I've just gotten word that in order for me to have the surgery I am needing to have done, I will have to lose 120 lbs. I am so devastated right now. Each day is difficult and I have pain, so I was very much looking forward to the surgery and to be able to get on with life.

I am a typical yo-yo dieter, having lost and regained many times. I am very angry with myself for not taking better care of myself to begin with, and for letting my weight get so out of control that it's causing these issues for me.

I am also worried and scared. I've been calorie counting and have been feeling good about it and doing well. I will now need to follow a very strict diet from the hospital.

I know that I need to lose the weight anyway, and this is just that extra push. I'm trying to stay positive and will do my best to remember why I am doing this and not think about what a huge change it will be.

Has anyone else been through this?

When I first got a bad medical report last summer, my doctor wanted me to have surgery to get rid of my cancer and then after healing from that, she wanted me to have weightloss surgery.

I was overwhelmed thinking I had to have 1 surgery, nevermind 2. I didn't know what to do, but I knew I needed to get a plan and get one fast. I asked her if I could try to diet on my own and maybe see a nutritionist and she told me to call that day and get an appointment.

In a nutshell, I met with a doctor's office who does low calorie/medically supervised diets and I have lost 150lbs in the last year (and I still see the doctor's office weekly to weigh in and get support).

To think I did all of this without surgery is baffling to me. I wish I could have known years ago that I could do a diet like this. And my oncologist was shocked by my progress too (and oh so very proud for me and my health!).

Surgery is the answer for some people and I would have embraced it (even if I was nervous) as a solution for good health. But my insurance company would have required the 6 months of a medically supervised diet anyways so it was a win/win for me.

Good luck.

I'm so sorry, I'm sure the extra stress is a killer. Hugs to you.

I have been losing weight with a major motivator being avoiding surgery on my back. Even with the major chronic pain I suffered and the fear of surgery looming, it was still very hard to tackle the food issue, so I understand your fear of the strict hospital diet.

I would say you've really got to embrace it whole-heatedly. Get really gung-ho -- you CAN do it and you WILL do it. Because it is true -- you can. We can all do so much more than we think we can -- sometimes our own food-addicted, sugar-addled brains are our worst enemies.

Remind yourself in the tough moments (because right at the beginning there will be many!) that it WILL get easier, you will LOVE what you accomplish on the other side of all this. You are more than capable of tackling this challenge. And you will succeed. You really will. I'm sending you positive thoughts for your success!

Thank you both soooo much for the encouragement, kind words and support. I am just feeling a bit down and nervous, and I suddenly feel like eating everything in sight. Go figure!

You both are truly inspiring in all you have accomplished. I needed that

Both of you have helped immensely!

I haven't had to face weight loss on doctor's orders over an impending surgery so I can't imagine how scary that has to be. However, maybe the ultimatum I gave myself last year isn't too far off because it was the only way I could see myself moving on after a miscarriage. Although I'd lost quite a bit before, I was in the process of letting myself go again when I'd found out I was pregnant. And when I lost the baby, I realized that I was in no shape to be a good mother, not physically, not emotionally . . . and all I could do to make things better was to make changes for the better.

Which is probably where you're at right now . . . all you can do to make things better is to make changes for the better. And you can so do this, especially when you break the changes down into manageable steps and take it one day at a time. We all know you can't change the past, but you've got the power right now to do everything you can to set yourself up for a better future.

Good luck to you, and take care. You'll no doubt feel so accomplished when you've conquered this and can get that procedure taken care of.