A few days late lol .. I actually managed to forget about my bandiversary :/

Its hard to believe its been a year since I started this whole thing. While I'm a bit peeved at myself for not meeting my personal goal of 100 lbs off in a year, I still say that this band is the best thing I've ever done for my health. I don't regret it for a moment.

I'll be honest and say I probably went into this thinking it was the easy way out. Its not... I've had to work for what I've achieved. I changed my eating habits and I've spent alot of the past year in the gym lol .. even began to enjoy working out. But it is a fantastic tool and without it, I couldn't have lost what I have.

I've also come to find that losing weight doesn't necessarily make life better. In the past, I've been known to say, "Oh, when I lose weight I'll be able to <fill in the blank>". That's just not always the case. If the blank happens to be a mental/head issue .. like being shy or self conscious or something .. these things need work too. I found myself having a bit of a break down when I could no longer turn to food for comfort. It had always been my coping mechanism. I've had to look for other ways to find comfort or work out problems. Its not easy, but I'm getting there...

So I'm down 95 lbs, from 262 to 167. I've went from a size 20-22 US to a size 10-12 US. My bmi has gone from 41 to 26. My sleep apnea is completely gone.

The past month I've hit a bit of a brick wall and haven't lost anything at all. That's partly because I've been slack and partly because I've quit smoking. I know what I have to do to get back on the wagon, so I just need to do it.

On April 3rd, I'll be having a tummy tuck and a breast reduction. Hopefully I can drop this last 5kgs before then. If I get back into the gym and stop grazing, I know I can do it.

Well, that's my past year in a nutshell....

Woooooohoooooooooooo Jess!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I knew you would do it. You are such an inspiration. I love ya mate

Way to go Jess! You have done so well! I cant wait to see before and after pics of your plastic's.

Wow! Congrats Jess! That rocks!

Congratulations!!! Thank you for the inspiration. As a pre-bander, I hope I can post a year from that I lost the same amount. Good luck with the plastic surgeon!

Congratulations:clap2: :clap2: :clap2:

You're truly a inspiration

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Thanks everyone - ya'll always make me feel so good lol.

Vines, its sooooooooo hard to narrow it down to 10, because really, I've loved ALL of my NSVs, but if I had to pick, I think these are probably tops in my book:-

1. I can walk into a regular clothing shop and fit into stuff - plus, its cheaper than the plus size stores!
   
2. My sleep apnea is completely gone.
   
3. When flying, I had a good 6 - 8 inches left on the end of the seatbelt, in economy.
   
4. I was able to keep up with my 8 year old at a theme park - even out walked her a time or two
   
5. I can walk up a flight of stairs without feeling like I am going to pass out.
   
6. For the first time in my life, I weigh less than my husband. I've always been atleast 5kgs (11 lbs) heavier than him (since we met) and now I'm 40kgs (88 lbs) lighter than him!!!
   
7. My wedding dress is WAY too big for me.
   
8. My mom brags to her friends and family about my weight loss (something she would have never done in the past).
   
9. My thighs don't rub together or chafe when I'm wearing skirts.
   
10. I wore shorts for the first time in over 8 years... and they look good lol.