Time for me to talk to you

Hi April,

Thank you so much for the warm welcome and the kind words.  You are right it is a huge step and I knew I needed to take that step to continue with my progress. 

I have been reading about your pending bundle of joy and am so happy for you.  All the changes that you have been through over the past almost 2 years and in a few short months your life is going to change again.. Never to be the same... and it is wonderful....  I have 2 children the oldest is out of college and moving into her own new apartment and my baby is a senior this year and in a couple of months I will be packing him off for his dorm room.  They are both leaving me almost at the same time and I remember bringing them home from the hospital just like it was yesterday.

April, you are doing wonderful...........

So glad you joined us ! You have done so great on your jorney and hope you deceide to share your insights and all you have learned along the way. We Welcom you and hope to hear from you more often.

Hi Juanita: Thank you for the warm welcome.  I appreciate you taking the time to respond.  You have done a fantastic job too. 

     Welcome  Welcome!!!!!!  Come aboard great bunch of girls they keep me going everyday.                                                                                                     Sue

Hi Sue,

Thank you for the warm welcome.  It is appreciated more than you will ever know. 

Congratulations!  I look forward to meeting you in December.  Lunch Bunch is a lot of fun.  Talk to you soon.

Thank you Tawnya...  I look forward to meeting you in December too....

A few things that stuck out in my mind that you said was: "...a prime example of still wanting to hide behind a veil when I set this account up over a year ago is the username I chose...  My name is not Julie... I chose the word Jaded to go along with Julie because that is exactly how I felt." I think all of us feel this way when we are obese.  Obesity stole many things from me.  I used to be a chatty girl, not afraid of anything much or anyone...  but at my highest weight, I felt withdrawn, depressed, sad, like a prisoner.  I used to pray "Dear God, set me free.  I am in shackles to myself."  I wanted to much to be that chatty happy little girl again, and had no idea what had happened to me in my life to make me so withdrawn.  I would pass by people I knew at Walmart and not speak to them... they probably thought I was stuck up...  but truth was, I was too ashamed, humiliated, embarrassed at how I looked.  Then one day, after losing about 70 or so lbs, I noticed that the old "me" was back...  I wasn't too afraid to talk to people...  After such weight loss, it was like a switch got flipped.  Something amazing happened...  Now I'm chatty Melinda again.    We won't even talk about how being a fatty stole my love life.  I had no "first love."  In many ways, I am just experiencing that...  after being out of high school for 20 years!  I've only dated 3 guys.  Two have been AFTER wls.  So you see, we all have our unique stories, but yet we are much the same.  Obesity has stolen something from each of us... and now in our weight loss journeys, we are confiscating everything back that we had once lost.  I am glad you are coming out from behind the veil.  We want to get to know you.  For in essence, we are the same.  We share the same pain, same struggles, same difficulties, and yet now... THE SAME SUCCESSES.  Hope to meet you very soon, my friend.

Hi Melinda:

Thank you for responding to my post.  You are right I got to the point when I did get out and go to the store all I could do was pray to God that I did not see anyone I knew.  If I saw a person I knew I turned the corner real quick hoping they didn't notice me, then chuckling to myself how could they miss me.  I became more and more of a recluse just so no one would see me.  It is a vicious cycle because that depressed me and the more depressed I became the more I ate and the more I ate the bigger I got and the bigger I got the more depressed I became and the more depressed I became (well you can see where I am going with this.LOL) 

 

I am so excited we are getting to chat and can't wait to meet you at the next gathering.  I am going to attend the Christmas dinner and hope to see you there.

Welcome Julie!  You have done amazing with your weight loss!  150 lbs. is nothing to sneeze at!  I am so glad you decided to come out of the shadows.  I'm sure that post was a long time coming!  But it was something that only you could do.  I agree, there are probably a lot of Jaded_Julies out there, just waiting for that time when they feel comfortable enough to open up and post!  I applaud your decision to come forward, and can't wait to meet you!  I attend the Centennial Support Group once a month and they are fantastic.  But this group gets the credit for where I am right now.  The best decision my wife (rjsmom) and I made was to be a part of the Lunch Bunch.   So, come on out and play awhile!  Can't wait to meet you at the Christmas Party!