5 Years POST-OP leads to a PROJECT RUNWAY MOMENT!

I got to meet, talk with, get his book autographed to me and be professionally photographed with  Bravo-TV's "PROJECT RUNWAY" fashion guru: Tim Gunn!!!

 

 

 

To read about it & see the slide show click on:

 "Fashion Under The GUNN!"

 

 

 

  Lovingly sent,

 

      Lauralyn

Lauralyn, Hey there, I am so thrilled and jealous about you getting to meet Tim Gunn.  I am a HUGE fan of his from Project Runway and from the makeover show he does on TLC as well.  Is he as genuine and courteous in person as he seems on TV?  Wow, that is soooo cool for you! Dawn

 Hi Dawn. Sorry for the delay in responding to your supportive post!  The truth is Tim Gunn is even more charming, attentive and insightful in person than on TV!! If you go to my blog you'll see 2 reports on the event: one is under PHOTO ALBUMS and is a slideshow with captions; the other is the actual blog entry wiht lots more details!!! How is your post-op journey going? All the best, Lauralyn

Lauralyn, My post op journey has been great for the most part.  I am having a hard time finding the elusive "sweet spot" with the amount of fluid in my band.  I either have too much or not quite enough restriction.  I'll get there.   Initially I lost 135# in 8 months and was on top of the world.  Then, somehow, I went into a very deep dark depression for abou 7 months and gained quite a bit of weight back secluding myself and hiding in my house to avoid the world.  It was awful.  I had to see a psychiatrist and after starting an antidepressant, I am sooooo much better.  I am now back on track and losing weight steadily.  I'm choosing not to let it bother me that I am losing the same weight I lost before, as long as the scales are going in the right direction I'm happy.  I do need to get some more exercise though.  I really need to work on that part of it. I have a long way to go and then ALOT of plastic surgeries, but, I'm looking forward to it.  Exciting stuff. Dawn Vickers, RN, BLC Registered Nurse Certified Bariatric Life Coach OH Support Group Leader

    "Initially I lost 135 lbs. in 8 months and was on top of the world. Then, somehow, I went into a very deep dark depression for about 7 months and gained quite a bit of weight back...It was awful." Dear Dawn & every other post-op who has experienced what Dawn has the integrity to share with us:  What you experienced is a textbook illustration of the self-sabotage machinery in action.  While the medication is a God-send, my concern and personal experience is it is not addressing the high anxiety that triggered the entire behavioral sequence; nor giving you new behaviors to avoid a repetition. I wrote about this in a magazine story that you can read online by clicking on the title:  "The Pleasures and Perils of Enchantment"  Later this year, I will begin training certified life coaches in my Embody Success! method,  teaching chronic dieters how to avoid/overcome self-sabotage in its many forms. Eager to read what you think about my article, Dawn! Best, Lauralyn

I would love to read your artical, however, when I click on it the page that open says "oops, cannot open this page".   I appreciate what you said above about not addressing the high anxiety and not having learned new behaviors.  I will have to respectfully disagree with it though.  I believe that for now I have to be on an antidepressant to survive.  I am doing talk therapy with a therapist and coaching to work through the emotional issues surrounding my obesity and to prevent another relapse.  I have spent hours with my surgeon discussing my relapse and I am seeing him (and the scales) every 2 weeks to keep close tabs on myself.  I completely understand what you're talking about, I am a Certified Bariatric Life Coach and am almost finished with life coaching classes through the International Coaching Federation and coach clients through these issues everyday.  Perhaps you will be training me in the "Embody Success" classes soon.  That would be great.  Dealing with the emotional issues surrounding obesity is what it is all about. Thanks for your comments, Dawn

I am soooooo sorry for typing the link incorrectly, Dawn! {It's always "human error" with these gadgets, isn't it? Humbling!] I just tested this out & it worked for me: "The Pleasures and Perils of Enchantment"   I didn't express myself accurately, Dawn. I am not suggesting you should discontinue ANY medication; I was trying to point out that while meds address the physical symptoms of anxiety, they do not address what triggered the behavior nor do they equip you to learn new behaviors to avoid/overcome relapse. Cognative Behavioral psychology is much more proactive than the traditional "talking therapy," and is very much akin to what coaching (life or executive) is about. I am very supportive of your working with others to address these issues while  the RX safeguards your progress. Continued blessings, Dawn! Lauralyn