Subject: One year and 85 lbs later

The time has come for me to post my long awaited 1st year bandversary entry.

What has my band meant to me? I have asked myself this question many times over the last 12 months.

I’ve come up with a laundry list of ramblings.

Preband – it represented HOPE, Anxiety, and the What if’s of life after WLS

Early Post Band – the what the heck did I do? And WHERE THE HELL IS MY RESTRICTION?

1st Fill anticipation – I AM HUNGRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Where the hell is my restriction????

2nd Fill anticipation – I am hungry but not AS MUCH or as often

3rd Fill anticipation – Restriction lasts for about 3 weeks

4th Fill anticipation – OK lets clamp this puppy down!!!!!!!

5th Fill anticipation – HOLY CRAP .3 cc’s was too much fill! I am only able to smell foods and sip soup

1’st UNFILL – removal of the .3cc’s was the difference between soup and FOOD……. And is where I’m maintaining at since January 2008.

Also…. Getting an unfill and eating real food is what started the scale moving again.

Things that have amazed me:

I have POWER over my hunger.

I have actually FORGOTTEN to eat.

I CAN eat without drinking

I CAN be full on very little food.

Things that I have realized about myself: Restriction Wise

I swell (get tighter) when I’m on my period or when I’m stressed

I am tighter in the mornings and more open in the evenings.

Foods that worked last week, might not work so well this week.

I can raise my hands and do a little shimmy to pop up a stuck item of food

Things that I have realized about myself: Non band

I am a stress and emotional eater.

I crave sweets around my cycle

I am pretty happy and comfy in a size 12

It scares me to HOPE for a size 8 or 10 (because it is unknown to me)

If I COULD eat pizza…….. I WOULD, so keeping a decent amount of fill is what is needed for ME not to be able to.

Dairy Queen has become my go to place for stress eating (and this is NOT a good thing)

Things that I had to overcome once banded:

Realizing that you don’t HAVE to eat multiple plates of food at a buffet in order to “get your money’s worth”

Realizing that people REALLY aren’t LOOKING at how much or how little you eat!

Realizing that you CAN keep your band a secret if you want!

Realizing that fast food joints don’t really offer much choice,

Its cheaper to order an appetizer or alacarte, or split a meal with my 4 year old.

Being banded is NOT rocket science, and for me it has worked well because I knew going in that FOR ME and MY GOALS

I needed to be in diet mode, and truth be told the scale moves when I am IN MOTIVATED DIET MODE. It stalls when I

Go to dairy queen for a small blizzard… but I don’t gain

I chose the band for its adjustability and the hopes that I will for once in my life MAINTAIN a loss!

Would I do it again? In a heartbeat

Will I be rebanded if needed in the future? In HALF a heartbeat!

My band has really given me the power over my appetite and that is priceless.

Journey with me as I enter YEAR TWO of my Banding Experience