the way i GAGGED when reading😵‍💫💀

Yeti says, make sure to take a few minutes to really relax.

1 year ago today I had my Gastric Sleeve surgery.

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.

Day 7 without food

Down 11.7 lbs

Broth and protein shakes only

Today on my lunch break I chewed up some chips and spat them out for the first time.

It was a subtle release but definitely not as satisfying as I’d thought it’d be.

I learned to not chew but to break into small pieces and just suck the flavor out of the chips and it’s way more satisfying. Chewing makes it hard to not swallow chip pieces.

Same spot. Entirely different lifestyle. Just under two years apart. Half the person I “once” was.

Credit: @journeyofcai

You’re On Your Way to Bariatric Surgery…But Your Loved Ones Have Mixed Feelings. Now What?!

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!

-AJ

My gastric bypass surgery is the day after tomorrow!!! October 24th! I'm so excited to finish the optifast 900 shakes. What's been helping me is making them with less water so they're like a pudding, so I feel like I'm eating something, lol 😆.

These past few days have been going so slow, probably because I just can't stop thinking about the sequence of events that will be happening in the next few days.

See you on the other side!

will release a super highway of health benefits, releasing fat, increasing calmness, supporting a healthy inflammation response and repairing metabolism.

👉 more information click here to Official website 👈

Feeling good today & snuggling with my Maine baby, Hagrid. Amazing what a few days off can do for your soul. I soooo needed this recharge!

Tagging the following & anyone else who’d like to say hello on this impromptu selfie drop! @phlegyas-northerne @miles-for-mickey @fatmaninalittlesuit @fitgothgirl @belovedgoofball @m0tiv8me @hustleformuscle

How come protein bars and cookies are so damn dry??

Still not hitting my 60g of protein like my Dr wants but I can only eat so much at a time so I try supplement with shakes, bars, and similar stuff but so many of them are just hard to eat.

From Surviving to Thriving 💕✨

2019 —> 2022

1 Day Post-op ——-> 2 years & 4 months post-op. Since I missed #transformationtuesday for the past few months, I thought posting one was long overdue! 😝 My tool is a little duller than it was in the left photo, but my mind is sharper. If you commit to life beyond the tool, it will work for you! Best decision I’ve ever made. #weightlossjourney #beforeandafterweightloss #vsg #fitness #weightlosssurgery #weightloss #weightlosscommunity #rny #bodytransformation #wls #vsgjourney #wlscommunity #vsgcommunity #bodypositivity #wlsjourney #fitnessmotivation (at USA, Canada and UK) https://www.instagram.com/p/CngVJPNOuwR/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

I'm Back!

I know I'm basically talking to myself here, but just in case; for that 1 mutual, or follower out there...Hi! It's been awhile! I took a break from my online socials, and I'm still not active on most of them. I need some more positivity in my life, and def my online activity too. I figured I can start here, so I'm going to try to be more active on here again. ~♡