F_it

I had surgery almost 10 months ago. Hubby is just eatting better

I remember being pre-op and my favorite thing to do was look at progress photos and dream
I am 6 months, 10 days post op and I am down 128 pounds total. This isnt a very great pic since I have been sick, but i still took it because anything is better than my before!!

Gotta love blinking brownies.

Love this article. I try to make sure that if I feel guilt, its in the form of acknowledging a mistake, rather than feeling ashamed. I think of the former as a step moving forward, while the latter keeps you trapped in the past.
If I make a mistake, I make sure I keep it contextualized. Yes I caved in to a goowy brownie. No I am not an uncontrollable failure. And I let the guilt go so that I can actually enjoy the goowy brownie affair, move on and commit to an extra workout that week.
When I catch myself having a staring contest with a potential mistake.. I try to ask myself, if I let this happen, how am I going to feel about it tomorrow? And in most cases, the brownie is first to blink and I walk away knowing I made a confident choice.

wonderful topic.....it was years ago that I realized My Actions or Failure to Act produced a lot of my own 'guilt'.
Somehow I've moved beyond those cloying disappointments and energy drains. The more 'active participation in my OWN life' I undertook, the less guilt I had to drag around.
'Guilt' for me was like 'credit card debt'. I cut up them things in 1994 and haven't looked back. As a result my own 'discretionary income' seemed to rise as my debt load dwindled.....no sin of overspending, no guilt/sorrow/poverty of spirit.
In any case, the motivator for personal growth was that dank compost-cake of disappointment and despair with a thick frosting of guilt. Some of the reason I was able to break free of that emotional sugar/fat/overload, was taking the WLS steps and early support from Lap Band Talk.

When embarking on and moving through the life-changing journey of weight loss surgery it is essential you have fair expectations on yourself. Always try treat yourself with kindness and compassion.
All too often I hear stories of extreme guilt related to eating choices – this guilt is not positive or productive and it will not serve you well!



YOU ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE PERFECT!


There are times you are going to deviate from your intended eating plan and that is ok! Eating is not always about nutrition and weight – it is social, it is enjoyable and it contributes to the quality of our life. Small amounts of indulgent foods eaten slowly and mindfully and truly enjoyed are an essential component of your ultimate success.
However, at times these small amounts may blow out, indulgences may be eaten when you are emotional or distracted and this can leave you regretful. Don’t be too hard on yourself, focus on what you can control and get back on track at your next meal or snack time. Remember each meal is a new opportunity to get it ‘right’, to nourish your body and to achieve your goals.

IT IS ALWAYS ABOUT PROGRESS, NOT PERFECTION


Can you to listen out for any guilty internal thoughts related to your food choices. Imagine saying them to a good friend. Now turn those thoughts around - you can’t change what has happened so focus on what you can control, that is, the very next meal or snack.
It can be useful to ask yourself.
What were the triggers or events that lead me to make that food choice?
How can I plan to decrease my vulnerability next time I am in that situation?

Let us know how you go, and remember when it comes to food, guilt is a wasted emotion.

I honestly never used to understand my mother. She is a total gym rat. She goes at ike 5 am to the gym mostly every morning. I always thought she was crazy.
Now I understand. While I don't go to they regular gym every day. I am addicted to kickboxing. I go 5 days a week. Occasionally doing more than one class or going twice a day. I just love it. If I have to miss it I feel awful. I am looking forward to going to Florida fro a Vet conference, but wondering how I'm going to get my workouts in while I'm away. I know I'll feel like crap if I don't and I just know I'll gain if I don't. I also go to the regular gym one day a week and go on the elliptical for an hour. I sometimes find myself really wanting to go on Tuesdays (my day off from working out) but I know you really need to have a off day from working out. In the past if I've felt kind of sick I'd take a day off, but found that I felt worse for doing so. Now I push through and go and I usually feel better after it. So I guess I'm a gym rat too now!

"Serenity Now!" Remember this infamous line from the show Seinfeld? If only clearing out our self-limiting thoughts was so easy. Bariatric Dietitian Elizabeth Anderson explains why the effort is well worth your time.


I have a light blue car. I really, really wanted a navy blue one but the affordable, gas-sipping car I found was ‘previously owned’ so I didn’t get to customize the color. I considered a paint job but decided it wasn't worth two thousand dollars to me. Still, it’s been a little hard to let it go.
Since that day two years ago, (and surprisingly not a day before,) I have seen no fewer than 6,324 navy blue Prius' near my home in southern NH. The New Hampshire DMV might disagree with my statistics but I am convinced. My materialistic heart longs for a dark blue Prius so my brain is highly sensitive to seeking out this particular colored car and miraculously noticing them everywhere. If perception is our reality, I have all the proof I need. And therein lies the trouble.

"The mind's job is to validate what it thinks." Byron Katie


This isn't good news for those of us who fill our heads with toxic thoughts/beliefs that we carry around 24/7. Think about it. How many affirming, positive statements do you say to yourself in the ever constant conversation going on in your head? Now, if you were able to record that conversation, how many thoughts/comments would be self-berating, self-defeating, pessimistic and negative? Is it any wonder we continue to struggle to make even a small change when we've set a course for failure before we even begin?
So what does this have to do with nutrition and weight and healthy eating? Um, everything. If you want, strive... ache to be lighter or leaner or simply healthier but you BELIEVE you are fat, gross, lazy and incapable of changing your life, you won’t.
A brilliant life coach named Brooke Castillo explains it to her clients this way: We all have circumstances that we cannot control. We think thoughts about these circumstances and those thoughts lead to feelings. Feelings lead to actions (or inaction) -- which can affect our circumstances and.... the loop continues.
If you are engaging in actions (overeating, eating like your pre-surgery days, drinking a little too much wine, etc.) that you can’t seem to control or don’t understand, start back at the beginning. Review your circumstances and try to really uncover all the thoughts you have about those circumstances. Journaling here is highly recommended. I am constantly surprised at what I type (I use a keyboard vs handwriting) when I'm madly trying to get out all my jangled thoughts. I tell my clients to do the same and strive to uncover as many thoughts as possible. The object is to expose unexamined thoughts/beliefs to fresh air. You might be shocked at what's really going on in your mind.
Only when you bring thought and beliefs to the surface can you decide if they are serving you or if they need immediate replacement. Sometimes the digging is treacherous and requires a good therapist. Go get one and then celebrate the changing seasons by uprooting all the weeds holding back your best bloom yet!