Fat Girl Code
Rule number one is to never give unsolicited weight loss advice. What works for you may not work for someone else. Being the "Fat girl" for the first 30 years of my life has taught me that nobody likes a weight loss bragger. If you are losing weight and feeling fab keep it to yourself unless someone compliments you or asks you for advice. Nothing makes a fat girl eat more Twinkies than a thin, bragging, loud and proud bitch. Keep that shit on lock. Remember what it was like when you were a big girl. Never forget where you came from: FAT GIRL CODE!
That being said I have a lot of people ask me how I have lost and how I maintain my weight loss.
This is what works for me. I decided 16 months ago that I wanted a better life for myself. When I first started this journey it was the first time I did it for me and nobody else. I wanted to be able to run up the stairs and not have a sweat stash from going to the couch from the bathroom. I was FAT. Yes I was FAT. I used the "F" word because I've earned it. I was and always will be the "Fat girl". Losing weight and seeing the numbers on the scale go down does not take away one's "Fat Girl" status. It is a badge of honor one earns when they have struggled with being overweight for their entire childhood and most of their adult life. I lived through the teasing and even made fun of myself to get the crowd laughing with me instead of laughing at me.
I was out of shape and sick. I had high blood pressure and pre-diabetes. I was on a ton of medications and I was only 30 years old. I once topped the scales at 324 pounds, though these days I go by how I look and feel rather than what the scale says. Scale addiction is a woman's worst enemy. Worst of all I was depressed, hopelessly exhausted and my tired body ached constantly. I was finding it harder and harder to get through an 8 hour work day. I have always been a hard worker but lugging around all that extra weight was quite literally killing me. I had gone through a bad pregnancy riddled with problems and the pregnancy ended at 6 months along. My child had a neural tube defect which is not caused by but can be more common in women who carry that are also obese.
I have often attributed the death of my son for saving my life. It may sound cliche but something during my darkest hour just clicked into place. A ball was set rolling inside of myself and I knew I wanted to live and I wanted to live better.
I made small changes at first. I did modified weight watchers, parked further away at the mall or grocery store, and made healthier food choices. I switched to whole grains and got rid of all the bad snacks in my house. Temptation is best left at the supermarket on the shelf. I was able to get my weight down to 275 but it slowly climbed back up to 292. I decided during this time to have gastric by-pass surgery. It was a long 6 month process of psychiatric appointments and weight and wellness classes. It forced me to really dig deep inside and find the real reason behind my food addiction. Yes food is an addiction. Just like heroin I could not stop eating even though I knew it was no good for me. I needed more and more to feel satisfied. For me food was there when nobody else was. Food was my happy, my sad, my good, and my bad. It was a reward and a punishment. I had no idea I deserved to feed myself and nourish myself with food that tasted good and was good for me. If it tasted good and was salty and sugary I ate it and then after I ate it I hated myself for it. Nobody called me more names than myself. I was my own worst abuser.
I got really tired of that. I still eat what I want but I really think about why I want something and if it's really worth it before I put it in my mouth. If I'm really and truly craving a doughnut I have a doughnut; if I want M&M's I have them but I don't keep them stock piled in my house. I think for me I need to identify my emotions before I eat anything. I think to myself "am I really hungry or is it something else?" "Am I
I thirsty?" "What am I really feeling right now in this moment?" Sometimes I'm really hungry but other times I'm just sad, anxious, or upset. I think for anyone to have success with weight loss you need to identify your triggers and find effective coping skills to replace the overeating. Find out what your triggers are. Therapy is beneficial for EVERYONE!
I used to hate working out because I hated being the fat girl at the gym. When your overweight working out hurts. It's almost intolerable. So in the begining I just walked. Now I love the gym but I use the gym as my "Me time" I go as a reward not as a punishment. I take an hour of my day and just spoil myself in quiet thoughts and music. I jam out on my ipod and work off all my stress and anger. If I'm sad I take it out on the treadmill. Nothing feels better than a work out when you're feeling sad or angry. Again this is what works for me. I also enjoy dancing, Zumba, and hiking. Outdoor activities are a double bonus because sunshine also leads to Vitamin D production and supports an improved mood.
Gastric By-pass isn't for everyone. It's not a cure it's a tool. It gives you a baby stomach and you get to start over from scratch. You start with liquids and work your way up to pureed foods and then soft foods. It's much easier to eat less when your stomach is the size of an egg. Please do not ever say it's cheating or it's the easy way out because it's not. Gastric bypass patients can regain and can stretch out their pouches if they don't continue to eat small portions and exercise. If you eat high fat foods you will get fat plain and simple. You need to change your mindset and there is no surgery for that.
You just have to be ready. I didn't eat bread for a year. I gave up white foods like potatoes, rice, bread, and pasta. This is what works for me. I can still eat cake, cookies and pizza but now I eat a smaller amount and I stop eating before I am full. Only a gastric bypass patient can understand the horror that is "dumping syndrome" and for each of us it is a different beast. I've had it a hand full of times and it's enough to keep me off whatever it is that I ate. Dumping syndrome occurs when a bypass patient has too much sugar, fat, or too much food. It can cause nausea, vomiting, lose stools. jitters, low blood sugar, and even passing out.
It's not fun, not fun at all. I hope this has given the reader a little insight. If I can help one person out there than I've done my job. I'm open and honest and I can give you many pro's and con's of gastric bypass. I will tell you for me the pro's outweigh the con's and I'm glad I did it. it's not for everyone but it works for me.
That being said I have a lot of people ask me how I have lost and how I maintain my weight loss.
This is what works for me. I decided 16 months ago that I wanted a better life for myself. When I first started this journey it was the first time I did it for me and nobody else. I wanted to be able to run up the stairs and not have a sweat stash from going to the couch from the bathroom. I was FAT. Yes I was FAT. I used the "F" word because I've earned it. I was and always will be the "Fat girl". Losing weight and seeing the numbers on the scale go down does not take away one's "Fat Girl" status. It is a badge of honor one earns when they have struggled with being overweight for their entire childhood and most of their adult life. I lived through the teasing and even made fun of myself to get the crowd laughing with me instead of laughing at me.
I was out of shape and sick. I had high blood pressure and pre-diabetes. I was on a ton of medications and I was only 30 years old. I once topped the scales at 324 pounds, though these days I go by how I look and feel rather than what the scale says. Scale addiction is a woman's worst enemy. Worst of all I was depressed, hopelessly exhausted and my tired body ached constantly. I was finding it harder and harder to get through an 8 hour work day. I have always been a hard worker but lugging around all that extra weight was quite literally killing me. I had gone through a bad pregnancy riddled with problems and the pregnancy ended at 6 months along. My child had a neural tube defect which is not caused by but can be more common in women who carry that are also obese.
I have often attributed the death of my son for saving my life. It may sound cliche but something during my darkest hour just clicked into place. A ball was set rolling inside of myself and I knew I wanted to live and I wanted to live better.
I made small changes at first. I did modified weight watchers, parked further away at the mall or grocery store, and made healthier food choices. I switched to whole grains and got rid of all the bad snacks in my house. Temptation is best left at the supermarket on the shelf. I was able to get my weight down to 275 but it slowly climbed back up to 292. I decided during this time to have gastric by-pass surgery. It was a long 6 month process of psychiatric appointments and weight and wellness classes. It forced me to really dig deep inside and find the real reason behind my food addiction. Yes food is an addiction. Just like heroin I could not stop eating even though I knew it was no good for me. I needed more and more to feel satisfied. For me food was there when nobody else was. Food was my happy, my sad, my good, and my bad. It was a reward and a punishment. I had no idea I deserved to feed myself and nourish myself with food that tasted good and was good for me. If it tasted good and was salty and sugary I ate it and then after I ate it I hated myself for it. Nobody called me more names than myself. I was my own worst abuser.
I got really tired of that. I still eat what I want but I really think about why I want something and if it's really worth it before I put it in my mouth. If I'm really and truly craving a doughnut I have a doughnut; if I want M&M's I have them but I don't keep them stock piled in my house. I think for me I need to identify my emotions before I eat anything. I think to myself "am I really hungry or is it something else?" "Am I
I thirsty?" "What am I really feeling right now in this moment?" Sometimes I'm really hungry but other times I'm just sad, anxious, or upset. I think for anyone to have success with weight loss you need to identify your triggers and find effective coping skills to replace the overeating. Find out what your triggers are. Therapy is beneficial for EVERYONE!
I used to hate working out because I hated being the fat girl at the gym. When your overweight working out hurts. It's almost intolerable. So in the begining I just walked. Now I love the gym but I use the gym as my "Me time" I go as a reward not as a punishment. I take an hour of my day and just spoil myself in quiet thoughts and music. I jam out on my ipod and work off all my stress and anger. If I'm sad I take it out on the treadmill. Nothing feels better than a work out when you're feeling sad or angry. Again this is what works for me. I also enjoy dancing, Zumba, and hiking. Outdoor activities are a double bonus because sunshine also leads to Vitamin D production and supports an improved mood.
Gastric By-pass isn't for everyone. It's not a cure it's a tool. It gives you a baby stomach and you get to start over from scratch. You start with liquids and work your way up to pureed foods and then soft foods. It's much easier to eat less when your stomach is the size of an egg. Please do not ever say it's cheating or it's the easy way out because it's not. Gastric bypass patients can regain and can stretch out their pouches if they don't continue to eat small portions and exercise. If you eat high fat foods you will get fat plain and simple. You need to change your mindset and there is no surgery for that.
You just have to be ready. I didn't eat bread for a year. I gave up white foods like potatoes, rice, bread, and pasta. This is what works for me. I can still eat cake, cookies and pizza but now I eat a smaller amount and I stop eating before I am full. Only a gastric bypass patient can understand the horror that is "dumping syndrome" and for each of us it is a different beast. I've had it a hand full of times and it's enough to keep me off whatever it is that I ate. Dumping syndrome occurs when a bypass patient has too much sugar, fat, or too much food. It can cause nausea, vomiting, lose stools. jitters, low blood sugar, and even passing out.
It's not fun, not fun at all. I hope this has given the reader a little insight. If I can help one person out there than I've done my job. I'm open and honest and I can give you many pro's and con's of gastric bypass. I will tell you for me the pro's outweigh the con's and I'm glad I did it. it's not for everyone but it works for me.
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