The Adorable Blog Award

Lacey at http://www.buchorn.com/blog/ gave me The Adorable Blog award.

Rules of the Award
*Thank the person who gave you this award, and link back to them in your post.
*Tell us 10 things about yourself.
*Nominate your bloggers.
*Contact these bloggers, and let them know they received this award.

Just as a preface, I will probably not be detailing too much of my personal life since I am always worried about people finding out about my blog and my WLS. But it will all be a good recap of what I have posted in the past (plus some) for those folks who are newer followers.

1. I was banded on December 18, 2008.

2. I have been blogging since the summer after being banded.

3. I live in the same neck of the woods as Amy W. at http://cheeseandsunkist.blogspot.com/, Mary at http://maryslapbandjourney.blogspot.com/, and Melly at http://mellylovespizza.blogspot.com/. Lacey at http://www.buchorn.com/blog/ used to live near us too. I have had the opportunity to meet three of these lovely ladies (Amy W., Mary, and Lacey).

4. My husband and I had a formal wedding last year but were legally married the year before due to my lack of health insurance and kidney stone issues (we were already engaged, so it wasn't a completely mercenary act on my part--LOL! :) ).

5. I have been having problems with my band since January, which resulted in a complete unfill in early February.

6. I am still having heartburn. It's annoying.

7. I have a lot of skinny family members.

8. This week, I mentioned to a CLOSE family member that a girl we both knew was getting gastric bypass. My family member didn't even want to talk about it because a doctor fairly close to the family had expressed that "Getting weight loss surgeries was one of the worst things a person could do." My family member also said that people always gain the weight back. When I tried to explain that there were different kinds of surgeries and different results, the family member stopped me from talking about the subject entirely. This is yet another reason I keep my band to myself.

9. Speaking of which, I have only told two other real-life folks about my band--a friend and my husband. In fact, sometimes I wish I'd have only told my husband just for more peace of mind.

10. On a more positive note, even though the band has been causing me frustrations, I am optimistic about weight loss surgery in general (and the band itself has been great for many people--the proof is in the Blogosphere Pudding). I hope that if things don't work out with my band (I'm giving it my best efforts in remaining unfilled as long as possible and trying to eat things that won't aggravate my condition), I will have the opportunity to undergo another type of WLS in the future.

And again, I nominate all those who want to participate!

Things We Should Have Never Stopped Doing (Weight-Related Version)

Cosmo recently published an article about 50 Things You Should Have Never Stopped Doing. I thought I'd do my own weight-related edition...although I will just get the list started with ten of my own thoughts (which may or may not apply to your own childhood experiences...but might help you remember some fun you had). Feel free to add on as many things as you like so that we can try and reach 50 things!

1. We should have never stopped spinning around in circles as children. I remember I always loved to spin and watch my 'poofy dresses' float up in the air :) .
2. We should have never stopped playing kickball. This was on the Cosmo list, I think, but it is such a great game for adults too! My group of friends had a kickball party in law school. It was so much fun! I wondered why I hadn't done it earlier (and, now, why I haven't done it since) in my adult life.

3. We should have never stopped swimming when we went to the beach, pool, river, or creek. I know that many of us even avoid places where we have to don anything resembling a bathing suit. But if you can muster up the courage to go, have fun. Get in the water and splash around some!

4. We should have never stopped playing hopscotch.

5. We should have never stopped jumping rope.

6. We should have never stopped occupying our time with hand-clap games and other activities that kept us busy thinking about something other than food.
7. We should have never stopped choreographing routines for ourselves and our friends. I think that something like this was on the Cosmo list too, but dancing is a great way to be active. Add a creativity component, and BAM! What an awesome rush of energy from all directions!

8. We should have never stopped NOT finishing our meals at fast-food chains so that we could go and play in the at-restaurant playlands as soon as possible. It's such a different perspective to think of activity as the much-anticipated end goal itself and not as the routine necessity to attain a different goal.

9. We should have never stopped going to and using the equipment at the park. I personally love swings (when I fit comfortably in them)! They are the best!
10. We should have never stopped imagining that our goals could take us wherever we want to go in life (and ideal weight attainment is just one of these goals!).

Don't forget to add to the list of things we should have never stopped doing!

Good Riddance, Bad Day!

Wow! Yesterday...ending a few minutes ago...was not my day. Everything I touched or looked at turned to cee-rap!

• I woke up at my highest weight yet since surgery (although I've bounced up and down to it for a while now, so it didn't make me cry this time).
• My computer caught a virus that took me half the day to diagnose and fix.
• I had a personal issue that consumed the latter half of the day...and that will continue to frustrate me for years to come (not exaggerating).
• I accidentally changed my Blogger settings to Arabic and then to an Indian dialect as I was starting this post. This language problem didn't take too long to fix (especially compared to that virus nonsense), but dealing with that ended my day on the same note that it started.
• Oh, and I have a major sunburn, which has served as background fun all day.

But I'm looking ahead!

Happy Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day to everyone out in the blogosphere....and a special thank you to all of our service men and women, veterans of the armed forces, their families, and the families of fallen soldiers. Thank you all for your sacrifices.

Why I Write?

I was tagged to discuss my reasons for writing a blog. Please see the instructions and my reasons below.

Why You Write?

*Please also tag 5 others and offer them 3 pearls of wisdom for other writers/bloggers.)

1. I write to give and receive support from this community.
2. I write to release my thoughts.
3. I write to share my life (although I do withhold some elements of it :) ) and to participate in others' lives.
4. I write to give and receive information.
5. I write to motivate myself and others.

Three Pearls Of Wisdom:
-Be appreciative for the things you have.
-Take life by the horns.
-Don't let anyone make you feel not good enough.

I tag everyone who wants to participate. :)

Thankful Thursday

This week, I decided to go with a theme: Modern Conveniences. When I was a little girl, I used to wish that I lived in an era with big poofy gowns and balls galore. Nowadays, I'm thankful I don't. I wouldn't want my world to be without

1. indoor plumbing,
2. central heating and air,
3. electricity,
4. modern transportation, and
5. WLS.

What is your favorite modern convenience?

Why I Am A Non-Discloser

I haven't talked much lately about the reasons why I don't discuss my weight loss surgery with anyone (minus two) in the real world. I know that many post-ops do. My reasons for keeping my WLS to myself include the following.

1. Many folks seem to want to hear that weight loss is a result of the traditional, non-surgical approaches. They're a part of The Biggest Loser culture where they are enraptured by contestants who set all else aside and focus only on weight loss. It is somehow gratifying to watch the Blue Team eat Subway and work out until they are forced to go to the doctor for overexertion-induced injuries. (I myself have watched many seasons of TBL--see what I mean!).

2. I don't feel any compulsion to debate/butt heads with or even worry about what others think about the merits of WLS if they already have their minds set. Lots of people state that they would never choose WLS for themselves. I don't have the time or energy to deflect criticism such as that I have chosen an easier method of weight loss.

3. Moreover, I don't want to be associated (especially professionally) with any unneccesarily negative thoughts. I am not defined by my WLS and don't need others to agree with me about it. According to one social science theory, when someone disagrees with us, we like the item of disagreement more and the person less (and if they agree with something we like, we like them more). I know that this gives more fuel to my already fully fired problem of people pleasing, but in my professional life, I have a need to be liked and don't need most concepts and opinions irrelevant to my work to jeopardize that.

4. I don't want the constant scrutiny of others paying attention to my weight fluctuations, exercise, and food types and portions. My family does this enough without my help.

5. While I know we say things like our weight is 'gone forever,' bounce backs unfortunately happen. People have complications. Prioritizing weight loss can become difficult. We rekindle some bad cravings. And the list goes on and on (or, to be grammatically correct, "On and on goes the list." :) ). I have observed others through their own accounts who've had regain struggles, and I can personally attest to my own issues since I've had my unfill and have had to prioritize things other than weight. I feel like my audience of three (including myself) is enough to watch me regain without purposefully inviting more to my weight-gain freak show.

6. Similarly, some people seem to WANT people to fail and to regain. I don't like satisfying that sort of crowd moreso than I'll already be doing if I gain.

7. My health and my body are my business. I can't keep people from commenting about my weight gains, bulges, and the like, but I can choose not to contribute to their attacks with a background story.

8. I'm not ashamed of WLS and definitely would try to steer others toward it if I felt that they could benefit. I just wouldn't be their picture of a success (or unsuccessful) story. I would have to be a bit more creative in how I approached recommendations, but my not laying it all out there doesn't completely prohibit me from sharing wonderful things and results with WLS.

9. I haven't shared my deep thoughts, feelings, or actions about gaining weight to many people in my life, so I don't feel I need to do the same with how I've lost the weight.

Of course, the decision to go public or to tell anyone at all is completely your own. I am not trying to advise any newbies or to speak from any sort of superior pedestal. I understand that different people might have a different dynamic in their lives and require a larger support system. Some people might need financial support for surgery or after care. There might be any number of other reasons TO tell. The decision is one's own. However, I would say to give it a little thought before you decide to confide in people. Once you tell, you can't ever un-tell.

Has anyone told anyone and regretted it? Does anyone have positive comments about their decision to go completely public? Is anyone a non-teller like me?