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Make A List! Your hopes and goals for life post-WLS



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Years ago we had a thread running here where people would list all the things they want to be able to do, or have the guts to do, after surgery. It was great, inspiring...so in that spirit I'm starting a new one! The original, if anyone wants to read it (highly suggested!) is here:

I very strongly suggest that all of you pre-oppers and newly post-oppers WRITE IT DOWN! Everything you hope for, everything you want to accomplish, everything that you can't even imagine being able to do right now.... you'll be shocked by how quickly you'll be able to start ticking things off your lists. I've spent an hour trying to find mine (which I thought was on the original thread above) and can't find it and I'm so bummed....so, please copy your list and put it somewhere you know you can find it way down the road. :) And then share your victories as you go....

OK, who's going first....ready? GO!! :)

Edited by Stacy160

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Run a 5k. Like actually RUN it. And climb one of those indoor rock walls.


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I want to Fly all the way to Japan with my Family in 2019 and be comfortable (well as comfortable as you can be in coach).

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2 hours ago, linda8 said:

losing my sleep apnea!

This is my number one goal!! I'm going to have a CPAP machine burning party as soon as I'm set free. :)

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Guess what, I'm a trifle sick and congested, went to PCP yesterday, he told me to take a temporary CPAP holiday as it was aggravating my sinuses temporarily. I could not sleep, finally drifted off at 4AM back up at 6:30 to tinkle. So I spent most most of the night on my tablet or lurking and texting on Bariatric Pal.

Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

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I heard that from another CPAP patient not long ago. She said it took her a couple weeks before she could sleep without it. I guess like anything else when it becomes your "normal" it takes time to get used to a change. I will miss the white noise.

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Oh boy where to start..

1) I want to be able to jog with my dogs. My dogs have been my lifeline and even just 2 months after surgery I already have more energy so am giving them longer walks which they love and I love, but eventually I want to be able to jog with them. They are active dogs and they deserve better so I hope I can give that to them one day.

2) To have the confidence to go swimming again. I used to be a big swimmer, I lost like 70 pounds about 6/7 years ago when I would swim daily. Then stuff happened and I stopped swimming and the weight piled back on. I need to regain the confidence to say who cares to what the world thinks of my fat arse and just get in a pool and swim like Jaws is tailing me.

3) To have body confidence.. To get real personal real quick, I have severely low self esteem and due to that I have been incapable my whole life of forming romantic bonds with people. I've had chances to but have also shot them down because how could anyone love me when I can't love myself? I want to get to a place where I can believe that someone would love me and return those feelings.

4) SKY DIVE

5) Eventually I want to return to further education. I messed up when I was in high school and now I work a job that has no future because that feels like all I'm good for. I want to take up a part time choice in something I care about and hope to change career to something I would feel happier doing.

6) Enjoy my life. Because for 30 years I've bee coasting. I want to live before I regret not.

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3 hours ago, jenondaway said:

This is my number one goal!! I'm going to have a CPAP machine burning party as soon as I'm set free. :)

Yay!!! I hope it happens soon!!

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I've been keeping 2 lists. One list when I was heavy were activities I COULDN'T do because I was too heavy and had to opt out of. The other one is things I want to do when I'm thin again. I was always active, so all my things are physical outdoor type things. Apologies for the wall of text, I like to keep lists :)

Things I couldn't do because I was too heavy:
Indoor sky diving place (250 lbs weight limit - I CAN do this now)
Horseback riding with my wife (250 lbs weight limit - I CAN do this now)
A kayak tour in Puerto Rico of a bio luminescent bay (250 lbs weight limit - I CAN do this now)
Unable to hike a bunch of mountains in Maine I used to hike every summer (I will hike them this summer)
Over office chair weight limits (under the normal limit of 250 now!)
Ride a camel at the zoo (250 weight limit - I did this a couple weeks ago)
Zipline (was above weight limit)

Things I plan to do as I get thin:
Bike 100+ miles in 1 day (had done this in 2006, training to do it this summer now)
Run a 5k or similar race (planning to do this with my wife this summer)
Participate in a local tri-athalon
No more snoring (this already happened - wife doesn't need ear plugs)
Hike mountains regularly (planning hikes for the summer)
Get rid of persistent fungal issues (they're GONE!)
Reduce chronic arthritis / back pain (it's almost gone already)
Longer kayak trips 5+ miles (did this almost daily for a week+ 2 weeks ago)
Run a mile without being dead tired
Comfortably fit in an airplane seat (Did this a couple weeks ago)
Learn to distance swim (need technique coaching and training - will do this summer)
Climb with my kids on playground equipment and not get stuck (can do this now)

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There's not much I want to do that I don't do already (I learned long ago to push past the fear) but here are a couple of things:

Skydiving.

Dating.

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All of your goals are so inspiring! I am certain all of you will achieve what you envision and live the life you deserve!

I have to think more about my list, but I know swimming, skydive and 5k were also on mine.

If you can believe, you can achieve!


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I'm loving this, you guys!! 5K was high on my list as well.

When I was young me legs could go forever, but I'm sure I had exercise-induced asthma and my lungs wouldn't let me. When I tried it when I was old, I'd outgrown the asthma but my legs wouldn't cooperate!

I started training for my first 5K 6 months after surgery and completed it two months later. You can all do this!!! (the Couch to 5K method is what finally worked for me.)

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