Teresa and Tonya UNPLUGGED
Teresa & Tonya UNPLUGGED is a heartfelt and inspiring podcast that chronicles the personal journeys of two friends, Teresa and Tonya, who have dramatically changed their lives through bariatric surgery. With a focus on weight loss, wellness, and the ups and downs of life before and after surgery, this podcast offers a unique blend of personal stories, expert advice, and supportive tips for those considering or navigating the path of weight transformation.
Teresa Parent and Tonya Spanglo, having experienced the challenges and triumphs of bariatric surgery firsthand, share their insights, lessons learned, and the lifestyle changes that have helped them maintain their health and happiness.
Each episode features discussions on topics ranging from the emotional aspects of weight loss and the importance of mental health to practical advice on nutrition, exercise, and navigating social situations.
This podcast is more than just a weight loss podcast; it's a community where listeners can find motivation, encouragement, and understanding. Whether you're curious about bariatric surgery, in the midst of your own weight loss journey, or looking for ways to support a loved one, Teresa and Tonya invite you to join them in this unplugged version of the podcast.
Teresa and Tonya UNPLUGGED
The Power of Community in Your Weight Loss Journey
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In episode 2 of 'Transform Your Life with Teresa and Tonya,' hosts Teresa and Tonya dive deep into the significance of support systems throughout the weight loss journey. Fresh from a transformative event in Houston with Pop Recovery Systems, they share their newfound inspiration and the importance of community in the transformative process.
Tonya opens up about her pre-surgery apprehensions and the loneliness of post-operative life, including the loss of friends and facing societal judgments. Teresa talks about overcoming isolation and how creating an online community can be empowering for those without a personal support network.
From revealing personal struggles with acceptance to the challenges of dealing with societal comments, this episode is an unflinchingly honest look at the emotional support necessary for a successful weight loss journey. As always, Teresa and Tonya invite listeners to join their uplifting community by following their journeys on social media.
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Welcome to transform your life with Teresa and Tonya, where we talk weight loss and all things in
complete. Let's get ready to talk all things weight loss. Welcome to episode 2. I am Teresa Parent. And I'm Tonya Spenglow. We are gonna talk all things related to support system. We just got back from the most incredible event in Houston with Pop Recovery Systems. And I don't know about you, girl, but I am feeling so inspired and super uplifted after meeting all these incredible people and hearing their stories and all about their journeys.
Yeah. I'm on fire. That's what I was just telling my husband this morning. I'm on fire after this event. It was all about community, and that's what I stand for. Like, that's what we're about, community. It was about inspiring others and keeping yourself inspired at the same time, which sometimes is hard to do. The people that we met and for them to stand up and tell a little bit about their journey, that takes so much courage.
And I know that for me, I left there feeling completely supported. Sometimes we think that we're all alone. You know? Sometimes we think that we're the only ones that have weight loss solves or we've plateaued or we don't necessarily love the loose skin that we're left with after weight loss. And sometimes I have all those feelings, and I feel like and I am I the only one am I the only one that feels like that? Do you feel like that, Teresa?
You know, for so long, I felt isolated from everyone. As you know, I've shared that throughout my journey that I felt alone. I didn't think anybody could relate to being extremely overweight or going through plateaus or feeling depressed or any of those things. And I know that for me, like, attending these events, I feel so inspired and uplifted, and I I get that sense of community that I've been longing for my whole life. And one thing that I really loved was hearing the stories from everybody that we were interacting with. Right? Like, I love to hear how these people create their own community. If they don't have one of their own, their own, like, their own support network, their family or friends, they've been reaching out online just like we've done creating their own, and I think there's something so beautiful and empowering about that about, you know, taking charge of your life and your journey in your own way and and creating a support system when you know that you need 1 in order to be successful throughout your transformation journey.
Yes. An emotional support system for me, it was imperative that I had that before I had weight loss surgery. I was nervous. Like, I'm not gonna lie. I was nervous if my husband would support me along the way, if my family was gonna be supportive, if my friends. And, honestly, I've lost friends along the way. I've lost friends since having weight loss surgery because I was always even in high school up until my adult years, I was the funny fat friend with good hair. Like, that was me.
That was who I was. My hair was a coping mechanism. So I'm gonna throw it back real quick because it's always been in front of me. I've always used it as like a security blanket. The same thing with being funny. I would always try to be the funniest because that was another coping mechanism that I that I, had just because I was so obese that I thought no one wanted to look at me, or if I, you know, if I didn't have good hair or I wasn't funny, they wouldn't be my friend. I had a real conflict about being accepted. I had a real conflict about being the biggest girl, always.
Being the biggest mom, always. Being the biggest wife at the Christmas party, always. Like, that was always acceptance was a huge thing for me. And so coming off of that, support after weight loss surgery, and even before it, was a huge thing for me. People that I thought supported me ended up they really didn't support me. They really didn't. They're the people that talk about me still now. You know, I heard the comments in the grocery store.
I would go from 1 aisle to the next. Well, she's only skinny because she had that weight loss surgery. Remember she had that weight loss surgery? And those comments hurt. Like, yes. I had weight loss surgery, but I also saved my own life in the process. You know? It took courage to have weight loss surgery. It wasn't something I just woke up 1 morning and said, I'm gonna get weight loss surgery because I wanna be skinny. If that's 0.
There's zero truth to that statement. It was something that was a last resort to me to literally save my life at being 42 years old. That is young. And so for me, just that support system meant the world to me, the fact that my husband and kids fully supported me. I will say that my kids were a little bit leery. They were like, are you gonna have all the loose skin that we've seen others have after weight loss surgery? Are you going to get sick? Are you going to get too thin? Like, all those things, they were they shared those thoughts for me. They really had questions for me and my husband the same way. But throughout this journey, they've got to watch me blossom.
They've got to watch me it's like a flower blooming. They've got to watch me come into myself and just be the mom that I always wanted to be and be the wife that I always longed to be. And not that you can't be a great mom or a great wife when you're overly obese. For me, at £430, I just was in the shadows. I was in the background. I was letting them I was watching them live their best lives while I didn't.
I love that for you, and I love that you're touching on how critical a guest support system is and that you have to take into account what does that look like for you. And I think coming back from this event and, you know, interacting with people on social media, I have learned that no matter what your journey is, no matter what form that takes, whether you're taking medications to aid you in weight loss, whether you're having weight loss surgery, whether you're doing, quote, unquote, natural weight loss, in every capacity, we all need a support system. Right? And I know that it can be scary when you may not have the support I know that it can be scary when you may not have the support of your friends and family. I know that for me, my family did not want me to have weight loss surgery. I didn't know a single person who had ever had weight loss surgery before. And because I had lost a 180 pounds before having weight loss surgery, I got the whole comment like, well, you already lost a 180 pounds. Why do you need to have weight loss surgery? And I think that it's essential to surround yourself with people who are going to be supportive, but who can ask those questions. You know? And I think one of the most important things to remember too is those questions.
Like, are you gonna die from having surgery? Are you gonna gain the weight back? The weight loss or the the skin removal? Like, all the things related to it. So in the thing that I found is that people have to scour the Internet for these answers. Right? And that's one reason why I love that we are partnering with Pop Recovery because it's like a one stop shop for, like, all the knowledge, all the information that you're gonna need. You can direct your family to the support team who actually have all the answers for you. Like, I didn't even realize that the risks of dying from weight loss surgery are, like, extremely, extremely low. When most people think, oh god. I don't wanna have surgery because I don't wanna die. But then on the same side, I was over 600 pounds with heart disease, liver problems, kidney problems, problems with my menstrual cycle.
Like, I'm almost guaranteed that I'm gonna die early. Like so I think having access to that information is really important. So in some ways, the support system also can be good by challenging it. Right? It can ask you questions and make you dive in deeper. And I love knowing now that we have a place where we can direct people for all that information. Like, I think it's so important. And I know through my own journey, my support system has evolved. Right? Like, in the beginning, it was different.
I had coworkers. I had my family. But now through the process of losing £460, my support number has expanded to not only my professionals, my medical providers, but also people that I've met on social media like you, like my friends from pop, like all my support system has evolved, and I think that's important to remember. Some people are going to fall out of your life in order to make way for the people who need to come into it.
That's exactly how I describe pop when I was talking about it this morning with my husband. I describe them as being a best friend that literally holds your hand through every decision you have to make that you didn't even think about. For me, they're bringing things up for this plastic journey I'm about to be on of things I never thought of, and I'm just like, wow. Like, I thought I was experienced. I thought being four and a half years out from weight loss surgery that I knew it all. I knew everything I was talking about. I don't. And so, all the questions I've asked for me, they've answered every one of them and then even answered questions I didn't have, that I didn't think of, and so that's how I describe them.
Like, they hold your hand through every decision. They really help you. They're nonjudgmental, which for me is I can talk to the mental health specialist, which I've never talked to a mental health specialist as an adult, and I know that that was something I've been missing in my life. Like, I needed that support system, and she's amazing. She's like a best friend I didn't know I needed, but I do. Like, I've let things out to her. Even in our 1st meeting, we were crying, like, 5 minutes in, and she was like, Oh my goodness. This is gonna be something.
It's like talking to you. This is going to be something. And I have a lot of stuff to unload that I didn't even realize, and all of that stuff makes you feel so much better when you do. And like I said, nonjudgmental. It's for emotional support for me. Pop is such a huge emotional support. I can call any one of the 3 ladies that I've been talking to, like, on a regular basis, and I know that they're gonna be there for me. Like, they're gonna they're gonna set a time aside.
Like, yes. Let's talk right now. I have 15 minutes for you, Tanya. Let's talk right now. And so for me, it's an accountability buddy. That's a huge thing for me. I use my socials as an accountability buddy. That's actually why I started TikTok, because it was during COVID, and I had my grandbaby here, and I was obese.
And I had my mom here who had Alzheimer's, and I needed an out. I needed an out, and that's why I started TikTok because, quickly, I formed a community. And we have a community on there now of millions of people. You and I both do. That every single day, those people are we need you guys. We need the accountability just like you need it. Like, they think that we're on there motivating them. They're motivating us just as much, if not more.
I was just live this morning, and all of the comments about my plastics journey, there wasn't a single negative comment. They were all positive. So it was thousands of people on there, and that's thousands of people that I need in my corner to support me. And so accountability is huge for me as far as support system goes. I use it on days I will go online, and I will say, you know what? I'm having a bad day today. I've I snacked too much today, or maybe I had a binge session last night. Accountability is a huge thing when it comes to support, and you need people in your corner that are not going to judge you. And for me, I also want people, like in the weight loss community Teresa that you and I have built, we want people that are going through the same things that we're going through or have gone through them or or are going through them.
That's what you want. And so the fact that just like this pop meetup that we just did in Houston, everybody there was on the same page. Everybody there is going through something. Everybody there is struggling. Everybody there needs support. Everybody there was there because that's taking a step in the forward for them, a step in the right direction for them. That's what that meetup was. It for me, it was a beautiful meetup full of beautiful moments just with heartfelt people.
You know?
You know, last night, like, coming off of this, incredible event, like, you're talking about, I was thinking of all the stories, all the people, all the all the comments, all the tears, all the laughter, everything that we were a part of. And Mhmm. I was laying in bed, and I was watching 1,000 pound Best friends. I've never even seen that show. I've watched 1,000 pound sisters and my 600 pound life, but I was watching 1,000 pound best friends. And one of the women on there said, you know, this the doctors are great. The nurses are great. They support everything, the dietitian, but I don't know any of these people who are trying who are a part of this medical professional community or the support system that have been through what we're going through, that are going through what we're going through.
And I that in my head, I was like, oh my goodness. Yes. This is what is so important because as as essential as the advice is from your doctors, obviously, and your nurses and the medical professionals, I didn't have any of them who had been through what I had been through. You know, it's one thing when someone has 20, 30, or 40 pounds and they're overweight, but I did not know anyone who was 2, 3, 4, 500 pounds overweight. And when I was listening to these women on that show, I was like, my goodness. This is what is missing in the community that I have seen is people who are sharing what they've gone through, how what, like right? Where they came from, where they are now, and everything in between. And that's one of the reasons I'm so grateful that we have this platform because we are able to talk all things weight loss related and in between from a personal level. We have lived and breathed every single aspect of what it means to live in and exist in an obese body.
Right? To to the mental challenges, the emotional challenges, the physical ones in every capacity. And having this platform, existing on social media, being able to work with pop, I find it therapeutic for myself, therapeutic for others. Like, I love the fact that we get to share with people because we see we saw tangible, like, ex examples of how it's motivating, inspiring, and uplifting others, including ourselves. Like, hearing the stories from people who don't have the support system, who feel alone, who who tune in because they feel like we're their best friends, because I'm not like you are. You are all our girlfriends. Like, you're hanging out in in our living room with us just like we're hanging out in your living room with you, and I find it so beautiful. I was telling you that story about how when I was put under anesthesia. Remember? And how I I felt such a strong sense of spirit and community with me because I knew that there were millions of people who were praying for me, millions of people who were putting up thoughts and vibes for me.
And I think there's something so powerful to speak of community. Right? So uplifted. I feel uplifted and inspired every day and also motivated and challenged. Like you said, like, I, if I, god forbid, if I share a meal that doesn't have enough protein or veggies, people are gonna call me out, you know. Oh, yeah. And then that also though makes me pause and go, you know what? Maybe they're right. Maybe I need to focus on eating
a little more vegetables or a little
bit more protein or I'm messing up here. I'm messing up there, and I just love I love the support. I love the accountability. And I've gotten so much good information. Mhmm. Good, ways to think. Like, just I don't know. The the community, the weight loss community is so incredible, and I hope that we can continue to pump as much love and support and positivity into it and you know what I mean? I just love the idea of being a part of breathing life into this.
I just love it.
Oh, I do too, and I totally agree. Like, that's what we're here for. That's what it's all about is I'm gonna pump you up, and you're gonna pump me up at the same time. I can totally relate to you when you said someone comes in your videos and was like, hey. You need to add some veggies to that. You know? I get those comments too. You're also gonna get the comments from people, Well, I'm, you know, 20 years out, and I can never eat that much. Well, good for you, Kathy.
You know? Well, good for you, but I can. I still love food. I'll touch on just a little bit what you said about getting advice from someone who's gone through it. Because for me, I have, just like the amazing nutritionists and dietitians that I talk to as well as my older nutritionists and dietitians and surgeon from my clinic where I had surgery at. They're amazing. They are great people. They are certified in what they do. They know their stuff very well.
But there's a big but coming. At midnight, I'm up. My kids were asleep. My husband was asleep. I was in the kitchen. I was having a binge episode. Do you think I'm going to call up? Would you rather call up someone who has studied it or someone who has gone through it and going through it? For me, personally, while I love like I said, amazing. There are amazing dietitians and nutritionists out there.
They're not going through it. They haven't gone through it. They don't know what it's like to be up at midnight and you're wanting that brownie that's in the fridge that your kid didn't finish. They don't know what it's like to be driving home from your kid's pickup school and you stopped and got them a Happy Meal and you want to eat their fries before before they do. They don't know what it's like, and so for me, that's why another reason I'm on social media, because I need an accountability buddy. I need some support. I need people who have been there and are going through it. It's a vital it's a vital part of your support system to have people that have gone through it.
Your family is great. Your friends are great. The team you have behind you, that's amazing. But if you don't have someone with tangible advice that's gone through it, it's hard. It's gonna be even harder for you because they don't know what it's like. They can tell you what they've studied. They can tell you what they've learned from other individuals, but they can't tell you what it's like to want to stop binge eating or needing to stop when you're full and know your full cues and all the things that we learn with bariatric surgery. They don't know what it's like.
And so it's super important for me to have people in my life like you that have gone through it, like people in our weight loss community that we have on our socials that have gone through it, like the people listening to this podcast right now. We're going through exactly what you're going through. We have been there. We have done that. You at the same time, we're all at different spots in our journeys, but we all can be there for each other and keep each other encouraged and motivated. Let's talk about what about support groups, Theresa? So I don't know about you, but, like, right after weight loss surgery, I joined about 27 support groups on Facebook. I'm in 1 still. Like, I deleted those support groups.
They are horrendous. The comments, the judgment in those support groups, I was appalled at comments I would get on eating videos I would share, or my transformation photos I got a little bit of confidence and started to share. The comments in those support groups, they say they are a support group. They are not. What do you think about that?
I couldn't agree more, unfortunately. I I dabbled in the support groups online, like, on Facebook and things like that. And what I found was a lot of competition, a lot of people trying to step on the backs of others while trying to elevate themselves. What I think I I experienced in my my personal experience was a lot of broken people who who were saying that they were trying to heal, and I'm sure that they were, but they were coming in there and and trying to lift themselves up by tearing other people apart and being hyper critical of their journeys. And, well, I know that there's value in support groups. I love it. I feel like the communities that we've created that we're a part of, they're 1 massive support group. And Mhmm.
I know that, like, for example, this this past weekend when we were all in Houston together and we're all sitting together and we're eating dinner and we were all I think we had Thai food. And we're all talking about, like, our diets and how we eat. And at one point, I was serving myself and I was like, I can't eat that because I'm gonna dump. Right? And the different women in the room have had different surgeries, and they're like, well, what is dumping like for you? Okay? And this may not seem like a support group topic, but it absolutely is. Right? Because Oh, for sure. I I go in there when we if you're in any kind of environment where it's involving food or anything like that, immediately to me, it it's involving, involving your feelings, your emotions, your old coping mechanisms, your old fat brain, all the things. And so for me, as I'm serving myself, I'm very mindful that doctor Eric Smith, a bariatric surgeon, is across the room. So I'm, like, okay.
Is he gonna see what I'm eating? How much right now is he gonna be peeping? Is he just gonna be going the same way? So that's funny. I'm like yeah. I was like, okay. Is he gonna be looking to see if she's putting too many noodles? Is she going for her protein? So immediately, my mind is triggered. Okay. Are people being mindful? Are they looking at what I'm eating or how much I'm eating? And I felt the need to explain why I wasn't eating that much. But, you know, it my reality is that because I've had gastric bypass surgery, I need to nibble. Every couple hours, I need to nibble.
And so me being able to explain that in that group setting and then have everyone asking questions and and talking about it. Like, that was a form of support for me because I felt I feel sometimes in group settings that I'm difficult because my dietary needs are different from others. I may get a little pookey, which is emotional for me. I may get a little tired. You definitely saw me getting delirious this week when I'm back hysterically. Right? Yes. It's because my dietary needs are different, but all of those things are tied into my emotions. And so for me being able to share that experience with all of you and for having you guys to see that and support me and having our good friend Charvel chase me around making me drink, taking the energy drinks out of my hand, putting food in my hand, protein in my hand.
Water. That was the water. Yes. Yes.
That
that was such a beautiful example of a support system that has evolved organically in our life. Right? Like Mhmm.
I didn't really had a
support system in the beginning. Nobody knew what to help me with to eat. People just had questions. They were like, oh, you're gonna eat that? That's too much. They were very judgmental. And I love now that I'm almost 6 years post op gastric bypass surgery, and I love to see the ways in which my support system has evolved. And now I went from going never having anyone in my life who had had weight loss surgery or who had been overweight or who had struggled to battle their inner fat brain and bring themselves out of the darkness and back into light. I had never been surrounded by people like that.
And now my life, that's that's what it is. I am surrounded by a community of people, men and women, who know exactly what I'm going through every single day, the challenges, and they know exactly what to do, whether it's to take my energy drink away and replace it with water or tell me to eat my protein or encourage me and tell me, honey, that's okay. It's okay. You eat a little bit now and try to eat a little bit later. Like, you guys just get it. And it just it's it's so beautiful and so uplifting, and it really helps me, especially during times of transition or when I'm struggling, like, to know that I can reach out and call you or call any one of you guys or hop online and read messages and comments from people. Like, that support system is going to get you through your weight loss journey. It's going to help you on those days where something happens and you can't cope with it and you wanna turn to food, or you may have turned to food like you said.
It's going to make the difference. Not that medical providers or psychiatrists aren't, qualified. Of course, they're qualified. But, like you said, there is something very different about knowing the information and everything and having lived it and breathed it because you know exactly on a different level, what those feelings are and how to cope with it. And it's just, so powerful.
It is powerful. And I'm I'll go back to this weekend with doctor Smith because that man is a godsend. Like, he explained things to us. My bariatric surgeon has never explained what dumping is in that capacity. I felt like I was in a consult, but I was completely comfortable. I love that about him. He is a fountain of knowledge. Like, I could sit and listen to him talk all day, and I told him that after the meetup, I was like, I literally could sit and just listen to you talk because it's so informative.
But for me, Teresa, being around you guys, it's I've transitioned from getting weight loss surgery, and it wasn't normal. And I live in a super small town, 10,000 people or less. It's super small. Everyone knows your business. And weight loss surgery is just not talked about. It's not something that's acceptable here. It's not something that, well, just like I said in the grocery store, it's something like, I should have that weight loss surgery. You know, it's whispered about to where I'm around all of my friends, who are you guys now, and it's the normal.
It's normal. Like, I feel I literally feel normal. I feel like in 4 years, I've transitioned from having to hide my weight loss surgery and having to hide all the things I'm going through, which you were saying you, you know, you get hungry and you get I get hangry, as Bobby calls it. She's hangry. She you need to eat a little something, Tanya. Like, you're getting hangry over here. You're getting a little bit you're getting a little bit hard to handle. That means I'm hungry.
I need to eat. I'm just like you, and we played off each other well this weekend. You were like, have you eaten? I was like, have you eaten? Let's get let's get a dive bar or let's get a belt bar or let's let's get something and let's eat. You know? A little something of protein, a little bit of water instead of an energy drink. And so I love that because when I'm around you guys, who I consider my I just consider you guys family. I feel normal. I feel like we've all had weight loss surgery, and we all know every couple of hours, we need to eat a little something. And so for me, that's a great that's a great way that we support each other.
It's a great way to be around like minded people who they're all going through it, and it's normal. It's not something you have to hide behind. Like, on the Internet, people talk, you know, oh, well, she's just skinny because she's had that weight loss surgery, or I find this hard to believe these before and after transformation photos because you had weight loss surgery. So you need to put that on your pictures. No. I don't because I still did the work. Sometimes that's what I wanna scream. Lots of times, I just want to be like, I still did the work.
I still did this. I still took my health back, took my life back. That's why I chose that handle because I literally, at 42 years old, I did take my life back. I took control, and it feels really good. One thing
that you said that got me kind of emotional, you said it a few times as you were talking. You kept saying, I feel normal. I feel normal being around all these people who've who are on a weight loss transformation regardless of how you're losing weight. You feel normal. And that almost made me start crying. You know? I I know I'm a crier, but, like, feeling normal is something I've never experienced my entire life. Weighing over 600 pounds, I always tried to be invisible. I never felt normal.
I always knew that everybody was looking at me. Everyone was staring at me. People were judging me. You know? And for me, the feeling of normalcy, feeling like I am included in a part of something that is greater than myself, that to me, has helped save my life. I I didn't know how I was gonna go through losing almost 500 pounds on my own, and I haven't. Looking back, I felt like I was alone, you know, especially in the beginning, but we built this community ourselves. We we did this. We it wasn't just something that was passive.
We have been active participants in our journeys, in our lives, and in creating a support system for ourselves and for the people who support us in our community. Like, that's something that's so empowering. You you have to own that. You have to know that you're doing it for yourself. It's not just happening. A community is not just gonna fall into your lap of support. You You have to work. That's something you have to work to create and to maintain, and it's okay that your support system evolves over time.
Mine definitely has. In the beginning, I had to rely very heavily on my coworkers and my family, but they did not know what I was going through. They could offer me love and support and encouragement, but it was different. At that time, it was what I needed because that's all I had. But once I started to realize and learned that there were other people who were going through it, then I started to bring those people into my life and join their life and their journey and having people in my life every day that are going through it, that are living, breathing examples of the journey that I'm trying to maneuver through has been life changing for me. I know that even the doctors who I work with now, you were talking about your bariatric team. My bariatric team was not for me. I haven't seen my surgeon since after year 1.
I saw I saw the dietitian, you know, went through all the required things and everything, but that's it. I have not seen them since, being a year post op, and I've learned more from from people in the community about my diet, about how I should be eating for my bariatric stomach, for my new lifestyle. And, to me, that's just been game changing. I'm just grateful for everybody in this community, and I know that as I continue to evolve and go through my next round of plastic surgery that's coming up soon, I know that I have so many people in my corner, the pop recovery team, all the specialists there, all of my friends from from TikTok and Instagram. You guys know exactly what I'm going through, and I don't have to have that fear element or that lonely feeling anymore. I already know that you guys have got me and I've got you.
Yes. It's exactly that for me. It's like a bond that we formed. It's like a bond with complete strangers. As odd as that sounds, that's exactly what it is for me. It keeps me positive. It keeps me motivated on my hard days. There are days I wake up and I'm struggling, and I can go to my TikTok family.
I can go to my Instagram group, and they are there in the comments immediately. You've got this. You tell us to keep going. You keep going. And so, for me, it's that just like I keep going back to accountability and keeping a positive mindset and really just staying positive. It really makes a difference on your journey. When you build a bond and you and you do a community, you're part of a community, we have helped build and shape the weight loss community. Teresa, you and I, on TikTok and on Instagram, but we're all the same.
Like, all of our all of our community, we're just the same. We're just needing support, needing that inspiration daily, needing help to reach our goals, and we all do that differently. Like, you and I lead a completely different lifestyle, but, at the same time, we're still being successful on our weight loss journeys, and we're gonna be just as successful in this plastic journey that we're taking on. And I know you've already gone through plastics, your 1st round, but we're going through this. I feel like we're going through it together and going right back to that friendship, that community, that support that we all need. And so I love to wake up and get on TikTok and get on Instagram and just of course, I share my drinks and I share, you know, my meal plans or we did we did truffles. We just recorded some truffle recipes together. And you put those out there, and, immediately, you get all of these suggestions.
Yeah. You're gonna get a few negative comments, but took. For every one negative comment that we get, we get millions of positive, and so those are the ones that I choose to dwell on, the positivity. Because it's there. If you just if you will just grasp that positivity and that support and that motivation that's there for us, it's there for you to grab. It's there for you to be a part of. And so if you choose to be a
part of that and not dwell on the negative, it
really can be a beautiful thing. For me, it's a daily beautiful thing that I utilize. It's like a tool. It's just like my weight loss surgery. My weight loss surgery is a tool and I choose to use that tool every day towards my weight loss goals, towards success after weight loss surgery, and not go back to the old me. It's the same way with your support system. It's there. You have all these support groups and these like, Pop Recovery for me.
Tomorrow, I have meetings set up, like I said, with the nutritionist, with the mental health, with the concierge service, talking about the Airbnb that I need to get, talk talking about everything that I need, basically, all of the necessities. They have, like, an Amazon list I can go to and I can just order them. That makes it super easy. All of that for me, if something can make your life a little bit easier, why would you not do it? Like, why would you not take advantage of the Pop Recovery System? Why would I not take advantage of the community I have on TikTok? Why would I not utilize that in my everyday life, in my everyday journey? And just like you, Teresa, like, how many times do we talk a day and we talk about our struggles and we talk about we're just like everybody else. And even though I'm 4 years out and your 6 years out, we still struggle daily. We have all of those things going on in the last, and we get busy, and we forget to drink our water, and we forget, hey. You need to eat because you're hangry. And that's all where support comes in, and we just lift each other up and keep each other encouraged.
You know, for those of you who are listening, whatever phase you are at, wherever you are in your journey, whether you feel isolated at home and you're just in the beginning and you don't have anybody in your personal life who understands where where your where you are and where you want to go, whether you are scouring support groups and not finding your home there. You know, I think we just really want you to know that there are beautiful, uplifting, informative, communities that exist within this weight loss community and which that was one of the driving forces why when Tanya and I became friends, we were like, oh, we need to come together because Yes. Combined, we've lost 700 pounds.
Yes.
But more importantly, we have shed so many of our insecurities, our self doubts, our negative feelings, thoughts, behavior patterns, all of those things. We have overcome so much. And no matter what stage you're at, you're a warrior because you are continuing to move forward. You are continuing to look to the future and we just want you to know that we've got you no matter where you are. You know, we hope that you find some value that something we're sharing resonates with you. Don't give up if you don't have the support in your everyday life because it's out there, and we speak from experience coming from 2 women who, 1, came from a small town, who people hush-hush and don't talk about weight loss surgery, to someone like me who was isolated by herself for over 20 years. Like, it doesn't have to stay that way. It won't always be that way.
If you are an active participant in your healing journey, the right people are going to come into your life. You your support system will evolve over time. You just need to be patient, give yourself grace, and be open. Right? Just be open. Have your heart, your mind, your body, your soul. Be open.
Yes. The right support group is out there for you. You just have to find it. And it might not even be a support group. It might just be something that you stumble upon just like us with our socials. We've stumbled upon this entire community that while we know every day it's just me against me. It's you against you. It's the old you against the new you every single day when you wake up.
You have a choice to make. You also have a choice to make whether you choose to accept the support that's given to you, and I choose to accept it, Teresa. I need it. I know that I need it in my life. Mentally, I need it to be positive. I need it to stay motivated, to stay accountable. Accountability is a huge thing for me, and so it's out there. If you just choose choose to grasp it and just hold on to it.
Support is out there for you. And I hope that you find it.
You know, guys, we are here for you. We're here for each other. And what you see with this woman, this beautiful woman right here and myself is true friendship, and that that is what evolves. That is what happens when you are vulnerable, when you are open, and when you, when you try. When you get up every day and whether you're battling your inner fat brain 500 times a day or 5 times a day, you just keep going and you try. So we we love you guys. Thank you so so much for for joining us, for being a part of our journeys. You can go ahead and follow me if you'd like at transforming Teresa Marie on Instagram and TikTok,
and I'm taking my life back at 42 on TikTok and on Instagram, And I'm Tonya Spenglow on Facebook. And we would love for you guys to follow us because things like you're hearing right now are what we share every single day. There are days I share tons of weight loss friendly recipes, days I share weight loss friendly drinks, and then just other days I just share what I'm going through. Because we all are going through so much and you are not alone.
And we are a part of an amazing support system filled with strong, uplifting, empowering people at Pop Recovery Systems and Berry Desert Plastics. You can also find those on TikTok and Instagram. You guys are not alone. You just need to be directed to the right places for the people who can relate to what you're going through. And Tanya and I, we've got
you. We love you guys.
