GMaJen

I'm a mom and grandma and live in Hoover, Alabama.  The first diet I remember going on, I was 16 and wanted to enlist. I got in, but fought my weight the entire time and was rarely under my max weight.  After I got out of the military it was even harder and I started the diet cycle I'm sure you all know so well.  I had stopped dieting because I always end up weighing more and I had no hope of ever keeping the weight off.  I really did want to be able to play with my grandkids and go on vacations and enjoy the tours without embarrassing myself huffing and puffing while the people 15+ years older than me were not. I had done research on Bariatric Surgery for years, but I go to the VA and thought I'd have to pay for it myself.  Then, while I was researching it AGAIN I ran across a video from the VA saying they now do Gastric Surgery and I was so excited I immediately went to my doc and asked to be referred. 7.5 months later, I've had the surgery.  I started at 235 and lost 35 lbs on the lifestyle change diet they made me go on, and 5 more during the pre surgery liquid diet, which put me where I was in 2016 after my last diet. I'm hoping to lose another 45. It would take 12 more than that to get down to my military max weight, but I looked good at 150. I am getting married in June of this year, just as I will be allowed to eat regular food. Getting married isn't why I did the surgery, but not gonna lie, I am glad I'll be thinner for those historic pictures. I already bought a dress before I knew the VA did the surgery, so I'll have to buy a new dress. I really have no problem with that.