Keep on me, guys - 6 month musings

Hey guys, today is my 6 month surgiversary.  I am curious if anyone has gone through this psychologically.  My surgeon warned me about it and I finally understand what he was talking about.  For a long time with the foot problems (I had been wearing an orthopedic boot), I didn't feel like I had lost the weight because I was weighed down by the boot.  But at 6 months I'm down 106lbs.  I've felt great the last two months.  I'm certainly not where I want to be (at 246 now), but I feel all too comfortable where I am.  In some respects, I've lost so much so fast that I have not had the opportunity to enjoy where I am on the journey to where I am going.  Does that make sense?  For instance, the jeans I got into for the first time in 18 years now fall off my rear end.  (For those of you *****member the story of me dropping my fat pants at airport security in January, it almost happened with pants 6 inches smaller last week).  I guess it feels almost like I lost the 106lbs in 2 months so I had to relearn how to walk and adjust to this new body. At the same time I know that my body is beginning to adjust and the weight loss is slowing down and will naturally in the next 2-3 months.  I really need to get below 228 and more specifically down to 215 by the end of summer because I know after that it will become very difficult to get there. There have been so many great changes in the last 6 months.  I would do this surgery again in a heartbeat.  But I'm at this crossroad of enjoying where I am and new FARTs every day and I can't let that get in the way of the final goal.  Not sure if I am making any sense and perhaps I'm overanalyzing things so thanks for hanging in with the rambling. Bottom line is I just want to thank all of you guys on the board for your encouragement and accountability.  But please stay on me so that I don't lose sight of the real goal.  Better is always the enemy of best.  I'm certainly at better and I'm afraid I'm enjoying that so much I will settle for less than best. Thanks for everything. Greg

Howdy Greg, Yep, I have the same feeling over here in Tx. I'm also heading to 215, right now I'm 239. My 10 month anniversary, or surgiversary is coming in a couple of weeks. Geez, has it been that long. Seems like the further out I get, the faster time flies by. Wow, or FART, or whatever. My weight loss pattern has definitely changed in the last few months. I started out losing 2-3 lbs. per wee****il around month 6, after that I will usually go at least 2 weeks, then drop a few, then another 2 weeks, then drop a few more. I've done this since weighing 262, until now. I try not to get discouraged, and try to stay close to the guidelines of the diet. Although, the further out I go, the more my pouch will tolerate. I started out eating soup, now I can eat salad and a small steak, if I choose to. What I do know that's true is, I'm eating healthier foods than I have my entire life, I've exercised more in the last 10 months than I have my entire life, and I'm pretty close to being the smallest I've ever been my entire life. It's still hard to look in the mirror and see that small guy, but when I look at myself in pictures, I'm absolutely amazed. BTW, I seen you're pictures on your blog page, looking good. I think we can offer each other some shoves in the right direction. If needed.  Ronnie P.S. Still no perm job.  Right now, I'm interviewing with Geico Insurance. I've passed all the tests they have given, and I'm on interview 3 of 5. Seems like a good thing. I'm still working my PT job at the paper. FYI

Hi Ronnie, glad to know I am not the only one.  All the best on the job search.  It has been quite a while for you.  Hope it works out great.  Thanks for the encouragement.  I'll keep up my part for you. Thanks Greg

Greg, You are a bit further along than I am, but I understand that it is very easy to be complacent.  My ultimate target is 215 as well.  I'm at 274 right now, so I still have a long way to go.  I'm feeling better than I have in many years.  And, I'm enjoying wearing smaller pants, getting compliments, and simply doing a whole lot more than I used to do.  I am certainly getting comfortable with where I am at right now.  But... I have noticed that my weight loss is starting to slow down a bit.  I'm still following my diet plan very strictly and exercising more that ever.  So perhaps my body is making an adjustment or plateauing.  However, I am wondering if I should be ramping up my exercise even more, or if this is just a natural part of the journey. Like you, I am grateful for the opportunity to interact with everyone on the Men's Board.  This is the best support that I have had.  And I'm happy knowing that you guys are just a few keystrokes away. Thanks.

Hi Greg, What a great post! Biy can I identify with you and the other guys. I'm a few months ahead of you and have to fight being comfortable at 228. My target weight is 180, but I've changed so much and feel so good, so "normal" that I sometimes sometimes find myself thinking, "This weight will be okay if I stay here." Bad thinking . . . and I don't really mean it. Also, I have to make some extended trips out of town for family obligations and such, and have felt sort of distracted from my new way of life. I ate properly, etc., but feel now that I have missed some of the satisfactions of watching my habits and body change. Such a small thing to complain about, but I still feel like I've missed something. All that being said, I trust that these feelings and reactions are part of the major changes we go through, so I remain eager and confident about the next months. Slower weight loss doesn't scare me like it would have pre-op because I read all the Weekly Weigh-In stats and lots of profiles and know that almost every one of us has peaks and valleys. In the long-run, we get to great places if we do the footwork. And that's we're doing right now in these posts, footwork with our cyber companions in the Bariatric Brotherhood. Thanks again for the great posts Greg and guys.

Mike and the other guys, sounds like you're doing really well.

All of you are looking good and have lost a lot of weight, but it's not time to give up yet. Look at your BMI, if it's not close to 26 or 27 at least and your body fat at least under 20%, you're not even close. You stand a good chance of going back to MO land.

WLS will make it much more difficult for you to gain weight back, so this time you are justified in doing something extreme. Go for the protein drink alone a couple of meals a day, go for the one hour of exercise a day. Don't listen to what those people around you say. Most of them have never been MO!

Love,

Radical Dave in Japan

Howdy Dave, My BMI now is 29.8, once I'm at goal- 26.8. I started out at 44+.  Ronnie

Sounds like a good goal! Almost there. You can taste it... That was about my starting BMI, 43 or 44, I think. Really depends on your body type. My upper torso weight keep me from staying on 24.

Dave

hey Greg,

i'll tell you a secret! wether you are winning or losing since surgery, it's going to be a head trip. so many things happen so fast your head is always swimming. just think, when we dieted we lost a few pounds here and there over many weeks. now, people won't even recognize us if they haven't seen us in 6 months. that has to do something to your head. your waist loses so fast you can't even buy clothes because they'll be too big in a matter of days. loose skin, high energy, compliments, envy, love, hate you name it, it all comes flying at you at a furious pace.

so i say work your little program of good eating habits, you'll need them in another six months. why? because you'll find it feels like you never had the surgery. you will be able to eat almost anything and a lot of it. that's the sad truth. so work on your eating habits and exercise. the weight will continue to come off. the great thing is that you won't be starving this time around. so it's much easier to diet and lose weight down the road. as for me, i find myself grazing at night and now i have to fall back on my pre op training and get back on the program. we will all have demons to fight in this journey. keep coming here and maybe all of us can come up with a plan to help you and ourselves. i'm pretty scared sometimes but that's when i remember how ****ty my life was when i was fat. i had the surgery and i have the tools to keep the weight off. so in the end, i have to work on my head. i'm telling you this, you are going to continue to lose weight for the next 6 months. so don't freak out. the real question will be how will you keep it off?

so do what dave suggested, give protein drinks or Dx's platue buster a try. i still say it will just fall off but do what you think you have to do. try all of our suggestions to your post and then start thinking about maintenance. just a thought from someone down the road from you. take care my friend..........carbonblob

Thanks guys, all great advice as usual.  Nice to know I'm not alone in these feelings.  I guess I'm having so much fun with all the things that have come with the loss, that after years of not having any FARTs type things around my physical being, there are so many that part of me wants to hold on and cherish every one and they come so fast.  Almost like my 15 minutes of fame in my head and I want it to last and that gets in the way of doing what I am supposed to do some days.  I'm 2 lbs from being the lightest I have been in 20 years.  That's the next goal, then 228 when I get below the Obese category.  It's good to know I have friends here that will keep pushing me.  My so called "normal" non WLS friends are very supportive, but their perspective is that I have come so far - rejoice.  I do, but  I know I'm not going to be pushed by them.  And I need that sometimes.   Thanks Greg