....over on the bright side...

So, those of you who are tackling your weight loss (wherever you may be on your journey) what are some things that you can do now, that you couldn't before?

They can be lifestyle things like, crossing your legs or fitting into a booth. Or excesses things like completing a Triathlon or walking a mile without stopping. Or really anything that you've changed that you are happy, surprised or elated about.

Whatever they are, I'd like to hear some shout outs from my fellow BMI 50+ folks!!!

Let's bring the positivity

:Danni

Where to start?!?!  The most wonderul for me (still!) is that I eat less - and am full/satisfied!!

That is an awesome place to start- WTG!

:D

Welllll. . . this is stretching it a bit, but. . .

Haven't had surgery yet.  Haven't even had a consult; waiting on a call from the surgeon's office to schedule one.  In the meantime, though, I finally got a grip on myself, and decided yesterday morning on a day-by-day goal of preparing for surgery.  So, I had a protein shake for breakfast - Atkins vanilla with frozen strawberries - a protein shake for lunch, and a reasonably sensible dinner.  Dinner ingredients weren't ideal - made a teriyaki sauce that included way too much sugar, which I used for baked chicken, then a brown rice and broccoli side dish, which was awful, as a matter of fact!  

But, the good news of it all is I made it through the rest of the evening with no dessert, no snacks, not a bite of extra food!  When I went to bed, I was tempted by about six pecans on my bedside table, that I had left over from several days earlier (which was another one of my evenings when I just HAD to have one more bite of something before going to bed!), but I resisted that urge, so as not to spoil my success for the day.

Today, I've had another protein shake with strawberries, which I'm sipping on now (I'm a late riser, so this is sort of my "breakfast"), and plan to continue doing the same thing today I did yesterday. 

Now, I know this isn't anything earth-shattering for most people, but for me, this is a HUGE step forward!  My eating, and weight gains, have just been out of control for such a long time, and no matter what I've done, I can't seem to put the brakes on.  I've been very depressed and discouraged (to put it mildly), and so have come to believe WLS is the way to go for me.  I've got so much to lose, and need to do it quickly, so I can have a few healthy years before I die.  (Btw, my BMI is 52.)   

I know this is a short story made long, but I really believe that seeing the light at the end of the tunnel (WLS) has given me a real boost, and a feeling of hope that things might really get better for me.  On top of all that (and this is the reason I started this post - huh; got kind of side-tracked!), I feel pretty darn good today!  I have more energy than I have usually, and I just don't feel as drained.  I honestly believe it's the increase of protein and probably decrease in all the refined carbs I've been eating.

So, that's my positive story, for anyone who's made it to the end of this without nodding off. 

Beth

That's wonderful! 
You deserve to be proud of yourself! Are you also drinking a lot of water in between? That can help with the late night cravings, a lot of times when I'm thinking,I'm hungry- I'm actually just thirsty!

Keep up the great work, but if you slip up- don't let it get you down, just get right back on track for the next meal.

I did that plan (2 shakes and a low carb dinner) and in 3 months I lost 50lbs, and of course I had slip ups, but I learned not to beat myself up. Which keeps those binges where I throw my hands up and say "Oh I cheated, I might as well eat a whole bunch of crap" at bay.

Great work!
:D

Thanks so much for the positive reinforcement!  And btw, I looked at your stats, and I'm VERY impressed!  You've really come a long way.  Gives me hope for my future.

Given your user name, I'm guessing you might be a Spec Ed teacher?  That's what my husband does; after over 20 years, he's done resource, BI, and this year, started in AE, which he found out he absolutely loves! 

Beth

Yup, Inked Special Ed. Teacher! I taught SDC, what's AE?

And thanks for the complement- it's been hard work, but worth it!

:D

AE:  Alternative Education.  Not absolutely sure of the pc term, but those with multiple disabilities, mental and developmental deficits, etc.  Used to be called "MR", but thankfully, that term is falling by the wayside.  What is SDC? 

Oh AE I like that, yeah the name for those kids keeps changing! We used to call them MR too, then Low Functioning, then we had Mentally Exceptional, and now it's Mentally Delayed, I'm sure it will change again in a few years! Ack! LOL!

SDC is Special Day Class, which is for special ed kids who can't take regular classes. So they take a modified class for science, math, English, or history.

:D

Hmmmm, where to start...


I can now:



Cross my legs (and cross my legs while wearing a skirt without flashing everyone!)

Wear cute dresses with belts

Walk around in heels all day without 1) my feet killing me or 2) walking like Bambi on ice

Do any kind of exercise I want - I can swim, run, bike and even combine all three :)  (at 420 lbs, my feet used to swell so bad I couldnt even put shoes on let alone attempt to exercise)

I can wear women's exercise clothes (this was probably one of my top goals when I started
since I hated having to wear mens workout clothes - the only thing that fit!)

I can shop at normal stores (in fact I divorced lane bryant and all similar stores months ago)

Wear my friends' clothes. I had a couple times where I had unexpected sleepovers and my friends actually had clothes I could wear.

Wear a normal size hospital gown.

Plan a vacation without dreading the thought of flying.

I see bones!! 

Sit in chairs that I would never even attempted before. I no longer dread social outings wondering about the chair situation.



I can dream of the future and believe I can actually do whatever is that I want to do.