Welcome to the Good, the Fat and the Hungry. I'm Karla and I have been -- or am -- all those things. Here, I will share with you my lifelong struggle with my weight, and I hope you'll follow along on with my determined attempt to lose the last 40 pounds. I promise to tell you every Wednesday about every win and setback along the way.

If what a difference a day makes, then two weeks can make a heckuva difference. I finally feel like me again! Eight weeks post-arm-lift surgery and I am finally in my "after." Except for some minor nerve pain, the pain has all but disappeared. I am on my way to the first sleeveless summer in my life, and I am more excited as summer approaches. I mean, I'm pretty sure I wore sleeveless onesies as a baby, but I was too little to remember. Aside from that, I've worn three-quarter and even half-sleeves, but sleeveless, I've never known.

Let's talk scars -- my scars look great! I am thrilled with both the look and feel of them. These scars were different than the ones from my abdominoplasty as they took longer to heal and were a bit more raised. I have used an array of scar reduction products to maximize the benefits of the procedure, and here is my consumer two cents on how they fared.

This time I wanted to try something homeopathic. Pre- and post-op, I took Arnica Montana pellets to reduce pain and swelling. It was also good for bruising. They worked, but had to be taken frequently. They are tiny, and I took them five at a time, five times per day. The hardest part was remembering if I had taken them and if so, how many times. Overall, the benefits outweighed the effort. Mederma worked OK but required frequent application. I've heard very good things about Mederma but found that the frequency of use was a nuisance. Before coming back to work, it was no problem but who has time to apply it 38 times a day when you have a job. OK, so it's really like four times, but it feels like a lot when you have a life. I used this product for my abdominoplasty scars, and although they look good, it has been a long process with this product alone.


This time around, my surgeon recommended a silicone based product, ScarGuard. I have to admit that the results have been great. I have visibly seen the scars lighten, and they are softer to the touch. I've used it for about four weeks and have to say this far surpasses any other product I've used. However, as with any good product, there is a drawback. It brushes on like nail polish, but flakes when it dries. In addition, it is hard to get off. Sure, some of it will peel off, but what sticks doesn't come off with water, you have to scrape it off. I definitely would not use this until my scar was fully sealed and no longer painful to the touch.

There are other products that have come highly recommended. I have at least two more on my list that I plan to test out. As the scars progress, I will update you on what works and what doesn't.

Would love to hear from you: What in your bag of tricks has worked? And what has not?