REUNION THREAD

At one time I regained close to 35 lbs. 10 was intentional, the rest - just tagged along. When I got really determined to lose the regain - I started working on it.  First 10 lbs was easy... The rest - 15 lbs... Came off soooooo slow.... I am still working on the last 2-3 lbs.  And I realized that to lose and be able to maintain it effectively - may take me another 6 months ....I can lose the weight if I get very strict with my diet - but it comes back the moment I relax for a day or 2.  It is so frustrating.. .  my body resist losing fat.. 

Good luck. It can be done - but as you already know it - it will take a hard work and time to get where you want to be. 

Hi Laurel,

Im so glad that your job is so wonderful! Having people that appreciate you makes all the difference!

Laureen! That was a typo!

Laureen

I so understand your emotional eating.  I know I am not an addict.  I attended a group for food addicts and I really did not belong.  As they shared stories of their childhoods and some really horrible experiences I could empathize but I could not relate.  I asked the phycologist if abuse, neglect, and or abandonment was a symptom and was told that most food addicts has this in their backgrounds.  I do not and I am thankful that I had a "normal" childhood whatever that means.  My parents like all including myself were not perfect but I knew I was wanted and I was treated well.  I use food to soothe.  If I am sad, moody, or even happy (gotta celebrate ya know) I eat.  I also eat out of boredom.  So like you I am fighting regain.  I am doing better and I would like to think it is because I am beating the demon but my life is going rather smoothly at the moment and that is probably a huge factor.  I have worked hard to keep the stress out of my life.  The only stress I can control is the stress caused by toxic people.  I no longer deal with such individuals.  Since I am retired I have more leeway than some.  If the toxic people in one's life is co-workers that's tough.

I also agree that the accountability factor on this board and wherever else we find it is a huge factor in keeping us on tract.

Glad everything is going well with you and who knows maybe a get together could be in our futures.  

Julia,

I have left the board and then came back to lurk and have rejoined and been misplaced but this last time, I swore to myself that I would not leave; I would do everything in my power to help turn the board around and thanks to you and a few others, it's getting there. 

Everyone knows my story. I won't dwell on it but I am working to get 15 pounds off that I regained. I am walking some but my damn knee just makes it almost impossible so the knee replacement is fast approaching. I am really into yoga and meditation because I can do yoga in my office and we have a group of us from work who meet and spend 30 minutes a day doing yoga...I am not advanced by any means but I am very good at the few moves that I do...mostly I do the standing up stretches and holds and those in a chair but I do get in the floor some too.  Meditation has saved my life and kept me from going off the deep end in both what I eat and what I say....

The greatest thing about having WLS is the tool still works...and if I eat for living instead of living to eat, I do great.  

I guess my biggest change by far has been the giving up meat...I started eating vegetarian in October last year and have not regretted it one bit. This year, we are moving all the way to vegan...it's just so much easier for me to lose weight if I get my protein from plants....but that's me.  

So, ladies, I cannot wait to read what you gals have been up to and I hope you keep coming back and help us get healthy and help us help the newbies who are just having the surgery...remember those days of hanging on to the words of those folks' who had been there and done that...they pulled my butt through so much and taught me so much....Karen C. and Jan from MO were my WLS dictionary. I probably would have never made it had it not been for those two ladies. Before I had WLS and was as big as a house, they met me, my DH, and my grandson in AR for some food and inspiration and then we went to Karen's hotel room and she gave me the traveling bathing suit that had covered countless super obese ladies and it finally made it to me and for the first time in years, I put a bathing suit on and it was so much easier getting into and out of the pool with a suit than the long shirts and shorts that weighed me down...plus they gave me the courage to get out in public in a suit....they sure did...and thanks to those two, I continued struggling to get my red blood cells up so I could have the surgery....and it happened and they answered questions and said, girl, totally you can drink a coffee or you can do this or that....they were my guides.  I hope so much to see all of the oldies....every single one offered me something on this journey.   

I'll be checking to see who comes out of the wood work.....

Jeannie, you are the lifeblood to this board. It's so good to have you here!

Julia,

Thanks but I think that when we think of the life blood it's all the old-timers and I don't mean age in years from birth but age in years from surgery. I know I have always had your support, and Carla's, Eileen's, and Linda, and so many of the others who have kept me on tasks when we want to keep things focused. Without you guys' support, well, I would be lurking big time.  You are the hero in my book...Yeah Julia for getting this post up and running and bringing so many of our ladies home.  We sure do love that about you...and your plan worked. 

Thanks Jeannie! It did work to a degree...this is fun!

Jeannie

I take my first yoga class on Friday.  I also found a meditation class that I might try.  It is one evening a week. 

I remember the traveling clothes.  I had forgotten.  I remember buying at thrift stores and if I wanted something new, it came from Wal-mart.  As newbies we dropped sizes so quickly that it was a waste to buy anything that cost much.  I have given away so many clothes.  Even though I have regained some I still have 2 or 3 suites I bought when I was at my lowest.  They were expensive suits that I got on sale and I will get back into them. 

I also credit this forum with keeping me sane.  I did not know how important vitamin B-12 was and that low levels could cause irreversible cognitive issues.  I learned that here.  I had never heard of ferritin and had never gotten it checked until I learn that here.  When I checked it I was dangerously low even though my red blood cell count was normal.  That was followed by 3 X a week iron infusions for 3 weeks to get me back to normal.  I am grateful to all who were oldies when I was a newbie and helped to keep me safe and healthy.

Linda,

I am so excited about the yoga class. I swear it has changed my life. And the meditation keeps me from poking people in the eyes with sharp on fire sticks.  

I am like you with the forum keeping me sane...I remember so many times having issues and having people tell me to either go to the doctor or no, it's the healing process....plus, you know there are so many of us who have some of the same issues.When I first came on OH and this woman kept talking about how we all regain and all get fat again...and then some of the other ladies messaged me and said, don't listen to her....some of us regain a little but we get it under control and sure enough, I did gain a little but it's under control....We are good, aren't we?