Question:
Does anybody else ever feel.......
like they are never going to loose all their weight?? I just cannot picture myself thin, or even think it possible to be that way...Maybe it's because of too many failed attempts already...Anybody else ever feel like that?? How did you get over it?? — Tammy K. (posted on October 4, 2000)
October 4, 2000
Boy can I relate to that!!! Part of my surgeon's protocol is to meet
regularly with a phsychologist before surgery and following it for a
while...I had an appointment with him yesterday and I told him I was
feeling as if I could be the one it won't work for. He told me this was
very normal and also somewhat of a defense mechanism. I am with you, I
just can't picture myself smaller or healthier...We really need to get over
this self destructive attitude of ours...Good Luck!!
— Meryl F.
October 4, 2000
Tammy, My surgery is scheduled for 11/7 and like you I can't believe that
this is really going to work for me. I can visualize myself following the
diet and healing and being active but I can't see myself smaller. I think
part of this
is that I see myself in my mind as being about thirty pounds lighter than i
am when I look in the mirror. I gained the last 30 pounds very quickly in
response to prednisone. I also saw myself as heavier than I was when i
weighed 150 lbs less than I do now. I think it is helpful for me to look at
the before and after photos of others who have had the surgery especially
women who started out at my weight. I also work to visualize myself at a
healthy weight doing an activity i will enjoy. For me that is playing tag
in the front yard with my 6 year old grandaughter. I think like you I have
failed on so many diets for so many years that it has become my expected
outcome. I think the prep work going into the surgery and the pain involved
with recovery can be utilized to transform this self defeating mindset.I
think of the surgery as turning my body into a biofeedback machine and
empowering it to work for itself in maintaining a healthy body weight. I
also think that for me the pain involved will help me to be determined to
work with the plan.I also think that if I trust this surgery and the
surgeon enough to risk my life than I need to trust it enough to help me
loose weight. I'll tell you a year from now if it works. I hope this
helps. Let me know if you have found some of the answer for yourself.
Good luck, Kathy
— kathleen S.
October 4, 2000
I felt that way!!! I had surgery on April 12 of this year and felt like I
wasn't going to lose the weight even after I had surgery. I so far have
lost about 95lbs. Still hope I will continue to lose. I need to lose
another 50lb to reach my goal weight of 160lbs. All I can do is take it
oneday at a time and watch what I eat. I don't lose weight every week or
even every two weeks but when I do lose I lose about 10lbs at once. I know
that it sounds weird.
— Sharon T.
October 4, 2000
Yes, it's normal to feel that way. We are used to seeing ourselves as just
large people, and it's hard to imagine anything else. That's the blessing
of this surgery though. It DOES happen! I am 5 months post op and down 80
pounds - 1/2 of my goal. It's pretty amazing to me to even say that I have
reached halfway in such a short period of time. And the compliments I am
getting - WOW!!! I feel and look wonderful! Just enjoy a healthy fantasy
life for now. It's about to become reality soon! :)
— Paula G.
October 4, 2000
I had my proximal Lap RNY on 10/25/99 and have reached my goal (started at
235lbs and now 128-131lbs). I have never been this size before in my life.
Right after surgery I was walking with my father and he pointed to a
clothing store and said a year from now you will be able to shop there. I
told him I didn't think so. Well guess what, now I can. I still find it
hard to believe and think it might all come to an end. It may be you have
to live in that skinny body for a while before it really sinks in.
— Jilda H.
October 4, 2000
yes I too felt like that. but about 2 weeks before surgery I realized that
when I was pregnant I couldn't actually picture myself being a mother
either. At the end of the pregnancy I was a Mom and now I can't picture
myself not being a Mom. I had surgery on 8-18 and have lost about 65
pounds. So obviously it doesn't matter if you can picture yourself being a
certain way or not your picture of yourself changes as things change for
you
— Jeannette S.
October 5, 2000
Yes! Yes! Yes! Pick me! Pick me! I can absolutely relate to this. I
was convinced that I would be the one out of a gazillion (or whatever the
number was my surgeon quoted) that would have this surgery and not lose an
ounce, but I also knew I was going to give it my absolute best shot. So
here I am, five and a half months later and 100 pounds gone forever ... and
I still don't get it. I pull 5X clothes off the rack and wonder why I look
like I've melted inside them. I'm convinced every time I go to put on the
new "skinnier" clothes I've bought (because I'm swimming in
everything else) they won't fit, because that's been my experience the last
few years. It takes a while, but I'm getting a little better. I surprise
myself from time to time playing my "fat" tapes: last night, I
went to my first Aquafit class with my mother. Had on my bathing suit
(thank you God for lycra tummy tamers -- all that loose skin around my
middle is a deadly weapon when I start all that jumping around!) and was
waiting on the pool deck for the class to begin. Without thinking about
it, I had my towel wrapped around my middle to hide myself. My mother
leaned over, took the towel from around me, smiled, and said, "You
don't need to do that any more, dear." Thanks, Mom! It will get
better, Tammy ... and my wish for you is that you sit back and enjoy the
ride! Warm wishes and skinny thoughts,
— Cheryl Denomy
October 5, 2000
Tammy, I know how you feel! Even as I lose weight (down 100 lbs)
and my clothes size changes, I STILL think in terms of large.
I was just at Kohl's and automatically reached for the largest
sizes. Boy, was I surprised when a medium fit! Now, there
are some things that are large or XL, but they are in the NORMAL
ladies sizes- not the plus sizes. Our self concepts need to
change as we lose weight, but I think they don't change as
quickly as our bodies do. To me, it is fun to get these
little revelations- it adds to the reinforcement of the
weight loss and I like being amazed at what is happening to me:)
— M B.
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