Three Months

Happy 4th everybody!  Today is my 3 month surgiversary and I set a mini goal for myself to lose 60 lbs by this day and I'm glad to say I've done it! I have been kinda a slow loser and my surgeon wanted me to lose 5 lbs a week.  Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't quite make it. Actually, most weeks I don't quite make it.  But I have been going to the pool at least 3 times a week now, and I don't feel like I'm going to die anymore, so that's a good thing. Thank you all for sharing you journey's with me.  I don't think I could do this without you.  This forum has been such a support to me, and I want to thank you for being here. 

Reggie: You have done very well to lose 5 pounds a week, that's not being a slow loser at all. It took me three years to lose 180 pounds, where I know some people who lost that in a year. Take your time and don't worry if you're a slow loser or a fast loser. Just lose at your own pace. You're doing great!

Thanks Eileen, I needed that.  Damn surgeon. 

60 in 3 months that is so good. Congratulations!    I love swimming too  and one of these days after I have my surgery I hope I will be able to swim again,  that is if I can find a suit in my size.

Hey, why not start swimming now? I was swimming when I was 347 pounds; didn't bother me what I looked like in a suit ... plenty of the people at the Y were as big or bigger than me. I wish I could go back, but can't afford it. It's great exercise for bad knees, bad back ... which those of us who are/were obese suffer from. If you can get to a pool, do it. Don't be afraid.

One major reason I can't get out of the pool.     I have 2 bulging disc and 1 herniated disc, and half of a right hip bone and osteoarthritis so unless someone goes with me I can't get out of the pool. I   have no friends who will go with me as they all left me saying I was too difficult to be my friend. Some friends HUH!  I suppose they feel that having to help me  get an electric mobility device out of the van and having a few electrical problems with it or maybe having to walk real slow while I walk  with 2 canes was too much for them to handle so they don't bother with me any more.  It kind of hurts and has caused even more self esteem issues with me.

I too go to the pool and do water walking.....however, they have a lift chair that you sit on and it lowers and raises you to the water....if they didn't have that I couldn't get into the pool either. I've had two knee replacements and a hip replacement and have minimal strength yet in my legs... ask about whether they have assistance of some kind to get you into the water.

That is great that you have that chair lift available to you and get to do the water walking.  This pool is in my mobile home park and they do not have a lift chair and they have no sloped ramp either.  It really burns me that they don't as it is a 55+ park and you would think that when they made the pool (before I was even here) they would have done something to assist people who can't get in and out.  I have asked them to put a lift chair in and they said No.  Beside most of those lift chairs I don't think would hold my weight. As for the YMCA in this area it costs too much for me to go.   I am only able to work outside of the house for about 8 - 13 hours a week. I probably should  get back into making my beaded 3-D creations but with my CTS it takes me a long time to make things and people aren't willing to wait that long.  I am hoping once I get the WLS and begin losing weight that I will be able to get myself out of the pool. 

Well, that's too bad because the water would really help you. Wish I could go back because it helped me, but the money situation is bad with me (Chap. 13 bankruptcy cuts my paycheck in half, and now with gas prices etc., I am dealing with trying to make ends meet on 2005 costs). That's crappy that your friends say it's too difficult to be your friend ... with friends like that who needs enemies! I'm sorry for your problems. Self-esteem is a real issues with us when we are obese, and swimming can help make us feel better about ourselves. I wish you were able to do that. I know all about the back problems, too ... degenerative disc disease (no herniated ones yet) and spinal arthritis, arthritic knees (one replacement now, not working real well yet, patellar tendinitis) ... even after losing the 180 pounds, I still have issues with the arthritis and fibromyalgia. Hang in there, help is coming ... hope you are able to get your surgery soon. In the meantime, you have us as friends!

Reggie, congratulations on your great weight loss. I think that it is easy for someone to say 5 pounds a week but sometimes it just doesn't happen. I know now I am almost 9 months out and the weight loss is slowing down considerably. My doctor told me that you lose the most weight between 9 and 15 months and most of the time it is 9 and not 15. I told him that I thought that I should be losing faster and he said that a lot depends on how much you need to lose since the ones who need to lose more lose faster. He very nicely siad that age has a lot to do with it too. He politely told me that the older you are the slower you lose. I felt like chuckleing at that one. I did on the inside believe me! I think that you are doing great. Keep up the great work.