Please forgive my comparisons to war or combat. I mean in no way, shape, or form to dishonor the real warfare that our brave military members combat for real. Their real world actions provide the freedoms that I have enjoyed my whole life.

It is the overanjoyment of these freedoms where I have failed. I live in a military town and am surrounded by returning vets. I see them in my PT sessions....and I see them in public and I work with them in the civilian world.

I respect and honor them deeply. I have learned much from them. Please know this. My use of the terms war and fighting on simply how I feel on a personal level. At war and fighting with my internal, self generated enemies that I've let me not exert the control of the calorie war throughout my life.

Most of us have had a few runs at losing on our own and had some serious success. I've done so....huge amount off.....then let it creep back on. ARGHHHGHHGHH !!!!

The battles and skirmishes I've been through with my weight have not been tossed aside as failures, though. When I've gone back recently and relived those times....really thought about them......I've gained some insight into where things went well.....and why the weight loss stalled and returned.

This new weapon, the bypass, though.....will help sustain the loss.....stay on the horse...and keep riding hard towards whatever BMI my body seems to level out at.

I don't know of point, since birth, where I've been in line with my exact numbers on the "standard height & weight chart". Not one day. Big baby at birth, big kid.....hyooooge adult. :fofl: The really cool thing is that with this surgery and sticking with the new way of living.........I can see a point where I may be much closer to the "old standard chert numbers".

Here's what I really take comfort from. This is knowledge and insight I gained from once losing over 100lbs on my own just a few years back. Even though it was short lived in terms of staying at that low weight...here it it is:

My ability to loose the weight at my current state is limited due to physical limitations that limit exercise....thus I'm only able to exert control over one side of the "calorie equation" = on the calories consumed side. I struggle when this is the only side of the equation I can work on. It's almost like being in the boxing ring with one hand tied behind my back.

As I loose weight, I am confident that my physical limitations will improve. Currently it's a back injury that has required 6 cycles of steriods, muscle relaxers and pain meds.....for the last 3 months. On the last day of the current steroid prescription today. Scared, too, as the next day or two are when the symptoms have often returned. The Fluid gain and weight gain from the use of these steroids has been unwanted.....but the relief necessary to be able to attend my job duties.

I know that significant weight loss will ease the strains on my back and lead to healing. I know that the knees that are in need of knee replacements will be eased up, too.

As I loose weight, I will become more and more mobile.

Increased mobility will allow steady use of treadmill....controlled safe soft walking surface. I'll be able to walk so much further on my job every day, too.

This activity will give me both hands to fight with while in the proverbial boxing ring. I'll be better able to work both sides of the calorie equation.....consumption AND burning them. This, my friends, will lead to much faster weight loss that will FEEL great.

This is the state I want to be in over the time remaining before my surgery. This time is unclear as my first NUT appointment is over a week away. This is the what starts my 6 month timeline to surgery as I understand it.

I've got a lot of headroom in my BMI to burn off on my own prior to 6 months. i am really looking forward to the first NUT appointment and getting a better gameplan from them. I'm hoping for a more specific gameplan to follow. Less freelance work on my own...but a factual & actual battle plan to follow.

Good news is that I'm taking tomorrow and Thursday as vacation days. Tomorrow is my first appointment with my bypass / umbilical hernia surgeon.

Thursday is the next appointment with my spine surgeon.

There are a number of things I'll be hoping to gain from them but of primary concern is finding a way to get leverage over my mobility and off the meds that I'm needing for the back.

*Is there an epidural injection process that I can get for my back to ease things off so I can get off the meds and mobile as I burn off weight during the next 6 months leading up to surgery?

*Is there some type of hernia girdle or wrap that I can wear on workdays to keep this hernia from protruding from my umbilical area? This will help keep my core supported which will have to benefit my back, too.

Ideas, insight and questions you think I should be asking my doctors:

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Gotta run and get ready for a 14 hr shift.......but will be checking back in later tonight.

Poking around this forum and seeing the progress of the members here is something that I take great comfort and confidence from. I can't wait to get the very best results I can over the next 6 months......get this hernia repaired in the same procedure as the bypass.......and then recover.......but while recovering from the hernia (been through this twice before).....I'll be losing weight bigtime.....not simply laid up for a few weeks trying to just heal a hernia repair.

As I recover from the hernia.....and the weight loss continues.......return to the job.......gain more and more mobility.......I'll be walking so much more than I can even conceive of. The future calories that I'll burn over a daily basis will be unreal. The bypass will be a huge tool on the consumption side of the equation.

I can look at the old height & weight chart and now say....,"Hmmmmmnnnn"......who knows. At 46, I can easily see weighing what I did when I was 21.

I've seen my beautiful younger sister go through all this 15 years ago with her bypass. She's been at her "standard chart numbers" for the past 12-13 years and is fit and trim as anyone I've ever known.

She's amazing and has and will be a tremendous source of encouragement.

Have a great day, folks.

Let's do this thing !!!!!!!!

I had RNY over 2 years ago. This approach is very different than dieting. After surgery, I completely lost my appetite. It wasn't difficult to lose weight when hunger was not constantly gnawing at my bones. The process consists of 2 stages: the weight loss stage and the maintenance stage. One of the differences between dieting and gastric bypass surgery, is that it is possible to maintain the weight loss you achieved over the long term.

Maintaining the weight loss for life is the goal.

Looking forward to seeing the changes.