Guest guest Posted April 3, 2003 Report Share Posted April 3, 2003 Hi Francisco. It is great that you have such a wonderful support system there. You should get a pre-op meal plan in there. Follow that to the letter and exercise and that weight will come off. You can get rid of that 25 pounds in no time. Also remember your water. It will really help when you start to feel hungry and it isn't time to eat quite yet. Also weigh and measure your food that way you are not accidentally eating to much. June is not an unrealistic goal and you can do it. I myself have set a goal for June. I want to lose 26 ponds by the 7th. Ah, to be at 250 by my 47th birthday for me would be a great birthday present from me to me. We can do this together. Ramona Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 3, 2003 Report Share Posted April 3, 2003 Hi everyone, I am Mae, 52 and I am from the Modesto area, in central Ca. I had Open, with Dr. Basil Meyerowitz 1/27/03. 321/260, and feeling great. Had no problems after surgery. and can do things I haven't been able to do in a couple of years. I go to the YMCA and do pool exercises. I feel like God has gave me a new life. I am so happy to just be alive. This surgery was the best thing for me. Good luck to everyone! Hugs, Mae Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 7, 2003 Report Share Posted April 7, 2003 You will find that this is a great support group. You can always get answers here and everyone is very helpful. I started out at 289 lbs. and as of today I have lost 100 lbs. It is a miracle. and on 4/14 it will have been 5 months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 11, 2003 Report Share Posted June 11, 2003 HI Folks, Well I recently had a birthday and For my birthday I wanted to weight 250. I had been at a plateau for a while and wasn't going anywhere. I had a few problems last week and want able to weight all weekend so I didn't know whether I had made my goal or not. Well On Monday when I went to the gym I weighted in at 248.6 that was so exciting. Now I have another short term goal of getting to 225 by September first. This is all so exciting for me. I have to go through my clothes again because there are some things there which are really quite loose. So it will be nice to free up some more space in my drawers. Ramona 1/13/2003 357/248/? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 11, 2003 Report Share Posted June 11, 2003 HI Folks, Well I recently had a birthday and For my birthday I wanted to weight 250. I had been at a plateau for a while and wasn't going anywhere. I had a few problems last week and want able to weight all weekend so I didn't know whether I had made my goal or not. Well On Monday when I went to the gym I weighted in at 248.6 that was so exciting. Now I have another short term goal of getting to 225 by September first. This is all so exciting for me. I have to go through my clothes again because there are some things there which are really quite loose. So it will be nice to free up some more space in my drawers. Ramona 1/13/2003 357/248/? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 29, 2003 Report Share Posted July 29, 2003 Francisco, I regret that I haven't had a chance to get to know you in person! I think I was at one Richmond meeting before my surgery, and I know you were there. I am always SO impressed by your honesty and sensitivity in your postings. You have wonderful insight, and are willing to share your experiences, even the emotionally painful ones, to help others. I always take your words of encouragement, even if directed toward someone else, to heart. You have great wisdom and openness. Thank you! -- Eleanor Oster eleanor@... (personal address) www.smallboxes.com/gastricbypass.htm Berkeley, CA Open RNY 07/15/2003 Kaiser Richmond (CA) P. Fisher, M.D. Start (05/09/2003) 319 / Current ~270 / Goal 150 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 29, 2003 Report Share Posted July 29, 2003 Francisco, I regret that I haven't had a chance to get to know you in person! I think I was at one Richmond meeting before my surgery, and I know you were there. I am always SO impressed by your honesty and sensitivity in your postings. You have wonderful insight, and are willing to share your experiences, even the emotionally painful ones, to help others. I always take your words of encouragement, even if directed toward someone else, to heart. You have great wisdom and openness. Thank you! -- Eleanor Oster eleanor@... (personal address) www.smallboxes.com/gastricbypass.htm Berkeley, CA Open RNY 07/15/2003 Kaiser Richmond (CA) P. Fisher, M.D. Start (05/09/2003) 319 / Current ~270 / Goal 150 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 29, 2003 Report Share Posted July 29, 2003 Francisco, Once again, you send an inspiring message of hope and love and forgiveness. I am glad you discovered the “magic” of this surgery. You are soaring high and are an inspiration to us all. Hugs, Pat B. Checking in Hi and everyone else. I just wanted to share a bit about my experience going back to work because it is similar to what has happened to you. A brief intro to the newbies: welcome and good luck on your journey. You're worth the effort! I began my wls process on Aug 5, 2002 when I weighed 315 lbs. My surgery was on June 3, 2003 and my most recent weigh-in with the doctor (Dr. Fisher at Kaiser Richmond, my hero) was great: 88 lbs gone! Dr. Fisher and I discussed my favorite issue, the one that has been a barrier to past weight loss success: boundaries. Mine had always been so weak. I used eating to ease my pain from child sexual abuse, and I felt more comfortable with an armor of fat to protect myself and to take myself out the sexual game. But before the surgery I used the time to get help and to help myself. I talked about this issue in support groups, talked to health care professionals about the boundary issue, and I read, " Boundaries: Where You End and I Begin " by Anne which have all changed my life. I watched Dr. Phil and learned to change my internal dialogue; I no longer tell myself that I'm bad or disgusting or not worthy of love. While I'm still a work in progress, I no longer allow boundary violations against me. The fact that I have allowed myself to protect my best interests—in all aspects of my life, emotional, physical, spiritual—has enabled me and empowered me to achieve a level of self worth and esteem that I never thought possible. I can now look at " before " pictures without self- loathing and disgust, and finally, finally just love that big guy. I see the smile that tries to hide what's below the surface, but his eyes mirror the pain and horror of past boundary violations. I look at him and feel what I'd feel for anybody else, especially for a friend or family member: unconditional love. AND I don't love him because he allowed me to lose the weight. I've been able to lose the weight because I began to love him first. I love him for all his human frailty, but especially for his gentle warmth and his loving heart. He's deserved my love for a long time. Why did I deny him the love I'd so freely given to others? Regarding the co-workers, I told five people at work (26 total employees in my office)—two are normal weighted people, three are morbidly obese. The two normal weighted people have given me a level of support that has deepened our friendship. The 3 morbidly obese people betrayed me in a way I never expected: they told others in the office what I was going through when I had specifically told them that I didn't want others to know yet. One week before my surgery we were supposed to go out to dinner to " celebrate " my upcoming surgery, and they left me waiting at the restaurant with no call, no nothing (I had gone with the 2 normal weighted people, so I was not totally alone), and I was very hurt by that incident. Those three cut off communication with me and didn't call me in the hospital, didn't email me, didn't call me at home while I recovered. The other wonderful people in my life showed me who really cares. They showered me with love and support. So I discussed them with Dr. Fisher and others. Dr. Fisher told me, " Get those people out of your life. " He helped me make the decision to cut them off. We are still cordial in the office, but I don't share anything with them because they can't be trusted. I have a new strong boundary that allows me to protect myself and feel good about myself. Others in the office (who have been told about my surgery by the betrayers) have asked me how I lost so much weight, but I politely reply, " I watch what I eat, and I exercise one hour every day. " If they continue to pry, I say, " I don't feel comfortable discussing it. " Why do they need to know? You should see the disappointed look on their faces. They don't understand that the surgery is not magic; I'm the magic. The health care team at Kaiser is the magic. Following the program is the magic. Getting support from folks like you all is the magic. I can't take on their weight issues. I can only deal with me. I've tried to help them before (taking them to support groups, giving them all the info of Kaiser's Bariatric Program), but they are all talk and no action, and a total waste of my time and efforts. So now I am free of their negativity. I simply won't be poisoned by their bitterness. The other day one of them was loudly complaining about how big her a** is while she was eating Ruffles chips from a Costco- sized bag. I felt sorry for her, but I can't help her if she won't help herself. Her bitterness repels me. She wallows in self-pity and tearing others down but does nothing to make the situation better. I won't be part of that anymore. The other two have simply chosen to give me the cold shoulder. I've never been better off. I thought these people were my friends. But—unknowingly or not—they pushed me away. The normal weighted support people have (unrelated to my wls process) started a period of team building and mutual support in our work group. We are becoming closer as we take on tasks at work as a team. We build each other up as we feel the stresses of work encroaching. And they understand the magnitude of what I've achieved, and they express that to me and relate it to the struggles in their lives. But deep down I know this truth. Having support is invaluable, but I have to rely on me. No one can make this miracle happen but me. Each of us in born with two wings (I heard this from Suze Orman): the wing of Will and the wing Grace. The wing of Grace represents God's love and mercy—His Grace toward us—and it will beat hard and strong for us from the day we are born until the day we die. The wing of Will represents what we bring to life. It represents our choices and efforts in the struggles of everyday. When we finally get our wing of Will to beat as hard and as strong as the wing of Grace… we can soar. I'm finally taking flight. And the freedom I feel makes my heart swell with gratitude and beauty and peace. I hope each of you finds that feeling too. Francisco -88 lbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 29, 2003 Report Share Posted July 29, 2003 Francisco: You are so inspiring. The words you speak keeps my will strong. People are amazingly influencial in our everyday lives, one way or another. Hopefully we take what we hear and see and use it to help our growth in life. Sadly instead of learning positive things from negative people they always seem to easily affect us by making us negative. I got out of a marriage for that very reason. No matter what everything was negative, nothing gave him pleasure, and everyone around him was " wrong " . My life became a living hell, I became someone I didn't recognize, walking around with a dark cloud over my head. Then one day I said enough is enough. That was the being of my road to happiness (Which by the way I'm still working on). The divorce helped get me on track to my happier self. My want to make myself healthier and getting my surgery was another step. And working on spending my spare time with those I love to be around is another step towards success. Life is full of ups and downs, we just need to learn how to handle all the roller coaster rides. Thank you for being there with such wonderful works to inspire. Stay close to us, we need you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 30, 2003 Report Share Posted July 30, 2003 Eleanor: Your posts have meant a lot to me too. Thanks for your kind words. Francisco -89 lbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 30, 2003 Report Share Posted July 30, 2003 Pat: You're also part of the " magic " I've found, as are all the wonderful support people I've met on line and in person. I remember the first time I saw you at a meeting at SSF Kaiser, and I thought, " She must be the wife of someone who's gonna have surgery. " Imagine my surprise when I found out it was YOU who had had the surgery. I remember the group had a big laugh when a humorous woman asked Dr. Gity, " Am I going to look like that (referring to you) after the surgery? " I went back to my support people and told them about how great you look, but the deeper inspiration came from your words. You inspired me to embrace exercise in a way I never had before. I had been resisting the message that I would have to exercise for the rest of my life. I finally just said to myself, " Just Do It. It works for her, why won't it work for you? " I started out with small baby steps, but now I'm going strong. And now, believe it or not, if I miss my exercise, I don't feel so great. The exercise helps with my weight loss, but more importantly, it balances out my emotions, and I feel such a sense of accomplishment when I've done my hour of " me time. " God's blessings to you, Francisco -89 lbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 30, 2003 Report Share Posted July 30, 2003 : Congratulations on all your success. Your accomplishments help us all to realize that we can make positive changes in our lives too. I need you all too! Francisco -89 lbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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