Well, I've been MIA for a few weeks because I went out of state for the holidays to visit family. It was great, but also very humbling. With a lot of good also came a lot of bad. I did eat terribly, and while I didn't gain any weight according to my scale today I didn't lose weight the last 3 weeks either. I ate and drank a lot of things I shouldn't have, but I was also very happy and not paying attention. My sleeve kicked my butt several times when I ate too fast, and I got sick several times from just eating crappy food that aggitated it.

And of course no holiday would be complete without family drama. In my case I really had to sit down and decide what I want in my life, what is pushing me forward and what is pulling me back. Unfortunately, I have family members hell bent on playing victims, and martyrs, who don't understand my life or the way I live. Rather than being happy for me in my academic, career, or weight loss success they feel the need to tare me down, give me back handed compliments, and call names. I had enough. I contacted certain family members and said enough. How in the world am I suppose to love myself when listening constantly to the negativity. And before I go any further, I will say my biggest problem is my mother who I've never been close to, who is severly obese herself, and my polar opposite. We couldn't get a long if our lives depended on it. Years of therapy, multiple reconciliation attempts, and thousands in travel expenses later- I've come to the conclusion, you can love someone but you don't have to have them in your life. I drew the line when I got a text out of the blue name calling me because I didn't call her back. I don't allow anyone to do that to me. Not a man. Not a friend. Not a coworker. So why in the world would I allow my own mother to speak to me like I'm a dog?

On New Year's I went out with friends and had a good time, but I really struggled on the drive home, just overwhelmed thinking about all my failures and successes this year. SO much to be thankful for, and so much I need to straighten out and get peace in. Out with the old, and in with the new. My weight loss thus far has allowed me to break down barriers, and say enough is enough. While my family might divided in what is the right thing to do, I don't care. Either you are on board the new train of happiness and success, or I'm leaving you in the dust with your baggage of negativity. I lost all this weight, last thing I need to do is be weighed down by anyone else's negativity.

**The picture I'm attaching is very special to me. A good friend of mine was killed in action in April 2008. I haven't taken a picture with his headstone because I felt so fat. This was the first time since his funeral I've taken a picture with it at the national cemetery. It brought tears of happiness to finally have a picture with him. Regardless of how I looked. I just am so thankful that my weight isn't on the forefront of my mind every time I do something.

Height: 5'9

Highest (Surgery) Weight: 216

1st Primary Goal Weight: 169 (Achieved 11/27)

2nd Optimal Goal Weight: 145

Sleeve Journey:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 8/17/12- PreOp/Surgery Day w/Pics Posted in Blog

Week 1 (8/24): 204.8 (-11.2)

Week 2 (8/31): 200.6 (-4.2)

Week 3 (9/7): 196.8 (-3.8)

Week 4 (9/14): 193.5 (-3.3)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 9/17/12- 1 Month Anniversary w/Pics Posted in Blog (-22.5 lbs)

Week 5 (9/21): 191.6 (-1.9)

Week 6 (9/28): 190.1 (-1.5)

Week 7 (10/5): 187.0 (-3.1)

Week 8 (10/12): 181.9 (-5.1)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 10/17/12- 2 Month Anniversary w/Pics Posted in Blog (-11.6 lbs)

Week 9 (10/19): 181.4 (-.5)

Week 10 (10/26): 177.9 (-3.5)

Week 11 (11/02): 176.8 (-1.1)

Week 12 (11/09): 174.7 (-2.1)

Week 13 (11/16): 173.3 (-1.4)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 11/17/12- 3 Month Anniversary w/Pics Posted in Blog (-8.6 lbs)

Week 14 (11/23): 173.1 (-.2)

Week 15 (11/30): 167.3 (-5.8)

Week 16 (12/7): 168.1 (+.8)

Week 17 (12/14): 164.6 (-3.5)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 12/17/12- 4 Month Anniversary (-8.7 lbs)

Week 18 (12/21): Holiday Break/Vacation- No Scale Available

Week 19 (12/28): Holiday Break/Vacation- No Scale Available

Week 20 (1/4/13): 164.5 (-.1)