Inner Surfer Girl

I already bought my Christmas present for myself. Two massage certificates. The massage therapist at the wellness center is having a holiday sale so I took advantage of it. I do have a friend who is planning to have surgery this year. I am already mentally planning a comfort basket for her.

Setting boundaries is a very important skill to learn. I just finished reading a book written by a therapist who works with weight loss surgery patients that had some excellent advice about setting boundaries. It's called Eat it Up! and I highly recommend it. Another is called The One Life Solution, Dr. Henry Cloud. I would definitely recommend both to those of us who have had weight loss surgery and struggle with boundary issues.

A very important thing to do is actually use your vacation time and take your sick days if you are sick. Even if the culture at your workplace seems to discourage it, you have to take care of yourself. The same goes for taking meal breaks and other breaks. A former colleague of mine recently passed away from complications due to an illness and I am convinced the fact that he never took sick days and worked on his vacation days was a major contributing factor in his death. Life is too short.

I agree, to a point. But, my observation is that many of us have gained our weight throughout our lives and have been mostly functional throughout so we have been able to accomplish a great deal in spite of our weight struggles. The younger generation seems to be gaining much more weight at a faster rate. So many seem to be at much higher rates and much younger (peaking at tremendous weights in high school and college). To me that means they don't even have the benefit of having more energy and mobility when they are young like I did. I was always heavy, but it wasn't until my late 40s where I became disabled. Just watching My 600 Pound Life and seeing young people in their 20s who look and act like those of us who are in our 50s is heartbreaking. That has got to have an impact on educational and career opportunities among so many other things.

I do feel sorry for health and science writers because they are often asked to distill some very complicated research down into a form that average people can understand. Usually, what most people want to know is what will instantly and easily solve their perceived problem. We don't like uncertainty and ambiguity. We want THE ANSWER.

I hope to follow Jennifer Scott's advice to keep a 10ish Item Wardrobe (see her book Lessons from Madame Chic or her blog). For now, since I am not working and it's summer, I have about a three item wardrobe. As long as so have a bathing suit that fits, I'm happy. That will have to change as I am able to start job hunting. I have started to get some different catalogs so I can keep an eye on some clearance sales (J Jill, Talbots, etc). I even subscribed to a couple of fashion magazines so I can start to think about what I really love. Other than watching Project Runway, I have been so aggravated with the fashion industry for so long, I had been avoiding most all "fashion" magazines, etc. I am certainly not a label *****. Here is a link to Jennifer Scott's TEDx Talk. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=V3CLRL32Mcw

I have been very limited in the clothes I can wear for years. Fortunately, I was also able to find a good seamstress who helped me fill out my work wardrobe. As I lose weight I am looking forward to being able to find nice things at consignment, thrift, and even conventional stores. I plan to only buy things that I absolutely love, are flattering, and that I can afford. I also have the same attitude towards food now: only choosing food that is delicious, nutritious, and fits in my program.

I agree. We are chronically sleep deprived as a society and it's a serious health and social problem.

Here is an overview including health risks. http://news.health.com/2015/03/10/what-is-waist-training/

It's the ridiculous (in my opinion) fad where women/girls wear tight corsets to have an unnaturally narrow waist. Didn't we learn anything in the 19th century? Bring on the fainting couches.

I apologize if I missed something above, but I just wanted to warn you if you suspect a gluten sensitivity, Celiacs or something similar, removing gluten from your diet before your Dr. runs tests will interfere with the testing results. It is my understanding that this is a big mistake people make before diagnosis.

http://mercyhealth.webhealthyrecipes.com/Weight-Loss-Surgery/Good-Health/Bariatric-Nutrition/Choose-eggs-after-weight-loss-surgery.html

I meant...why not eat the yolks, too? They are nutritious and delicious.

Sounds like great advice (except your obsession with egg whites!).

I agree. Instead of New Years resolutions I have been focusing on specific daily goals to prep for surgery (ie, weaning off caffeine and increasing water, increasing activity to at least 60 minutes a day, eating more slowly with smaller bites and chewing more, etc).

Harney and Sons has a delicious Hot Cinnamon and Spice tea that is perfect for a cold winter night.

Thanks for the repost. I am grateful for this forum and all the people who so freely share their experience.

Very we'll said. I know that most of us want to know the bottom line -- what's in it for us and how it impacts us; but, have little patience for the method and reasoning behind the conclusions. I find long, in-depth articles and stories invaluable for educating myself on issues and usually find that short articles and sound bytes leave me with many more questions than answers. Unfortunately, most of us today have very little time and patience for this kind of reporting and the news outlets know it.

My sister-in-law is Chinese and she had to clean her plate, too.

I have always been a fast eater. As I am preop I have been practicing slowing down and chewing my food. The upside to chewing thoroughly -- I actually get to enjoy the flavor of my food longer. Who knew?