90 pounds have been shred off my body!!!

Hello Everyone!!!

I am SUPER EXCITED to tel you all that I am officially 147 pounds, size S/M (depending on the clothes), size 8 in jeans and even 6 in some skirts and i feel completely and absolutely wonderful!!! It has been a year (we're missing two days) since my surgery and 90 pounds!

My eating habits have stayed pretty much the same: a lot of protein and white meat, although, I do eat some red meat every once in a while but very little, a lot of greens and vegetables and very little sweets. Although I must say the Holidays are the hardest time of the year to be in a diet, specially when I have a sudden urge to be the next betty crocker and can't stop baking!! The good about it is that my family eats everything, I don't. LOL

So....Before and after pics!!!

Before at the beginning...

NOW PICS!!!!!.... Modesty aside... I look hot ! lol

Im the one in the middle !!!!!

The truth is this surgery was the best thing that could have ever happened to me, the best decision I ever made for myself as a woman, as a person, for my well being. I am super healthy, I like going to the gym now, I like taking pictures, I love dressing up and knowing the reactions my outfits will cause. I feel fantastic and this is a feeling that I never want to lose. 

Ok so you guys might say that I am insane because i want to lose those last 7 pounds, and I must admit even my grandfather is not too happy about the prospect. However, to make my case, there are a few things  I want to do, like be more firm in the derriere area and the arms and abs. I am NOT trying to get a six pack, aside from anything, I find that I wouldn't look good with a six pack, honestly. On a man..well, that's a different story ;). 

My next post will be the loss of those last 7 pounds :) 

I am wearing a size small shirt today!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can you believe it?!!!!! ... OK so its one of those big small shirts, but still I am actually a medium!!!! and that is the first time that has ever happened! It feels really good when people see me and they can't recognize me or they tell me "Every time I see you it's like seeing a whole different person", and that's because I am a whole different person. It feels amazing to know that I have changed in so many ways and stayed the same in much others.

This is a little funny so I am going to share it with you guys...I uploaded this picture of me on Facebook and these are some comments:

Friend 1: "it just got hotter over here in ... cuz this showed up on my feed at .... woop!"
Friend 2: "guesss what i'm doing?"
Me: "Tearing up? :)" (this friend tears every time she sees me because she's so proud and yet sentimental)
Friend 2: "yes but i liked you better when you were jennifer hudson. now you are j.lo."
Me: "That's a lie. I'm still Jennifer. Besides she's skinny now too :)"
Friend 2: "you will never be jennifer, again. she was loved as who she came out as. now, she looks like everyone else. just dont get faded. love the eyes! those will never change"
LOL


I am SUPER EXCITED about how things are fairing out:

1. I am NOT having the Mental Breakdowns anymore!!! (At least not related to my body) I was going to go to a Psychologist but the ones that I spoke to were either too old and creepy so I didn't feel comfortable at all, or just couldn't relate with what was going on with me. ( I looked for ones that my health insurance would cover...it's official, I need new health insurance or just better Psychologists on the one I already have). SO, I went to my school's counseling center and the Psychologist I spoke to helped. She told me that according to her research with people that have had my operation, these kinds of outbursts were sometimes normal in people with my personality.

It is true I can be super difficult whenever I do not want to be cooperative and also I can be very in-denial when I want to be. And in this case I really didn't want to admit I was having a hard time. SO, I feel better, MUCH better. I don't look at myself with disgust anymore and that helps a lot.

2. I weighed myself this morning, and unless my treacherous weight scale was playing games on me, I am around 155-156 pounds, a size 10 (well fit). Soon i'll keep going to 150 and hopefully size 8 and then, the size that i really want to be, a 6.

3. Soon I will be starting Insanity, the dancing version of the program. I haven't started it yet because I am in the middle of taking my grad school admissions examinations and working but I still drink my shake and eat as healthy as possible.

4. My hormones are normal now, or at least in the process or being stabilized. My doctor said that because of my excessive weight gain I had excess amounts of Testosterone in my body which I didn't need so she prescribed birth control with extra estrogen and that has gone fairly well.

For now, I am just enjoying the fact that I feel so much better about myself not because I was ugly before and I'm pretty now, but because I'm healthy now. I've always known I was pretty I just didn't feel pretty or healthy. Here are a few pics...enjoy.

 A pic of me in 2010 at 220 pounds 

 me at 2010 pounds 

 2011 somewhere between 210 and 220

 me at 240 pounds.... MY WORST...never again 

AND ME NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

What do you guys think?!! Nice huh? hehehe.. I felt really good :) !

This morning I weighed 161 pounds. I am officially battling between a size 10 and a size 8 (which FYI ... ITS AMAZING!!!!!! I LOVE IT!!!!! ) Summer in DR was the salvation of my nerves and, lets face it, TOO much fun!!!! 

I did NOT want to come back... but reality hits sooner or later. Although, honestly, one more week wouldn't have hurt. 

Its funny how i feel so different yet i feel the same!. At this stage, I can officially eat anything I want expect... I dont want to... or need to. My cousins and my little sister make fun of me because I'm OBSESSED with calories and sugars and protein and not eating this or that. Up until now, it's worked for me. 

Despite all that, I still have these odd mood swings that every once in a while, more often than i'd like to admit, I feel bad and my self esteem plummets and I HATE IT because THAT IS NOT ME! I hate feeling as though I'm not enough. And for some odd reason that is exactly how I feel. I feel as if i'm not enough and i don't like it. All my life I have been more than enough in everything and now... it just feels really bad. 

This thursday I have an appointment with my doctor to check my vitamins and levels and get a referral for the psychologist. Wish me luck :)  

July 1st Blog!

Dear Reader,

Well, I officially wight 169 pounds. My body is getting curvier and more slender by the minute. I haven't lost as much weight as i thought i would by now but my doctor says everything is fine and we are doing good time.

I saw him yesterday and he told me that not everyone has the same results and that this process is a long term goal weight loss process. Now is the time for Trainer help at the gym to focus on given areas of my body and renforce my gym techniques. This should be interesting.

When it comes to how i feel personally...well, thats a complicated situation. I feel the same. Mentally, I feel as if I am still 240 pounds, my same chubby self. Yet physically, i feel so much lighter, so much less heavy and as if a huge weight has been lifter off my whole body. I walk better in my heels- I have a lot of heels, very high ones- i feel better in my clothes and when people see me they can't get over how good I look. They just keep staring. And the men, well, they through kisses at me in the streets and yell pretty things at me and ask God to bless me.

This is not something I'm used to. I always saw it happen to my cousins and my sisters- which are all very pretty, not to say that I am not- but i've just never been the center of men's  attentions before. Its rather nice.

One thing that has me worried is that sometimes I feel down out-of-the-blue, for no reason at all, and I don't understand why. My mother and sisters have suggested I see a Psychologist to help me through the random whims of my moods. SO, when i get back from DR- I am here for vacation- I am to see a Psychologist.

While I'm here, I will also visit my bariatric nutritionist and have her review my diet. Last time she gave me a general diet for the second, third and fourth month of my process. This time I want her to give me a more specific diet for my present situation. Well folks thats all for now.

Soon I will be posting pics :-)
The Gastric Sleeve Patient

Before and AFTER pics!!

BEFORE FACE

AFTER FACE...

BEFORE BODY 

AFTER BODY PIC 

58 punds away!!! and hopefully 30 more to go!

Hello everyone! First, I'd like to apologize for not posting recently. My dissertation has me utterly frustrated and ridiculously tired. Second, GOOD NEWS!!!! I have officially crossed over to the 170's!!!! WOW!! I can't believe it myself! Last, time I was in the 170's I was 12 years old and it was after 4 months of an incredibly rigorous diet which started with me at 193 pounds. This time, however, 4 months ago, I started at a hairpin away from 240 pounds and now i'm 179 pounds!

I am officially a size 12 again !!!!

For the first time in my life it feels fantastic to actually get on a scale and weigh myself!

My body is looking great! Despite the fact that I have always been chubby, I have always had curves. Some might say my body is somewhat of a pear shape or maybe an hourglass (it depends on which who you ask and how they feel about the size of my bosom). My body has never lacked curves in the right places, thank God!  The gym is a regular thing for me, and now I am going to start drinking collagen supplements at night before going to bed so my body can absorb it more effectively (my cosmetologist recommended it).

Collagen will make sure my skin will regenerate and get back where its supposed to go!

When it comes to my diet, I still eat very little. About 6 oz of food, maybe 8 if I eat incredibly slow taking breaks in between. But i still like to take in my nutrients in pure form. to be more precise i can only eat half of a banana. A lot of doctors suggest, for patients like me, to eat baby food without preservatives. Believe it or not it works. It satisfies you completely. However, my bariatric nutritionist, said i should make them myself. Take the fruit and blend them until it becomes baby food, and trust me, it tastes even better!

I am eating more whole foods now but still no rice, bread or pasta and very little potatoes, with the exception of sweet potatoes because of the difference in the high glycemic index. Sweet potatoes are healthier than regular potatoes. NO RED MEAT! Just poultry and pork. Eventually you will be able to eat red meat, but for now hold off until you can handle it a bit more.

12 Weeks Post-Op!

Hello everyone!! Tomorrow morning I will officially be 12 weeks post-op, 3 months exactly. It feels a little odd even. In total I have lost 47 pounds, which is almost half of my weight goal. My doctor says i am doing fantastic given the fact that it has only been 3 months and im supposed to loose 100 pounds in a year. He says that as long as i do my exercises I will be great. The gym is a daily thing for me and it will be for the rest of my life. But i like it. It makes me feel full of energy and like I'm really progressing. Each day week I can do more than the week before, and that is a really good feeling. I tried doing the Insanity workout with my brother-in-law and I almost fainted. LOL. ADVICE: DO NOT EXCEED YOURSELF BEYOND REPAIR! My butt was hurting for a total of two days and today it still hurts, so , three days. 

However, today the focus is not my derriere but GIRDLES! I finally received my colombian girdle. It took a total of 3 weeks to arrive and i have a week wearing it. This is the description for the model:

Super High Compression Controls Waist Line, Abdomen, & Hips. Helps reduce backaches. Abdomen Control, Back Support, Lower Tummy Support. Adjustable Straps, Lifts Bust. Strong Compression ExtraLayer Powernet. Recommended: Daily Use, Post-Lipo, Post-Partum, Tummy Tuck, Shaping Girdle. Mid-Thigh Length, Derriere Enhancer Laced Design. Frontal Zipper, Inside Eyelet Hooks Closure. Reduces and maintains the firmness on your waist line. Corrects and helps your posture. Enhances the gluteus, busts, and shapes your silhouette body.  Many women wear this garment on a daily basis to tone and instantly reduce cm's on their waste, hips and legs while in use. Open Crotch convenient for bathroom use.


The crotch part is hilarious just because one would not wear the girdle without underwear. Going commando on something you wear on a daily basis is NOT an advisable thing to do. The high compression controls help keep the muffins on check, improve your posture, and reduce backaches, which you will get. The adjustable straps make it more comfortable and yet it makes it hurt a little. At the end of the day you wil have marks on your shoulders and they will ache somewhat. RECOMMENDATION: Ladies, adjust your bra straps to fit you tightly because after you wear the girdle , your bra straps will feel loose. The opening at the crotch feels a little funny but its no biggie. Just make sure that you wear a belt with the pants that you'll wear on top of your girdle. Your pants will feel loose. 

Another recommendation: drink a lot of tea. It helps with the detox process and your skin will look and feel great.