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I went to see my surgeon today for the follow up on my EGD. I had some polyps...tested ok, inflammation...possibly from my meds since no history of GERD or other stomach problems, and a small hernia he will take care of during the surgery! So all I need to do now is get a chest x-ray done and complete my nutrition classes which I will be done in August...then I am good to go!

I was disappointed I have only lost 1 pound in the past 2 weeks, but I know I have been almost maxing out my allotted daily calories & allowing a cheat meal or drink. I need to get back on the straight & narrow b/c that was what worked for me. some ppl can stray, but I see I cannot. I still feel I have my hunger under control, but I see where it being the summer I am drawn to an ice cold soda on occasion or fresh strawberries w/cool whip after dinner. I was told if I MUST have a snack it should always be protein...not even fruit.

The professionals know what they are talking about!

I am also thinking that my body just may be adjusting to the lower calories these past few months and that may be another reason for the slowdown. Still, my goal is to lose 8 pounds by my next NUT appointment. I know I can do this!

I still feel good even if I am still prone to tiredness...which a nap takes care of! Sometimes I feel like I have come really far, but other times I think I have a long way to go. Which I do. I still need to lose at least 130+ pounds. The 40+ I have already lost is huge, but I need to keep going.

Anyhow, overall I cannot complain. I am in pretty good shape health-wise considering the beating I have imposed on this old body! I have cleared almost all my medical tests. I have lost almost 50 pounds. I am eating better than I ever have and exercising on a regular basis. I plan to continue & improve as I continue this journey.

I am down to 309!!! Yoo hoo! My hope was for 312, but I actually lost about 16 pounds this past month. I HAVE been staying on course meal-wise, but started increasing my walking. This past week I averaged between 25-30 minutes at once. Way up from the 5 minute stroll that killed me. I have to admit my knees are killing me, though. Ben-gay & Tylenol have been my friends. I really feel my energy increasing so I don't want to get sidelined by pain. I may cut back on the walking at the recommendation of my OVER 50 group here...I am probably too heavy for walking that length of time. But dang...309 feels like 125.

What other fool is excited to weigh 309? Me, that's who!

My original plan when I started this was to be down 50 so I could be 300 at surgery in September. So I guess like a lot of post-ops I will need to re-adjust that goal. I am thinking maybe 275. But I haven't seen that number in probably 20 years. Can I do it? I'm gonna have faith. It's gotten me this far.

I went for my pulmonary/breathing test. The tech who did my test was the meanest person I have ever met in the medical field. I couldn't follow his directions so he kept belittling me like a child. I will report him AFTER I get thru the surgery. He has the same last name as my surgeon so that makes me a little leery.

I have been moving around so much it is hard to sit down. I have a list everyday of what I want to accomplish, and I am on it. I do sit to do my computer stuff, watch a favorite TV program and eat, but I make sure my 'mental timer' gets me up in 30-45 minutes. The only thing that has slowed me down is a few days of 100% humidity. I hope I can push thru that over the summer. I don't have any breathing issues like asthma so it must be weight-related.

Well, hopefully that will be another problem the surgery will take care of.

I cannot believe that next week I will be 3 months into the pre-op process! Yoo-hoo! It has gone quickly and I am still committed to following the WLS requirements. This is new for me because I have never been able to maintain a 'diet' for long and consequently never lost more than 20 pounds...maybe twice in my life!

I was always very judgmental about 'healthy' eating. I thought I'd be eating tofu and other foods I considered nasty. Instead, I have found this process stimulating as far as my daily food intake. I really like experimenting with food I already like and trying new things that appeal to me. I have always been a bread, rice, and sugar person, but I have learned how to eat so I neither crave more or overeat these favorites.

I had always enjoyed exercise when I was younger, but as my weight increased I began to sit more and more. Asked ppl to get stuff for me b/c getting up and walking 3 feet to the kitchen was a chore that left me breathless. Funny, though, I always had just enough energy to walk into a restaurant or fast food joint!

I am walking twice a day...up to about 15-18 minutes each time! I could barely handle 5 minutes a few weeks ago. I am actually getting that runner's high, but from walking!

Already, I am getting up every morning and looking forward to what I am going to accomplish that day.

Originally, I was bummed by the 6 month pre-op wait, but now I am really savoring all I am learning and accomplishing. I can't begin to imagine what it will be like AFTER the surgery!

This has really been one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life!

Last week I had my 2nd appointment with the nutritionist. She was very happy I had lost almost 11 pounds in a month. I, on the other hand, had expected to be down to an even 320 instead of 324, but I guess we all feel that way about the weight loss process! the good news is I have been able to follow my meal plans without feeling like chewing my arm off out of hunger & I have made the effort to do at least the 5 minute walk a day that is all I can handle at this point. I plan to increase the walking by doing 5 minutes a few times/day rather than trying to do 15-30 minutes all at once. I am hoping that will help speed up some of the weight loss...I'd like to be under 300 by the time I have the surgery!

I had my appointment with my cardiologist today about the abnormal stress test results. She said there was something at the very bottom of my heart, but it could have been a shadow from my breast or another body organ. She said that b/c no blockages were found, my blood pressure is stabilizing and is near 'normal,' my heart rate is controlled by the meds for my afib and I am losing weight that she sees no need for concern and will clear me for the surgery. Whoopee! And she also said my heart infraction IMPROVED  to 67% from 55%.

So I feel blessed. I AM ON A ROLL NOW! I still have a number of pre-op appts as well as my usual medical appts over the next few months, but I am feeling more confident I am going to get this thing done!

I feel like I am moving along in this process. In the past couple weeks I did the preliminary appointment with the pulmonary doctor and go back for a breathing test next month, I met with a counselor as per my insurance prior to my psych eval later this month, and did a 2 day stress test ordered by my cardiologist. My wonderful husband had to hold my hand while the big-ass cameras took the pictures of my heart. I am SO claustrophobic and feel like such a baby about these things. But I have to set that aside to get this surgery done!

I have been pretty good in adhering to the meal plan the dietician recommended. We'll see what she says when I see her next week. I was down with a bad sinus infection/cold for about 10 days so my appetite was not as big as it usually is. I did find that after days of staying under 1500 calories a day due to my lack of appetite when I got better I was hungry more often than before I got sick. I have been maxing out my daily calories, but not exceeding them or making poor choices like a lot of carbs.

I started walking. I must be really out of shape as a 5 minute walk really is the most I can do at one time! Next week I plan to push a little further and twice a day. The damp, overcast weather is not helping my motivation, but I can't make excuses! I gotta get this...I am going to get this! 

I don't keep a scale in the house because I know I reward myself if I lose weight and comfort myself if I haven't or if I gain. I started this journey at 350 and was down to 327 at my dietician appointment. My hope/goal is 320 by the end of this month. I'll find out this Thursday.

So after meeting with the dietician yesterday I followed her advice and ate my protein first for breakfast - 1 scrambled egg w/cheese, my carb - 1/3 cup oatmeal w/cinnamon and my 2nd to last sweet tea.

I was still full 4 hours later, but decided I needed to follow plan to avoid hunger so I ate lunch. 3 oz of turkey rolled up w/cheese & 2 pickles and baked chips. Last glass of sweet tea.

I am SO stuffed I feel like I ate at a buffet.

I wonder if this is b/c of the order I am eating things in or another reason?

At any rate I'll take it

See if I can eat dinner anytime soon...not to mention I felt no need for the allowed morning & afternoon snack.

Today I had my 1st appointment with the dietician! She was very informative and patient with my questions. I thought I had learned a lot about nutrition on here or from others I know who had WLS, but she went over stuff I did not know.

I have been using Myfitnesspal for over a month now, and reducing my carbs and increasing my protein and water accordingly. The nutritionist said my biggest challenge will be giving up my sweet tea. I AGREE! This will be my goal over the next month as I continue to experiment with foods. I am actually super excited to be doing this whereas in the past I would have been bitching and moaning and feeling cheated while screaming 'it's not fair!'

They also scheduled my psych exam and pulmonary clearance appointment so I think things are moving pretty quickly. This is a major undertaking, and I know I need this pre-op time to wrap my head around it.

I am just anxious to see how I do over the next few months!

My name is Kathy and I am finally getting started on my weight loss journey! I am 58 years old, 337 pounds and 5'9" tall. I have a pear shape. My highest weight was 350 this past summer when the side effects of a beta blocker literally made moving a chore! Walking to the kitchen made me out of breath & I had to get into a handicap cart to shop! I didn't realize it was a side effect of the beta blocker - I thought it came with my A-fib. Anyhow, my meds were changed, and I have recently lost 13 pounds as I was able to move around again.

I was tall and slim growing up, but I always overate! I think my height and activity level kept me slim until after I had my 3 children. Then I was unable to lose all the pregnancy weight, and began gaining about 10-15 pounds a year. I didn't think that was a big deal until I hit 240 around age 25. I carried it well, but did begin dieting for the first time in my life. I could never stick to it though for longer than a week or two. I look back now and realize I was an emotional eater from the time I was very young. Food soothed me especially several bowls of sugared cereal or chocolate candy.

Food continued to be my friend through a very rocky marriage that ended when I was 29, and was my constant companion through my return to college to get my degree. I continued to gain weight...250-260-270, but aside from being out of shape and short of breath I had no medical problems. However, as I entered my mid-40's I was diagnosed with borderline high blood pressure and put on meds. I also began to have extremely heavy periods as I neared menopause at 52. I was biopsied back then for the possibility of uterine cancer, but was always negative. However, my gyno warned me my uterus was enlarged and my estrogen levels were high which could lead to female cancers. I took his warning into consideration, continued to try & fail at diets, and eat, eat, eat!

In 2012 I had been 5 years out from menopause & began bleeding. I had biopsy which was positive for uterine cancer. Thankfully, it was very early stage and all I needed was a hysterectomy. I made a lot of changes to my diet after my diagnosis as I was told uterine cancer is closely linked to obesity, but I wasn't able to maintain my 'diet' despite the risks I know I faced. At the same time as my uterine cancer surgery they caught a-fib on my pre-surgical testing. This condition has presented far more problems than my cancer. My blood pressure became uncontrollable and my heart rate is often above 100BPM. My cardiologist has been trying different meds to get things under control, but it is an ongoing process.

Last year I also got diagnosed with moderate to severe sleep apnea! It was the diagnosis that broke through my denial that I can lose weight on my own. FINALLY! I am at high risk for a heart attack, stroke, blood clots and God knows what else.I was feeling and performing so poorly at work I decided I needed to retire early and focus on my health.

 I NEED to have this surgery and make a commitment to following through and changing my lifestyle and eating habits for my health. I just pray I am able to do it as I do have a lot of stress in my life...a food trigger!

I attended my first weight loss seminar 2/12/15 and had my initial appointment with the surgeon this past week. The ball is rolling now! I have joined this group and plan to use it and my blog to hold myself accountable.

Wish me luck...I need it!