ReaRaes

Hi Mellie, welcome to the site. I haven't had my surgery yet, hoping early next month. Something I read on here that I am going to post on my mirror is what I keep in my head. The taste of any food will never be better than the extra life I am giving myself. I have at this point only given up sodas for the most part. I may have one every couple weeks. But I am fine if I don't have one. I am drinking a Protein shake every morning for Breakfast and if I go to lunch, I don't have the fries or the sides. I have a sandwich or half a sandwich and veggies or quinoa salad. I have cut my calories way way back. I use myfitnesspal.com to track what I eat and I make sure that I get up and walk at work. I am trying very hard to get at least 5-7,000 steps a day before I leave work. I was trying to walk on the treadmill at night when I get home, however I have back issues causing an extra lot of pain when I do too much walking. I am meeting with an ortho surgeon next week to discuss my options so I can get my exercising in and get healthier.
I didn't realize that I ate as much as I did until I started using myfitnesspal. I also bought the mayo Clinic diet and am following many of their steps in that they make a whole lot of sense. Their first step is to add 5 habits. The second is to break 5 habits and then add 5 new bonus habits. The first 5 are: eat a healthy Breakfast, eat fruits and vegetables, eat whole grains, eat healthy fats, move. Habits to Break: no tv while eating, no sugar, no Snacks, moderate meat and low fat dairy, no eating at restaurants. Bonus habits: keep food record keep activity records, move more, eat "real food", write your daily goals. This really helped me in the beginning and I know that it will really help me after surgery. Since I was told I do not have to lose weight before surgery, and I don't have a pre-surgery liquid diet I have loosened up on some of this because I keep justifying with myself that after surgery I won't be able to eat some of this stuff so I might as well eat it now and get it out of my system. I realize I have to quit justifying it and have decided that the minute I get my surgery date I go back to following all of these rules. I still follow most of them. I do not eat while watching tv, if I snack it is on something healthy and in place of a meal.
Only you can make these changes, no amount of bonding with a counselor will make that change. You can lie to them and yourself. It's being honest in your food and activity journal that will open your eyes and make you make that change. Just keep in your head constantly the reason you are doing this and the vision of what you want at the end of this. Good luck. You will do great if you keep your eye on the prize.

Nnegrete329, you can have the avocado, you just need to mix it with a lot of Water and drink it. Or, you can tell yourself that just waiting a week or so and you can mash up an entire avocado and eat it over four meals

Congratulations Froggy, I'm waiting for that call now too. It just hit me that that's where I am at. Wow, kind of a scary feeling. Good luck. I am hoping that I will be on the sixth of March or at least sometime that week.

Congrats on the new job Erin. A whole new job and a whole new you 2014 will be fantastic. Congrats again!

Congratulations Froggy, I'm waiting for that call now too. It just hit me that that's where I am at. Wow, kind of a scary feeling. Good luck. I am hoping that I will be on the sixth of March or at least sometime that week.

Misty, I learned after having pneumonia four times one winter to lay really low when you feel a little run down take care of yourself first.

I met with my doc and had the info session last week. We scheduled my appointment with the surgeon for Feb 4th. I will finish my required 3 month diet and behavior modification program the end of January. After the appointment on the 4th they willsubmit for insurance and I hope to be under the knife on Feb. 20th. Can't wait

I have been thinking about it for years, my mom was way over weight until she was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, when she literally couldn't eat much and lost 50 pounds and more but still could stand to lose another 50 but was stuck I her wheelchair, unable to stand or do anything at all for herself and as I transfered her to her bed at night or got her up in the morning and destroyed my back, shoulder and neck I vowed that I would never be in her position I would be able to care for myself, that if I do end up with Parkinson's or some other horrible disease that I wasn't going to weigh 120 lbs more than I should, I just didn't know how to do it. I was also having serious issues controlling my diabetes. Then one day when I decided to work from home I happened to catch a program I had never seen "The Doctors" and they had a story about a couple that had wls and completely got rid of their diabetes. I made my call to the mayo the next day. I am one week away from scheduling my surgery. Hoping for it to be either February 27th or March 6th.

I met with my doc and had the info session last week. We scheduled my appointment with the surgeon for Feb 4th. I will finish my required 3 month diet and behavior modification program the end of January. After the appointment on the 4th they willsubmit for insurance and I hope to be under the knife on Feb. 20th. Can't wait

I met with my doc and had the info session last week. We scheduled my appointment with the surgeon for Feb 4th. I will finish my required 3 month diet and behavior modification program the end of January. After the appointment on the 4th they willsubmit for insurance and I hope to be under the knife on Feb. 20th. Can't wait

For those interested, I have had the Target brand Market Pantry chocolate Protein Powder the last two days in a shake that I make with almond breeze unsweetened mik (1 cup) and frozen raspberries, it is delicious and it has 28 grams of Protein. Yesterday I had only 900 calories but was over our suggested protein by many grams. This is pre surgery of course. But if I can drink three of these shakes a day afterwards I'll be just fine.

I have told very few people. Only those that I know will support me. I will not be telling any of my family other than my husband, a cousin and my mother in law, ever if I can help it. I've told a couple people at work and will have to tell my brother's doctor, but will be asking him not to tell my brother. I won't be seeing my family much for the rest of my life so I don't really think it is any of their business. Let them mn think what they want when they see me.

Hoping everyone did well today, good luck anyone for tomorrow.

Congrats blueyz. It's going to come soon.

I met with my doc and had the info session last week. We scheduled my appointment with the surgeon for Feb 4th. I will finish my required 3 month diet and behavior modification program the end of January. After the appointment on the 4th they willsubmit for insurance and I hope to be under the knife on Feb. 20th. Can't wait

I met with my doc and had the info session last week. We scheduled my appointment with the surgeon for Feb 4th. I will finish my required 3 month diet and behavior modification program the end of January. After the appointment on the 4th they willsubmit for insurance and I hope to be under the knife on Feb. 20th. Can't wait

The other day I spent 45 minutes reading the sugarless Gummy bear reviews on Amazon.com just because they were so hysterical. However it gave me an idea, why can't we intentionally use these for a colon cleanse before surgery rather than the crap they give us? But seriously, I am considering it for a jumpstart. Apparently you just need a small amount 20 or so to get a clean out. Has anyone either mistakenly had this experience or done it on purpose?
Read the reviews at the link below, you'll at least get to spend some time laughing hysterically.
http://www.amazon.com/Haribo-Gummy-Candy-Sugarless-5-Pound/product-reviews/B000EVQWKC/ref=cm_cr_pr_top_link_1?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&sortBy=byRankDescending

Joannel, I will have completed everything except my preop test before I meet my surgeon. That appointment is Feb. 4th. After I meet him they will submit to insurance. My process started on Oct 30th with my first appointment meeting the endocrinologist and dietician and psychologist. I am doing my surgery at the mayo Clinic. Although there are many surgeons so much closer to home I decided I wanted to get the best care possible. The one thing I have learned on here is that everyone's process is different. It depends on your surgery center, your insurance requirements, your primary care physician, and your mindset. Thank god, the Mayo clinic doesn't require weightloss. I have been dieting since I started thinking about this in early October, I've set my caloric intake at 1200 calories a day. My nut told me I should do about 1750 -1800 so I thought if I do 500 calories a day less than he is recommending I will drop weight like mad. Nope, I have only lost 17 lbs since I started. Just more proof I need this surgery. I am hoping my surgery will be March 6th. Luckily I have double insurance so I will have no out of pocket for this. Best of luck to you and everyone.

Great job nngrete! December is hard for anyone to lose, but you didn't gain so that's the best. Crossing fingers for a fast approval.

I had been a diet soda fanatic. Several a day. I decided to quit right after I started this journey in October. My first week was the worst because I was having caffeine withdrawals. Since then I've had maybe six sodas. I have one when I really need caffeine. I can't drink coffee because I need flavored Creamer or sugar and I'm really trying not to add extra sugar to my life. (Not going so well right now, tons of baking going on at our house.) I switched from soda to Water with slices of lemon. Just keep trying. You can do it.

I did pretty good, it was just my husband and me for Christmas. I fixed a turkey dinner but I didn't eat anything else that day. I have avoided all of the leftover christmas Cookies that are sitting out o. My front porch. Been sucking crystal light raspberry lemonade down like mad. If I stay away from the kitchen I do much better. Tonight I had a turkey sandwich with lite bread, low fat mayo, and lettuce, the. Two pickles , some carrots, was doing good until I then had half a bag of potato chips. Sure wish I hadn't bought those. But no more, they'll go downstairs to my husband's kitchen tomorrow.

I met with my doc and had the info session last week. We scheduled my appointment with the surgeon for Feb 4th. I will finish my required 3 month diet and behavior modification program the end of January. After the appointment on the 4th they willsubmit for insurance and I hope to be under the knife on Feb. 20th. Can't wait

I am starting my journey too. Got my referral from my pcp on Wednesday and my appointments at the mayo clinic with the endocrinologist, nutritionist and psych on the 30th and 31st. Completely changing my eating on Monday to 2 shakes and one meal a day. I believe I only have to do a 3 month diet supervised by doc. Welcome everyone. I have learned a lot from reading this forum. Thank you all for your support.

I have had four surgeries and never had a complication from any one of them. I look at this one as the one that is going to save my life. I can't wait to go under this knife.

I have had four surgeries and never had a complication from any one of them. I look at this one as the one that is going to save my life. I can't wait to go under this knife.