Winter Update- PICTURE FILLED POST! (and first "hater")

Hey Everyone!

     I hope the holidays were great for everyone! I did very well with my eating I would say...minus a little scale scare after a week of cookie making and tasting lol. But I nipped that right in the bud! I am still fluctuating between 143-149 lbs lol. I guess this is just where I will be until I have my plastic surgeries.

    The cold is KILLING ME! I need to have my levels checked because there is no way it is normal to be THIS cold all the time lol!

    Also...I finally had my first "hater" on facebook. She went off about how surgery is for lazy people and its the easy way out. She said she was going to lose it "the right way" and that she will be proud knowing she actually did it herself lol. I ust assume if she was gonna do it herself she would have and she wouldnt be HUGE, writing facebook posts about all the unhealthy food she eats daily lol. I have never been anything but respectful to this girl and she preceded to tell me how I have changed and I am now a snob. She also said something along the lines of never stepping into a gym until I had surgery. All of this is false of course. I have done nothing but diet and exercise my WHOLE LIFE lol. Then she left the conversation saying that being thin did not suit me well since I have "a Bulldog head on a Chihuahua body" lol.

   Wow...such harsh hurtful words for no apparent reason. Obviously jealousy has eaten her alive lol. Anyone who knows me, knows how hard I have worked and how far from a snob I really am! I spend my life trying to help other with their weight. I am the same Amber at 145 lbs as I was at 300 lbs. Just less tired haha.What do they say about jealousy??? "Haters don't really hate you. In fact, they hate themselves because you're a reflection of what they wish to be." I tried not to let it get to me though because I know the real me and the journey I have been through. She is obviously just miserable with herself. WELL...one hater in 19 months....I guess thats not too bad! LOL!

I have been sooo busy with my photography business so I never have time to post pictures! So here are a few! Enjoy and Happy New Year!!

I have lost and maintained my 168lb weight loss and my partner Lesa has been maintaining her 130 lb weight loss for the past years!!! RNY Couple!!!

New Years Eve Before and After. 2010 New Years Eve and 2012 New Years Eve. Wow what a difference! It's sad how fat hides so many features. You can still see me in the before picture though I was in there!!! Highest Weight: 311 Now: 143!! That's a total loss of 168 lbs!

  This is what true love looks like. She loved me when I was big and she loves me now that I'm small. I am truly blessed.    

Lesa and I enjoying life! I went ice skating for the first time in YEARS! It felt awesome!    

With my best friend Vana. I've never been the little one in this dynamic! NEVER! she has been so supportive through this... I am so lucky!

If we don't have at least one "hater" I think we are not doing something right... lol.

You look beautiful.  You were pretty before... now your real "light" can shine. Hugs.

Wow, you look beautiful!  Before and after is a drastic change, but your right you were in there.  I am so happy for you, but sad about the hater!  I know I will probably get the same, I am very open about my choice to have this surgery, because I  know I am doing it because I need to be healthy!  Not just for myself, but for my husband and my son.  I have a 10 yr old with Downs and if I am not healthy now I can I expect to take care of him when I get older?  So with HBP, High Cholesterol and diabetes I know I need to work on this.  For someone who thinks they know it all that girl is very ignorant!  Having WLS is not the easy way out, I guess I thought that to until I educated myself.  It is probably a lot harder then dieting!  It is a constant choice to eat better/healthier and do good for your body.  I am using my decision as a tool to educate my friends and family about WLS.  And how it can change your life, I haven't even had the surgery yet and I feel I am changing>  Good luck and I know you are beautiful inside and out.  And so happy that you have a great partner to share your life with!

I just agree that I took the easy way out, that the hard way did not work for me at all.  I hope the hard way works for her,  We did it the smart way,

You look fabulous. Good for you!! I also had a fb hater when I got to my goal weight. It was my childhood crush who I loved from the time I was 12 until I went off to college at 18. I found him on fb over 20 years after we had lost touch. I added him as a friend. I post silly things mostly on fb. Nothing serious. He told me I was a snob now and that he loved me more when I was fat. I blocked him immediately.

Comments do die down and pretty much stop the further you get out. People will get used to you being thin. Just hang in there!!

I always enjoy looking at your pics you were beautiful before and even more so now. Sorry you have your first hater, those of us that have gone through this know it's no where near the easy way out. Congratulations on all your success, keep doing what you're doing and ignore those dumb haters!!

The Gem from the turds.  Look at it this way, she paid you an offhanded compliment at least by saying you had the body of  a Chihuahua.

Love your photos!  You have the same gorgeous smile throughout.  :-)

Say HI HATER!!!!!!! lol Jealousy is a B!!!!! AND btw - I LOOOOOVE those red pumps you have!!!

P.S.  It is great to have the one you love stand by you and love you NO MATTER what!!!  You are blessed!!

Amber -wow - you look gorgeous - you and your partner are such an adorable couple. You are a true inspiration.

Also, maintaining weight loss through diet and exercise alone only works about 5% of the time for the morbidly obese. The success rates for WLS totally eclipse this. So, is it the "easy way" or the "smart way"?