Although I suppose, given where I am, I could say the journey of a thousand years.

Hi there,

My name is Chantel, and I am very fat.

And yes, I've tried dieting.

And very recently, I came to the realization that I needed more help.

Funnily enough, that realization came to me the day before I called my endocrinologist's office to cancel my next appointment (not only is she rather a not-great bedside manner kind of lady, but she's in a really inconvenient place. According to the rating site, there are better doctors closer to me), the receptionist let me know that she had the appointment for me that the endo had referred me for...

And in our last appointment, she had asked if I wanted to be referred to someone about weight loss surgery... I said, "Sure, why not?" mainly to get her off my case, but it seems now that it might have been serendipitous.

However, I'm in Canada. (Victoria, BC, to be precise.) I can't afford to go the private route, so I'm going to be stuck waiting a very long time for surgery.

Right now, it would appear that I have a consultation appointment this January. The endo's receptionist apparently mailed me the appointment date ("Oh, I don't have your file here, but I'll call you back Monday." Tuesday, I call their office because I hadn't heard anything... "Oh, I just put it in the mail." Really?!) and I'm hoping that it means this coming January... I've heard that it can take 1.5 years just to get a consult, so 7 months wouldn't be too bad...

And then, last I heard, the wait time for surgery was... (Drumroll please?) 3 years.

This is what I get from the BC healthcare site about wait times. I have no idea whom I've been referred to see.

So, at this point, I figure I'm all about making the small life changes in a healthier direction, so I have less to do when I get to the faster track.

Right now, I'm cutting out pop. I love my Coke Zero, and after 2 days, I already miss it quite dearly.

I'm all over getting advice. I would love every bit of advice on things to do while waiting, what to expect, etc etc etc...

TIA!

Well, one small change you can make now is to start adding exercise into your routine. I'm not talking about going out, joining a gym and becoming a competitive bodybuilder. Add 5 minutes of walking to your daily routine, even if it's just a little extra walking inside the house. Next week, make it 10 minutes, add 5 minutes a week until you're up to 30 minutes a day. Start using 2 pound weights to get in a little arm exercise. Do 10 repetitions each of biceps curls, triceps kick backs, etc. Add reps as those become easier.

Work on chewing your food 30 times before you swallow each bite and learn not to drink with meals. Wait 30 minutes after drinking to eat, then wait 30 minutes after eating to drink. Make sure you're drinking 64 oz of Water daily. Eliminate sugar, white bread and junk food from your diet.

Little changes will add up to significant losses and get you in better shape towards having your surgery.

I walk around my school a bunch... (I'm a university student - Went back after a decade of working) Exercise is a real challenge for me, because I have a bad knee. I screwed it up royally at the end of 2009 (it probably had to do with my having sprained it twice), and ended up having to have knee surgery. It has never been the same. If I'm not careful about how much I do, I end up barely able to stand up for a couple of days afterwards...

I totally understand the knee problems! I could barely walk myself pre-op and used a cane regularly to help cope with the knee pain from RA and old injuries. I just gave my cane away to someone who needs it more than me!

Even if you just start with the other changes I suggested, it will help. As you take some of the weight off that knee, you'll be able to do more. I'm now up to riding the recumbent bike or doing the elliptical for a minimum of half an hour daily... and I can walk, climb, and run awkwardly (lol) without pain. I know I'll never be a runner, but it's nice to be able to walk without my knee hurting constantly!

Our healthcare is not any better down south, it took me 10 long years to get my VSG approved but I'm on my way.

Read lables and try to stay under 3 grams of fat per 100 calories no matter what you eat.