::PRESURGERY STORY:: 

Well, As I said above, I'm 29, and very over weight.  I've been happily married for 5 years, I have a great supportive family comprised of my parents, who are still together, and my sister and the family she has made.  My sister has a husband and two daughters.  My husband has three children, but I have none, so I'm a step-mom.

I've been overweight since I started having periods.  My family has a lot of diabetes, heart attacks and obesity in it.  I have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, which helps me keep my weight going up up up, and has several other symptoms, like unwanted hair (on my chest and cheeks, like a guy) and it makes me infertile.

I've tried a lot of diets, and I've always been really successful.  I've lost the same 50 lbs about 10 times over.  I'm looking forward to a life change, this time.

 I love my job as an adult affiliate manager for webmasters.  I told all of my co-workers, and bosses, and didn't keep any part of the process secret.  I wanted all the support I could get.

 I enjoy going to the gym.  It makes me feel really good to excercise.  I feel fatigue a lot, but when I work out for half an hour, it cuts through the fog I feel in my mind, so I've been really grooving on it lately.

I went through the surgery set up and approval with Kaiser in 2003/2004.  Their system for approval was pretty slow, but that was ok with me at the time, because I was scared.  I waited 8 months for a surgery date, and then got my surgery date six months out.  I lost so much weight on my own in that time that I cancelled the surgery, only to slowly regain all of that weight plus 20 pounds over the last few years.

The UCDavis medical center program that I'm in now was much faster for me, this time around, but that was because I was ready.  The approval and tests and surgery date were all within 3 months.

I've been on my own presurgery diet for a while now, to mentally prepare.  I've lost 20 lbs, and I don't miss the foods anymore.  I just have a little mantra that food is just fuel to make my body go.  I say it when I'm feeling weak, until the moment passes.  I take this surgery very seriously, so I haven't cheated yet.

Right now, I drink a pro-complex 55g of protein shake with 1 cup of nonfat milk and 1 1/2 cups of ice for breakfast.  I eat a EAS Advant EDGE carb control nutrition bar for lunch, and then I try to eat a healthy dinner.  For example, last night I ate a steamed artichoke with a tablespoon of mayo for leaf dipping, a skinless chicken thigh and leg, and 2 potstickers from the deli.  I keep the diet between 1200 and 1400 calories, with around 90 oz of water, and 100 g of protein a day.

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My surgery is tomorrow.  My husband was reading a profile on here and he saw someone's goal list and he asked if I had one.  I didn't really, but I figured I would make one.

GOALS:

DONE!!!!  -- To get under 300 lbs
DONE!!!!  -- To get under 200 lbs
To get under 150 lbs
DONE!!!!  -- To no longer need a seat belt extention while flying
To fit on any amusement park ride I want
To be able to pull myself out of our swimming pool (right now my husband picks me up out of water!)
DONE!!!!  --  To be able to kneel or get myself up off the floor
To wear size 10 clothing
DONE!!!!  -- To walk like normal people with out tiring
DONE!!!!  -- To stand for a few hours with out ruining my feet
DONE!!!!  -- To fit in our bathtub
DONE!!!!  -- To put on my own socks with out an ordeal
To buy lingerie from a normal store
To wear a normal, non flapped bathing suit
or even a two piece
Learn to snowboard
Learn to rock climb
Get in the normal BMI range for 5'6"
DONE!!!!  -- Fit into my club clothes again.
DONE!!!!  -- Cross my legs

I'll try to think of more and add it here. I do want to say I'm doing this for my health and not for my looks, so a lot of these list items are just perks, not the cause.