I was browsing around the net searching for "one month before sleeve diet" and thankfully this site came up, began reading all the wonderful post op and pre -op stories and quickly signed up to share my journey. I was thinking to myself, well since i have no support at home, minus well find some support online from people who are going through the same thing i have gone..

To start off , my name is Fina i am 21 years old and i am currently 236.2 my highest weight ever was 247.. and my lowest weight EVER was 197, which was around Jan-Feb of 2011.. yes i gained all my weight back... like most i have been over weight all my life, even when i was around 2-5, everyone even doctors said " it was just a phase", that i would lose it as i got older, but that never happened.

I don't want to blame my parents for my fatness, but when your growing up in a house filled with Dominican people its pretty hard to be on a diet, and what the heck! what does a 9 year old knows about counting calories, or exercising?..

Well to make things short, i never was a big fan of playing sports, i was more of the science nerd, chess playing, novelist writer and Godly reader, it was around middles school that i really came out and started playing basket ball and volley ball, we even won district undefeated and went to the finals, but we lost the second round and went home.. but it was the best time ever, i played 7Th and 8TH grade.. i was around 176, and in nine grade without sports, my weight went uuuuuup!!! bouncing every summer from 205-220... n then never really weighing myself 237-247...

My family, my father is very tall 6'5 n my brother was blessed with height, as well as my sister whom i should say stuck to my dad side, she is 14 and is taller than me 21.... she is around 5'6 and i am 5'4... she is around 135-140.. she is tall and thin.. flat belly.. i cant compare to her, so here comes mommy!!!... 5'4, weighing in guess what around my same weight shes probably less, 230-237, i feel shame every time we go out people think we are twins, she even looks younger than me!!!!

Point, i am tired of being fat, not wearing pretty clothes, having hugeee "fat handles", and two big roles of fat on my sides, and omg my thighs are like big o elephant legs!! with fat arms.. i have tried everything, hcg, cabbage diet, grape fruit, diet n exercise, slim fat, special k, n loads of pills, fruta planta, jillian, omg a lot of weird eBay pills, i lost weight yes, but did not kept it off..

co-workers, and friends... i would kept this a secret from them because people are so judge mental, especially at my job whom i can say either ur fat or u just had a baby lol.. and then stayed with the baby weight n gained some more.. the minute i was losing weight last summer, everyone was on top of me, oh ur Hispanic u should be proud of being fat y are u trying to be someone else.. hello are u for reallll!!! lol.. just because i want to improve my health, not have high blood pressure, no diabetes, no cholesterol, you think i am trying to be someone else, that i don't like my own skin, or self?... oh Ur losing weight too fast, Ur too skinny 197 u were fine the way u were, wow 197 too skinny? imagine when i get down to my goal weight 130 Ur going to think i have some type of disease!..

So guess what, for my future, my future children, i am going to use the aid of the gastric sleeve to lose the weight for ever, and totally change my lifestyle for the better!!! my mother still eeffy about it, just talks about it like its the most nastiest thing ever... and always adds negatives for me to change my mind, my dad thinks i am Crazy!!!... and i pray to God that he approves it!... my best friends tottally support me.. everyone else its still a secret..

what will i do and tell them when i start losing the weight... well right now i was on the lemonade diet, brought it to work shared it with everyone, did 3 weeks lost 11 pounds got some butt, lol.. loads of exercise.. so they see i am losing.. i talk about about p90x n how good it is, they know it works since i did it last time around i lost weight..

so this time around, i dont want any drama, my goal my dream.. i don't want to be obese and pregnant!! with loads of health conditions.. i want to have abs and show off my sexy thighs lol..

for the last 5 month i have been struggling to lose the weight, gaining instead of losing, last check in with the nutritionist is on Jan 19, got my scans done, hoping everything will go fine, cant wait for this summer, i got my goal jeans ready size 8 hoping to wear them before April.. i would love to be a size 6.. right now i am a size 16-- lowest being a 10.. so ugh i have been bad this year.. everyone deserves a new start!!!

Well this is it for now,, Blessings to all!!!!

ooh, january goal weight is 220.. i am 236.2 right now so i am hoping to lose 5 pounds a week by 1200 cal n burning between 800-1000 cal... a day!!,... got my elliptical machine and my Zumba PS3 move game!!!.. awesome!

i cant waaaaait to eat pasteles!

You will soon! I wasn't able to eat it on Thanksgiving so I made sure to try on Noche Buena. I purposely let it boil a little longer so it was "kinda" mushy and it was perfect!

Today, "asopao de pollo" was AWESOME!!!!!! I am in shock and thrilled it went down well. I can't wait to read all of your posts about the regional foods you and the other gals were able to eat!

Oh girl, let me tell you my story. I have been shopping in the plus sizes since I was 18. I am now 45. I have always love Kohls. I will never forget about a year and a half ago when my daughter and I went shopping one evening there. She headed for the juniors department, and as always, I headed for the plus size department. I picked out a few outfits and when I tried them on, they were too big. So, I went down a few sizes and they were still too big. Then I realized that everything in the plus size section was too big for me. I panicked because I just knew everything in the "normal" size section would be too small, and I love Kohls and was afraid I wouldn't be able to shop there anymore. But, for hoots and giggles I wandered on over to where the "normals" get their clothes, picked out a few things and headed for the dressing room. OH MY GOSH!!! I couldn't believe it, they fit! My daughter came looking for me and found me sitting on the floor of the dressing room balling my eyes out. She was terrified something awful had happened. Then, when I told her I was crying because I was so happy about finally being able to wear regular sizes, she was so happy for me she cried too. I remember calling my son, my parents, anyone who would listen, because I was so excited. That is a moment and a feeling I will never, ever forget.

Oh Susan what an awesome story!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW!!!!!!! Thanks for sharing it!

r we able to eat ketchup cuz i looooove drenching my pasteles in it. my mommy says i kill the taste to the pastele pero what does she know lol

You will soon! I wasn't able to eat it on Thanksgiving so I made sure to try on Noche Buena. I purposely let it boil a little longer so it was "kinda" mushy and it was perfect!

Today, "asopao de pollo" was AWESOME!!!!!! I am in shock and thrilled it went down well. I can't wait to read all of your posts about the regional foods you and the other gals were able to eat!

(((Susan))) I can't wait until it's my turn to shop in the normal size section. It's getting closer, I can feel it!

And, all you latinas need to tell me what a pastelle is because it sounds yummy! Please??? Maybe a recipe?

http://latinfood.about.com/od/puertorico/r/pasteles.htm

(((Susan))) I can't wait until it's my turn to shop in the normal size section. It's getting closer, I can feel it!

And, all you latinas need to tell me what a pastelle is because it sounds yummy! Please??? Maybe a recipe?

LOL Lissa, actually I think it is an acquired taste kind of dish. They are difficult to make. Most people buy them frozen for the holidays and boil them right before serving. They are the size of a deck of cards. The outside part (the acquired taste) is made out of ground up plantains and or cassava and other roots. The color is not the most pleasant. The inside is stuffed with delicious seasoned meats like pork, chicken, ground beef etc. It is all wrapped in banana leaves.

If you feel adventurous, call your closest latin market in Port St. Lucie and buy one for about $2.00. Boil it in salted Water for 1 hour (I think) and you are good to go. You will at least like the Protein inside. Hope you try it!

we buy ours from a lady in bronx ny! they aredelicious. we buy them by the dozen and we even sell them for more!

LOL Lissa, actually I think it is an acquired taste kind of dish. They are difficult to make. Most people buy them frozen for the holidays and boil them right before serving. They are the size of a deck of cards. The outside part (the acquired taste) is made out of ground up plantains and or cassava and other roots. The color is not the most pleasant. The inside is stuffed with delicious seasoned meats like pork, chicken, ground beef etc. It is all wrapped in banana leaves.

If you feel adventurous, call your closest latin market in Port St. Lucie and buy one for about $2.00. Boil it in salted Water for 1 hour (I think) and you are good to go. You will at least like the Protein inside. Hope you try it!

Lovely story Susan I cant wait!!!

Thank you for sharing!!!!

Lisa pastelitos is a masa (kind of like a dough) made out of green plaintains, pumpkin, n the small plaintains.. you have to grin it until its all mushy.. u wrap it in plaintain leaves n add ur favorite meat in the middle.. http://www.food.com/recipe/Pasteles-En-Hoja-Dominican-Republic-Version-273156 this is one website that has the nutritional facts and servings.. on the other hand this is another website that i love to cook from

http://www.dominicancooking.com/41-recipe-pasteles-en-hoja-ground-roots-pockets.html soo good..

Lol, I ate a small bean tamale for Christmas!!

Ive never been able to eat just one, it felt great!

Lol, I ate a small bean tamale for Christmas!!

Ive never been able to eat just one, it felt great!

Oops, guess I was so excited I posted twice!

Longer Life mm "asopao" sounds great lol I will make some today for dinner

And pastels are not that difficult to make lol I make them every Christmas by my self

Are you puertorrican too?

Liliana you must be a great cook! I can't make asopao either! I follow recipes really well but I let the hispanic foods to my mom and sister in law.

I'm Dominican American.

Liliana you must be a great cook! I can't make asopao either! I follow recipes really well but I let the hispanic foods to my mom and sister in law.

I'm Dominican American.

I am ok cooking he he I grew up in PR for 21 years and my grandmother teach me how to cook since I was 9, I lived in the kitchen with her lol

My husband is american/puertorrican/dominican and my mom in law makes the most delicious mangu ever but I need to find a way to make it without the fat lol

I love Dominican Republic,the people and the food is so good lol lucky you

When on Weight Watchers I used to make mangu with a little olive oil and "I Can't believe it's not butter". Pam fried egg & onions on top!

BTW I have some Puertorrican in me as well. My paternal grandfather emigrated from Puerto Rico to the Dominican Republic. So like your husband, I am Dominican, Puertorrican, American.

Nice talking to ya'. Keep me updated on the yummy things you have been able to eat!