3 yrs ago today I was 52 yrs old who couldn't walk a flight of stairs without being winded - I measured whatever I did on how much physical activity would be involved (if it was too much I wouldn't do it) - I was eating and sleeping my life away.

Fast Forward 3 yrs - I am now 55 yrs old - I feel 10 yrs younger - have more energy than a 30 yrs old (you know the 50's is the new 30's ;0).

The secret you ask - There is no secret really - this is truly all about making a lifetime lifestyle.

I haven't dieted since I was banded - not one day... Diets don't work!!! I realized that - I finally realized that the reason that I always regained the weight was cuz after I lost it - I would go back to eating "normal" and quit exercising.. Well the light bulb finally went off - My eating normal and lack of exercise was what got me fat in the 1st place..

Today I eat healthy... Lower fat - less sugar and I hit they gym 3-4 times a week.

I followed the rules - I eat my Protein 1st - I don't drink w/meal

eat off small plates - tiny bites - chew very well - 3 meals and 2 healthy Snacks.

I still allow for treats (cake Cookies fried foods) but they are now treats - not something I eat in unlimited quantities - 24/7 - 365.

If I go to a birthday party - I have a piece of cake & ice cream - I go out w/friends and have a couple cocktails etc.. Remember this isn't a diet - but a total lifetime lifestyle change.. It's all about our food choices..

For the 1st year - I kept a food & exercise diary - for the 1st few months I weighed and measured my food.. These things were learning tools - Pre-band - 2 cups of rice was a serving size and I had to learn what a real serving size looked like (1/2 cup)

I was lucky cuz when I first joined lbt - I was told that the band was only a tool - it wasn't going to lose the weight for me - that the real work was up to me..

Yes it has been work - there are times even today when I still want to eat when I am physically full - but that's head hunger not real hunger and that is something that takes a long time to recognized the diff between.

There are days that I might not feel like going to the gym - But again - if I want those treats - if I want to maintain my weight loss I now know that I must move/exercise and this is coming from someone who avoided any kind of exercise at all cost..

You could almost say that today I am a little bit of a gym rat (not totally 1 hr is my max time spent in the gym on any given day).. My latest thing is boot camp where I really work up a sweat.. I also love my weight training !!! Muscle has replaced the fat !!

Oh next you are going to ask - what about the flabby skin issues.. Yes I have bat wing - Yes I have the saggy skin - but gotta tell you that flabby skin isn't going to kill me but 114 lbs of fat was.

So I deal with the skin issues and I have learned to accept my body (well pretty much of course I have days that I hate myself for ever letting myself get fat in the 1st place) and a pair of spanx's helps the rest of the time..

So peeps - it can be done - I am no diff than you... I am a food addict - now I am in recovery - I have learned that food isn't going to make my problems go away - it's not really doing anything for my boredom - and that temporary comfort that it gave me no longer out weighs what the adverse effects where doing to me.

I have taken my power back and that is empowering in itself..

Last week I walked down the candy isle at the grocery store and snubbed my nose at it as it was calling my name - I actually said (in my head of course) You no longer have power over me - if I want a candy - I will buy 1 candy bar - I am no longer buying it by the bags and consuming it all in 1 nite.. That was an empowering day !!!

So to all of you who are doing your research on the band - Please know that you can achieve your goals - But there is work involved and YOU have to do the work and not rely on the band to do it for you.

You gotta follow the rules - You gotta make this a lifetime lifestyle change - the band is only a tool it doesn't make your food choices and it doesn't exercise for you - it's not going to lose the weight - it's going to make the hard job of losing it a little easier but the real work will be up to you..

The band will make you physically fuller on a smaller amount of food - but it's never going to take away your head hunger and that's where the work comes in - learning the difference between the two..

Like my signature says

Eating healthy + Exercise + Band = SUCCESS (in that order)

Edited July 17, 201016 yr by IndioGirl55

Your band-anniversary pretty much is my starting point. Thank you for sharing your journey and your wise words.

You are an inspiration!

NJ

What you say is soooo true. The band is just the tool and we have to do the work. But the benefits are amazing. I love this tool!

Great job - you're a great role model!!

IndioGirl - You look great. You are such an inspiration to me and probably many others. You give me the strength to get back on track. thank you so much for sharing. :smile2:

Best Wishes to you.

dolores

WOW! This was really inspiring! I was just banded on July 9th. I wish I could save this to read daily. I have been looking for some inspiration and I think I have found it. Congratulations to you! :smile2:

Thanks Peeps !!!

I am glad to be of help... I feel so good - I want the same for all of you !!! I want you all to feel as good as I do today...

You can do it !!!

Thanks for the boost! You look great! I'm getting my band on August 25,2010. I hope I have a success story to share when it's all said and done. Take care!

You look so happy and healthy!! Congratulations on all the hard work. I am 2.5 year bandster who lost 160 pounds and I totally agree with everything you said. The band is only a tool that helps with portion control. My band does not tell me what to eat or make me go to boot camp 3x a week. WE DO THAT!! Your definition of a successful bandster is spot on! Congrats again, you look amazing!

Barb

You look so happy and healthy!! Congratulations on all the hard work. I am 2.5 year bandster who lost 160 pounds and I totally agree with everything you said. The band is only a tool that helps with portion control. My band does not tell me what to eat or make me go to boot camp 3x a week. WE DO THAT!! Your definition of a successful bandster is spot on! Congrats again, you look amazing!

Barb

Barb - Congrat on your 160 lbs !!!! That's super !!!

Yep we can't eat like we use to and expect to lose the weight. We can't sit on the couch 24/7 and think that the weight is going to melt off ..

The definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over again an expecting a diff result..

Nice Job on the Post. You look fantastic. You are TINY. Can you stand it??!!!! Thanks for the Pep Talk, can't wait for that to be me.

3 yrs ago today I was 52 yrs old who couldn't walk a flight of stairs without being winded - I measured whatever I did on how much physical activity would be involved (if it was too much I wouldn't do it) - I was eating and sleeping my life away.

Fast Forward 3 yrs - I am now 55 yrs old - I feel 10 yrs younger - have more energy than a 30 yrs old (you know the 50's is the new 30's ;0).

The secret you ask - There is no secret really - this is truly all about making a lifetime lifestyle.

I haven't dieted since I was banded - not one day... Diets don't work!!! I realized that - I finally realized that the reason that I always regained the weight was cuz after I lost it - I would go back to eating "normal" and quit exercising.. Well the light bulb finally went off - My eating normal and lack of exercise was what got me fat in the 1st place..

Today I eat healthy... Lower fat - less sugar and I hit they gym 3-4 times a week.

I followed the rules - I eat my Protein 1st - I don't drink w/meal

eat off small plates - tiny bites - chew very well - 3 meals and 2 healthy Snacks.

I still allow for treats (cake Cookies fried foods) but they are now treats - not something I eat in unlimited quantities - 24/7 - 365.

If I go to a birthday party - I have a piece of cake & ice cream - I go out w/friends and have a couple cocktails etc.. Remember this isn't a diet - but a total lifetime lifestyle change.. It's all about our food choices..

For the 1st year - I kept a food & exercise diary - for the 1st few months I weighed and measured my food.. These things were learning tools - Pre-band - 2 cups of rice was a serving size and I had to learn what a real serving size looked like (1/2 cup)

I was lucky cuz when I first joined lbt - I was told that the band was only a tool - it wasn't going to lose the weight for me - that the real work was up to me..

Yes it has been work - there are times even today when I still want to eat when I am physically full - but that's head hunger not real hunger and that is something that takes a long time to recognized the diff between.

There are days that I might not feel like going to the gym - But again - if I want those treats - if I want to maintain my weight loss I now know that I must move/exercise and this is coming from someone who avoided any kind of exercise at all cost..

You could almost say that today I am a little bit of a gym rat (not totally 1 hr is my max time spent in the gym on any given day).. My latest thing is boot camp where I really work up a sweat.. I also love my weight training !!! Muscle has replaced the fat !!

Oh next you are going to ask - what about the flabby skin issues.. Yes I have bat wing - Yes I have the saggy skin - but gotta tell you that flabby skin isn't going to kill me but 114 lbs of fat was.

So I deal with the skin issues and I have learned to accept my body (well pretty much of course I have days that I hate myself for ever letting myself get fat in the 1st place) and a pair of spanx's helps the rest of the time..

So peeps - it can be done - I am no diff than you... I am a food addict - now I am in recovery - I have learned that food isn't going to make my problems go away - it's not really doing anything for my boredom - and that temporary comfort that it gave me no longer out weighs what the adverse effects where doing to me.

I have taken my power back and that is empowering in itself..

Last week I walked down the candy isle at the grocery store and snubbed my nose at it as it was calling my name - I actually said (in my head of course) You no longer have power over me - if I want a candy - I will buy 1 candy bar - I am no longer buying it by the bags and consuming it all in 1 nite.. That was an empowering day !!!

So to all of you who are doing your research on the band - Please know that you can achieve your goals - But there is work involved and YOU have to do the work and not rely on the band to do it for you.

You gotta follow the rules - You gotta make this a lifetime lifestyle change - the band is only a tool it doesn't make your food choices and it doesn't exercise for you - it's not going to lose the weight - it's going to make the hard job of losing it a little easier but the real work will be up to you..

The band will make you physically fuller on a smaller amount of food - but it's never going to take away your head hunger and that's where the work comes in - learning the difference between the two..

Like my signature says

Eating healthy + Exercise + Band = SUCCESS (in that order)

Amazing story and very motivational...I really needed this today!

Thank you for your post and congratulations on all of your success! I am at the beginning of the process and hope to be as successful as you :thumbup:

Happy bandversary. Congrats on your maintenance routine. superb, quite inspirational. You`re looking great.

Happy Anniversary!! Your article was very inspiring to me. I'll be 3 years out in November. I'm going a little backwards from my lowest weight, but am trying very hard to get back on track.

I've recently joined a support group for the first time and am beginning a food addicts group next week.

I am fighting the "old habits" and "head hunger" issues right now, but think I'll come out the winner.

Thanks for sharing your encouraging thoughts and keep up the wonderful progress.

Nancee

Happy Anniversary!! Your article was very inspiring to me. I'll be 3 years out in November. I'm going a little backwards from my lowest weight, but am trying very hard to get back on track.

I've recently joined a support group for the first time and am beginning a food addicts group next week.

I am fighting the "old habits" and "head hunger" issues right now, but think I'll come out the winner.

Thanks for sharing your encouraging thoughts and keep up the wonderful progress.

Nancee

Nancee

A bit of advice - that the words Try & I Think out of your vocabulary - Replace them with I WILL & I KNOW... I used positive affirmation during my journey and I still do..

If you think you can't you won't - if you know you can you will. ;0)

You can never ever go back to your old habits - they are what got us fat in the 1st place.. I have a healthy fear of food (well imho I do ;0) I allow splurges/treats about once a week and don't flake at the gym to often - Sometimes life gets in the way - but 98% of the time I eat healthy..

You can do this !!!! Pull up those boot straps and move forward..

Glad you are getting the support you need - LBT has been that for me..

Hugs Janet

Happy bandversary. Congrats on your maintenance routine. superb, quite inspirational. You`re looking great.

Thanks KCG