This month is dragging by! It seems I'm waiting so long between my appointments...they seem to never come. I've got a week & a half still before my next appointment. I'm being very impatient.

I think I'm doing very well on changing my diet. My doctor believes in and teaches that starch addiction is the reason behind obesity. While I know that not everyone is the same, I have cut out starches (bread, pasta, potatoes, rice & sugars) and am losing without much other effort. I feel like I've cut my portions pretty well. I use MyFitnessPal & 9 times out of 10 I'm well below my calorie allowance for the day. I look back at what I used to eat and I'm really amazed at how many calories are in starches. And I really don't miss them. The biggest issue I have is eating out for lunch. I try to bring food from home, but many times I don't. I know I should plan ahead more & I'll have no choice but to do so after surgery. I have a 30 minute lunch break with very limited options for lunches...and when you add in the fact that I'm broke and everything nearby is so expensive, it's just hard to make good choices. Wendy's chili is a great, cheap lunch & fills me well - but it gets tiring when you have it two or three times a week. I have to say though, I have not made those bad choices on this front for quite a while. I am willing to have chili as my "safe, go-to" rather than stuff french fries in my face. Just another thing I'll have to work on. Rome wasn't built in a day, right?!

I know I need to get moving more, that will accelerate my loss, but almost every day, the number goes down just a little. I keep hoping that I'll start feeling some of the energy come back to me. Right now, I am tired & exercise, even just walking, wears me out pretty quickly. By the time I work a full day, come home, make dinner for the family, I'm pretty much wiped out. But I'm going to get there. I have to push myself & I've not been doing that much. The rainy weather we've had lately hasn't been cooperating with my walking either. Just excuses though...it's me & I have to own up to that. I'm anxious to meet with the exercise physiologist to see what is expected of me. Am I going to have to make it up to a consistent average of 10,000 steps before I can have surgery? There's another question to add to my list.

I guess I'm not exactly clear on my requirements. Doc assures me that it's not a race to surgery & he's there for me until I'm ready - whether it takes one month or two years, but what does he consider "ready"? I feel like I'm ready right now. I foresee a long conversation when that appointment finally gets here.

I probably bore you all with my ramblings, but it's good for me to put my thoughts - no matter how random - out there. It helps me to slow down my mind for a moment and see my thoughts. And if by chance I stumble across anything that helps or provokes thoughts or ideas for someone else, then yay - bonus!

Best of luck to you all in your journeys. I'm finding this site very informative and helpful. Thanks for reading my ramblings