When is a grad a Grad?
(deactivated member)
on 8/16/05 1:34 am - Las Vegas, NV
on 8/16/05 1:34 am - Las Vegas, NV
A gradulate is well into their lifetime routine.
To expand...
I think you become a Graduate when you can reason out your WLS questions on your own.
By now, we should know...
-> What we can and can't eat;
-> what we should and shouldn't eat;
-> How much we should eat;
-> Our tolerances;
-> What rules we are breaking, and why;
-> Our routine;
-> Our weaknesses;
-> What eating wrong feels like;
This is not to say that we don't make mistakes, don't choose to eat off plan. It is also not to say that we aren't educating ourselves, learning, researching, and changing/improving different aspects of our program.
If we are going on a Cruise, we don't need to ask what food we can eat.
If we are going to DisneyWorld, we don't need to ask if we can ride the rides. Basically, if we are going into a new situation, we don't need to ask about how to deal with it any more than a Non-WLS person does.
Tek
Good Morning...
My definition of a
My being 3-1/2 years post op (still losing) a pound here and a pound there.
Eat using POUCH RULES: Protein first....ALWAYS...
Chew chew chew
Drink in excess of 100 oz of water daily NO MATTER WHAT
TAKE my Vitamins daily NO MATTER WHAT
Limit my carb intake to a minimal
Wont do sugar, fried foods or Fast Food
Pack my Lunch Daily to avoid fast food
Exercise in some form at least 30 minutes daily
NO sugary drinks or soda, etc.
I have NEVER gained a single pound since I have had this surgery. I myself. I can pretty much eat what I want if I follow the rules above and I do.
I believe if you follow your Doctor's orders and stick to it, then you have nothing to worry about. This makes you a I was given a second chance at life and I vowed to make it work...So far...IT HAS!
Christmas Baby
Good question again from our Resident Martian.
I was a "Late Bloomer."
I was a complete, no-profiled, no-post or reply
Lurker/reader for about 4 months prior to my surgery.
Then, my initial start was so rocky,
I spent all of my time
Just healing and struggling to get my Life.
I was 10 months Post-Op
Before I posted/replied to anything on the site.
It dawned on me one day while reading-
"Hey, I know something about that!"
I view that as my jump to being a "Grad."
It's that idea of "Grad," that turns in my head.
Although Others just starting out
May think of us as "Old-Azzes,"
And WE even take the term Grads.
I like to think of it in actual real time.
If you view our surgeries as "re-Births,"
Then we are a group of Toddlers at best.
Think of a gang of 2, 3 and 4 year olds
(OK Darlene, 1 -5 year old)
All exploring our world.
We're all pretty recently out of diapers here,
And many will still "Wet the Bed." (fall off the wagon)
I think I might buy into this analogy.
We're still very tempted to put things in our Mouths,
We seem to need more hugs,
But not as many as
"Those Babies in the Main-Board Room" do,
And we still openly talk about
Our pooping needs and habits.
Curious how other "Toddlers"
Might look -Under their cloths,
We're driven to explore
What new things we can do,
And have Way Too Much Energy.
Oh Yes,
We're no longer living on the formula bottle,
But, we're still getting used to these new bodies.
We've figured out or are figuring out
What things in the kitchen we can touch
Without getting burned,
But are still likely to bump heads
On the dining room table.
I look forward to the time when I'm 21 years Post-Op-
"I remember back before those AMOS people
Bought out McDonalds. Back then
They actually had to cut into people
To perform the procedures.
That was even before the Laser Forum
Came and went. Oh yeah.
The genetic injection procedure
That caused the metabolism to alter
And selectively malabsorb just the excess calories,
Hadn't even been dreamed of!
You kids today have no idea!
People actually had to get Obese
Before something was done.
You can't imagine Life before the Fat Vaccine!
We walked uphill both ways....."
I'm so immature!
But enjoying it everyday!
Best Wishes-
Dx
Its bad form to respond to ones own post, but I thought I should add my 2 cents worth.
The Grad has a sense of time and proportionality when viewing events and changes in our bodies and relationships. Look at the main board. Most of the time it is littered with posts labeled as being Urgent. While are certainly important to that person, seldom are they actually time-sensitive, the core element of urgency. Most of the time it is attention that is being requested, not actual information. A grad knows that today is important, but it also not that important. It is this gift of time and experience that allows us to glide over transient bumps in the road. It is the one thing that I think separates us from the those further behind us in the journey. No amount of telling them can substitute for actually have experienced the passing of time post-op.
Nowhere Man/PH/Jay
Knowing that I have to work at continuing to lose weight
Respond to this post instead of lurking
Realize I am only human & make mistakes
Stopped worrying that someone has lost faster than I
Know that if I eat something I shouldn't I will dump
Knowing I am going to dump before I do
Get aggrevated at the folowing type of post; I am 4 weeks out only lost 19 lbs, I guess it is over for me... Some one posted this for 3 days in a row...
I could go on & on...
MaryLyn 5/21/03 -178 if I can take off the next 12 I will be happy not devistated
Wow! What awesome replies! I can say Ditto to each reply. We really are "grads" to be able to recognize where we came from, how far we've come and how much we need to daily work on keeping what we have achieved or we can slowly lose it. I know I have slipped too much in recent months but have put the brakes on old habits that I have alowed to creep back in. I have come too far to allow myself to get caught up in the same trap that had me bound for half my lifetime. I have been given a second chance at a healthy life and I am determined to make this work. I'm not going to let myself down anymore. I know I have just because of recognizing that I am worth fighting for.
Again, I have gleaned something from your responses. This was a great topic and thank you for putting it out there Oh Man of many names/identities. (your new title from me)! LOL.....
Jeannie