So I know the Dragons were sleeping for a while. The Den was just so soft and cozy...
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| Artwork from Mondfalk on DeviantArt |
That wasn't all that was keeping us from writing, life got busy. Very busy! We traveled some and I had not one, but two surgeries, but more about that in a minute. I left my job of 7 years to start a new adventure, that sadly didn't work out the way I wanted it to and now the 'Rona came calling. This is a life changing time for a lot of people. Suddenly I seem to find myself with an abundance of time and wanting to put my words onto "paper"
As I am sure some of our reader(s) may or may not known, I had been preparing for major, life changing surgery. I had a gastric sleeve surgery (see earlier post **Crickets**). There I detail the surgery itself. As of now, I am down 90lbs from my highest weight. Still chonky, but working on it. I just recently added in exercise, and yoga.
What I wanted to talk about a little more here is the emotional aspect of eating. I *have* an eating disorder. I am diagnosed as a binge eater. "Now herself, you say we all over-indulge from time to time!" and I will agree. Himself can tell you all about Virginia and amazing little Italian restaurant and why we call it "Williamsburg" every time we over-eat. When I binge, I do it to maintain control when I feel overwhelmed, or to stuff down my feelings. I am not talking overindulgence; I am talking about stopping at convenience stores on my way home from work and cramming in six candy bars... because I can control that, even though in and of itself it's a compulsion. Hold on, I think I hear Alanis Morrissette singing somewhere...
When I was younger this all started with anorexia and bulimia. These are some really scary illnesses in young girls. Please see the Netflix movie 'To the Bone'. Everywhere we are bombarded by images of pretty and thin, and there is nothing wrong with being thin as long as you are healthy. Just like there is nothing wrong with being bigger as long as you are healthy.
A piece of my journey to weight loss surgery was getting right in my head, and finding better ways to deal with stress and emotions than binging. I could not have the surgery unless I hadn't binged in six months, as it could be a dangerous proposition. I could blow out the staple line on my new stomach, called a perforation.
I did this with 8 months of therapy. There, I learned to talk about how I am feeling, even when I feel my voice is quiet. I learned to walk away from situations that could be damaging to my emotional well-being, and when dealing with strong emotions how to manage them.
I can talk things over with Himself or one of my tight circle of friends. (I will take a minute to shout out to Himself, he has been my biggest supporter in more ways than anyone will ever realize. I have never had anyone so fully in my corner and watching my back. He really is my defender Dragon!)
I have another friend who went to a pre-op weight loss class with me and listened to the instructor and has been a great cheerleader. (Thank you, Sandi! If you read this.) Other coping mechanisms I learned... journaling, meditation, and yoga (which is also GREAT exercise!). All these things work towards getting my mind healthy, so my body can be healthy too.
I am putting in a picture so you all can see my progress. Be well in body, mind, and soul. Never be afraid to reach out, we are all struggling in these weird uncertain times.
More information on Eating Disorders. The 'Text Line' if you need to talk to someone is 741741, and the phone number is 800-273-8255
What I wanted to talk about a little more here is the emotional aspect of eating. I *have* an eating disorder. I am diagnosed as a binge eater. "Now herself, you say we all over-indulge from time to time!" and I will agree. Himself can tell you all about Virginia and amazing little Italian restaurant and why we call it "Williamsburg" every time we over-eat. When I binge, I do it to maintain control when I feel overwhelmed, or to stuff down my feelings. I am not talking overindulgence; I am talking about stopping at convenience stores on my way home from work and cramming in six candy bars... because I can control that, even though in and of itself it's a compulsion. Hold on, I think I hear Alanis Morrissette singing somewhere...
When I was younger this all started with anorexia and bulimia. These are some really scary illnesses in young girls. Please see the Netflix movie 'To the Bone'. Everywhere we are bombarded by images of pretty and thin, and there is nothing wrong with being thin as long as you are healthy. Just like there is nothing wrong with being bigger as long as you are healthy.
A piece of my journey to weight loss surgery was getting right in my head, and finding better ways to deal with stress and emotions than binging. I could not have the surgery unless I hadn't binged in six months, as it could be a dangerous proposition. I could blow out the staple line on my new stomach, called a perforation.
I did this with 8 months of therapy. There, I learned to talk about how I am feeling, even when I feel my voice is quiet. I learned to walk away from situations that could be damaging to my emotional well-being, and when dealing with strong emotions how to manage them.
I can talk things over with Himself or one of my tight circle of friends. (I will take a minute to shout out to Himself, he has been my biggest supporter in more ways than anyone will ever realize. I have never had anyone so fully in my corner and watching my back. He really is my defender Dragon!)
I have another friend who went to a pre-op weight loss class with me and listened to the instructor and has been a great cheerleader. (Thank you, Sandi! If you read this.) Other coping mechanisms I learned... journaling, meditation, and yoga (which is also GREAT exercise!). All these things work towards getting my mind healthy, so my body can be healthy too.
I am putting in a picture so you all can see my progress. Be well in body, mind, and soul. Never be afraid to reach out, we are all struggling in these weird uncertain times.
More information on Eating Disorders. The 'Text Line' if you need to talk to someone is 741741, and the phone number is 800-273-8255
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