So I'm just about one month in to my six month weight loss program. HA!

HA HA HA!

I'm still not sure where this is all going to go. My employer is changing my insurance options so drastically that this might get taken off the table. My husband's employer is releasing next years options sometime this week or next and so we will see what that offers. If we switch to his insurance - it might actually make this "quicker" meaning only that I'd only have to do a three month program instead of a six month program. His employer, though, may very well be switching to something drastic like my own employer is. And the common sentiment is that this is all "designed" to force us into a public option.

Yay. Thanks.

Politics aside, yes, something DOES need to happen with our insurance companies. Politics aside, I WAS happy with my insurance policy - and yes, I was lucky to have coverage!

Anywho...

The next week or so will tell a lot.

But there is also a chance that my husband and I will go with one of the two crappy options I'm being given and this will STILL work out, too. There's a chance.

But with only chances to be embracing - it's hard to stay "motivated".

And by "motivated" I mean - to keep going to all the goll-derned appointments I have all over the place. Last week I had two. This week, I have one. Next week I have three. The following week I have one...that I know of so far. I think my supervisor is getting tired of this! I certainly am!

And as I sit here, at my desk, begging (internally) for work - but why SHOULD they give it to me? - I wonder WHY I'm going to all these appointments if there's only a sliver of a chance? Because even if the insurance works out - doesn't mean they will ACCEPT me.

On the other hand, if the insurance WILL work out - better to get these appointments taken care of while I still have the coverage I do. Less out of pocket and all that.

So, like I said, hard to stay "motivated".

Now, I'm parenthesizing that because I AM motivated to lose weight. I don't know that I am "motivated" to pursue this procedure anymore, though.

I am STILL not drinking soda. I did have one on Saturday after a long day volunteering at a children's Halloween nature festival thingy. Had a blast doing it but man oh man my feet were killing me after all was said and done. So drank a soda. It DID taste good - but I DID NOT want another one. YAY! That's huge progress. Prior to Saturday - hadn't had one since Monday and I couldn't even drink that one because it DID NOT taste good. YAY! That's progress. One soda in a week? I'd call that good!

When I got on the scale on Sunday I was DOWN four pounds. YAY!

When I got on the scale today I was UP four pounds. BOO!

Such is life. Such is the journey I have been on for years. Haven't changed a thing and yet....

Interestingly, with not drinking sodas anymore - as that's the single-handed biggest change I've made so far - my FACE looks better. It's not puffy. And I hadn't even realized THAT was what the problem was. It's interesting to see my jaw coming back out. My cheeks. Still more work to be done, but it's progress.

I LIKE PROGRESS.

Maybe tomorrow I will wake up and have magically lost those four pounds again.

Maybe.

But the general gist of my almost entire month of "supervised" weight loss is that...I STILL weigh the same as I did the day I checked in for the first time.

I guess I can say "at least I'm not gaining...."

And so the journey continues....

I can honestly understand how hard it is to give up soda - however after many years of being a Diet Coke addict, I gave it up August 2 - still had plenty in my house, and car, but just decided that was the day for me to stop. I had to do that for me.

As far as your insurance goes, I, too, am going to have to make a new provider choice for next year - however, I am already through my 3 month pre-op diet, and had surgery on 10/19 - and I have been very concerned that my follow up appointments with the surgeon might not be covered under the new options. I have placed phone calls to all the companies and just asked what their bariatric coverages are.

Hang in there - this is just the beginning of the journey for us all!

Keep plugging away at the insurance pre-ops...it's always such a battle, but so worth it in the end. Best wishes! -BG