Almost 68 years old...and waiting for new knees.

This is my first day on MFP. I came here, looking for a good calorie counting source; but I stayed, because I liked the daily food plan counter.

In early November, my doctor told me that I was a good candidate for 2 new knees. I had only one BIG medical problem. I weighed more than 270 pounds with a body mass index of 47%. The surgeon offered me new knees and freedom from my walker and wheelchair, if I would lose 70 pounds.

I have lost large amounts of weight in the past, using every possible kind of food plan, including some starvation diets in my youth. I wanted something better for me this time. I was prepared to use diet shakes for at least one meal each day; but I wanted a bit of freedom, so that I could stick with my food plan for the long haul.

I started my food plan in mid-November. Yep...right before the holidays. So far, I have lost 19 pounds and one whole body mass number, which really pleased my doctor. Bless his heart. He is working with me and my surgeon. He was happy that I wasn't seeking gastric surgery and was willing to use diet alone to get the weight off of my old bones.

I was delighted to discover that there are so many good choices in the stores now for people who want to eat low calorie food and still feel spoiled with low calorie snack and dessert options. Salads are okay for one meal per day, but I wanted 'real food'. Now, I have dozens of meal choices from frozen meals to even restaurant meals.

I hope that I will receive and be able to share encouraging messages with all of you. By the way, I am a retired RN; so, I should know better than to let myself get this heavy. Oh well. I still have hopes for a healthier me in the future.

Sue