procedure

So awhile back, real self contacted me by email saying that they had chosen me among other reviewers on the site as a "Real Friend". I'm honestly not sure why I was picked but I'm a little excited. I came home today and a package was waiting for me from Real Self! What was in it?! Super awesome samples, that's what - 75 dollars worth! Of stuff I'll actually use! I posted pictures of everything. I got a little book of Beauty Myths, which is actually super cool. I skimmed through and made mental notes already. I also got 4 samples in all:

Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting BHA
Paula's Choice Intense Wrinkle Repair
Antioxidant Serum
Super Skin Booster

Wow, right? The BHA alone has me psyched. I'm serious - 4oz of it runs for about 20 bucks. What is BHA, you ask?? It stands for Beta Hydroxy Acid and it's an Anti -Aginf tool. Anyone who is on the reddit Skincareaddiction subreddit knows all about it. Not only does it help with wrinkles, but I've heard it helps with sebaceous filaments as well - those little things on the sides of your nose that masquerade as blackheads but are totally not blackheads. I am psyched to use this product - it's hailed as the "holy grail" of skin care regime. I shall use it and report back.

The Wrinkle serum I'm afraid I have little use for but I'm going to keep it. 1 fluid ounce runs about 37!! That is nuts! I am 33 and have now wrinkles for now. The brand (Paula's Choice) is petty well known - but I hadn't heard of it before I got in to skincare.

Which is why I am all about trying the Anti Wrinkle sample. 1 oz runs about 24.00 on sale. It's basically an anti-aging serum. According to the reviews, the bad side is the consistency but those are few and far between. The majority are all positive... so I shall see for myself.

The C15 Super Booster is something to brighten skin - I'm excited about this because my skin is sometimes dull, especially in Ohio winter. It goes for 37 dollars for .67 ounces. Overall, it has some pretty solid reviews on effectiveness. It's also an antiaging serum.

I feel like I won a jackpot after doing this research and finding out how much all this is worth! I can't wait to try everything- thank you, Real Self!!

Hello, Ladies! I'm checking in and updating my profile for some recent pictures of my results. I can't say it enough - this procedure changed my life. After reading about the aftercare/healing process, I actually thought it was going to be worse than it turned out to me. Perhaps that helped me with my relatively easy healing. There are days when my "Ken doll" is freaking INSANE but given the choice between what I had and the appearance of a male doll anatomy part... I choose the former every damn time!

Here are 2 ways the surgery has affected my life for the better:

- I am an active runner and I know longer have to deal with the flab waving in the wind. It was an uncomfortable/embarrassing feeling and I would always "suck in" when I passed a hot runner ;) I can also wear form fitting running tops and they sit flat on my stomach. My goal is to be one of the sexy runners you see in just a running bra and shorts in the summers (I still have some work to do to get there. Ugh, I have a big butt!).

-My lingerie looks SO much better on me. I LOVE lingerie. Having a tummy tuck has taken away some of the self consciousness that was there - not wanting anyone to see what was "under" it. My flat tummy makes me feel sexier and more confident with intimacy and in turn, has actually made me a better partner. I will never underestimate the power of confidence!

-I have stopped obsessing/ being depressed about my body. Pre op, I kind of felt hopeless that no matter what I did, my tummy would *always* be there. I could improve its look, but it would never go away. The tummy tuck has allowed me to take that focus I had on my belly and apply it my overall health and strength and has given me motivation to attain that bangin' body I can be proud of - a body that SHOWS how much work I put in to it. Not having to focus on my belly is probably my favorite thing about deciding to get this done.

Happy healing to you all... I hope

Hi there! I have gotten a few kind requests from ladies wondering about my recovery and requesting updated progress pics. So I have come to deliver!

First of all, it has been 1 day shy of 3 months since my surgery and I am doing FANTASTIC. My scar looks great, no more tightness or soreness. The only thing I am dealing with is swelling, but like you may have already heard, it mostly depends on what I eat or the amount of exercise I do. I am back in to running about 2-3 miles a day (for about 3 weeks now with no problems). I am planning to slowly get back in to weight lifting as I'd like a killer lower body and this, I am told, can be achieved by dead lifting and squatting.

My recovery was very smooth, although I am sad to report that I gained weight after my surgery. I have been actively trying to lose weight for 3 weeks now (I'm doing keto and have lost 12 pounds so far combined with exercising - it's been great!). Other than that, I really don't have much to report. The pictures attached are around a month post op.