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Edited January 19, 20179 yr by LipstickLady

I relate so much to your story. Thank you!!!

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:13

thank you for sharing this!

it's like you said everything I've been thinking for years!

your story was inspiring, and makes me feel more confident in moving forward with getting surgery. (: (:

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You totally inspire me. My surgery is Dec 1st and I'm so excited. I want so much to accomplish what you have

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Our stories are almost alike, thank you so much for sharing.

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So happy for you and I needed to hear how great things are going for you. I'm only about 3 weeks out and don't feel to great yet and was wondering if I've done the right thing!

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All the responses to this thread make my heart warm. THANK YOU!!!

Love your Signature, and still want to steal the: "one hundred and sexy"!

When I started this journey I was 5.3 and 264 pounds. I had no health issues. I did martial arts, I went to the gym regularly, I loved to swim laps for exercise, and I didn't have any aches or pains. My blood counts were good and I *thought* I was very happy with myself. I had friends, a successful business, a happy husband and kids, an overall great life.

I decided to have surgery because I didn't want my body to start breaking down and I knew it would. While I could do all those things above, I was starting to get very tired and increasingly lazy. After an hour of laps, I just wanted to sit in my pool chair and read. After a three hour martial arts day, I wanted to sleep on the sofa. I was finding myself watching my family do fun stuff more than participating and I was getting increasingly nervous about going places like the park because I was wondering how I was going to cover up the huffing and puffing and the excessive sweating.

Looking back, I was truly fooling myself into believing that my life was normal except for my clothing size. My biggest dread was going to school events and being the fat mom. I hated that not only for myself, but for my kids. I knew they would never say so, but what child wants to have the super obese fat mom in the room? I was very self conscious about going out in public, never wanting a hair out of place, or my hair and outfit less than perfect. (By God, I may have been a fat person, but I was going to be a perfectly groomed fat person 'cuz that would fool people! Just like wearing all black would fool them or not actually eating in public would fool them.)

My mental armor against my obesity was a louder laugh, a bigger smile, a heartier personality, and I was always told that I was a bit intimidating because I oooooozed self confidence. (I am thrilled to say that I have maintained these characteristics, so I did gain something from my time as an obese person.)

Here I am, 1 year later, 111 pounds thinner (but still 5.3. HA!). I hit my original goal of 159, and am now about 3 pounds away from my stretch goal of 149. I really think I want to get to 139, but really, if I never lose another pound, so be it.

I still swim, do martial arts, I TEACH kickboxing, and I zumba my heart out several days a week. I no longer sweat excessively, I can not only keep up with the family, but I am most often the one who WANTS to go out and do physical things. After a great exercise session, I have MORE energy as opposed to flopping my happy arse on the couch for the rest of the day. I am down from a size 20 to a size 6 and I was able to squeeze into a size 4 the other day. (I turned blue, I couldn't breathe, bend or sit, but I buttoned those b!tches!)

I have done several mud runs and am always looking for more opportunities. I am looking into becoming a certified Zumba instructor and am attending a 3 day martial arts camp without fear of not being able to keep up. I can go into public looking like a wreck from the gym and no longer feel like people are looking at me as the sloppy fat woman, and if I buy a cup of fro-yo or have junk food in my cart, I no longer feel the judgmental stares. (And the meat heads at the GNC actually WANT to help me instead of just ringing me up without eye contact.)

As I start this summer as a thinner person for the first time in 15-20ish years, every day is a wonderment. I am wearing shorts. I am buying sleeveless dresses. I have floppy skin, but I don't care!! I can buy clothes anywhere I want and I have the freedom to spend my day without focusing on how I look, what I am going to eat, who is looking at me judgmentally, if I am going to be able to fit in a space, if I am going to crowd someone. I can be so much more spontaneous in my schedule and I am always looking forward to trying new things. (A super cool perk? If I get something on my clothes or need a quick change of outfit because something comes up, I can run into the store, buy something off the rack without trying it on and I KNOW it's going to fit!!! WHAT!?!?!)

Life was good before. Life is freaking AWESOME now.

Before.

blackdressbeforeedit.jpg

Now.

1year.jpg

And the fun stuff!

rm100.jpg RM101.jpg rm103.jpg

I've been freaking out about having a sleeve done.

I'm constantly on heremail looking for everyone to say it's all OK. Or you're gonna drop dead as soon as you go under. But this has bloom me away. The bear thought of going somewhere where I won't fit in the chair, the fat mum, the no clothes to wear... it's like you wrote this about me!! Lol. I exercise like crazy and im always the biggest one there. What an inspirational post. Well done you look more than fabulous ????????????xxx

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I'm new to this site and just read your story and I was blown away.Thank you for sharing such a real and intimate story of your journey! When I go to bed at night I try to imagine what it will be like to be thin, but it's hard. Last time I was in "onederland" I was a young teen. Reading the little details such as being able to shop anywhere etc. made me cry. Thank you for being an inspiration and giving me a vision for what the future could hold.

And I absolutely want to do a mud run someday!!!! :-D

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@@BettyG

And you will.

You totally inspire me. My surgery is Dec 1st and I'm so excited. I want so much to accomplish what you have

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Hope your surgery went well today. Congratulations on the start of your incredible journey. Wishing you good health and good spirits

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