Re: Francisco - PLEASE READ

[Guest guest]

Francisco, I'm so impressed by you and your words. I look for your posts because they are so inspiring to a newby like me who is just beginning to take this journey seriously. I heard that Oprah was looking for inspiring stories about weight loss and so I went on her website and found the following. I hope you write to her and get on the show since you are my (and many others') hero. See below. Let me know what you think? Hanging on your every word. Love, Sherri From Oprah's website at www.oprah.com on 5/6/06 Are you a WEIGHT LOSS SUCCESS story? Have you lost a significant amount

of weight and kept it off? Have you tried every diet in the book and finally discovered the key to healthy weight loss. The Oprah Show is looking for weight loss success stories. If you or someone you know has lost a life-changing amount of weight, and are willing to share your story on The Oprah Show - then we would like to hear from you! Here is what we want you to do . . . Please mail us your story and include specifics on how much weight you have lost and how you did it - also give us your height, before and after weights. Tell us some of your weight loss dreams and goals. Please also include with your letter before and after photos or color copies that you do not need returned. Be sure to include all contact information in the package to be sent to:The Oprah ShowWEIGHT LOSS / Team LE P.O. Box 909715Chicago, IL 60690Thanks and we look forward to hearing from you soon. manisodream wrote: Jenn:I think support is so important for us because we realize that there are people who understand what we're going through. Morbid obesity is a disease of isolation. We need to know that we are not alone in our pain.Who really could understand the fear of breaking a chair? Or the joy of finally being only overweight?The amazing and powerful connection we all have here is very special. and I, for example, are practically WLS twins. We had our surgeries about a month apart. We met here in this group, and we are amazed (still to this day!) that our journies have been so parallel, with developments and stages that are so similar it's

scary!I'll private email her or she will email me, and we are just amazed that our hearts and spirits are in the same place. Our lives are very different--I'm a gay man, she's a married woman with five children--but there is this amazing similarity that joins us. And I find great comfort in her wisdom and her tenacity and her courage.She inspires me because I see where she's come from and how she's been such a success (although sometimes she needs to be reminded of that). I really couldn't have lost 153 lbs without this group and other support.We share a common language here that, despite our differences, sets us apart so that we understand each other's joy and struggles like no one else.We so lucky to have this space. To me, it is sacred. And I'm glad you're a part of it too.Francisco> >> > I am trying to find the

long message I wrote, mostly to Francisco. > I > > will try to find it and send it. Sometimes my messages get lost > here > > but this time I made a copy. Nope. It is lost. Too bad. It was > deep. > > O well. > > I will try to recreate it. I liked that list you made, Francisco of > > all the wonderful things that you have found since you had the > > surgery. I was thinking about my own list but the most important > > thing on my list, of course, besides the no more pills is that my > > hip stopped hurting and I can walk again. Yesterday, I told my step > > mother that I was 10 years younger now. How much better is that? I > > expect to take off another five years as the months go by. This is > > just miraculous. > > I also mentioned something about my process here. I find that

> I > > want to nibble at certain times. I especially want to nibble when I > > come in from outside. I want a cherry tomato, a thin slice of > > cheese, a cracker. It is not a lot right now but my doctor told me > > that eating in between meals is absolutely not OK because that is > > how people gain weight. I tried to do it with discipline and it > > works to some degree but then Gity told me to see this nibbling as > a > > part of me that needs to be recognized and understood if I am to > > eliminate it for good. I have gained a great incite into it as I > > used to come home from school at 13 and buy candy and popcorn and > > eat it in my room by myself. I was so miserable that year. That is > > when when I began to comfort myself with food. I want to nibble > late > > at night, too. Lonliness? There seems to be a

part of me that wants > > to feel bad about myself. These behaviors make me feel guilty and > > shameful. Then I need to hide. That leads to worse behaviors. In > any > > case, there are other > > things I can do when I come into the house, like thumb through the > > mail or catalogs or mags. But at night, I have to order myself out > > of the room and I have not found a substitute for my needs yet. > > I love to dance too. I used to square dance but I love all kinds > > of dancing. I have joined Curves to strengthen myself first. Then I > > will dance again. That will be a milestone in my life, when I can > > dance again. Love to you and to all the wonderful people on this > > board. Lilka> >> > > > > > > >