Monday, November 26, 2012

Scared Healthy

Several ladies I know have had that gastric bypass surgery.  It seems to be getting more and more common. For some of them, I can understand the desperation.  Morbidly obese even as a child, I am not sure what their motive is but I can understand.

One lady I knew in high school.  She was always a very big girl.  When we graduated high school, they didn't have a gown large enough to fit her.  The company that made the gowns ended up sewing two gowns together.  It worked.  She had the surgery 5 years ago and died of complications this year.  I think it was liver failure associated with the bypass.  She left behind a young son.

Another one worked on base.  She couldn't hold any food down after her surgery.  Her husband used up all of his sick leave and vacation days trying to take care of her.  Every week I heard the same updates.  Back in the hospital, feeding tubes, IVs.

A friends daughter had the surgery about 2 years ago.  She lost a lot of weight.  So much that she is now anorexic thin.  She went from morbidly obese to wearing a size 0.  She is a few inches taller than me and very much underweight.  For some reason the doctors are still doing surgery on her.  Removing all the excess skin for the weight loss.  What are they trying to do?  Make her look like a super model?  Not going to happen.  She had more skin removed a few weeks ago.  Just before Thanksgiving she rolled over in bed and ripped her skin apart.  She said that her hip bone was showing.

Wow.

And this is ok?  Please tell me how?  I can't understand it.  She has 3 kids.  2 of them are pre schoolers and she is putting her life at risk to get rid of a little extra skin?

As if all of this wasn't enough, I visited my SIL over the weekend.  Both her and her husband are sweethearts.  The problem?  Every time I see her she has gained another 5-10 pounds.

Now I ask those of you who follow my blog, What is going on in my head?

I had a apple for breakfast and plan on having an orange for lunch.  Yes, I know.  Probably anna popping her nasty little head up again but I am overweight.  I have to get some pounds off and do it the healthy way.  It is just too easy to fall back into old habits.  I don't want to put myself in a position that I would have to consider gastric bypass surgery.  There are too many risks.

Can I loose 40 pounds and do it the healthy way?  Yes, I will still be a healthy weight with that much of a loss.  Like I said, I am over weight right now.  Lets see if I can cut calories  move more and not let anna take control of my life.

My plan for the week is to do P90X 3 days and cardio 3 days.

13 comments:

  1. Hummm...... I have a few thoughts here... but I'm not sure what to say. I'm having a bit of questions about healthy weight loss myself. I'm going to start something myself but I dont know if I'll go to far.

    ((hugs))

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  2. I really do sympathise with anyone who is extra large and is desperate to lose weight - but I'm not happy about gastric surgery for all the reasons you mention above. The best way to lose weight is a little each week over a long period. Then your body doesn't go into famine mode and make you feel starving all the time. Also, I don't know how old you are but I am over a 'certain age' and it gets harder as you get older, because you can get 'turkey necks' and all sorts of other horrid things if you lose too much weight, or lose weight too quickly.

    I am losing a pound a week at the moment and have fourteen pounds left to go. It will get me down to a UK size 12 so I'll retain all my curves but shed the brown fat from my stomach which is bad for me. I love food, and love cooking, so I simply eat less and exercise (currently swim, pilates, walk and burlesque dancing) each week. Life is for living and it goes very quickly. Our men wouldn't want us to kill ourselves ladies! And anyway - if you know you'll get a spanking if you don't make the effort each week, it certainly adds to the incentive.

    Hugs, Ami

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  3. Yeah, that is exactly what I have to think to get my butt up and going. Wow.

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  4. Ok. I had to come back.. AND... you'd better eat more then just an orange for lunch today!!
    I know the feeling though... so I made a cucumber sandwich and had 10 pretzels... so that's more then your one orange.... I was planning on only eating 110 calories for lunch, but bumped it up after reading this.

    We have to be good right?
    It's so easy to fall back into things.

    The back of my head says for me to try to drop 30 lbs, but that'd have me around 95lbs again.. and I'd be in big trouble... so let's stick together and NOT go too crazy, but do it the healthy way (whatever that is right?) We can learn I'm sure.
    (hugs)

    -Emi

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    1. Emi, I got too dizzy and had to eat more. Blag... I will take the dog on a good long walk to make up for it. If I make my self sick, Dragon will step in again and that will be the end of it.

      Think heathy...think healthy ....

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  5. You need to eat 1200 calories a day- or your metabolism will shut down- have some protein... We can do this the healthy way!

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    1. I am not sure how many calories I eat. When I count is when I get myself into trouble. I think supper will put me just over the 1200 mark. So I am good for today. Lots of fruit and some lean protein.

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  6. You can do it! But.. make sure you stay in the positives, as in, if you eat, then walk it off, then you are back to a zero.
    A game I used to play WAY too much. I'd try to do zeros to negatives each day. Bad idea you know!

    I know Dragon will step in if needed, as my "H" will for me.

    Have you ever used myfitnessapal.com? I think I'm making an account there.

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    1. Yikes that would get me in so much trouble. I can already feel my bottom burning. I have to find some middle ground. The part where I am loosing weight and where Dragon is still happy with what I am eating. I managed 5 laps around our yard today. We have a big yard. It may not sound like much but it gave me a good workout. I just wish I knew how far it was. If you see a crazy lady in her yard with a yard stick measuring, that is me. I am just curious. I think I did good today.

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  7. Oatmeal has always been good to hold me over from snacking in between bigger meals. Filling up with fruits and vegetables since they are more water than anything. I lost a little over 100 pounds in a year several years ago. No surgery. I was very strict about eating around 1200 calories a day and that was it.

    I walked on a treadmill every day but I hate exercise and still do. I walked, didn't run. The calorie intake is what made the difference, not the exercise. Not to say exercise isn't good for many other reasons. But it's easier to not eat the calories in the first placed than do so much work to burn off only a sliver of them later on.

    I gained the weight back within about 2 years of losing it. How? I ate. I was too strict with what I was doing and also can't cook worth a damn and was on a very small budget. That means that after a year of having a grilled chicken breast and potato for dinner for the umpteenth time, it made me want to gag just looking at it. I just wanted to eat and it got out of control all over again.

    It's very hard, losing to begin with and then maintaining it after. I commend anyone who can stick to it. Good luck to you and I hope you find a healthy way to keep up with it that is realistic and works for your lifestyle.

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    1. I am trying to remember what I ate when I was super thing. I never skipped breakfast and I usually ate oatmeal. I have also found that it is better not to deny myself yummy treats but to instead eat those treats in moderation. I am more likely to binge eat if I try to stay away from all things chocolate.

      Unfortunately I walked my treadmill into the ground. Those things only go so many miles before they just get too tired to go any more. We are saving our pennies for a new one. But we no longer live in the mountains. NO MORE snow! I can walk outside most days. I don't mind a little rain but I don't have the balance or coordination to walk on ice.

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  8. You are Taken In Hand. Turn this problem over to your husband, and allow him to lead you. I suggest that he invest in a calorie monitoring system (we use the BodyBugg system in my home), and that he set reasonable, achievable weight-loss diets and targets for you. Since you already submit to his punishments, your success is practically guaranteed, providing that he understands and scrupulously applies the system to you.

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