karenmartin

My rule was that if the ingredients had any kind of sugar, corn syrup, or sugar alcohol it wasn't for me. It works.

Surgery date weight 301 lbs Today 120 lbs

Today marks 6 years since I went into surgery and came out a changed person. I am so much happier than I ever thought I'd be. Life is better. I am stronger. I am smarter. I went into the hospital 6 years ago weighing 301 lbs. This morning I got on the scale and I am 122 lbs! I have a small frame and I'm 5'2. To me, I feel perfect. I am content. I am happy. The road here wasn't easy. It was emotional. It was hard. It was even lonely. ... But today, It is no longer hard, it's not emotional and I'm never alone. Happy Re-birth to me!!!

I like to think of it like a balloon. If I take a never blown up balloon and blow it up then let all the air out of it it'll never be that once really tight balloon. It'll shrink but it won't be tight like it was in the beginning.

I am 6 years out going on 7. I went into surgery weighing 301 lbs. A year and half later I was at 120. I have stayed between 120-125 for the past 5 years. My secret is that I let myself eat what I like, but I NEVER over do it. If I want to eat candy, I'll eat candy but I won't eat a TON of candy. I have mastered the self control. I do snack through the whole day. I don't eat 3 separate meals. I just graze slowly all day...like a cow. Haha. I do weigh myself every week consistently to make sure I'm still where I want to be. .... My sister also had the surgery done 5 years ago and has gained her weight back. I feel so terrible. However, she kept up a lot of bad habits like eating fast, eating more, and drinking with all her meals... That's one rule I have never broken, I never eat and drink together. .. I don't know if there really is a secret to keeping off the weight. I know we're all different and we've all had different experiences. Just stick to what you know works, protein first, eat slowly, keep track of what is going into your body, and keep yourself motivated.

When I had the surgery done I remember during one of my check ups they asked me to set a short term goal and a long term goal. My long term goal was to be 120. The nurse smiled and said that I should do something a little more realistic and asked me to think about aiming for 160. I agreed, but in my head I promised myself I wouldn't settle for anything less than what I wanted. ... I made it! I stayed focused. I followed all the rules. Never chested. Never ate things I shouldn't. Never over did it. Never ate and drank at the same time. ...but I freakin did it! That nurse was happy for me but I so badly wanted to shout I TOLD YOU I COULD DO IT

Day of surgery: 300 lbs size 24/26 jeans and 2X-3X shirts Today: 120 lbs size 2/4 jeans and XS-S shirts

Day of surgery: 300 lbs Today: 120 lbs

I did a TON of walking. I never ate anything that had sugar in the ingredients or high fructose corn syrup. Made a huge difference for me.

Started at 301 lbs and 1 year later I was 115. I'm 5'2 so 115 looks amazing!!! I am SO happy!

That's great!!! So happy for you!

Some kind of shoes you can slip on and off with ease. You'll be doing a lot of walking when you're in "recovery". Trust me, the more you walk the better you'll feel. Take something to look at or watch too because by the second day you're not as tired and you're more bored with staying in bed and walking the halls. Make friends with a pretty nurse

I have to be honest. My recovery was easy. I was in the hospital for 2 days. I walked the halls a lot and walked a lot more than what was asked of me. It really helped me to feel better. I took some pain medication just for a week. I was a little sore and weak but other than that I came out like a champ. I had no complications whatsoever.

I'm over 5 years out and I can barely get to 1200 calories. I STILL eat 800-1000 calories a day

Just remember, those who have thicker hair won't notice if they lose. It's those who have thin hair who notice the most. I attached my pictures of my hair before surgery, during weight loss when I lost my hair and a picture of my hair growing back.