When you wish upon a star

Oh, anybody curious to the title of my blog......I want to see the one hundreds again. Even if it is 199.9 pounds, I want to see it. I can't remember the last time I weighed UNDER 200 pounds. I think when I met my husband 13 years ago.

Of course, I would like to see 175 or even 160, but right now, I would be happy with 195...give or take.

Anyway, here are a few more things I want to visit:
Size 20 (hey, I'm borderline 30, I am aiming low here)

My pubic hair. Seriously, do I have any? I should ask my gyno. My belly hangs that far down. Pretty gross, huh?

My face. Hey, I have a cute face when it isn't enlarged.

Fit into a ride a Disneyland (or a movie theater seat, an airplane seat, etc.) I just theorized that the reason so many fat people go to Disneyland is because they are tolerated. NOBODY at the park has ever denied a fat person (walking or scooter) anything. We all feel like normal people. Mickey Mouse does not shink back in horror (that we can tell! hahahahhahaha) when he is approached by a non-perfect human specimen.

A normal blood pressure reading without medication.

Climbing stairs or getting into bed without having to catch my breath.

Not being the fattest chick at the pool, beach, river. Don't harpoon me, please, I am not dangerous.

Sex. I will leave it at that.

New-tree-ion

Anybody remember Mr. Robinson on SNL? He was a character created by Eddie Murphy. He was telling the childrens about "new-tree-ion" (nutrition).

I went to my bariatric nutrition class yesterday. And the future is pretty scary. After the surgery I am not allowed to have soda, beer or popcorn FOREVER! Never again, will a diet Coke or a Corona or Kettle Corn pass my lips.

After my sugery, for the first three weeks of survival, I live on liquids. Milk, juice, Carnation Breakfast drink, jello, broth, water, etc. I HAVE to meet the 40 gram protien goal and 48 oz of water daily.

Here is what a sample menu looks like:
BREAKFAST: (7 a.m.)
½ Cup Carnation Instant Breakfast (no sugar added)-
made with skim milk
½ Cup Sugar free jello
SNACK: (10 a.m.)
½ Cup diluted fruit juice
LUNCH: (12 noon)
½ Cup smooth no sugar added, low fat "light" yogurt
½ Cup broth
SNACK (3:00 p.m.)
Sugar free Popsicle
DINNER: (6:00 p.m.)
½ Cup strained cream soup made with skim milk
½ Cup low sodium V-8 juice

Yeah, that's pretty much it for the first three weeks. Then weeks #4 through #6, is the baby food stage. But now I have to meet a 60g - 65 gram intake of protein and the usual 64 oz of water.
Here is a sample menu:

7 a.m. Early Breakfast ¼ c. dry oatmeal made ½ c. skim milk + 2 tbsp. Skim milk powder
10 a.m. Brunch 1/2 c. light yogurt + 2 tbsp. Skim milk powder
1 p.m. Lunch 1/4 pureed meat and 1/4 pureed veggies
3 p.m. 1 cup high protein drink
6 p.m. Dinner 1/4 cup reduced fat cream of chicken soup and 1/4 pureed vegetables.

I was told I could use baby food once in a while, but only from stages 1 and 2 (stage 3 is too chunky). Coming up after that is the Soft to Regular food stage. This is from week 7 until six monts. Again, I have to meet the protein and liquid goals. So, goodbye bread, goodbye pasta, goodbye ice cream......hmm sounds, basically, like the Weight Watchers Core program...TO THE EXTREME! LOL

Seriously, folks. This is it. I would say this is it in a nutshell, but I am not allowed to have nuts (or seeds) for possible damage. ha.

New Patient Class

I attended the class today. They basically explained the surgery, how it works, why it works and complications.

Then the co-ordinator scared me with the insurance. She stated that some insurances require a six-month doctor supervised diet. I was thinking, "Oh, great....another road block."

I finally got to see the P.A. and he checked my belly button to make sure it wasn't herniated from my oophorectomy (ovary removal). Then I saw the Insurance Specialist and she advised me to schedule a Nutrition Class, a Doctor Talk (group lecture) and a "One-on-One" with the surgeon (NO SIX-MONTH DIET--yipppeeee!). I also had to schedule a Psychological Evaluation to help me cope with what is going to happen before surgery, after and the years to come.

I will FOREVER be on supplements (vitamins, iron and B-12). I would rather be on vitamin supplements forever than insulin and hypertension meds and God knows what else.

I will NEVER eat the same way again. If I do, I will get sick (dumping syndrome). Kinda scary thinking I will HAVE to change, not just "decide" to change. This is going to be for a lifetime. I cannot just divorce it or give up when I am tired of it.

And it could all happen within four months; not over a year as I anticipated.

In the beginning

There was a fat lady. She didn't know what to do. She has tried everything in the last 25 years to lose weight. From the Stillman water diet (at age 11)to Cambridge (like Slimfast) to diet doctors, ephedra, phen-fen, Opti-fast, Weight Watchers (123, Points and Core!) and anything in between.

After 13 years of marriage, two kids and a job loss, she has reached maximum density. 333 pounds, give or take. Size 28+ (depending on manufacturer, and type of clothing e.g. pants or shirts). Now she has high-blood pressure, and is scared of being diagnosed with Type II Diabetes (like her mother was a year and half ago) or using a cane, walker or wheelchair (like those fat people you see tooling around Disneyland in the ECVs). She wants to be around to watch her children grow and not be a burden or an embarassment.

Tomorrow, she has a "New Patient Class" with a surgeon in Orange County California. We will see what happens!