Hey Everyone! Its Me! Im Back!!!!

02-24-2006 Well Hello Hello Hello!!!! How is everyone doing? It has been fifty million years since I have been on here to check up on everyone, and to post about how I am doing! I would like everyone to know that I now have time to participate in discussion on a daily basis, and I look forward to communicating with everyone once again! I have not posted in over a year, in actually a year and four months, and I MISS ALL OF YOU GUYS!!!! So, about me. I started at 390 lbs, with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 62, which is considered Super Morbid Obesity. It has been a year and a half and I am down to an INCREDIBLE 198 LBS and a BMI of 32.1. I AM LOVING LIFE LIKE NEVER BEFORE!!!! I was a size 60 inch waist, and a 4XL shirt, and I am now SHARING PANTS AND SHIRTS with my brother, Marcus! I am in a size 36 jean, and a M or L shirt! I never EVER, even with the thought of surgery imagined that I would be able to normalize to this extent, but through God, I have been able to do so with a fautless RNY. So, I have lost a total of 192 LBS!!!!!!!! I am at goal 100%. Here is the great news, next Friday, March 3rd 2006 I am having a complete abdominalplasty (Tummy Tuck) to get rid of what has been left behind, several lbs of fat and skin....and let me tell you, it is mostly skin. I have my surgery at 11:00AM, so everyone, please pray for me as I am more fearful of this operation than the gastric bypass. This is NOT covered under my insurance policy as my RNY was, so I am coming out of pocket, but it is worth every single cent of the amount that I am paying! Since surgery, I have not been in the hospital for ANY complication. I literally, have not had one issue occur, and pray that I dont in the futuer either. I have dumped 8 times since surgery, which personally, feel it pretty good considering that I am over a year and a half out! To the topic everyone talks about now....MTV. Are they going to do a follow up? I have talked with Maia Monasterios, and she has told me she will get with Kimberly Cowin, Exec Prod. for MTV True Life, and she will get back with me just as soon as she can. I really REALLY hope that they do, but if no****ching the reruns will be suffice! Now, about exercise. I do exercise ALL THE TIME. I am at they gym a minimum of 4 days per week. When I am there, I do about 45 mins of INTENSE CARDIO between the treadmill, eliptical, and stair stepper, and even the stationary bike sometimes. I run at a stead pace of 6.5 - 7.0 miles per hour on the treadmill. My target heart rate is about 145 and I manage to keep it up in the cardio zone (well above actually) at about 160-170. The fat burn zoen for me is about 120-140 so I try to incorporate both of those! After my cardio, I hit the weights, and I HIT THEM HARD!!!! I work out everything that has a muscle! LOL. I have toned every inch of skin (leftover from surgery) on my arms, neck, face, love handles, all of it. The only area I am having issues with is my thighs, and my stomach. So, the stomach, as I stated earlier, is being taken care of next friday. The thighs.... I am trying different exercises to see jsut how much I can tone them before spending $5,000.00 on a reconstructive thigh lift. So far it looking pretty good. As far as diet goes.... here is the fun part. I eat pretty much whatever I want to, HONESTLY. It is NOWHERE as bad as I thought it would be before I had the operation. the ONLY thing I really cant eat is things TOO high in sugar, and steak. I have eaten icecream, I have eaten chips, breads, candy....pretty much all of it. I have found that it is about moderation with what you can tolerate. Now, I exercise my butt off and continue to lose weight, so it does not hurt so bad when I have the occassional treats! I am not saying go out and eat everything, but I am saying do not expect your tool to just make you lose weight while you neglect to follow the common gastric diet! Because it simply wont, you have to do your part. Well guys, I am going to cut it here, and wait for some replies, I really REALLY REALLY REALLY wanna communicate, so please write back. I am going to be sending in some pictures so that they can be put on my profile! These old ones look nothing like me!!!! I cant wait to hear from you guys!!!! LOVE, Corey Graham AKA MTV STUD AKD Young Stud RNY Gastric Bypass by Adam Naaman M.D Lost 198 LBS. Lost 24 inches in waist (60 to 36)--34 after tummy tuck! Lost 4 shirt sizes (From 4XL to L----Some M depends on brand!) GAINED A NEW LIFE!!!!!!!!