It's been ages, I know...

So, the minute I posted about how I'm amazed that I stuck with this blog so long I hit a little speedbump.  I just have not been able to really go online since Thanksgiving--lack of focus, lack of motivation--basically there has been no lack of lack-age.  And today I had to stay home to work on a cold that I've had coming on for a couple of days, so I'm forcing myself to go online and post a little.  And in my cold medicated-induced state, I think I need to refer to my inner Yoda, who is repetitive, extraordinarily irritating, and speaks backward as a rule.  But I keep hearing, "Online you should go.  Blog you shall.  There is no try, only DO."  Damn that little green dude.

Let's summarize the problem:
I can eat more.  This is not such a good thing.  At the end of one year post-surgery, most people have lost about 75-80% of their excess weight.  According to my doctor, my excess was around 190-200 lbs, so by January 21 I should be down about 160 lbs.  I'm still hovering between a loss of 145-150.  I know my size has changed a little and I'm now fitting into size 18 jeans, and I think my upper half is between a 16 and an 18.  But the weight is a bit stuck, and I'm pretty sure it's my fault.  I really need to step up my exercise (like, a lot) and stick closely to the rules.  I know I'm eating too much, and I'm having a really hard time stopping when I'm supposed to.  So yeah, I'm freaking out.  I feel like I lost my momentum and don't know how to get it back.

About there my little inner Yoda starts yelling, "Back to basics you should go, young Bariatric Babe-walker!  Yell I must to get through to your stubborn self!"  And for a while I've been telling that imaginary inner-muppet to take a long walk into a dark cave (or some other similar trademarked Jedi thingy that basically means, "get stuffed.")

But now it's time to figure out what I want to do from here, and start taking steps to get there.  What better time than the first of the year?  I hear the clock ticking and the ball dropping and I'm ready to see that same downward movement on the scale.  So I have to set a goal, which is like pulling eye teeth to me, and this is as good a place to start as any.

I don't feel ready to set an actual goal.  So instead, I'll just make myself a new commitment to getting back in touch with the weight loss community by blogging, by reading blogs written by others who are in the process of losing weight, and by revisiting all the bariatric sites with their tips and such.  At least 2-3 times each week.

So I'm saving the recap of my holiday experiences as a first-time bariatric patient for my next post, to come in a day or two.  In the meantime, feel free to tell me in the comments what goals you're setting for yourself this year...