I've been overweight all my life. I'm tired of the losing battle. I'm ready for a permanent change. See, I'm great at losing weight. I am also great at gaining it. Additionally those seem to be the only two states for my body...........lose or gain. If I'm not dieting, I'm getting fatter. Sometimes I get fat so fast, it literally hurts my body. It's like I'm stretching past myself. I'm so tired of it.

Like many other overweight individuals I actually LOVE healthy food. I eat way better than my skinny counterparts. Anything whole-grainy, veggies, natural, I love it. Unfortunately things like, consuming too large of portions, having a penchant for ice cream, okay, obsession, a lack of consistent activity and of course, a metabolism determined to sabotage me at every turn have made maintaining my weight near impossible. Life's unfair, no doubt. Everybody gets some "crap". Me, I have a fantastic husband who loves me every way I am, 2 great kids, a beautiful home, financial security, AND a job that I LOVE! My "crap card" is my weight. I got the Fat Card and it's been like a prickly burr in my side for FOREVER. In the scheme of things, if given the choice I'd probably choose the fat card and keep all my other great stuff.........but since life really is what you make it and I can change this burr into maybe just a pea under my mattress, then that's exactly what I'm gonna do.

I'm willing to put in the work. I'm great at the work, I'm just not great at the willpower of being hungry all the time! I believe will-power can only cover like 10% of the work, or you'll simply burn out and fail. There has to be more than just that to help me through and my research says the LAP-BAND®® could offer me that more I'm looking for. The feeling of fullness, freedom from constant hunger so it's not all sheer sweat and tears keeping me from that 2nd helping of spaghetti. It makes sense, and I'm ready.

Thankfully great insurance is covering my surgery fully, less a $500 payment for the surgeon. The insurance does require 4 months on a diet with an assigned dietitian which I think is a GREAT idea. Therefore, surgery for me wont' occur until early August. So, my first Nurse Practitioner visit is scheduled for March 30th and then it's "off we go" from there. I'm excited, I'm nervous, I'm reading blogs and forums and surgery info like crazy. And I'm ready for this next step in my life. I'm ready.

Around 240lbs

March 11, 2009

PoisonIvy