Ok, so my one year post with pics...

Thank you summer. You have been so successful with your sleeve - you rock! I hope I can keep it up like you have. :)

Mandy, you're beautiful!  Keep it up girl.

Sending you a pm

 

Laura

Thank you Laura! Maybe one day I can get plastics and have a hot bod like you. Until then I'll just fantasize about your body. wait, wut? :p

responded to pm!

Congratulations Mandy! You've done a great job of working your sleeve! I just had my 1 year as well and hit my personal goal of 135. Now I'm trying to decide if I'm done or if I just want to maintain.

So, I've got to ask. Has your brain caught up with your body? When I see myself in clothes, I'm happy. When I see myself without clothes, I see all the same rolls and have a hard time "seeing" the weight loss - even though I do strength training 3 days a week and run 3 days a week.

135! Go ahead girl!!

Hmmm. Well, I've made a lot of posts where I've been struggling with body image. Lately I've come to terms with the things I don't like (saggy skin, stretch marks, wide rib cage, "stocky" build). Some things I cant change even if I wanted to, and others will have to wait until I win the lottery. :p

Honestly though, lifting weights gives me tons of confidence and makes me feel like I at least have a little control over how my body turns out, kwim?

Good job girlie. Lovely as always.

Not that my opinion means anything but you were ONLY encouraged by anyone on this board cuz this board wasnt invented yet and we werent just hanging out here in the safety zone.  I heard you say plenty of times in the past year that you wished more vets stuck around.  Now is your chance to make somebody else's wish come true.

You are only responsible for your words.  You arent responsible for what anyone else does with them.

So, there's a little psycho babble about that.

It's true. I just feel bad sometimes because i get SOOOOO many pm's asking how people can end up with my arms, etc. and it's really not in anyone's control (other than lifting) - but if someone starts out with very large arms that sag, their arms aren't going to magically turn into arms like mine, kwim? I almost feel like I give people false hope. That's weird huh? I'll have to think on this and ask myself why I *really* feel this way. Maybe I'm afraid of inadvertantly encouraging people and then falling on MY face. I'm not sure.

Mandy,

You are such an inspiration!!  You look phenomenal, beautiful and sexy!!!  You've done such a great job at totally rocking your sleeve hun!!

*hugs*


Liz

 

Aww thank you Liz! You are adorable!

Congrats, you have worked hard and have so much to be proud of... wooot woot 

I think even if people just see the pics and dont really read the message your still inspiring people and allowing them to see it can be done... maybe when they reach the point they too want to look that way they will reach out and ask more questions.