~winecountrygirl~

I was encouraged to make a list of all the things I want to do when I lose weight and all the things that are uncomfortable to do now that will be easier when I lose weight. Here is what I have so far: 1. Wear a swimsuit in public 2. Fit comfortably in an airplane seat 3. Ice skate 4. Ride a bike 5. Horseback riding 6. Shop for clothes at any store 7. Wear a dress 8. Share clothes 9. Wear an 18" necklace 10. Ride in a helicopter 11. Feel comfortable naked 12. Have a massage 13. Wear a belt as an accessory 14. Have someone carry me 15. Water ski 16. Weigh less than my husband 17. Go on a swing 18. Sunbathe in public 19. Cross my legs 20. Ride every roller coaster 21. Never worry about the size of any chair 22. Shop at Victoria's Secret 23. Enjoy having pictures taken of me 24. Go on a reality show 25. Travel more 26. Ride a motorcycle 27. Do yoga correctly 28. Wear shorts 29. Run/jog 30. Give myself a pedicure 31. Wear regular sized bracelets 32. Drive a sports car 33. Wear a wedding dress 34. Wear smaller shoes 35. Wear knee high socks 36. SCUBA dive 37. Sail 38. Kayak 39. Zip line 40. Canopy tour 41. Backpack overnight 42. Snow ski 43. Go in a hot tub 44. Have a family portrait taken What's on your list?

Hi Cammy, wow it does sound like you have had a rough road! I hope everything from here on out goes smooth as silk. I can't wait to follow your progress, I'm pre-op too. I have pernicious anemia as well, it's no biggie. Good luck! Tanya

Hi Nichole! I'm brand new to the sight as well, just joined yesterday. It's nice to see another newbie. I don't have my surgery date yet but I'm hoping it will be within a couple months. Good luck and I can't wait to hear about everything!! Tanya

Hi everyone, I'm Tanya. I live in Northern California with my husband and my two daughters. I'm 35 years old and I have been overweight all of my life. I weighed 320lbs on 5/13 when I had my weight check with my local Kaiser doctor and this morning it was 304lbs. I have been wanting weight loss surgery for years but I didn't realized it was a covered benefit of my insurance until April of this year. I have lost weight in the past, a couple times I lost 80lbs but it always comes back. If I lose 80lbs, I still weigh 240lbs and still have 100lbs to lose! It's so overwhelming and I seem to hit a wall at 240 and can't get under it, so I give up. I attended orientation at Kaiser Richmond's Bariatric Surgery Program on 6/14 and have been on the pre-op plan since 6/15. So far the hardest for me has been no gum, no drinking with meals and no snacking! I have been really good and haven't cheated yet and the weight is falling off. I'm also walking 60 minutes a day and today I'm also going to try a bike ride, I hope I don't pop the tires! Our local program does either the sleeve or gastric bypass, they say the lap band is becoming obsolete and don't even do it anymore. I chose the sleeve because I liked the idea of the order of digestion staying the same and liked that it is a restrictive surgery and not a malabsorbsion surgery. So far I have gotten tons of encouragement just by reading all of the posts on the forums. I'm looking forward to getting to know more of you better and sharing my journey with you every step of the way! I have an appointment with my surgeon, Albert Im, on July 14. I hope to be down to the weight he recommends at my appointment so I can get a surgery date!