LifeStarts WLS
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So I am having my surgery on March 15th-6 wonderful days from now! I am excited and not the least bit scared (I have had 4 other surgeries, so not a big deal) The thoughts running through my head now is wondering what I will look like. I have been obese all my life even as a child so I really dont know what it feels like to be thin or even what my face will look like. I feel like Im going to look like a whole different person. My life is about to change drastically and I am trying to process what it will look like after surgery.
How to process? That is the question
Daily Inspiration for March 4, 2011
See yourself in a positive light.
Shar-pei dogs have luxurious folds of soft skin. They're really cute. After WLS, people develop folds of skin as they lose weight, but most don't find those folds cute. To tolerate the folds from an emotional standpoint, it's important to look at things from a kinder perspective.
Use positive affirmations and self talk to help you accept (and even admire) your new appearance. After all, you're not morbidly obese anymore. Your health is improved. And you have energy and abilities that used to be out of reach. The positive benefits beat the negatives by far--if you look at your situation with nonjudgmental eyes.
Action for the day: When you look in the mirror today, smile and pick out something you like about the way you look. Don't leave the mirror until you think and feel something positive.
© 2007, National Association for Weight Loss Surgery. All rights reserved. Daily Inspirations are provided by the National Association for Weight Loss Surgery. Get our free report, The 10 Most Common Mistakes Weight Loss Surgery Patients Make at .
www.nawls.com
HW 611 Pre-opW 580 LW 302 GW 238
This is all still so new to me, but wanted to introduce myself to the group. My name is Kim and I had lap band surgery one week ago today. Still getting used to it, and still a little anxious about the whole journey but that's why I joined this group. I can start eating soft foods today and I have to say, I have never been so hungry in my life!! I live in Arkansas and had my surgery done in Tijuana, Mexico. Everything went well and was pleased with the whole procedure. I am very nervous about getting my first fill but am also so ready to start loosing some weight. I am noticing that I still have my appetitie like I did before the procedure but I read that that is common too. Has anyone else experienced this as well before thefir first fill??
Glad to be a part of the group and look forward to this journey!!
Kim
My question to myself is why they didn't say I look so much better... lol Oh Well, there's only so much to work with...
So my plan is, as a beginner, keep it simple. On program, walking, back to working out and hopefully getting to at least a moderate level by the end of the month.
I will have to say goodbye to some old friends on my journey this month. The Irish treats on St. Patty's Day. No Paczki's or my tastes for cajun extravagances on Fat Tuesday, No chips and buffalo wings during the NCAA tournaments. No getting into Hot Dog and Beer shape for baseball. A Lenten promise will be to love myself and be healthy.
Take care and stay strong on your journey...
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I am so ready today. Spring is in the air. Can you feel it? 
"It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!" ~Mark Twain
I love seeing signs of spring on the way. New beginnings and time to get ride of those coats so it is time to step it up for me. I need to get some more weight off so I can wear summer clothes hanging in my closet for 2 years now. 
Yes I am losing weight to get healthy but I am also losing weight to feel good about myself and to LOOK 
better also. And I will do it, one day at a time.
My March plan is: To focus on eating healthy and under my calories most days of the month. I am taking a page from WW with their bonus points system. On weekends I will give myself an extra 1000 starting Saturday to be divided however I want to eat them between Sat and Sun.
This will not include exercise either. If I exercise this is additional food I can eat and probably will. This should work well. This will give me wiggle room without going overboard and not feeling deprived for special occasions or events over the weekend. My goal on weekends is to maintain. Eating 500 to 1000 extra calories over the weekend for me will not be a gain with or without exercise.
I will lose more than one pound in March. I am glad I did not go up in February for sure but I want and need more. 
Thanks again for your support! 
It means more than words can say and is so helpful to my journey. You rock! Have a good week everyone and let's do our best to stick to our plans and goals whatever they may be! 
We can do this!! 
Consistency not perfection.
HW 611 Pre-opW 580 LW 302 GW 238
The Weekly Newsletter from:
National Association for Weight Loss Surgery
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You Don't Have to Be Perfect to Lose Weight
By Katie Jay, MSW, Certified Life Coach
Director, National Association for Weight Loss Surgery
www.nawls.com
Have you tried the Seafood Diet? Actua lly, it's spelled "See-Food." So many of us have tried it. You know the one. You "see food," and you eat it. One of my coaching clients, JoAnn, went on that diet last weekend. She ate anything she saw that looked good to her -- at home (white toast with butter, a handful of chocolate chips, crackers), at a gas station (trail mix), and at a friend's house (chips and dip, corn bread) -- and she was heartbroken about it. Why Did She Do It? Said JoAnn, "I'd like to blame it on my hormones, or on the fact that my life is stressful. I could blame it on my frustrating food addiction, or maybe even on depression. But, honestly, I don't know what made me do it.
And if I don't know the cause, I can't fix the problem." Her unspoken message to herself was: "I will keep making poor food choices until I find out why I do this to myself." It almost sounded like JoAnn had made a decision to stay on the "See-Food Diet" indefinitely.
But "Why" Only Matters if You're Perfect In a perfect world, knowing the root cause of her grazing would be helpful, but today JoAnn doesn't know the root cause. So, that's not information that will get JoAnn back on track right now -- and now is her moment. It's all she's got.
JoAnn's Perfectionism Is in her Way When you go on the "See-Food Diet" it's easy to tell yourself, "Now that I've blown it, I might as well keep eating." JoAnn basically decided if she wasn't going to follow her plan exactly, she was a failure -- and she planned to act accordingly. JoAnn was being so unreasonable in her expectations of herself it's no wonder she felt doomed.
Imperfection Happens I'm sure many WLS patients go on the "See-Food Diet" from time to time. Life happens. But, you can't stay on that diet. And the longer you put off getting back on track, the more damage you will do to your body, mind, and spirit.
To banish your perfectionism, and the all-or-nothing attitude it burdens you with, try these three tips:
1) Allow yourself to make mistakes so you can learn. When you feel anxious or sad for having done something imperfect, switch from the self-critical "giving-up mode" to "learning mode." Instead of berating yourself the way JoAnn did, ask yourself: "What can I learn from this mistake and what can I do differently right now?"
2) Be realistic. Making one mistake does not mean you are *always* making mistakes. When you start to feel like you're a hopeless case, ask yourself: "Is that really true? Realistically, what else can I do?"
3) Lower your standards. Practice making a few mistakes on purpose. Then, practice doing a few tasks less thoroughly than you would have in the past. As you practice you will develop a tolerance for imperfection. And remember, practice makes ... well, maybe not.
You Don't Have to Be Perfect to Lose Weight Let's say you do what you need to do to lose weight and keep it off 90 percent of the time. You'll probably do pretty well. Why don't you give it a try and find out. It sure beats ZERO percent of the time, doesn't it?
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HW 611 Pre-opW 580 LW 302 GW 238
