I've been struggling to keep up with the diet so I thought I would try to focus on all the things that I hope to accomplish from the surgery so that I can remind myself what better times I have to come.

Not just big things like better health but also the smaller things that I think are just as important.

1st: Sleep! I want to lose enough weight to sleep well. I don't have sleep apnoea yet, but my doctor says I'm at risk because of my weight and even without the sleep apnoea, it's still really hard to get comfortable and lying on my back definitely affects my breathing and my spine.

2nd: Activity! I ride my bike everywhere and I enjoy it, but I would love to do other things without pain in my knees. I go to concerts a lot and usually need to stand because no one sits at rock concerts (unless it was like when I went to see the Scorpions last month when the average age of music fan was 56 so it was all seats). Standing for a long time hurts and then I can't enjoy the concert as much as I was hoping. Maybe be able to lose the ebike and get an "acoustic" bike.

3rd: Fashion! Being able to shop at cheaper stores. Plus size clothes comes with a plus size price tag. Years ago, (teenage years) I bought a t-shirt that was a size 16. They had the same t-shirt in the "plus size section" (also a size 16 and the exact same size) and it was £2 extra for the same amount of fabric. And as someone with a more alternative sense of fashion, not a lot of plus size clothes have skulls and flames and vampires and things like that. They tend to make plus size clothes with puppies and kitties and cutesy things. There's nothing cutesy about me.

1 hour ago, ShoppGirl said:

@NeonRaven8919 I’m curious. Did you give the sewing machine a go? There are lots of videos online but also check your local library or adult school for classes. I always thought I wanted to sew and took some classes but I also started crochet around the same time and that sorta took the main stage. It came easier to me so of course that translates to it being more fun. I bet it would be a very good distraction though because I remember losing track of time when I was working on a pillowcase when I first started. I had to learn everything from how to thread the machine to how to wind a bobbin and change a needle, etc. My husband came home but it felt like it wasn’t even lunchtime yet. I was at that machine all day!!

Not yet. I need go clear off a place for the machine to go first. But I do crochet and knit and make my own jumpers. When there's less of me, I guess will need less yarn to make myself something!

7 minutes ago, NeonRaven8919 said:

Not yet. I need go clear off a place for the machine to go first. But I do crochet and knit and make my own jumpers. When there's less of me, I guess will need less yarn to make myself something!

Plus you can frog the old ones and make two more in your smaller size!! For those who don’t do yarn crafts that crochet speak for “rip it rip it” out and start over. My husband refers to it as free yarn. Though that’s usually to cheer me up if I make a mistake and have to rip half of it out.

11 hours ago, ShoppGirl said:

Plus you can frog the old ones and make two more in your smaller size!! For those who don’t do yarn crafts that crochet speak for “rip it rip it” out and start over. My husband refers to it as free yarn. Though that’s usually to cheer me up if I make a mistake and have to rip half of it out.

Good point! I've been working on a jumper for over 2 years (entrelac an complicated) If I ever finish it, would be too big.