[Eleni]

Do you know what is more depressing than having to buy a larger size pair of jeans????


Not being able to find a pair big enough to even buy!

[summer8386]

Hi Eleni,

I think I hear the pain in your post, and I wish I could give you a big hug and some shoulders to lean on. My dear, you are such a wonderful person and I hate to see you so down. There are no 'magic pills'....only perserverence....and the attitude that you have always expressed to others.....NEVER GIVE UP!!!

Take some deep breaths....proceed with baby steps. If you are like me at all, the more I stress about how I 'must' lose, the more I gain and go out of control. Our minds are interesting organs and many times, they get us in trouble. The more I talk with people, the more it helps. Of course, they have to understand the situation or be associated with it. In the past when I have really been on a 'self destruct' mode, I had to seek out professional counselors and take an antidepressant for awhile. It was scarey at first, but it was amazing how my self esteem improved and it helped me move forward in my life. Do you think anything like this might help? I hope I haven't offended you, but I care about you Eleni. Thought you might be interested in the following story that I heard today at our Rally......

......There was a woman who received an award for losing more than 30 pounds from Jan-July. She is approx 5'1", in her 60's, and had a difficult time walking but did make it to the front of the room slowly a few times to pick up her awards. When she joined TOPS, she weighed close to 300lbs and couldn't walk at all....in a wheelchair. She crawled up on stage the first time she ever got an award in TOPS and she vowed that she was never going to give up!!! [by this time alot of us had tears in our eyes...sniff, sniff] She hasn't given up and has lost about 80 lbs so far. She uses a walker when she has a longer distance to walk....but we were all so proud of her walking under her own power....knowing how far she has come. What an inspiration coming from someone who truly was disabled physically.

She opened my eyes today.... and if my relating this can help just one person realize that it is not hopeless to lose the weight and get healthier, then I'm thrilled. Yes, it is work and something we need to keep striving for, but the rewards are worth it. Hold up that beautiful head of yours, put a smile on your face, and know that we all are worth it!! Eleni, I'll hold your hand and be first in line with you. :-)

TOPS Hugs,
Summer

[lady06498]

Summer,

You can be on one side of eleni and I will take the other hand. Together we can do this. I know it. I had a lot of inspiration yesterday also at my rally. There was a girl there that lost 45 lbs from june - aug. We all said and me first there is no way she lost that the sensible way. Boy I was wrong. I went over to her afterward and congratulated her and asked her what she did. She said that with the help of her doctor and going to a nutritionalist once every 3 months and walking 1 1/2 miles a day she lost the weight and she ate the way the nutritionalist said. She said it took a lot of determination. I was so proud of her. I felt awful because here I didn't think that was possible and this girl really put her all into it and did the right things and lost the weight. She still isn't at goal but she is working on it. There were many other stories there to.

So see eleni you and us can do this. Maybe summer is right. I took anti depressants before and they helped me. But I know you are on so much meds now that you won't want to add another to the mix. Plus it is very possible that the meds are making you gain. Can't you go to a nutritionalist for some help. They can teach you the right way to eat without starving yourself. I know you said that in order to lose the weight you have to starve but that doesn't have to be the case.

DON'T GIVE UP ON YOU BECAUSE WE WILL NEVER GIVE UP ON YOU AND WE ARE ALL HERE FOR YOU AND I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH TO SEE THIS HAPPENING TO YOU. You know what you have to do you just have to have the strength to do it. You Can Succeed and there are many people out there like you and me that have done it. I saw that yesterday and was amazed that it can really be done. These were real people and so aren't we.

Sherri

[Christian at home]

I got your back, So between me and Summer and Sherri, the only way to go now is forward right, With one on one side and me behind ya... Your gonna make it! LOVE YA LADY! I am praying and rooting for ya..