Question:
Bothered by doctor's comment.

I went for my 3 month check up yesterday. I have lost 65 pounds of the 185 pounds total that I would like to lose. I am happy with this and follow the rules very well - protein, water, exercise, vitamins, etc. My doctor said my weight loss is good, but I 'still have a ways to go'. He didn't say it in a snide way, but I still wanted to flip him a bird! I was feeling good about my progress until he said this. How do I get this glass-half-empty comment out of my mind?    — Yolanda J. (posted on January 30, 2003)

January 30, 2003
I am still pre-op, and I think your progress is wonderful!!! Keep up the good work! You are doing this for you, not your doctor anyway, right?
   — Tim W.

January 30, 2003
Hi Yolanda :) I'm still pre-op, so I haven't had to walk in your shoes yet, and I emphasize "yet", but try and remain optimistic. Don't look at how far you have to go, but keep your sights on how far you have come. Just think, 3 months ago you were carrying 65 HEAVY pounds that aren't there anymore!!!! What a HUGE accomplishment!!! I hope that I am as lucky! Keep up the good work.
   — Regina S.

January 30, 2003
Hi Yolunda: You have done a great job: I have not yet had surgery, but as a retired health care worker (EMS) you have certainly gained my respect. Sometimes Doctor's say things that seem cold or business like. Keep smilin'.
   — William G.

January 30, 2003
maybe the dr saw your excitment and said that as a warning for you to not get to lax?? i do not know it seems a bit mean to me too! you have done super maybe he did not mean it the way it sounded!!!
   — janetc00

January 30, 2003
Wow, you're doing great! Try to remember that docs are >gasp> people, too. It could be that HIS glass is half-empty. But YOURS can be half-full. I rather tend to be pessimistic, too, some days. My dh is mostly optimistic. Different points of view express the same event in totally different ways. CHalk it up to his personality and what he perceives as motivation. I personally respond to "Wow, great work!" much better, too. Because then I'd try to elicit that kind of comment the next time!
   — vitalady

January 30, 2003
The truth can be a cold slap in the face or it can be just what it is: the truth. We all have gone through what you are going through, just yours started with a doctor's offhand comment. It is the awakening that happens after the first blush of giddiness with gang-busters weightloss, followed by the realization that well, we just ain't there yet. I went through HUGE jealousy because people who started out weighing less than I did got to goal faster. The first 150 pound loss was exuberance, the second 150 has been excruciatingly slow, but steady. And I still have 36 to go, 2.5 years out. Just relax, recognize that what he said was the truth and the truth doesn't mean anything: Rocks are hard, water is wet and you have another X number of pounds to go. From there it is just one day at a time, picking up one foot and putting down the other, etc. Welcome to the Rollercoaster of Life...
   — merri B.

January 30, 2003
MERRI!! I stopped by to read a few things... havent been here in ages! You are doing great!! SOOOOOO good to see you! Kris Sparks in FL aka Kris Sanchez in Germany
   — Kris S.

January 30, 2003
I know, easier said than done, but try to blow it off. His pessimism could be due to anything. Maybe his wife "blew him off" last nightor his last patient yelled at him or maybe he's constipated or something. Whenever I've gotten cold-shouldered or bad vibes from someone, I've usually discovered later that it was due to something totally unrelated. It hurts, but I always try to tell myself that "It's probably NOT about me."
   — Nancy G.

January 30, 2003
READ MY PROFILE AND ONCE YOU GET A LOAD OF MY SURGEON'S STATEMENTS, YOU'LL FEEL GOOD AGAIN.
   — MURRAY

January 31, 2003
Some doctors have successfully "FLUNKED" Bedside manner 101
   — Jon S.

February 1, 2003
65lbs in 3 months is amazing! Ignore your doctors comment and don't compare yourself to others - everyone is different and some may lose faster/slower than you. Just try to think of the whole picture and what you'll look like 2 years out, not 3 months out - provided you stay with the same healthy habits your're into now.
   — jengrz

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