Original Goal... I did it!



I hit goal once... I CAN do it again!

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Let's show some BOOBs love

I found this morning that a new blogger Kristina is following me and she just started her 21 DAY pre-op diet on Tuesday.  Let's show her a Boobs welcome!  http://lapband-complete180.blogspot.com/


Saturday, June 11, 2011

1 year has came and went, and I have to say... If I can do this, ANYONE CAN!

So my one year banded date has past (June 9) and I am finally getting around to posting my pictures.  Sorry I didn't post them on the day, but since my brother passed away on my 6 month band day, I was having a bad day with the fact that he had been gone 6 months.  I also spent the weekend with my mother in St. Louis.  She has flown in from San Diego for the weekend and then she is leaving on Tuesday and taking my sons (15 & 11) with her for 5 weeks before my father brings them back in July.  They love traveling with my parents in the summertime.  They have been doing this for the past 4 summers.

While in St. Louis, we took my 2 year old to the zoo.  We had a wonderful time and it was awesome to be able to walk around and keep up with her without a problem.

So on to the pictures...  The befores were taken the night before my surgery.  I had lost some weight already and thought I was looking good.  How our perception is warped sometimes...

I know that many of you ask, "What do you eat?"  They glory of this whole process, is I eat ANYTHING I want!  Now mind you, I like to keep pretty well track of what I am eating, but if I want to eat cheese puffs and ice cream that day, I DO!  This band has allowed me to take control of my eating and my life.  I am loving every minute of this new life.   I myself am the first to be amazed by this transformation.  I know that if I can do this, ANYONE can!


Monday, June 6, 2011

1 year measurements

Since I have had my band for one year this week, I decided that it was time to take my measurements again.  I recommend taking measurements to anyone who is researching the band or newly banded.  It really helps to see some changes when the scale doesn't seem to be cooperating.  Anyway, on to the measurements... but before that I have a picture that gives a bit of a visual.


                          Then                  Now                 Change
Neck                  16                      11                     -5
Bicep                  15                      11                     -4  (x2)
Forearm             10                      8.5                    -1.5 (x2)
Chest                 42.5                   34                     -8.5
Waist                 41                       28.5                 -12.5
Hips                   51                       34                    -17
Thigh                  28                       19.5                 -8.5 (x2)
Calf                    16                       13                    -3 (x2)

That brings us to a grand total of 77 inches!  That also comes to nearly an inch a pound.  How amazing is that!?? Oh and on a second thought, how did I walk around with an extra 8.5 inches on each thigh??


Saturday, June 4, 2011

So today is a day to think about the past and the future...

It is totally my BIRTHDAY!  I know there are a couple of other band"stars" out there who share this day with me and to you I wish a wonderful day to you also! 

It being my birthday and less than a week until Bandiversary, I have really spent a lot of time thinking about this past year.  On my birthday last year we were on a mini vacation and I was on my pre-op diet.  That wasn't a fun trip, but was it worth it???  HELL YES!  I would have never thought that I would have been as successful as I have been this year.  If you could have told me on my last birthday that next year I would have dropped from a size 20 to a 4, I would have thought you were on crack.  I didn't believe that it could happen to me. 

It DID happen to me, because I MADE it happen and I am so glad that I did.  I feel amazing. I look amazing.
What could be better? 

I have realized as I have poked through pictures that I spent too much time fat.  I wasted so many of my years making excuses for myself when I should have just taken control.  I feel 10 years younger now.  It is amazing.

This year also met me with the hardest challenge I have yet to face in my life...  the loss of my dear brother.   I have been adjusting to life as an only child, but I miss him terribly.  His passing has changed more about me than the weight loss.  I live life to the fullest everyday now.  I do not wait until it is a better situation to do things I want to do.  Waiting is not in the cards for me anymore.  Life is too short to wait until you have more money, or lose 10 lbs, or the sky is bluer. 

The next year will be an adventure for me.  We are living life and moving on.  The kitchen remodel is going well.  We are still waiting on a few cabinets that are ordered to come in before we can move on further.  It is looking AWESOME!  Maybe, just maybe, I might just want to cook now.  I realized that this kitchen was so dysfunctional, that I just didn't want to spend any time in there.  I used to love to cook. 

Well I have rambled enough now.  I am working on my one year post with all kinds of pictures and such.  I will get that posted next week!