I can see in the lat...

I can see in the latest activity on this board that many are "reporting back to base". Some are struggling, and so am I, but lately everything has gone from worst to best. Here is a little info about me for those that don't know who I am. I am Heidrun, a 31 year old woman in Iceland. In January 2006 I weighed little over 400 lbs (183 kg) when I started my weight loss journey. I was in fact getting desperate to lose weight and even looked into the weight loss surgery, but I am very glad I didn't take that step, because so many of those that go in this operation don't even lose all their excess weight, and so many gain all the weight back on when their body has adjusted to the surgical procedure. In fact I think this surgery doesn't solve the real problem with obesity, the food addiction, but rather solves the symptoms of the real problem, the excess weight. I know it is really harsh to say this, but I think the WLS solves as much as curing alcoholism by sewing the mouth shut on an alcoholic. We all know that the problem with alcoholism isn't caused with them being able to open their mouth and consume the alcohol, but lies deeply rooted in their emotional life. I know many hospitals have programs for people that get the WLS, and some even prepare the patients psychologically, and others even have psychological follow ups, but too many hospitals don't have that service. I think the only people that are successful with WLS are the people that have also altered their whole life, that have dealt with the food and emotions issue.... Those are my opinions based on what I see others experience and from my own experience. Back to my update. From January to June I lost 86 lbs (37 kg) and did fabulous with sticking to my nutrition-plan (I follow a nutrition plan from an organization very similar to WW that operates in northern Europe). Then in the middle of June I stopped losing weight... I just thought it was the famous "plateau" so I just stuck to my diet (By that I mean the food-meaning, not losing weight by diet meaning, hate that this word has those two meanings) and continued to wait and wait and wait and wait, and nothing happened at all for so long. It was so extremely frustrating because I was doing all the things right, working hard to keep my diet on track and instead of losing 10-15 lbs a month, I didn't lose one single pound, even when I was more strict then I could ever be with my diet!! Then in the end of July I started to cheat, because it seemed hopeless to lose any weight at all, so why bother sticking to the food-plan that didn't get me any results. I didn't cheat enormously, but wasn't following my diet, and started to eat sugar. Those 2 months I didn't feel right. Couldn't tell what it was, just felt more tired and like I was constantly coming down with the flu or a virus infection. Then one day I got very sick. It felt exactly like having a bad flu, except no sore throat or cold. I went to the doctors, they did blood tests and found out that I had hypothyroidism. I know most of you know what it is, but for those that don't then it basically means that the thyroid doesn't produce enough hormones, so the metabolic system is burning too slowly. That's why I felt like I was tired all the time and didn't lose any weight. I was put on thyroid hormone medication in the end of July, and they have started to work, and I have been losing a lot of weight recently, plus I am very active, filled with energy, in good spirit, and of course back on track with my diet-plan as before "the cheat era". It is interesting when I look at it how I was thinking during this time. When I wasn't losing weight I was always wondering what I was doing wrong. That it most be something that I didn't do right, and I always feel that people don't believe me when I tell them I had thyroid problem, and that's why I didn't lose weight. Maybe it's just in my mind, but I can imagine what they think "yeah, all the fatties say it's their thyroid", "what a lame excuse!, bet she ate 2 kg of chocolate every day for the last 2 months". I think this is a part of the diet (the bad meaning) mentality. That it's OUR fault if we don't lose weight by doing stupid diets. If we are not losing weight then we must be eating chocolate in our sleep... Or just attract fat cells from the atmosphere more then other people.. I really hope this bump on the road is past me, because this has been the most difficult time sticking to the food-plan EVER. The motivation that kept me on going lies so much in the results. If we are getting great results, and get over the first diet-self-sabotage then it is so much easier to continue doing the right thing. To keep on eating right with no results is extremely difficult and it took all my willpower to stay on track, and I am surprised that I could resist temptations for so long... well I fell for them in the end, but that were just for few days, and now I have been sticking to my plan since Friday, and things are great again.

Wow - good for you - sticking to your food plan while on the plateau. And good for you for exploring (and finding!) there was something physically going on! I enjoyed hearing you say "well I fell for them in the end, but just for few days" - what a great attitude! I don't hear you feeling ashamed, guilty or any of that destructive thinking we can do which sabotages ourselves. It sounds like you've worked very hard to maintain not only the weight loss but a postivie attitude! Which I know can be a most difficult task. Keep taking care of yourself! and good luck! Shirley