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[JoyceV]

HopenToBeThin - Thank you.  It was worth everything that I've gone through.  I love your nickname.  Very cute!

[sandietay38]

I think this is great too. Everyone is so awesome. I would like to be added as a Freak of the Week
What type of surgery did you have?    
RNY (lap)

What ws the date of your surgery?  
January 21, 2009

Total weight loss?  
Highest Weight 326lbs in 2002; Day of Surgery 288.8lbs; 1 week after Surgery 309.9lbs; Current Weight 218lbs; Total lost 91lbs

Why are you a freak?  
I always call myself the imperfect perfectionist instead of annul retentive. I am a person that likes rules and sticks to them as long as I can. I like order and yes perfection (funny). I think I am a freak due to the simple fact out of all the diets that I have sabotaged over the years that now I found something that works for me go figure. It took a smaller stomach to make me act right. LOL Thanks Lyn and Tony you both rock!

[MelissaAletha]

You look amazing!  Great job working your  new tool!

[Peggy76]

What was the date of your surgery?   
2/23/09

Total weight loss?   
120lbs .....64lbs since surgery


Why are you a freak? 
Im a Freak because... in a Family of obese people.. im the only one trying to get healthy an lose weight an keep it off..
i was tired of yoyo dieting an always regaining + extra... so at 32 i made up my mind i was no longer going to be a slave to food. an i put my fork down.. i had enough.. enough garbage cheap foods for 10 lifetimes.. now im becoming obsessed with healthy eating, excercise, mind body an spirit.. im no longer the person i was in the past... im a new me.. an im liking who i am becoming...

[lgsal]

-What type of surgery did you have?
     I had the BPD/DS (Biliopancreatic Diversion with Duodenal Switch, also known as Sleeve Gastrectomy with Duodenal Switch)

-What was the date of your surgery?
     June 27, 2007 (I just had my 2-year anniverary!)

-Total weight loss?
     140 lbs.  I lost the first 130 lbs. in about a year, then the last 10 lbs. came off a few months later.  I've been holding steady, within a couple pounds either way ever since.

-Why are you a freak?
     I should be the Freak of the Week because on a recent trip to Philadelphia, I ran all the way to the top of the steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and was not even out of breath when I got to the top.  My husband had to listen to me singing the Rocky theme the whole rest of the day.  Before surgery and losing 140 lbs. I would have hardly been able to walk those steps, and would likely have been dizzy and severely out of breath if I had tried.  Now, after losing all the weight, running up the steps was a breeze.

Lynnette (lgsal)

[T2Nashville]

Lynnette - I LOVED your FOW testimony. What a great story!

[HopenToBeThin]

DA da da . . . .Da da da

Priceless!!

[kristopia]

Peggy, you're doing great!  Contratulations on deciding to get healthy - maybe it will plant a seed in other members of your family.

Lynette - that rocks - I'm gonna have to go to Philly now after I've lost the weight so I can run up the steps, too.

[HopenToBeThin]

That may need to become our "FREAKY" right of passage.  I'm game once I am thin.

[Kate]

I'm ready to be a FOW, if I'm chosen.

My surgery (RNY) was just February 12
I'm a freak because I refuse to be held back in life, whether it's because of my age, Lupus, or my weight.  I think the most important thing in life is to LIVE IT TO THE FULLEST, whatever fate hands you.   There are a lot of things we can't control in life, but our weight isn't one of them.  Before my surgery I made a lot of excuses, and I was one of the biggest gastric bypass nay-sayers you'd ever run across.  Then it occurred to me: It's not working.  What I was doing wasn't working, and if I wanted to be healthy, I'd have to try something different.  Oh, if that wasn't freaky enough, my first attempt at something different was to try out for The Biggest Loser (obviously I didn't get on)

It's kinda hard for me to do before and after photos... after all, I'm not an "after"  I'm a "during"... and "before" I was pretty careful not to have full body shots.   So I pulled this screen shot from my Biggest Loser audition tape, done just about a month before I started the process.



and for my "after" shot, this one taken last week with my girls on my birthday trip up north:



I suppose next year some time, I'll apply to be FOW again.   Maybe by then I'll do an after photo in a swimsuit   

[kristopia]

You're looking great Kate!

Know what's funny?  I made an audition tape for the Biggest Loser as well - about a month before I decided on WLS.

[T2Nashville]

Wow, Kate! What a difference! You're doing great!

[lindaeaves]

I love reading all the FOW submissions. It's so amazing and wonderful to see.
GO FREAKS!!!
 

[Kate]

You're looking great Kate!

Know what's funny?  I made an audition tape for the Biggest Loser as well - about a month before I decided on WLS.

did you go to a casting call?   My daughter and I tried out for the season they just finished airing... it was a wild experience.  I'm thinking of going back next year to talk to and encourage those who didn't get in.  Some of those women were pretty depressed and hopeless.  I feel kinda like I need to go and give them some sort of perspective and hope for their own lives.

[Candice1973]

I had Laproscopic RNY surgery on December 2, 2008, to date I have lost a total of 123.8 pounds which is almost as much as my oldest daughter weighs! I was on the road to serious heath problems and was on several medications already and wasn't even 35 years old. As of today I no longer need them and feel sooo much better!
Am I a freak? Absolutely! And why am I a freak?......
Because the scale at Wal-Mart no longer says "one at a time please", going bald and getting wrinkles Is a good thing, I order a doggy bag at the same time I order my meal, I can wear corduroy pants without igniting a fire, I safety pin my underwear and I can't get after the DOGS for shedding! I am so grateful for this surgery and I am determined to be successful. I still have more to lose but I'm gonna keep freakin' on!


 

[kristopia]

You're looking great Kate!

Know what's funny?  I made an audition tape for the Biggest Loser as well - about a month before I decided on WLS.

did you go to a casting call?   My daughter and I tried out for the season they just finished airing... it was a wild experience.  I'm thinking of going back next year to talk to and encourage those who didn't get in.  Some of those women were pretty depressed and hopeless.  I feel kinda like I need to go and give them some sort of perspective and hope for their own lives.

No, I didn't go so far as a casting call - I filled out the application, did the video, and was in the cutting and editing process while I was researching.  I met and started talking to a fella who was in Season 3, and he pointed me to a few others that were on the show - and I really was not happy about some of the tactics that were used for such rapid weight loss (like dehydrating themselves for 24 hours before a weigh in so they'd lose even more).  Also, I saw that at least half of the former contestants have gained some or all of their weight back.  I thought about how horrible it would be to go through all of that, but then still not keep off the weight because my stomach was still too damn big. 

So I never sent in the tape - that was what led me to start thinking about WLS.

[imzinchworm]

I'm probably really late with this, but better late than never...right?

My name is Jocklyn  AKA imzinchworm
I had the vertical sleeve gastrectomy on 10/28/08
To date I have lost about 120 pounds

Why am I a freak?? Well I'm the poster child for WLS is not always perfect.  I've had complications AKA a leak, but not once have I regretted having this surgery.  Although my complications put me in the hospital, I know I'm going to heal (which I almost have)and bounce back from this.  At 267 pounds I was in a down ward spiral to bad health, now at 147 pounds, other than this slight issue, I'm the picture of health.  No diabetes, no high blood pressure.  Man I am a freak!!!

[wtgrlady]

Hey Imzinchworm.  Glad to see you back on the forum.  You look great!  Fabulous girl.  Sorry to hear about your leak.   I hope you are feeling much better now.

[captio2000]

OK, I got to be your new Freak fo the Week. Its time for a guy and an all around good egg to win. I had RNY gastric bypass on September 22, 2008 weighing 342 pounds. Since then, I've lost 122 pounds and, while I'm at my Surgeon's goal weight of 220, I'd like to lose about another 20. Why am I such a big freak? Good question and I'll tell you. After losing so much weight, my bowling has really improved, my average is now 196 versus 169 a year ago, and, drum roll please, I bowled my first perfect 300 game on July 6th! I still can't believe it, I've been on cloud 9 ever since - it took 43 years of bowling to do that!

Paul

300 Game


Before photo, August 2008


After photo, June 2009

[McNee]

What type of surgery did you have? RNY (lap)
What was the date of your surgery? April 8, 2009
Total weight loss? 377 - 235 you do the math. Ok, fine, I will... 142 and counting. 55 of that was pre-op.
What is your favorite color?  blue. no... AHHHHHH! (sorry, having a Monty Python moment here)
Why are you a freak?

I've always been a "big guy". But I've also managed to be pretty active. One of my favorite activities for the last 10 or so years has been paintball... but the last couple years I was not playing. I had hit my heaviest weight ever at over 370, and that last 20-30 pounds (combined with the fact I'm just plain getting old) meant I was not moving like I used to, and so I was not playing hardly ever.

Now it's 2009. Just the weight I lost pre-op started making a difference, and much to the chagrin of my surgeon's nurse, I was out playing in all day events just over 3 weeks post-op.

I think I've played more paintball this year so far than I did in the last two years... combined.

So what's so freaky about this... well, at 3 months post op, I hooked up with some friends the weekend before my birthday and I was on the field for a good 6 hours, just going and going... despite taking a few shots to the head this day...

And while that big shot to the side of the head had me down for a few minutes, I was not out... and it by no means is going to keep me on the sidelines. Believe it or not, THIS is part of why I finally decided to have the surgery, so I could go out and get shot up... well, and do a lot of shooting back as well.

Oh yea, and this is on TOP of the poison Ivy I got all over my arm and leg from crawling around the woods that day.

If this ain't freaky, I don't know what is.

And here's the latest Before and During (I'm not at the "After" point yet)

edited to add my most recent pic...

[Weealia]

What type of surgery did you have? RNY (lap)
What was the date of your surgery? 6th January 2009
Total weight loss? 92Lbs in under 8 months :-)
Why are your favorite color?  Yellow
Why are you a freak? I am a positive promoter of wls across the pond. I had RNY on the 6th January and have lost 92Lbs in under 8 months I think the surgeon brainwashed me during the operation 'MATRIX' style as I have made so many lifestyle changes to ensure long term success. I eat no processed or packaged foods and cook everything from fresh (back to food basics) as well as exercise, exercise and a little more exercise!

[greebo115]

Ok, so now I'd love to be freak of the week. Previously, I couldn't think of anything I'd hate more....all that attention - ughh!

Now things are dfferent 

    -What type of surgery did you have? - Lap RNY Gastric Bypass
     -What was the date of your surgery? - 08/08/08
Eight is a very special number for the chinese - this day was supposed to be the luckiest day ever and it was, for me!
     -Total weight loss? -  136lbs
     -Why are you a freak?

I'm a freak because ...

• when I lose 3 more pounds I'll be exactly half the weight I used to be!
• I run in front of cameras to get my picture taken.
• I run....everywhere, coz I can!
• I walk into inanimate objects because I catch a glimpse of my freaky reflection and can't believe it's me.
• I wear seriously freaky high heels and feel like a freaking model. 
• I make time to look after and care for myself as well as my loved ones.

When I was larger, people used to make excuses for me when discussing weight. They used to say "Ah, but you have a big frame/big bones don't you?".
Well, it turns out that, no, I don't have a big frame - I'm wearing a UK size 8 (US4)! Who would have known it - I actually have a freakishly small frame!

Thanks BTV and the folks in the forum - I feel right at home with all you freaks. 

[Kierie]

Wow Diane You are night and Day!
I'm waiting for a good new Pic to do FOTW!

[MonicaSue]

Ok - I'm a freak in progress!  I had my RNY surgery on June 1, 2009.  So far, I've lost 76 pounds.  For now, I'm a freak because for the first time I have confidence that I will lose weight and become healthy through my surgically altered state.  Through a marvel of medical science my freak status allows me to be the person I want and need to be.  I can only imagine that as I proceed through the stages of my journey - I'll keep on freakin' on - and lovin' every minute!

[shepkatt]

All set!  :-)  You look fabulous Monica Sue