It's official

Hi all, Well I went to Albany Med this morning for my information session, signed the paperwork, and I am officially on my way! It was not as scary as I thought it would be. I weighed in at 271, so 27 lbs to lose. The good news is I only need 2 clearances as of now....psych and PCP. I may have to get a gastrointestinal clearance because I have IBS, but the nurse said its 50/50 on that. I called to schedule an appt with Dr Algers for my nutritional meeting.....anyone familiar with her? The only concern I have is the dieting. They gave us a 1500 cal diet, listing how many servings of protein, grains, fruits, etc a day. I am not vey good at this and I'm concerned that I will have trouble without a more structured program. Any heathly meal suggestions would be appreciated.

Janet, Congrats on, you are on your way... Doesn't feel awesome to be moving forward with this journey. Take it slow and take one day at a time....I would check online to see about diet plans that might give you some ideas.....I know using fitday.com can really help with keeping you on track, give you the info on so many foods, also a place to add your own foods and take the info from the label. Once you have enetered it once it is always there for the next time.....really like that site. I wish you all the best! Keep us posted Debra P

Janet: Congratulations and welcome to AMC Group. I am scheduled to have my surgery there on December 5th with Dr. Rosati. I have been working with Dr. Alger for the past 6 months - she is wonderful - you will love her. It takes a while to get an appointment to see her but your weight loss history starts from today, not when you meet with her. Even if your appt. isn't until late January or early Feb. keep it and call from time to time to see if there is a cancellation. If they know you are truly pushing, they sometimes will call you! Best of Luck and look forward to seeing you at a Support Group Meeting in the future. Peggy

Hi Janet, Dr Alger is a wonderful source of information and support. I think the whole idea of the pre op dietary regime is to get you away from a diet high in simple carbs and fat to a diet that high in protein and low in carbs. After surgery, the rules of the pouch are that you eat protein first, and a small amt of veggies and even smaller amt of carbs after that. Those rules come into play right away on this Mediterranian regime. Always fill up mostly on protein and use other food groups as small supplementation to add variety. Chicken, fish, beans, cheese, yogurt, etc is the focus of every meal. Get as much movement as you can on a daily basis. Even if you start with 10 minutes a day. Drink all the water. That keeps your hands and mouth busy and your stomach full. I'm really glad to hear you're on the road towards wellness. It's a wonderful place to be. Feel free to email me with any questions. Hugs, Amy

Well I got my nutritional appt this Friday with Dr. Lindstrom. It seems that Dr. Algers is booked solid through the end of January. I went grocery shopping and picked up lots of fruits and veggies, some chicken and some yogurt, all the healthy stuff I need. I also picked up some 5lbs weights and a strechy thing to work out my upper body. I am ready to go. Watch out world.....here comes the new me! Thanks for all the advise...its really appreciated

Congratulations on the making the most amazing decision, to take control of your life ! Read whatever you can get your hands on, but remember to follow your doctors orders first and foremost. Please be sure to keep us posted on your journey ! -Terri