My very first blog...EVER!

It is 1:10 in the morning and I am trying to figure out all this blogging stuff! But let me introduce myself to the blogging world! My name is Kristen and I am 23 years old :) I was inspired by all the other bloggers who are honest enough to blog about their weight loss experiences and decided I wanted to start a blog of my own.

I will start off by saying I am happy with myself as I am today and I am blessed to lead such a wonderful life God has granted me with. Although I have been overweight most of my life, I have never had low self confidence issues(for the most part...who really loves to be overweight?!), self doubt or hated my body because of the way I look. In the past few years I started to have a few health issues associated with my weight (mainly high blood pressure and PCOS) and that is what started my thinking about weight loss surgery. I am 5'8'' and only 23 years old and currently weight *DRUM ROLL PLEASE*.....256 pounds. I have never been ashamed of that number and because of what my beautiful parents have taught me, I believe confidence in yourself is someone's best quality. I say all this to finally say...no one wants to be overweight and it has brought its fair share of hardships and struggles to my life. All those obstacles I have overcome, some hard and some not so hard. Many of you have heard your entire life time and time again..."you have such a beautiful face"...I have taken that as a positive thing and not let my weight keep me from doing things I felt I should do in life such as making friends, shopping, traveling, dating and the lists goes on.

Through many trips to the doctor, many hours talking with my parents and friends, sitting through numerous gastric surgery seminars, going to several support groups, talking with others who have had weight loss surgery, I have made the decision that it is time to turn my life around to be a better, healthier me!! I am meeting with my surgeon next Thursday, September 3rd, to set up a surgery date and hope to be getting the gastric band in the near future *FINGERS CROSSED*!!! As most of you remember, being Pre-Op, the band is all I can think about day and night. I enjoy reading everyone else's weight loss blog's and I can't seem to get enough information in my brain about it! I would love to meet people who are pre- and post-op and hear your experiences!! Now that it is 1:30 AM, I am going to conclude my first blog but I look forward to talking with you soon :)