2/24/08

The fact that this has been pretty easy so far. I have had no issues at all. Vivienne

1. the way people react to me, some good and some bad.. 2. That I can keep up with my grandchildren 3. I only need 1 towel to dry off and wrap around by entire BODY!!! how cool is that? 4. I still enjoy food but in less portions ( this scared me as I love to cook ) 5. Shopping that normal size clothes actually fit me... and look good..

How good I feel every morning when I get up...energy, clothes, "brighter" attitude...the whole package. Christy

This is a great question for me today!!!!! I am still very early on in my WL journey but Friday night I shoveled all 6-inches of snow from my long driveway the front of my house and our steps in front and back...this wasn't any light snow - this was heavy, wet snow...it felt so good to accomplsh this with minimal huffing and puffing - something I never could have done at 365#. Then yesterday we took our kiddies over to my sisters house and I spent 2-hours outside building a snowman, throwing snowballs, pushing the kids on the swings and YES..me went sleadriding...I felt so empowered yesterday! It sounds like such a simple thing but to be outdoors for 2-hours playing - really playing with your kids and enjoying yourself not wanting it to end cause I have no energy was an amazing WOW oment...So for me that was surprising..I am not that far into myjourney but already I can see the difference in my overall health! Have a sparkling day! Laura

What surprises me most is my satisfaction level. I've always been the "everything in moderation" girl when dieting (as it allowed me to "cheat"). When I wasn't dieting, it was another story. LOL But now, even though I know sugar doesn't make me dump, I don't abuse it. When I crave chocolate or something else "bad", one cookie will do it, or five m&m's. Never before would that have happened! And I'm glad that I can finally handle that healthy balance. I have to share this. Last night, my husband and some friends went to see Spamalot for his birthday. Afterwards, we went to Carmine's for dessert. If you're unfamiliar with Carmine's, it's family style and the furthest thing from WLS friendly. LOL Anyway, we had told my one friend about one of their desserts called the Titanic, and he wanted to get it. FIVE of us couldn't fini****! It was like, eight or ten scoops of ice cream with whipped cream, fruit, chocolate ganache, etc. I had......... ready?..... TWO BITES. And I was satisfied. TWO. I am so proud about that. Okay I'm done now. LOL

How men react to me... I've been getting A LOT of action... not that I'm acting on it... Also, EVERYTHING has changed... my entire outlook... some things in life might stink and be unavoidable... but I feel much better and can see things for what they are...

What surprises me is how people treat me differently, people that know me and people that don't. It's almost as if I'm worth knowing now that I'm a "normal" size person. It actually makes me angry because I'm still the same inside, just now thinner on the outside. I don't think I have any more value now than I did 65lbs ago...

I am most surprised at how much I love to exercise and do outdoor activities. Before all I really wanted to do was eat, shop (without too much walking), and sleep.

I have so much more energy than I ever had. I do a lot more things now that I didn't do before because I would tire out so easily.

The way that people react to me now surprises me the most. I knew that many people felt that being polite to an obese person was almost as if it was beneath them, but the reality of that feeling is all too real now. I am no different on the inside now than I was before my surgery and yet now people smile at me more, hold doors open for me, a stranger will say hello....it's just amazing the difference. Granted, I do feel better about myself and maybe that shows by the way I carry myself, but at the same time it hurts to know that I seem to matter more now in the every day life than I did prior to my surgery.