Leepers

When I reached maintenance, my honeymoon was definitely over. For me, losing weight was easy. I had a plan, and I stuck to it. As I started to allow foods and portions back in, I realized that I would never be able to eat mindlessly for the rest of my life. For the rest of my life, I will have to think about everything I put in my mouth. I exercise a lot. I'm running half marathons and doing mini triathlons. But you can't out exercise a bad diet. I am still trying to find balance. It is difficult. But every time I get dressed and look in the mirror, I realize that it's worth it. I never want to go back. Every time I reach a new exercise goal, that is my reward. I try to accept that to live the life I want to live, I will have to evaluate my relationship with food on a daily basis.

Love, love, love this! As someone who has also taken up running and exercise since my band, I love to hear other people's success stories. I have plans to run the Kentucky Derby MiniMarathon in April, the day before my 42nd birthday. I remember how depressed I was about my weight and health on my 40th birthday. That year, I decided to make a change. Best thing I ever did. And yes, we must always keep pushing, at least a little every time. Best wishes to your success in 2015!

Awesome article.

@@catfish87 Hi Catfish! Did you ever find a reason for the passing out? Do you still have any episodes? Weirdly enough, I have had 2 episodes within 3 weeks of each other, where I have almost passed out. The one I had this weekend really freaked me out. I was at a restaurant and had just finished eating. Nausea, sweating, room going dark as I ran to the bathroom. I'm interested in the whole vagus nerve theory.

I do not deny myself happy hour on the weekends. But I definitely get my butt into the gym the next day.

I have a large chest. I hate when women have floppy books at the gym. So I do my best to reign these puppies in. I wear my regular under wire bra. Over that, a very tight sport bra, over that, a tank with a built in shelf and then a loose tank. Lol. Sounds crazy but it works.

You look fabulous! How inspiring that you were successful during such trying times.

Five minutes is better than no minutes. Just keep doing that five until you can go to six. You have to start somewhere! Chin up!

Oh, how I love this post. Sometimes I actually feel different than others because I am so committed to using my tool. Like you, I enjoy having a few cocktails here and there, but I follow the rules 99% of the time. Moving is key. I notice that since I've lost 55 pounds so far, I'm a lot less tired at the end of my 12 hour shift. I even took the stairs to the fourth floor of the garage after work today. I love your blog and it inspires me that you can travel and socialize and have a few drinks and still reach your goal. It's all about finding balance and using the tool you committed to having implanted in your body. Best wishes on those last nine pounds!

Thanks Nancy! I agree, some may be okay with that sixty percent. I want to go all the way, but if for some reason I stop at a size 16 or 18, I will still be happy. I just can't be 300 pounds anymore. And slip ups are hard. I was sick this last week and definitely allowed more carbs into my diet than usual. But, this week, I'm back on track, starting today.

1. 4 days 2. 7 days 3. 2 weeks 4. Quickly 5. 287 lbs 6. 20?? 7. 50 lbs 8. Not there yet, but hoping for a nice, big number!

A beautiful story. Thanks for sharing.

I kinda latched on to how much carbs were being eaten. I think natural carbs from beans and veggies are Ok, but the bread or "biscuits" should be avoided. By biscuits, you mean crackers to the American readers? Definitely they need to stay way from the liquids and eat slower.

From what I've been reading lately, it is no longer thought that eggs raise your cholesterol that much and that they are really healthy. I eat an average of three eggs per day in various forms. I think you're doing great to find protein from other sources. There are many veggies with good amounts of protein. I've been eating really healthy and keep track of what I eat in my fitness pal. I've cut out most carbs like bread and pasta. I will eat healthy carbs like beans. I find that most days, without really trying, I reach my protein goals. Sounds like you're really doing a good job. It's all about finding good things to eat. Best wishes.

Good for you! Walking and exercise are so important to success. Just don't push yourself too hard. You've got plenty of time to build up. Have fun with mushies. It was my least favorite stage. I could not stomach the idea of eating food from a blender. I did have mashed potatoes a couple of times and Mac N Cheese, but I decided they were old habit foods and tried to stay away from them. Once I made some refried beans mixed with low fat ricotta cheese topped with mozzarella. Heated and then a little dollop of fat free sour cream. It was so delicious! (When that's all you can have, lol). Best wishes!

The internet seems to bring out all of the Negative Nellies. Most people, (unless they follow a forum like us) don't think of posting success on the internet. Really, the band has to work the majority of the time and not have a huge complication rate or insurance companies would not be paying for it. They are all about the bottom line. Thankfully, smart people like you and me can read between the lines and not believe everything we watch or read. I figure the people who don't realize that, may be the people who wouldn't be very successful with WLS anyway. Good blog!

This weight loss site/forum is a living and evolving place. You have your lurkers. You have your new people that ask a question and never come back. You have your new people that visit and post often and try to absorb all of the info and support offered. You have your people in between that are in the stages of losing. And then you have your veterans who maybe only need to lose 10-20 pounds or have reached their goal. When I got a lapband, I didn't really do a lot of research on the other surgeries. RNY was totally out for me as it seemed too radical. I didn't consider the sleeve because I didn't like the idea of cutting my stomach. I felt the band was reversible, it was a chance I was willing to take. Now, I DO NOT feel there is anything wrong with having the first two surgeries. They just weren't for me. Looking back, if I knew I would end up being as committed to this journey as I am, I may have considered the sleeve more seriously. If you read up on the lapband, it says that the majority of patients will lose 60% of their excess weight. Meaning, if you're 100 pounds overweight, you could expect to lose 60 pounds. Leaving you 40 pounds overweight. BUT...there are plenty of people who reach or closely reach their goal weights. What is the difference between those who don't lose hardly any weight, those who only lose about 50-60% of excess weight, and those who reach a healthy, suggested weight for their height and build? We all know why some people don't lose weight. Or lose weight and gain it back. They eat around the band. They make very poor food choices. They either were never really committed or lost their commitment somewhere along the way. Those who lose 50-60% of excess weight. What causes them to stop losing at that point and not continue on? I imagine there are many reasons. But I suspect that these may be the people who depended solely on the band to do all of the work for them. Those who did not commit to eating healthier as a habit and did not commit to exercise. They depended on the band to make them eat less, but still eat high calorie foods with low nutritional value. (Now, this is just speculation, but I'm probably close to the mark.) And the veterans? The people who have almost or have already reached their goal? Don't you see the common theme among them here on the forum? THEY USED THE BAND AS A TOOL TO HELP THEM MAKE A CHANGE IN THEIR DIET AND EXERCISE. These people are not the ones on here saying, "I feel like such a failure because I ate a double helping of chicken alfredo with breadsticks followed by a piece of chocolate cake." NO...these are the people on here saying, "I make healthy food choices every day. I watch my portions. I listen to my band. I exercise 4-5 days a week. I may have a piece of chocolate cake, every now and then. But it's more then than now. And I only eat a small piece, and then I'm back on track." Those are the people who inspire me. I have lived most of my 40 years on this earth eating mindlessly. Not caring about what I have been putting into my only vessel on this earth. I have lived an eating life based on convienience and overeating. I do not want to do this to myself any longer! This is MY body! I have to take care of this gift. I need to fill this body with the fuel it needs to exist and be healthy. I'm just trying to point out, to you and myself, that success depends on committing to a new way of living and eating. We cannot continue on the same path we had been on before. We have to take the new path. It is not the easiest path. We will get roughed up along the way. But I believe it leads to a place of beauty. A place where our bodies and our minds can live in harmony. This place is called, "Healthy." I hope we see each other there.

I love to eat out. It helps me feel somewhat normal on this journey. But.... you're right, it's impossible to know what is really in the food you are getting. We eat a lot of Chinese food. But there is no precise nutritional info. When I do eat out, I feel like my weight loss slows. So I try to make sure I'm really strict the rest of the day or the next day.

Bless your heart! You've really been through the wringer. I hope everything starts going well for you. And don't feel too sorry for that girl. I've taken care of plenty of patients just like her. You don't get to the point of having your kids taken and your family rejecting you if you haven't had some part in it. I hope everything goes much better for you now. Best wishes on your wieght loss!

My first thought was that it's proabably a good idea not to tell everyone, for the exact reasons you listed. My second thought was, how sad that we feel like we have to hide this from others. I too, kept is from most people until after my surgery. Then I did tell everyone and I regret doing that too. It's hard because we want those around us to share and support our experiences, but that's not how it always ends up. You may be making the right choice. Stay positive. Until those people have walked in your shoes.....

I buy a fat free raspberry vinaigrette that is very tasty and sweet. I bet the kids would like it.

I like your sense of humor! Keep going to the gym. Yes, you may have to take care of other people, but take care of you first.

I love this! I wrote a blog entry today about how the mind is muscle that you must work. It's just as important as changing your diet and exercising. We must change the way that we think and focus on the positive. Push the negative thoughts to the side.

Well, not technically. But we forget that we have to work our minds in this process just as much as we work our body. If you are constantly thinking or saying negative things, then that is the energy you are putting out into the world and it is what you're gonna get back. A long time ago, I was sick of going to bed every night feeling anxious and laying there, having a thousand things a minute running through my mind. I decided, I want a quiet mind. When I couldn't go to sleep, I would stop myself and try to think of an image. You could pick anything, but for some reason, I always chose an apple. Sometimes green, sometimes red. I would picture the apple in my head. I would look at all of the details. The stem, was it long or short? Did it have that little rough edge on top? I would look at the body of the apple. Was there a shiny part? Were there little brown spots on the skin? How about the bottom of the apple? Did it have 3 or 4 little bump feet like red apples have or was it smooth? What about the little brown spot on the bottom. Was it rough? By doing this I was changing the focus of my mind. I was slowing it down. Sometimes, I would picture that apple for about 15 seconds before my mind was already back to racing thoughts. But after a bit, I would catch myself, and go back to the apple. Each time, doing my best to push all the other crazy thoughts aside. The more I did it, the easier it got to quiet my mind. Really, it's sort of a form of meditation. The same goes even during our waking hours. If we succumb to the negative thoughts, they will consume you. We have to learn to push them away. To ignore them until they disappear. I thought about this today at the gym. I spend a good part of my time there comparing myself to others, being self-conscious that I'm the fattest person there. Why do I have to have people running on both sides of me, when all I can do is walk? Do they purposely get on the treadmill next to me, so that they look better? All very negative thinking. And I keep reigning myself in. Stop it, Leigh! Stop thinking these negative thoughts. What does it matter? I don't even know these people. I don't care about them or what they think and I'm not gonna let these thoughts hinder my progress. I've found that as time goes on, it's easier for me to get rid of these and just focus on what I'm doing. The less you give into the negativity, the easier it is to get on with your life. So don't forget to work that muscle that is your mind. It really may be the most important part of this weight loss journey. We have to learn to control our mind. Bring the subconscious forward into consciousness and be truthful to ourselves, no matter how painful.