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Amanda1982

Pre Op

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Blog Entries posted by Amanda1982

  1. Okay I’m writing this because I’ll get my band one week from tomorrow and I’ve subconsciously be worried about being a failure. What if it’s doesn’t work? What if I gain the weight back and more? What if…what if…. What if? Then I found my-self looking for posts from others who have had their bands removed for various reasons. Well enough of that. My surgeon told me realistically what I could expect from my band 60-65 percent of my excess weight which means that since I’m about 130 lbs overweight I could expect to lose 70-80lbs. That is 70-80lbs less that I weigh now which would put me somewhere around 190lbs. Now to some that is still a lot of weight but for me it’s a lot less than that 279lbs. What I’m saying is I don’t expect to come out of this wearing a size 2 however if I can get to 10-12 that would be great. I willing to work my butt off for that 10-12 and it the band does it s part, I’ll do mine. There is no point of doing this If I’m not going to follow the rules, eat right and exercise. Anyway no more negative post reading for me I’m getting me band, I’m going to let it help me and I will be a success. You anti-banders will have one less person to listen to your rants sorry. Good Luck everyone
  2. Okay ladies I was worried about this one since he wanted to go to dinner. I was actually going to say "No” but I'm glad I didn't because I had an amazing time. Any of you who read my profile know that I was in an abusive relationship for over 9 years. So to have a man treat me like a Queen was wonderful. I was worried because "what if I ate to fast" or "what if I had a stuck episode"? But I prepared myself by looking at the menu online before meeting him at the restaurant so I already knew what was on the menu and what I would order. And during dinner I just remembered to take small bites and chew, chew, chew, and chew some more lol. Things went perfect. Although I didn't finish my meal, so I hope he doesn't think I was wasteful but all in all it was a great night!!!! Loving the new me!!!!
  3. This is another video from Beautiful Brown Baby Doll she is a YouTuber who lost 100 pounds. Now she is not a band patient, she lost her weight with diet and exercise but she is still has been an inspiration to me during my journey. Please watch this video “Your skinny is not My Skinny” in the video she explains how you should do what is best for your body and not follow the crowd or the next BIG DIET FAD. We are all different and you have to listen to your own body! Enjoy!
     
     
    http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=5B5pbsKVEMI&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D5B5pbsKVEMI
     
     
    Amanda Out!

  5. Accepting Oneself

    · Amanda1982 · 11/15/12 05:07 PM

    We all come into this world as blank canvases waiting for the various colors of life to be painted into our world. As children, our first knowledge of who we are comes from our parents. If our parents continue to feed us positive affirmations of our worth and value, we tend to grow with a positive self-esteem. However, if we are told over and over again that we are nothing and that we won’t amount to much in life, we will begin to believe this is true. As a child I used to hear people say, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” This is not true. Even the bible tells us that the tongue can both cut and heal. We must be careful what we say to others, especially children.
    Accepting Oneself
     
    We live in a time when accepting who we are can be difficult. Most of us compare ourselves to unrealistic standards set by advertising agencies, movie stars and the lives of the rich and famous. What we fail to realize, is that oftentimes these standards are a facade like movie sets on the lot of a studio. They represent a “front” with no real substance, constantly having to be propped up because they can’t stand on their own. I’ve had the opportunity many times to talk to people that others would often admire or envy. What I have discovered is, the very people we put on pedestals would love to trade places with people that could be classified as ordinary. I have learned that we must be careful what we desire because many times what we think we are running to, is often what we are running from.
    Historically in the African American Community, the subject or discussion of “self esteem” has carried mixed emotions. When we look up the definition of self-esteem in the dictionary, we see that it means belief in oneself. We know that if we do not believe in ourselves and what we do, neither will anyone else. However, oftentimes people confuse “belief” in oneself with “vanity.” If we look at success models over time, the ones that have truly made a difference were those who not only accepted who they were, but did so with pride. Many who have left their mark on history were those who had to stand-alone or convince others to see things their way. It is important for you to know 1) who you are, 2) understand where you have come from and 3) determine where you want to go, if you are ever going to accept who you are to be.
    Knowing Who You Are
     
    When I was a little girl my grandmother would often say, never let anyone tell you who you are. I have a friend who always says, “never let anyone call you out of your name.” We have all heard the saying, “if you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.” I believe that it is very important to know what you stand for in life. When I speak at various functions around the country, I often share with people that it is important for you to know your meaning in life, so that you can prepare your message, in order to carry out your mission. When you know and understand your purpose and why you are here, it is much easier for you to accept who you are and the person that God has made you to be. We are all pieces of a puzzle that fit together to make a beautiful picture. If we are constantly trying to be someone else, we will not “fit” into the spot that has “our” name on it.
    If you are currently struggling with who you are, what you look like or comparing yourself with others, I urge you to do the following three steps.
    Empowerment Points:
     
    Write down on a piece a paper, all of the positive things that have happened in your life over the past year. If you can’t think of any let me give you a few suggestions. You have your health, a roof over your head, a job, a sound mind, and people that care about you. I heard a minister once say that if you count all your blessings, it will be hard to be depressed.
    Make a list of all the positive things that people say about you. Once again, let me give you a few suggestions; she really has a nice personality, she has really nice skin, she is so thoughtful, she’s really a kind person. Maybe people comment on your discipline to work out, or your compassion for others. Never underestimate the gifts that God has given you, to make you unique. Remember, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. What you would easily throw away, others would take in a minute. I had a friend once tell me that she thought I had the gift of hospitality and encouragement. I thought to myself “what kind of gift is that?” Growing up in church, I wanted the gift of singing or playing the piano or something that the other girls had. Little did I know that the gifts of hospitality and encouragement would be the very way I would live my life and help others today.
    Finally, make what I call a “wish” list. Write down the things that you would like to have or accomplish and then set a reasonable timetable to begin making them happen. The key here is to make sure you set realistic goals or expectations. Don’t wish that you were 5’11 if you are 4’9. But if you’ve always wanted red hair and your hair is brown, dye it! If you want a better body, diet and exercise. Just make sure whatever standards you set, you are doing it for yourself and that it is what you want, not what others say you should be.
    Remember that we are all little kids in adult bodies. We all get up in the morning and put our underwear on one leg at a time. We all have good days and bad days. The next time you look into the mirror, say to yourself that you are wonderfully and beautifully made just the way you are. God does not make junk!
     
     
    http://www.blackwomenshealth.com/
     
    Amanda Out!
  6. Ladies…Ladies …Ladies, I can’t stress enough how important it Is or will be to have a bra fitting done and get new underwear when you have dropped a significant amount of weight. 80 percent of Women don’t wear the correct bra size and trust me it makes a big difference in how you will look and feel in your new clothes. Now that we are smaller don’t be afraid to check out your local Victoria’s Secret (they even have clearance racks for those of us on budgets lol) . My point is SAGGY UNDERGARMENTS is not a cute look on anyone.
     
    Amanda Out!
  7. You can look great in no matter what you wear as long as you dress for your body shape, Having this information is the key to the key to looking great no matter what size or weight you are. The four basic bady shapes are;
     
    Ruler (Rectangle/Banana Shape)
    Shoulders, hips, waist are almost the same size.
    Very little indentation at the waist (<10) inches
    Well-proportioned upper and lower body

    Hourglass
    Well-proportioned upper and lower body
    Shoulders and hips almost the same size
    Dramatic indentation (>10) inches at the waistline

    Spoon (Pear Shape)
    Larger lower body and smaller upper body
    Shoulders narrower than the hips
    Tend to gain weight below your waist.

    Cone (Apple Shape)
    Bigger on the top half of their bodies than on the bottom half.
    Slim hips and legs
    Tend to gain waist above the waist.

    This is just a general overview of the basic body types. You can take your measurements and find tons of calculators online that will not only tell you your body shape, but give you amazing tips on how to dress for your shape so that you look great everyday.
     
     
     
     
    FYI I'm a (RULER) Do you know yours?
     
    Amanda Out!!!

  8. Outfit Catalog!

    · Amanda1982 · 10/30/12 08:13 PM

    Have you ever gone into your closet and said " I have nothing to wear"? If you are a woman I'm sure you have lol. Anyway I had this great idea that I wanted to share with all of you. If you have a phone with a camera on it, take a picture of yourself everyday in a different outfit everyday try to only include your favorite ones. (The ones where you say "hey I really look great in this") before you know it you will have a outfit catalog to go to on the days you just don't know what to wear :-)
     
     
    Amanda Out!!!!

  9. The 1st 8 Pounds

    · Amanda1982 · 02/24/11 02:00 PM

    So I got up at 4am this morning ready to do my Leslie Sanson walk away the pounds DVD (Walk and Kick). Now I haven’t been weighed since I got the pre-op diet from the nutritionist on 02/10 and on that day I was at 276.2lbs. I got the scale from the laundry room praying it didn’t say 276.2 after all I have been following the pre-op diet to the “T” not cheating at all. To my surprise the scale read 268lbs. This is such a great feeling. I know eight pounds is not a lot but for me this is big. This means that I have stuck with something and whatever I’m doing is working. I wanted to share this with you guys because you have been such great supporters since I started my journey. Good Luck to you all!!!
     
     
  10. Okay after about 4 months, I finally have everything done. Nutritionist, psych eval, chest x-ray/upper GI, now I have to wait for the surgeon to sign off and then wait for United Health Care to approve me. This could take and another 2 to 3 weeks but I'm optimistic. Hopefully I can get banded in early Feb. I'm so ready to see my waist line again lol.
     
     
  11. I attended a support group last night and it was inspirational. When you talk to people in your life that can’t relate to what you are going through but they try and support you anyway that’s great, but last night I got a change to fellowship with people who knew exactly what I was going through. These were people who were from all different backgrounds but who were brought together for the same reason their struggled with weight. I was also able to ask questions, one lady even let me fill where her port was (wow) she has been banded since May and is down 68lbs. After a lady in her 50’s broke down and told her story about how she hated to look in the mirror and how she was doing this for herself I was in tears.
    Anyway this is just my experience, I think everyone should consider going to a support group or a couple of support groups if they are deciding to do this. It will show you that you are truly not alone...
  12. If I could talk to the old me, I would say………..
     
     
    Amanda you are beautiful, but beauty is more than appearance. You have a strong heart and a strong mind and that is what makes you beautiful. The reality of the situation is, you are Morbidly Obese and at 277 pounds you could have some real heath issues if you don’t make a change. I promise you that once you start exercising you will love it, I know I do. The amount of stress that is release during a run or power walk will relax your mind and strengthen your heart. All of the negative energy and emotions that you are holding on to will be sweated out and literally washed down the shower drain. You kids will be impressed and encouraged by your strength, discipline, and the positive changes they see you making every day. Oh, and they will love all the cooking your doing. Others will be inspired by your pictures and your story, and one day you will complete a 5k run and it will be the best feeling you have experienced other than the birth of your children. I know your confidence is lower (hell, its non-existent) but you will slowly build it back up when you see changes happening in your body. What I’m saying is “You will have to get smaller, to become bigger.” Look in the mirror everyday and say I’m strong, I’m a survivor, and I’m me. Love ya!
     
    What would you say?

  14. A Message to a ?Fat Girl?

    · Amanda1982 · 12/20/12 02:33 PM

    Beautiful Brown Baby Doll is a YouTuber who lost 100 pounds. Now she is not a band patient, she lost her weight with diet and exercise but she is still has been an inspiration to me during my journey. Please watch this video A Message to a “Fat Girl” where she has written a very beautiful letter to her former "fat self". It really made me think. If I wrote a letter to the old me, what would it say? What would yours say? Enjoy!
     
     
    http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=PxUAqahMozw&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DPxUAqahMozw
  15. "Downplay Your Curves"
     
    This is a common and rather instinctive way of minimizing your hips, thighs and butt. I personally find this closet mantra restrictive because it excludes clothes that are 'no-nos' for your Pear body shape (eg. The skinny jeans just to mention a few). But it's a fast and fool-proof way to de-emphasize curves you're self-conscious about.
     
    Details that help downplay your curves:
     

    Dark colors, from dark navy blue to the classic black. Ex. dark wash jeans or black dress pants.

    Vertical details will slim down the hip-area. Eg. pleats, stitches and visible zippers

    Tops, sweaters and jackets that extend just below your hipbone (helps skim over your hips. Hip-length tops only draw attention to the area it hits). However avoid lengths across the widest part of your hips/legs - your thighs

    Hip and thigh hugging shapewear

    Heels elongate your lower body and make your hips, thighs and legs look slimmer


     
    Via FilmMagic
     
    On the other hand, it's the simplest way to downplay your curves, especially you feel uncomfortable and "fat" with them, and just wish to draw less attention to that area.
     
    Also make sure to invest in garments with stretch. Stiff fabrics tend to make you look boxy. Boxy = bigger.
    Another great investment is pants, jeans, skirts and dresses with a slight flared hem. Compared to a skinny and pencil hem, a flared style will draw attention away from your lower bottom.
    If you're very curvy, the longer and wider you'll need to wear your bottoms - it helps with your body proportions!
     
    http://www.thechicfa...body-shape.html
     
    Amanda Out!
  16. Create Curves on Top
     
    Wear anything that visually adds more weight to your shoulder and bust area and brings attention to your upper body. This makes your body figure look more proportional like an Hourglass, as well as de-emphasizing your hips and thighs.
     
    Details that accentuate your upper body:
     
     

    Necklines stretching horizontally (boat neck, straight, etc.). Although a wrap neckline is slimming on your torso, it adds interest to your bust
    Light (white, light pink, etc)
    Bright & bold colors (reds, orange, electric blue, etc.)
    Details such as stripes, polkadots, sequins, zippers, large collar/lapels, other eye catching embellishments
    Bell and kimono sleeves
    Bust-enhancing necklines such as bustier and sweetheart
    A good push-up bra
    Scarves, scarves, scarves

    Also make sure to wear a top that fits properly on the shoulders. If your shoulder line is sloppy the outfit (and your upper body!) won't look good. Work with structured shoulders, shoulders pads and ruched sleeves - they are your pear body shape's essentials.
     
     
    Tips from: http://www.thechicfa...body-shape.html
     
    Amanda Out!

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