Actually, Little Green is a reference to a Joni Mitchell song, NOT a comment on my size - but I thought the title might be funny

So I'm 2 weeks away from surgery and just started my liquid diet. I thought I'd officially start one of these "tell your story" posts so that I have a place to keep track of all my stats and thoughts.

My highest weight is 381.25 and that was 6/14/14. After that I lost down to around 300-ish in about 18 months doing calorie-counting on MFP, but regained nearly all of it after my husband became disabled in a motorcycle accident. About a year after the accident - last March - I visited the bariatric surgeon for my first consult and I weighed 367 pounds. I've gone up and down since then but I started my liquid diet (today!) at 350.2.

I am a classic story of overweight-since-childhood along with a rapid weight gain starting in my late 'teens after getting a job and my driver's license, giving me full access to fast food morning, noon, and night. I'm not sure of all my milestones throughout the years but I know I weighed 180 pounds in 7th grade at age 12, and more than 220 when I graduated high school. I'm 5'8 so BMI 25 is 164 pounds and my goal weight is 150.

About six weeks ago I decided to go vegan and I've been transitioning into that diet ever since. I'm relying on plant-based protein supplements during the liquid phase but I hope to move to getting protein from whole food as soon as possible. My post-op diet will definitely be a lot higher in carbs than most people on this board are used to, but I'm confident in my choices and really excited about the health benefits in addition to weight loss.

I am going to try my darnedest to weigh myself only once per month after surgery. I did the obsessive daily "don't drink anything, have a bowel movement, get naked, and weigh myself" routine during my MFP days and it was really harmful to me mentally. I'm also logging my food in a physical journal and I won't be weighing anything or measuring beyond the standard 1/4 cup, 1/2 cup, etc. meal sizes for post-op guidelines. Measuring food definitely works and I think many people can benefit from it. But again, it ended up being bad for my mental health. My ultimate life goal is to eat and enjoy an abundant amount of healthy plant-based whole foods without weighing or measuring portions. I know it will be awhile before I get there, but that's where I'm going and how I'm positioning myself for long-term success.

So that's a little about me! I'm going to post random crap in this thread, like musings on diet stuff, numbers, feelings (I have a lot of them), my appointments, etc. Thanks for reading!

11 hours ago, Little Green said:

Thank you Fluffy!!! No way I'm checking out, believe me. If anything I'm excited at the thought of weighing less prior to surgery and getting my husband more prepared to do his own cooking while I'm progressing through the various post-op food stages. I might also just feel relieved at being "done" with all the drama surrounding the date. What a week, I'm telling you. What a week.

That's super duper! Will you be able to schedule your surgery a ways out so that there isn't any drama in the "when?" I'm sorry last week was a crusher, hopefully this one will be much easier for you!

Little Green and Fluffy our little buddy may be back. This morning a Techno 3 phone popped up . Now claiming to be 49 years old and with a name of Justin Lawrence. The phraseology,sounds suspiciously similar. God I hate spammers, pervie and trolls.

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LG, I got my date in December -- even all of my followup appts were booked then! It was maddening that it was so far out back then, but I am actually a little grateful to have put aside the doubt about when it would be.

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Little Green and Fluffy our little buddy may be back. This morning a Techno 3 phone popped up . Now claiming to be 49 years old and with a name of Justin Lawrence. The phraseology,sounds suspiciously similar. God I hate spammers, pervie and trolls.

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Just report the post to Alex...

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I did, good suggestion, also i know what do if he returns, hit REPORT, they'll take care of the problem.

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On 2/11/2018 at 10:15 PM, Little Green said:

Now if you're able and willing to pay yourself, it's often much easier to get things done. It's definitely way more complicated when insurance gets involved.

our healthcare system is so f'd.

if i went thru insurance, it would have taken 6-12 months. so i decided to pay cash. from my first intro appt with the doctor to surgery day was 3.5 weeks.

keep your head up Little Green. this too shall pass...

Thank you peoples! Just wanted to give a brief update. My husband went back to work today, yay! It ended up being very easy once we got our hands on the medical records, so all the worrying was for naught. Thankful for health insurance

I've decided to postpone my surgery. I was honestly thinking about canceling the whole damn thing, which is why I took some time to think about it before being rash, lol. I feel like I was a sprinter and I had trained for weeks... and I was on the starting block, whole body tense and waiting for the gun, and instead they were like................. just kidding go sit on the bench for two weeks and come back. I needed more time than that to process things. So it'll be May some time, waiting on a call for the date.

I regained some weight after I stopped the liquid diet so right now my goal is to lose 30-35 pounds between now and May. Then if I lose 15-20 on the liquid diet, I'll be under 300 for my surgery.

Hey, glad you decided to stick with it. Sounds like you have a great plan in place! :-)

Ah little green what can I say? I am very happy hubs is returning to work. I know you were s******g bricks there, I want your surgery sooner, that's just me, I don't want anybody I care about to suffer a bit of pain. My problems? They were supposed to have met yesterday morning to review my case, I call it the Bariatric Court of Appeals. I hung around the house Tuesday for a call, finally called them about 2 pm, was told she was on a call and would call me back. Waited a hour, hour and half, called only to be told she had left for the day. Oh well, says person on other end of line, She'll probably call you Wednesday. Bull feathers I'm waiting until 9 AM then I'm gonna. call again.The old saying is: the squeaky wheel gets the grease. I'm gonna lurk like a garden variety predator until I get an answer. Reminds me of a Bible verse: (yeah I live in Bible Belt North) "Are you he whom we seek or shall we look for another?" If you are not willing to complete my surgery release me and my records and I'll apply to another program. My late father had a saying S**t or get off the Pot, dang if it don't hold true. I hate, loathe and abominate ambivalence in anything. I've cried, had all kinds of scenarios run through my mind, I'm mentally wrung out. You and I both are going to look Goth with the dark circles under our eyes. I've tried to keep my diet restrained but I don't know if it still is worth it, I have tried so so hard to do this, like there is a reward for diligence and stubbornness. Meanwhile I've maybe lost a couple more pounds, if that. If I could sustain a weight loss that was sizable on my own

I wouldn't be seeking surgery.And I try to tell the Newbies it will be worth it all etc. I am starting to feel like always a bridesmaid, never the bride.

There are 2 more programs in Columbus, one at Riverside Methodist, the other at Ohio State University-Wexner Medical Center. I applied where I did because it sounded more like my core values and 2. Upon the recommendations of my PCP. He graduated from OSU and did his residency at Riverside but still recommended Mount Carmel. All of the 3 are Bariatric Centers of Excellence. Would either of them accept the pretestings I've done or would I have to start over from the beginning? Do I have the emotional strength to,do this AGAIN? I tell everybody on Bariatric Pal I am strong and can handle anything the world can throw at me but I'm getting so bone*** weary, Little Green. Its not like I have years and years to undo the damage obesity did to ME .

I'm getting run down, I still have my allergic pinkeye now I feel like my chest tightness is reverting to pneumonia. I've had both kinds of pneumonia shots but what I've got deep down doesn't seem to be leaving. Probably should go see my PCP, hate admitting to him I haven't had my surgery yet. He's been an emotional cheerleader for me all along.

Haven't from heard yet from Fluffy Chix I do hope everything went well yesterday. Well time to put my big girl panties on, yank them up so I give myself a wedgie and call Columbus.

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Hey I forget, are you going to be a sleeve or bypass? I'm asking because there are threads started in both forums. An April-May in Sleeve and a May in bypass that I'm OP on. At any rate answer one and bring it out into the open, okay?

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34 minutes ago, kakatlady612 said:

Would either of them accept the pretestings I've done or would I have to start over from the beginning? Do I have the emotional strength to,do this AGAIN? I tell everybody on Bariatric Pal I am strong and can handle anything the world can throw at me but I'm getting so bone*** weary, Little Green. Its not like I have years and years to undo the damage obesity did to ME .

Sorry about your troubles. I do think if you switch programs, your pre-testing results would certainly be transferable. Hang in there!

Thanks L G , I hate to sound whiny and clingie but I feel like my barifriends are the only ones who understand. Ah I'll keep on Keeping on, like I have a whole lot of choice.

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New surgery date... May 17

Congrats girlie!!! It'll be here before you know it!!

Full speed ahead and Smooth Sailing!

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