Welcome to Desperately Seeking Slender!

This site is all about personal experiences with weight loss and gastric bypass surgery. I’m not a doctor and I’m not a nutritionist. I am someone who will be bluntly and completely honest with you about my experiences. I’m sure the domain name here says it all.
Let me tell you a little bit about why I am here, and why DespereatelySeekingSlender.com exists…
First of all, Hi I’m Pandora, I had a Gastric Bypass in October of 2010 and I’ve lost over 250 lbs

To solve any problem, there are three questions to ask yourself: First, what could I do? Second, what could I read? And third, who could I ask? – Jim Rohn
This is a quote that someone once read to me. They also told me that in life you were either part of the solution to a problem or you were part of the problem yourself.
This is why Desperately Seeking Slender exists.
I asked myself what I could do, what I could read and who I could ask, and I realized that at the time, I didn’t feel like I had anyone. There were not many sites out there that answered the burning questions I had regarding the journey I was about to embark on. I wasn’t finding a plethora of books about living your life during and after massive weight loss. There wasn’t anyone I could talk to directly to ask questions and get answers that were experience based.
I saw a problem, and I wanted to be part of the solution.
As a result, I decided that perhaps I could write what others would read and be someone they could ask. I knew that by sharing my journey I might be fortunate enough that others that had walked the path of weight loss before me could share their insight and wisdom with me. Additionally I knew if I had the personal experience of others to learn the do’s and don’ts of life after weight loss from, I might get farther and be more successful in my endeavors.
Subsequently, I was hoping that by being open, honest and transparent with my own journey I would be able to do the same from others. Help them learn from my successes and my failures by allowing them to see when something I did worked well for me, and when I fell on my fact and felt the sting of failure.
Desperately Seeking Slender is a textual sharing of my journey.
Over the course of the last eight years I’ve focused on sharing every part of my journey here. There have been moments that I held back. Moments that I feared ridicule and judgement. But I’ve always decided in the end, that those of us that have suffered from obesity have felt the sting of judgment, ridicule and shame too often in our lives for me to live in fear of it as I navigate life after massive weight loss.
I invite you to join me on this journey of openness, honesty and transparency when it comes to weight loss, weight maintenance, and navigating the emotional changes that come with both of those topics.
Desperately Seeking Slender isn’t just about me. It’s about us.
It’s about connecting with someone else who has been where you are. About having someone else out there that you know understands what you are feeling and what you are going through. It’s about knowing that in the darkest moments of your weight loss journey, when everything seems hopeless and ugly, you are not alone.
I invite you to connect with me. Comment on my blog posts, email me, send me links to your sites, write in and ask me those questions you just can’t find the answers to and would like a peer perspective on. I am here for you.
We are stronger together.
Together we can help each other be successful. We can celebrate together. Allowing us to have someone else there that appreciates the little triumphs along the way and helping ease the pain of feeling defeated when we fall short of our dreams, goals and intentions.
There is a quote that I have been keeping in mind during this entire journey. Something I saw on the wall of a gym that Bob Harper trains in. It said
“Get up and finish what you started.” – Bob Harper
This has been my motivating thought anytime I’ve found myself falling off track.
As I started this, I looked ahead with trepidation at how far I had to go. Eight years later, I’m still not finished, in truth I have hardly begun. But, I will continue. I will finish and I will push myself, and I will share that journey with you every step of the way.
Welcome to Desperately Seeking Slender
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My Journey ( The Short Version )
- March 2010 – Decided to have Weight Loss Surgery
- June 2010 – Attended Seminar for Weight Loss Surgery
- July 2010 – Began Pre-Operative Requirements for Weight Loss Surgery
- July 2010 – Weighed in at 395 pounds
- October 2010 – RNY Gastric Bypass Surgery Weighted in at 333 pounds
- December 2010 – Twoterville! 299 lb.
- December 2010 – Century Club! 295 lb. ( 100 lb. Lost )
- January 2011 – My Father’s stroke ( 3 months in CA )
- June 2011 – Century Club x2 219lbs ( 200 lb. Lost )
- July 2011 – My Father passed away
- July 2011 – Broken Foot ( 8 weeks on crutches )
- October 2011 – ONEDERLAND!! – 199 lb.
- October 2011 – One year post follow up @ surgeons goal of 195 lb.
- December 2011 – Consult with Plastic Surgeon
- February 2012 – Body Reconstruction Surgery #1
- August 2012 – Body Reconstruction Surgery #2
- October 2012 – All Time Low Weight 155 lb.
- November 2012 – Body Reconstruction Surgery #3
- October 2013 – Stabilized Weight 165 lb.
- June 2013 – Ran my 1st Half Marathon
- July 2013 – Body Reconstruction Surgery #4
- January 2014 – Maintenance Weight 165-175 lb.
- February 2014 – Began Career as Personal Trainer
- January 2015 – Maintenance Weight 165-175 lb.
- January 2016 – Maintenance Weight 165-175 lb.
- January 2016 – Ran my 1st Full Marathon
- January 2017 – Maintenance Weight 165-175 lbs.
- May 2017 – Ran my 40th Half Marathon
- January 2018 – Maintenance Weight 165-175 lbs.
- March 2018 – Petersen Space Hernia Repair ( RNY Related )
- September 2018 – Rotator Cuff injury ( Prescribed Predisone )
- October 2018 – 13 lb. gain due to Predisone ( 188 lb. )
For a more detailed version of my journey check out the Desperately Seeking Slender Archive Page.
I hope you enjoy the blog.
Warm Regards,
Pandora Williams