Dawn Rae

They're honestly very proud of me lmao. My grandfather keeps bragging about me to our other family members, it was a weird turn around for a while.

Urgh, same! When I was given my surgery date last year I was hoping I wouldn't get one - me being in the states and all that. My fiance lifted up my gown when I asked how many incisions I had and I almost burst into tears when I was told I had a drain tube. Though I think that was mostly the pain medicine's doing lmao.

The way I set my goal was by talking to a nutritionist. I was told that with my height and body proportion that 165lbs would be a reasonable goal. So to avoid setting myself up for failure, my first goal was to reach 200lbs and go from there. Once I reach a goal, I subtract an extra five pounds until I finally reach that 165lbs. Honestly, though, I'm just glad I'm not above 200lbs anymore! I've never been in a size ten and here I am! Good enough for me!

Both of my grandparents tried to talk me out of it for months. "What if your doctor says you're not fat enough?" "What if you lose too much weight before then?" "Do you ever think something bad might happen to you?" My grandmother actually called my mother at one point to talk her into talking me out of it. At 350lbs, diabetic, high cholesterol, with sleep apnea, I knew what I wanted to do. It's your body and your decision. Allowing someone else to dictate what you do with what's yours will leave you with regrets. At some point in time, you have to make your own choices and be damned with what people think. You don't always need someone else's approval, especially if you're comfortable in your decisions.

This too. Only for me, instead of a pain it was more of an uncomfortable tugging on the inside. It was weird, man, and I was not a fan lmao. But if given the choice, I'd definitely have the surgery again - drain tube and all.

It's a small tube that suctions out what's left over from the surgery. It's usually hanging out of your stomach and is stitched to your side. After about a week they pull it out. Mine stayed in for a week, anyway.

Pain was fairly tolerable, if I'm going to be honest. What I had the most trouble with was my drainage tube...that thing was a nightmare. I had to have my fiance help me wash and dress because I was super paranoid liquid might come out. Stupid now but it was real then lmao. Not to mention I couldn't dress it myself because it grossed me out and I couldn't even watch my fiance dress it for the same reasons.

I basically lived off of sugar free jello, pudding, and popsicles during my liquid diet. I hated it, but that's what I used. To prepare, my fiance made some homemade baby food for me in our Magic Bullet. Mostly chicken and turkey - gotta focus on that protein. Lean protein like chicken, turkey, and fish is better for you. Morning Star vegetarian meals are fairly decent, too. I ate that once I was given the clear on solid foods. What you need to get beforehand, though, would be some chewable daily multi-vitamins. I had the orange flavor (that of which I wasn't a fan of) and the spearmint flavor (which tasted better). My recovery time was about two weeks, I think? Might have been three. I would ask my doctor about it if I were you, though, just to be sure.

I don't either! Wishing us all luck on that front, it's a hard journey, that's for sure!

I am totally there! I keep fearing that maybe I'll gain it back. Or maybe someone can use them. Sadly, no one in my family is the size I was. I still keep the large shirts around to sleep in, I've never been one to like the fabric of my clothes to cling to me, so at least some of my old stuff is being used for something, lmao.

I was told for my height and age that 165 lbs would be a good weight to stick to. But, honestly, if I gain again, I'd be okay with anywhere between 165-200, so long as I don't go over.

Yes, I've had that before, too! I went to the store the other day and decided to carry the bags out instead of using the cart and almost fell over! It was rainy and windy and it just wasn't a good time at all lmao.

"Need to put rocks in your pocket so the wind doesn't blow you away!" My grandfather says it constantly and it got worse once we actually started getting wind lmao. I never know how to respond to it, but it's true! I've actually almost fallen over from a big gust of wind.

You did absolutely amazing! Wonderful job and congratulations!

What I've been doing here recently is looking through my Facebook pictures. I compare my older pictures with my newer ones and try to imprint the difference. You are never NOT going to feel fat because that's what you're used to. Going years habitually putting yourself down - unknowingly or not - is hard to break once you get to your goal. Whenever you feel that way, just look through pictures of yourself and take notice of the change, it helps more than it sounds like it does.