It’s been so long since I have posted. I always formulate a post in my head and then never follow through and get online and write it and post it. Sorry for letting my followers down. But I’ve got a great update!!!!
It’s been a year since I started my journey. I officially started on January 31, 2015 at 256.6 pounds and I was miserable. I’ve been overweight my whole adult life. I’ve lost and gained and lost and gained. I’ve tried every diet you can think of, HcG, Herbal Life, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, counting calories, Ideal Protein, the list goes on. The last couple years have been extra stressful. From March 2014 to July 2014 I gained 50 pounds. I thought it was just one stress in my life that contributed to that weight gain, but now looking back I can see that I had a lot on my plate. I worked full time, I was on a fast paced project at work and I was traveling for that project, I was also going to school full time online, and I was on a roller coaster with my two adult son’s. They battle a drug addiction and at that time we were trying to get them clean and in a program to stay clean and it was 3 months of ups and downs. When I think of all I was dealing with, it’s no wonder I gained so much weight.
In July 2014 I traveled for work and stayed over for a weekend. That weekend I just hung out in my hotel room and ate. I ate so much crap because there was no one around to see what I was eating. Thinking back on it, it’s rather embarrassing. As I was sitting in that room that weekend, I realized that I had a problem and I needed to make a change in my life. I started researching lapband surgery and reading all the blogs I could and made the decision that I wanted to do it. I came home and met with a surgeon and found out that my insurance covered bariatric surgery, I would just have to do six months of monitored nutrition. Tentatively my surgery was planned for February 2015.
During my six months of monitored nutrition, I lost 14 pounds and then promptly gained it back plus a little more. In January 2015, I had my final nutrition appointment and my surgery was approved. On January 31, 2015 I started my pre-op diet and lost 8 pounds and then had my surgery on February 12, 2015.
I haven’t been completely open about my surgery on my Facebook page. If anyone asks me directly what I’m doing, I tell them everything, but I haven’t openly announced that I did have surgery. I think my hesitance to be open about it is because I don’t want people to think I took the easy way out. I can assure you, this journey has not been easy.
A little about the lapband…. it’s an inflatable band that is placed around the opening of your stomach. As it is inflated it creates a pouch above the stomach opening and the food sits there and slowly drains into the stomach. When the band is inflated to the optimal level it will reduce the amount of food you can eat at one time and will suppress your appetite for 3-4 hours. One of the catches is that the process to get to the optimal level takes a while. For me it took a little over 10 months before I got to that point.
Some of the things the band doesn’t do:
- It doesn’t burn calories, I still have to make time for exercise on a regular basis.
- It doesn’t stop me from eating ice cream and cookies, I have to make that choice.
- It doesn’t stop me from eating when I’m stressed, I have to find other ways to deal with my stress.
- It doesn’t prevent me from getting a Venti Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks, I wish it did!
I’ve learned so much in the last year. I’ve made so many positive changes. There have been points during the last year where I wish I would have gotten the sleeve procedure instead of the band. The weight loss is typically faster with a little less effort than I have had to put out. Now, looking back at the last year, I’m so happy with my decision to get the band. I’ve had to fight for every pound that I have lost and I’m happy about that. The weight loss means so much more to me. I’ve accomplished so much. I’m learning better ways to deal with my stress and anxiety than “eating my feelings”. I exercise consistently and that helps keep my head clear. If I’m dealing with something stressful, I try to get out and take a walk if it’s possible. I’m running now. I know my previous posts I shared that I was just starting running, but now I can consistently run a 5K, I can even run 4 miles without stopping, I run 2-3 days a week. I’m finding that unprocessed foods make me feel better and higher processed carbs make me feel miserable. I’ve even been able to let go of the things in my life that I can’t control and approach those things in a whole different way than I would have in the past. I’m less stressed even in stressful situations and I’m less worried all the time. AND I feel great in my clothes. I don’t look in the mirror anymore and say “that’s as good as it’s going to get” and be disappointed seeing the rolls of fat hanging over my jeans!
In November I was struggling and had gotten off track when it came to my eating choices, I still exercised regularly so I wasn’t gaining weight YET, but I knew if I didn’t change something that I would start regaining all the weight I had fought so hard to lose. My cousin is a BeachBody coach and asked me if I wanted to try the 21 Day Fix program. I hesitant because I didn’t want to spend the money, but I decided to just do it. I was only planning on doing the nutrition part because I was happy with my gym routine and I really needed a slap back to reality with my portions and food choices. After about a week of being in the accountability group I was feeling left out! Everyone else was doing the exercises and posting about what they accomplished and I couldn’t relate. I had never even watched one so I had no idea what they were talking about. Dirty30 and Fire Hydrants, oh my! I have never been able to stick to a dvd workout program before, I like it for a week or so but then I hit play and 5 minutes later I find excuses why I need to stop. This is the reason I didn’t want to do the workouts, but I also hated not being part of the group. So I tried the workouts starting the second week and I loved them. I’ve done 2 rounds now and I’m getting ready to start my 3rd round tomorrow. I even cancelled my expensive gym membership. I love the program and the supplements so much that I decided to become a Beach Body Coach. I’m passionate about my new lifestyle and want to help others reach their health and fitness goals so I decided this was the perfect fit for me right now. If you are interested in learning about any of our programs, don’t hesitate to contact me.
Ok Ok Ok…. I’ve rambled enough, now for the results you are all waiting for!!!!
January 31, 2015
256.4 Pounds
53.6% Body Fat
Hips: 52in
Belly Button: 44in
Waist: 39in
January 31, 2016
192.2 Pounds
35% Body Fat
Hips: 42in
Belly Button: 35in
Waist: 31in
Total Loss:
Pounds 64.2lbs
Body Fat 18.6%
Hips 10in
Belly Button 9 in
Waist 8in
∞ Purple Banded ∞ 