Hello There!

My name is Ashlee Lucas, and I'm 21 years old. I like long, romantic walks from my couch to my fridge, and bouquets of roses (granted that the roses are made of strawberries that have been dipped in chocolate).

Lol, that's such a lame introduction.

Well, like I said, my name is Ashlee. I'm gonna get the Lap Band surgery, and I've been doing my research. Some of the blogs out there have really inspired me and gave me hope for my future, so I think this is a good idea. If my ass can get on Facebook everyday, then it can get on this thing, too.

So, here's a little bit about myself. I'm 21, a full time student studying Meteorology (1 more year to go), a full-time Personal Banker, and morbidly obese. I had my initial consultation for the Lap Band surgery about two weeks ago, and I weighed 265 pounds. Why? Because I love fast food. I live with my boyfriend, and we both have crazy stupid hectic schedules, so fast food is the easiest thing to eat these days. I've always been overweight, but I just skyrocketed over the last year or so.

I'm pretty sure food is my coping mechanism (I guess I'll find that out this Friday for my psych evaluation), and I'm looking to change that. I'm looking to change a lot of things, really. I have a poor self body image and no confidence in my appearance at all. I can't go up stairs, and even standing for too long starts to hurt. My knees start to ache almost every day now, and going to the gym scares the shit out of me because it actually brings me physical pain. I'm only 21. That crap shouldn't be happening.

The Lap Band is a last resort. Everything else I've tried hasn't worked, and I need something that will always be present with me to keep me going. A powerful tool to help me achieve my goals. My doctor said I was the perfect candidate, and I'm going for it!

My boyfriend, Daniel, is getting the sleeve gastrectomy around the same time I'm getting my Band (I still need to schedule a surgery date), so at least we'll have each other for support. The only thing I can hope my little blog will provide is some insight to anyone out there who wants to get the band and what I'm gonna be going through before and after surgery.

So, step 1 - Pre-Op Diet

Tonight, when I get out of work, I officially go grocery shopping for as much protein and veggies I can tolerate and try to eliminate carbs from my diet. Two weeks before the surgery, I have to go on this crazy diet with protein shakes to lose some fat off my fat ass liver. I am not looking forward to it, so I have to constantly remind myself that this is going to work.

I'll be updating with how the diet goes and when I officially set a date for surgery!