So first week of the pre-op liquid diet is down the hatch, and now I'm one week away from surgery. The first week was really hard, especially since I can only have Optifast shakes and water. 

After going to my pre-op appointment with Dr. Garth, the PA told me if I absoultely needed something to eat I could have 3oz of baked fish or chicken with no seasonings. That was good to hear, because my stomach was growling like crazy everyday at first. 

I ate the 3 oz. of chicken on Easter Sunday, because I thought my mom was going to start crying because I couldn't eat. She's a lovable and concerned mother and she hated seeing me not be able to eat like everyone else. That's when I realized a lot of the eating I have always done wasn't because I was hungry but because food was available and in a sense, "everyone else was doing it, so why not me?"

That was a reality check for both of us! Now she knows that I will have to adjust my diet for me, and may not be able to eat the same things as everyone else. I needed that moment for this whole thing to sink in, and now I have a new outlook on the future. I was so nervous about maintaing the diet after surgery, but the simple truth is, I have no choice. 

If I want to be successful and finally get rid of all my extra baggage, it's necessary to follow my diet to a "T". Don't ask me why it took so many years for that to be a fact to me, but it did. I guess it's one of those "Ah Ha" moments that Oprah talks about. 

I know I can survive one more week on Optifast and water, and I know I can be successful in my post-op diet. I'm focused and plan to stay that way for the rest of my life. This is a new beginning and I can't wait for the ride to start!!!