Pinky Green

My breaking point is when I was told that if I don't lose weight in 5 years I would need knee replacement surgery (this was 2 years ago) and then after trying for a couple of years I'm still not able to lose the weight, and after talking to people who have had knee replacement surgery and people who have had WLS and hearing almost all the knee replacement surgery people saying that they weren't happy with the replacement and most of the WLS people saying they would do it again in a minute - and knowing that the recovery for knee replacement is that you will pretty much be a cripple for about 6 months or more and with the WLS you will be back to your old self - except not able to eat as much and losing weight in about 2 or 3 months... that was my breaking point.

Well, I went to my first nutritionist class and while I was told that I don't need to lose any amount of weight in the next two or three months, I am certainly not supposed to gain any. I didn't gain any this month even though I went a little crazy eating all the things that I know I won't be able to eat for probably about 6 months and even then I won't be able to eat near as much of it. Mexican food, Popeye's Fried Chicken, shoe-string potato chips, chicken pot pie. Now is the time for me to start eating at home and cooking most of my meals. Eating less simple carbs and more fruits, vegetables and lean meat or vegetable protein. However, I still have a huge appetite and I have a few things left at the house that although I can eat them in moderation right now, I need to get used to doing without them for a while - pasta, popcorn, potatoes, corn tortillas, rice. Tonight will be one of the last meals I make with a starch. I'm making tuna casserole with lettuce and tomato salad. My sweet boyfriend will always want tortillas or bread, but even before now, I don't eat bread if I'm eating pasta, one starch is enough. I will probably end up having a snack after dinner of either Kroger's CarbMasters Yogurt - only 60 calories, 4 grams of carbs, 1.5 grams of fat and 8 grams of protein, and cheap too.

Maybe your time of month?

I'm more of a meat sauce girl myself. And when cooking for a family meat sauce seems to go farther than meatballs.

I had a sonogram on my heart because my EKG was abnormal. But they said the sonogram was normal. I also have to have a stress test - although the cardiologist still said he would clear me for surgery.

Couldn't they just call Cigna?

I was originally told that with Cigna I would have to do 6month supervised diet but when I went in yesterday I was able to confirm that it had been changed to 3 months so it looks like my surgery will jump from December to September or October. This is really good news.

Well, today I went to my first NUT and also confirmed that I would only need 3 instead of the 6 that they first said so that would put me around the end of September or October. I've done my psych evalutation, and in the process of being cleared by my PCP and the cardiologist. After that I'm supposed to meet with a nutritionist right before surgery and have an endoscopy and a colonoscopy and then I'm ready.

I remember the first time a doctor wrote Obese on my chart and I wasn't obese at the time. I was overweight. I am 5'0" and I was 142. I knew I was overweight but I was shocked that the Dr. wrote that I was obese. According to the BMI calculator (http://bmicalc.org/bmi-calculator-for-women) - I will stop being obese and become overweight when I get to 153 lbs. Since I weigh 238 now that won't be my first goal, but that is going to be a goal somewhere down the line. I guess my first goal will be to lose 5% of my weight - 12 lbs. Maybe I can do that before I start the liquid diet 2 weeks before surgery.

My mother seems to be supportive. I talked to her over the phone once and she said that if I feel like that's what I need to do then go for it but that she had known at least one person besides Carnie Wilson who had had weigh loss surgery and gained all the weight back so to do everything the doctor said and I said yes, that's what I'm going to do. My problem isn't eating bad food so much - except going out to eat - my problem is mostly eating too much food - good and bad. I used to do Weight Watcher's and would fix a dinner that said it was for 4 and then my skinny boyfriend would eat one serving and I would end up eating 3 servings - like of stir fried vegetables, brown rice and chicken. I'm hoping this is going to help this problem. My friends are a mixed bag, mostly supportive. One friend has been urging me to do it since his wife did it and lost about 170 lbs. Another friend is worried and says I should have Medifast or something else first, but I've done WW like 5 times and sometimes I would lose and gain it back and sometimes not lose at all. And I did Nutrisystem and lost about 40 lbs and then gained it back and then some. She is just worried that I might die or that I'll be restricted too much in what I am able to eat. Bless her for worrying about me but I'm not afraid to die. But I was not looking forward to knee replacement surgery or living like a disabled person like I'm doing now. I can't go to festivals or shopping with this friend like I used to and I miss' that. It's been about 3 years since I've been able to enjoy going shopping. I go but my knees hurt and forget about enjoying shopping for clothes because nothing fits right. I am 5'0" and weigh 238 and if it takes surgery to help me get below 150 lbs so that clothes fit right and I can walk around without hurting then that's what I'm going to do.

I haven't been to Mexico but I've been to Guatemala and I think you have to look at your specific situation and not the general situation. Here's what I mean, most of the bad things, the killings etc are drug related. You didn't come to Mexico to buy drugs, so the chances of you getting killed are much lower than someone who comes to buy drugs. Also certain parts of the city may be dangerous and others not so much. Same as in Detroit or Houston. I wouldn't go to some parts of Houston if my car might die. Also pay attention to what your wearing and how you look. Don't look like Thurston Howell III or Lovey (rich people from Gilligan's Island for you young people who might never have seen it). Try to look more like a traveling-on-a-shoestring type of person instead. Don't flash money around. Check out Mexico Mike's website about safety: http://www.mexicomike.com/safety/safety-UsStateDepartment.html http://www.mexicomike.com/safety/safety-in-mexico.html I remember looking at the State Department Advisory for Guatemala and it said that in the last year 6 people had been abducted at the airport and held for ransom.. I thought to myself ' 6 people? Is that all? What were they wearing and why were they kidnapped". It seems like more crime than that occurs in Houston in 6 months than that.

LML32937, when the Mio first came out my friend and I were in Sam's and we tasted the Mio and it was ok, but I looked and it had aspartame in it and told them that I would have bought it if it had had Splenda instead of the aspartame. Now I see that the Mio has switched to Splenda. Crystal Light also has aspartame and I won't drink it, but if you tried Mio when it had aspartame you might want to try it again.

If you like apple juice you might try diluting it half and half with water. I haven't had surgery yet but I've read that suggestion as just a general weight loss suggestion for everyone. Apple juice is so sweet I can barely drink it without diluting it.

Maybe you should try sugar-free chewing gum?

Before I even made my appointment I was doing over the phone Weight Management Coaching with Cigna and they sent me a small plate with divisions showing how much Protein, carbs and vegetables to eat.

This is very good news. I went in May 29th and they said that I would need 6 months of NUT but they may be able to get me in by December and it would cost me less because I've already met my deductible and have used some of my out-of-pocket already. Now maybe I can get it in September or October and not have to stress about whether there is enough coverage at work on the holidays for me to be out a week or more.

This is good news because I was told since my first appointment was May 29th that we would be pushing it to get it through by the end of the year with 6 months of NUT and now hopefully it won't be a problem and I can get it done in by September or October - in time for the holidays.