O.K., I’ve mucked around and probably over-thought this post for long enough. If you’ve been battling your weight, struggling with weight-related health issues or are just beginning to suspect the tip of the iceberg…the first thing you must know is that you aren’t alone. The second most important thing you have to embrace is, that where you are right now…how you are…is your responsibility. Fat, thin, happy, sad; you are the one sitting in the driver’s seat. You got you there…and now…you can get yourself out…if that is inded what will make you happy.
Now, I’m going to tie up some loose ends here.
Just after I reached my goal, and had actually surpassed it, I found out that I had a whopping bad case of endometriosis and a whole team of fibroid cysts. Girly part issues…to be more delicate. Surgery was suddenly right smack in the middle of my plans, and recovery from it held eight long weeks of doing nothing. Two weeks of bed rest, and six more weeks of nothing more strenuous than making toast.
I bring this up because, life does manage to keep going on and you will encounter obstacles that will require you to work around. In this case, though I returned home from surgery bloated-up like a Kennedy after Oktoberfest. Of course this totally jacked with my hard-earned self-image. And yep…I gained a little weight back. Laying on the couch eating pudding cups and string cheese (even low-fat ones) will do that to a person. Hey…they told me protein would aid in healing. Evidently I over-indulged a bit. That, coupled with ceasing to move around for an extended amount of time gave me a great lesson in cause and effect. My records show that I gained about five pounds.
Yes…it was only a few pounds…but it freaked me right the hell out. I had worked so haaaaaard. And now mean old life was trying to sabotage me. B-o-o. H-o-o. Waaaaaaaaaa!
So yeah….I pouted and whined. But then I got over myself, went to a few WW meetings (after you hit your goal you only need to attend once a month to keep your membership active) and got myself back on track. Your head is where it’s at. The excuses AND the motivation. You just have to pick which one to listen to.
Bottom line: From start to goal reached, it took me 9 and a half months. That may sound like forever…but remember, it took YEARS for me to put on all those extra pounds. Years and years. So…nine months to do away with nine or ten years of weight? Not a bad deal, really.
I kept going to monthly meetings just to stay inspired and motivated. Plus I really liked some of the people I had met. When I decided to stop attending, due to schedule conflicts, I weighed in at 156.
I knew that, as long as I ate sensibly and continued moderate moving-around, my body would keep losing until it reached what it knew to be a healthy stopping place…and then it would maintain that weight. Through the months of recording my weight at meetings, I knew that once a month my weight would fluctuate by as much as three or four pounds…and then drop back down again. For you boys out there…it’s a girl thing. Ladies…you know what I mean.
Now some full disclosure:
When you go from this (somewhere between 145 and 150 lbs):
To this (at about 245 lbs):
And then back to this:
You might, not always the case, but you might end up with some areas that have been stretched to their limit…and don’t quite snap back. I’m guessing you are seeing what I’m referencing. For some people upper arm skin (wonderous wings) are the issue. For some…some chin-waddle or the ever popular “kangaroo pouch”. I’ve got a little wing-age. Maybe a little, tiny bit of waddle. And lord knows my ass, once quite bouncy, is now a boy-butt. Those are all things I wear with pride as my hard-won battle scars. But for me the only thing that I just couldn’t deal with was the fact that, while the containers were still there, what had been my boobs/rack/front end…were a meager shell of their original self. And a pretty shell it was not. They deflated like week-old party balloons. So…I made myself a deal. Once my weight settled in at a steady number…and I kept it that way for five years…I’d consider looking into fixing “the girls”.
Over more than five years I waffled back and forth. I was pretty much against cosmetic surgery. And after consulting with a surgeon I decided against it. He was creepy…..and the procedure he described seemed excessive. So…I thought about it for another couple of years. The turning point came when I realized that I couldn’t bend over without one or both of my ta-tas simply spilling out of bras and bathing suit tops. They had no substance…so I had resorted to under-gear with massive infrastructure to prop them up and make them look less like 1/3 filled sandbags. The longer I waited…the more I became frustrated…and really kind of pissed. I had worked so hard to get healthy…and here I was rewarded with sad, old-lady boobies that would eventually have to be tucked into the waistband of my pants.
Harsh.
So yes. I consulted with a really good surgeon…and got them refilled and put back where they used to be. No…not cheap…and no…not a very comfortable recovery. BUT…it was the last thing stopping me from feeling 100%. So consider…and understand …that with the weight loss may come some added updating and correction…depending on how your body does or doesn’t snap back. My advice? Take really good care of your skin as you lose weight. But…if you do end up where I did, needing a front-end alignment (heh)…feel free to ask and I’ll give you the straight poop on what having that done was like for me. I’m totally thrilled with the results…and I do feel like the old me once again.
Some hints and tips for you journey:
* Start with a week of writing down everything you put in your mouth.
* The next week…half each portion you eat.
* Only eat portions as big as your fist. Sounds stupid..but it’s a guide tool that you always have with you!
* Give Weight Watchers a shot. There really are some super supportive people involved there…and you won’t feel so overwhelmed and alone.
* Don’t skip meals. Simply eat smaller portions more frequently.
* One day a week…treat yourself. Something small and yummy that you love. Eat it slowly and savor it. 🙂
* Get off the couch. Even if you just walk around the block each evening or morning…that is progress! And it will help.
* Don’t let anyone tell you can’t do it. And if they try, use that as motivation to prove them wrong.
* Remember…this is your life. Only you can decide to get healthy. Nobody is going to do it for you.
* Don’t give up. Everyone trips up from time to time. Sometimes that big piece of cake is what you simply must have! So enjoy that damned cake, and then you start back over the next day and keep moving forward.
Honestly…if I left anything out here, if there is anything you want to ask me, or need to know, please feel free. You can leave a message for me here…or tag me on Facebook. I’d love to see everyone have the same success story that I’ve just presented to you.
So…without further ado.
This is me about a year ago in the very same overalls I wore to my first Weight Watchers meeting:
No more splitting seams 🙂 Go ahead…hang on to those favorite “fat pants”. When you reach your goal…taking a shot like this is fun.
And this….is me now (right around 143 lbs where I aims to stay):
And this…is proof that, with a little determination, everyone can find their happy ending..at whatever healthy size feels right to them:
I KNOW that you can totally do it too!
Coming soon:
As I was going through my whole weight loss adventure, my wonderful husband (pictured with me above) did 90% of the cooking. I had always been an unispired, and to be honest, unskilled cook. Through my quest to lose weight…and an unexpected adventure in heart attacks and open-heart surgery for him…we got schooled really hard in making the right food choices AND finding ways to make them taste really, really good. Recently I’ve started learning to love cooking. I’ve kept track of the recipes that are exceptional (as I am still a foody, after all), and I’m going to start sharing them here. So subscribe or keep checking back, and I’ll do what I can to help you find great healthy stuff to eat!
Losing It 