To the Critics...

Just to clarify some things for the critics (probably the nicest term I can use there)...

My partner has not and will not pay for me surgery. What little I get in FTB is put towards paying that off.

I do Zumba three times a week (at home, using videos) and use weights and a resistance band probably 4-5 times a week in the evenings. I'm sorry my arms are not as skinny as you'd have hoped. Good thing I am doing this for myself, and not for you.

I do not spend all of my time at home - I am out of the house most of the weekend, and am also out of the house from 6.30am-5.30pm 3 days a week due to college. On the two weekdays I have home, I run errands and do assignments. I also do Zumba on these days (and 1 day a weekend as well).

My fringe and my personal style is really of no concern to you, but I suppose after I did manage to lose weight (after you were so adament I wouldn't), you've got little else to bitch about so cheap shots about that is about all you can think of. For what it's worth, my fringe is a pain in the arse and I'm eager to grow it out myself.

I am prettier than the girl who cracked onto my partner. If it wasn't so wrong, I'd post a photo of her to prove it. Anyone with eyes would agree I am more attractive. I rarely comment negatively on the looks of other women... but if some girl thinks she can tell my partner to leave me and go out with her instead, I have no problem pointing out the obvious - that she is delusional if she thinks he'd ever consider her when he's got me instead.

I may look like a man to you. A man in a bad wig, perhaps. That's fine if you think that. Saying it somewhere you know I'll likely find it says more about you than me, however. (Of course you knew I'd find it - I get so much traffic from your forum thanks to the fact you link to my blog, why would I not take a look to see why I'm getting so much traffic?).

My daughter is divine, and I adore her... and brag about her often. Of course I vent about her too - I'm pretty sure that's common for anyone with children though. It shows how much class you have to pick on a child though. Classy.

I must say, that I find it amusing that since you're all so certain I'm little more than an attention-seeking whore, you're the ones who direct the most traffic to my blog, and also who hunt me out all over the internet... thus giving me this supposedly much-craved attention more than anyone else. I wonder if you loathe me so much, why do you find me so interesting? Of  course, I expect you'll deny there's any interest in me... and yet, why discuss someone regularly if you have absolutely no interest in them?

I may not have gone about weight loss in a way you agreed with - but I never asked for you approval. This blog is not aimed at general public so much as people considering gastric sleeve surgery. It contains the things I wanted to read about when I was researching the procedure for myself (as well as the info I wanted post-op). My blood pressure has lowered dramatically, I have lost weight, and I am exercising and thus fitter than I was previously (would never go as far as to suggest I am fit though!)... so by all accounts, the sleeve has served it's purpose for me. I'm unsure as to why this has caused such negativity... but I suppose failure is what bitter scrags would prefer.

Thanks to all of the positive attention this blog has recieved though, and that I have recieved myself amongst those in the sleeving community. I hope that this blog has helped you, and I apologise for this particular post. I had wanted to avoid the topic on the blog itself, but decided I may as well respond to some of the accusations and hopefully it's answered a few questions for those of you who are not the types I've referred to above.

30kg LOST FOREVER!

I've now lost 30kg! This means that I've reached my dieticians goal of 77kg and am only 7kg away from my own personal goal of 70kg.

To celebrate how far I've come, I've gone back and re-taken all the measurements I took down pre-op... because it's not just 30kg that has gone, it's how my measurements have come too... some I found quite drastic, and lots smaller than I had expected.

Anyway, here is my stats pre-op, compared to my stats now, 6 months post-op and 30kg lighter...

Bust: 120.5cm - 108.5cm (12cm lost)
Under Bust: 100cm - 85cm (15cm lost)
Waist: 101.5cm - 79.5cm (22cm lost)
Hips: 125.5cm - 104cm (21.5cm lost)

Neck: 38.5cm - 36cm (2.5cm lost)

Left Wrist: 19.5cm - 17.5cm (2cm lost)
Right Wrist: 19cm - 17.5cm (1.5cm lost)

Left Forearm (fullest part): 31cm - 28.5cm (2.5cm lost)
Right Forearm (fullest part): 30cm - 27cm (3cm lost)

Left Upper Arm (fullest part): 42cm - 36cm (6cm lost)
Right Upper Arm (fullest part): 41cm - 35cm (6cm lost)

Left Ankle: 29cm - 25.5cm (3.5cm lost)
Right Ankle: 28cm - 25cm (3cm lost)

Left Calf (fullest part): 49cm - 38cm (11cm lost)
Right Calf (fullest part): 47.5cm - 39cm (8.5cm lost)

Left Thigh (fullest part): 76cm - 61cm (15cm lost)
Right Thigh (fullest part): 74cm - 61.5cm (12.5cm lost)

All up I've lost... 147.5cm off my body. That's freaking HEAPS! Wow! lol. I just figured that out as I'm typing, so I'm a bit stunned at just how many cm I've lost. Wow...

I also took some pics on the day I got a 77kg reading. Will compare them to my before pics...

I can see a huge difference in my side-on shots and I'm honestly thrilled. This is only 6 months into my life with the sleeve, and I'm not even sure how much more my body will want to remove from me. I'm happy to just go with the flow for now, but to be honest, I'd like to get to 70kg. I would probably not be happy under about 65kg though... I've never wanted to be skinny, and I don't think skinny would look good on me.

I am just so overwhelmed with how well this has worked out for me. Even MIL has been spreading around the word of the sleeve to people who mention they're considering lapband surgery... she's heard me explain why I chose the sleeve instead so tells people about those reasons... but then also adds that she's SEEN the amazing results of the sleeve, and it makes me feel quite good. It's an indirect compliment that I'm the inspiration for her telling people to consider the sleeve instead.

I had a BP monitor on for 24 hours again too, and all my readings were pretty good (well, except for one when I read the electricity bill...lol). About 126/75 where normal is about 120/70... so I'm only JUST over normal... world's away from my 200/110 readings of last year. So it's even improving that too, and hopefully my high BP didn't do too much long-term damage.

All in all, I am THRILLED with my sleeve, and want to recommend it to the world. If you're struggling with obesity, I'd suggest you at least consider it. Yes, it's not cheap, but it's a massive investment in your future. Your health and happiness could depend on it, and really, a few thousand is worth it. It's a tiny price to pay when you think about how much good it could do you.