Question:
Just passed two year mark- NEED HELP!!!! Having diet/exercise/gain issues...

   — HeidiMc (posted on May 2, 2007)

May 2, 2007
I really think you know all the answers. What you need is a buddy. Find someone to do all the walking with. This Q and A might even be the place to find that person. I have seen others ask for a buddy in certain geographic areas so they do not have to do it alone. You just need someone to voice with once in a while so you can keep on track. Somene who knows the name of the game as well as you do. Good Luck and God Bless. Norma
   — njkbutton

May 2, 2007
Heidi, You are consuming way to many carbs and sodium and with no exercise it is not helping you in weight loss. You can still lose weight without the exercise, just make a few changes in your diet. Cut out the diet soda, incorporate a savory protein drink 2x day and at work, eat the toppings, not the bread. I hope this helps, and good luck on your journey.
   — R. biles

May 3, 2007
Hi Heidi, boy do you have a full plate! I'm not talking about food either. While I truly simpathize with your plight, you have to make choices. Let me start with the most important one, your health. Please NEVER forget your vitamins and calcium. I drink milk too, but you need both, and the pain you are in could absolutely be from ignoring your vitamin regiment. Don't every forget them please. Start with that. Then take another step. You don't have to live on all processed food. It is a trap. Buy the bag salads and make a salad for work. Pizza is not the enemy, I eat pizza, but just one slice. That is all. Also, take your time eating, drink warm tea to sooth your pouch. If I am not mistaken, and I may be, but I would be willing to bet that you are shoving food down your throat, and running from thing to thing. Girl, you have to make some choices here. Pick the bills that are biggest and pay them off. Your house, your wls, get them paid off, then do your credit cards (although keep them up if you can, but pick one big item at a time and pay it off). Don't put yourself on a financial timetable, it will set you up for failure and depression. Take small goals and reach them. Be sure when you shop to park as far back as you can and walk to the store, walk all around the store, to the left and get one item, then all the way to the right and get another item, etc. It increases your walking. Heidi, obesity is a head issue with a body consequence. You have to deal with these head issues, and yet you really have no time to. I simpathize, but encourage you to make your health a priority, even if it means waiting another year for skin surgery. What is the use of better boobs and a flat stomach when you are in pain all the time and an emotional wreck? It won't help you in the end. Goals are good, but make them resonable. You are not being reasonible with yourself. I like what another person said that you need a buddy, I think that might help you if you had a friend you can call, write or talk to. If you would like to write me, feel free, and I will be glad to listen, but I will be honest with you, even if it hurts. Your health is more important to me that your boobs and stomach. Your sanity is more important than any personal possessions you may have. Do you have children and family? Where do they fit in this big scheme of self destruction by working to death? Please, take a big breath, a hot bath and give some of this some thought. You are a grown woman and can make great decisions for you. We paint ourselves into corners sometimes, but you can paint yourself out, it just will take a little time, more than you think, but it will be better in the end. Breath, water, protein and exercise, anyway you can get it. The choice is yours, and so is the consequence. Take care, and I really do wish you well. Patricia P.
   — Patricia P

May 3, 2007
OK, you asked because you want a variety of opinons. I know I'm always off on another from many answers, but I'll just toss my strengeness out there for you to consider/roll your eyes, whatever. OK, so at 2 yrs, many start to go back to old ways. The myth that bad habits can change into good in 3 weeks is, well, a myth. Most of us go back to the way we did things, even if it's just the best of the not so great. That said, you can always go here http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Graduate-OSSG to be with others who are where you are. But MY opinion on what you are doing/not doing is that you're getting way too much sugar and not enough FOOD, as in food. Milk is sugar, Slim Fast i sugar, so I'm not seeing any actual protein here. You're scared of pizza, but 2 glasses of milk gives you a Snickers bar worth of sugar. Eat the thin crust pizza if it'll scratch your itch, just ditch the moo & slim fast. Milk doesn't help us with calcium, since it doesn't go into the stomach past the duodenum AND it is not the best source of calcium, anyway. We need over 2000mg of calcium in citrate, andn now vit D needs to be in the thousands of units vs hundreds, also. You didn't say how much iron, B12 and such you are taking or when you last had a full (11-12 tubes) set of labs done. If you did, did you keep copies? Part of what makes us eat out of control are low nutrition levels that are not yet making us sick. Once you crave EVERYTHING, it's a good sign that many things are out of whack. Many docs don't test for "everything" we need, so you may not know. I'm also on the go a lot, but I do 180g in protein supps, iron, calcium, D and so on, and get labs often so I can keep optimal levels. I can't afford to have low levels! I WILL EAT if something sags. I do fine with 4 small meals per day, but I'm also happy with salads and protein bars, even tho I recommend meat and cheese. I just never did like meat or fish much, still don't and for some reason, since surgery, most cheese tastes like mold to me. Go figure. Usta love it. Part of your problem may be that you have holes in your nutriton, which is making you tired, giving you low serotonin so then you're' grumpy and eat to keep the serotinin up, but you're too tired to exercise. That's all very real, not you losing your mind. You didn't say if you got your water in. Even now, after all these years sticking close to goal, IF I get too involved with sugar, I gain. Period. Doesn't matter if I get all my protein, vites, water or still stick to volume control, only 4 meals. I can gain with sugar.
   — vitalady

May 3, 2007
1) Get some support. A friend in the same situation, a support group, a therapist, whatever you can find. 2) Go see your surgeon or PCP for labs and also for some guidelines on what you should be eating at this point. 3) Increase your exercise--there are videos for seated aerobics--mostly geared towards those in a wheelchair, but exercise is excercise. Consider a bike or swimming as both put less pressure on your knees. 4) Take a healthy cooking class--perhaps something geared towards those with diabetes, ask your doc, call local nutritionist, your local hospital, etc. might be able to help you find something. 5) Get your priorities straight--if you cannot keep yourself from eating pizza and/or junk food, then you need to find a new job, avoid, whatever so that the temptation isn't there. It's hard to get everything done, especially when working as much as you are. My suggestion would be to make yourself up a chart.... set it up for a month, each day has a list of tasks, take calcium pill, exercise 30 minutes, drink enough water, take supplements, you can put anything on there that you struggle with or forget...... each day you check everyhing off. When you are done with a month or week and you've acomplished all the tasks on the chart, reward yourself with something (other than food)! I know that it sounds simple and maybe a bit silly but it really does help. Take care.
   — mrsidknee