Comments on: A better version of me

By: Vickie

Vickie — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 22:49:12 +0000

@Gigi -Sometimes it feels like I’m sliding down into a muddy pit and can’t find a place to grab onto. I lost 40 pounds recently and have just regained 12 of them..it’s like trying to stop a train sometimes. It’s good to know others are dealing with the same problems. Thanks for sharing your struggles with the rest of us. We will lose the weight, I know this because we are not satisfied where we are!

By: Supple Mama

Supple Mama — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 01:10:34 +0000

That is really deep…wow

By: Melissa

Melissa — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 22:53:15 +0000

I can relate, even though my weight loss wasn’t NEARLY as incredible (I lost 35, and have kept off 25) and these 10 I’ve gained are driving me nuts. I’m torn between loving myself as I am and being happy I am toned and fit … and berating myself for gaining them at all. You’ve come so far, and you’re still you!!!

By: Kimberly

Kimberly — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 15:50:46 +0000

You aren’t being silly. You are being human. We all want to be thinner versions of our former selves. And you did it. You achieved the seemingly impossible and that is very hard to let go of, even temporarily. Don’t beat yourself up about it. You will care later on and get back to that former version of yourself when you are ready.

By: Linda

Linda — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 23:54:23 +0000

Been there, done that. I lost 100 lbs at one point and gained it ALL back. Every. freaking. pound. But when I was in my late 40s, I decided to try once again. It took 2 1/2 years, but I lost it all, and have kept it off 1 1/2 years so far. Try to live in the day, and not think about 20 lbs. Live one healthy eating day at a time, and don’t look so hard at the finish line.

And getting old? I don’t really remember one day of being hot and firm, but I enjoy the current body that is not in pain when I walk up a couple of steps. I regret some lost opportunities, but I try to live in the now. Even if you weigh 20 lbs. more than you wish, I bet you are more pain-free, and enjoying your life more. Savor that.

By: Dee

Dee — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:25:44 +0000

This was my favorite post of yours since I’ve been reading your blog in recent weeks. I also love your book, and this post reminds me why: You have a great deal of insight into how perspective plays a role in how we view our size, and relate that view to our overall sense of self, self-worth, and/or beauty. The 230 lb version of you could fully appreciate how she looked; the post 170 version has momentarily (for some, enduringly) lost that power.

I also like that you consistently make the important point that a healthy lifestyle takes ongoing effort. Monotonous ongoing effort. No one in the fitness world really tells you that perhaps the hardest part of healthy living is maintenance.

I’m glad you drive home this important point, nestled in your unique brand of humor that makes it easier to digest!

By: Al Hardy

Al Hardy — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 06:13:53 +0000

I have to keep exercise in my daily regime. I go to the gym every other day because I know that if I don’t I won’t feel as good. So I can sympathize with you when you say you put on weight when losing it slipped down your list of priorities.

By: nolafwug

nolafwug — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 23:49:40 +0000

Wow, thanks so much for sharing. I am currently at the lowest weight I have ever been since grade school (135). I am also more healthy and fit than I’ve ever been. But I realize I am lucky and that it is a fragile state.

Tonight we were afraid for a while there that my son had broken his arm. I was rushing around trying to figure out symptoms and insurance and after-hours urgent care. He was crying, his brother was crying, I was trying not to cry. I realized I was hungry and there was no way I had time to cook what I had planned. And I started to think that Doritoes would be just the thing to ease my stress. That’s how easy it is to slide. Life happens.

I did end up grabbing something quick and healthy though. I am trying to figure out ways to keep it together when the you-know-what hits the fan before it actually does. I know I’ve been lucky and it can’t last because life happens. Plus I think I transferred my dang-that-was-stressful-you-deserve-a-treat thoughts from food to stuff. I went to the drug store to get him a sling and bought myself some early Christmas gifts. So I’ll be thin and broke. Oh well, as somebody else said – we’re all works in progress.

By: Helen

Helen — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:41:54 +0000

I TOTALLY FEEL YOUR PAIN (well, maybe not totally since I haven’t written a book and dealt with that attendant stress over gaining…Frances can be more helpful for you with that maybe). I was at my lowest this round (in June) at 170 (yikes, I never type my actual weight!) and am now closer to 180. That makes me feel bad even though I was 260 (at least) at my biggest. That one brief shining moment is always there…a clue, a curse, a goal…but mostly, I think, a WEIGHT. Hope I understand all this one day…

By: Helen

Helen — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:41:29 +0000