To be transparent or not to be transparent? THAT is the question!

Good Morning Friends. This is the first post of my new blog! My name is Jennifer, or Jen. This blog is going to focus on the ups and downs of my weight loss journey. It is a lifelong journey for me. I have blogged in the past, but then decided that I would like to keep my life a lil more private. I have given this alot of thought, and the answer is to be transparent. I have always wanted to live a life where I can help others. Being transparent about some things can encourage and help others, and that is what I live to do! I will try give a very brief synopsis of my life up until today so we can get started with the here and now!

Above is a photo of me during my heaviest time. After a lifetime of being heavy, and trying tons of diets,  when I turned 30 I decided to do something that would be more permanent. I was 350 pounds at my heaviest. I decided to have weight loss surgery which was a HUGE decision. I went to ONE seminar, Dr. Douglas Krahn's seminar www.westernbariatric.com . That was the day I knew that he would be my doctor. I had done my homework and knew he was the best in the west! On April 22nd, 2009 I weighed 308 pounds and I had surgery to install a lap band around my stomach. This was the least invasive procedure and I felt it would be the best thing for me. In a matter of 2 years I lost 120 pounds. The journey was AMAZING. Amazingly hard, and amazingly life changing! Learning to eat with this new tiny tummy was quite the challenge, but I faced it head on and I was very successful. With the weight loss I gained a new found confidence, and life was pretty stinken good! Below is a pic of me at my lowest weight (in the white)

 I started having some issues with the band in the last year. The issues got more and more frustrating and hindered my regular life. So the doctor appointments increased, the testing began. This bring me to today. In three weeks I will be having my lap-band removed and I will be having gastric bypass. I have gained about 60 pounds back from my lowest weight. It has been a pretty discouraging time during the weight gain. I have learned the hard way that having a weight loss surgery is only a TOOL. I preach that everywhere I go. But when your tool isn't working as it should, its pretty discouraging. I love my lap-band. It helped me change my life. Unfortunately it is time for us to part ways. So, I am going to be embarking on a brand new life with a different kind of tiny tummy. I am kind of ready for it, because of what I learned living the life of a banded girl. However, I am very nervous. This is different. But I am ready to take on the challenge. Because I will tell you what I am not ready for. I am NOT ready to gain the weight back and become the fat Jen again. No way, no how!
So if you follow this blog, I will update it often ( I hope) and be transparent about my journey. Ill tell you one thing, I WILL be successful. :) I will post pics to inspire others and make you realize that you CAN do it. I did it once, and I will continue to fight this fat girl that wants to overtake me till the end! Until next time...