A few months ago i received an order off my website. In the Comments section it said” Last time i ordered from you was in 2007 and i was nearly 300 lbs. Recently Ive lost over 200lbs.” And asked me about sizing.
I thought that was extraordinary and even though i do not know her personally felt really proud of Amber.
Going from 300lbs to 135lbs is incredible and allot of hard work.
I asked Amber if she could send me some photos and answer a few questions so i could share her story with you guys.
Here were my questions & her Answers
I am 26 years old. Since my surgery on March 6, 2009 I have pretty much done a 360 on my eating/health habits. I had a duodenal switch done, and here’s a site that I found very helpful to explain it compared to the regular gastric bypass surgery. ( One I had done is the second one in http://www.lapsf.com/weight-loss-surgeries.html ) The changes I mentioned above include doing 80 grams minimum of protein a day, vitamins A,D,E,K , B12, calcium with D, Iron, Hair/Skin/nail, and Multi Vitamin in double dosage all daily.
My stomach can now only hold about 10 oz of food, so I get full allot quicker and no longer ear super sized value meals or all the other over processed crap I used to. Mostly I stick to lean protein, fruits, and lots of veggies cause they make me feel good. I do allot of organics, and like allot of vegan dishes, just have to watch for protein content. So basically cut out all the soda, sugary high carb, and anything without any nutritional value. I also am a recovered bulimic, which I dealt with since the 8th grade, and have not had any binge episodes since the surgery since it taught me how to eat and treat my body 🙂
I love going to the gym now, it’s so much easier now that I’m not carrying two hundred pounds or so around. I’m 5’3, so it saved my life to say the least. I was going 3-4 times a week doing an hour of cardio either on the elliptical ( love the machine) or the treadmill, some times both in half sessions. During those times I would also add 45 min of strength training in twice a week.
I get to start back this Monday, Dr just released me after a 3 month break from recovering from my tummy tuck. I also love the fact that I can keep up with my two doggies Roo Roo and Bullseye now, so when I do not go to the gym they are my walking/jogging buddies. The gym is also a great stress reliever too. The feeling great and the confidence I have now make up for any discomfort or fear of the surgery. I have so much more energy and I’m constantly smiling now.
To maintain my weight I do the gym, watch what I eat and find something else to do if I’m bored rather than eat like I used to. I don’t wanna hide in the house now, so that’s a big improvement. Another key thing to keep the weight off Ive found is to occasionally treat yourself to old favorites like mac and cheese (( I eat Annie’s now, no Kraft)) or pizza, just don’t eat the entire box or pizza.
My best advice is this; If you’re unhappy with your size or weight, don’t put it off or keep telling yourself you’re going to make changes tomorrow. I did it for a long time, and I wish I would have been brave enough to do it sooner. Try exercising 1-3 days a week to start, like 30 min, don’t push yourself. Walking is a great way to begin and then work from there.
Also I use SparkPeople.com, it’s a free food journal that helps you keep track of what you’re eating. Plus it counts calories, carbs, and protein which HELPED me TONS the first year. If you don’t get any results in 6 months or so, then see your Dr and talk about the surgery options. The surgery was very scary, I debated back and forth about a year before doing it, and I had some very negative friends that I cut off after I got it done. Keep people around you who support you and the changes you want to make for yourself.
Don’t do it for anyone but you, because whether some one else is happy or not with how you look doesn’t matter at the end of the day. Only what you think. There are some risks associated with it, but long term the health risks I was facing at 340lbs outweigh the risk of getting the surgery done.
I no longer have a sleeping apnea which was causing me to fall asleep while driving, cholesterol is down drastically, and all my vitamin levels have stayed high. Another tip I can give is take the surgery seriously. It’s not a diet or a fad, it’s for the rest of your life. So do whatever your doctor instructs, the first 3 months after the surgery were VERY hard, but after it only gets better and it’s so worth it. The tummy was also a cake walk after the initial due to being so much lighter.
And lastly after loosing all the weight and you heal from any cosmetic surgeries to get rid of the loose skin, you get to buy all new clothes once the swelling is down. That’s been my favorite part of this, and I loved the pink dress. Can’t wait to see new lines and order more, ty for taking an interest and helping me get the right size dress. I got to wear it for a 4th of July party and I would have never worn something like that before 🙂
Amber Foster
Thank you so much Amber. You saved your own life. You look beautiful and Healthy.
I appreciate so much you sharing your story with me and letting me share it with other people too.
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