I have been struggling with my weight for 40 years. I remember that my pediatrician put me on a diet in elementary school. I was not a skinny child and I was definitely not an athlete but I also was not really a fat kid either. Back in the 70s, everyone was drinking whole milk and I remember that per doctor’s orders, I was the only person in my home drinking skim milk. Back then, skim milk was basically white water and very few people were drinking it. It was super gross. 

Here are a few pictures when I was young. I’m the one on the left with my sister. It’s not so much that I was fat but that my sister was extremely thin and taller. We both ate the same foods, good and bad. We both moved and exercised the same amount. I was a tomboy so I may have even been more active. She was genetically bless with the faster metabolism.

I don’t remember losing weight back then and I also don’t remember the diet going on for very long. I thought I was fat through high school graduation. I also put on more than the usual ‘freshman 15’ in college.

Over the next 15 years, I continued to struggle with my weight. I tried everything from Diet Workshop to Atkins to Nutri System….with multiple attempts at Weight Watchers in between. I have had more gym memberships and equipment that collected dust than I care to remember.

At the end of 2011, I decided to go to one of the weight loss surgical centers. I went through the pre-surgery process. I passed all of the testing with flying colors so I was an excellent surgical candidate. They told me that I needed to lose 50 lbs before I could proceed with the surgery. At most, I needed to overall lose 150 lbs. In my mind, if I could lose 50 on my own then why would I want surgery?

I was very determined and very stubborn and I spent 9 months. I worked with a trainer and strictly changed my eating habits. I drank whey protein shakes for breakfast and very low carbs. I never added cardio but I still lost 50 pounds.

Unfortunately, I got off track at the 6 month mark. My reasons for losing the weight were focused on someone else not about living a healthy life. It took me 2 years to gain back the 50 pounds and then I kept going up on the scale.

In the meantime, I have had multiple physical and emotional health issues: High cholesterol, acid reflux, sleep apnea, low iron, and depression. My quality of life has been decreasing more and more as my weigh increases. In the last year, I have also added kidney stones, constant lower back pain and recently added high blood pressure to the list.

I have been avoiding weight loss surgery for so many years. I went to my PCP in December and made the final decision for surgery. This was not an easy decision. I have done tons of research. I am aware of all of the potential side effects. (I will discuss in another post.)

After Christmas, I joined an online info session with Emerson Hospital Center for Weight Loss. I have decided to proceed with the gastric sleeve surgery. I met with Dr. Lautz and the team in early January. In addition to my appointments, they took 11 vials of blood for different lab tests. I had 7 appointments over the last 4 weeks for Nutrition, Cardiology, Behavioral health and other testing.

I am lucky with my insurance that there are not weeks or months of nutritional counseling needed before surgery. After all of the previously mentioned appointments, I met again with the surgeon on February 1st and received my approval. My surgery date is set for Wednesday, February 13.

I am currently on a pre-surgery diet to shrink my liver but there are no weight loss requirements. (I have lost > 15 lbs just from behaving myself since mid-December.) I will have to be on a full liquid diet for the 2 days before surgery.

This surgery is a tool to help support my long term health goals. I am embracing a new mindset of food as fuel and planning to make health my #1 priority so that not only do I live a longer life but that life has an increased quality of life.

I think I have babbled on long enough for today. I will be posting more as I proceed on this journey.

Thank you in advance for your support!