I had a wonderfully inspiring day today. For the first time since my surgery, I attended a support group meeting at Barix Clinics in Langhorne. My best friend attended last month and invited me to go along with her today. Seriously, it's just one of those things that I kept saying "Yea, I'll get there one of these months." But, then one month becomes another month...and well, you get the picture.
Barix is about an hour from my house, so it's not a quick trip. But, it was well worth the ride (especially having some catch up time with Lisa in the car!). There were about 30-40 people there today and it was really interesting hearing everyone's stories. We were split into two groups: pre-op patients and those up to 3 months out, and then the rest of us (3 months out of surgery and up). We basically went around the group and shared things on our mind. Some people were having specific problems (fear of returning to sugars, putting on a few pounds of late, etc.). Others just shared that they are feeling great and are happy to be where they are. I fit into the latter group (insert grin here).
For the most part, I am happy and feel great. I'm really trying to get my water intake up and my carb intake down. Carbs have always been a problem for me, and that's the reason why I got in the situation I was in to start with. It is a really tough thing trying to curb those cravings. I guess it could be worse...a few pretzels are surely better than a few jellybeans, right? I really have no craving for sugars, which is a good thing. A lot of people at today's support group meeting talked about their struggles with cravings for cookies, chocolate, cakes, etc. Although I'm just a year out, those cravings haven't returned for me.
I have been receiving some negative vibes lately from some folks about my "poor eating habits" and how they've continued -- even after surgery. I don't know what people think when they hear about this surgery. Weight loss surgery is not a cure all for everything. We still struggle with the same addictions and weight problems that we did before surgery. The surgery was just a tool to give us a jump start on a new life. We still have to work on maintaining, exercising, etc. -- just like anyone else on any other kind of diet.
I will be the first one to admit that when I go out to eat (which isn't too often), I do treat myself. It's not like I eat that way all the time. A few gravy fries or a few broccoli bites aren't the end of the world. My homemade macaroni and cheese is definitely a treat! It's not like I eat that stuff five times a week. It's a treat, and anything in moderation is acceptable. It's unrealistic to think I could go through the rest of my life and never have that stuff again. For the most part, I make sure I eat a salad once a day, get some sort of protein in (chicken, pork), and try to limit the carb intake.
I know that I'm not perfect -- and I don't claim to be. I know that this will be a struggle for the remainder of my life -- and I don't think it will be easy.
But, what I do know is that I have been given a new lease on life. And I will do whatever it takes to keep living this way -- healthy and enjoying myself and living life to the fullest. Oh, and I will also do my best to ignore all the negative vibes that come my way. I'm proud of how far that I've come, and I sure the hell aren't going to let someone get me down because they are waving a finger at me or rolling their eyes at me because I have a slice of pizza or a few french fries.
Until next time, peace out!
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