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Wow! I have been in a state of SHOCK since January 3rd, 2017. My WLS journey made the front page of Obesity Help! What an INCREDIBLE honor for me to share my story. I found this website in 2005 while I was looking into weight loss surgery. I was 284 lbs and miserable. Once I found Obesityhelp, I didn't look any further...this website had EVERYTHING I needed to research WLS & have an army of support from people just like myself! To be successful after 10 years is honestly hard to believe, but I did it & you can too. Yes, it was the hardest thing I ever did...the surgery is hard, being restricted is hard, changing you're lifestyle is hard.....but being 100 lbs overweight was HELL on my body & my spirit. Staying motivated is key. Getting out of your comfort zones is hard but looking back...the gifts you will receive are beyond the imagination! Go for it & see for yourself! 

Today is my 10 year anniversary of gastric bypass surgery! I have kept off 124 lbs & couldn't be happier. Best decision I ever made! My health has never been better & my future looks bright! 

 

5/16/2013-

Hello OH friends!

This year will be my 7th year after Gastric Bypass Surgery & I am still doing very well.

I still teach aerobics & play co-ed soccer.....Plus I am physically & emotionally able to do anything I set my mind to.

Having WLS added years to my life, added life BACK INTO my life, & I have never felt happier!

My journey is documented from start to finish + 7 years later!

It was writing openly & honestly....for you & me! I go back & read the beginning of my journey in January of 2006, sometimes I forget the hardships I endured early on & need to be reminded. I fought hard to get here & I'm not letting myself go EVER again!

Good luck to you on you're journey & know that it is WORTH IT!!! It is a wonderful gift that gets better & better as the years go by.

I have no hardship now, no health problems like I did, & cannot remember how it was being morbidly obese......

Soooooo.....If you ask me.....The only problem with my surgery? I didn't have it done sooner!!! :D

 

Hello friends!

This is my annual update!

I am still doing quite well & am keeping an active lifestyle.
But, I must admit....My food addictions are still a daily struggle to make good choices.
Most of the time I have excellent food days, but sometimes I blow it with bad choices.
So.....I don't beat myself up about it....I just try to do better the next meal or the next day.

My current addiction is Dr. Pepper & fast food. I started drinking sodas & eating fast food kids meals last year & have paid a heavy price with a 20 pound weight gain from it. The only saving grace that keeps me from gaining more is my active lifestyle. Luckily, I teach aerobics & bodysculpting three times a week & play soccer once a week. I absolutely am PASSIONATE about exercise & love the endorphin rush! It's the BEST feeling ever....plus it keeps more pounds from piling up from my soda & fast food addiction.

What am I telling you? I am still fighting my food addictions & bad food behavior.
Can I stop it? Sometimes. Can I do better? Yes. But, I am human & allow myself to be human.
I have learned to accept my shortcomings, I love myself, my journey, & my hard fought battles of the bulge!!

If you are researching this surgery or have already had the surgery, know it is what you make it.
You are not expected to be perfect, you do you're best, you make lifestyle changes, you stick to the WLS rules  as best you can & enjoy you're new life! 

Reach for the stars! You only have one life......Live it & Love yourself no matter what size you are or what addictions you battle. You have the power to do GREAT things in life. Just believe in yourself & go for it!!!! 

1/26/2011-

Wow! This July, I will CELEBRATE my 5th year anniversary since my surgery. So 4 1/2 years out & I am doing GREAT!

Since this is the month that most diets begin, I find it a perfect time to discuss the "magic formula" of weightloss...
I found mine in early 2006, several months after my surgery...It was protein first, constant water intake, fresh veggies, lean meats, fiber, MEGA vitamins, and most importantly....Curves & Jazzercise classes alternating all week, everyday EXCEPT SUNDAY!    

If you are at a plateau, think about you're magic formula...what are you missing or what do you need to change that might be hindering you're weight loss or you're energy levels? It's simply the missing link to your success! To find it you have to be honest with yourself, be accountable, & be excited....the weight will disapear like crazy! It is UNBELIEVABLE!!!

You're body is a work of art in ANY size. Please treat it with the respect it deserves & make sure you realize that having weight loss surgery is making a commitment to "EAT to LIVE, instead of LIVING to EAT"!

Good luck to you on you're journey. I wish you the very BEST & hope that you find you're MAGIC FORMULA!

Heather

4/29/2010- Wow! What a wonderful journey I have had since 7/24/2006!

I never DREAMED how wonderful my life can be & now I am living it!
Having GBS is the BEST thing I ever did for myself & I pinch myself on occasion! It has been almost 4 years for me & it just keeps getting better & better! Over the years, I have heard obese & non-obese naysayers complain that they know so many people who had WLS & are still large. From my experience, I know 1 person who is still large after WLS, but I know 10 that changed their lifestyle, stuck to the GBS rules & are LIVING life!!! It is the MOST amazing experience EVER!

I hope anyone that reads these words & are still deciding. Think about this..........Living in a morbidly obese body is not living....It is emotionally & physically painful EVERYDAY. End you're suffering & allow yourself to feel joy again! 
It's truly been a 2nd lease on life for me!!!!

Good luck & best wishes on you're journeys!!!

Heather 
 

7/24/2009-

3 years ago today.....I had laproscopic gastric bypass surgery.

It has been quite a ride and I am amazed at how far I have came in such a short time.
I expected to have the surgery and lose weight. I NEVER expected all of the changes that would occur to my soul, my spirit, my personality, and my self esteem. Luckily, I had the foresight to hire a bariatric counselor/psychologist to help me deal with the changes after surgery. Losing the weight is the easy part, dealing with all of my emotions & the varied responses from other people was harder for me. Overall, I had a wonderful experience...No side effects, ill health, no physical issues. Mentally, it is a WILD ride! Hard to believe that I am the same person, I never  dreamed of the things that I would feel confident enough to do without fear of ridicule. Losing the weight gave me my confidence back, it gave me the feeling of being invincible, and instilled in me a new attitude of giving everything I do 110%! Wow....those are HEADY feelings! What a trip to finally succeed at my goals instead of the continual failures & negativity within myself. Being morbidly obese kept me from aspiring and making goals for myself. I was in such fear of being embaressed for trying and the dismal feeling of defeat. I don't know if the fear of public scrutiny or if it was my own fears that held me back....still trying to figure that one out. 
I am leaning towards my own fears!

I learned a valuable lesson that has NOTHING to do with weight loss and EVERYTHING to do with LIFE...
I learned how to set myself up for SUCCESS! Setting myself up for success made me successful in ALL areas of my life: weightloss, fitness, health, beauty, education, career, family relations, and the future.  
Not only have I lost weight, I also found the key to enlightenment. How can I ever be unhappy with the directions my life takes me? God has a plan for me, but I have to give him a hand in getting from point a to b, I have to be in the passenger seat, navigating the twists and turns, taking an active part in the direction my life goes by processing what is needed and what is not needed to be successful!

When I look back on my part in making my life successful in the past, I feel sad. I barely had the energy to get up in the mornings, no wonder I lanquished & became morbidly obese. I lost the spark, I lost the will, I gave up.
Whatever happened that day in January 2006 to get me off the couch, away from my pity party, and actively trying to change my life...was huge! And do you know what it was? The first step.....I walked into a Curves and asked for help. Then the second step...stop one bad habit at a time. (1st bad habit to change-sodas) The third step......if I failed at my diet one day, I would start fresh the next day. The fourth step.....Stop being hard on myself. The fifth step......Exercising three times a week & gradually increasing as time went on.

These were the first few steps that led me here to where I am today!

Today, I am happy that I am three years out. Today, I am appreciative of ALL the people who assisted me in my journey, starting with my surgeon, Dr. Davidson. Today, I am thankful that I am healthy. Today, I am blessed to be where I am. Today and further more.....I am THRILLED to share my experience with others. 

God bless you all! 

6/23/09-

I cannot believe that it has almost been three years since my re-birth!

This has been the most AMAZING experience in my life. I still get choked up about it.
I never realized how being morbidly obese effected my soul. The weight held me down, it choked the life out of me and I let it. I NEVER wanted to diet or exercise, it seemed like punishment. I look back now and realize that I was dying a slow death. The weight had stolen my will and left me a prisoner in a body that was exhausted. Once I started moving, I started losing. Never realizing that it got easier and easier to move as the weight was lost. 1-2 pounds a week for 6 months added up to 50 pounds. I don't know where I found the will & motivation, but I had it. I felt better than I had in years, I was able to start to enjoy exercise and actually look forward to the "high" I got from it plus the feeling of being proud of myself.

Those two things changed my outlook on diet and exercise. Simply put......I found the will to live.

To postops, preops, and those in between.....Give yourself the gift of life and step out of you're comfort zone.
Step away from the couch and take a walk. Enjoy breathing fresh air, seeing the world, and letting them see you.
There is no shame in trying to living you're life...it is the only one you have......LIVE IT!

Okay, I stepped away from my soapbox.

Have a nice day and I am hear if u need me or need a push n the right direction.

Sincerely,
Heather  

06/09/2009-

Where have I been? What has kept me from OH? Living my dreams, that is what!

Have you ever heard the saying...."Be careful what you wish for, You just might get it?"
Wow! Is that saying ever TRUE for me!

I am happy to say that I am active, healthy, and happy! My reality seems like a dream, especially that in 2006 I could barely move. Now I move constantly. Now I move PEOPLE!
 
I am flourishing, I am learning, I am LIVING life like I NEVER have before!
I am so busy teaching Jazzercise! I started out teaching Regular Jazzercise, then I added Circuit Training Jazzercise, and now, I have added my favorite class....LITE Jazzercise. A class for beginners, seniors, morbidly obese, handicapped, and even pregnant women! This is what it is ALL about! Giving back to people who would not exercise if not for a class like this!

If you think I am extraordinary, I am not super human. I just stuck to it, I just kept trying even when I fell off the diet wagon!
I DID NOT GIVE UP! This is my advice to post ops or people who want to do it on their own....DO NOT GIVE UP!

So, I gotta run for now......I will stay in touch!

Heather

Thanks to ColleenP! My 100th friend request!

I am so blessed to have soo many friends who are on the same JOURNEY as myself!

Much Love and Hugs to you all!

Heather