Today is my one year surgiversary and as of my weekly weigh in yesterday, I have surpassed my goal by one pound. My starting weight at the beginning of this process was 260. I was 236 on my surgery date. And I am now 164.

It's been a long road. The early days/weeks/months were rough. But for a long time now, I've just felt "normal". I eat 5-6 times a day. Always Protein first, but I occasionally have some treats. Juts yesterday I shared a piece of cake with my husband. I love not feeling deprived. If I want a treat of some sort once in a while, I have a little bit of it. I don't track my food or calories. The big thing to really get my head around through this whole process is that this is not a "diet". This is the rest of my life. I don't have any deadlines to meet with my weight loss. The goal was just to eventually get down to a healthy weight and stay there.

Were I on a "diet", I would have been tracking every calorie in and every calorie out. Sharing that piece of cake with my husband, I would have tracked those calories eaten and then tried to make up for it in calories burned so as not to "fall behind". I would have to "make up" those extra calories. Now... if I eat half a piece of cake, I don't sweat it. If it takes me a week to burn off those "extra" calories, what does it matter? What's a week in the grand scheme of things? It's definitely been a real change in thinking for me.

As for exercise, I've been killing it in that department. I've run several 5k races over the summer and plan to continue with my running and working on improving my time. I was pretty hard-core about strength training as well until my sister and her four kids moved in with us temporarily. That makes getting time to myself to SAFELY do strength training a real challenge, but I plan to get right back to it once they move out later this month.

So now, what you've all been waiting for: PHOTOS!

Amazing job!

Congrats and thank you for posting this (and all your great advice). I especially like what you said about not being a "diet". I am still only 3 Months post-op but have been wondering what my life might look like long term and if I was getting hung up on calorie intake, etc. Obviously being so new still, I will continue to log food but I love the idea if knowing that it might not be forever if I get my head on straight. Funny enough my therapist said this to me yesterday (about not having to track forever) and I thought she might be crazy but your post/perspective has certainly encouraged me!! Keep up the great work and best wishes on the homefront!! Hope it sells quickly!

Congratulations, you look great!!

Congrats, you look great! And that's a pretty dope Han shirt! ????

Congrats! Great job with your weight loss and best wishes with your house adventure!

Absolutely amazing Jamie, you are phenomenal.

Great before & after pictures Jamie!

I've been away from the site for a few days as I've been handling more house stuff. My sister and her four kids move out tomorrow! Yay!!!!!!

Thanks for all of the replies and kind words!

Amazing! Thanks for sharing your journey.

Wow even when you were heavier you carried your weight well. You still had a flat tummy. I'm glad you shared your photos with us. I hope to be where you are soon. I still have a long way to go. Your story is truly inspiring!!! Doing happy dance for you!!!

Wow even when you were heavier you carried your weight well. You still had a flat tummy. I'm glad you shared your photos with us. I hope to be where you are soon. I still have a long way to go. Your story is truly inspiring!!! Doing happy dance for you!!!

No no. That was post tummy-tuck. I had lost 90 pounds "on my own" and had plastics back in 2011. Then I eventually regained 80 of the pounds I'd lost before having VSG. So the "before" photos from before my VSG are post tummy-tuck, which is why my stomach was really flat still. My tummy tuck held up AMAZINGLY well through the weight re-gain and re-loss.

Here are the before pics from before I lost the 90 pounds "on my own" and had the tummy tuck and breast lift/implants. In these pics I weighed about 270:

You look fabulous !!!!

U look great congratulations on all ur hard work

You look amazing!!! Congrats!!!

I can't see pics.