JackieOMonroe

When you stop being afraid to put your jeans in the dryer.

When you stop being afraid to put your jeans in the dryer.

I think the poll would have the most value if you knew how long people had been sleeved and what amount of weight has been gained in each of those time frames. Also, maybe incorporate age and gender and eliminate those who have been sleeved less than a certain length of time (6 months or maybe a year).
Actually, the more I think about it, the more I think of other ways to modify the poll, so never mind. LOL

I think the poll would have the most value if you knew how long people had been sleeved and what amount of weight has been gained in each of those time frames. Also, maybe incorporate age and gender and eliminate those who have been sleeved less than a certain length of time (6 months or maybe a year).
Actually, the more I think about it, the more I think of other ways to modify the poll, so never mind. LOL

I think the poll would have the most value if you knew how long people had been sleeved and what amount of weight has been gained in each of those time frames. Also, maybe incorporate age and gender and eliminate those who have been sleeved less than a certain length of time (6 months or maybe a year).
Actually, the more I think about it, the more I think of other ways to modify the poll, so never mind. LOL

I think the poll would have the most value if you knew how long people had been sleeved and what amount of weight has been gained in each of those time frames. Also, maybe incorporate age and gender and eliminate those who have been sleeved less than a certain length of time (6 months or maybe a year).
Actually, the more I think about it, the more I think of other ways to modify the poll, so never mind. LOL

I think the poll would have the most value if you knew how long people had been sleeved and what amount of weight has been gained in each of those time frames. Also, maybe incorporate age and gender and eliminate those who have been sleeved less than a certain length of time (6 months or maybe a year).
Actually, the more I think about it, the more I think of other ways to modify the poll, so never mind. LOL

I think the poll would have the most value if you knew how long people had been sleeved and what amount of weight has been gained in each of those time frames. Also, maybe incorporate age and gender and eliminate those who have been sleeved less than a certain length of time (6 months or maybe a year).
Actually, the more I think about it, the more I think of other ways to modify the poll, so never mind. LOL

I think the poll would have the most value if you knew how long people had been sleeved and what amount of weight has been gained in each of those time frames. Also, maybe incorporate age and gender and eliminate those who have been sleeved less than a certain length of time (6 months or maybe a year).
Actually, the more I think about it, the more I think of other ways to modify the poll, so never mind. LOL

I think the poll would have the most value if you knew how long people had been sleeved and what amount of weight has been gained in each of those time frames. Also, maybe incorporate age and gender and eliminate those who have been sleeved less than a certain length of time (6 months or maybe a year).
Actually, the more I think about it, the more I think of other ways to modify the poll, so never mind. LOL

I think the poll would have the most value if you knew how long people had been sleeved and what amount of weight has been gained in each of those time frames. Also, maybe incorporate age and gender and eliminate those who have been sleeved less than a certain length of time (6 months or maybe a year).
Actually, the more I think about it, the more I think of other ways to modify the poll, so never mind. LOL

I'm a performer (singer and wannabe actress), but my weight killed my confidence so I pretty much stopped going to auditions. About 5 years ago, I had professional headshots taken that were the final nail in my theatre coffin. They are, without a doubt, the worst pictures I've ever intentionally posed for. That includes drunken Vegas pictures, sweaty end-of-the-day at Disneyland pictures, everything. THE WORST.
On Saturday, I had new headshots taken by a friend who isn't a professional. The new pictures aren't the same quality as the pro pics, but they're still worlds better. I have my sleeve to thank for making me feel and look better. If you're still on the fence about this surgery, I hope this gives you the kick in the pants that you need.
Okay, here goes. One old headshot, and then one new headshot. Don't laugh.
Old headshot
New headshot

I think the poll would have the most value if you knew how long people had been sleeved and what amount of weight has been gained in each of those time frames. Also, maybe incorporate age and gender and eliminate those who have been sleeved less than a certain length of time (6 months or maybe a year).
Actually, the more I think about it, the more I think of other ways to modify the poll, so never mind. LOL

Hello,
Dr. Ortiz is indeed within our search directory, however - his last name was listed different. You should now be able to locate him as Dr. Ariel Ortiz :-)
You can view his profile here.

I'm a performer (singer and wannabe actress), but my weight killed my confidence so I pretty much stopped going to auditions. About 5 years ago, I had professional headshots taken that were the final nail in my theatre coffin. They are, without a doubt, the worst pictures I've ever intentionally posed for. That includes drunken Vegas pictures, sweaty end-of-the-day at Disneyland pictures, everything. THE WORST.
On Saturday, I had new headshots taken by a friend who isn't a professional. The new pictures aren't the same quality as the pro pics, but they're still worlds better. I have my sleeve to thank for making me feel and look better. If you're still on the fence about this surgery, I hope this gives you the kick in the pants that you need.
Okay, here goes. One old headshot, and then one new headshot. Don't laugh.
Old headshot
New headshot

I'm a performer (singer and wannabe actress), but my weight killed my confidence so I pretty much stopped going to auditions. About 5 years ago, I had professional headshots taken that were the final nail in my theatre coffin. They are, without a doubt, the worst pictures I've ever intentionally posed for. That includes drunken Vegas pictures, sweaty end-of-the-day at Disneyland pictures, everything. THE WORST.
On Saturday, I had new headshots taken by a friend who isn't a professional. The new pictures aren't the same quality as the pro pics, but they're still worlds better. I have my sleeve to thank for making me feel and look better. If you're still on the fence about this surgery, I hope this gives you the kick in the pants that you need.
Okay, here goes. One old headshot, and then one new headshot. Don't laugh.
Old headshot
New headshot

My husband and I are both sleeved and we spend a TON of money on greek yogurt. My fridge is always full of cups of Chobani and Fage. About a week ago I discovered that you can make yogurt at home, so last night I did! And it turned out PERFECT. You don't need any special equipment or machines. I used our dutch oven, but any heavy bottomed pot will do. The directions look long, but it pretty much makes itself once you've warmed up the milk. It is the definition of something that a lazy non-cook can make. I got the recipe from this website.
http://www.happysimpleliving.com/2011/03/06/make-your-own-homemade-greek-yogurt/
STUFF YOU NEED:
1/2 gallon of dairy milk (I used 2%, but you can use milk with any fat content. Pasteurized milk works perfectly, just be sure it's not ultra pasteurized.)
2.5 tablespoons of plain yogurt with live active cultures (This is your starter. It can be regular or greek yogurt and it can have any fat content. I used 0% Yoplait plain greek yogurt because it was the cheapest I could find with live active cultures.)
Candy thermometer or cooking thermometer
Cheesecloth (or a clean t-shirt, or pillowcase, or muslin)
Heavy bottomed pot to heat the milk in (Or crock pot, or double boiler, or dutch oven, or even your microwave. Not even kidding)
Towel
Colander/strainer
Oven

MAKING THE YOGURT:
Turn on the light in your oven. This will make it just the right temperature for yogurt magic to happen.
Put 2 tablespoons of milk into a bowl and mix in 2.5 tablespoons of your starter yogurt. Set it aside.
Pour the rest of the milk into your pot and heat to 180-185 degrees fahrenheit. Stir constantly while heating to prevent your milk from scalding.
Once milk reaches temperature, pour it into a glass or ceramic (not metal) dish and allow it to cool uncovered to 105-110 degrees. This step is why I used my dutch oven. It's enameled, so I didn't need to transfer the milk into another dish. It was perfect for incubating my yogurt.
When your milk is at temperature, thoroughly stir in the starter that you set aside earlier.
Put the lid on your dish, wrap it well in a towel, and stick it in your oven. Leave it in the oven with the oven light on for 8-12 hours.
After 8 hours, stick a spoon in and check your yogurt. It will probably be set (mine was). There will be yellowish liquid on top, but that's just whey Protein. You can stir it in if you like thin yogurt or pour it off. At this point, you're done. Chill it in the fridge, and use it in any way that you you always enjoy yogurt. I love thick yogurt, so I'm going to do a couple of extra steps.

TURNING IT INTO GREEK-STYLE YOGURT:
Refrigerate your yogurt for at least 2 hours. I didn't stir in or pour off the whey, I just stuck the whole pot in the fridge and let it chill overnight.
Line your colander with 4 sheets of damp cheesecloth and set it into a bowl. The bowl will collect the whey that strains off the yogurt.
Pour the chilled yogurt into your colander, cover with saran wrap or leave uncovered, and place it in your fridge to strain. Every hour or two, check on the consistency of your yogurt and pour off the whey that has collected in your bowl. Throw the whey away (hehe, whey away), use it to make bread, or even feed it to your dog (apparently they LOVE it).
Once you're happy with the texture of the yogurt, dump it out of the cheesecloth and into a container with a tight lid (break out the good tupperware). Consume within 6 days.
Save 3 tablespoons of your homemade yogurt to be the starter cultures for your next batch of yogurt.

I strained mine to a texture between Yoplait regular and Chobani greek, but I strained a little of it into yogurt cheese which was amazing. It had a silkiness that reminded me of Fage, but it was a bit thicker. Remember, the more you strain it, the less yogurt you'll have. A half gallon of milk makes about 32oz of thick greek yogurt. The flavor is more mild and less tangy than any plain yogurt I've ever had. I sweetened my first cup with a little Splenda and it was fantastic. If it stands up to that processed fake sugar, then I can't wait to try it with honey or agave nectar.
COSTS:
Milk - $3.59
Starter yogurt - $0.99 (on sale)
I had all of the other things that I needed in my kitchen already.
I made about 36oz of yogurt.
Best part!
Cost per serving:
Homemade - $0.77 per 6oz serving
Chobani - $1.59 per 6oz serving
Fage - $1.89 per 7oz serving

My husband and I are both sleeved and we spend a TON of money on greek yogurt. My fridge is always full of cups of Chobani and Fage. About a week ago I discovered that you can make yogurt at home, so last night I did! And it turned out PERFECT. You don't need any special equipment or machines. I used our dutch oven, but any heavy bottomed pot will do. The directions look long, but it pretty much makes itself once you've warmed up the milk. It is the definition of something that a lazy non-cook can make. I got the recipe from this website.
http://www.happysimpleliving.com/2011/03/06/make-your-own-homemade-greek-yogurt/
STUFF YOU NEED:
1/2 gallon of dairy milk (I used 2%, but you can use milk with any fat content. Pasteurized milk works perfectly, just be sure it's not ultra pasteurized.)
2.5 tablespoons of plain yogurt with live active cultures (This is your starter. It can be regular or greek yogurt and it can have any fat content. I used 0% Yoplait plain greek yogurt because it was the cheapest I could find with live active cultures.)
Candy thermometer or cooking thermometer
Cheesecloth (or a clean t-shirt, or pillowcase, or muslin)
Heavy bottomed pot to heat the milk in (Or crock pot, or double boiler, or dutch oven, or even your microwave. Not even kidding)
Towel
Colander/strainer
Oven

MAKING THE YOGURT:
Turn on the light in your oven. This will make it just the right temperature for yogurt magic to happen.
Put 2 tablespoons of milk into a bowl and mix in 2.5 tablespoons of your starter yogurt. Set it aside.
Pour the rest of the milk into your pot and heat to 180-185 degrees fahrenheit. Stir constantly while heating to prevent your milk from scalding.
Once milk reaches temperature, pour it into a glass or ceramic (not metal) dish and allow it to cool uncovered to 105-110 degrees. This step is why I used my dutch oven. It's enameled, so I didn't need to transfer the milk into another dish. It was perfect for incubating my yogurt.
When your milk is at temperature, thoroughly stir in the starter that you set aside earlier.
Put the lid on your dish, wrap it well in a towel, and stick it in your oven. Leave it in the oven with the oven light on for 8-12 hours.
After 8 hours, stick a spoon in and check your yogurt. It will probably be set (mine was). There will be yellowish liquid on top, but that's just whey Protein. You can stir it in if you like thin yogurt or pour it off. At this point, you're done. Chill it in the fridge, and use it in any way that you you always enjoy yogurt. I love thick yogurt, so I'm going to do a couple of extra steps.

TURNING IT INTO GREEK-STYLE YOGURT:
Refrigerate your yogurt for at least 2 hours. I didn't stir in or pour off the whey, I just stuck the whole pot in the fridge and let it chill overnight.
Line your colander with 4 sheets of damp cheesecloth and set it into a bowl. The bowl will collect the whey that strains off the yogurt.
Pour the chilled yogurt into your colander, cover with saran wrap or leave uncovered, and place it in your fridge to strain. Every hour or two, check on the consistency of your yogurt and pour off the whey that has collected in your bowl. Throw the whey away (hehe, whey away), use it to make bread, or even feed it to your dog (apparently they LOVE it).
Once you're happy with the texture of the yogurt, dump it out of the cheesecloth and into a container with a tight lid (break out the good tupperware). Consume within 6 days.
Save 3 tablespoons of your homemade yogurt to be the starter cultures for your next batch of yogurt.

I strained mine to a texture between Yoplait regular and Chobani greek, but I strained a little of it into yogurt cheese which was amazing. It had a silkiness that reminded me of Fage, but it was a bit thicker. Remember, the more you strain it, the less yogurt you'll have. A half gallon of milk makes about 32oz of thick greek yogurt. The flavor is more mild and less tangy than any plain yogurt I've ever had. I sweetened my first cup with a little Splenda and it was fantastic. If it stands up to that processed fake sugar, then I can't wait to try it with honey or agave nectar.
COSTS:
Milk - $3.59
Starter yogurt - $0.99 (on sale)
I had all of the other things that I needed in my kitchen already.
I made about 36oz of yogurt.
Best part!
Cost per serving:
Homemade - $0.77 per 6oz serving
Chobani - $1.59 per 6oz serving
Fage - $1.89 per 7oz serving

Whoaaaaa! Gorgeous. What a great nsv!
Sent from my iPhone using VST

Wow!!! It really does look like two different people. Amazing!!!

The transformation in you is UNBELIEVABLE!!! You are so incredibly gorgeous! I can see that you were beautiful to begin with, but NOW, O.M.G. you look so amazing! I bet it just feels so good to be able to let the beauty on the inside shine on the outside. I hope this means you are pursuing your acting dreams again!

I don't know if I could say much more than any of the others have said...but I'll try. Ah-ma-zin-g! Both are beautiful because they are you. Own it!

Beautiful!

Simply Amazing!

Oh my dear lord! You are gorgeous!