The New Normal

This journey has and continues to be an interesting one. All along the way, I've realized that "normal" is a sliding scale of s

Bariatric Healthy Living II

The most recent edition of the Bariatric Healthy Living newsletter included a recipe for my Chick'n Lick'n Good Pizza. Yummy!

In My Grandmother's Footsteps

The person I admire most in the world is my grandmother. Not only because she raised me and taught me everything that I know about being a woman of character, but because through the example of her life, she has shown me what it means to walk through challenge and adversity with strength and dignity. Despite the expensive education I have been blessed to receive, the lessons I learned at her knee are the ones on which I rely as I make my way through life.

That said, it’s not unusual for me to hear her voice in my head as I wrestle with everyday decisions as mundane as what to wear or deal with issues as complicated as whether to purchase a particular home in a particular neighborhood. When I’m in a clothing store and trying to determine whether to make a purchase, I hear her say, “Andrea, I know you want that, but do you really need it?” Then I hear, “Andrea, never spend your last dime anywhere." And finally, “Andrea, does that shirt match anything you already have in your closet?” There was a time when I found that extra voice in my head troubling, but now it’s a comfort. It means that a person whose opinion and judgment I trust is always with me, whether she’s 100 miles away or in the next room.

In true Grandma fashion, as I have traveled on this weight loss journey, she has been with me every step of the way. Encouraging me. Motivating me. Loving me. And although she did not need to lose any weight, she started reading labels carefully, as a show of support for me. In the process, she’s gone down at least two dress sizes herself. So today, not only do I walk in her footsteps, but I get to wear her old suits. Yay!

Thank you, Grandma. For being my best friend. For teaching me the value of hard work. For showing me what it means to live my life with purpose. I love you.

Goal!

Webster defines a goal as the “terminal point of a race,” or the “end toward which effort is directed.” Webster makes it sound like when we reach a goal, we have arrived at a conclusion. Well, far be it for me to contradict Noah Webster, but I disagree. A goal is not an ending, but rather a point of transition. A moment at which we are free to shift our efforts to encompass greater achievement and success.

The truth is, we all set goals. Sometimes intentionally…other times accidentally. Imagine for a moment the six-month-old who sees his favorite toy just a few feet away, resting at his father’s feet. He stretches his tiny arm, attempting to reach it, but cannot. He cries, drawing his father’s attention, and points at the toy. His father then bends to the floor, scoops up the object, and gives it to his son. Satisfaction! But what about the day when his father is not in the room? There is no one to pass him the toy. On that day, the frustrated child will realize that if he coordinates the movement of his arms and legs in a certain way, he will be able to get exactly what he wants. Without knowing what he’s doing, he’s crawling. And in that moment, he reaches both his toy and a major milestone in child development. Is that the end of the little boy’s journey? Of course not. Six months later, he’ll push himself onto the soles of his feet and realize that with greater coordination, he’ll be able to get to that toy even faster. On that day, he’ll be walking.

On January 25, 2010 – the day I started my two-week, preoperative liquid diet – I set several goals. They were major and there was nothing accidental about them. I promised myself that no matter how difficult things got, I would take full advantage of my surgery so that I could obtain health. I would follow the rules so that when all was said and done, when I looked at myself in the mirror, I would know that I had not wasted my blessing. After speaking with the nutritionist about what my actual target weight should be, we settled on 175 pounds – my estimation of what my weight was when I started high school. If you know me personally, and know that I’m about 5’2’’, 175 pounds may sound extremely heavy. Well…here’s what it looks like:

Not too shabby if I do say so myself. For those of you to whom numbers are important, I take this moment to note that the red dress is a size 14 and is actually too big. Still not convinced? Then I encourage you to ask the young lady below who wore a size 30. What do you think she would say?

Today, weighing in at 174.2 pounds, I can’t help but wonder what comes next? It’s quite simple really. Now, instead of crawling, I run.