AMAZING Article (reposted) = NY Times Article "Fat Trap"

Well I just read this article that was posted yesterday and I had the BIGGEST Light Bulb moment.  Let me just tell you about me.  My lowest goal weight was 192 and last year in October, around my 3 year surgiversary, I got "tired" and didn't want to "diet" anymore.  I firmly believe that this IS a lifestyle and NOT a diet, but regardless of WHAT you want to call it I didn't want to do it anymore.  I then I repeated to my doctor this year at my 4 year follow up how I just got TIRED last year and subsequently gained 20+ pounds.  I didn't want to weigh my food, measure my food, exercise every day, get on the scale etc etc. I haven't found that ENERGY to really focus to get the weight off this year either.

I've also been a FIRM believer that you can NOT (for many of us) go by those charts that tell you for the "average" person if you do this exercise you are burning THIS many calories.  Or for that matter if you weight this weight to maintain you have to eat THIS many calories.  From years of observing people and MYSELF I have seen that for MANY it's just not true.  Now I know there are quite a few VSGers and other WLS people who effortless flow through their weight loss and thrive in maintenance BUT it's just not that way for me.  Could it be my 20+ years of obesity?  Could it be my obese mother who raised me ie genetics?  I don't really know but reading this article just BROUGHT me back to the reality of what I've TRIED to remind myself of....I'm NOT normal.

Anway read the article...it was AMAZING to me...8 pages worth of good stuff.

Fat Trap

Ms Shell,

Thank you for sharing your story! We are not robots! Each person holds many variables that make else unique. There is not a one size fits all plan. I gain weight easily! I feel genetics plays a role. Each person in my family is overweight. I will have to fight hard to stay healthy. Thank you for posting this article. Keep sharing your knowledge.

Thank you for reposting this, I didn't read it the first time around. I absolutely agree that we are each individuals and can never all conform to a "one size fits all" weight chart. Our aim should be HEALTHY and HAPPY instead of a specific number on the scale. Kudos to you for keeping your aim high and getting things off track after getting tired of it all. Thanks for the inspiration!

I just came on here to post the link. Thank you for dong so. Great read.



~Lori

I know what you mean.  I'm about 6 weeks short of being 3 years out and I sort of got tired of the whole thing too.  I've eaten chocolate and/or cookies everyday this month and enjoyed every second of it.  Of course I've gained 5 pounds, but I feel like I'm at the end of that trend.  I really don't want to cut chocolate out of my life again.  I'lll have to find a way to make it work.  I'm fine without cookies, bread pudding etc, but chocolate has to stay.

I think I belong in the same group with you and we are both normal for our group.  I don't want to exercise, weigh and measure food, keep a diary etc.  I just want to live and be my kind of normal and never get obese again.

The surgery was a wonderful magic bullet.  The real work is now and I've got to figure out how to make it work for me.

I've followed your posts for over 3 years  and have always admired you and your honesty about how it is for you.  You've never shyed away from sharing your experiences, good and bad.  You are an inspiration and I love you for being you.

God bless!