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I log in to myfitnesspal to keep up with my VSG friends.  I check in everyday and try and post everyday to encourage others.  I go out on this website and try and give encouragement to others and share my experiences.  I weigh all my food.  I also do weigh myself everyday but I don't let it rule my mood for the day if I am up.  There are going to be daily fluctuations but if it becomes a pattern it is a check for me to really look at what I am eating and drinking and adjust accordingly if needed.  I look at the weight on the scale and the body fat %.  I also use my body measurements to measure my success.  My accountability tools have not really changed because I have made a commitment to make a lifestyle change and these were part of my lifestyle change.  I am less than 20lbs from goal at 9 months out but I think I will need to stay in contact long term with other vets to keep myself accountable, I would like to say everyday but I don't know if that will be feasible or not.  I will set a maintenance danger weight and if I go past that weight, I have to go back into weight loss mode.  I am scared to death of putting the weight back on and if I do not continue to use the tools that I have been given and just bury my head in the sand, I will put it back on.

I am just starting on my journey. I go to my first consulation with the surgeon and dietician on Feb 7. I am so ready to get started. I still dont know yet how long I have to wait to have my surgery. What can I expect from my first visit? I know every doctor is different buy was just wondering how much weight loss I have to do before surgery? I have hypothyroidism from being hyperthyroidism and them doing radiation iodine to kill my thyroid plus I have sleep apnea and high blood pressure. I have also been diagnosed with bradycardia so needless to say I dont lose weight easily! If I just look at food I gain weight. I am anxious and nervous at the same time. With me not being able to lose weight I am worried I wont be able to lose weight after surgery. I am hoping to have the Roux en Y done but we will see what my doctor says on Feb 7. I am 5'4" and weigh 230 lbs.

Thanks

I am 3 weeks postop today and I am very frustrated. I have not lost a single lb in a week. Is this normal? I was dropping up to 3 lbs a day for the first 2 weeks and now NOTHING! In the past week I have completely adhered to the pureed diet with an average daily caloric intake of ~500-650. Is my body going into a rebellious mode or what?

What is the story behind one of your scars?

I have two scars on my left leg. I was in an automobile accident about a decade ago and my left ankle was crushed between the brake and emergency brake. My left ankle was sheared off, so I have 3, 3 inch screws attaching the ankle to my tibia. I also have a 2 titanium plates and 12 screws holding the fibula together. I can tell when the weather is going to change before the weather forecast. Now, that it's been more than a decade, you can't even see the scars unless I specifically point them out and I am able to walk with a normal gate. I can even sport high heels which I thought I'd never wear again after the accident.

What do you "know now" that you wish you "knew then"?

There are soooo many things, but I think I really wish that I knew what my life would be like after having weight loss surgery. I think I would have done it much, much earlier and in doing so I would have realized the health and quality of life benefits so much earlier. I also have seen the enormous impact the changes in my behavior associated with my weight loss surgery have made on my daughter and I wish I had done it sooner so that it might have had a similar impact on my sons who are a decade older.

Have you ever won a prize, if so what was it?

Hmmm... I don't really ever recall winning a prize.

What subject do you wish you had paid more attention to in school?

Probably math. I've always been math challenged. I found one teacher that really helped me understand, but generally I have always had a hard time with it. Because I have such a hard time with math, it impacted my understanding of the sciences.

If you could have coffee with someone famous, who would it be?

That's a difficult question because there are a number of people I'd like to have coffee with... President Obama, President Clinton, President Lincoln, Oprah, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Diane Sawyer, Richard Gere,  ...

What is your favorite thing about your mom?

I lost my mom in March of 2010, so there are soooo many things I miss about her, but I think that my favorite thing was that we were good friends. Not many people have the privilege of being friends with their parents and it's something that I both appreciated and miss. She was a kind, compassionate woman. She let me know it's important to be kind and compassionate even if someone is not being kind, because we never know what burdens someone is carrying. She lived her life being kind and compassionate and taught me to strive to do the same in her memory.

What song do you love to dance to?

Just about anything! I love to dance!! That doesn't mean I do it well, but I really love to dance. I remember dancing on my daddy's shoes as a little girl. I love, love, love to dance. I remember when I was a teenager and they introduced what was similar to Jazzercise or Zumba. It was hands down my favorite class and it's still my favorite way to get exercise because my focus is on having fun so it's not a chore.

What was the worst punishment your parents ever enacted?

My father packed up my clothes and donated them because I didn't clean up my room when I was about 10 years old.

Who was the best boss you ever worked for?

I've had several really good bosses, but the best boss I ever had was probably my dad. My father had a Technical Publications business that he started when I was a teenager as 'slave labor'...lol, but in time I went from doing menial tasks to actually editing and then writing as we found that I had a real talent for writing. I also found that I had a strong mechanical ability as well as an understanding of software and business process. He mentored me and I found my wings. I set off on my own, but went back to working for and with him after I proved to myself that I really was competent and wasn't 'just' Daddy's girl. It was interesting to go from working for him to working with him.

What restaurant do you love even though you know you shouldn't?

Hmmm... Again, too many possibilites here. I love Mandarin Gourmet, which is a Chinese Restaurant in San Jose CA that has wonderful pot stickers, hot and sour soup, Chinese chicken salad, and honeyed walnut prawns... OMGoodness!! P.F. Chang's lettuce cups are pretty wonderful too! I love milkshakes from Cookout, but I can't have much, so it's not worth getting one. I love the Chicken Mini's from Chick-Fil-A because they remind me of my dear Mother-in-Law's sweet yeast rolls and I must admit to enjoying them on a rare occasion. Now, I have learned that moderation is the key to success. I can have anything from any of these or the myriad of other goodies.

If you did not need the money what would you do for work?

Again, so many possibilities. I would love to work as a Bariatric Patient Navigator. I also would probably want to be psychologist with a focus on bariatric issues. I'd love to work at a museum too. Finally, I really think I'd love to work as a teacher.

If you had an extra room in your house what would you use it for?

We actually do and we have a guest room, an office and a craft room. I also love having a formal living room and dinning room. I know some people think that they are a waste of space, but I really enjoy the peace and tranquility of the living room. It's filled with things that remind me of family members that have passed. I also love the formal dinning room because again, it is filled with things that I've collected and inherited over the years.

How would you explain love to somebody who had never heard of it before?

Love is a multifaceted thing. There is the love you feel for your spouse, the love you feel for your child or grandchild, the love you feel for your family... parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, the love you feel for your friend... I just met my first grandchild a few weeks ago and the deep, immediate affection and connection I felt for him could only be matched by what I have felt for my own children. To me, love is a deep affection and personal connection to someone for which I care deeply.  For me, love is an intense feeling of deep caring, compassion, kindness, and affection that goes far beyond the bounds of friendship.

What is your warmest birthday memory?

On my 5th birthday while we were stationed in Yalova, Turkey we had a birthday party with a number of the kids from the local base. My mother made me a Barbie doll cake that sat on a music box that turned and played happy birthday. We also had 8mm movies of Woody Wood Pecker.

What is a good place to travel, but you would not want to live there?

I would love to go to Israel and back to Istanbul, but I doubt that I would want to live there because they don't seem safe to me.