Only just the start...let's get real.

From the surgiversary girl who KNOWS!! Thanks so much!!!

Hugs,
T

uhm...is this the line for the Struggling Successes?

Is there room for one more?

YAY~! It's you!! Heck yeah-this is the line..or better yet-this is the TEAM!! LOL!

There is always room for more. And as I am learning and realizing-there will be many more right behind us!

Glad to see you!

Hugs,
T

PERFECT!  and IM a newbie!  

Hey Bethann!

Newbies and Oldbies-LOL! We all are going to walk through this. The more the better!!

Peace,
T

 BRAVO, T!!!  Things didn't come out exactly as I planned.  I didn't lose all the weight I wanted to, and I have difficulty keeping my weight down now.  I've got one of the more rare blood sugar complications and have to be really careful of what I eat.  BUT, you know what?  I was supposed to know that I would have to be careful of what I ate when I started this journey.  I'm still substantially smaller than I was when I started.  Yes, I've got the alien weird baggy skin.  If I had a bunch of money, I'd probably have a tummy tuck and breast lift, but I doubt that will ever happen.  All in all?  I AM a success . . . so much more comfortable in my own (albeit baggy) skin, and grateful for my overall good health.  Just had a bunch of bloodwork done and, although I need to get more iron in me, I'm doing great.  My cholesterol ratio is 2.5, which is just perfect!  Life is good.

PS - It's also really good to see you here.  I've missed you and think of you every so often.  So glad you popped back in to visit us with wise words!

Hey Linda!!

SO glad to hear from you! I totally understand what you are saying. Yes, there are all these issues we go through and there is NO perfection! I think "win" and "succeed" -these are just up to us and the way we are looking at things.

I know I can be so horribly harsh with myself. I forget all the amazing stuff I have come through. Same for you. Just like you said-you are STILL so far ahead. Much better than you would have been without the loss and we know that is a fact. Imagine what your blood work would have been had you have not have gone through with the surgery and changes!

That "ideal" weight thing is a tough one to get over but I think our peace of mind depends on it.

You know when it hit me? I went to this hospital to have a yearly workup here in England. I met with the nurse after they did all my labs and tests. I was so excited as I got off the scale and it read 173. I thought-DANG!! Great job. But then-the nurse said "So-what is your goal as far as weight loss?" I said .."Well-I figure between 160-165 is really the best for me"...she looked at me with a smirk and said "Oh..think again..let's see (as she looked at the BMI chart)-how about 135-140 max?! You need to lose some weight!"

I then of course tried to remind her that five years ago I weighed nearly 400 lbs!!! I tried to explain that for those of us who were super+SUPER morbidly obese (yep-i get TWO of them!) we just may never get there and it's OK!!!! Um-no. She was not having it.

I went home deflated. I know I should have just ignored her and I knew she was wrong. But it still hurt and to be very honest-it set me off on a bad couple of months of depression and feeling like a failure.

It took lots of work with my brain and making myself REALLY review what I had  accomplished to get over it. That-and I plan to write the hospital about this nurse-because she was SO out of line!!


Hey-we are doing GREAT my friend!!

Hugs,
Peace
T

I love this thread and I think I will always consider myself a struggling success~

I struggle every day to take my vitamins and supplements.

I struggle every day to log every bite I take.

I struggle every day to weigh myself.

I struggle every day to keep my blood sugar in control.

I struggle every day to see the beauty that others atribute to me.  I have a picture in my underwear drawer, cut out from Allure magazine, of a model, with a notation from my dear 78-old friend that says, "You are THIS thin."

I struggle every day to make the right food choices and to remember that too many carbs give me a belly ache and the ****s.

I struggle every day to exercise. 

I struggle every day with my decision to pass on plastics and send my children on academic excursions and college instead.

I struggle every day watching my 13 year old daughter live with obesity and wondering what lies ahead for her.

I had my RNY when I was 38.  I have, hopefully, a LONG life ahead of me to live with that.  My days are filled with things I never contemplated before that I MUST do in order to maintain my health.  Some days I resent that.  I will never be "normal" again.  I chose that, but knowing I chose it doesn't make it easier.  What helps is knowing that there is a whole community out there struggling right along with me.

Hi Healthy Nut!

Another post I honestly do love! My notebook is going to be busting out! LOL!

I have to tell you when you shared about your 78 year old (young!) friend giving you the picture with the notation-I cried! That was the most lovely thing I have heard in a long time. Only a very compassionate soul could have thought to do something so amazingly helpful!! What a great friend you have!!

Your daughter-That's a tough one. I just bet you so ache for her. What do you do? There are so many ways to go and none are promised as the right way! Certainly everyone has their 2 cents though-don't they??

I am glad your daughter will have you-and see you go through all the changes. You will be there for her when she reaches some of those big challenges-you will be there and you will be there HEALTHY! it's worth all of it.

I really can get behind everything you wrote-I totally can relate. All of it is the truth. And the best of all-we ARE here. There are a BUNCH of us on this board! LOL! It's like we have all sort of been floating around.

Eh-time to descend and join ranks. I know I SO need you all!!!

Anyway-thanks SO much for your post!

Hugs,
Peace,
T

My friend, Dee, is truly an inspiration. I lost my mother when I was five. Dee stepped in and helped in so many ways, teaching, guiding and advising. I talk to her every day and tell her almost everything. Her affirmation means a lot to me. My daughter—She is so precious and so tormented about her weight. It was easier when I was heavy too. Now I am not and she is trying deal with it. My husband and I have proceeded with great caution to avoid any tendency toward an eating disorder. She has had thorough work-ups in the medical community to eliminate any obvious metabolic issues that may be the cause. I blame myself for giving her my “fat gene". She isn’t ready to take any real action, so we just try to lead by gentle example in our food and activity choices. I know it bothers her, especially as we reach the end of the misses clothes rack in sizes. I am sad with her and empathize. I hate that her childhood is plagued by this. Thanks again for getting me thinking…Hugs and peace to you! 

JoAnne