Positivity Thread

So it's grey outside today, what do you do to counter that heavy feeling within?

Let's talk about WOW moments to lift our spirits or anything that has changed for the better since WLS or, if you are still awaiting that day, what your hopes are for life post-WLS.

I wake up, most days, with more energy and a feeling that has me ready to meet the challenges of any given day.  I've learned to prepare for success and when I make those choices that are counterproductive to that preparedness, I start over again as quick as possible.  Positives are my health has never been better, my abililty to move quicker and with ease is greater, my goals and dreams are reality based.  My WOW moment is that at close to 5 years post-op I'm still chugging along, my clothes shopping is not limited, except by what I would choose to wear and I am "successing"!

Have a good day, remember that very often you set the tone of what kind of day you will have, choose to have a good one and if something challenging comes along, well start over!!!

Laureen

It's good to review the "wows" in my mind today....

When the size 16W jeans pulled up past my knees for the first time. I had bought them on clearance long, long ago, but they never fit.

Finishing a full hour workout class and realizing my face no longer turns beet red.

Shoot - just finishing the full hour class!!!

My daughter's remark over a photo of me - "That's MY hot mama!"

Another "daughter" moment a couple of summers ago when I stayed with her when her baby was born - she said she was much more confident that I could keep up with the girls at the park and just in general than before.

And now, telling new co workers that I lost a lot of weight - and they look absolutely shocked. I guess I don't look like a "formerly fat" person. It's good to come into a new setting and just be NORMAL.

Oh Lynn, how well I identify with your WOW moments. . .  probably 16 years before I had WLS, I purchased a pair of jeans at a store going out of business, I loved those jeans, but when I bought them, they were size 18s and I could not fit into them, I promised myself that one day, I would wear them. . . sometime after WLS, I remembered them and took them out, they were too big and I brought them to Barix so that someone else could have them. . .  thanks for reminding me of that one. . .

I also remember that when I got the go ahead from Dr. P to go to the gym, I could not do 3 minutes on the elliptical, today I can do an hour.

My son recently said they were looking at their wedding video and that he had a hard time remembering me at that weight and then there is the grandchildren, who I can run and play with, not like my older grandchildren, who I had limitations with due to my size. . .

and lastly, the people at this job also know me as normal, though I used to have a photo that was taken of me with my family at 2 months post-op on my desk and they were like, whose in the picture? 

Yup, all great WOWs, thanks for triggering mine. 

 GM Laureen!

I was just thinking about all the wonderful people I have met on here and at Barix! I am blessed by my true friends *****ally care about me and vice versa! 

I think my biggest WOW is when I show people my before picture and they say something to the effect of , WOW! I can't believe that is you!!! I just looked at that picture about a week ago to remind myself of where I was and that I hope and pray to NEVER go back there again!! I also showed the picture to my hubby and he said, you are a fraction of what you used to be! What a nice feeling! 

I am still successing (almost) three years later because although I have had some regain I have kept most of my weight off! For me that is a BIG deal!

Healthwise, I am no longer diabetic, no longer have kidney issues, and most days I feel pretty good!

 Beth

Beth,

You are committed to the journey and that is what "successing" is about!!!

Beth, I have seen that before picture. What I remember most is not your size - it is the unhappy look on that woman's face.

Not the Beth we know today!

I walked home from the train station last night, about a mile and a half.  I was not winded.  Nothing hurt -- not my feet, legs, hips, butt, back, shoulders -- NOTHING.  And I have not forgotten the time when EVERYTHING hurt after 1/2 a block of walking.  It is still an amazing feeling almost 5 years out.  I hope I never forget where I've come from.

Today I did my morning meditation, have a plan of eating in place, am taking my daughter to the surgeon for her follow up appointment, and will be spending a couple of hours with my sponsor tonight.

Jill,

I remember when you shared about walking up the stairs to the train station and not feeling winded, maybe it was ran up the stairs. . . 

Life is definitely a whole lot lighter today!!!

Enjoy your day!

I would also add the absence of pain to my "wow" moments. I remember that I used to have to carry Advil with me all the time because something always hurt - feet, knees, swollen ankles....besides food, it was my drug of choice.

Can I ask what you do for your meditation?

I use a combination of things.  It looks like this:
I read a daily AA devotional.
I read a daily OA devotional.
I read scripture (read through the bible in a year on my kindle)

I have a set of prayers (Our Father, Serenity, 3rd Step)

Then I'll say (in my head) -- Lord, as I think about my day, I pray that my thinking would be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives.  Today I may face indecision, may not be able to determine which course to take.  In such cases, I pray that You will give me inspiration, an intuitive thought or a decision.  (this is from an AA pamphlet actually).  Then I kind of go through my day.  What I have planned, what I will do, and what I will eat.  I kind of run the whole day through in my head from when I get off the train until I plan on going to bed.  Naturally, my day doesn't always look like my plan, but at least I have some sort of idea of what I need to accomplish that day -- work, doctor appt, exercise, food plan, etc.

Finally, I use a prayer pattern called ACTS.  Adoration -- where I'll pick an attribute of my Higher Power (today it was Healer) and think about that attribute and praise Him around that.  Confession -- obvious.  Thanksgiving -- my favorite part where I list things I am grateful for.  And, finally, Supplication where I might ask for blessings for others, and for myself I pray only for knowledge of God's will for me and the power to carry it out. (again, straight from AA).

I'll finish with the AA 7th step prayer.  That pretty much takes up my 35 minute commute.  I always feel amazing when I can focus in the morning.