Year in Review and Year To Come

Good luck with your hips. That's a tough one to go through.

I agree --OH is fabulous.

Dawn

Before I answer, you have been an inspiration for me!  I poured over your website when I was considering WLS.  You are a font of knowledge, wisdom and practicality.  Thank you!!!

2012 Accomplishments:

1. Having RNY even though my husband was totally and utterly against it.  The months leading up to the surgery were VERY stressful because of he was so opposed to me doing it, and I wavered sometimes and wondered if I could go through with it.  But I did, and so far, so good.

2. Sticking with and completing a challenging work-related course.

3.  don't have a third (will make a 4th goal instead)

2013 Goals:

1.  I know it's about more than the numbers, but I desperately want to reach 140 lbs.  I thought I'd be satisfied with 150, but I've already changed my mind about that.

2.  Build more exercise into my life and like it, and how it makes me feel.

3.  Wake up one day and not hate myself because of my weight.

4.  Be more positive and try to focus on the present and future, rather than dwelling on the past.

 

 

 

Aww thanks for the kind words. Much appreciated.

Is your hubby more supportive now? I sure hope so as that would be do frustrating. #4 is a great wish for 2013. Me too!

Accomplishments

1.  Having WLS in Feb.

2. Joining a boot camp and sticking with it

3. Attempting c25k

 

goals

1. Finishing the c25k and actually running a 5k

2. Continuing on the road to a healthier life style

3. Feeling good about me......that's the hard one, but I will do it.....

Couch to 5K is awesome. It totally works. Tough for sure though I think week 5 or 6 almost killed me! Lol

 

What are your top 3 accomplishments (beyond the scale) that you achieved in 2012?

1.  Had the WLS & lost most weight by 6 months.

2.  Got an ebike and have been using it diligently from April to the 3rd week of December (when I got a huge cold!)

3.  Starting school to do RPN to RN

4.  Cultivating an attitude of gratitude.  It makes a huge difference in almost every aspect of my life when I am able to focus on the positive and be grateful.

What are your top 3 goals for 2013?

1.  Get healthy from gall bladder surgery

2.  Get regular pt job / improve debt profile

3.  Give thanks.  Give back.

So do you pedal your ebike for exercise or are you proud because of the environmental aspect? 

My husband often says I sshould get one :-).  

#4 is great

Dawn

Hi Dawn, 

Just so you know, your blogs have kept me sane this year while experiencing my "bounce back".  I have always read your posts and found them interesting, informative and kick ass as opposed to whiny.  For years I struggled with weight and finally as a 335 lb 45 year old diabetic mess on tons on pills and insulin I was given the gift of RNY.  It simply changed my life.  Two years after losing 150 lbs, I found myself struggling with slight regain, slight slip ups in my food intake, slight slip ups in my exercise etc.  Now I have gained about 28 lbs from my lowest weight and I can feel every single one of those little suckers...this is where your blogs have given me hope, strength and humour to know that I am not a failure - I am simply human...just a human who happens to love chippies (yikes) - so thanks for the encouragement to keep it real and keep it going...

to the matter at hand :

2012 accomplishments:

1) have spent time with family and friends and truly been smacked in the face with how blessed I am.  This realization has allowed me to be really grateful for everything I have, challenges and all - to that end, the accomplishment is learning to be quiet once in a while and listen to my inner voice.

2) working with my staff (I manage an admin team) and establishing the motto of "give everyone the benefit of the doubt until it bites you in the ass - then let it roll...this team has had many issues over the last few years so it has been a year of rebuild and I think we've done pretty good. 

3) walk to work everyday, (45 min), joined a gym and maintained about 1-2 times a week (had foot surgery so had to be really careful and sparing until healed), lots of stretches at home to really feel and learn how those muscles move.  

 

2013 Goals:

1) keep the exercise going and beef up the gym time to 2-3 times per week (as well as keeping the walking)

2) work on the regain so that I can be prepared for possible plastics in 2013

3) research more food recipes to incorporate different foods into our daily family intake.

4) get my husband to do something active - may have to join a bike club or something with him...(couldn't leave him out!!) 

 

wish me luck!!

 

 

 

 

Wow.  Thanks so much for those words.  that's seriously the nicest compliment I've ever received knowing that I've helped you with some of your feelings with regain.  It's tough.  Regain takes so much of our sense of accomplishment away, doesn't it? It's mentally daunting.  So much of it is a mental game.  I battle with my fathead every day.

Would love to have you as part of our regain group or our long timers group if you are on Facebook.  We have a nice little group of people that are accountable to one another and very supportive.  Message me if you need any info :-)

Again thanks so much for taking the time to share this with me.  

Dawn

 

Thanks for the post, Dawn, and I will also say that you have been a huge inspiration to me as well as a great source of wisdom and information since I joined OH a year and a half ago.  I've read your blog and your posts and I like that you're always supportive and helpful and empathetic to everyone, including people who are struggling or making poor choices.  I know who I'm going to ask for advice when I'm a couple of years out and fighting off the head demons and regain...

 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2012:

1 - I had WLS in November 2012, but leading up to it, I went from keeping it a deep, dark secret that I was planning to have it, to sharing the news with just about everyone I know, because it's now almost a political thing for me to spread the news that it is available and how beneficial and life-changing/life-saving it is.

2 - I went from taking taxis everywhere (when the weather was too bad for my e-bike - and I don't have one that you pedal the way ShallowGirl does - I have the scooter kind that is no exercise at all) to walking and taking transit everywhere.  I could barely walk a block or two without feeling winded before surgery, and taking transit to work was too exhausting because of the walking to the station or bus stop, changing buses, the possibility of having to stand on the bus for 45 minutes, too big for the seats, etc.  Now I take the bus to work every day (no taxis!), and walk everywhere in the neighbourhood unless I'm carrying heavy or unwieldy things like groceries.  Last night, I went to hear a friend's jazz band playing at a club that is a 2 km walk from my house.  I walked there and back and felt great.  Would never have happened before WLS.

3 - I'm doing a lot more cooking now.  No more ordering in, no more crap grab and binging.  I know that's because I can't right now, but I'm establishing some habits that I hope will help me after the "honeymoon" phase of WLS.  And I took the bull by the horns and started the process of getting our kitchen redone so that there will be room for what I need to do every day.

4 - Okay, it's an extra one but I want to mention it because it's important.  I finally started giving my creativity an outlet again and I've been doing more crafts, particularly making homemade cards.  I love doing this, and people love receiving them.  Turns out I have a bit of a talent for it.  And it's a nice thing to do with my hands instead of shovelling food into my face!

 

GOALS FOR 2013:

1 - Take control of my money.  We're getting a new kitchen in February, and that means I'm really going to have to take control of my purse strings and be disciplined about paying it off.  No big impulse purchases, no transfer addiction to shopping for this and that.  I want to pay this off methodically and as quickly as possible.

2 - Notwithstanding #1, we may take a trip somewhere since we haven't travelled in a couple of years, and both hubby and I love to do that.  It's the one thing he thinks is worth going into debt to do while we're still young and healthy enough to enjoy it.  So we may take a trip somewhere, and I'm looking so forward to fitting into plane seats and such!  I will also resolve to get every last bit of enjoyment out of such a trip now that I can walk so much more, and have more energy and stamina.

3 - Do more exploring of Toronto.  I have some fun ideas, like trying to take every transit route in the city, or visiting every library in the city, or every park, or whatever.  Or to start an attempt to walk every walking trail in the city - there are so many!  I love living here, but so often when you live here, you kind of just get stuck in your own neighbourhood and route to work.