Duh?!?!?

Okay so I just passed the 20 month mark since surgery. According to my Gyno - I've lost 100 lbs exactly. While I'm happy with that I'm not content with it.  This frustrates me. I want to lose more. I want to feel even better. I want to look better.

Here's the DUH part of this.....wanting  things to happen versus actually making it happen. Why haven't I been doing more? Why have I allowed carbs and caffeine back into my lifestyle? Why have I slacked up on exercise? Why have I tested the waters where sugar is concerned?  I KNOW WHY...........I was treating my surgery as if it were just another diet not a true life long approach.

Think about it. Prior to surgery we WLS patients have tried almost every "diet" out there and created a combination of many more of them. "Diets" didn't work for us. If anything they set us up for years of yo-yoing and played havoc on our bodies. My surgery was only on my body.....period....a very small portion of a very large mass actually. The surgery didn't reroute my brain - only my digestive tract.

So with this new revelation....I have a choice to make - do I continue to diet and risk perpetual failure and disappointment or do I embrace my surgery as a cornerstone of a new life and continually build on that knowledge? I know what I'm chosing to do.

I've dusted off the tools that I've gathered for this journey..my before picture and measurements...info that I got from the surgeon and the nutritionist on how to life as a post-op patient...recipes...exercise programs...the food log....measuring cups....small plates,,,,,and my GOALS in writing. Today I've recommitted myself to making those small changes that translate into a healthy, successful, fully functional and CONTENT individual regardless of my weight.

Iris,

I think you've hit the nail on the head and I think it's something that all of us come to one way or another. It seems that we found 'see the light' when we are about where you are in the journey. It's about a year and a half to two years out when we realize realize what they mean when they are talking about the 'honey moon' being over. I know I also had the realization that I needed to look at my lifestyle and decide if I wanted to make the changes that would allow me to enjoy the benefits of the weight loss I had with my surgery or continue the upward climb I found myself doing. I will say that now that I have my tool, I have found that I don't really have to diet. What I do have to do is 'follow the rules'. I find that I am able to manage my weight when I make myself aware of what I am doing and accountable. For me, like you, that means journaling my intake and activity. What I have found is that when my carbs vs. protein are out of balance, so is my weight. When I get my carbs back into balance, my weight seems to 'self correct.' I don't know if that will work for you or not, but for me, knowing that I don't have to diet, but do need to be aware and make sure that I don't let the carb monster rule my life, my weight seems to take care of itself. 

Wishing you all the best as you move forward on this life changing, life long journey.

You could be writing my story..just add a couple of years…

 

In the past 2 months I have reevaluated where I am and committed to making small changes to help me stay focus, not be overwhelmed, and enjoy the progress I have already made.

 

I try to make a small change each week, while continuing with the change from the previous week. Things I have changed and been able to keep up so far have been:

 

Increased daily water intake

Always eat on a small plate (tend to use various sizes)

Exercise daily

Log my exercise and briefly note my feelings or things that seemed out of whack for the week

 

I have come to notice that the scale and I are on different journeys, so I cannot let it dictate what I have accomplished, I am viewing it as a guide but not the definition of me and controlling how I feel about myself.

 

So this week, I bought a GoWear (gotta let Andrea U know). I have been exercising consistently and logged my food cause the scale is having me gain and relose the same 7 pounds each week. Having a hard time getting my head around I am not eating enough but that is what dailyplate says.

 

Anyway, I am on board with you. Functional and Content and Blessed!

Functional and Content and Blessed!

I like the way you summed it up - I am truly blessed beyond measure.  thanks for that reminder/

- Iris