Six month of Reflections...

Life with the lap band

I was banded on March 25th, 2008. I have struggled with my weight for the last 15 years. I finally decided to have surgery to give myself a tool to help me become healthy. I have learned many lessons along my journey this far. Some of those lessons have been positive and negative. I should start with the positive.

The band has help me decrease my portions by 2/3. I eat as much as my 5 year old son!

I occassionaly have a diet coke and I rarely finish a whole can. I use to drink 3-4 cans a day.

Water and ice tea are my new drinks!

I am down 2 jean sizes..from a 22 to a 18

I was able to zip up a size 16 formal gown for gala ball I am going to...bought the 18 but did zip the 16!!

I have more energy to play with my kids

I am working on my golf game

I am gaining a little of my self confidence back.

Exercise is starting to become a habit.

I am going to do the work not the band.

I have lost 40lbs.

The other lessons-

-I have only lost 40 lbs

-did not meet my 50 lbs goal at 6 months

-could not reward myself with the new bike for 50 lbs

-my band does not stop me from snacking

-I can and continue to eat for now apparent reason

-I am not going to lose weight unless I exercise 7 days a week. My doctor had to look me in the eye and tell me this for it to really sink in.

-I must always pay attention to how fast I am eating especially when eating in a social setting.

-If your in a conversation while eating you can’t just swallow your food to get your word in the conversation...you must chew, chew then talk...I give my family the 1 more minute finger to let them know I have something I want to add but just need to chew.

-my mental game with my weight is at a all time high. I have not lost anything in the last 3 weeks despite working out hard and with consistency, yet I am continuing on.

-I knew going in to this that it wasn’t going to be easy but deep down I did think the weight was going to come off easier and quicker.

Overall thoughts-

I am glad I have the lap band. It is a tool that I must use. I can chose not to use the tool. It is my decision. I need to not put my sucess in the scale. I need to judge my sucess on the things I can control. I can control what I feed my body with and how often I feed it. I can control if I get up to exercise. I have to make the decision to exercise with minimal effort or really work hard. I have to make up mind DAILY that I am worth the time, money, energy it takes to make myself healthy.

Here’s to the next SIX months!!!

You are doing great! All those lessons learned! Keep up the good work and don't get discouraged. Wa-hoo, you are really doing this!

What a great post. Thanks for sharing those reflections.

I wanted to point out a couple of things:

First, it's very common to hit a plateau at about 6 months post-op. Very common.

Secondly, I finally started exercising consistently at about 5 1/2 months post op. I pretty much hit a 6 week plateau. But the weight is coming off again. I believe I was building my muscle core and now it's going to help me burn off this remaining fat.

You're doing great. Keep up the good work and don't get discouraged if things slow down. It's normal! :tongue2:

Hi Michelle;

I am at 6 months too and have lost 44 pounds- I have been stuck the last month too.

Here's my observations:

My band really helps me keep the weight off. I was on vacation for 2 weeks an ate whatever I wanted including fudge (I was at the beach!) and lots of other sugar. I got home and dreaded weighing myself and I gained 1 pound - yahoo! Usually it would be at least 10 to 15 pounds. And I would keep eating.

Keeping the weight off is the best thing about the band I think. I'm back to eating right and exercising and the weight is coming off again. Down 2 pounds the last 2 days-- because I am eating NO SUGAR!

I cannot eat any sugar and lose weight-- I don't really gain much but I cannot lose.

Also I realize that "One M&M is too many and a thousand is not enough" I am a sugar addict for sure.

I have to work hard to lose weight but the band helps me not gain it back and that is why I love my band!

Keep trucking and keep exercising- I wanted to lose 50 pounds by 6 months too but if I do it by 8 months that's fine too. Be flexible is my motto.

Sadie

Congrats on your accomplishments. I love your reflections because you can see the honesty and sincerety in your post. Some people are in denial about the band being a tool. you're doing great and I wish you all the best for your next 6 months :thumbup:

"Only" 40 pounds? 40 lbs is fantastic! When was the last time you lost 40 pounds this easily?

Be proud of your accomplishment. Realize that some people lose faster or slower but that's them and you are you. There is always someone out there faster or taller or smarter or more talented than you. Who cares? This is NOT a competition.

You have the right attitude.

This is a tool, just a chunk of silicon.

It doesn't choose to lose weight, YOU do.

You are losing weight slow and steady, best possible way.

This is not a diet. There is no "goal" where everything ends.

You permanently changed the way you live, for the better. Things like food habits and activity are not things to do for a while, but as much a part of you as breathing.

A few small tips that seem to work for me:

I almost never watch TV in real time. We have a DVR and I always record so I can fast forward past commercials, especially food ones.

If I find myself staring in the cupboard for a snack, I brush my teeth. The taste curbs my hunger for some reason. (ever drink orange juice tight after brushing? blech.)

Otherwise, I'll go for a quick walk around the neighborhood. A lot of times that 10 minute delay gets my mind off of food, plus it's exercise that gets your metabolism speeded up.

Buy an article of clothing that's you really like and is just a tiny bit too small. Try it on every couple of days. Avoid the scale for a few days too. (I never weigh myself, I just use my clothing fit and belt notches to track size loss.)

Pick one thing you can't do today because of size that you really want to do and daydream a bit about it.

Look at that nasty "before" photo you took. That scares me straight every time.

Thomas Jefferson said: I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.