meanderings 6 months out

Hi all,

Dost my eyes deceive me? it looks like everyone is back? I'm happy to see that, if so...

I haven't been on the daily menu thread in a while. I'll be back there tomorrow. I have been very off my track for a couple of weeks, and while I haven't gained weight, I have quit losing. More importantly, I feel *awful*. So tired. So run down. Waking up tired every morning. This is how I used to feel every day. I'd forgotten. It sucks. After a crappy breakfast this morning, I've given myself a kick in the can, and I'll be on the daily thread tomorrow, and CAMAWing for a good while. I'm am so looking forward to a couple of cranky, crave-filled, detoxish week because I will know that I am getting OFF that train and on my way to getting my energy back.

I got off track when my college girl came home for spring break. There's something very co-dependent about the women in my family and food. She has struggled with her weight since puberty, and has gained quite a bit since going off to school, which depresses me. I'm not sure how to help her. Instead I started this big slide into carb-ness while she was home and have settled there since. She wants me to help her lose weight over the summer, and I will. But she has a terrible time at school. Her cafeteria is just crap. Seriously. It's a private school, you think they could funnel a bit into the food service,,,but it's pretty bad. I thought she was exaggerating?but no, it really is bad, and mostly just junk. Anyway.

So, to motivate myself, I finally got around to taking some measurements this morning. I haven't done that since before surgery. Thought I'd share some?some of my measurements are atypical and goofy?lol.

Face. Like, I measured my double chin, hah! lost an inch there.

Neck. 1 3/4 inches

Chest, like around the fullest part of my breasts. SEVEN INCHES. That explains a lot.

Waist- 6.5 inches

Hips---around my backside, the fullest part thereof?.11 inches

Thighs- 5 3/4 inches. Each. :)

I measured my calves but managed to butcher that up somehow and didn't get the before measurement written down correctly, it was some wacky number.

Upper arm- 4 1/2 inches. Well on my way to proper batwings there.

And I've mentioned my lap measurement before?the length of my lap when sitting upright in a chair, from where my belly stops to the top of my knee cap. I've gained three inches of lap space. :) Good thing, because my youngest isn't getting any smaller and she still likes to sit there.

Weight then- 375. Now- 275. Size then- 32. Now- 24-26.

Good for you!! You can do this and be the positive role model too !

My daughter was home this weekend for her 21st birthday... it is hard when they come with bad habits. I wanted to buy her everything she likes to eat... but we ended up making my fav chicken taco salad for dinner, and I made her a great protein shake for breakfast. We are almost the same size now... went shopping and we tried on the same clothes. I think it bothers her, and I know she needs to lose some weight, but I am trying to walk that fine line of being supportive, making sure she does not feel marginalized by her weight, but helping her to find alternative food choices that are healthy.

You can do this! 100 pounds! I have my 6-mo checkup next Tuesday so I will find out where I stand. I am at 190, 15 pounds away from where my surgeon thought I would end up, and I am hoping to still lose another 30-40 pounds. Looking forward to seeing your menu tomorrow!

Yes, so much the same...she comes home from break and I want to make all her favorite things...but I'm shocked at how bad her eating has become. Probably it was always that way and I just didn't see it because I ate that way too. Huge, huge portions, and constant grazing. Sitting down to dinner and eating two platefuls and then eating literally another meal a couple of hours later. We don't weigh the same, but only because I am five inches taller than she is, lol. We are carrying nearly the same amount of extra weight now though, and I know she is bothered by my weight loss...little comments she makes. Nothing ugly or discouraging, but more like disparaging to herself, you know? She's such a beautiful, beautiful girl, and it kills me. Unlike me, she hasn't always been overweight,,,she got a *****ubby when puberty hit, but it's only really been the last couple of years, since maybe her senior year of high school, that she really started putting it on. I'm really going to try to help her do well this summer, if she wants the help. She makes a lot of excuses for herself. Last summer, it was too hard to diet on vacation, and then while she was working, no time for exercise, etc..she would do better at school, she and her friends were going to work out together and do this and do that...and when she is at school, it's too hard there for various reasons. And of course the truth is that it is just hard, always, and she is making excuses, as we all love to do. My surgeon's office also does medical weight loss, and so I'm thinking of taking her there. I don't think it's particularly necessary, but it may motivate her to be accountable to a dietician and such, and plus she is at that age where other people are much more knowledgeable than old mom, ha. And maybe they can help her come up with a plan for when she returns to school in the fall too.

I am buying my daughter a bicycle today before I take her back to Seattle... she is very motivated but bad habits are just hard to kick, combined with being at school where there are a lot of bad eating habits. AND now alcohol ;0. Luckily my girl is pretty good about drinking. If she can start biking that may help a lot.

We will just continue to be good role models, right? You and me ;)

Boy - I know how you both feel but with a little bit different cir****tances. My youngest (he is 29) and his wife both just moved in with us because their house sold WAY faster than they thought and they are still trying to find the right home to buy. He and his wife are both skinny and have no problems with their weight. But omg the food they munch on - snack food everywhere, soft drinks, candy and worst of all (for me) WINE!

Oiy vey! (lol I was raised Catholic but that phrase works well in this situation), I just try and stay away from the snacking and open the refrigerator as little as possible. It is not easy by any means. At their age I did the same thing, guess that's why I am now where I am.

I will be 6 months out on the 23rd and I have about 15 - 20 lbs to go. I am at 155 now. Gosh I cant wait to hit the 140's. Gotta keep reminding myself that as I see all those goodies all over the house..WINE!!

Ceci

It is so difficult that we can decide on WLS and make changes but can't control what our adult children do! My 29 yo DD is about 80 pounds overweight and says she keeps trying to lose. Sometimes she will drop 10-15, but they come right back. I know what it is like to not feel good about yourself and to have the health issues that come with obesity sooner or later. I want to help her, but she doesn't really want to talk about it. She already has bad knees and is having her second knee surgery in a week. I see her eat half a bread basket when we go to dinner, then eat very little of her protein. Though I was a big snacker, we never even served bread with meals.

Right? I mean, she is my oldest, and was an only child for 8 years, so I was actually pretty darn anal about what she ate when she was growing up, lol! Even though I was MO, I actually ate pretty healthy most of the time...just too much! I always limited junk, made healthy food every day...but she has the genes to put on weight, and as she became a teenager I had less and less control over what she was eating. And all my kids become too sedentary as they become pre-teens. My husband and I definitely set a bad example there. We are just not physically active people. All our interests are sedentary. I'm sure a lot of that is learned behavior, because both of us have been overweight our whole lives, and fat kids just aren't drawn to learn sports and such.