new people (and everyone) It's not just the scale - celebrate all successes

[dizzylizzy 2]

I'm only 5 weeks out, but I wanted to share my thoughts - especially with those who just started.

I felt a little emabarassed that I couldn't do this on my own, and had to have my stomach ripped out through my belly button. To me, that's pretty drastic. So I am taking this very seriously.

My surgeon had me on liquids for three weeks after. That was way more conservative than most others I read on here. But I figured that (a) he had my best interests in mind and ( it was only a few weeks out of my whole life. Who cares if I missed a week or two of food - that's what got me in trouble in the first place anyway.

I write down everything I eat and drink. It used to be really annoying, but is finally a habit. I've even turned it into a journal and sometimes write down my thoughts and frustrations. (I have on page that just says I hate this, I hate this, I hate this...lol ) It also has my measurements, and other milestones (I jogged 1/4 mile) I find that when I write it down, I realize I am not staying as hydrated, and need more Protein. I bought a pedometer and write down my steps and every day I try to increase them from the day before. My hubby will even say "don't forget to write that down"..lol

I have an outfit that I bought that is 2 sizes too small. Once a week I try it on, and yesterday the zipper zipped. It is still way too tight, but I see the progress. It's important to see progress beyond the scale. I am losing slowly (2-3 pounds per week), but I think that's ok. It;s more than I was losing on my own, and if it was too fast I would have even worse muscle tone. This rate of loss gives me time to try to keep muscle tone while I am losing.

Stay positive and make sure to count every success - not just the loss from the scale. (This coming from someone who weighs myself 3 times a day...lol) Your successes can come from inches lost, a new outfit, an excersize goal, finding your hip bones.. If you think of it this way, you have a new success all the time. For those of us who are new, this is our "honeymoon" - we will be seeing lots of changes. Let's Celebrate them all.

[Tiffykins 672]

Great post ! ! !

[hopeandfaith 6]

Dizzylizzy this is a GREAT way to look at it. THANK you so much! I hoped to be Sleeved in December and I CAN'T WAIT!!!

[M2G 1,836]

Love this! Thank you.

I've been frustrated the last 3 days because the scale hasn't moved, (I'm only 12 days post-op) and I had to have a big heart-to-heart with myself about this being a journey and trying not to get in that love-hate relationship with the scale.

So for me, it was well-timed!

[coops 1,790]

Dizzy Lizzy... well said!!!!!

I am fixated on the scale as a means of success... and reading your post has made me realise that it isn't all about numbers... I have had a tough couple of weeks... yet, in work I an getting compliments daily and people telling me that I 'look' like I have lost more weight... so, yea, the scales is not the be all and end all...

thank you for reminding me! x

[tryinagain 1]

I am 3 weeks out and needed this pep talk. Thank you so much. I have lost 21 lbs since my surgery and no one, except for my sweet husband, has said one word. I guess it just takes time to show.

thank you again for your words of encouragement !

Jeri

[Samma 0]

That is a wonderful way to look at things. Thank you so much!

[juliarh 35]

that's exactly it -- we should be looking at the process rather than the end result -- after all the process we were using before got us to our morbidly obese state didn't really work, did it? (overeating, not exercising, eating out of emotion, etc.) -- and what I mean by the new process is: 1) are you following your food guidelines (whatever they are) 2) are you moving your body? (endorphins are wonderful and released when we move!) and 3) are you drinking your Water --

Like Lizzy said, it's the journaling for her, it's noting whether she's dehydrated, it's the Protein intake, etc.

The scale is only a tool -- it can make our weight better or worse -- just like our VSGs are a tool -- and if we don't use them correctly, we're not going to like the place we end up --

Thanks Lizzy!!

[Zeebie 0]

I read your post the other day and really thought about it. I wanted to savor my successes like you. I took my son to lunch today and the hostess asked me if a booth was okay. Four months ago a booth would have been uncomfortable and not an option but now I can fit in them easily. I thought about this post and smiled at the hostess and said "a booth is just fine". Thanks for the pep talk!

[TwoStepsBack 15]

Awww I love this Zeebie!

Great post Lizzy, so very true. Thanks!

[sleeve 4 me 910]

Amen, amen, amen

[Nikkeystar 12]

Thank you so much for the post Dizzylizzy. I just started thinking like that last week when the scale didn't move for a few day and I was getting frustrated. I wake up earlier now, I walk more and I can fit clothes that I haven't been able to fit in years. I feel so much better than I did 9 weeks ago before my surgery, so if the scale doesn't move for a few days it doesn't bother me now because I feel great everyday that I wake up.

So again thank you very much.

[dizzylizzy 2]

I read your post the other day and really thought about it. I wanted to savor my successes like you. I took my son to lunch today and the hostess asked me if a booth was okay. Four months ago a booth would have been uncomfortable and not an option but now I can fit in them easily. I thought about this post and smiled at the hostess and said "a booth is just fine". Thanks for the pep talk!

That's great news! I'm not usually so optimistic (ok, maybe I am), but I realized this is the fun, easy part. I know that's hard to believe, but once we reach our weight loss goals, we have to work to maintain. And success will be harder to measure.. Now, we have so many little successes. I can't tell you how happy I was the first time I was laying down and my stomach sloped inward.. I wanted to lay around naked!..lol Ok, it went back upwards and wasn't totally concave, but used to look like a beached whale.

Congrats on the booth!

And to everyone else who posted such favorable feedback - thank you. I am really glad if it helped anyone. I am so excited about all the little positive things that are happening that I wanted to share.

People who have never had a weight issue don't understand how exciting some of these things can be for us.. (I can't wait until I fit into a seat on a plane comfortably... ) That's the great things about forums like this - we can share with people who understand.