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Welcome to the forum Jennifer! Sounds like you've been through the wars, but once you get your surgery and start losing weight you'll feel so much better you won't know yourself.
on 8/23/19 1:54 pm
Hello all. My name is Jennifer. I'm 41 years young and divorced mom of 3 great sons. 4 years ago, I reached my highest weight around 240ish. I decidedly then, I'd buckle down and shed the weight. And I did! I lost 60lbs dieting, walking and riding my bike. I then went to get my tummy tuck, which I desperately needed, after 3 pregnancies my pouch was on point lol. So that happened. 3 days after surgery, my incision became necrotic and just ripped apart. After 6 months of wound care and 3 surgeries later, I was healed with a skin graft. It's left a gnarly scar about 7 inches by 4-5 inches right below where my belly button USED to reside. (I cried when I realized my belly button was gone) So I got thru that! But dealing with the emotions of my body being scarred/damaged caused me a lot of depression and guess what I did? Yep, gained most of my weight back. Didn't help that I had back surgery in June either. I'm up to 225-230 now. I'm so angry at myself and upset. The pressing issue, is that I've gained SO much weight now, my skin graft is stretched SUPER thin in that area. And though I still have no feeling in that area, I wake up sometimes and notice tiny rips or scabs in it. I decided I need to get this weight off as fast as I can, because believe me I don't want to deal with that wound care business again. So I visited the bariatric surgeon in June. I had the sleep study done and failed with flying colors, so now my cpap keeps me company at night. I have degenerative disc disease, sleep apnea, pcos, Arthritis, and other co-morbidities. My BMI is around 35. I've been cleared by the psychiatrist, the nutritionist, had my upper G.I. done, chest x-ray, a buttload of labwork and my EKG. I expect to get surgery date at my appt next month. Just thought I'd reach out and say hello. (I'm doing this on the DL, so haven't told many friends at all and no one at work. I plan to take vacation at surgery time.) so not many folks to talk to about it. Hope you're having a great day if you made it thru this lol
Water, unsweetened iced tea, hot tea [mostly Scottish breakfast or earl grey], coffee, iced hibiscus tea from time to time, or water with a squirt of lime juice.
I drink a lot of flavored waters, like Bai, for example, because I get tired of drinking plain water all day (although I drink that, too). I also like the 5-calorie cranberry beverages that Ocean Spray (and a couple other companies) make - esp the cranberry-mango one.
I make a pitcher of Crystal Light every morning in warm weather and fini**** by evening. I also drink diet ginger ale and sometimes Coke Zero. Carbonation does not bother me at all.
Real life begins where your comfort zone ends
A typical day for me is a couple of cups of coffee first thing in the morning, then bottled water or Tetley breakfast blend with splash of milk throughout the day. The occasional Tetley brand Chai tea is my new favourite treat.
Nutrition appt went well. Down 4lbs from last month. I joined the Y on the way home. I have an appointment with the trainer Monday to learn the machines and set goals. Mostly, I plan to swim and join one of the aquatic exercise classes.
on 8/22/19 1:58 pm
Nearly 100% of my water has tea in it. Black tea of all varieties. oolong, lapsang souchon, blends like English Breakfast, Assam, Darjeeling. You name it, if it's a black tea that doesn't taste like fruit, I drink it.
Also, try these:
That's an assortment of orange, lemon, and lime flavor crystals. I just dump one into my water bottle (tea or no tea). No sugar, no chemicals. Just crystalized orange or lemon or lime.
I drink Bubly and Arrowhead Black Cherry or Lime sparkling water occasionally.
What other liquids are you drinking besides water? Need some zero cal ideas for liquids. I have a major problem with drinking my calories.
I was referred to Dr. O'Conell by my doctor and it is so hard to get in touch with their office I have left voicemails and tried countless of time to call them. I will keep trying I want give up
