rigonj

I'm almost at my 1 year mark I was putting some clothes away and decided to take a picture of where I started to where I will stay! Size 24 to 6!!

Well,, I'm happy to say that after 18 months post op I have finally hit the sweet spot! I thought it would never happen! The last time I felt like this was during the "honeymoon" stage when I was first banded. I have a very conservative doctor when it comes to fills and I have been going religiously every month to get filled. The fact that I told him I would be gone for 6 weeks may have made him give me a bigger fill but I'm not complaining. It's working and I literally cannot eat more than 1/2 cup of food at a time. So I'm hopeful now that I won't have to go every month for a fill. I can truly say I'm doing a "Happy" dance! :-)

I'm almost at my 1 year mark I was putting some clothes away and decided to take a picture of where I started to where I will stay! Size 24 to 6!!

I've got a pair of 12 and 10 sized jeans and they are getting too big. I usually wait till I go to Jersey or Florida to buy my jeans in Walmart. I'm not getting to either state for a while so I went into the jeans store by my apartment where they actually have salespeople who can suggest sizes and styles for you.
The girl was probably 22, thin as a rail and likely no help to me at all but she was the only one there and I told her I needed jeans that fit better and I showed her how they were sagging everywhere. First thing she did was tell me I should try a size 8. OMG....a size in the single digits? No...not me. Well...sure enough, they fit no problem. Then she says they are still too baggy and brings me 'skinny' jeans. No...not me. I tried them on and they were tighter than any pair of jeans I've worn in years but even I could tell that they fit well. I'm not in mom jeans anymore. How's that for a NSV, huh?

You are doing great!!! Congratulations! I went from size 20 to a 4 ! It's a wonderful feeling !

Sweet! I can't wait to take a similar picture. :-)

I'm almost at my 1 year mark I was putting some clothes away and decided to take a picture of where I started to where I will stay! Size 24 to 6!!

I'm almost at my 1 year mark I was putting some clothes away and decided to take a picture of where I started to where I will stay! Size 24 to 6!!

Thanks, every one! I could not do it without this site -- I don't think I would have figured it all out from the literature provided by my surgeon, etc. It was reading so many posts and asking questions of veterans that helped me understand what it is all about and then to figure out which of those things were a fit for me.

Thanks ladies. Sometimes it hard to see when looking in a mirror. So little reminders like this are awesome!

I'm almost at my 1 year mark I was putting some clothes away and decided to take a picture of where I started to where I will stay! Size 24 to 6!!

Wow, you are doing so well -- way to go! I love the jean sizes for measuring success rather than the scale. I am wearing the same brand of Lee long jeans and I'm down from 18 to 12 and contemplating picking up the pair of tens for my next goal. It is all so exciting! Thanks for the inspiration......

Thanks ladies. Sometimes it hard to see when looking in a mirror. So little reminders like this are awesome!

I'm almost at my 1 year mark I was putting some clothes away and decided to take a picture of where I started to where I will stay! Size 24 to 6!!

I'm almost at my 1 year mark I was putting some clothes away and decided to take a picture of where I started to where I will stay! Size 24 to 6!!

I'm almost at my 1 year mark I was putting some clothes away and decided to take a picture of where I started to where I will stay! Size 24 to 6!!

So July 1st was my 1 yr Bandiversary. I wanted to post that day but I didn't hit my 1yr goal and was beating myself up which was completely silly. So I stopped to take the time to reflect how much has changed in this last year. When I spoke to my surgeon pre-op I told him exercise was not an option because my body was so beaten and worn down from all my diseases and meds and chemo shots. Now I run a 5K 6 days a week and completed my first official 5K in June. This brings tears to my eyes because before I got sick I was a gym rat and how I missed it but still can't believe I am a runner a real runner!
I has spent the last 6 yrs sick and fighting for life and when I decided to get the band originally my family freaked and said it was to dangerous. So I stopped the process then and wasted another year before I told my family something had to change. I wanted to live life and be a great mother and wife. I did not want to just exist and be a burden on them anymore. They were hesitant and still worried but supported me. There are truly not even words to explain what the band has given back to me.
Everything has been at a very slow pace but in a year as far as health I am off the chemo I was on for lupus and have only had a few small flares. I haven't had to be hospitalized at all since my band. I am only on one med now for lupus which is prednisone my best friend/worst enemy. I was able to cut out so many meds which is freaking awesome. My thyroid is also responding to my weight loss and I just was able to decrease my synthroid for the second time. My weight loss has been slow but I also have Addison's disease so I have to take prednisone 3 times a day forever probably. So I need to often remind myself that I am still on a pretty high dose of steroids everyday and I'm still losing weight/inches. I have still had some flares and have had to double and triple my steroids which stops my loss each time and causes a small gain. I have to wean off very slow so it takes weeks to get back to where I can lose again. I still managed to lose over 60 lbs in this year and 4 clothing sizes from 20W to 12!!
I look like me again and feel like a real person. Last year at this time I was driving my kids to do 5K's now I am the only one getting out to run and have beat both of their best times!! My kids have their mom back and couldn't be happier we are so close. We are all together everyday enjoying life. I am a wife again I can make dinner everyday for my husband and keep up with the house and laundry so my hubby can relax and watch the Pirates now lol... I can babysit my toddler nephew all day and play with him and chase him.
I never thought I would see any of these things happen again. Lupus was kicking my a$$ and as hard as I fought I couldn't beat it. Now its my turn I'm fighting back and taking my life back. I know that this is not a cure because there is no cure but this is best case scenario for me and I will certainly take it.
When I'm on higher doses of prednisone and having a pity party for myself I get on here and read all the posts and it seriously turns my attitude right around! So thank you all for being here for me to help me and support my journey! You guys all rock!!
And by the way I did hit my goal of being in ONDERLAND 2 days after my anniversary and that's close enough for me!!!!
Gotta go pack I am off to the beach tomorrow for a well deserved vacation!!!!!!

I'm almost at my 1 year mark I was putting some clothes away and decided to take a picture of where I started to where I will stay! Size 24 to 6!!

Have been banded for 9 months now and have lost 95 lbs. would really like to lose 30 more lbs. at my highest (the before pic) I was 369 lbs. I lost 90lbs on my own before the band. I am siting around 180-185 right now. Just wanted to share where I am now.

I'm almost at my 1 year mark I was putting some clothes away and decided to take a picture of where I started to where I will stay! Size 24 to 6!!

I'm almost at my 1 year mark I was putting some clothes away and decided to take a picture of where I started to where I will stay! Size 24 to 6!!

I'm almost at my 1 year mark I was putting some clothes away and decided to take a picture of where I started to where I will stay! Size 24 to 6!!

I'm almost at my 1 year mark I was putting some clothes away and decided to take a picture of where I started to where I will stay! Size 24 to 6!!

Thanks to Who Dat, I've finally learned how to post pictures . ........ I guess an OLD DOG CAN LEARN NEW TRICKS !!!!!!

My cousin has the same problem. She recently started using hemp Protein. I haven't done much research on it yet but it doesn't seem to bother her and she is extremely sensitive to dairy. Hope this helps