#wlscommunity

Start weight 2nd of May 138.4kg // 305.1lbs

Weight as of today 22nd May 128.9kg // 284.1lbs

Total lost: 9.5kg // 21lbs in 20 days!

I've lost 124lbs/56g and gone down 5 clothing sizes.. but even more than the weight loss, what makes me proud and happy is the other progress I've made because of the surgery.

I've got from barely being able to walk for 5 minutes in my backyard to walking 3 miles at a time.

I've gone from absolutely no exercise to walking multiple times a week and going to a yoga class every week.

I feel healthier than I've been since my early 20's probably.

I'm able to go out and do things without worrying about not being able to keep up or having to sit down every few minutes because of pain.

I'm so thankful I had the opportunity to do this.

*I still have Fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis and am still in pain and have bad days, sometimes very bad, but overall I feel better and am happy.

Happy this morning 😄

Also, my coworker got me this shirt for Christmas 🥺

Now this topic right here…is the KICKER.

You are on your way to bariatric/weight loss surgery but some of your family and friends don’t understand why you chose that route. “Can’t you just eat less and exercise more?” “You’re not even THAT fat so you don’t need it!” Or you get the folks that have heard these conspiracies about folks eating so much after surgery that their new stomach/pouch explodes and they die…yeah I’ve heard all of this, too.

You can’t control everyone’s opinions about WLS but you can control how you respond to them.

First of all, your body - your choice. Ultimately, you are the one that knows what is best for you and your health. No one else can tell you that. They obviously don’t live in your body so how would they know what you need to get healthy? In my journey, I had got to a point where my appetite was outrageous and I could no longer put on my clothes comfortably. I was huffing and puffing trying to put on shoes 🙄 I couldn’t take walks without my ankles swelling so much to where I had to sit and let the pain ride on. I knew I had to do something. I tried the gym, eating less, restricting (which is a BAD idea) and it didn’t work. That’s why I decided to go the WLS route and it was (and still is) the best option for me.

Second of all, keep yourself educated on all things WLS. This helps with dispelling those WLS rumors. Ask your doctors questions. Find workshops or classes related to WLS. Find “peer reviewed” articles and sources to learn. This helps you have a well rounded knowledge of WLS and to help educate your loved ones on what actually happens. Will they still bring up dumb stuff? Oh yeah! As long as you keep educating them, they’ll eventually understand your choice…or they won’t and that is still OKAY!

Lastly, this is the hardest thing to grasp and accept but there are going to be individuals that will not open their minds to the WLS world. They are going to say things like, “WLS is the easy way out” which grinds my everlasting gears. They won’t ever understand. And some of these people will be your own folks! The best thing to do is pray for them (I’m Christian so that’s what I do personally) and leave them be. You don’t need that kind of negativity in your life. WLS and this journey is hard enough on us and we have to stay focused on the task at hand!

I’m going to try and post every Saturday from now on. It’s the only day I get to focus on this project. Thanks for reading and let me know what other topics you’d like to discuss!

Hi everyone!

I’m glad to announce that I am back.

I was MIA from tumblr for a few months because I was focusing on my licensing and certification, trying to understand food and exercise more from a medical and scientific prospective as well.

I am now a certified personal trainer and health coach and will be offering online 1 on 1 coaching or local training sessions and plans if you’re in Miami.

Please message me for more information