What are/were your reason(s) for losing weight?
My reasons? I would say initially health - thought it would bring down BP, and it did not. I also have stroke and heart attack in my genes, so also thought losing extra weight would buy me better recovery time if/when the big one happens. I think most of us with that kind of gene card will have the event happen - now it's a matter of being able to survive it and recover faster if i am in better shape!
But when I really think about it, I find being even 40# heavier just uncomfortable as i go about my life.
I can bend over to tie shoes without losing breath.
I feel less achy. This took a long time to lessen - only recently did I realize my hips are not as achy.
I fit better in the car; I spend a lot of time there at my job. I can get in and out lots easier.
Clothes fit better - yes this is about vanity, but also comfort. I am not pulling and tugging on my clothes. I get up in front of people to present and I do not worry about my clothes looking sloppy. I do not get those mean red dents in my belly/midsection from tight waistbands or bra!
My feet hurt less in nice shoes. Heels, even low ones were hard to wear.
And, bears mentioning: I feel proud of myself spiritually and physically - less bloated feeling, I look more dedicated to health (that is my business - and there is something wrong with a person in the nutrition biz who is sloppy fat, sorry!) I think my skin looks brighter and not so blotchy.
I feel lucky that overall, my weight has not held me back in any way. I cannot say I have more energy or better endurance now as opposed to being heavier. Blessedly, the same level i think.
I always bought nice clothes that fit and got positive feedback from others even when I was heavy about how I carried myself. However, i do feel even more confident thinner and feel less concerned about how i look and can fully concentrate on the task at hand.
Good things to ponder, Kimmie! To answer your question, vanity has a lot to do with it for me, fer shur. i now don't hate EVERY goddam pic of me. I DO look in the mirror more.
"The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd rather not." ~Mark Twain
on 1/3/09 9:05 am
I think you look fab! I love the picture you use for your avatar. Thanks for being such a great sounding board. Beating obesity will be a life long journey - just because I lost all my excess weight doesn't mean I'm done. And even when I don't post, I read the board because I don't want to miss yours and everyone else's sage advice.
on 1/2/09 9:26 pm - Rochester, NY
I am so sick of food being the center of my life (and my obsession with it). I wake up in the morning and look at my fat legs as I roll out of bed and sit there and see my stomach laying halfway into my lap....I feel disgusted with myself. I get up to walk to the bathroom and my knees ache and I feel 95 years old. I get on the scale and swear that TODAY I'm going to tackle this once and for all.
I almost always eat a "on some kind of plan" breakfast and my resolve strengthens...I can do this. All day long I'm thinking about what I'm going to eat, should eat, can't eat, want to eat, have to eat. Every activity and social interaction in my life seems to center around food. If I plan on eating out with friends, it's always which restaurant can we go to for the plan Sherrie's on at the moment? Fixing meals at home it's "my" food and trying to incorporate it into dinner for Bill and I....trying to keep away from the things he enjoys in moderation that I just want to hurry up and eat so it's not there to tempt me anymore.
Getting dressed every morning is all about what hides the fat the best....what top is going to be loose enough so that when I sit down this midriff bulge doesn't show too badly? Who am I kidding? It's like wearing a kiddies pool float ring under your clothes and thinking no one's going to notice.
Eating in front of people, people must think...how does she stay so big? She eats like a bird! I'm a sneak eater....in the past would only eat half of my meal and bring the rest home and eat it as soon as I got there. Now doing much better with that part since I've not been living alone.
Oh, I don't mean to be so negative. I have certainly made lots of improvements over the years and changed lots of behaviors....baby steps. I'm MUCH MORE AWARE....but sometimes that makes it even harder.
Well, was trying to decide between two plans here for eating....guess after venting all of this I know that I am definitely addicted to sugar/flour and FAA is the way for me. They have a set food plan, but it is quite high in carbs (good ones...fruits, veggies, whole grain cereals, LF dairy). I think I need to really give that my honest effort though and see how my body responds. I need to stop these cravings that have blossomed again over the holidays and get back on a solid track of accountability. When I'm not posting my food intake every day, you know I'm not doing well!!
Sorry to be so long winded here....just getting all these thoughts down on paper has helped.
on 1/3/09 9:11 am
Sherrie:
Relish your accomplishments and then work from there. I know it's hard. I spent 30 years obsessing about food, dieting, losing weight, gaining weight, hating myself, etc. Focus on the changes you've made and build on those. Negative self-talk is so damaging so stop the stinkin' thinkin'! Believe me, I've been doing a lot of it lately...so, do as I say, not as I do...LOL
. Well I am a mother of 3 beautiful kids and that is my primary motivation to lose weight, my marrage has also been suffering since I have gain all of my weight. I have never gotten below 190lbs in my adult life, but I was much more sexually active and more attentive to my husband, so thats another reason. Also as my kids get older and wanting to more outdoor activities I want to be involved, my daughter is 5 and loves to run and wants to play soccer and I want to be involved in that. I do not have any health issues really, I have ache bad knees which I beleive is due to my weight. I am at my wits end with my life long weight struggle, so......here I am. 
Well even if you're at your wits end, you're taking steps to change, which is positive. 
I cant spot saying how much I love my OH family, I am still a newbie and you all are so supportive. Does anyone know were Heather is anyway?? I thought she was back home by now.
I'm uncomfortable in my own skin. I want to hide from the world. I want to stay inside rather than go out and enjoy myself. And I assume that on the rare occasions that I do go out, everybody is looking at me like I'm a circus freak. I just can't continue to live this way.
The only co-morbidities I had before surgery were managable things, like joint pain when I stood for too long or walked for too long.
It's awesome that losing this weight has gotten rid of that problem and I'm healthier for it, definitely, but still - my motivation is being happy with me. And right now, I'm soooo not happy with me.
I feel like "Janina, Had you not gained that much weight, and stayed at the weight you're at now, 135 off would set you at 130 and you'd be normal".
I posted on the lap band board the other day that I need to STOP looking only at how far I have to go and turn around to see how far I've come and appreciate that.
It's just so hard though.
