I just got a comment about not updating this in a long while. Originally I had hoped it to be monthly, but I have fallen down as you can see.
Reality of the gastric bypass surgery that your surgeon warns you about has hit me. I haven't lost any weight in over a month. I've plateaued at about 83 lbs. My stomach now holds about 1 cup of food, and due to the fact that I haven't worked the program as well as I could, I've slowed down in my weight loss.
In an effort to improve my food choices and add more accountability, I've joined weight watchers at work. However, I'll warn anyone doing this with gastric bypass it's depressing the first few weeks. It's depressing because everyone else experiences a major change/cut back in their food, but you're basically given the amount of food you're used to eating...so it is harder. I'm not sure the point system works so well with post gastric bypass folks, and unfortunately my leader has no experience.
My biggest struggle is sugar. I'm not affected negatively in the least by it...so unfortunately these holidays have been hard. I'm also a sugar addict of sorts because I use it to feel better. These are changes that I have to make on my own...no surgery will ever help me. I also know that I'm drawn to sugar for physical reasons because I have problems with seratonin in my brain. I've been reading a lot about the effect of stress on cortisol levels, and how they increase insulin in the blood stream, and thus makes the consumption of more and more carbs necessary to feel any impact on energy levels.
This has been the most stressful year of my life. When I went to decide on having the surgery, my therapist of three years said I should probably choose between my separation/divorce and the surgery and not do both. I felt like I'd gone to far in the process and needed to finish the surgery and try to improve my health. However, going through a separation, divorce, moving to a new city, changing jobs to one of the hardest jobs of my life, and finding a new love have made for some amazingly wild times. I've been guilty of mindless, careless eating. The sole benefit of the surgery for me at this point is that it limits how much I can eat.
Now I must make the changes in my life to lower my stress, decrease my sugar consumption, carb consumption, and hopefully continue my weight loss. I'm a little more than halfway to my goal. I know the next 60 lbs are going to be a fight...and it might take me a couple years to get there, but life happens, and we have to be ready to forgive ourselves for our imperfect coping mechanisms. Hopefully with awareness, more accountability, and the support of loving friends and family, I'll get there.
Reality of the gastric bypass surgery that your surgeon warns you about has hit me. I haven't lost any weight in over a month. I've plateaued at about 83 lbs. My stomach now holds about 1 cup of food, and due to the fact that I haven't worked the program as well as I could, I've slowed down in my weight loss.
In an effort to improve my food choices and add more accountability, I've joined weight watchers at work. However, I'll warn anyone doing this with gastric bypass it's depressing the first few weeks. It's depressing because everyone else experiences a major change/cut back in their food, but you're basically given the amount of food you're used to eating...so it is harder. I'm not sure the point system works so well with post gastric bypass folks, and unfortunately my leader has no experience.
My biggest struggle is sugar. I'm not affected negatively in the least by it...so unfortunately these holidays have been hard. I'm also a sugar addict of sorts because I use it to feel better. These are changes that I have to make on my own...no surgery will ever help me. I also know that I'm drawn to sugar for physical reasons because I have problems with seratonin in my brain. I've been reading a lot about the effect of stress on cortisol levels, and how they increase insulin in the blood stream, and thus makes the consumption of more and more carbs necessary to feel any impact on energy levels.
This has been the most stressful year of my life. When I went to decide on having the surgery, my therapist of three years said I should probably choose between my separation/divorce and the surgery and not do both. I felt like I'd gone to far in the process and needed to finish the surgery and try to improve my health. However, going through a separation, divorce, moving to a new city, changing jobs to one of the hardest jobs of my life, and finding a new love have made for some amazingly wild times. I've been guilty of mindless, careless eating. The sole benefit of the surgery for me at this point is that it limits how much I can eat.
Now I must make the changes in my life to lower my stress, decrease my sugar consumption, carb consumption, and hopefully continue my weight loss. I'm a little more than halfway to my goal. I know the next 60 lbs are going to be a fight...and it might take me a couple years to get there, but life happens, and we have to be ready to forgive ourselves for our imperfect coping mechanisms. Hopefully with awareness, more accountability, and the support of loving friends and family, I'll get there.
Thanksgiving was a miracle. First time I ever couldn't finish one plate of food on this holiday!
