Re: Happy Anniversary to me!

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 3/23/01 12:19:16 AM Eastern Standard Time,

farley@... writes:

> Happy Anniversary to me! I'm out!

>

> Here's my stats

> starting: BMI 42, 5'6 " , 265 all time high 275, size 24

> current: BMI 30, 5'6 " , 180, size 14/16

> surgeon: Dr. Barry L Fisher, UMC Hospital in Las Vegas, NV

> procedure: Lap RNY

>

> I'm not the poster child for WLS, but I'm a hell of a lot better than

> I was. Until this week, I felt that I ate reasonably, getting 2-3

> meals out of what the smaller people around me called one meal. This

> week, I've eaten every poor choice in sight. I've got some stressful

> things going, Mom's cancer is back and I'm trying to date again.

> I've gone through periods of wonderful exercise and no exercise. I'm

> sporadic at the moment. The surgeon doesn't think I try hard enough.

>

> I'm taking my multiple vitamin, biotin, inferex (extra iron). My 12

> month appt. isn't until 4/5, so I don't know if the extra iron has

> made any difference. I don't feel any different - always tired. I

> never experience an abundance of energy the way so many people did.

> I do have chronic sinus infections that I think have an impact. I've

> been on Augmentin for a month this time. I think that they want to

> fix a deviated septum to help with drainage. I guess that is the

> next surgery.

>

> I'm beginning to wonder if the fact that there is a surgery at the

> end of weight loss is affecting my eating. I've been stalled in the

> 180s all year. Occasionally I'll dip down to 178, but it comes

> back. I can't say that I'm looking forward to reconstruction,

> particularly after I saw Pat's Panniculectomy site. Whoa! That's

> graphic. Felicia's Mexican experience sounded much more pleasant,

> but I bet there isn't any chance for insurance benefits if you go out

> of country. It's a trade off and one I probably wouldn't consider

> being single and only English speaking. It's hard enough to get

> friends to drive you to and from the hospital when it's across town.

>

> Dea Ann

>

>

>

>

Hello Dea Ann!

Congratulations on your great success! I know that folks like to focus on

the people that started out MO and are now tiny (4/6/8) -- and sure that is

awesome but to get there, all of them had to be where you are are now -- AND

where I am now.

By my best guess I am 57 pounds overweight now. You sound like you are a bit

less; but no matter -- it's a chunk of weight that has to go before you get

" poster child " status.

There's no doubt in my mind, that what you said has some truth in it for me.

I am a bit scared of reaching 145 (my goal; I am 5'7 " ) only to discover I

need some major surgery to look the way I hoped to look. It is a very

frightening idea to me to have another surgery or more likely, several

surgeries-- and then I gotta wonder about my sanity a bit; you know, the

whole " maybe NAFTA is right " and we are " obsessed " with stereotypes of

" beauty " and trying to achieve some sort of perfection... ....

For me, it helped just concentrating on the fact that I definitely want to

stay here and not return to MO status. Sorta forgetting about where I am

going and concentrating on avoiding where I have been. I started really

thinking long and hard on how to avoid MO. I made a list: be physically

active 1 hour a day 5-6 days a week, drink 64 ounces of water, solve problems

rather than eat over them, eat healthfully at every meal, eat protein first,

take vitamins, no snacking.

And then I started just focusing on that.

Interestingly, the weight just started coming off, and my head just was in

the right place -- moving toward improving very specific areas of life;

rather than thinking about what 145 might be or might not be like. And I

feel much more empowered, since I feel as though I have a set of tools in my

hands to keep myself away from MO.

I hope this is of value to you... again congratualtions!

se

Open RNY 11/22/99

Dr. Sweet

Reading, PA

Now living in Baltimore, land

11/22/99 324, BMI 51

12/6/99 301, BMI 47

1/27/00 280, BMI 44

2/22/00 270, BMI 42

3/16/00 262, BMI 41

5/31/00 244, BMI 38 (no longer extremely obese... just plain obese)

7/22/00 224, BMI 35

9/23/00 220, BMI 34 (and still obese)

10/16/00 216, BMI 34

11/7/00 210, BMI 33 (65 pounds from goal!!!)

11/11/00 Started weight training so I won't be weighing in again till

May 2001

2/24/01 202, BMI 32 (57 pounds to go)