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Before and After pics and stories?


Rock
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I have to ask this question. There are some people at the gym who are always 'I love working out. I would do it even if I didn't have to' Well, I think they are lying. I'm sorry, I workout because I have to. I don't enjoy it. I think it sucks. I cuss out my spinning instructor in my mind everytime. Weight training is okay, but I still don't consider it fun.

 

So I have to ask...am I the only one? Is it true there are people who actually love to work out? Now, I'm not talking going hiking or something like that. I enjoy that. I'm talking spin classes, aerobics classes, weight training, running, etc.

 

If you were told you never had to work out again if you didn't want to and you would still remain fit and healthy would you do it or would you sit on a sofa?

 

I'd have to disagree with you on this one. I frequented the gym a lot...like... a lot because I wanted size. I started gaining size, and quit, and lost all of it. However, in my long journey in the gym, there are tons of guys that do it because they absolutely love it. they love being big and want to be bigger. Take John Cena for example. I remember seeing an interview with him that said he was a gym rat as a young guy because he loved it and couldn't get enough. they get addicted to the size and want to continue doing it.

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I try to do some sort of cardio/full body exercise at least 3 days a week, for at least 30 minutes. I'm also trying to do abs 4 days/week for 10 minutes to work on my core. I don't think it is enough to lose weight, but I'm hoping it is enough to maintain. I could stand to lose weight still, but right now I am happy being on the high end of a healthy weight.

 

There are some people out there saying that exercise is actually detrimental to losing weight. They think that exercise leads to more eating, because you figure, "I just worked out, I deserve a latte/scone/etc." I think this is a narrow-minded view, because the benefits of exercise aren't just limited to weight loss, and I've seen how it helped me. But it does help that I enjoy exercise and exercise does not necessarily make me hungrier, probably because I tend to work out after dinner (which I think is not what you're supposed to do for optimal metabolic results, but oh well, I work late). I've heard it said that weight loss is 70% diet, 30% exercise, and I think it rings true because most of us do not do physical labor and cannot simply burn off that many calories in a day. What worked for me was "clean eating": very little preserved food, whole-wheat grains, fresh fruit and vegetables, lean meats, and a little bit of dairy (mostly small bits of cheese and maybe a yogurt cup for breakfast). But I did allow myself a small "treat" to get through it, and I mean SMALL. We're talking like one fun-sized candy bar or tiny piece of Dove chocolate a day. NOT a handful. I cut out wine during the week, and tried to save it for purely social occasions or a special meal. Pretty much no baked goods, either. I'm not a big coffee drinker, either, so if you have a latte a day or drown your coffee in cream and sugar, that is a potential big hit. I used to not be able to drink tea without sugar, now I've dropped it (don't even need Splenda).

 

What may work for you is starting a food journal or using a calorie counter, simply to keep track of what you're eating. While I've gotten in arguments on here before about counting calories, I find that it is a helpful tool for controlling behavior and after awhile, you start to get a rough idea of how many calories are in every thing, especially if you make stuff from scratch.

 

If you have junk food in the house, get rid of it. (I know this isn't easy because you have a roommate, but maybe he can keep a stash locked up somewhere and not tell you where the key is?) When it takes more energy to eat junk food (making it or going to the store), you tend to not make the effort.

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My paleo rules say to have an extra small meal after exercise-- but that it should be protein and/or fiberous veggies. That sort of post work out eating stimulates your energy storehouses. The idea being that, if you did like you say, justify working out with a latte-- or even a fruit smoothie, your replacing all the energy you just spent with sugar which is going to metabolize not into muscle growth or energy stores, but fat.

 

Sugar fat is bad, but natural fat, like from an avocado or nuts is good after a workout.

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Ericka, that's pretty awful. What made you decide to have surgery? You're so young! Do you have issues that made doing it the organic way impossible? Were you scared? HOW did you NOT eat and rip out the stitches? How'd you find the right surgeon?

People have said the "you're so young!" thing to me before, but the funny thing is-- I wish I'd done it even younger. A surgery of this kind is a total lifestyle change. Being young and adaptable is a huge advantage, not to mention having a body that bounces back much faster. On top of the practical reasons, there's that whole layer of indefinable qualities like getting the most out of life and experiencing more. I caught myself missing out on a lot of things, and decided that was bull****. It didn't make sense to me to continue putting my life on hold while I continually battled with this one obstacle.

 

I can say with all sincerity that my weightloss played a significant role in my ability to go after the career, relationships, and experiences I always wanted. Gaining all that confidence and freeing myself of this lifelong burden is powerful stuff.

 

The main criticism I get is that I took "the easy way out." It's the biggest lie there is. If anything, I just leveled the playing field. I'm still overweight, I still have to work, but it's not so overwhelming and all-encompassing anymore.

 

I wasn't scared. I was anxious, but only because I just couldn't wait to get started. The first thing I said to my mom after the surgery was "have they done it yet? tell them to do it."

 

This isn't meant to be some crazy endorsement for what I did-- I realize it was drastic. All I'm saying is I've personally never regretted it. Even when I was puking my brains out and couldn't sleep because of the terrible acid reflux, never for one second wanted to go back.

 

I picked my doctor through a ton of online research, and seeking out other people's experiences on community forums. There is a HUGE network out there for this kind of stuff, and everyone is really honest about the good, the bad, and the ugly. Once I narrowed down to a few names I went and toured their clinics, had pre-exams, and finally settled on the man that made me feel most comfortable. He was also the sexiest. This is strictly a coincidence, but def adds to his god-factor in my mind.

 

TL;DR - having surgery was hard, being fat forever was harder.

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The main criticism I get is that I took "the easy way out." It's the biggest lie there is. If anything, I just leveled the playing field. I'm still overweight, I still have to work, but it's not so overwhelming and all-encompassing anymore.

Whoever gave you this criticism can go f*ck themselves. The surgery isn't a cure, it's a tool. My drastic weight loss was an exception to the norm because I nearly died of sepsis, but I still have 70lbs to go and having a smaller stomach pouch won't do it. People can drink a gallon of sweet tea in a sitting and it'll flow right down, ingesting 1000 calories right there. You can eat multiple krispy creme donuts with that tea that'll slide right down, ingesting another 1000 calories - and that's a breakfast right there of 2000 calories, more than anyone losing weight should take in the whole damn day. It all comes down to choices no matter what methods you use.

 

 

p.s. I'm still gathering pics, haven't flaked out.

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Okay, so here are very old pics of me when I was at my worst, topping 460 at one point.

 

fat1.jpg

fat2.jpg

fat3.jpg

fat4.jpg

fat5.jpg

 

Here's a pic that I took like a week before my surgery:

 

fat6.jpg

 

And here is me now, wearing something similar but a few sizes down:

 

now.jpg

 

Now keep in mind, I still have about 65-75lbs to go, so I'm still far away so go easy on me.

now4.jpg

now1.jpg

now2.jpg

now3.jpg

 

Keep in mind, that last pic has lots of heavy clothing on, all too big! I don't think I look that bad as I do in this picture lol.

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I'm still very ashamed, even at looking at the new pics. I hate this, wanna delete post.

I totally felt the same way, but stop it! You look like a totally different person now, it's awesome! You kindof have to detach yourself from Before You-- he doesn't even exist anymore. Keep it up! I've still got a ways to go too, but that doesn't mean you can't be proud of how far you've already come.

 

Speaking of-- you look half your size! How much have you lost?

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At my heaviest I was 460. As of last week, 266. I'm 6'0, so I think I want to get down to 190-195ish. Of course I'm going to have to get the skin surgery , which is like an instant 15-20lbs loss there. So I figure I got 60lbs if dieting/exercise to go. Want to knock that out by year end... Think that's doable?

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Yes, but it's probably going to require some sort of food log, calorie counter, or seeing a nutritionist. From everything I've seen you post on Facebook and here, it sounds like you are definitely making better food choices but it's a good idea to make yourself fully accountable. Cooking for yourself will help. Maybe invest in a food scale to help with portion size? Even a weight loss support group? Does the hospital offer one of those?

 

I know you have a bad back or knee, does that rule exercise out even now that you've dropped so much?

 

I think you've accomplished so much. I've noticed you mostly take neck-up pictures, but I can even tell in those how much smaller your face and neck are. Great job, and be proud of yourself.

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You all have no idea how much I don't want to do this now that I've found the fat pics.

 

I can relate. I can't bear to look at our wedding photos because I tipped the scales at 300+ at the time. I've unfortunately regained some of the 98 pounds I lost from July 2004 to July 2005, but no way am I ever gaining all of that back.

 

I know those old pics may be unbearable for you to look at now. I'll be candid: a few of those are downright scary. Like, TLC reality-show scary. But the example you're setting for others, by going out on a limb and sharing your story, could be of immeasurable worth to others who haven't yet received the same wake-up call.

 

If it convinces just one person to get their act together before their situation becomes life-threatening, I'd say the minor discomfort of a few bad photo reminders is a small price to pay.

 

Chin up. You're winning.

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I'm still very ashamed, even at looking at the new pics. I hate this, wanna delete post.

 

I get that, I really do. I used to be much heavier than I am now, and I hate most photos ever taken of me because of how I looked. I still have a bit more to drop, but I also feel proud that I don't look like that anymore.

 

You are taking measures to make very positive changes. Where you were is no longer anything to be ashamed of--where you are now is something to feel damn proud of!

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The main criticism I get is that I took "the easy way out." It's the biggest lie there is. If anything, I just leveled the playing field. I'm still overweight, I still have to work, but it's not so overwhelming and all-encompassing anymore.

Whoever gave you this criticism can go f*ck themselves. The surgery isn't a cure, it's a tool.

 

That was really ignorant of them to say that to you. We are all dealt a bad hand or two genetically, like you said, no foul in getting a fair shot at tackling it. I've heard people tell me that it's somehow my fault that I have 2 huge sports hernias.

 

"You should have done more sit ups."

"Can't you just strengthen up the area?"

"It's not that big of a deal."

 

Sit-ups are what likely caused them, combined with genetics that increase my odds of getting them. I can't do anything to strengthen it aside of surgery. It is crippling and ruining my life.

 

Some people need to keep their mouths shut and not criticize other people's problems.

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Some people need to keep their mouths shut and not criticize other people's problems.

That's exactly right. The insane part is they are criticizing her for coming up with a solution/attack plan! How crazy is that, to criticize someone for making an effort to improve themselves??? I deserved every single bit of criticism for not taking care of myself for years, wish I had more, actually. Criticize me all day long for that, for allowing myself to get to that point, but leave us alone for friggin trying.

 

Sincerely, thanks guys. Your support means everything to me, you have no idea.

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Some people need to keep their mouths shut and not criticize other people's problems.

That's exactly right. The insane part is they are criticizing her for coming up with a solution/attack plan! How crazy is that, to criticize someone for making an effort to improve themselves??? I deserved every single bit of criticism for not taking care of myself for years, wish I had more, actually. Criticize me all day long for that, for allowing myself to get to that point, but leave us alone for friggin trying.

 

You just can't win with some people. I drive a jacked-up 4x4 pickup for field work (it's necessary, I'm a biologist) and a Honda Civic Hybrid otherwise. I get accused of overcompensating for a small penis or called a [british slang for cigarette]. Either way, they're going to be critical.

 

Sincerely, thanks guys. Your support means everything to me, you have no idea.

 

Power to you, and everyone else in this thread, for nutting up. If someone gives you ****, it's just because they feel crappy about themselves. You know...."THAT GUY" in the gym who criticizes the weights you lift, he's just insecure. **** 'em.

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Yes, but it's probably going to require some sort of food log, calorie counter, or seeing a nutritionist. From everything I've seen you post on Facebook and here, it sounds like you are definitely making better food choices but it's a good idea to make yourself fully accountable. Cooking for yourself will help. Maybe invest in a food scale to help with portion size? Even a weight loss support group? Does the hospital offer one of those?

I'm making great choices. There was one night I didn't, and I instantly came clean with my family and friends to hold myself accountable. The portion sizes aren't an issue lol... the surgery saw to that! My actual stomach pouch is a tiny bit less than the size of a Hotwheels car and that's not an exaggeration or embellishment. I eat 6-8 times a day, very small portions. And I'm picking foods low in fat, have protein, no sugar, no starch carbs (except veggy-carbs)

 

There is a support group, but it's really difficult to find time for it. The meetings are during my work hours and I can't **** around too much with changing them up because I have sooooooooooo many doctor's appointments that take up any time I have aroudn working hours. I mean, primary care doc, cardiologist, weight loss doc (with nutritionist), pain management doc, weekly chiropractor, orthopedic doctor/surgeon and GI doctor. And those are like regular appointments.

 

 

I know you have a bad back or knee, does that rule exercise out even now that you've dropped so much?

It's a very bad back. Herniated disc that decides to pop in and out when it feels like it. It makes it VERY difficult to exercise....I was hoping that with the 110lbs drop it would feel better, but it's right now at this moment killing me. I'm going to need fusion surgery, but the surgeon wouldn't do it when I was so heavy. Now that I've lost weight, we're going to re-visit it. Got an appointment in 2 weeks.

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I just have to thank all of you again for posting here , especially you, Rock. I get the shame but it's so weird-from this side of the fence, it's only elation and envy. I'm not really seeing any of you in the befores. I'm looking at eyes to identify the person, noting the size, then moving on to the afters with no judgment. I'm not capable of that when looking at photos of myself. Just know, none of US judge you the way you judge yourselves, so that shame and embarrassment? TOTALLY wasted on me :) That's all you.

 

I wish there were words to describe how much, and on how many levels I am grateful for all of you posting these without sounding like a giant chesseball. I'm deeply moved. This is real ****. Real **** makes me squirmy but this is so brave, generous and scary for all of you-it's amazing, important and maybe life-changing for me.

 

ALSO, you're all lucky you're cute. Each of you is still a babe at your highest weight and like ZOMG now. excepting for Nicole; when she and I met she was ZOMG to begin with. Then she got knocked up :) Pregnant women remain gorgeous, IMHO.

 

Anyway. I just wanted to say I'm sitting here, shaking my head, saying OMG. OMFG! over and over and wondering why I can't do what you each did. You all look fantastic and I'd do any of you in a heartbeat.

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