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And may I say that one of the reasons this such a nice place to be IS because of JEllen.  I call her


She started as a pre-op and she's been here the whole time.  She's always a breath of fresh air and she so "gets it".  She soaks up the information and then expounds on her vision and experience.  I just want to say a special thank you to her for sticking around and holding everyone up!
hugs, Y

I'm so glad you're bringing up these things because we have 3 pre-ops having surgery right in a row on March 29-31st. Now...here's a misconception about the surgery.  Yes we will have restriction and less absorption but the surgery only does about 80% of the job.  The rest is up to us.  This is what I've experienced in the almost 9 years of my journey.  The surgery gets us back to normal and when that happens it is totally up to us to start being a thin person in all we do.  In other words you have this magic period where you will lose the weight and during that time you are in training to maintain as a normal thin person.  I also compare our surgery to "detox" for the alcoholic because surgery gets us "sober" (normal) and then we need to go to "rehab" to learn about what's going on between our ears.  We must look at why we use food to self medicate to the point where society sees our addiction that we wear on the outside.  My favorite description of addiction is "uncontrolled use despite negative cir****tances". That certainly described my obesity.  If you follow the program and  at the same time change your relationship with food you will certainly succeed.  Also succeeding to you may mean something different to you than someone else.  You may be fine with some regain but many women are not.  I am super anal about sugar because I've seen many people start a little at a time and increase over time.  Sugar is one of the most addictive substances on earth and it has no redeeming values.  There are a lot of studies about what sugar does to us chemically including depression and all kinds of things. I don't allow myself over 8 grams of sugar in things I eat.

There's a great saying and I still need to do a main blog post on my blog about this but it is so true.  100% is a breeze and 99% is a *****  (sorry-direct quote)  It means that if you decide I will not eat certain foods 100% is far easier than to decide that you will do it 99% of the time.  I gave up Coke when I had surgery and had tried to quit or switch to a diet Coke and couldn't for years.  I haven't had a Coke in almost 9 years and don't even know what the big deal is.  Another misconception is that if you have small amounts of things that you shouldn't have that you will get past a craving.  Eating things you shouldn't have will only keep the craving alive.  When you take certain things out of your diet you will not miss them after a while.  My guilty pleasure a few years ago was a quarter pounder with cheese.  When I would get below goal I would allow myself one.  It was only when I was below goal.  I went for about a month where I wasn't under goal and I realized that I was forgetting the craving for this horrible food.  Some would say "you're under goal so why not?"  Because it's awful awful food.  I realized that if I didn't eat them that I totally forget what the big deal is.  I am absolutely sure that if I get one now that I will totally awaken that craving and will want another one as soon as possible.  The momentary pleasure you get from eating totally awful food is followed by us beating ourselves up so we have to eat to self medicate the pain.  A vicious cycle we have done for years.

I look at food like fuel now.  When my car needs gas I fill up.  Also being full is relative.  When you are full you are full whether it took 1 cup or 4.  I eat boring things and I don't keep anything in my house that I shoudn't have because late at night I will eat it.  When you lose the weight you will find that you discover all kinds of wonderful things out in the world that you never saw!  I got to water ski, I learned to roller blade and you'll be getting the lead in Ruddigore!!  Can you see where I'm coming from??  My cousin said "Our whole world revolves around food and church!"  I told her that she could eat healthy and have just as much fun.  Eat slower, it's all the same.

I also compare it to when people are younger and love to party.  Yes there are things that are big fun and all that food is big fun too but it comes with a price.  Someone will say "I don't want to be deprived".  I don't either but I would rather give up eating unhealthy food and not feel deprived from the results that I get from the surgery.  That's talking deprivation!  I see sugar as poison and the substance that will surely return me to the prison of obesity.  This will mean more to you when you get that new lease on life from losing that weight. 

Oh and one more thing!  I'm a Cellist.  I play guitar and sing and play piano too.  I like to play Joni Mitchell type folk songs but I'm a classical Cellist.  Great to have that in common!  Again, so glad you're here!!  Keep your stuff comin!!
hugs, Y

Oh Theatre!!! I LOVE THAT :) I have been in lots of plays in my lifetime..how fun it would be to play the lead roll. I was never that good..but I enjoyed it alot. I was also never "skinny" enough for the lead. Who knows maybe someday I will be in another play and get the chance to play the lead. Break a leg Greg...lol. :)

Hey Greg... Glad to have you here with this awesome bunch of perennially positive people!  We all know where you are coming from-- but we also know where you are headed...


SUCCESS!!!!


Yes there will be down spots, but they pass and we get on with it!

As for your seeming slow weight loss... I lost a good deal before surgery also... and when comparing myself to others - I began to feel like a slow loser. When I just followed my plan and ignored comparisions I could see I'm doing just fine! I am now only a very short distance from my GOAL!

Take a deep breath... do it again.... keep breathing...

you will get to goal!

Keep us all informed as to how you are doing... and how we can help with answering any questions....

take care!

JEllen-- aka: Judy & JELLENATOR

There really ARE some amazing people here aren't there. I will tell you I was about leave OH when Yvonne invited me to this group. Had it not been for this group I would prolly have been long gone by now.

I wish you the best of luck as Ruddigore.  This past summer I was in a small dinner theatre at the yatch club my parents belong to.  Apparently I was good enough that people are still talking about it. (I won best actress...lol)  It was so much fun. I am thinking about getting involved with the local theatre. No singing roles for me though!!

Be Well My Friend

PS:

"and actually lying down on that gurney and kissing my honey on the way to the operating room" 

This is Too Sweet!!!