Absentee gives update

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone out there,

I haven't posted in about a year. Hmmm...is it possible that I was

off my program and I wasn't participating in this group related?

Isolation is a wonderful form of denial! I am living proof that you

can do everything the wrong way, but if you keep picking yourself up

and plowing forward, progress does happen. " Progress, not

perfection " .

Anyway, I had my surgery 10/16/00 with Dr. Wetter in Burlingame, Ca.

I live in s Valley, next to Santa Cruz. I'm 44 years, two kids,

blah, blah...Mt starting weight was 370, I am now at 247, 123 pounds

down.

I lost 80 pounds in the first year and then had a " plateau " for 8

months (read plateau as I sat around at night watching TV and

snacking, drinking, and never exercised). For the past 4 months I

have been back on track and have lost another 40 pounds or so.

I achieved this my turning off the TV, going to slepp at 9 and waking

up at 5. I used to do all my butt parking and eating after the kids

went to sleep from 9-12 at night. I tried abstaining, but it was

just too hard, in fact it was nerve frying. I finally just

eliminated the conflict by going to bed. Ha! What a concept...don't

fight the problem..eliminate it!

So now I wake up at 5, which was hard for the first 3 months, but

it's getting easier. I never have the urge to watch TV and munch

Doritos at 5:30 a.m., so there's one problem solved. I also attend

an early risers 6am support group (12 step) which has a thought for

the day we all talk about while waking up with a cup of coffee. That

gets my head on straight and puts me in a good mood. I get home when

the kids are rousing. I make myself eat breakfast, which still kind

of makes me gag, but there's no denying the multiple benefits. After

I take the kids to school, it's off to the gym. By the time 9 or

9:30 rolls around, I've already had a successful day...all in about

the same amount of time I used to mistreat myself at night.

Funny how the solution for me involved changes which I wouldn't

normally associate with " dieting " . I don't do well with counting

grams, calories, any highly defined regimine. In fact, my only

exercise requirement is that I can't wash my hair anywhere but the

gym. I tell myself even if I don't feel like working out, I still

need to wash at the gym. The worst that has happened so far is that

I only did 30 min. on the bike, then flaked. And I've never missed

more than one day. Hey, it may sound silly, but it works for me!

Having learned this about myself, my goals now aren't weight or size

related, so much as they are activity related. I got SCUBA certified

at 255 pounds. Now I am just starting strength training for taking

my first ever ski lessons this winter (ugh!!!). I hope by Easter

vacation to be able to ride a horse with my kids.

I am still fighting the late in the day carb addiction and I am

trusting that I can gradually reprogram my body.

Sometimes I feel guilty when I see how much others on the board have

lost in much less time than I. But then I have to remember that the

people who post here are the winners. The flakers don't stay

involved in their program (just like I didn't) so the picture we get

on this board is only a part of the story.

Personally, I want to stick with the winners. Kudos to the lady who

came back after losing 80 pounds and then sliding. You are here. A

lot of others didn't make it. Good for you.

I look forward to getting to know you all better. You seem, as a

group, to be upbeat and real.

Vicki

[Guest guest]

Vicki,

I admire your grit and your courage and your determination. Not everybody on

this list feels like a winner. I struggle every day to " stay the course. "

Your post gives me inspiration to keep fighting the good fight.

Regards,

Carol A

[Guest guest]

Vicki,

I admire your grit and your courage and your determination. Not everybody on

this list feels like a winner. I struggle every day to " stay the course. "

Your post gives me inspiration to keep fighting the good fight.

Regards,

Carol A