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Now here is the body shot pics. Once again I'm new to this so any suggestions are appreciated.

Can you see the difference?
   

I'm trying to do a comparison shot and I hope this works. If you guys know of an easier software to use besides Powerpoint please let me know so that I can use in the future.

Tell me do you notice a difference?

  

OMG its is Nov 9th one year post my surgery and time has really flew by. I mean really, it feels like I just had the surgery done like 6 months ago or less not 1 year. My life has completely changed from the friends that I once had, co workers stares and gossip, men that want to holla now who didn't before and mental/physical changes as well. I thank GOD for this site because you guys got me through this and I especally thank GOD fot my mother as she is my rock who stuck by me through this thing. The Lord's grace and mercy on me and giving my mother the strength to help me get through this is a blessing in itself. I'm trying to hard to show her my appreciation and love because not many have support on this level like I'm blessed to have.

My kids are noticing the transition as well and half the time my daughter said she don't know who I am until I'm up close on her because I look different. It's a blessing to be able to fit her clothes which is a size 14-16 which I"m between 12-14 now. Whatever she didn't wear when I brought it for her, I'm going through her closet like give me this, give me that, no donations, your momma can wear now. Holla back  Now she said that she has to keep her guy friends away because they look at me as a sexy mom, so she checks them on that. They aren't her boyfriends, just the neighbor kids they hand out with. My youngest son who is 7 yrs can now wrap his whole arm around my waist and he loves to do it and it feels soooooo good. I'm not going to lie . I can't even remember the last time anyone was able to do that. Seriously yes that long, but that was then and this is now. I tell my daughter now we have to work on her because she is thick and not comfortable in her skin, so I continue to encourage her because I refuse to let her end up like me. She just have a tummy issue and if she get that down she will be good. My beautiful intelligent angel, she will get there .

I'm thankful for my health because this is a hell of a surgery and looking at my scar today just made me realize things could have gone wrong on the table but Gods' will pulled me through. I just want to let those who are thinking about the surgery to be positive and not think negative, because negative thinking bring on negative results. We are all beautiful in our own way, but its not about who you are on the outside, but who you are in the inside and letting your beauty shine. For me its more about now that I have changed my outer beauty, my inner beauty can shine more and physically I can go out and do more good by getting involved to give back to God for blessing me. Feel me??? Its about what I'm going to do now to change spiritually and mentally now that the physical is taken care.

I'm far from goal. I would be happy at 160 pounds and more happy where God wants me to be because society will constantly put a number on us, but as long as I''m happy and can do the things I need to do, then I'm good. I'm focused more so now on my family, showing them more love now that I'm loving me more, school and God. I would love to be involved in a relationship, but only if God see fits. I know how I was treated in the past by men and I refuse to allow that to happen again. Just because I lost weight doesn't mean every guy who notice me is the one for me to open up with, nah he has to be about it and show and prove, words don't mean s..t to me anymore. Been there done that and got a t-shirt. The devil comes dressed in many colors and in all aspects and since I no longer have this blind fold covering my eyes, I'm seeing more clearly now about my self worth and what I won't stand for. My motto "I'm Doing Me" and "I Don't Need You to Love Me".

Well I just wanted to post my thoughts while I'm here at work .  Although I'm not where I want to be in my professional career I'm working hard to get there. I should have my Bachelors degree in Business by Spring of 2011 and then I'm pursuing my Masters Degree. Yes this single mother of three have something to prove to myself and my kids. God is keeping me and as long as he is giving me  breath in my body I'm going to dream big and reposition myself for my blessings.

My OH family lets continue to pray and encourage each other . I know there is a person out there who was the old LaToya and I want you to know, you too will reach your breaking point and will get to where I am right now. We all lose weight differently, some quicker than others or some slowly than most, but at the end of the day it's about how you view not just eating differently, but life itself. That's the true value to me within this surgery.

Love you guys for reading my post and responding with positive feedback

I know it's been awhile since I've posted, but you guys really didn't miss much in my life. Lets see I have to learn to take more photos and do it on a regular basis, but once again I still hate taking photos. I don't like what I see in them which is the fat girl and it's partly because I'm still the fat girl. I see so many of our sisters on here looking great in like 5-6 months and I'm like what the heck happened to me. It could be that I'm not working it out like others, but I'll get it together and stop being lazy. Between working full time, going to school full time and ripping/running behind the kids and now joining church I don't seem to have the energy or stamina for exercise, but I have to get my body on track.

Therefore, I'm back to taking my protein bullets and vitamins to help get me back on track and my B12 pills. If you guys have any suggestions please let a sister know cause I could use all the prep talk and motivation. I'm coming up on my 1 yr anniversary and I feel like I've accomplished something, but not where I need to be, so I'm not going to harbor on the past, but change my attitude for the future. I can't continue to beat myself up over this.

I'll post a recent picture of me today or tomorrow but for now here are my stats:

Highest weight= 297lbs
Weight before surgery =280
Weight post surgery= 264
Current weight = 203

Hey Fam,

I haven't been consistent with posting my blogs on time, so please forgive a sister. I'm workng and going to school fulltime and trying to pass this Accounting class that I'm so not feeling. Then to think that I have to take Principle of Finance next and I'm just not feeling the math right now. It's crazy when before I was loving working with numbers and now I want to throw the textbook to the bottom of the sea.
Now lets move on to happier times. Think happy thoughts, happy thoughts  so I'm now 3 months post my surgery and it has been difficult and I aint going to lie. I find that my pouch is picking up an appetite and I'm trying to control it, but it is so hard for me when it is that time of the month. I try and stay away from chocolate and carbs, but then it happens. I cave in and lose control. Now, although I can eat it, I do so in moderation and instead of eating the whole bar I'll have a bite or 2 and I'm good. Now I will eat only the 3 musketeers I know that don't make it any better, but I do. I'll eat only baked lays chips or Sun Chips the multi grain joints and they are the BOMB. It is so easy to get addicted and resort back to the old ways, so I'm going to have to put this under wraps.

As far as medicines are concern, I've stop taking my meds for the ulcers as I wasn't having anymore issues with eating. If you don't remember I couldn't eat for quite sometime and now that I can I think I'm making up for lost times. I keep my vitamins at work and take the multi, and B12 in the morning, but I'm still working towards the Caltrate. I just hate the taste of the minerals in these darn pills. I was thinking about getting the One a Day chewables , so if anyone used those, please let me know how it tastes.

Moment we've been waiting for my stats. I went to my pcp yesterday and I'm weighing at 230lbs which is a lost of 9.5lbs since Jan. This means I've lost a total of 71lbs (16lbs before surgery and 55lbs post surgery). I'll post some pictures of me in which I really don't see the change, but others have said otherwise. I still see myself as the fat girl. I've gone to Dots to try and find some skirts and I'm now wearing a size 18 in bottoms and I'd purchased a size XL turtleneck. It's crazy because all of my clothes in the closet are too big on me, but I still wear as if there is no problem until my cleavage start to show. I have to roll up my pants and keep the pinned up and now I'm starting to sew up the sides. I think it is more inches I'm losing than pounds, but I'll take that as it is better than nothing. I can't wait to be wearing a size Large or Medium than I really know that I've arrived.

I need to get back to my Jazzercise in which I have been slacking on. I'll start that back and purchase my Jillian Micheal workout videos as I heard she is the truth and you will see real results as if you were on the Biggest Loser campus. I need that motivation.
If you have any tips for a sister please let me know.


Peace

Hi there,

So now I have to keep up and stay on track with noting my weighloss progress on a monthly basis. I so forgot to do this for January I believe until my co worker here at work as me how much weight have I lost since December. She is one of my biggest supporters though so I didn't mind her asking. However, there are many people here who just whisper when they see me or give me these kind of looks. So one of my peoples was like I tell them don't ask me anything about her if you want to know ask her yourself. She know how I am being very private and all, but you know the office talk. You know how people try and give you comments, but you know it is much more to it than what they are saying? I try and remain positive but I hate that fakeness and I just want to go off, but I say thank you and keep it moving. I don't know how many times a person has asked me why I was out of the office on medical leave. Dam it aint your business. This is some straight bull because you just don't ask questions like that out of the blue especially if I wasn't rockin with you like that. The balls and nerve of these people. Anyway, I went to my drs office here at work and was weigh and the results are:

Dec 21-Jan 11th: 239.5lbs lost 6.5lbs. I couldn't believe it  really because that means I've lost a total of 61.5 lbs (16 lbs before surgery and 45.5 since surgery). I can't believe this and when I try on my clothes they are so baggy and big on me.

Now I'm going to try and rock more dresses and skirts up until March instead of wearing pants because those aren't working well for me right now. Next up Jazzercise and weight training beginning next week .

I'll holla at you later.

Hey OH Fam,

I just wanted to let you know that I'm back to work beginning on Jan 5th. It was hard getting out of the bed and leaving my tv and the maid service at home. I've never been out of work that long besides giving birth to my youngest son who is 6 yrs old now. Even then I was back to work in like 5 or 6 weeks. It was a blessing to be home for the full time to recoup and my wound is now thoroughly healed and all,  thus, I have to really get on my grind with the working out and eating better.

Beginning next week I'll start back exercising because I want to see more results and meet my goal of being at least 200 lbs by April prior to my birthday. I would love to be in a size 12 by then, so we shall see. I know it is going to take some time, but I need to speed up the process. I have to work extra hard on the Protein and fight the taste of the cheweable vitamins. Oh and I have to get in more H2O this is a must.

Ok I must admit old habits are hard to break. No I haven't tried to eat chocolate, but I have had a sliver like a pinch of a pound cake because I miss it. Alright it was calling my name "Toya come and eat me, you know you want me", and yes I caved in. Now, if I need something sweet I'll try and keep some fruit in the house so I could eat that instead. I told Toya she can't have that cake anymore not until she reach goal, then she can celebrate that victory. Look the chick is already trying to sabotage me. See the devil is alive and well.

Thanks for all the love and support you guys

Hi my sisters and brothers,

I just wanted to update you on my status. i had my 6 week check up on Dec 21st and I'm down 38 lbs since my surgery. The sad thing about this day is I had gained 1 lb and I was pissed. My nurse said that it was ok and I shouldn't beat myself up over it in which in a way I wasn't considering that  for quite sometime I couldn't eat or drink anything.

I went shopping with my home girl today at Burlington and they had some Dereon jeans on sale marked down. I only own 2 pairs of jeans as I never wore before and they were sitting in my closet, but since I try and get out my size 20 stretch jeans were really baggy on me. Thus my peoples was like it is time to try on another pair of jeans smaller size. Now I'm fitting a size 18 jeans and it fits well . I feel like I'm losing my booty for sure and I'm really bum out about that. However, i'm happy of the size 18 and now I'm trying to work towards a size 14 .

I'm eating more now and my food is staying down. Seafood works best with me and ground turkey is digesting well. I haven't tried chicken yet and I'm hoping that goes well. i miss my chicken I must say. I love my shrimp and king crab legs. I've eaten out twice already thanks to my home girl getting me out of the house and introducing me to try new foods. I can't eat much soup as the broth really fills me up.

I'm ready to start exercising and getting my legs and arms smaller. Hopefully my stomach will get small enough so that I won't need surgery on that part, but we will see. My stomach has slimmed down a whole lot according to my kids and mother and I'm happy to hear that. I have to work harder on my vitamins because I can't stand the taste of them and hate swallowing the cod liver oil capsules. My ulcers should be healing, but I hate the pills too.

I'll keep you posted on any updates, but if you have any suggestions for me to try since i've reached my 6 weeks mark and to prevent gaining more weight please let me know.

My appt was on Nov 23rd and I had lost 23 lbs in two weeks. Ive been felling really sick lateley as ive developed two ulcers in which they say is common, but it is making me miserable. I couldn't eat nor drink so I hade to have a endoscopy to see what was going on. I did this on Nov 30th and now i can drink, but I'm really nervious about eating because I gag and spit up all the time from the ulcer mediciine and acid reflux meds. The last thing I want to do is vomit up food. Has this happen to anyone of  you guys? I feel so alone here.

i can't seem to get comfortable in bed now because it feels as if my stomach is moving from side to side and even sitting on my esophogus. so many issues in such as short period of time.

other than that I've lost 34lbs since surgery, which is given since i couldn't eat or drink anything. I wouldn't wish this pain on my worst enemy. Oh and I burp alot too even though I'm only drinking now and not eating. Another side effect with the drugs.

any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hi my fam,

I'm now on the Loser's Bench as I crossed over to my new life. This pain is horrible and I stay drug up but knew that this is what to expect. It is way worst than having a baby, but I'm trying to get through it. My family has been very supportive and right now i can't wash myself up yet, so my mom did it for me and my daughter helped. I was thankful for that.

I hate taking the Lovenex shot which is the blood thinner dose they sent me home with. I have to shot myself in the love handles everyday for about 2 weeks. I'm taking Percocet and another drug for gas and to help my bowels get moving. I miss the  hospital though because they were very cool and professional and I had my medicine readily available and pressed the button whenever needed. Oh that was the life and then to come home and try and swallow these pills. Dude I've gagged a couple of tiimes. You know my natural defense.

I can only sleep on my back or sit up straight in my bed with made pillows. I can't sleep on my side like I use to not just yet. I'll get there soon.

Some tricks that I've learned:
-don't wait until the pain start kicking you in the butt, take your meds when it wears off
-although my doctor said to take 1-2 pills every 4-6 hours, they told me it was ok for me increase 2 pills as often as needed
-do WARM COMPRESSETS all day and all night either heat up a towel in the oven or purchase a heating pad (this is a life saver and my soreness has reduced tremendously)
-chicken broth is a great substitue for food when you get hungry besides the protein. It has me thinking that I'm eating chicken the illussion works for me know
-walking is very important to prevent blood clots and I take my pain medicine prior to me going on a walk to reduce the pain
-keep a pillow on your incisions as it helps provide cushion in case if you cough, sneeze or laugh. that pillow is a life saver for car rides as well.

I'm having a hard time getting in my protein because now i can't take the taste. I have two different ones and I'm just done. I think it is that I'm done with this liquid thing now, but I'm going to follow the rules until i go to the doctor on monday and hopefully i could do pureed soups or something. That's liquids and if you guys have some tips out there to help me get in my protein please let me know.

I want to thank all of you for your supoort and calls during my stay in the hospital. You are the BEST :+)