NEWTINK

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Groups vs teams : just my thoughts

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

I have been part of weight loss groups over the years. TOPS and weight watchers to name the two biggest ones. These were groups. A group to me is a meeting of individuals with similar interest. These groups had a general theme of weight loss. The one big thing about these groups is the personal interaction. Most of the time there is one meeting a week. You weigh and then spend about an hour listening to someone tell you how to reach some figment number. They promise you that if you follow their plan buy their products and suffer through you will reach this goal. Time is limited so there is not much time to question the beliefs behind these theories. There are a lot smiling faces and hushed whispers. Funny how these meetings often made me feel the same way as going out to eat. A lot of polite faces with even more I cant believe she is here again. Not that they were not all nice most were but i never felt like it was comfortable enough to let down my fat shield . There were always the plateaus and the gasp like you went back seconds when you shouldnt have. No explanation of how you worked your tail off to follow some program that they designed but never made it any where close to the figment number. The favorite saying " try harder and you will get there" No one ever said I am sorry maybe this plan isnt for you. No one ever said here lets break this down and see why this isnt working for you. Oh and no one ever said here let me refund your money either. Sometimes the loneliest place in the world is in a group of people.
A team is a group of individuals who work together to accomplish a said goal. On Spark People this is the difference I believe. Here one searches out the teams that share common strengths and some times weaknesses. You find these teams and join. There is no promise of reaching a goal. However, through the teams you find support, knowledge and acceptance. A team is only as strong as its weakest link. For the teams I am own right now I am the weakest link. I cant compete in exercise challenges as I recover. However, not one team has asked me to leave because of my injury. I made the decision not to hurt one of my challenge teams and I moved to a slower paced team. But that decision was made for two reasons: 1. on a team that competes with other teams it is important that everyone be able to give a lot for the betterment of the team, to which my best will fall short right now. 2. I know me and if I feel like I am letting someone down then that becomes my excuse and I fall off into a bottomless pit of self loathing. So I removed that as a possibility. On the teams I have found here people actually talk about issues. There is actual support here. People who struggle the same as you do and are willing to discuss things to help you get past the roadblocks that stand in your way.
It is alright to belong to groups or teams to help in the process. Just for me I dont want you to chastise me because your plan doesnt work . I have come to find out through Spark People that every thing might be might my final decisions however not everything is meant to work with me to start with. We are all different striving to meet similar goals but the paths we take are often very different. When you try to fit my roundness into a square box you will find a squishy mess lol ... I am just glad that I have found the right box that i fit in. I dont function well as a group but I strive as part of a team. I am an individual who likes to be included but I am also individual to start with.

Member Comments About This Blog Post:

CHICA125KML 9/25/2012 11:24AM

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JULIAOAK 9/25/2012 10:45AM

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CHANGING-VICKI 9/25/2012 9:01AM

Not all teams work for all people just like not all food plans work for all people. You have to find what works for you.

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COOKIE_AT_51 9/25/2012 7:58AM

well said

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Down but not out

Sunday, September 23, 2012

So after surgery life has definately slowed for me. An infection on my toes now means i cant use my right for any walking at all. So it is a one leg hop to the restroom and anything else i have to do. By the time i get back to the couch to put my foot back up i am litterally exhausted like i have have walked two miles in 6 minutes that is how long it takes to get there and get back. So i did a search to see if how many calories i burn in this six minutes because it had to be some lol ... Walking on crutches burns 56 calories for every 5 minutes at my weight.

A year ago they would have had to put me in the hospital. So God gave me a gift when he gave me the strength to make the changes. Because this is so much simpler than it has ever been before. I dont feel defeated before i ever get started.

I know what my limits are and i am using caution .It will do no good for me to over do it and be here longer than i need to be . I have had some dehydration issues and loss of of appetite. So i am really going to start tracking my water and nutrition.

So there is the update .. Have a wonderful day everyone !!!!

Member Comments About This Blog Post:

HEARTSTOPPER 9/28/2012 3:53PM

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SHRINK_U 9/24/2012 11:14PM

I hope you have a speedy recovery :) I just read your previous blog too and love how pleased your doctor was with your weight loss. I love your positive outlook.

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BTRFLY08 9/24/2012 2:04PM

I hope you have a speedy recovery!!

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JULIAOAK 9/24/2012 7:57AM

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COUNTRYBARB05 9/23/2012 6:46PM

I hope you heal quickly and are able to start walking again. That is a positive way to look at having to hop around, you are burning some of those calories. Prayers and positive thoughts for you.

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CHANGING-VICKI 9/23/2012 5:59PM

I missed something here. What happened to your foot? Maybe you posted about it in an earlier blog and I haven't gotten to it.
I do hope you'll be up and around very soon and without any pain.

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What a Difference !!!

Friday, September 21, 2012

On Wednesday of this week I had surgery . The removal of mass and the removal of a heel spur. In the past my experience with crutches has been very painful. I had no upper body strength and weak ankles . Since I have been on Spark People I have done some strength training. I have never been able not to use the foot that was hurting .. the weight was just to much for one foot. Simple things like going to the bathroom would make me cry, much less going out any where.

This time though , I can hold my hurt foot and use solely my arms and other foot to support me. I will not say this is graceful but it is better. Two days in there are still no blisters on my hands or under my arms. I have a hard time going longer distances but i am not suppose to be doing that any way .

I realized the other night as i made a grocery list for my husband that this all had really become a life change for me. I took great care in choosing foods that were staying with in my daily limits. It is a wonderful thought to have that a year later so many things have changed that is making this process so much easier this time.

I am not going to say it is all wonderful because it hurts but at least I am not doing anything else to make the pain worst this time. Tomorrow morning I weigh with a cast on . I am told that my cast weighs 5 pounds. My blood pressure on the day of surgery 135/63 which they were delighted with that . My weight on the day of surgery was 284.2. One doctor kept looking at me strangly so i asked can I help you and he said you dont look like you weigh 334 pounds I said that is because I dont any more ... He said Congratulations and keep it up . Everyone was very supportive and encouraging ... They all remarked on how different I looked than i did last year. Several said that it was amazing . It is nice when people talk about how far you have already came versus how much further you have to go.

Any way I just wanted to share that the loss of 80 pounds has made a huge difference so far in this recovery . And to also thank everyone here that has given me courage, encouragement and strength to just do this without to stress. It will be a long 18 weeks but I am prepared to go the difference and make my goal to lose 18 pounds in 15 weeks . I hope that everyone has a wonderful weekend . Take care !!!!

Member Comments About This Blog Post:

OREOSMILE 9/29/2012 7:03PM

I am soooo far behind on all the news. Sorry that I missed your latest trials and impressed as ever about your resolve and good attitude! You are like superwoman to me right now. I've been going through a period of purposeful maintaining - trying to ramp up to all out losing again, but I think that is going to have to wait until next week when we learn what the next few months will bring us!

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JULIAOAK 9/24/2012 7:56AM

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CHANGING-VICKI 9/23/2012 6:02PM

I'm so sorry to hear about the surgery. I read your last blog first, so didn't know what the surgery was about. I hope you heal quickly and there's no lasting effects from it.

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BESTMEICANBE51 9/22/2012 10:25PM

NEWS !

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KBRADFORD88 9/22/2012 10:20PM

You are gonna kick this to the curb, Awesome. I think there are workouts on youtube that are done sitting. I wish you all the best! And so proud of your loss. WOW

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CITYZOZO 9/22/2012 8:18PM

This is all great news!

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THINNYGINNY 9/22/2012 7:09PM

Proud of your success - and sending good thoughts for a quick recovery.

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DANILYNNG 9/21/2012 10:35PM

So glad that the recovery is off to a good start! Hugs and kisses, and

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JENNNY135 9/21/2012 9:15PM

Awesome news and congrats on what you have achieved. Have a speedy and uneventful recovery.

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What i lost

Saturday, September 15, 2012

I haven't done a meaningful blog in a while. This is because I couldn't find the words to say what i wanted to say. Each step of this journey has unlocked something that was new to me. Most things are good however the latest thing isn't good. When I woke up one morning and realized that i had lost 80 pounds it was earth moving to me. In one moment I was strong and confident and in the next moment I was literally lost in a body that i didn't know. I feel vulnerable and defense less. I spent most of my teen years crying because of the tortures of the others because i was over weight . I spent my twenties half heated trying to lose the weight from my pregnancies. My thirties were filled with more turmoil than one should see and the weight allowed a certain attitude that well made most stay away from me. When 40 hit my mentality started to resided myself to the fact that the world was right and i was just destined to be this . At
41 with yet another surgery to my foot .. my mind started reeling at the options that were there and I knew i had to loose the weight. I set small goals and grew stronger and have relished in all the changes ... my body although is still obese at this moment my body sure is in a lot better shape. However it is that same body that has become my baffle at the moment ... It is like putting on a shirt that you are not sure it fits, that shrugging pulling adjusting trying to make it look it belongs. I am not sure if it is everyone or if it is just me but it is how I feel. I want to wake up one morning and feel the way i did confidence wise not so long . When you have almost 200 to loose you have no choice but go at it with everything you have. You are pushed to limits that you dont think you can meet, you go through so many emotional challenges and you are not changing one meal a day and adding 10 minutes of exercise. You change everything, you sacrifice everything , you find strength when you dont think you have any more to give. There is nothing that I will not to loose my weight in the healthiest way possible. Just know that sometimes the journey takes on so many different forms that it is hard to articulate the feelings that I have about what is going on in my mind . I dont know if this blogs makes sense to any one but it is more a note to myself so when i reach the end of this journey and into maintenance I can remember all that i went through to get there .

Member Comments About This Blog Post:

JULIAOAK 9/20/2012 11:34AM

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KBRADFORD88 9/15/2012 5:39PM

We will. We can. And we are one thought, one emotion, one day at a time.

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DUSTYPRAIRIE 9/15/2012 4:54PM

I understand. I lost 30 lbs - halfway to my goal. Yet the emotional side lately has been see-sawing. I feel better, yet..... Maybe I feel vulnerable after being overweight the past 20 years.

You've brought up valid points. I am going to spend some time this week working on the emotional balance of this journey. It's your honesty that has made me realize that it is an important step.

I'm not usually a cookie eater but I ate some for the 3rd day in a row. I'm stalling. Rebelling if you will.

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SHRINK_U 9/15/2012 2:59PM

80 pounds... 80 pounds... so awesome. I haven't gotten that far yet. I am about 50 pounds down from my highest weight. I never realized .. truly realized how emotional losing weight is for me. One day at a time, Tink.. we will do this.

LEMONHEAD LOVE

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THINNYGINNY 9/15/2012 1:31PM

I loved this blog - you are finding your way - just as I am. I am at times delighted with what I have lost and at other times weirded out by being smaller - I can't really internalize it - it doesn't seem real. I have been heavy for so long. I am still hiding out in loose clothes cause I have hidden away from the world for so long. We shall just keep going on this road together til we get to where it is taking us. I have 60 more pounds to go - sometimes that seems like too long - like maybe I should just stay here cause here is okay. But getting to okay was not what motivated me to get started - I wanted to be slender and really healthy and active... so I have to get myself re-motivated...sigh. Off to walk 4 miles!!

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BESTMEICANBE51 9/15/2012 1:31PM

Take it easy and everything will work out.

on 80 pounds GONE

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OGMAMA 9/15/2012 10:50AM

Weight loss can be so confusing. Sometimes it seems like your brain and body and out of sync with each other. I have a feeling that is why it is so hard to maintain. Just stay on track with what you know is right, be gentle with yourself, give yourself time to get used to your new body. You're doing great!

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DEACONTOM 9/15/2012 12:55AM

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Rock it Food Blog days 3 and 4

Thursday, September 06, 2012

9/5 Breakfast
Fiber one honey squares 3/4 cup
almond original lite 1/2 cup

lunch
1 cup progresso lite chicken and dumpling soup
1 grilled cheese with smoked honey turkey and spinach ( made with laughing cow cheese wedge and hungry girl fold it)

Dinner
smoked sausge cheese penene casserole ( was good but a lot of calories)
1/2 cabbage
1/2 cup green beans french style

9/6 Breakfast
Oatmeal with strawberries/bananas

lunch
Progresso light chicken and dumpling soup
pita pocket with smoked turkey/cheese/spinach/FF Kraft mayo

Dinner
French style green beans
cabbage
Cheeseburger wrap ... contents ... 3 oz ground chuck cooked with onions, 1/2 diced tomatoes , 1 laughing cow cheese wedge/ spinach ....

In the beginning of my decision to loose weight I found i dearly hated lettuce and tomatoes. however if i heat diced tomatoes with meat and use spinach i find it to be an enjoyable sandwich. as you can tell i eat left overs. my husband is a picky eater and doesn't eat a lot veggies so i just cook a separate meal for him . Tonight he had hamburger helper yea really he prefers it. so i used some of his ground chuck to make my wrap. Also note that I only use Ronzoni smart taste pastas . oh well that is all i got today lol have a great one everyone.