026 Be Prepared!

I know it's stupid but one of my favorite songs from the Lion King was when Scar and the hyenas were singing the "Be Prepared!" song. The hyenas didn't really get it and I don't think that we always get the importance of being prepared either. So let me tell you why Jimmy and I find it important to be prepared as it specifically relates to the liquid diet he starts today and his gastric sleeve surgery in two weeks.

#1 Being prepared makes the transition easier
I am in NO way going to say that this liquid diet is going to be a walk in the park but I know it would be so much harder if we weren't ready. What if we hadn't gone through the house getting rid of all the temptations lurking in the fridge and cabinets? What if I hadn't planned ahead and bought the foods that he will need to have on hand so succeed? What if we hadn't been trying to eat healthy for the last couple of years to prepare for healthier living and eating post-op? Things could be even worse!

#2 Being prepared has helped us with our finances
Much to Jimmy's sometime annoyance I am a HUGE Dave Ramsey fan! We were blessed to be able to go through Financial Peace University (FPU) several years ago and since then we have been on our way to financial freedom. Let me tell you that we still aren't perfect.

However, we are much better than we used to be and "Uncle Dave" has taught us some really important lessons about preparing financially. This applied here as well. As soon as we had decided which Pre-Op diet we were doing I began to set money aside and I would also purchase an item or two a week over the last few months. This allowed us to spread out the cost instead of freaking out about the bill coming all at once or being tempted to put it on a credit card (that we don't have).

#3 Being prepared allowed us time to recruit
Since we were planning and preparing ahead we were able to recruit our support team at our leisure. We know these people are going to really be there for us because they have a proven track record. We aren't asking them on a whim or last minute. Over the last few months and years they have shown that they really care about us and support us. We don't have to worry about it--which is amazing!

So I urge you, if you are still preparing for WLS I urge you to begin preparing physically, financially, and mentally for the many challenges that lie ahead!