Patience ... a virtue I need to cultivate

I know that I'm due for a "stop", but that doesn't help like it any better. I just hope I start to drop again in the next week or so. My head fills with little doubts whenever I hit a stop. I dropped from 190 to 189 ... I've been teetering back and forth with the same .5 lb for about 12 days now. I even checked my measurements. I'm not as faithfull about that, but I don't seem to have dropped there either.

I feel better and most of the time I know I look better, but I'm not ready for this to be the end of it yet. I'm doing the protien, getting in the cals that my nut wants, getting in the water, walking ... hopefully, things will move again.

Hey Barb, It's just a plateau.  I haven't weighed myself in over a week, hoping for a surprise when I do weigh in. The surprise may be on me LOL.  I'm expecting the weight loss to slow down soon, so I don't look for the constant weight loss I had right after surgery.  I have gotten to the point I can "feel" a 2 or 3 lb drop.  Trust me Barb, this is not the end, dear, just the beginning!  I am working hard to lose another 18 lbs by Thanksgiving.  My son will be so surprised!  He hasn't seen me since pre-op last October!  I was hefty hefty hefty!  I suggest you relax.  I read in Joyce Meyer's book about patience.  "Patience is not your ability to wait, it is your attitude while having to wait."  Interesting perspective. Keep well my friend! Dianef

Diane -

Thanks for your support and the "perspective" on patience.

In my "logical, right mind" I know that this is just a "stall" ... I guess it's just scary. I feel so much better now than I did this time last year. I look forward to feeling even better as time goes on. I am truly grateful for where I am and look forward to the future.

Today is the first day of a new year.

Thanks again!

Barb

Barb, I heard one time at the health club I was going to, to change your workout style for a few weeks and this will help the pounds start to come off again. I cant promise this will work but I thought I would tell you about it anyway. I think you look fantastic but I understand what you are wanting in the way of a personal goal.                                         Annie

thanks annie ...

i'll keep it in mind :-)

barb

Good morning, Barb!  I surely do understand what you are feeling,even though I am still so new at this.  I have been dancing around the same weight for about a week now and of course the first thing that comes to my mind is "this is it.  No more pounds off for me."  I know that has to do with the lifetime of conditioned failure I have experienced and I am sure you have as well.  I guess this is all part of the new conditioning process... All the best and hope you have a wonderful day!

Suzanne -

Thanks for your post and your observations. I think you are right. I'm afraid that I'm so conditioned to fail that I'm afraid that I'm going to ... at every turn. After so many years of not succeeding, I have to admit being afraid I might fail again. The size/weight I am now is really the smallest adult weight I've ever had ... I've been here before, but not for long and always gained back and eventually exceeded my starting weight. I'm terrified of ultimately failing at this ... I don't want to be someone who does this only to gain it all back.

I also know that I've gone to extremes this time to try to avoid those pitfalls. The surgery, counseling, support groups, OH, creating a blog and keeping it up, actually exercising regularly. I'm working on re-programming those negative tapes in my head. I know that this is not so much a journey just about getting the weight off, it's more a journey about taking care of myself. Of course, being thinner is part of that, but it is not all. I'm working on making major lifestyle and perspective changes.

Thanks again for your thoughtful and insightful perspective.

Barb

We are always in a rush to see the results :-) maybe try putting that scale away and focus on something else?? Keep in mind when you have less to lose *and* the closer you get to goal the scale can (but not neccessarily will) become frustrating! Also... what Ive found with some.. is you rush rush rush to get to goal and your whole focus is losing weight and the scale, then you get to goal and its like "well now what?"... for months and months your whole focus has been pretty much on one thing then its like your lost? Hopefully that makes some sense :-) The scale will move again... just treat it like a man.... try and ignore the thing for a while until it gives you what you want! heheh

Hi Jennifer -

Thanks for your sweet, thoughtful post. It's true that I'd love to just "see" the results ... I'd love to know what I'll look like when I'm done with this journey, but I think my concern is more that I'm afraid that I'm messing things up. That I might never get "there." That I'm too close that ever so dangerous 200# mark.

I know that you are right and that I need to step back and take a good look at the long term picture.

Thanks for reminding of that.

Barb

Yeah... 'goal' always seems so far away.... I still cant believe that I weigh only 163 and have a few pounds left to goal... I always feel like - I need to lose more weight! I need to lose more weight! The first year post-op really went by quickly... I cant believe I am over a year now... nor can I believe how far Ive come! The whole head being different from the body is something that has started to effect me as Ive gotten smaller... I really had no issue with it until I got down to around 170ish... a few years ago I got down to a size 14 so I had 'recently' seen myself at that size... when I got below is when its hard to always truely see what the mirror is showing me!