Lori

Okay here is what I don’t understand.

Why does someone come onto a weight loss site like Buddy Slim where people are here to lose weight.
People who in many cases are desperate for support and want to be able to trust others that are dealing with the same kinds of issues they are.

That person befriends others and makes up stories and lies and she involves herself in their lives.
She creates multiple accounts with phony profiles and made up stories.
She writes blogs about her life and her ’story’ and then she even goes so far as to comment on her own blog using one of her many aliases.
She does this over and over and over again.

Why?????
I don’t get it.
Most people on BS are kind caring individuals but it only takes one person like this to really change things for me and make me question people’s motives here.
Instead of trusting people I find I am watching for things that don’t sound right, watching to see if there is more of the phony junk that I just don’t understand.

It’s sad really.

The other thing about this person is that when she was given ample opportunity to come clean to her closest ‘friends’ here she didn’t do that she proceeded to carry on with all her dishonesty.
Then when she was finally called on it she opted to disappear and slink away with no explanation at all deleting her account and info.

Now I for one would have been quite happy if that person had just stayed away.
But oh no she couldn’t leave it there.
Back she came looking for sympathy.  Blogging about how she left for her own reasons but now she’s back and it’s all this - give me more and more sympathy please and keep it coming.

Obviously this person craves attention.
The thing that really bothers me is that some people on BS that I do care about support this person, the person they think she is.  She isn’t that person at all.

So I just needed to get this off my chest and if anyone can help me to understand it PLEASE fill me in.

Have a great day all you REAL Buddy Slimmers
Lori

Okay so I’ve been at Buddy Slim for quite some time.

You would think I would know how things work around here.

BUT after I blogged yesterday a friend of mine emailed me and said CHECK YOUR MOD. FOLDER.
Ya okay I’ll do that.
(thanks Nic)

Wellllllllllllll I had 60 comments in there.  OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPS!

So guys please check your folders.  Don’t ask me how or where it is.  I forget.  LOL

If you’ve commented on my blogs and thought I was ignoring you I’M SORRY.

Now I have some catching up to do 

Have a GREAT day everyone!

For years I’ve watched my mom’s health deteriorate.
I’ve watched her poor eating habits lead to her being overweight,
obese, morbidly obese
diabetes, heart disease
lack of mobility
and her quality of life diminish

I knew she was in really bad shape and only getting worse and I knew I wanted better for myself and my family.
She was a huge motivating factor in my own weight loss and desire to get healthier and change my lifestyle.
She didn’t motivate me by being a role model of how I wanted to be but the complete opposite.
That is very sad but it’s a fact.

Last month my mom went into emergency with what should have been a simple operation.
You see she had a hernia.  A hernia that needed to be repaired and would have been a straight forward surgical procedure with her returning home possibly the same day.
But no it wasn’t that simple at all.  Because of her overall health it was a life threatening situation.
The surgeon definitely did not want to do surgery.  He was afraid that she wouldn’t survive it.
So we waited for hours and days for her bowel obstruction to repair itself which didn’t happen she only proceeded to get worse and worse until her kidneys quit working and her body was shutting down and we were watching her die before our very eyes.
The whole thing was unbelievable.
We watched specialist after specialist examine my mom and ask us a billion questions and all come to the same conclusion that she was very ill and needed surgery.
The surgeon did not want to do surgery he felt chances were slim that she would survive.
Her lung capacity is bad, her heart is bad she is just very very unhealthy.

She did eventually have the surgery.  The surgeon came to me and my three brothers and said okay this is it, now either we just make your mom as comfortable as possible for her last few hours or we do the surgery and hope she makes it out alive.
What kind of decision is that?
So we say goodbye and watch her die or we send her into surgery that she most likely won’t survive?
That’s just freaking lovely
So of course we have to opt for surgery.  We can’t just give up.  We go with the surgeon and talk to mom and tell her that we think surgery is her best option - only option really and she agreed.  Actually she said “no shit” and “let’s get it done then”.
That’s my mom.  Tough, sense of humour and hides her emotions, TRIES to hide her emotions.  She made it easier for us, not easy, but easier.

So we said goodbye hoping for the best but fearing the worst.  I am still not sure how I got through that day, but you just do.

Trying to keep this long story as short as I can, she did make it out of surgery THANK GOD.
Recovery was and continues to be very difficult.  Her next days in the hospital were spent with her struggling with her oxygen levels, blood pressure that kept dropping to dangerously low levels, a higher than normal risk of blood clots forming in her legs and the dr. not being able to detect it well because of the size of her legs as well as the threat of cellulitis returning (to which she could lose her legs).
Medications not being as effective because of her diabetes.
It was one thing after the other and I can’t tell you how many times we were told she isn’t out of the woods yet.

Part of me is so angry at my mom for letting herself get into this condition and putting me and the rest of the family through all of this.
So much could have been avoided.
There are so many things in life that we have no control over.  But many things we do so why don’t we do our best to take care of ourselves?
Don’t our children and spouses and friends deserve that from us?  Of course they do.

The night that my mom came out of surgery alive, after a VERY long day I told my brothers that this should be a reminder to all of us as to why we need to take better care of ourselves.  I won’t do that to my son.  I WILL be a role model for him not an example of what he doesn’t want to be.

Weight loss is so much more than fitting into a nice pair of jeans.  SO MUCH MORE!

HAPPY CANADA DAY!!!!!!!!!!

to my Canadian Buddies

and anyone else that wants to celebrate with us  

Buddy Slim is a wonderful place.  A terrific site where people come together to support one another in the VERY, VERY  difficult challenge of losing weight.

People form friendships and bonds of all different types.
Some that last and some that don’t.
Some people become very involved and others are more quiet and stay in the background but are still an integral part of what makes Buddy Slim work.

We all make up this amazing network, a place where we can come for advice or to vent or to offer our support or get high 5’s when we deserve them or just to share a recipe.
It can give us strength when we need it or peace of mind we get nowhere else.
It lets us know that we are human and that we aren’t alone in this struggle.

We are all different so the way that we deal with things is different and our interpretation of things is different.

I see some talk about the drama on Buddy Slim.
I don’t see it or maybe I don’t care to see it.
I try to focus on the positive here and there is so much of it.

I think the ones talking drama are creating drama themselves or trying to.
I am tired of even hearing the word.

Just try not to worry too much about what others do.
It’s too time consuming and not productive or beneficial.
Focus on you and your journey and the way that you’ll be able to give and receive support in a positive way.

There are people here that are just getting started on their journeys and I would hate to see them get turned off and leave because of silliness.
I want them to see how incredible this place can be and to get the support that I got when I first started here and that helped me to lose weight and has kept me here for over 3 yrs.

There are people here that spend hours at the gym and there are others that are just beginning a walking routine.
Just because they may be at different places right now as far as fitness goes doesn’t mean they don’t have a lot in common.
I love seeing some of the most enthusiastic workout people on here giving advice and encouraging new people.
You can see how excited they get motivating others.
It’s fabulous.
They could simply move on after losing their weight and forget all about Buddy Slim but they continue to inspire others to work towards the same successes that they’ve had.

KUDOS to those people that keep going strong and blogging and supporting and welcoming the new and helping to keep them on their weight loss journey.
It makes me proud to be a part of Buddy Slim.

Thank you all
and thanks for reading
HAVE A GREAT DAY!
Lori

Hello Buddies and HAPPY MONDAY!!!!!!

I hope the weekend was good for you.

I am looking for some advice.

I am thinking about doing a 5K.  I have no idea where to begin or even really what to expect.
It is sooooooooooo out of my comfort zone and perhaps that’s one of the reasons for thinking I might want to do it.

Another reason being that it just seems like it could be the next step in my weight loss journey.
I am active, I use my treadmill regularly (more for walking than for any lengthy jogging), I workout regularly at the gym both cardio and strength and I hike so I feel like I’m in good shape other than a knee that gives me trouble now and then.

I’m still not sure how to go about training for a 5K or what is expected of me.
ie. is it okay to WALK and jog and how much walking is acceptable without looking like a total fool?

I see that many of the buddies have done 5Ks and I am curious to know how you got started and what your experience with it is and what prompted you to do it.

Any thoughts and advice would be appreciated.

Thanks
Lori

I see people at the gym and at the pool that are retired, happy people living very full lives.
That is what I want.
I want to be one of those people that is aging well and enjoying life.
I want to feel great and look great.
I want to turn 45 and think damn 45 looks awesome on me.
Then at 50 I want people to say wow she doesn’t look 50, look at her go!
I want to have grandchildren in the future and be a big part of their lives, an active part.
I want to be the cool grandma that takes her grandkids to the pool and plays frisbee with them and runs and plays.

What do you see in your future?

Boy this weight loss stuff is tough.
No matter how long you are at it it’s still challenging.
But nobody said it would be easy, worth it YES, easy NO.

If you are one of those people that thinks you can just go on a ‘diet’, lose weight then go back to your old ways and expect the weight to stay off then I think you are just setting yourself up for disappointment.
Even maintaining takes work.

I’ve been struggling with keeping the weight off and losing the last few pounds.
Then instead of being at a stand still I gained a few lbs back.
More than just a couple, but in the grand scheme of things very little really.
It’s scary though to gain weight back and it sucks big time to have to re-lose.
I’ve noticed a few people on Buddy Slim in the same boat right now.
Knowing that we aren’t alone is one of the best things about Buddy Slim.

So for me its time to go back to basics
back to being more strict and sticking with the things that I know work
-the water, the food, the exercise

so back to planning planning planning
I am a planner by nature so it should be easy yet somehow I got away from doing that on a regular basis
well no more, I am now recommitting fully to this
I know what I need to do to be successful at losing weight and I know the things I can’t do
now I just need to implement them

so my plan is
-water, water, water (always a good idea)
-meals planned in the evening for the following day with calories counted
aiming for 1400 cals / day
-fruits and veggies cut up in the evening
-having healthy options on hand and planned instead of relying on my good judgement to make smart choices when I’m hungry
the best choices aren’t generally made when you’re already hungry
this I know
-working out in the afternoon like I was doing before
I’ve let that slide with all kinds of excuses
-continuing with my morning treadmill walk/jog as well as my exercise classes

I Know I need to get back to this and have felt good doing so the last 2 days

Whatever your struggle is today know that you aren’t alone.
If its a weight loss struggle remember that we all had to start somewhere and there are huge success stories all around.
It can be hard to find the motivation to do the work necessary but you just need to do it for you.
Seek people out that you can relate to and can relate to you.
Don’t let excuses keep you from reaching your goals
we all have excuses and reasons and explanations as to why we can’t do this or that or why we have a hard time making it to the gym or eating healthy food or whatever it might be

bottom line is that you need to make you a priority
nothing else matters
yup we have kids and moms and dads and spouses and friends and family and pets that need us
but if we don’t take care of ourselves what good are we going to be to them?

Dont let school or work or bad relationships or injuries get in your way.
We all have obstacles to go around and blocks to push aside, everyone of us does.

It’s an amazing feeling meeting challenges head on and having great results to show for it.
We are all worth it.

Have a GREAT day!
Lori

It doesn’t seem like it was 2 yrs. ago that I first joined Buddy Slim.
I am so grateful for all the support I’ve received here and all the friends that I’ve made.

Crazy how fast time flies.

I’ve gone from a size 3x to a size small / medium

From a 24 to a 6/8

From shopping in plus size stores to regular department stores.

Losing weight has changed my life in more ways than I ever imagined it would or could.

I am a much more confident woman now.  I carry myself differently - taller and with pride.
I speak up for myself  and I am eager to try new things and embrace life.

I swim, I hike, I enjoy finding new ways to have fun while getting exercise.

I love to sweat.  LOL
Yup its true.
That was not the Lori of 2 yrs. ago trust me on that.
Sweat - ewwwwwwwwww
But things change - THANK GOD

The Lori of 2 yrs. ago avoided physical activity at all costs.
She knew every excuse in the book and she used them.

The Lori of 2 yrs. ago dreaded social engagements because of her size.
I hated HAVING to get dressed to go out.
Now I use it as an excuse to buy a cute new outfit and maybe to show off the new me just a little bit.

I am a much  more outgoing person now.  I just love life and I love being around people who also love life.  Life’s fun and we all deserve to enjoy it.  It’s way too short not to.

I no longer worry about what others think of me (for the most part anyway).
I know I’m a good person and that’s all that matters.

I no longer need to please everyone all the time.  That’s HUGE.

This is the new me and the me that is here to stay.

My new confidence has affected all aspects of my life in a positive way.
It’s not something I expected at all.
I wanted to lose weight to fit into nice clothes and now I do.
I wanted to get thinner to be healthier and I am now.
I wanted to be able to go to a restaurant and not worry about having to cram myself into a booth.  No more worry there.
But there are so many things that I didn’t expect to gain from losing weight.

I’ve lost 120 + pounds but I have gained so much more.

This weight loss journey is a tough one, there’s no doubt about that but like I have said before it is all worth it.
Every painstaking step is worth it.

Yup there’s days when I don’t feel like exercising (thank you to my buddies who help push me when I need it).
Yup there are days when the sweets are calling my name LOUDLY.  UGH
I am sure this is always going to be a struggle for me.
But it’s one challenge I am up for.

I hope that my little blog here, my little story about how things have changed for me in 2 short yrs. will help to motivate some of you that are struggling and some of you that might be feeling overwhelmed by how much weight you have to lose.
I started out at 265 pounds.
I am now somewhere around 140-145  (not getting on the scale right now - PMSing and I’ve learned my lesson about that).
It took me just over a year to lose 100 pounds.
I had days where I felt like I could never do it.
Like that was far too much weight to lose.

But I had to just keep chugging along.  Plugging away.  Persevering.
The best advice I can give you is to just take it one day at a time and one pound at a time.
That’s how to get through this and when you slip up you shake it off and you start over and you keep moving forward.

I wish everyone could find success at weight loss.
I know how painful it is to be big, obese, a plus sized woman whatever you want to call it.

I guess my  message is that it can be done.
I am just plain old ordinary Lori and if I can do it so can you.

Much success buddies!
Lots of love
Lori

YIKES!!!!!

Do you ever do that?  Eat while you are deciding what you are going to have to eat?

I used to do it all the time.  Rifle through the cupboard or fridge to find something for lunch while I was munching away.
Hmmm wonder how I got to be so heavy

So 200+ calories later I wake up and smack myself.  Put the damn chips away grab a carrot stick and procede to scramble up some egg beaters and put salsa on top.
Yummy a very good lunch that I really enjoyed.
Now if only I had that planned in the first place.
Old habits are hard to break and even once you think they are broken they can creep back in when you least expect it.

This was a very good reminder to me of why I NEED to have a meal plan in front of me.
It’s too easy to get off track when you are already hungry and easily distracted and pull in by foods that you really don’t want to be eating.

Another thing I used to do is if I was eating a meal that wasn’t particularly good but it was just OK I would finish eating it because it was already cooked or already on my plate or whatever.
Then I would go ahead and have something else to eat that I did like because I wasn’t satisfied by the blah meal.
Ugh that’s a lot of extra calories.

I never do that now, NEVER.  If I don’t really like something I’m eating then I stop.
It’s gonzo.
My calories are WAY too precious to me to waste on food that isn’t good.

I have changed my eating habits a lot.
It’s good to have reminders of that especially at times when feeling down and feeling like it’s just a constant struggle and I’m not making any  headway.
Good reminders.  We all need those I think.

Have a great afternoon
Lori