Comments for jenniferjoyner.com Blog

Comment on Any day by HopefulandFree

HopefulandFree — Mon, 16 May 2011 15:34:54 +0000

You write: “…I am tired of analyzing how I feel every second of every day…I refuse to allow myself any sort of peace…”

These statements sound so familiar to me.

I believed I was creating and controlling “my” thoughts, and thus causing my own misery.

Little by little I am learning to observe the thoughts without claiming ownership and responsibility for them. I am gradually learning to let the thoughts pass through consciousness and to accept that they are not, in any way that matters, MINE.

Thoughts are not little gods with the power of life and death over me. Thoughts hold less importance than the blossoms on the pear tree outside my window.

Peace to you.

Comment on Never forgetting by Diana Clemens

Diana Clemens — Sun, 15 May 2011 18:38:07 +0000

This is a lovely post, and so very true. What’s that saying…Before criticizing a man, walk a mile in his shoes.

Comment on Any day by Diana Clemens

Diana Clemens — Sun, 15 May 2011 18:35:05 +0000

Hi Jennifer, I just finished your book, Designated Fat Girl, last weekend. I read it in less than two days. I couldn’t put it down.

You’re a very talented writer, and I totally loved your book. I can relate to your overeating issues and what you went through. I use to do all the same things you did with food, secret eating was my thing (and still is if I get off track).

I can also really relate to this post. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said I’m just sick to death about worrying about my weight. I just want to “be” and not analyze everything. You wrote exactly how I feel.

This probably isn’t going to help you much, but I’ve come to the painful conclusion that this is just how some of us are wired. This is who we are and the moment we let our guard down and stop analyzing and being fully conscious of our decisions, is when that wicked monster takes over our lives.

I really don’t know why it’s like this for some of us, so much more difficult to just live in our own skins, but it seems to be a fact of life. One we have to accept. It’s who we are.

Take care of yourself. You’re a beautiful and lovely woman, inside and out.

Which reminds me, in your book you often mention that you don’t think you’re attractive. I kept staring at your picture on the back of the book and thought you looked beautiful. Then while visiting my sister, and talking about your book, we looked up a full sized picture of you online. My sister said – “wow, she’s really pretty”. Why don’t you see what we see?

Take care. And I’ll be back to read more.

Comment on by Quick Weightloss Diets Reviews

Quick Weightloss Diets Reviews — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 09:15:25 +0000

I believe avoiding highly processed foods would be the first step to help lose weight. They may taste beneficial, but highly processed foods contain very little vitamins and minerals, making you consume more to have enough strength to get with the day. When you are constantly consuming these foods, transferring to grain and other complex carbohydrates will help you to have more electricity while taking in less. Good blog post.

Comment on Picking my battles by Pam

Pam — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 21:01:48 +0000

This is a very wise attitude on your part. I too have lots of excess skin, which I will never be able to afford to get rid of, and I might not, even if insurance would cover it. Like you, I have a healthy respect for the dangers of surgery. My upper arms bug me the most, there will be no sleeveless tops in my future. The upper legs are not good either, so no shorts. There’s lots of excess skin around my stomach and butt too, although it’s not as bad as you might think for someone who weighed 328 lbs. at my heaviest. I never carried a lot of weight in my stomach. However my butt, from the time I hit puberty, has been BIG. It’s amazing, but that seems to be the place I lost weight first, and my butt now is quite small (at least in the mirror it looks small to me, and hubby concurs). In fact I still wear a 16 top (mostly due to the floppy upper arms), but I fit quite nicely into a size 14 pant. Go figure??

Comment on Slimming down and cleaning out by Pam

Pam — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 20:19:11 +0000

Having lost 152 lbs. in the last 19 months, and being only 15 pounds from my goal weight, I have a closet full of “fat clothes.” Like you, I wore them for months before buying an entirely new wardrobe. I am superstitious about giving away those fat clothes, to the nth degree! I just KNOW if I give those clothes away, the weight will find its way back. NOOOOO! That is my worst fear. I’m listening to you right now on the Two Fit Chicks and a Microphone Podcast, and I read your book a month or so ago. I know I need to just box the clothes and give them away, it will take away the option of gaining the weight back, because I will have no “fat clothes” to wear. Then again, things like not having any clothes to wear never stopped me from eating before. I wish I knew what would. I’m terribly afraid of the maintenance process. I have never been able to do it before. I didn’t have WLS (although I might have had it, had my insurance been willing to pay for it), I’ve lost this weight on my own with the help of the Spark.com website. So it’s not like my stomach is smaller or my appetite is less. I have just been suppressing it for months. What happens when I hit a goal and start eating more? Will I be able to stop? I don’t know, I’m almost afraid to find out. I think I’ll just keep my fat clothes for now, thank you very much!

Comment on by Angie

Angie — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 00:35:21 +0000

All I can say is, “WOW JENNIFER!!!” I knew you when we worked together. I went to your wedding. I think you were finishing up college. I see your picture and I see the same girl that I always knew. The sweet funny young lady who had a heart of gold. I look at the picture of your surgery day picture and think, “that can’t be the same person.” I realize that people say that about me but in reverse. People who knew me when I was average size try to hide their shocked look at my current appearance. You show me that I can go back. I can change my body to be something I’m not ashamed of.

Comment on Bring on the sunshine by Michelle

Michelle — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 03:44:12 +0000

Jennifer,
I’ve only just started your book (I’m on chapter 2), but there have already been many things that you’ve written that I can relate to. The one thing that I was very different on was the child-bearing. I was over 300 lbs. When I conceived our fourth and fifth children. Thankfully, I never had gestational diabetes and had fast and easy deliveries–but it’s still hard to be a “big mommy”.
I don’t think I’m brave enough to go the surgery route that you took.
I had never thought of myself as a food addict, but given the number of situations that you described that I could identify with, I think that maybe I’m only fooling myself.
I just wanted to thank you for sharing your story–although I admit that I was clueless about what your book was really about when I picked it up (based solely on the title).
I’m looking forward to finishing the book and finding out the rest of your story.

Comment on Sticks and Stones by Cathy

Cathy — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 03:03:50 +0000

I bought and read your book. You are a very entertaining writer and I am really glad that someone with your gift of writing could express the troubled trail of tears that the obese suffer. I lived through many of the things you write about and oh so much more (I am 14 years older than you).

Your happiness was hard won and you deserve to enjoy every minute of it. Good health is finally yours and you are young enough to truly enjoy it. Gastric bypass surgery is often referred to as “the easy way out”. But for most of us, it is the SMART way or the ONLY way out. But before you think you are “home free”, you need to remain vigilant and keep from slipping back into old habits. I speak from experience on this. This surgery can, all too easily, be undone.

My best wishes to you and your family. And thank you for the enjoyable book. I’m glad things turned out well in the end.

Kindest regards,
Cathy

Comment on Sticks and Stones by Betsy

Betsy — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 14:57:49 +0000

Jennifer – Your story, although to a point similar to mine, amazes me and fills me with that feel-good feeling I once experienced in the years following my gastric bypass (in 2003). I am writing because while you need to embrace the success you are post-gastric bypass, I want you be brutally aware that for some of us, the joy is short-lived. I, too, lost 120 lbs within a year after WLS, but after the end of year 2 I began to battle some of those old food addiction demons that I lived with for many years prior to WLS. My doctor warned me that at some point I would have to revert to old fashioned willpower in dealing with weight issues, but did I believe him? Of course not! I had successfully banished those demons, and I was now among the ranks of the newly slender and healthy. Fast forward 7 years, and I’ve regained almost half the 120 lbs I lost. By medical standards, I’m still a “success” because I’ve maintained 50% of my weight loss. So why don’t I feel like a success???

Anyway, I plan to attend your event at Quail Ridge Books tomorrow night, and hope to introduce myself to you. I truly wish you every success — and continued success with your weight loss. But know it will continue to be a battle in your life from here forward.

Betsy