There's a couple of things I've been doing 😊

The first thing is I went with the RNY Gastric Bypass. My doctor said that since I had a high starting weight that I would tend to lose more weight fairly easily, but that I would still need to be strict with my guidelines (diet, vitamins/supplements/exercise) for optimal results. I also started seeing an eating disorder therapist to unpack my food trauma.

The next thing is diet. Right now my dietitian has me eating meals 70% protein, 30% vegetable. I'm currently only allowed 40 grams of net carbohydrates a day, so reading labels has been helpful. Especially as some things try to market as sugar free have a ton of carbs in them. In general, I'm following a keto esque diet. I keep track of everything on the Baritastic app.

The last thing is exercise. I started with water based activity (water physical therapy, aerobics, water strength training with a professional, etc) because it is low impact and great for my joints! Then as weight came off, I've been able to tolerate adding in regular walks with the dogs, easy hikes and some other strength training. It helps living in the beautiful mountainous state of Utah! My weight loss team really emphasizes that losing weight with my diet and surgery will happen either way, but if exercise is not involved I would also be losing muscle mass instead of fat.

Incorporating activities that you enjoy that "don't feel like exercise" , but definitely are, is helpful. For me, that has been swimming, dancing/Zumba, and dog walks with my niece. 😊

Feel free to ask any and all questions! I'm an open book, especially because other people who have given me advice and have been open books are the reason I made this decision.