Getting back on track

My last entry here was at my 1 year Banderversary, 5 months ago.  These last few months have been filled with some amazing times.  Biggest thing that happened is that my fiancé and I got married!!!

At some point over the summer I had gotten a fill and shortly after realized it was too much.  I was getting stuck all the time and getting pretty frustrated.  I had some fluid (0.25 cc) taken out of the band and immediately began to feel better and was able to eat normal (as normal as a lapband patient can eat).  As the summer flew by I started feeling like I could use another fill but chose to hold off until after the wedding.  I started noticing some of my portions were getting a little larger and stopped weighing out my salads.  Peter and I decided that on our wedding day we would eat what we wanted without going overboard.  We both ate a few appetizers that were not low-carb and even splurged and had a few bites of our wedding cake.   

We did not want to look back on the day and regret not doing something. 

Right after the wedding we left for our honeymoon in Disney World!!  One of the reasons we chose there is because we knew that we be eating some things that were not on our low-carb lapband food plan and that we would be doing a TON of walking.  We enjoyed our selves while at Disney, deciding this was our one and only honeymoon and made sure we did a lot of walking.  Our off-plan eating had an expiration date of the last day of the honeymoon and we knew we were returning to our low-carb lifestyle once back in NY. 

I have to say we have been back for 3 weeks now and it is not as easy this time around to get off the carbs!!  While I am doing it, it almost seems like a struggle.  This time around (as opposed to right after surgery) I’m finding it a little more difficult to quit the carbs.  I can hear those donuts in the kitchen calling my name where before I never even registered they were in the house.  I had a fill this morning which forces me to go back to shakes only for the next few days, a solid three days is what I need to get all carbs out of my system.  I 100% believe that keeping the carbs out is what contributed mostly to this weight loss, plus the smaller portions.  Hoping this fill is what I need to get my butt back in gear. 

Here is a pic from the morning of surgery 6/8/11 and my wedding day 10/5/12!  Never in a million years could I have pulled off that dress pre-surgery :-) 

 Here is a pic of my husband and I pre-surgery Christmas 2010 and one from our wedding day 10/5/12.

For those of you that would like to contact me with questions about my journey with the Lapband please feel free to email me at Dana.Lapband@gmail.com

 

One whole year under my belt!!!

I can honestly say I have not idea where the last year has gone!!!!  Seems like just yesterday I was going through all my pre-op appts and getting all that done.  I can not believe that today marks my 1 year "banderversary"!!!!  I have been living with this band for the past year and will say until I am blue in the face that this was the BEST decision I have ever made!

Over the past few months my weight loss has slowed but as of this morning I am down 92 lbs since day of surgery.  When I started this journey I wore size 2XL tops and size 24 pants, I now wear a size 10 (almost an 8) pants and small shirt!!!  I still have 39 more lbs to go and plan on getting my butt in gear to drop that last bit as quick as possible. 

One year ago I could not have imagined getting to this point.  Has it all be easy.............. NO! But it has all been worth it!!!  I gladly share my experience with anyone who asks so please feel free to message me with any questions!

The compliments from friends and family never get old, in fact they are what motivates me to keep on track.  I love the surprised look on my patients faces when they realize its me!  For my next blog I am going to come up with a list of all the positive things that have changed over this past year :-)  

Shopping frustrations

I have always considered myself a professional shopper.  I would go shopping every day if time (& money) allowed it!  This past week I needed to buy a few staples for my wardrobe,  everything was starting to get baggy & saggy.  I spent far to much of my life in clothes like that so once I go down a size a pick up a few things to get me through a few months.  In the beginning of this weight loss journey I loved going shopping, I was just so happy when things actually fit right and I could shop in "regular" stores.  This past week I went to several stores by myself, couldn't make a decision on anything and nearly cried in one store in the dressing room!  I realized I have spent the last 10 + years buying clothes that fit, not putting much thought in to how they looked.  At my heaviest I refused to by pants in the next size up so for a while I wore stretch pants to work (and sneakers too since that was the only shoes I could wear). I have no idea what looks good or what my style is.  Finally decided I can not go shopping by myself right now.  Yesterday I went shopping with my future mother-in-law and sister-in-law and was so grateful to have there opinions.  I was tending to look at all the negative things in everything where they were able to help me see all the good :-)

One of my biggest problems right now is I can't wrap my head around the fact that I am smaller.  I take my monthly photos to really show myself what a difference there is but this might be the hardest thing my brain has tried to understand LOL.  I look in the mirror and can see that I am smaller but my brain still thinks I am bigger.  I have no concept on if I am bigger or smaller then someone else.  Not that I am trying to compare myself to anyone, I am just trying to "see" what I look like now. 

In January I had fill in the band but kept getting stuck on chicken so in the beginning of February I had a slight un-fill.  Because I kept getting stuck I was probably a little swollen.  I don't think my band was too tight I think my issue was after each time I was stuck I never allowed the irritation to calm down and just kept getting stuck.  They took a little of the fluid out to help bring down the swelling and it made a huge difference.  After a few weeks everything calmed down and I needed to have that fluid added back in so this past week I had a fill.  I honestly hate the days after a fill, all those days with no eating make me miserable!

In February I also finally picked out my wedding dress with the help of my awesome consultant!  My bust and hips were two different sizes so we decided to order the dress the smaller size.  My dress came in in one week and is about 2 inches from zipping all the way up.  Talk about motivation!!!  Can't stop now, I have a wedding dress to fit in to!

 As of 3/19/12 I was down 81 lbs, pants have gone from a tight size 24 to a 12, and shirts size 2XL to medium!!!  I have said it a million times before and will say it a million more times "While the decision to have weight loss surgery is not for everyone, I 1000% believe it was the BEST decision for me!"