RJ'S/beginning

I was one of the very few people who was willing, ready and lets get this show on the road kinda gal. Most people are like you. I think that you are the norm not who I was at the time... This is an entire change for you. This is about you and the differences you are going to make for the good of yourself, friends and family. They are part of it and will share in it as well. People eat out all the time. They just choose wisely! Healthy and Protein first. If you are a quality diner you will have no problem. A taste of wine. No problem! That will be up to you. You will decide if it effects your goals or if you can handle it once in a while.

I ate a ham and cheese sandwich for lunch actually. Well not a whole one. But 1 slice of bread with some spreadable cheese and some black forest shaved ham. I eat them once in a while as a treat. you can too! There is nothing that is off limits really. There is however moderation and balance. You may find that when you get the sleeve you won't like bread. It happens...I can't eat beef and pork gives me trouble. Scrambled eggs don't but a sunny side up egg is not on my good to me list. Strange but true. Always remember, Protein first, then veggies, fruit and carbs last. What you are embarking on is a life long program/journey not a failed diet....So it will be there if you so want it.... That is how I feel about it anyway. works for me!

Our brains play games with us. And it always will. We see ourselves one way and yet we are another. When an anorexic patient sees themselves, what do they see..fat...It is a matter of perception. It will take time for you to see the new you and as you start seeing NSV you will start to see yourself differently. But trust me you will still have issues with how you see yourself. Being heavy for a long time makes us see ourselves as large for quite a while. It is part of the retraining of our brains. Learning how to eat better, exercise, take care of ourselves more and resolve what got us to the point where we needed this help. I am 16 months out and still see myself as a very large woman. my daughter tells me all the time that I am not and that I see things with a fat head. I am working hard to overcome this issue.... Keep talking it out with your family and ask what they think. I know I have to because I always feel heavy! they are a great stabilizer for me.

I am so happy for him I could cry!!!!!!!!!!! He is the nice one on the show and he deserves to be happy and healthy and enjoy that cute family of his for a long, long time......Well done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you for the article. It is exactly how I feel about it all.... soon I will be there going through the process. the article helped a lot knowing I am not a lone in worrying about the extra skin not to mention how old I feel while I carry this extra.....:

So my hubby told me to weigh myself on Saturday...And like an obedient girl I complied...Lost another 7 lbs and he went nuts..My daughter did the same and told me I have to start eating more. My trainer says I need to add another 500 calories to my daily diet. I am bummed, you see I still have not reached my 170 lb goal. But they know that when the skin is removed that I will weigh 170 or less. I have no idea how to increase my calorie intake and have had some low blood sugar attacks after working out... I don't want to stop losing because I am not at goal yet and can't seem to stop even if I wanted to. Now I have never experienced a stall because I hardly ever weigh myself..And intend to keep right on doing that until after plastics and then I will weigh every week.....I am getting the eye constantly now. You need to figure this out they keep saying..Complex carbs and more meals during the day....I eat enough already I think......I still take a large shirt and size 12 pants..I know I am tall... but never ever thought that this would ever happen to me that they would start worrying about me being too small....WTH is that.....for almost my entire marriage I have been way over weight....How do you handle the reverse and if I am even too small.... So confused...damn it!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today he came in all happy and full of life and energy and guess who he took that out on. After several threats of slow painful torture, followed by a slow painful death he started to work with me. Through out the entire hour my legs, arms, butt and thighs were sore and throbbing. Of course it was due to the new and improved and harder then ever exercises....grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Squats, curls, leg lifts, a lot of work on my arms. My heart was beating so fast I thought....He took the number and said aw that's nothing....What!!!!!!!!!! At the end of the session I had the nerve to tell him i felt like I could take on the world I felt so good!!! He laughed!!!!!!!!!!!! I frowned! I think I may be nuts to do this to myself!

Maybe we have the same trainer...lol

Yes if I live that long!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't think my now pic looks much smaller then the pic in my profile....No need to change it yet hun!

I am sure if you look hard enough you can find both colors that will fit you..If not use some as a goal outfit..Come on girl let your inner self out!!!!

You had your first experience that you can identify as eating for the wrong reasons. the reason you have had this surgery in the first place. you identified it and that is a tremendous growth on your part. Fixing your thinking will help fix your body...Knowing what triggers us to do things we know we shouldn't and being able to stop it before we indulge is a huge step forward in this journey. It would be wise to talk to your doctor just to make sure all is okay...... It's all a learning process and one that will take a long time to finally figure out.....You did good girl figuring it out!

And your too cute..funny boy!!!!!!!!!!

You know what Mississippi Girl. This is all about you hun and what you need. It is about how much you want to change your life and the chances you are willing to take to make those changes. The way I figured it was that I was near dead already and if I died then what was the difference. I was existing, nothing more then that. I was unable to move well, stand for more then 10 min. and would have migraines constantly from a back injury. Not to mention a lower back disc ( herniated ) which made things much worse. I spent all my time playing Farmville on the computer for years and just knew I was going to either die or be in a wheelchair for the rest of my pathetic life. I could not tolerate a wheel chair so I did it. At the time no one ever mentioned to me that there was a possibility of complications. i was not educated enough to know. Despite 2 years of research and constant video following folks. No one went through what I did without dying.... I put it out there so that everyone knows that there are risks involved and that you should not ever take this step lightly. The other thing is that those people who say this is the easy way out need a good kick in their arses. The last thing is do I regret it even though all of this happened to me. NO! I am glad I did it! for me it made the world of difference and I am a live and living finally after so many years almost a shut in....I love life now. not saying it is a piece of cake I know I paid dearly but it has been worth it hands down for me..... I hope you do look at this seriously and when you do decide to do it. You will be on board 110%....I wish everyone could know the differences I feel now compared to before I had the surgery...... I wish you all the best....message me when you decide. I would love to know what you have decided to do....K

Sorry I sent that before I read all of the updates. Glad you went down a size and also grabbed another pr in blue. Hard for our heads to get around the fact we continually need to down size. Being a woman in this world is difficult in the size world. I run from a med. to a XXL in some brands of clothes. I never try them on it just frustrates me to no end to do that. So I buy what I think looks about right around my waste and then take it home and wear it..lol Slacks go from a 14 - 16 it is difficult to judge and I don't plan on ever trying them on in the store....Hate that......I also wear a size larger in shirts because of my center excess skin. It just makes me feel better thinking, hoping I'm hiding it a little anyway... My daughter tells me it is all in my head. But when I look in the mirror my middle is still huge to me.... Thanks for your thoughts.

I have always loved pink...Never wore it much because of the fluffiness I carried.

this is so true. i wasn't your weight, but even at 250 my body was breaking down. i couldn't wipe my butt. i smelled funny from all the folds i couldn't reach to clean. i was out of breath from talking. i waddled. take a look at my before pix. i was a bloated mess. i felt like crap. a single woman age 42. where was my life going? downhill. i kept gaining weight, i had thyroid problems and bad anxiety. i thought i was going to die any minute. now? this leak is temporary, and when it's healed, like rj, i will be free, i feel like a butterfly, not quite out of her cocoon... ready to fly. maybe by spring? maybe this summer i will hike and walk and swim and go out in public and buy a beautiful dress without feeling ashamed of my body. no maybes. it will happen. You will work hard for this and paid a huge price for it. It will mean a lot to you are each step unfolds....Great attitude Ana..That's the way to play it trust me!

Ana..I had one stent in for 6 weeks and then they placed another one in on top of that one for 6 weeks. 12 weeks of feeling horrible. it bothered me but not enough for me to lose it or beg for mercy. there are still a few things they can do if it does not heal.....your probably going to have a healed seal...At least I hope so!

Complications do happen but usually they are not as extreme as Ana and I have gone through. there is always a possibility of complications. But they are not common at all. When I went to my last appointment before my surgery my surgeon wanted me to know that I could die from this surgery because every surgery is a risk. Having your teeth removed is a risk. Since i was not living before I did not see the need to worry about it. Even when I almost did die. I felt the step was the right one for me because if I did live it would give me a chance to really live and that was what I wanted most of all. It is good to weigh the pros and cons regarding this surgery. Be sure you are willing to take the risks... You may and probably will be one that sails right through it. But me, I have no regrets about it at all. As far as the surgery and complications went. the changes in my life were the scariest for me....They still hurt quite a bit and I still cry about my so called friends....But I am moving forward and actually loving all the NSV I experience...... I think even though for me it was good, bad and ugly. I would do it again! I mean that too.....I am a live now I was not before the surgery...Too much pain. Could not walk far. Lower back issues. High blood pressure. and so on!

Tonight I went out and got a size smaller jeans. The pink ones were sliding down my butt....Got light blue and a mute designed ones. love em..... I love wearing jeans. It has been years since I would even consider wearing them.....

A friend of mine told me today that she is surprised how my color choices have changed. She said you used to wear black and blue and some brown....Now it is a rainbow of color my world! I agree Gman! Time to fly!

That was the only shirt I had that was long enough to not show my roll...lol....

When I flew in Nov. I was able to put the table down all the way in front of me too. The last time I flew I had to share my hubby's because I could not move it one inch! Same story with the extender...Room to spare and had hubby take pics of the table..I was so stoked..Wait you'll see what happens next............All good stuff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Green..now that sounds great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well the first time they had an emergency and so they had to cancel mine for someone else. I told the surgeon that I would hope that if I had an emergency that someone would be willing to cancel for me.... So then 3 weeks later I had to start again...when my time came a lot of people were cancelled for me because of how many times I had to go back to the OR...