Hi everyone!

Some of you know me, so many of you are new on your journeys here.  I am approaching my fifth year since surgery.  I lost 175 pounds and have never had a regain....well until just this past six months.  I have some theories as to why (I went on hormones and am pushing menopause and fifty, had total knee replacement surgery, got a bit complacent in some of the good habits I know are the reason for my success, etc.) but I don't feel panic.  To lose and keep off that percentage of weight for so long is considered a huge success and I would be O.K. if I didn't get it off.  But, I do care, and I have gone back to basics to hopefully see it go away!  It's about fifteen pounds and that is enough to make my clothes feel tight. 

I'm turning back to protein first, lots of water drinking, going to bed earlier.  If I stay up too late I get hungry again which is normal.  I always get hungry after about three hours no matter what time of day it is.   If I'm asleep I don't get woken up cause of the hunger, but if I'm watching Conen and my stomach is growling, I am going to eat again that day!   I have never counted calories or measured my food since day one of my surgery, and I'm not going to start now.  I take my supplements and get my labs, stick to the basic rules and it has worked for me. 

Confession one....I did not excercise for about the first two months post-op.  Movement was so hard, and my joints still hurt quite a lot.  I knew I would start to excercise when the weight started to come off and I did.  Since I have bad knees, swimming was my only option.  It may still be, cause I have a new knee, but my other one is going to have to go at some point too.  Post-op I swam three to four days a week and worked up to about 30 min.  I didn't count laps, just looked at the clock and told myself as long as I keep moving the whole time that's all that counts.  I grew up on a lake and can swim like a fish, but I cannot do the official crawl which is what ALL the "real"  lap swimmers do.  And as a really fat girl who didn't want to be there, that intimidated me all the more.  Maybe it is more cardio doing the crawl, and you look much more official, but I ge****er in my nose and eyes, and just can't do it.  Maybe I would have gotten more results, but for me this was what I could do and just made myself do it.  Hey, some of my laps were dog paddle!  I am convinced that with that committment, and the bypass doing the eating control thing, and the fact that as the weight came off I did start being MUCH more active in daily life (lawn mowing, painting, walking the dogs, etc.) this was a formula that worked very well for me.

I hate formal excercise.  I hate sweating.  I still can't get out of the mind set that I have so much I need to do, that I should clean out the garage instead of going and paying money to excercise.  I don't think I will ever rise above this mentality, and as long as the weight is gone and I am healthy and getting my heart going in my daily life - then I admit and accept this very bad attitude.  BUT....we are here to get weight off and get healthy.  I am not here to talk anyone into joining my lame attitudes about formal excercise.  I'm just admitting that for me....Jack LaLane I ain't.  

The real topic I am here to address is about going to health clubs/swimming pools as a super morbidly obese person, as I was for many years.  When you are over three hundred pounds it can feel almost impossible to get in any comfort zone about joining into this world.  During my serious first couple of years I did just that, and am offering some of my own experiences and observations.  This all came into my mind, because as part of my taking notice that I have gained this weight, I rejoined Club Sport and have been going these past two weeks.  I don't weight myself, but I think I have already started to turn it around.  I also am glad to be back believe it or not.  Being there though, reminded me of all those feelings and challenges I had going to these places when I was SO uncomfortable with myself.  I live in Southwest, and the
places I went for swimming were Club Sport, Southwest Community Center, and 24 Hour Fitness. 

I think all three were great, but I am so glad to be back at Club Sport.  Since I was re-joining, I didn't have to pay anything to get in and it's costing me $100 a month.  24 also would let me back in with no start up (these places are desperate right now) and the Community Centers have coupon books for frequent users.  Price wise Club Sport was really not that much more, and I can't say how much more they have there.  Everything from supplying the shampoo, shaving cream, deoderant, hair blowers, lotion, Q-tips, towels, hot tub in the ladies locker room, tons of free classes including some with the lights dimmed low that I think would make ME feel less self concious in the back row, a machine that wrings out your wet suit and supplies plastic bags to put it in, etc.  The only thing I have to bring is a clean pair of undies and my bathing suit.  The lack of hassle is huge in helping me to not end up not going.  I know nobody can afford anything in these tough times, but I found that since I was going to go back to swimming, I found this wasn't as out  of the ballpark as I thought it would be.  It was not much more than the others.

I rate 24 hour as pretty darn nice too.  Very clean.  What didn't work for me was  they didn't have as many lap lanes available at all times.  I kept running into pool classes that would make me not able to start swimming the laps, and believe me....I am talking myself out of doing excercise until I'm almost thru my first lap.  I am lame enough to get there, get in my suit, sit in the hot tub, and decide to leave. 

Community Center was a very good option too.  I guess my feeling as a reluctant and self concious excerciser, is that there is no privacy in the locker rooms, and there is much more "community" which is what it is there for - that's not a bad thing.  But I was sharing less space with lots of kids and activity.  It just felt like more of a  hassle, and I had to schlep more stuff with me, and deal with a full wet gym bag, etc.  You will see a much more real representation of folks, as in a fit and perfect athelete type is the exception rather than the rule.  Lots of old, wrinkled, fat, real looking people, and I never felt uncomfortable there in that way.  It was more that I hated the locker room set up - little privacy.  You get what you pay for. 

I may have lost the weight, and in clothes I can look pretty good, but believe me until I get that plastic surgery, I don't look so hot naked or in a bathing suit.  So, I feel I can still address the FEELINGS that I know are hindering some of my peers here from getting themselve out into public places to get that excercise we need!!  Club Sport is the epitome of super fit, both old and young perfect bodies, who all RUN on the treadmills, and walk around the locker room naked, go in the hot tub naked, wear expensive serious fitness clothes, etc.  The kind of people we think we don't belong with, or don't feel comfortable around.  24 hour fitness is the same.  I used to feel I had to wait until I got thin to feel like I could go to those places.  I am here for a pep talk to tell you not to let that be your way of thinking!  If you get in there and get familiar with a routine in a place like that, figure out when to go, where to change, how to get in the pool without feeling like a spectacle, find a place you feel O.K. changing, you won't feel that feeling for long.   I found that people are really busy, rushed, into themselve, aren't there to notice you or give you disapproving looks.  I found everyone to be actually very nice and they approve and LIKE to see someone trying to improve their fitness.  The ones that don't fit that category (mostly the very young and vain) are so not into anyone but themselves they are not there to notice you.  It was O.K. with me to pretty much be invisible to those ones. Really, we are so mortified by our body images that we are sure people are really noticing us and judging us, but I just didn't find that to be the case.  I do remember the WOW moment of actually being able to use normal towels, but until then I brought a beach towel I knew would fit around me.  Even Club Sport doesn't have any dressing rooms with curtains, so I change in the handicap stall.  That works.  I am not the only one that wears my bathing suit in the hot tub.  The staff is never anything but supportive (at least at these two clubs I went to).  Being self concious, having a chip on your shoulder that people are judging you for your weight, those are issues you need to confront and get rid of.  I can say with honesty, that I never experienced one negative experience when I got out and went to those clubs.  I don't disbelieve it has happened to folks, but I do think our own attitude helps too.  People aren't nearly as interested in others as you may think when you are sure they are there to judge you for being so fat.

It's just so weird that the very place we need to be to get this weight off, is the place we are the most reluctant to go.  Not feeling like we can get the courage to walk through the door and get started is very commen.  I am pushing you all to get in there if you can afford it, and get a routine going.  I only asked myself to commit to three days a week, any more is bonus days.  To add my whole family was another $100 a month.  This has been great for us as a family.  We decided to give up magazines, bottled water, store bought cookies, my Oregonian, and see less movies to squeeze this back into our budget.  I may not be able to afford it after all, but for a least three months I want to give it my all and get back down to my fighting weight. 

Maybe some of you are finding other ways to get the excercise in, but for me, that first hundred pounds I just couldn't do other forms of excercise.  I think the swimming hits all the body parts and doesn't hurt the joints.  I feel like cardio is the answer when your trying to go down.  The treadmill was great too, but only after I got some weight off my knees. 

My schedule is way too scattered to committ to a group effort, though I think that can be a great way to get yourself comitted to going somewhere.  If anyone needs someone to help them go a first time and get through the awkwardness of being there, I'll go if I can.  Or call on one of us that is in your area.  We are all in this together! 

Patty

what about Dr. Mirandes support groups up that way...im not sure of when they are but i know he has groups in klamath falls         I use the ones here in northern cali...redding.

Congratulation Sherri--Your date is not far away---it will be here before you know it.  Julia

Deanna,
I might be interested, but I am a working girl, and have significant time restraints. I live In Eagle Creek and work in Gresham. In years past, I was able to get up early and go to the club, but have found I can't do that anymore. I need to get into an exercise routine, but can't get much enthusiasm or time for it. I have started walking at work when I can. It would all depend on scheduling and cost.

We only belong to LA Fitness, The other place I train, Brian my trainer does'nt charge a membership fee He is also looking for clients.  By the way, I have 33 mo twins!!  A boy and a girl.  They will be 3 at the end of April.  I go in and do cardio on the days I am not training. I have a ton of saggy skin to deal with.  We put the kids in the kids club while we are exercising., so that helps alot.  I used to hate exercising, let alone stepping on the scale.  I am also a SAHM and my husband recently retired after 32 yrs at TriMet.

Peggy