Shake it Off

As my musical guilty pleasure, Taylor Swift, likes to sing, sometimes you just have to shake it off. Whether it's the players, haters or the nay-sayers, getting rid of the negativity in your life is a step in the right direction. As I do research on the different bariatric surgeries available to my mom and I, I've come to realize the majority of blogs and video journals focus on the bad effects of going through with surgery, rather than the positive impacts on their life. I'd like to look at the surgery from a different point of view and list the positive impacts I'm looking forward to.

1. Reclaiming the three years that experts say obesity snips from my lifespan.
2. Shopping in an actual mall for outfits that don't include the term 'plus'. I don't see myself in a bikini right after surgery, but I'd be happy with just looking healthy!
3. Flying without a seat belt extender or, worse, the sneers from the poor soul sitting between us on a flight.
4. Swimming, snorkeling and all other outdoor activity that has been limited, thanks to my extra weight
5. Sleeping without sounding like a large grizzly/train. Also--cutting off the concern of sleep apnea before it even begins. No matter how much I'd joke and call myself "Maverick", a CPAP sleep mask will never be sexy.
6. Dancing like crazy without worrying that my ass is going to launch a skinny chick through a side window if she gets too close. I'll just go ahead and say I'm looking forward to feeling more confident in general. 
7. Walking, skipping, jogging or whatever else I'd like to do without feeling like an out of breath elephant. I can't wait for the day that I can go shopping in Wal-Mart without having to pause in the candle aisle to catch my breath as I walk from the grocery side to get dog food. Even though I'm the only one that knows what I'm thinking, it's humiliating none-the-less.
8. Seeing all of my friends that I haven't seen in a while to show them my success.
9. Starting my new career without my weight holding me back in any way, shape or form. 
10. Having a normal dating life without the inhibitions associated with being the girl 'chubby chasing' guys go after.