I am in the pre-operation stage of this VSG journey and have been going to the bariatric center since November of last year. I am trying to fulfill all of the requirements set by my insurance company so that I can finally get approved for this surgery. I was hoping to have a green light from my insurance company by June 2020 and have the surgery scheduled sometime right after, but things have been delayed due this pandemic and I am not even sure when I can expect to get the approval. Prior to March of this year, I was regularly going to my bariatric appointments and as I noted in my previous blog, I kept track of my food and even started to see some weight loss. Ever since I started working from home in March and limiting my outings, which includes my physical appointments to the bariatric center, I gained a total of fifteen pounds. This means that I gained back all those pounds that I lost from November and then some. To say that I am disappointed in myself is an understatement. I am, however, deciding to not to wallow in my feelings, which would probably lead me to overeat, but rather to go forward and do something about it. Here is what I have done (thus far): 

I know this one might sound silly, but I decided to cut my hair. In the past, when I was ready for a change and wanted things to be different, I would cut my hair. So that was my starting point in wanting to do things differently and start fresh. Since I am considered high risk, I could not go to a salon and instead I cut my own hair. Let me start off by saying that I have zero training in cutting hair, let alone cutting my own hair. My only experience is cutting my boys hair, which I do with the clippers and I just do an even all around cut that is almost impossible to mess up. So this was my first experience cutting hair with scissors and I had no idea that cutting your own hair could be so difficult! Initially I did not want my hair to be this short, but I kept trying to "fix" it and in all honestly there are still parts that need fixing, but I felt like I would be bald if I continued fixing it any further. I finally just left it alone and to my surprise it did not turn out that bad. I feel so much lighter and my hair routine is quicker and I am not suffering as much in this heat when I do go outside. 

Next, I decided to purchase a treadmill. I am unable to go to the gym at this time and even before the pandemic I found excuses not to go and often times felt guilty leaving my kids at home and taking that time to go and workout. Prior to having kids, I used to go to the gym at least two times a day and I remember how much I enjoyed tracking how much I walked on the treadmill and trying to beat my time the next day. Also, working out or even walking outside in this hot/humid Florida weather is pure torture and I just do not enjoy it. I did not have many requirements when looking for a treadmill, other than wanting one with a high weight capacity and one that just worked. I went with the Sole F80 Treadmill (pictured below). This one had pretty good reviews (compared to others in that price range) and the weight capacity is 375lbs, which is more than enough for my situation. There is a downside and that is that the treadmill is backordered and will not be shipped for 45 days from the date of the purchase. I was finally in the right head space and excited about working-out, so I am a bit disappointed that I have to wait to receive the treadmill, but at least I made the leap and purchased one.  

I stopped logging my food back in March and I noticed the negative impact that it had on me. I guess I like numbers and I like things to be predictable. Without logging my food, I feel like I am mindlessly eating and snacking, and I am not realizing how quickly those calories are adding up. I decided to start up my MyFitnessPal in conjunction with the Baritastic App. I am part of two Facebook VSG support groups, and I have seen many people discuss and say great things about the Baritastic App. I thought that this would be a great time to maybe start with both (at least for a week or so) and see which one I prefer. I am a creature of habit, so as of now I am leaning towards MyFitnessPal, because it's comfortable and I have been using it since college. But maybe I will find something that is more appealing about the other one, since it's geared for people going through weight loss surgeries. I will be happy to report and let you know what I like/dislike about each after using them for at least couple of weeks. 

Well those are the three things I decided to start with after seeing my weight gain this month and if you are in the same boat, I hope this inspires you to make a positive change. If you have any other ideas, please reach out because I would love to hear from you. Again, thank you for the support as I go through this journey.

All my best,

Danijela