My up coming annivesary and some food for thought...

I am coming up to my 4 year anniversary and I have been thinking how lucky and blessed I am to be as successful, healthy and problem free as I have been these past 4 years and I hope lots more years of success, free from problems. 

I do work very hard at this band and battle with those food demons.  Oh I want to eat those bad foods all of the time and I don't always win those battles.  Just this past week I gave in and pigged out on peanut butter and chocolate chips...I know weird...but that's what I had in the house (I don't keep junk food in the house ever for this very reason).  But in my defense I have been sick and they have me on steroids and those damn things increase your appetite something awful!!! 

I also exercise like crazy...even being sick I have been to the gym ad the bad weather...nothing stops me!!!  I think even if you break my leg I would hobble over and get on the bike...hahaha!!!  I workout 6 days a week, 60-90 minutes a day.  I do a combination of cardio and weight training and end with stretching.  The stretching is my favorite part...LOL!!!

When I started this journey I was almost 360 lbs...I lost almost 175 lbs. to date.  If you combine all of the inches I have lost they add up to almost 3 feet!!!  My BMI was 54...I'm now 27...almost normal.  That's my goal to have a normal BMI.

When I started I wore a size 30/32 now I am wearing a 12.  I can shop any where I want including the juniors department.  I can sit anywhere I want. 

I am off all my meds.  My cholesterol is normal.  It was around 260...and I was only 35.  I had problems wih my period to the point that I was on medicine to regulate my cycle and they wanted to do a hysterectomy.  I am off the pill and I still have my uterus...and my cycle is normal!!!!  My BP was sky rocketing...again I was only 35!!!  I was told by my doctor that if I didn't lose weight in the next 5-10 years I would see a significant deterioration of the quality of my life!!!  That stuck in my head...I kept thinking what that meant.  Would I be able to work, take care of myself...enjoy myself.  I would only be 40 at that time.  Was I ready to just throw in the towel and just let my fat and health problem kill me!!! HELL NO!!!

I decided to do something and that was the first step in my journey.  I will never regret it for the rest of my life.  I have my life, health and happiness back because of that first step!!! 

I'm not saying this has been easy.  NO!!!  This Band has been my best friend and my mortal enemy!!!  I have not had an easy life.  I got pregnant at 15 and raised my daughter by myself with no help.  So aside from being a single mother...losing this weight has been the single hardest thing I have ever done in my life (even with the Band).  It is the commitment to a new lifestyle and dropping old habits and going to the gym...it can be exhausting emotionally and physically.  But I kept at it...and I'm still keeping at it.  I still want to get to a normal BMI...which is 164!!!!

So I am going to say if there's anyone on fence about getting surgery...whether it's this one or the another...go for it!!!  If you are ready to commit to a new you and a new healthy life...then do it.   When I had my surgery my daughter (who was 20 and away in college at the time) sent me a card with a quote that I found so enlightening and inspirational and it really fit the situation...so I am going to share it with you all.  Leave it to my daughter to find what I think is the perfect quote and it's cute.

All the woulda-coulda-shouldas,

Layin in the sun,

Talkin bout the things

They woulda coulda shoulda done...

But those woulda-coulda-shouldas

All ran away and hid

From one little DID!!!!

SHEL SILVERSTEIN-

 

Now the fun part I get to show you my before and after photos!!!

 

Before picture of e crammed into a booth....I hated having my picture taken...but I was trying to look happy...

 

 

 

Here's my after photos I am posing with my "FAT" pants on...and being silly.  

 

 

 

wow, great story & pictures! I am banded too, and love my band and best thing I have ever done too. Aside from marring my hubby and have three great kids and 2 grandchildren! Now I can live long enough to at least see them graduate high school I hope.

YOU are an inspiration!
YOU have done ALL the HARD Work and have truely owned your weightloss. Yes you had a TOOL assist, but it would not have happened with out YOUR consistency, dedication and owning your life style habits!
Congratulations, oh and YOU are a truely amazing and beautiful woman!

May you continue to be BLESED,
Prek3

You have done a great job! I always enjoy your posts. It is a hard road, but so well worth it. Congratulations

Wow! Thanks for sharing. You are awesome!

Very inspirational. Thanks for posting.

Congrats!

You are awesome!

My 4 year is today and yeah I agree with all the food demonds and other issues. It wasn't what I thought it would be nor happened as quick as I would have liked but I'm here and it is better than where I was 4 years ago.