Kristal F.

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What a day for me.  It was 4 long years ago today that I had my Lap. RNY Gastric Bypass Surgery. While it seems like yesterday, as I look back over what all has happened in my life in that four years, I am completely overwhelmed!

As with any four years of most anyones life I have had my highs and my lows, and learned hundreds of lessons.  As for my weight loss itself, I have been as successful as the WLS itself was expected to be, with a total of over 75% excess weight lost.  While I know I have been a success with my surgery, I am still not where I need to be for a continued healthy life. I am much Healthier, but not where I need to be.  I have been making all kinds of adjustments, and continued on with the lifestyle changes that were essential in my inital weight loss, but I am also exploring other possiable aids to continue weight loss.  For the last 2.5 years I have juggled 15-20 pounds up and down.  Even being 4 years post-op, and still having a BMI that qualifies you for WLS is not acceptable in my book!! More to come on that in the near future...

One thing that has been amazing, is watching so many others go through this surgery, since mine.  I have watched my Sister in Law, close friends, my Brother, and My MAMA!! start their journies.  I just have to sit back and laugh, as all of these people scratched their heads and thought for a while I had gone completely crazy when I told them about 5 years ago I was GOING TO DO this...and now look at them....between me, my SIL, Brother, and even my Mom who is still pre-op there has been OVER 700...YES SEVEN HUNDRED pounds lost!!!!! Thats something to celebrate!!

So today I not only celebrate ME, and my weight loss...but I celebrate EVERY single life that my journey has touched and if in any way, my story helped make another journey get launched, then I am a success!!  Congratulations to everyone!!

1-1-2006....Happy New Year! Well, I for one am happy for the fresh new start of a New Year. My goal for this year, becasue I have larned that maming resolutions os nothing but a set upi fpr failure...so I make BIG Goals now. For 2006...I just want to MAKE GOAL!! My orginal goal weight 2 years ago was to get 150 pounds. Now that I look at myself and think...what would I look like if I lost 60 more pounds, I think nahh...may start looking drwn and sickly...so Ihave set my new, revised goal for 175!! Thats only 35 pounds...I know I can do it. Its going to be hard...but I gatta remember how hard the first 210 pounds was to lose, and thenlooking at losing just 35 more, seems less overwelming! I have update with a bunch of new pictures...sort of a Look Back on 2005...hope you enjoy! If you read this and ever want to talk or need questions answered, NEVER hesitate to email me and ask...I make it part of my journey to answer back and be as suppoertive as I can be to anyone and everyone! Good luck and God Bless you, no matter where you are in journey and no matter what journey you may be on...God Speed! Love and Hugs!!

2-21-2006...Its been a long while since I last updated, but here is a poem that was posted that pretty much sums it all up!!

~~~THE WOMAN IN THE MIRROR~~~

Walking past the mirrored glass,
I take a timid peak,
I see a woman staring back,
I'm too choked up to speak.

The puffiness, at last, is gone,
The skin pink and glowing,
The many pounds that melted off,
Finally, now is showing.

Hard to believe until recently,
This same woman was dying,
Stuffing the food to ease the pain,
Heartbroken and crying.

Life evolved around each snack,
She lived for every meal,
Anything to numb the hurt,
She didn't want to feel.

When did she get so pretty?
When did God remove the grief?
How did this miracle happen?
Who provided this relief?

What a gift! A second chance!
I thank God everyday,
For his grace in showing me,
There is a better way.

I walk, I dance, I make love too,
My heart is filled with gladness,
I'm out of bondage, I'm out of pain,
There is no room for sadness.

This woman in the mirror,
Smiles softly back at me,
She has good cause to be so pleased,
She's finally been set free!

----Author Unknown

8-21-2006....Wow where in the world do i start? So much has happened since I last updated...to date my weight has not changed, and i am truely thankful for that because with all the stress and life changes that have occured, its amazing that I have not packed the weight back on. The tool really does work!! I do not know that I even what to go into a lot of details of the last 5-6 months, other than just saying that my life long struggle to reach my Indepedence has finally occured!! My Mom has her own place, and even though it may sound horriable, Gino and I divorced and both of us are doing much better seperate than we were together. It has been so hard adjusting to all the changes, but for me, its been so worth it, just to expereince some things I have never experienced, and I feel everyone should at some point in their life. Its sometimes the smallest most insignificant details in life that we can take for granite that end up meaning so much. Gino and I are still very close and still the best of friends...my Mom is doing so well on her own, I only wish things could have been realized and adjusted a long time ago...but as with anything, it all happens in God's time, not ours. In the past year Ihave dealt with so much ridicule and judgement from people in ways I wish i never had. I have had to overcome that and realize so much that what others think of me is not important, its what you think of yourself and ultimately what God thinks of us that matters. I am trying more and more to hold my head up high, be myself and be confident with who I am...and not what I think others want me to be.

2005 In Pictures!!!






























Daddy's Grave 9-22-2005...Five Years since his death!
I miss you Daddy...I know you are with me Everyday!















Penny Abate's First RR in July...and the Gang!











My Daniel baby...all grown up at His 6th Birthday Party!!




CAN NOT FORGET THE ASTROS...GO ASTROS...

Me and Brandon Backie...Pitcher for the Houston Astros..Picture taken in January 2005










Me and My Shopping partner in Crime...Kathy!




I really am THE PRINCESS!!





ME just being ME...and Loving it!!





Me and My Luke

1-1-2005...Happy New Year! I surrvived the Holidays! Even though I may have eaten more calories in the past month than in the last 3 months, I still have lost a few pounds and never gained. God Bless Weight Loss Surgery!!!! I am happy with my progress at this time, even though I am pretty sure that goal to be at Two Hundred Pounds lost by my one year anniversery may not happen. I would have to lose 18 pounds in 14 days!! I am thinking about rebotting my eating and going on liquids for a few days, so I may get really close, but I doubt I will get that much off in just 2 weeks. I am not beating myself up about that though! I have come so far and I am very proud of myself. My goal for the next few months is to just continue to lose and get to that goal weight of 150 pounds!!! I know I will get there, but I also know that these next 75-80 pounds will be the hardest to get off!! Exercise...thank God for Penny! Lots of water, and very few carbs will get me there! At this point in the game, losing weight is more about me than the suregery. At first, it was so effirtless to lose, because of healing and learning to eat againetc. Now, losing depends more on me than the surgery. Oh gosh, that is scary! Well, I have to remeber that I have completely new eating habits now thatn I did a year ago. Gosh it is so hard to believe that just one year ago today, I weighed over 400 pounds, and now, I am closere to 200 pounds than I have been since I was in Intermediate school!! I want to say tht when I was in 5th grade I was right at or even over 200 pounds. Gosh, that is aweful!!!

I want to post about some other happenings in my life. I am so blessed to have found a church that I am finally happy in. I have even joined the chior and have sung in two services, including Christmas Eve. It has been one of the most awesome experiences of my life!! To have my family at church on Christmas Eve and stand on that stage and just sing my heart out, It was truely a dream come true! I look forward to more singing in the New Year!!!

ALso, I have to post about my new girlfriends. I am so blessed to have this new circle of friends to hang out with. They are all girls I met on the Texas Message Board. We love to just hang out, and talk, and vent about certain issues in each of our lives. I have always had one or two really close close friends in my life, and it is so nice to fell so accepted by a group like this. We just love and respect each other and I too look forward to more get togethers with them. 

As for "home". Gino and I have had a difficult end of 2004. All I can do at this point is pray that we both can figure out what exactly we want in life and go for it. We still love each other soo very much, nothing in the world would ever ever change that. WE both still want children more than life itself, but we both are so willing for God's time for that. As I wrote in my last post, I know God has this perfect plan for all of us and I am so willing to let him just work his plan. I just pray that niether one of us gets in His way!

I guess that is about all for now. I will post more as soon as I get more space. I hope to be posting some more current pictures soon too! I am so thankful for this web site and the friends I have met here! God bless you all!

1-17-05...I still have not gotten my new spacers added yet, but that will not keep me from writting. I just celebrated my one year anniversery on the 14th of this month. WOW! I cannot believe it. 185 pounds lighter, and way more happy and healthy! I am so thankful for all the people I have met and goteen to know through this process. I have some bunpy roads lately, but all and all things are progressing well, and I am still happy with all the results.

Pictures taken on my One Year Anniversery...1-14-2005!!
185 pounds gone forever!! Size 18/20!!

2-20-2005....Wow. I knew I had not updated in a while, but I did not realize that it had been this long!! Lets see, where do I start? OK, I went to see Dr. Leggett and had my one year out follow-up with him. It went well, but there was something a little foobar in my blood work. I need to add B12 to my vitamen regimend. My B12 has been steadily decreasing lately and now it is in the low 300's...the range for normal is 200-1100, but all the doctors agree that pretty much once you drop below 500, you should think about supplementing. I have started taking an additional supplement and already can tell a huge difference in how I feel. Other than that, everything was normal as can be. I have lost 187 pounds to date, and according to my BMI, and my surgeon...I no longer qualify for the surgery. I still have a ways to go, but to be told that was so awesome!! It really made me feel so good, and proud of what all I have accomplished! Now a days, this new way of life is much harder to deal with than in the begining. Now, with the abilty to eat almost 6 ounces per meal, and not being bothered by much at all, it makes more difficult. At first, it was so easy to just eat my one or two ounces, and even once I got to three ounces per meal, it still was easier than now, It is more about me than it is the suregery. I almost wish I couls have a revision or just and extra stapple or two...just kidding, I do not wish that on anyone or myself!! I have to really watch what eat more and more, and make sure I do not consume too may empty or bad calories. Yes you can gain weight back, and no I do not want that! This has been such an incrediable life changing experience, one that I would do all over again if I had to. I learned more about myself than I ever thought I would throughout this. I am still so thankful for all the support I get from my family and close friends. I never in a million years ever thought I would have as many friends as I do right now. The really True ones are harder to come by...but boy, once you do find those ones that you can truely count on and trust, its amazing what a blessing they are to your life! I guess that just about sums up things for now. I will post more in the coming weeks! Total loss to date...187 pounds!

April 3, 2005...Well, as usual it has been a while sinece my last update. I would like to say that it is because I have been so busy that I just have not had time to update, but that would be a lie. I am still hopeing for a job soon, and I am fairly sure I have locked in a position back at St. John's but I am not sure. I have lost a few more pounds...a total of 192 to date, and I continue to lose at an extreamly slow pace. I am thankful that I at least do continue to lose some each month! I am stil having a lot of problems each and every month with my cycles. I have such pain, I could go to the hospital, but that would be even more miserable. I take a lot of pain medication, and hopefully after my OB/Gyn appointment tomorrow, I will have some other options extended to me on what to do to help the problem. I really do not have much else to update. I can eat just about anything I want, and still only want the things I feel are good for me. I can tolorate sugar in small amounts from time to time, and can even enjoy a bite or two of a hambuger every once in a while. I still stick primarly to Protein, Caffine free drinks, and healthy carbs such as wheats and veggies. Overall, I am still so glad I had this surgery, and would not change a thing! Til later!

6-6-2005...Woooo Its been a while. I am happy to say though..I have been busy! I am working again. As I read over my entries in this profile, and reflect back on when I was out of work from my back injury...its very rewarding to know how far I have come in not that long of time. I am so thankful for the life that having WLS has given me back. I never knew how much I was missing out on until now. I actually enjoy my work and love the people I work with..I have always been blessed in that aea though...great co-workers.
To date I have lost 197 pounds and still losing at a very slow, but healthy pace. I would like to lose about 50 more pounds, and I think I will be at a very healthy maintainable weight!! Even though i will stil be "overweight" I wil no longer be 277 pounds overweight..so I think I wil be ok!!

7-8-2005....FINALLY I can Officially say it with pride...I have lost 200 pounds! It may only be 3 pounds since the last entry, but its 200 pounds man! I am so happy to be here and know how far I have come! I eat prtty much whatever I want these days. I feel like I eat too much at times, seeing as I can eat up to and entire cup...thats 8oz.!! That really seems like a lot to me. I still love my work and am so glad to be ABLE to do it. I am so blessed. Now I begin a new journey..or actually a continuation of the journey I am on. If you read back on the very first entry in this prifile, you will find a very determined young lady that knew in her heart that at 420 pounds, children were but a dream. With God's will, Gino and I will make that dream a reality, very soon! For the first time ever, we will be without any kind of birth-control..so we will see what happens. I feel that my weight loss has come to a point that I can safetly become prenant and carry the baby full term with complications due to having to WLS. Now I can not predict any other complications, but we will just keep all of that in God'd hands. Our precious children...we can not wait to meet them. We are so excited at the prospects of becoming parents both for the first time ever!! I will stay posted as things hopefully progress! Til then....

8-29-2005....I am sitting at work....reading my own profile. Now that i have realized for myself for like the very first time how far I have come...it takes me back a bit to realize what I mst do next. I read this really awsome post on the main message board...it really made me think. I have so slippled back into a comfortable place where I wish not to be. I UNfortanatly can eat just about anything I want without any complications. I can eat sugar without dumping, i can eat fried things without pain. I still can only eat about 1/4 of what I used to eat, but that is not where it stops. My mind is being allowed to win in this journey at this point. If only there was something more concreate we could have done for our brains...to handle any and all addictions. If only I could find the happiness I keep trying to find....and believe me I am still not there. Things are going fairly smooth in life...Gino and I are getting along well...and the prospect of baby in the near future is looking more and more like a reality. SO why am I still so unhappy? I think I am so angry with myself...well my head. I find myself finding unbeliveable amounts of comfort from food still to this day. I really wish there was some way to actually deal with that issue alone head on. I find more and more as I work in new born Center that we as humans use food from the day we are born to comfort ourselves...no wonder that we use to comfort as adults as well. Some of us just have the genitic backing to allow the body to process corpious amounts of food with little to no weight gain...I for one was born WITHOUT that backing. I so have to get myself back on track. I feel at this point I am so far off, I could never get back on...but as I read my profile..I was pretty convienced for a while that I would never have WLS. Now, 200 pounds later...I have had the surgery and made myself all these promises to myself...and have come to realize that I lied to myself. I have become so complacent in my journey. Just as I was so determined to have this surgery and stopped at nothing to get it done..I must get that same fire relite somehow back inside me and get back on track. Not for Gino...or my kids...or my family..or for that really cute guy down the street...or for another "card" on my profile...but simply for me. I put myself first to have this surgery...and so quickly and easily put mysel back to third or fourth in line. OH...that makes me crazy, but its so hard to fix. I have lost so much support along the way through this journey. Mostly by my choice, because I began to see many people through the eyes of person that did not have to hide behind 400 pounds of fat anymore, and trust me, it opens your eyes tremendiously...I have come to see that a lot of people are not really what they try to make you believe they are. I have so often been so nieve and humbled by kindness and the offering of a 'helping hand' or "open ear"...but I now realize that you must pick your friends very wisely..because unfortanely...more people than not are really out for themselves and care little to nothing about you and your feelings...unlike my very co-dependent self that realies so heavily on the needs of others in order to feel validated. Another serious character that I really want to change somehow....not to become some self centered self rictious bitch, but to become more self involved...and put myself first...and ultimately take care of me.

12-12-2005...I have neglected my profile once again. NO excuses! Even though it has been four months since my last entry, I have been very on top of my game lately. I have made some adjustments and started making this tool work for me again. I have lost a few more pounds, a total loss to date of 206 and that in it self is a reason to be happy. After many months of NO movement on the scale it was so nice to finally see that thing move. I have started excersising again..I am up to walking 4 miles in less than 45 minutes...Gosh..talk about a WLS moment..I can certainly remember whe 4 minutes was too much and I had to sit down!! SO proud of this milestone! Now on to friends family relationship etc...I am almost overwhelmed with the out pour of Love and Support I have recieved as a result of having this surgery!! I have made lifelong friends that I will cherish forever! I have met people that have not only inpacted my life in ways they probably would never believe but that I too have had a positive influence on! I tell people that I am closest to that I myself have not changed...I am still the same person on the inside that I was almost 2 years ago..the difference is that I am able to express my differently than before. I am not as shy and not so quick to back down in conversation/confortation..espically if it is something I belive in..like WLS...go away Dr. Phil! Kidding! In case anyone did not know that I really do not like that man..now you do..LOL
Well, its almost Christmas and I have so much to be grateful for. I will try to update agian after the first of the year! God Bless everyone that reads this profile. May it inspire you in some way to beter yourself! Hugs!

Different pics. :-)



Me at about 350Lbs.


Freshman Year in High School, about 275lbs. Look I have hair!





a wedding picture 4-12-03...weight ~365lbs.



Me "At Very Large" on Christmas 2003



Just a couple of days before surgery...curled up with a bag of Oreos...great sight!! 420 pounds!


3 days post-op...OUCHHY!!



In San Antonio  4-12-04



At Obesutyhelp.com National Conference w/Mom!



Me and my best friend, Mary at Aliceson's wedding 7-14-03

TMB Group in Spring, Texas 8-14-04




Pictures taken on my One Year Anniversery...1-14-2005!!
185 pounds gone forever!! Size 18/20!!

















My Angel Nephew... Master Daniel O'dean Riggs...5 yrs. old


Like Father Like Son...Danny(my brother & son)Daniel




My Mom...My Rock!! I love her very very much, everyday!!



ID picture from 2003...current ID picture...I said WOOOO!!!



Me at the Zoo..-192 pounds!!!