They actually took the time out to get to know me, my life, my aims and goals and what I want out of my membership with them. I had a good look around the facilities and got to see what they had to offer. I registered at the end of the walk around and arranged to meet with Chris one of the fitness instructors at 3pm on the Wednesday.
I then went home and started to arrange my life for the next 4 weeks. Whoever said that life was easy definitely has never lived in my shoes. The boys came home from school and Suzies, Mike came home from work, dinner was made (homemade meatballs and Spaghetti) and then time for me to start the planning.
Diet from Wednesday 30th March has to have no carbs. Nnnnnooooooo!!!!!!! I love my carbs, pasta, rice, cereals, crisps and potatoes. But if I want to see a new me at the end of this journey, then I need to cut out all the foods which really aren't any good for me and these foods are really not good for me. So from then it's steamed fish, chicken or quorn, plenty of vegetables and fruit, consommé soups, eggs and slim fast shakes www.slimfast.co.uk not very appetising I hear you say. But you'd be surprised how many different meals you can make.
Today was difficult in the gym. Not because the exercises were difficult, but because I actually saw what everyone else sees when they look at me. I have been looking at myself through rose tinted spectacles, for far too long. This really is the wakeup call which I needed. Not a bit of me hangs the right way and should I really have worn those cycling shorts and t-shirt from New Balance? I don’t think so. But this only reiterates the reasons why having the surgery and losing the weight is so vital to my future happiness.
Chris from Elite Fitness has been a star. Very patient and very precise in what I need to do in all my exercises, to get the best possible outcome from them. By the end of the workout I surprised Chris and definitely myself on how I felt and coped with all the exercises. I’m feeling the tightness in my thighs today. What is it that they say? No Pain, No Gain! Some of the exercises reminded me of my time in the Army. The beasting’s in PE and on CO’s PE. The memories are as fresh today, as they were, all those years ago.
So what have I had to eat today?
Breakfast - 2 Eggs Poached and a Glass of water
Lunch - Minestrone Soup Large bowl. All pasta left out
- Large glass of Fruits of the Forest Juice
Dinner - Steamed Salmon, Baton Carrots and Dwarf Beans- Large glass of Orange, mango and diet lemonade
- Large bowl of fresh fruit and diet lemonade
- (1/2 apple, 1 banana, 2 Satsumas, 6 strawberries and 20 grapes)
I am optimistic; I try very hard to have the glass Half Full and not Half Empty. I need to stay positive if I am going to keep the momentum going and stay on track. Nobody said that this journey was going to be easy. Nothing I feel in life, for me, has ever been easy. This is why I have to go through with this surgery. It may seem a little bizarre what I am going to tell you now, but this is how I feel. By going ahead with this surgery, I am finally going to put to bed the feelings, emotions and history which have led me to this junction in my life. Before I go into any more detail, then I need to make you all aware that I am in sound mind and I know what I am doing. I am walking into this with my eyes wide open. I have been looking into this surgery for 16 months now, but been thinking about having this surgery for way, way longer.
Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy Resection - This procedure is fast becoming a very popular choice. It is a restrictive procedure with good weight loss experienced. The procedure involves having two thirds of the stomach resected and removed, leaving a smaller stomach in the shape of a sleeve. It allows the consumption of normal food in much smaller quantities, therefore, fewer calories are absorbed and weight loss is experienced and long term weight loss maintained. The surgery takes approximately 1-2 hours, depending on previous abdominal surgery and requires 2 nights in hospital. Long term commitment to follow-up and vitamin/supplement therapy will be required.
I am having the surgery support and aftercare through The Weight Loss Surgery Group www.wlsgroup.co.uk and the actual surgery is being carried out by Mr Khurshid Akhtar www.surgerydoor.co.uk/professionals/specialists/private/general-surgeons at the Spire Manchester Hospital www.spirehealthcare.com/Manchester/ on 27th April 2011.
Having this surgery will enable me to deal with and put to bed the remaining memories of my past. My massive huge stomach, which in the past was my way of protecting me from the abuse, I was dealt as a child and onwards into my adulthood. All my life I have turned to food. This has been my escape from reality. I thought in the past that I would be safe and protected from abuse. Being fat, ugly and horrid looking would stop all the nasty stuff that was happening to me. But sad to say, this actually is definitely furthest from the true reality of what happened during my life.
Food has always been a very prominent part of my life. Hence the reason I train in food safety and cooking. I love food from all backgrounds and cultures and can’t get enough of the very stuff which if I don’t stop eating will eventually kill me. I eat such big portions, which in the past I’ve tried to cut down, but unfortunately I am always hungry. I’ve yoyo dieted for as long as I can remember. At my heaviest I was 21 stone and 8 pounds in weight. This, even in my own words is massively obese. But, it was my way of pretending that everything in my life at that time was just perfect. To be truthful this wasn’t the case.
I now weigh 111.4 kgs. My BMI is 39.6. This is very dangerous. I may have lost 2 st 6 lbs to get to this weight but it is a constant battle and I can’t do this on my own anymore. So from today onwards I will be logging my progress. Maybe not every day, but I will try to. Also, along this journey will tell you little by little what has led me to such surgery.
Tomorrow I will continue my story and progress so far.
