Hey everyone, I hope that your day is going well thus far. :-) Just wondering...when you think about this journey of better health, what is the most important thing/goal, etc to you? The key is to pick only one thing. I'd like to see what you all think. For me, the most important thing to me along this journey is that I NEVER GIVE UP. This is not easy & sometimes I feel weary/overwhelmed when I think about how hard I have to continue to work to accomplish my goal & maintain a healthy BMI, but I refuse to give up. I've given up too many times in the past & that's part of what got me to 303lbs to begin with. No matter how hard it is....I...Must.....Keep...Pressing....On. (Sigh) WE WILL DO THIS LADIES & GENTS!!!

Improve my mobility...I never want to be bedfast again; I suffered an injury and was bedfast for nearly 6 months. My increasing weight made it so much worse even when I was mobile again; I knew I'd be bedfast long-term, or permanently, if I didn't get my weight in control...that was my # 1 reason in seeking wls.

The most important for me, I am hopefully live a longer life and be able to see my grandchildren when they come along and be able to help take care of them.

Mine is 2 keep this weight off and get down 2 a healthy bmi I'm only 2months out

Initially it was about the weight loss and the health improvement. Over time though, it has become about living an authentic life, being true to myself, being in the moment and consciously choosing well. That is, choosing me. Choosing health, choosing authenticity, choosing to live a good life.

The weight loss now is a bonus to all the other gains this surgery has bought to my life.

Improve my mobility...I never want to be bedfast again; I suffered an injury and was bedfast for nearly 6 months. My increasing weight made it so much worse even when I was mobile again; I knew I'd be bedfast long-term, or permanently, if I didn't get my weight in control...that was my # 1 reason in seeking wls.

I know that had to be VERY difficult. I'm so glad that you are on the road to better health. I totally wish you the best on your journey. Thanks for the response to the post. :-)

Mine is 2 keep this weight off and get down 2 a healthy bmi I'm only 2months out

I have a personal Health Coach & the vision statement that I created for myself is "I WILL get to a healthy BMI". I long to see that day.

Initially it was about the weight loss and the health improvement. Over time though, it has become about living an authentic life, being true to myself, being in the moment and consciously choosing well. That is, choosing me. Choosing health, choosing authenticity, choosing to live a good life.

The weight loss now is a bonus to all the other gains this surgery has bought to my life.

That's beautiful!

The most important for me, I am hopefully live a longer life and be able to see my grandchildren when they come along and be able to help take care of them.

Family means the most! That's awesome. :-)

Initially it was about the weight loss and the health improvement. Over time though' date=' it has become about living an authentic life, being true to myself, being in the moment and consciously choosing well. That is, choosing me. Choosing health, choosing authenticity, choosing to live a good life.

The weight loss now is a bonus to all the other gains this surgery has bought to my life.[/quote']

I really like your comment about living an authentic life. That is something I searched and searched for in my adult life, but never found it. That led to a lot of depression and anxiety. Now as a post op going on 1 year, I think the experience has exposed me to my authentic life. No more hiding or wondering where it is. No more searching. It is here, now. Every day Is a new joyful experience. I am not sure how it happened exactly, but it did happen as I cut all the negativity, nonsense and crud from my daily existence.

For me, it's not wasting the "Hail Mary" I made when I decided to get weight loss surgery. It's remembering that WLS was my last, best chance to get healthy and now that I am here, I must be vigilant to keep the gift of health I have been given. That means taking care of myself by eating right, exercising, drinking enough fluids, taking my Vitamins, and getting needed medical tests and vaccinations, It also means addressing issues that affect my mental health.

Lynda

Family means the most! That's awesome. :-)

Family is important.

The most important thing to me is being a well rounded person and loving each person for who we are giving back to my community. Family is not only relatives it's also people that we love and love us back. This forum is family to me and I love reading about each of our journey's.

To keep on working on myself. I want my inside to match my outside...whereas before surgery and goal I really felt that the outside was what needed changing. In fact, my problems started inside and the weight was just a sign of the problems in my life. I spent years being fat because I was hiding myself and didn't want/feel I deserved to have real relationships with other people. Slap on an extra 100 pounds and a mean look and people leave you alone, you know?

I have been told how pretty I am my whole life and I suppose that due to a myriad of totally screwed up experiences I tried to distract from that with ugly behavior. I want to be more grateful. I want to be happier just as I am...without feeling like I need something else to happen before I'll allow happiness into my life. I have come so far in my life and I have done an amazing job taking care of my family and being a mom to my kids...things that, quite frankly, have taken a lot of work and effort for me, because I grew up in such a terribly messed up home. If you learn how to parent and how to have relationships from your family as a child, who teaches you how to do things properly if they're completely backwards and harmful? Loving people or letting people close to me does not come naturally. Being nice, being friendly, being open, being unselfish...those things take effort though they are becoming more natural as I continue to work on them.

So for me, the most important thing is to make sure that who I am inside and how I'm feeling match the woman on the outside, who is pretty and smiling and looks like she has it together. I want kindness and forgiveness to be my first responses, not irritation or frustration. It's hard. I'm a work in progress and I want to keep working. I also want to remember that I always get to try again tomorrow. And every day I work on me, the REAL me, not just my body, it gets easier and I feel less like I'm acting or performing.

That's got to be progress.

~Cheri

To keep on working on myself. I want my inside to match my outside...whereas before surgery and goal I really felt that the outside was what needed changing. In fact, my problems started inside and the weight was just a sign of the problems in my life. I spent years being fat because I was hiding myself and didn't want/feel I deserved to have real relationships with other people. Slap on an extra 100 pounds and a mean look and people leave you alone, you know?

I have been told how pretty I am my whole life and I suppose that due to a myriad of totally screwed up experiences I tried to distract from that with ugly behavior. I want to be more grateful. I want to be happier just as I am...without feeling like I need something else to happen before I'll allow happiness into my life. I have come so far in my life and I have done an amazing job taking care of my family and being a mom to my kids...things that, quite frankly, have taken a lot of work and effort for me, because I grew up in such a terribly messed up home. If you learn how to parent and how to have relationships from your family as a child, who teaches you how to do things properly if they're completely backwards and harmful? Loving people or letting people close to me does not come naturally. Being nice, being friendly, being open, being unselfish...those things take effort though they are becoming more natural as I continue to work on them.

So for me, the most important thing is to make sure that who I am inside and how I'm feeling match the woman on the outside, who is pretty and smiling and looks like she has it together. I want kindness and forgiveness to be my first responses, not irritation or frustration. It's hard. I'm a work in progress and I want to keep working. I also want to remember that I always get to try again tomorrow. And every day I work on me, the REAL me, not just my body, it gets easier and I feel less like I'm acting or performing.

That's got to be progress.

~Cheri

This is beautiful. Thank you for sharing straight from your heart. You def have my best wishes for today, tomorrow, & always. Many continued Blessings!! :-)

For the first time in my life I actually believe that I am capable of any goal I set for myself.

I have put my body through countless WLS complications and death twice.

This time, I have no clue when or how it happened, but my VSG decision was the trigger. I started pre decision very depressed, but by the time I made the decision to get sleeved I knew this was my turning point. Never have I given myself the option of failure.

Who knows where the path will take me. I know for sure that my life is already changed and I can't contain the excitement I have for today and the future. It's a whole new world of opportunities that I never considered possible! It's amazing what a healthy, happy body and mind can do for ones life. Its absolutely beautiful!