Fat teens, fat twenties - my thirties will be fitter!

[Lisav]

Hi all,

I have been wondering when to start my diary and now laid here at 6am on my precious bank holiday off work (Grr - why cant I sleep in?!) seems as good a time as any!

I'm Lisa, I'm 29 and as you can see from the title I have been fat since my teenage years. I attribute my initial weight gain to starting work the day after my sixteenth birthday and going from an active social life to sat on my backside in an office all day - but really let's be honest, I ate too much and didn't do any exercise. I have tried SO many diets over the years from WW to slimming magazine to adios tablets and herbalife. I had relative success with lighter life and lost 6 stones with that followed by the Cambridge diet - but unfortunately for me these were not sustainable and when I finished the diet even though I thought I was now invincible and had kicked my demons, I was wrong. Fast forward to now. I am in the last year of my twenties and am determined to make that change. I have grown to hate so many things about myself that I have very little confidence left, but I do have good will power.

A bit about my home life - I have a wonderful girlfriend who I have been in a relationship with for two years (it's our anniversary today actually!) who loves me unconditionally - I question as to why on a regular basis, but I adore her back. Funnily Colleen is a fitness instructor and has a great body and wants to help me with exercise. We do circuit training that she has adapted to me and my capabilities and that is going to be invaluable in the coming months. We have the most beautiful puppy in the world, a shih tzu with attitude named Twiglet and we worship the ground he walks on. He is another reason I have no excuse to get out and about as he loves nothing more than long walks in the countryside.

I work in an office in a publishing company and still basically sit on my butt there all day but I do enjoy my job and work have been very fair about time off for wls.

So I chose the band based on the fact that in my eyes it is the safer and most reversible operation out there to help me achieve my goals. I want a baby sometime in the next five years and know this can be adjusted to cope with that, but also I like the fact that I am going to have to work with my band to get where I want to be - I love a challenge!

I did go the NHS route but after a year of getting nowhere, a crappy experience with weight management and putting on more and more weight my parents have stepped in to lend me the money. They are so worried about me and my size they just want to help. I went to meet a surgeon Mr Bruno Sgromo at oxfords manor hospital and he was wonderful. I have my appointment with the dietician on 16th April and also the clinical nurse specialist. Does anyone know what I can expect from those appointments? I get white coat syndrome (I'm terrified of doctors appointments) so I feel so nervous and anxious about not knowing! I have my pre-op appointment on 30th April and my op is booked for 8th May. I am so excited to start this new change in my life and I welcome you all to join me on my journey.

Thank you all for your advice and help so far, I look forward to getting to know you all better xxx

 

[tanychance]

What a lovely start to your journey! Good luck ... I'm a student nurse and have come across the white coat syndrome from very minor to very severe, I can relate to how u feel but it's what u want so hopefully that will outweigh any fears!! X

 

[Mazza]

Hi Lisa

Good start to your diary, good luck on your journey! xx

 

[mayamoo]

Hi there, good luck, look forward to more updates x

 

[KJF78]

Best of luck with it all, everyone on here seems so supportive, I'm sure they will be very helpful. I wish my parents had the money to lend me, I am going to have to apply for a loan- hope I get it!

 

[Sar2567]

Hi all,

I have been wondering when to start my diary and now laid here at 6am on my precious bank holiday off work (Grr - why cant I sleep in?!) seems as good a time as any!

I'm Lisa, I'm 29 and as you can see from the title I have been fat since my teenage years. I attribute my initial weight gain to starting work the day after my sixteenth birthday and going from an active social life to sat on my backside in an office all day - but really let's be honest, I ate too much and didn't do any exercise. I have tried SO many diets over the years from WW to slimming magazine to adios tablets and herbalife. I had relative success with lighter life and lost 6 stones with that followed by the Cambridge diet - but unfortunately for me these were not sustainable and when I finished the diet even though I thought I was now invincible and had kicked my demons, I was wrong. Fast forward to now. I am in the last year of my twenties and am determined to make that change. I have grown to hate so many things about myself that I have very little confidence left, but I do have good will power.

A bit about my home life - I have a wonderful girlfriend who I have been in a relationship with for two years (it's our anniversary today actually!) who loves me unconditionally - I question as to why on a regular basis, but I adore her back. Funnily Colleen is a fitness instructor and has a great body and wants to help me with exercise. We do circuit training that she has adapted to me and my capabilities and that is going to be invaluable in the coming months. We have the most beautiful puppy in the world, a shih tzu with attitude named Twiglet and we worship the ground he walks on. He is another reason I have no excuse to get out and about as he loves nothing more than long walks in the countryside.

I work in an office in a publishing company and still basically sit on my butt there all day but I do enjoy my job and work have been very fair about time off for wls.

So I chose the band based on the fact that in my eyes it is the safer and most reversible operation out there to help me achieve my goals. I want a baby sometime in the next five years and know this can be adjusted to cope with that, but also I like the fact that I am going to have to work with my band to get where I want to be - I love a challenge!

I did go the NHS route but after a year of getting nowhere, a crappy experience with weight management and putting on more and more weight my parents have stepped in to lend me the money. They are so worried about me and my size they just want to help. I went to meet a surgeon Mr Bruno Sgromo at oxfords manor hospital and he was wonderful. I have my appointment with the dietician on 16th April and also the clinical nurse specialist. Does anyone know what I can expect from those appointments? I get white coat syndrome (I'm terrified of doctors appointments) so I feel so nervous and anxious about not knowing! I have my pre-op appointment on 30th April and my op is booked for 8th May. I am so excited to start this new change in my life and I welcome you all to join me on my journey.

Thank you all for your advice and help so far, I look forward to getting to know you all better xxx

Hi Lisa, good luck with your journey! I am having a bypass on the 4th may so not too far apart. I wish my girlfriend was a fitness instructor, however she is a wonderful full time mum to our 7 children. Don't laugh.

Look forward to hearing about how it goes and your challenge! I chose a bi pass as I am not that great at challenges and am physically disabled so however much weight I loose I will never be doing circuits.

 

[Lisav]

Hi Sar2657, we'll have to follow each others progress and share our stories as our surgeries are so close! Seven children? Wow, what a lovely busy family life you must have! I just want one baby, but won't contemplate it until I'm fit and healthy enough to do so.

Thank you everyone for your comments!

I went to my partners sisters house for dinner today and it was a sort of buffet/help yourself dinner. Do any of you find (pre-op) that you help yourself to way less than you actually want or need just so people don't look at the "fat girl piling her plate?" that's exactly how I feel and always leave hungry because of it. I worry too much what people think sometimes.

 

[Yvessa]

I think 90% of us feel that way. The only time I have not is when I went out for my leaving do and had the same as my very slim, very pretty colleague who talked me into it!

 

[Lisav]

Well I have just given myself another goal to aim at! I bought standing tickets to see Lady Gaga today - I wouldn't have contemplated standing tickets before but I aim to be able to happily do so in September now! Exciting!

 

[Nanny Og]

Good luck on your journey, I'm sure you'll do great.

 

[Lisav]

Having a really crap day at work today, and it helps if I vent my frustrations. I just came in to work for the first time since last Thursday (and I'd had the week before that off, as I'd been knocked off my moped) so I have LOADS to catch up on. I am covering for my boss at present, but noone is covering for me, so I am feeling the pressure today. Also I had a complaint from my landlady through the door this morning, that my dog was barking a lot last night. I was at my dads (two doors away) for his sixtieth birthday, and she knew where I was and why, as she is a family friend, yet she didnt call or text me, she just put this stroppy bit of paper through the door telling me to sort it. I had been back four times throughout the evening as it was.

Feeling very stressed and normally I would "reward" myself with chocolate but I am not allowing myself to today. I had some sugar free jelly at lunch instead. I could kill for a mars bar though!

 

[Lisav]

I have just had a realisation moment that it is 25 days until I am due to have my surgery! ARGHH! I feel so totally unprepared! Help me! What do I need to get beforehand? I just bought myself a v shaped pillow to help make me comfortable when I get home from hospital, but i'm really stuck at what food I should be buying in to stock the cupboards with for after (i just got paid and am on quite a strict budget)

can anyone help?

 

[Yvessa]

Depending how strict your budget is you may want to make your own soups using frozen meat and veg. Also milk and either something like complan/slimfast or marvel is generally recommended and yoghurts. But bear in mind you will be eating teeny portions and so should not need much

 

[Lisav]

^^^ I cannot wait for that Yve

 

[JO28172]

just be mindful we can eat more than bypassers/sleeves etc so I found making up ice cube trays with soup in etc a waste of time as could manage half a tin in one go fine, or half a ready meal in one go. Get some yogurts and fruit smoothies in(I had those in tubes), I also had either slimfast or protein shakes.....good luck!

 

[vicky x]

Hi all,

I have been wondering when to start my diary and now laid here at 6am on my precious bank holiday off work (Grr - why cant I sleep in?!) seems as good a time as any!

I'm Lisa, I'm 29 and as you can see from the title I have been fat since my teenage years. I attribute my initial weight gain to starting work the day after my sixteenth birthday and going from an active social life to sat on my backside in an office all day - but really let's be honest, I ate too much and didn't do any exercise. I have tried SO many diets over the years from WW to slimming magazine to adios tablets and herbalife. I had relative success with lighter life and lost 6 stones with that followed by the Cambridge diet - but unfortunately for me these were not sustainable and when I finished the diet even though I thought I was now invincible and had kicked my demons, I was wrong. Fast forward to now. I am in the last year of my twenties and am determined to make that change. I have grown to hate so many things about myself that I have very little confidence left, but I do have good will power.

A bit about my home life - I have a wonderful girlfriend who I have been in a relationship with for two years (it's our anniversary today actually!) who loves me unconditionally - I question as to why on a regular basis, but I adore her back. Funnily Colleen is a fitness instructor and has a great body and wants to help me with exercise. We do circuit training that she has adapted to me and my capabilities and that is going to be invaluable in the coming months. We have the most beautiful puppy in the world, a shih tzu with attitude named Twiglet and we worship the ground he walks on. He is another reason I have no excuse to get out and about as he loves nothing more than long walks in the countryside.

I work in an office in a publishing company and still basically sit on my butt there all day but I do enjoy my job and work have been very fair about time off for wls.

So I chose the band based on the fact that in my eyes it is the safer and most reversible operation out there to help me achieve my goals. I want a baby sometime in the next five years and know this can be adjusted to cope with that, but also I like the fact that I am going to have to work with my band to get where I want to be - I love a challenge!

I did go the NHS route but after a year of getting nowhere, a crappy experience with weight management and putting on more and more weight my parents have stepped in to lend me the money. They are so worried about me and my size they just want to help. I went to meet a surgeon Mr Bruno Sgromo at oxfords manor hospital and he was wonderful. I have my appointment with the dietician on 16th April and also the clinical nurse specialist. Does anyone know what I can expect from those appointments? I get white coat syndrome (I'm terrified of doctors appointments) so I feel so nervous and anxious about not knowing! I have my pre-op appointment on 30th April and my op is booked for 8th May. I am so excited to start this new change in my life and I welcome you all to join me on my journey.

Thank you all for your advice and help so far, I look forward to getting to know you all better xxx

Hi Lisa,

I love the title of your tread, I've got my big 30 this August and I've dreaded it for years!

When I was growing up my age was the same as my size, age 12 = size 12 and so on until my bypass last month!
As I'm going down in sizes I can't help but think 'oh I haven't been this size since....'
Then the other day my mum and sister was asking what I was going to do for my birthday and for once I actually gave it some serious thought along with a tiny bit of excitement!!
I've got 4 months to decide what to do but it's so good to even have choices!

Good luck with your journey.

Vicky x

 

[Yvessa]

Wow - will be 30 in august too this year!

 

[Lisav]

Wow! Yve, Vicky and Me all 30 in August! Fitter at thirty eh girls?!

Thanks Jo, I was thinking frubes or petit filous might be around the right size so I'll get some of them in.

Which soup should I get for the liquid stage? Would that be just normal slim a soups? Or are there any others you recommend?

I am desperate to have lost enough weight by end of October to go to Thorpe park for their Halloween horror night! I reckon I'd need to lose four stone though - hmm. Considering my size ( I think I'm one of the larger ones here) and I think I need to lose ten or eleven stone total, how doable do you think that is? I'm still going to aim for it anyway!!!

 

[Lisav]

Oooh and I forgot to add I am seeing the dietician and clinical nurse specialist tomorrow - anyone know what these meetings normally consist of? My white coat syndrome means I get so nervous about appointments that I can already feel the butterflies in my tummy!

I think the dietician is going to make sure I am the right person for a band - well that's what the surgeon said anyway - what if she says no?!! Will the op be cancelled?! Eeeeek!!!

 

[Yvessa]

Chances are they will talk to you about your eating habits, check you've researched the surgery and whether or not they agree with what you want. They may or may not do some bloods. Just be as honest as you can be