Okay I’m going to be very real and honest here. I’m going to tell you about my year two band journey. But before I do that, let me tell you about year one. Year one I was very motivated and committed to my band journey. I watched what I ate (too an extent) and workout on a semi regular basis. Semi being the key word here, I was about as committed as I could be at the time. I mean come on, I had surgery and that was supposed to be the end of the road right. No additional commitment on my end, the surgery was going to do everything for me( yeah I know good thought process going into this journey). Now don’t get me wrong I did try to be the best band patient I could, considering I had to give up what I most wanted “FOOD”.

I consider my 1st year successful, I lost 60 pounds without a lot of effort on my part. It was great, the weight was coming off, I was discovering a new me. My life in general was going great on all accounts, and then something awful happened. I gave up on my band. I became complacent; I was enjoying my weight loss and the new found me.

So here we are now at my year two journey. I basically focused on every aspect of my life except for my weight loss. I didn’t work out for a year, I didn’t visit my surgeon, and I didn’t weigh myself. I went to school to become a “Certified Life Coach”, so I could help others taking the same journey I was taking. I put all of my focus into building a business, and I placed my weight loss on the back burner. So basically year two of my band journey can be considered a failure, no weight loss in year how is that possible?

I’ll tell you how it’s possible, I was happy with the new me. I liked the new clothes I was wearing, I liked being able to get around and do the things I wanted to do, I was enjoying life like I had never enjoyed life before. So I really don’t consider year two a failure I consider it a learning experience. I mean come on I didn’t lose one pound in a year’s time, however I didn’t gain one pound in a year’s time either. How many other diets/programs do you know of where you stay stable for that amount of time?

My light bulb moment came when I was coaching w/my coach (business coach of all coaches). She asked me what my goals were, and where I saw myself in 5 years. What came out of my mouth next was unexpected. I said I wanted to reach my weight loss goal (what do you mean you want to reach your weight loss goal, your happy with the new you, you don’t need to do anymore, your fine how you are now) then I proceeded to say I signed up for 120 pound weight loss and I’ve lost 60 of those pounds and now I want the rest to come off. By reaching this goal, I can be an inspiration to others and most importantly I will have accomplished something I set out to complete the first time in my whole life.

Being morbidly obese you have a built in excuse as to why you don’t achieve your goals. I’m too fat to exercise, it’s too hard, and you feel defeated before you even start whatever project is you want to work on. Well now I’m not morbidly obese; I don’t have the built in excuse. How can I inspire others to reach goal if I’m not at goal myself? Oh trust me; that one tiny little question opened up a flood gate of emotions, thoughts, and feelings I didn’t even know resided in me. So I really had to take a hard look at myself and re-evaluate my game plan. A plan is exactly what I came up with.

I made an appointment to go see my surgeon. When I got there I was weighed and yep sure enough the exact same weight I was from my last visit, 14 months earlier. Dr. V comes into the room, looks at my chart and too my surprise the last time I saw him was for a un-fill. I haven’t had a fill in over a year, are you kidding me? I was shocked I haven’t had a fill in over a year.

So Dr. V asked me what I wanted to do, I said give me a fill and let’s get this band doing what it was designed to do; help me lose weight. That was two months ago and 20 pounds later I can honestly say, “I was failing my band”. I became comfortable with the new me, I lost my focus on my goal, and I just became down right lazy in my weight loss efforts.

Now I am working out 6 days a week, eating good healthy food and really reaping the benefits by following my band rules. I know I’m a food addict always have been always will be. By accepting this fact, doesn’t mean I’m a terrible person; it means I’m a realistic person. I follow a food program and workout program 6 days a week and then on Saturday I give myself a “Free Day” I can eat what I want without guilt or regret.

I am a complete believer of everything in moderation, if you deprive yourself of everything you want, you only set yourself up for failure. I’m a complete choco-olic, I love me some chocolate and now with my plan I know on Saturday’s I can have it completely guilt free.

So I ask each of you to do what I did and ask yourself the hard question. “Is your band failing you or Are you failing your band?” If your not following up with your surgeon and getting the support you need, you are not going to see the results you want to see, should see and most of all deserve to see. If your not losing a minimum of 4 pounds a month you might need a fill or an un-fill. Yes we can be too tight and that serves no good purpose, you will not see weight loss being too tight. Keep in touch with surgeon, he/she wants to help you and they can’t help you if they don’t know what is going on.

I wish each one of you a successful, fun filled (no pun intended) band journey.

To tell you the truth I'm not sure who is failing. Last time I weighed before my scale went dead on me I weighed in at 195. I started out at 252 at my consultation. So I was jazzed. I felt happy and excited I had made it under the 200 mark. So, I am confident I go and buy me a new scale. It is a digital one and I step on and it says I weight 221. I freak. Or should I say my mindset freaks and spins out on this negative trip that I can't seem to get off of. I cried myself to sleep last night in my husbands arms thinking I am a failure, that even the lap band can't help me. I am afraid to go to see my doctor or even to go get a fill. I am afraid they will announce, "oh look here, we have the failure, Dieta" and everyone will laugh at me. I am so upset I have been on the verge of tears all day long. I don't know how to face this set back. Right now all I can think of is getting this failure out of me, but then I will still have me and I can't lose that failure, which seems to be the biggest failure of them all. Coupled with my period I feel pretty lousy today. :cry:think

To tell you the truth I'm not sure who is failing. Last time I weighed before my scale went dead on me I weighed in at 195. I started out at 252 at my consultation. So I was jazzed. I felt happy and excited I had made it under the 200 mark. So, I am confident I go and buy me a new scale. It is a digital one and I step on and it says I weight 221. I freak. Or should I say my mindset freaks and spins out on this negative trip that I can't seem to get off of. I cried myself to sleep last night in my husbands arms thinking I am a failure, that even the lap band can't help me. I am afraid to go to see my doctor or even to go get a fill. I am afraid they will announce, "oh look here, we have the failure, Dieta" and everyone will laugh at me. I am so upset I have been on the verge of tears all day long. I don't know how to face this set back. Right now all I can think of is getting this failure out of me, but then I will still have me and I can't lose that failure, which seems to be the biggest failure of them all. Coupled with my period I feel pretty lousy today. :cry:think

You have all ready start back on the road to weight loss by facing the scale. Now face the doctor and see about another fill. We all now how easy it is to let the weight creep back on, and facing the fact that we do let our guard down once and while. Just dust yourself off and try to stay postive. You have done it before so you know you can do it again. You have all the support that you need right here.

carol

To tell you the truth I'm not sure who is failing. Last time I weighed before my scale went dead on me I weighed in at 195. I started out at 252 at my consultation. So I was jazzed. I felt happy and excited I had made it under the 200 mark. So, I am confident I go and buy me a new scale. It is a digital one and I step on and it says I weight 221. I freak. Or should I say my mindset freaks and spins out on this negative trip that I can't seem to get off of. I cried myself to sleep last night in my husbands arms thinking I am a failure, that even the lap band can't help me. I am afraid to go to see my doctor or even to go get a fill. I am afraid they will announce, "oh look here, we have the failure, Dieta" and everyone will laugh at me. I am so upset I have been on the verge of tears all day long. I don't know how to face this set back. Right now all I can think of is getting this failure out of me, but then I will still have me and I can't lose that failure, which seems to be the biggest failure of them all. Coupled with my period I feel pretty lousy today. :cry:think

I agree with Carol. You faced the scale, you can face the doctor. You can face anything you need to face in order to get healthy. Remember, this isn't a "diet" that you failed...this is a new lifestyle and you need an adjustment to continue living that lifestyle. If you went 10,000 miles without an oil change in your car, you may have some problems with it, but you wouldn't worry about the mechanic getting upset with you about going too long without an oil change. Look at this as your maintainence appointment to get you up and running smoothly again. You can do it, you can face it. You are not a failure just because you had a set back. The scale is what it is, you're weight is what it is. Only you can change those numbers up or down. You lost over 50 pounds, you can do it again, and then some! You go girl! Don't let this keep you from your victory!

Honey you are not a failure, you bought a new scale and it very well could be wrong. If your able to wear the same clothes, you have not gained 26 lbs. Call your surgeon, he wants to hear from you so he can help you.

If you need me, just shoot me a email I'm here for you!!