Describe your behavioral and emotional battle with weight control before learning about bariatric surgery.

I have been gaining weight slowly and steadily since high school. I am always hungry, with a very strong physical hunger pang in my stomach, even minutes after a big meal. I love food, I love to eat. I love to cook and to bake. I have a very large capacity, can eat about four times the recommended quantity and not feel stuffed. I used to be a "I'm bored, whatcha got to eat" person. Every time I went to my grandparents' house, the first thing I did was go to the refrigerator. Even when I wasn't hungry! I am working very hard now to feed my body only what it needs for fuel, not what my head thinks I want. This is a struggle every hour of every day. Since November 2011 I have given up soda and all carbonated beverages. I now only drink water, or protein meal replacements. I have given up simple sugars, where I can. I no longer pick up a candy bar or chips at the convenience store. I threw away my sugary breakfast cereal and I now eat Kashi go lean high protein cereal with skim milk. When I have a hankering for sweets, I have a light n fit yogurt or a piece of fruit. I eat very little bread. But then there's my belly. I have gastritis, and to me it is a feeling, a very strong/painful hunger pang that is almost always there. I feel like "I'm starving " all the time. It is very hard to tell myself not to eat with this very strong physical sensation telling me to fill my belly.

What was (is) the worst thing about being overweight?

I really didn't mind until I got to the point where I could not go on a boy scout hike or go to my son's school open house because I just couldn't do the walking. When I was only 200 pounds I did everything I wanted, went on 3 mile hikes, gardened, participated in parades with the cub scouts! I was a very active and busy mom who was overweight but did not let her weight stop her from doing what she wanted. Now at age 47 I am crippled by my fat. I can barely climb stairs. It is hard to get up from a chair. It hurts to walk more than 100 feet. I have nearly eaten myself to death. I am not a good mom, I'm the fat mom who watches from the car while the boys go off on an adventure that I'm too crippled to participate in.

If you have had weight loss surgery already, what things do you most enjoy doing now that you weren't able to do before?

I have not had surgery yet, my insurance does not cover bariatrics. As soon as I can I am switching insurance and getting RNY!