS YOUR DAY, BABY!!! Go into it with more excitement than fear, more determination than dread!
And be sure you have some clothes in a few sizes below where you are today, 'cuz it don't take long to drop trow when your ASS is shrinking rapidly!!!
(you're just gonna have to trust me on that one...
)
Imperfect does not = unsuccessful
Great post Darla! And I love this quote:
Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did.
You're really close to onederland, you'll get there soon. And what a feeling to not have major anxiety navigating through the sea of pretty people to get to the bathroom. That was always horrifying for me.
Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did.
You're really close to onederland, you'll get there soon. And what a feeling to not have major anxiety navigating through the sea of pretty people to get to the bathroom. That was always horrifying for me.
Kristy (weight loss below does not include 16lbs lost during pre WLS diet)
START: 325 Day of Surgery :309 GOAL: 180
Very nice post Darla !
When you reach onederland....world watch out! Methinks Darla is going to be out shakin' that booty to celebrate ! You are a great inspiration to us all.
Isnt it wonderful to be able to move around in a crowded place without analyzing every move? Sometimes I'd like to go back to my old body just for a day to truly appreciate the gift I have been given..I sometimes forget how difficult life was morbidly obese!
Have a great day !
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