I have now lost 168 lbs and still losing.....weighing in at 165 i officially weigh less than the amount of weight i have lost! It just doesn't seem real!!! When does it HIT you that you're a normal size now? lol

Congrats!!! :thumbup: That is an awesome accomplishment! If you wouldn't mind just sharing what you eat on a daily basis? What foods have you found that makes the weight come off easier? And how much do you exercise daily?..........Thank you for sharing!

Breakfast is the hardest for me...usually takes me a few hours to be able to eat anything of substance. Then usually it is eggs or yogurt. Lunch and dinner usually consist of one of the following: salad w/ protein; egg salad; soups; chicken; pork. I do basically eat what i want if i go out (just a whole lot less of it and minus the bread) so I don't just eat the same things over and over....in the evenings I do have a snack...usually popcorn or some kind of 100 calorie treat. I will admit I haven't been the best at exercising but do try to at least go out for a walk and I have just recently joined the gym..wish me luck there! lol

Good luck w/ your exercise plan. I'm not a big fan of exercising but I gotta do it. I walk the treadmill at the gym at work on lunch time. Its not much but just starting off I feel good about it.

Congrats on your success! :ohmy: Your before and after pics are an inspiration to me! I am 5'5" and have almost the exact same starting and goal weights as you. Although, the 175 goal was set by my doctor and I wouldn't mind going lower than that.

If you don't mind me asking... Do you have much excess skin? Did your cup size change significantly?

Congrats on your fantastic weight loss! I really think that you look great!

I am not sure when the mind actually catches up with the body. I am kind of on the other end. I really don't realize how big I am until I take a hard look at myself in photos. I see a shirt or pants and think that they are HUGE and must fit me....then I try them on and they are too tight (or can't even get them over the butt)! Maybe when I lose the weight I will have your situation, until then I am trying to get my body to match my mental picture of myself!

You take care and keep up the fantastic work!

Wow, you look great... thanks for sharing!

Heidi

Congratulations! You are so my INSPIRATION! I started at the exact same weight at surgery, and have the goal of 175-185. Thanks for sharing. What would you say is your average weight loss every week?:thumbup:

It never hits you that you are normal size, at least for me. I sit and still feel I am overweight, then I catch myself in a restaurant window as I walk by and see how I really look. I'm tiny on the outside, but still that "made fun of, shy girl" on the inside. The reality is....every time I look in the mirror at myself, I am always surprised that people see ME as "normal".

My banding was 19 months ago and now my new weight is 'normal'. My big fear is putting weight back on, but my eating habits are so different now, and I prefer it this way. I don't eat a lot and a large number of foods I used to eat are just plain off the menu, like pizza, butter/mayo/dressing/fat, ice cream, Peanut Butter, most beef, nuts, chips, other crap. I do eat 'bad' foods once in a while but I'm careful with that. I found I really don't like pizza anymore (it tastes like chewy lard on cardboard).

I'm now down lower than my wife has ever known me, and with 20 pounds more I'll weight less than I did when I got out of the military at 24. I'm in 36 trousers now.

What I don't know is what happens in the next year? Once I hit my goal of 185, I expect I'll keep losing? That's true so far; still losing 4-5 pounds a month. Will I eventually hot a balance point where the calorie restriction to keep losing weight is unhealthy?

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My banding was 19 months ago and now my new weight is 'normal'. My big fear is putting weight back on, but my eating habits are so different now, and I prefer it this way. I don't eat a lot and a large number of foods I used to eat are just plain off the menu, like pizza, butter/mayo/dressing/fat, ice cream, Peanut Butter, most beef, nuts, chips, other crap. I do eat 'bad' foods once in a while but I'm careful with that. I found I really don't like pizza anymore (it tastes like chewy lard on cardboard).

I'm now down lower than my wife has ever known me, and with 20 pounds more I'll weight less than I did when I got out of the military at 24. I'm in 36 trousers now.

What I don't know is what happens in the next year? Once I hit my goal of 185, I expect I'll keep losing? That's true so far; still losing 4-5 pounds a month. Will I eventually hot a balance point where the calorie restriction to keep losing weight is unhealthy?

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I think it is possible for that to happen. If it does, your doctor will probably remove a little Fluid from your band so that you can eat a bit more. It is a balancing act! But, as you lose, you'll need fewer calories, so the closer you get to goal, the slower the weight loss should become.

Wow. You go girl! You look terrific. I hope you are immensely proud of your accomplishments.

I'm 4 years out, and maintaining a normal weight for 2 1/2 years and in the best shape of my life. I'm at the point where just recently on most days I realize that I am a normal weight person, but I still have my days where I need to look at a picture to "believe" it's me. I have a question for you: When someone gives you a compliment about how your look, have you learned to say thank you, without excuses or long explanations. If not, try practicing. That was really hard for me, but it helped me get used to living in a normal body. Another strange turning point was when the compliments slowed down. People were getting used to the new me, but I was still craving the feedback; that was another defining moment as my body image trailed behind the changes in my body.

This has been an amazing journey. I've learned so much about myself during the process. I've blogged about a lot of these experiences. If you're interested, here's the link Gloria's Banded Living — My Lapband Weight Loss Success Story . Let me know if it helps.

Edited July 7, 201016 yr by atgoalgal

Congratulations! Your story is truly inspiring!