Celebrating my one year

[reverie 49]

I could probably post in this in success stories but I like post-op better

At one year out I'm down 116lbs. This time last year I was sitting in the recovery room with my mom with a lady from some other floor puking up her guts in the next bed over. Let me say the beginning of my journey was NOT pleasant. From being written the wrong prescription for my medicine (somehow they wrote my script with the wrong name) to the nurse telling me I can't use Gas-X strips because they contain sugar (post-op instructions for someone who had gastic bypass) the first day was pretty much hell. We got to the hospital at 5:00AM and didn't get home until midnight. It SUCKED! My surgeon had to call in a prescription at a 24 hour pharmacy at 11AM at night. But, I will say that has been the only horrible part of my journey. Otherwise, it has been flawless and so smooth-sailing. I didn't get stuck until about 6 months in -- thank you dry turkey meat! I've found that I have gotten stuck a bit more often than I did in the beginning, but that's probably due to the fact that I like to experiment with food, and I have yet to master eating slowly. Maybe one day.

My first goal weight was 120lbs but I've since upped it to 125lbs; last I weighed I was 130.6lbs, so not exactly at goal, but so close I can feel it! I never imagined losing 100lbs in a year, let alone 50lbs honestly. Pre-op I was lazy as no other. I went to work, came home, sat on my laptop, and ate. Nowadays my schedule is pretty much the same, except I workout for a good hour and a half+ now. I am well aware of what I put into my mouth, I hold myself accountable, and rarely do make excuses to not exercise. This is my journey, and not everyone will take the path I took, that's the beauty of it all. I chose no fills and to workout/track my food. Some may go this route, some won't. It's all about what works for you.

Hopefully this is helpful to people who are pre-op and post-op. I find that I am coming here less and less so hopefully some of you soon-to-be band-vets stick around to keep everyone in check These forums have been so helpful to me since day one and the wealth of knowledge here is great.

15 things I've learned along the way:

1. The scale isn't everything. Yes we all want to see the scale move but there is so much more to weight loss than the scale. Inches lost are important as are the beloved NSVs (non-scale victories.) Focus on how different you feel as well, both mentally and physically. When you do hop on the scale, limit it to once or twice a week, not every day. (Unless you're in maintenance mode, then every day may be most helpful.)

2. Exercise is a must do. Start off slow and intensify as you lose. Once I got out of surgery and was cleared to walk, I walked. I probably went around the hospital floor 50 times, in the same boring circle. I'm sure the nurses thought I was nuts. From that day on I've exercised my butt off, literally. I started with walking to doing indoor exercises including the Beachbody programs (Slim-in-6, Insanity, P90, P90M, and P90X.) I will also be doing RushFIT at some point in time.

3. It's okay to cheat; in fact, it's part of "dieting." I allow myself cheat Snacks every now and then to keep myself sane. It's been proven that ignoring a small craving usually only leads to a larger much more unhealthy binge. I have been a long-time Reese's lover so I'll treat myself to one when I want. I even eat ice cream everyday almost. Note: I've only started this as I get closer to my goal, I didn't do this all along.

4. Weight loss isn't always steady. Though I lost 1-2lbs pretty steadily for months, I hit many plateaus. There was 2 weeks where I lost nothing. There were weeks when I lost 5lbs+ in a week. In fact there were times when I gained, not much, but a gain on the scale nearly sent me up the wall, and it still does.

5. Water is tasteless but so useful. I really haven't drunk anything but Water since surgery, with the exception of a few sips of things here and there. Water keeps me full when I'm not eating and it keeps you hydrated! I use Crystal Light to spice things up a bit.

6. Protein is a lovely thing. Protein protein protein, mmm, protein. I've learned that protein is a must have if you're losing weight. This doesn't mean you have to go all out on your protein levels a day, but aim for 60g minimum. I personally eat my weight in protein, but this is my preference and has to do a lot with my exercise and weightlifting. I've always been a chicken eater/lover so I stick to eating just that most of the time: chicken, turkey, and sometimes fish.

7. Food tracking keeps you well, on track. Tracking what you eat helps keep you mentally sound, or at least it did for me. Track everything you eat each day and each meal. This way you're able to see your intake levels for calories, carbs, protein, etc. and adjust accordingly.

8. Carbs are NOT the enemy. When I first started to lose I stayed away from carbs. This was simply due to the fact that my trouble foods seemed to be carb filled: Pasta, rice, corn, and bread. I was eating about 30-40g of carbs a day post-op. I will say that it worked flawlessly and I lost plenty because of my carb-cut, but I do want to say that carbs are not the enemy here. Nowadays I eat carbs like they're nothing. Why? I workout; carbs are the fuel I need. However I will admit to making low-carb recipes all the time and of course still carb count. It is, and always has/will be about calories in vs calories out. In the end carb reduction = calorie reduction.

9. Everyone loses differently; don't compare yourself. I remember looking at forums and seeing how some people lost slowly and how some seemed to drop very quickly. The point is that we will all lose at different rates. Don't compare your weight loss to another's as in the end we're all just looking to lose; who cares about the pace.

10. "Junk food" can be made healthy. Yep, that's right, healthy junk food. I still eat pumpkin pie, Cookies, ice cream, and plenty of other things deemed to be "junk." There is a lovely thing known as healthy foods and ingredients, and with them you can make junk food quite healthy. pumpkin pie? Got it. Ice cream? I'll take a few scoops. I still like to think no food is taboo.

11. Being banded is about Portion Control not for ridding your diet of certain foods. I am one who truly believes that having the band doesn't mean you have to say goodbye to any food. Though I cut out some food when I first started, for my own good, I have added in pretty much everything again, including rice and breads. This time however they're portioned properly. I can't and don't eat bowls of rice/pasta anymore.

12. Set mini-goals. Of course the main goal is to lose weight and reach our goal weight, but set mini-goals along the way to keep you positive. I often set goals that went along with holidays. (ie. a had a goal weight for Christmas, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, etc.)

13. Hold yourself accountable, but don't beat yourself up. Know when you cheat or go-off track and take it from there. Don't beat yourself to death mentally. One bad day won't kill your weight loss efforts.

14. Keep your eyes on the main goal, though it may seem like it's taking forever to get there, you'll get there, sometimes faster than you ever imagined.

15. Be happy for every pound you lose no matter how small it is. If you're 165.2 one week and one 165.0 the next, be happy, be proud, and realize that even though it's a small loss, it is still a loss. As long as the scale is going down, don't complain.

[CheckYes 46]

You are fabulous and should be so proud of your accomplishment. I can only hope that in seven months I am posting something similar. Way to go!

[reverie 49]

You are fabulous and should be so proud of your accomplishment. I can only hope that in seven months I am posting something similar. Way to go!

I bet you will; you're half way there already. Amazing!!

[summer134 23]

What a great post and an even better accomplishment!! Thanks for the 15 things you've learned -- you're an amazing success story. Congratulations!!

[Tobeme 0]

Thank you so much for your post and congratulations on celebrating one year. You did a fabulous job and you should be proud. I just had my surgery May 6 2011 and I will make sure to post something similar on my anniversay too it was very inspiring and helpful to me.

Thanks again

[reverie 49]

Thank you so much for your post and congratulations on celebrating one year. You did a fabulous job and you should be proud. I just had my surgery May 6 2011 and I will make sure to post something similar on my anniversay too it was very inspiring and helpful to me.

Thanks again

May bandsters have the best luck I've heard Good luck on your journey! It'll be a year before you know it.

[Rachel412 116]

Congratulations!! Every time you post and I read your response, and then your sig, it gives me a little boost. You must be so, so thrilled to have lost so much in the past year and proven all of the people who say "banding is a waste of money/a crock" WRONG!

[reverie 49]

Congratulations!! Every time you post and I read your response, and then your sig, it gives me a little boost. You must be so, so thrilled to have lost so much in the past year and proven all of the people who say "banding is a waste of money/a crock" WRONG!

Exactly! It was and is worth it for ME, that's all that matters. It works for me on a daily basis. My band has given me so much more than just that "I'm full" feeling. I swear it somehow triggered a switch in my brain -- the one that said get up off your lazy @$$ LOL.

[Shelley64 26]

Thank you for your awesome post! It is so encouraging. I love the 15 things you learned and will print them off for daily inspiration. It must feel so good to have successfully reached your goal. I'm sure you learned alot about yourself along the way. Thanks for sharing your story!

[reverie 49]

Thank you for your awesome post! It is so encouraging. I love the 15 things you learned and will print them off for daily inspiration. It must feel so good to have successfully reached your goal. I'm sure you learned alot about yourself along the way. Thanks for sharing your story!

Glad I could help! I too re-read those 15 things almost every other day. Even though I am so close to goal, I still get too hard on myself; go figure!

[CheckYes 46]

Exactly! It was and is worth it for ME, that's all that matters. It works for me on a daily basis. My band has given me so much more than just that "I'm full" feeling. I swear it somehow triggered a switch in my brain -- the one that said get up off your lazy @$$ LOL.

That's exactly how I feel. Zero appetite and suddenly want to exercise like it's second nature. It's really bizarre how it affected me. It IS like a switch. Wonder if anyone else feels the same?

[Stargurrl* 5]

You are an inspiration! Congrats : )

[NJGirl32 43]

Thanks so much-I really needed to read an inspiring story like yours! I hope on my 1 year Bandaversary I can say the same!

Did you ever get a fill? I see you posted "No Fill"

[reverie 49]

Thanks so much-I really needed to read an inspiring story like yours! I hope on my 1 year Bandaversary I can say the same!

Did you ever get a fill? I see you posted "No Fill"

Nope. Not one fill.

[dmom 1]

Congrats on your success!