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Thinking back on this year I remember most wondering how far I'd be when the first year was up. Never did I imagine that I would have exceeded my goal and be at the bottom end of all of the weight I had to lose. Today it's been 11 months, and I weigh around 130 pounds. A little less some days, a little more others. I haven't counted the inches lately, but it's a lot. I bought a new pair of capri jeans last week and they were a size 1/2. ONE/TWO!! What??? Those jeans are Maurices brand, and I'm pretty sure the sizes run big. They have to. Just a month ago I was wearing a size 28 waist. I was thinking that was around a size 7/8 I know I'm a little smaller than that now, but a size 1/2 seems ridiculously small. I tried on a size 26 waist and they were snug.. so I don't know. I'm thinking my true size might more accurately be about a 4 right now. My boyfriend looked at those pants and asked me if they were for a kid! Haha, very funny mister boyfriend! I continue to drop inches in a mad fashion, and I believe it's because I've been working out. A lot. I do the express circuit three times a week, walk/run on the treadmill at least twice a week and play racquet ball. I'm no good at racquet ball as far as the "rules" go. But it's such an amazing workout getting in there and pounding that ball around. And it's fun!! The guys from the free-weight room watch and laugh sometimes.. I'm sure I look like a complete dork in there (along with my daughter - in- law) running around, sometimes missing the ball, sometimes slamming it, and I always have my i-pod on with good move tunes playing, so I'm in my own little world so to speak... marching to the beat of my own life. Laugh mister weight lifters.. see if I care!! I haven't had a fill in over 2 months. I don't need one at all. I have tons of restriction still, and I'm really happy with where I am. I don't eat much at all, and it amazes me that I don't need to. That's huge for me. My life once revolved around when my next meal was.. what I was going to eat, how much I was eating, etc. etc. Now I forget to eat sometimes. Weird. I remember thinking that people who "forgot to eat" must be insane. Who forgets to eat? But trust me, it does get to that point. The other thing I tend to forget (believe it or not) is that I don't wear a size 2XL or XL even anymore. I bought a couple of those little spaghetti strap tank top thingies at Walmart a few days ago (you know the ones that are like $4) and automatically bought a size XL. Oops! Not so much. I need a medium now. Some old habits die hard I guess. I have bony parts of my body. Weird. I still freeze easily.. no fat to insulate. I'm looking forward to warmer weather and have really been enjoying the unseasonably warm spring like days we've been having lately. I'm up and moving so much more than I ever did before now. I feel like it, for starters. But I think it's mostly because I can! Not that I couldn't before, well... okay I couldn't do a lot. But now I have energy, and ability, and suddenly a desire to not let too much grass grow under my feet. Don't get me wrong, I can still laze around with the best of them for awhile, and still enjoy snuggling up and watching a movie sometimes, but when it's time to move, it's time to move! I ran (literally) to my car last week for something and my oldest son said "Now you're just showing off" I said "What? Why?" He said "I've never seen you run for ANYTHING.... EVER" Hahaha! Silly boy! I didn't even realize I did it! My boobs have shrunk! Seriously. It's like someone stuck a needle in them and let all the air out! Booooo! Remember when I couldn't wait for them to shrink? I thought that somehow they would just shrink a little, just be a smaller version of what they were.. but no. We're talking tube-sock with an orange in it pretty much. Ahh well. The photo you see here doesn't really show the whole tube sock concept...but bras these days are basically smoke and mirrors my friends! Unfortunately what you see isn't really what you get. Yeah, yeah, a little false advertising. 11 months ago I figured it would be 2 years before I wrote a blog like this one. At least 2 years. I have had a very short journey filled with amazing losses and amazing gains. I found my other butt in far less time than I dreamed possible (even though it really, really needs some firm and tone work, but looks awesome in jeans). I found my energy. I found my mojo. I found my life. I'm so grateful for the things this year has given and taken away. I will be back in another month with my one year pictures, and anything new to share. Thanks for your support and words of encouragement along the way! Follow me at http://www.myotherbutt.blogspot.com

So one of the things I'm still working on figuring out nearly 8 weeks after banding is what foods are worth it for me to eat. This is a new equation in my life. Before banding, I just ate. Half the time I didn't think about what I was putting in my mouth (if I did, I would have lived in a state of perpetual self-disgust) and the other half, I just didn't care. I was already fat and unhealthy, so why stress about the food that was making me that way? Clearly, I was eating too many calories, but now I'm realizing that the amount of calories I was eating may have mattered less than whether those calories were worth eating. What I mean by that is that as I make better, more sensible food choices, it is becoming clearer to me that "real food" is much more satisfying than the alternatives. "Real food" is a hot topic these days. You can find whole books about it in your local bookstore, whole pages of books on the topic, if you cruise through Amazon. For my purposes, though, when I talk about real food, I'm referring to anything that isn't processed or prepackaged. Things like eggs (pasture raised, please), meat (ditto), milk (three for three), vegetables (organic, please), fruits (yuppers), and grains (certainly in the "o" column). To many, my obsession with organics and pasture-raised animals may make me a snob or a hippie, but I'm okay with that. Even before banding, I preferred to choose those foods when possible, but now I'm realizing that the alternatives aren't worth it. I try to keep my calories at somewhere around 1000/day. I say around, because there are days I eat 850 and days I eat 1400. Mostly, I average between 1000 and 1100. Before banding, I could get 1000 calories having coffee, a piece of toast, and a single fast food sandwich, and then everything else I ate that day would be those excess calories that made me fat. Theoretically, even with the band, I could still make those food choices, but now they're just not worth it to me. Today, I would say that most of that food isn't real food, and therefore, I'd rather not eat it. This morning, I had toast and coffee for breakfast. Not the bandster's first choice, perhaps, but I find I can't eat anything too rich or too heavy in the morning without severe nausea and potential for vomiting (I've always been that way, even before banding). The difference here is that the coffee was made with real raw sugar (half a teaspoon) and organic, pasture raised half-and-half. One tablespoon of that. For a total of 37 calories. The toast was a thin slice of home-baked bread (made last night from organic flour and natural ingredients) with a teaspoon of pasture raised butter. Low in protein, but I'll have meat for lunch and dinner, so I'll have no trouble meeting my protein goal for the day. So far for the day, I've had 137 calories, less than 15% of my allowance for the day, and every single one of those calories was totally worth it. They all tasted good, none of them cost the environment more than necessary, and all of them allowed me to live with my band while feeling content and satisfied. If I'd tweaked that just a little, gotten a small nonfat latte and a bagel with non-fat cream cheese from Starbucks, for example, I'd have eaten 500 calories of food that wasn't really worth it to me. Even if the band had stopped me at half the bagel, that would still have been 250 calories (113 more than I actually ate). It would have contained less fat, but also less satisfaction and it wouldn't have tasted as good. To me, the unprocessed "real food" I ate at home was a better, healthier choice and worked with my band. True, a lot of bandsters would tell me I should have had Greek yogurt instead. Or maybe a scrambled egg. There are days when I do that, but here's my confession: I love bread. Love it. It is my favorite of all foods. I adore it more than ice cream (meh) or potato chips (one of my trigger foods and a life-long addiction for me). Give me a choice between a handful of chocolate and a piece of fresh baked bread (home-made or from a real bakery) and I will go for the bread 9-1/2 times out of 10. My brother and sister-in-law are gluten intolerant, and have cut all products containing wheat out of their diets. I'd rather cut off my own arm. Seriously, I can't live without bread. Which could be a problem for a bandster, both because of the low protein/high carb nature of bread, and because the texture of bread can have trouble passing through the band. But here's the thing. "Real" bread (the kind from the bakery or from my very own oven) passes through the band pretty well. It has fiber and texture and it tastes so good, that it's worth it to me to take small bites, chew slowly, and get it through the band. Pre-sliced generic white sandwich bread? Not real food and definitely not worth it. Also lower in fiber, higher in sugar, stickier in texture, full of chemicals, AND higher in calories. Clearly the unhealthy choice. As a bandster, I have had to reshape my priorities. Homemade bread is a priority; processed, pre-sliced bread is not. It's all about priorities. And balance. For breakfast today, I had a carb-heavy, protein-light meal. For lunch, I will have a couple of slices of roast chicken (heritage breed, pasture raised) and some veggies. Or maybe a small serving a chili with pastured ground beef. The meat cost a lot more than the supermarket alternatives, but it was locally and sustainable raised and frankly, it tastes so much better that I don't feel deprived from eating only 2-3oz of it as a time. It's so full of flavor that 2oz feels more like a meal than 6oz or the alternative. For dinner, there's either the chicken or some leftovers from an organic rabbit I stewed over the weekend in red wine and prunes. And more veggies. So worth every single calorie and so, soooooooooo satisfying. One of the reasons I got the band and not another procedure like bypass was because I wanted to be able to eat and enjoy real food, I just wanted to eat less of it. I didn't want to give up my bread (obviously) or my chocolate or my steak. I wanted a smaller slice, nibble, or cut. I'm doing that with the help of the band, and because I'm choosing real food, I'm doing it with happy tastebuds and a smile on my face. ------ I hope no one interprets this as a lecture, or me claiming to be better than anyone else. My priorities are my own. I happen to live in an area where organic, pasture raised foods are easily accessible. They're sold at my local groceries and at the weekend farmer's market in my town, less than 5 miles from my house. I also only have myself to feed and worry about. I'm not trying to budget to feed myself, a husband and three kids, let alone saving for college, paying for daycare, or providing clothes to cover bodies that seem to double in size every few months. My animals and myself are the only things I have to spend my money on, so it's easy for me to justify funding my environmental and health agenda. Everyone has to do the best they can with what they have, and no one--least of all me--should fault them for it. Make your own priorities, and then live by them. I hope it brings you the same satisfaction it brings me.

Well, after going to an orientation and meeting with 2 surgeons. It appears that to get my sleeve after my lap band I have to start over.... Long story short, I had a lap band placed in 2008 and lost 50 lbs. I kept it off until December 2010 when the band slipped and had to be removed. Fast forward 15 months to now, and I have regained every pound I lost and am basically miserable with my health. (NOT my life because alot of great things have happened in the past 15 months...new house, new husband!!) There are alot of reasons for the weight regain but what it comes down to is that I overate to a scary extent (according to the surgeon I had to eat an additional 180,000 calories!!!). So as of right now I am not a good risk for a band (past band failure, as well as weight regain). In order to prove that I am a good risk, and serious about this I have to lose 25 lbs....Yikes!!! That's like 1/2 of what I lost WITH the help of the lap band. I do understand the reasoning behind it, from the surgeons perspective. However, let's be honest, THIS SUCKS!!! Looks like I'll be white-knuckling it for awhile!! I'm trying to see the up side of this...better recovery, more success and let's face it weight loss. So...ready or not, let's do this thing!!!

So with this new journey that im on i have been thinking alot about bathing suit shopping. Keeping in mind i haven't owned a bathing suit in about 8 years. When ever we go to the beach or lake i usually wear tank top and shorts no big deal or I just don't go becuz lets be real im a bigger person and i sweat in heat and i hate to be hot. So with my on day 4 of my post op and 16lbs lighter im looking toward summer and all the fun things i plan on doing with my 2y/o son. On the other hand how comfortable am I going to be showing off that much skin?? My 1st reaction is like HELL YEA!! show off my hard work but I didn't do it for anybody but me. So im struggling mentally what kind of bathing suit will i get? will i still cover up? how comfortable will i feel? So much to think about..... But im really missing the big picture here I WILL FINALLY HAVE OPTIONS!!!!!! Like b4 going in2 a store like lane bryant and spending $100 on a swim suit that i don't really like or going into a store and just getting a plain black one that supposed to hide everything. Now I will be able to go into diff stores try on whatever I want and in diff colors and won't have to pay extra for the bigger size!!!! So excited for that!!!!!

11 Month Measurements Welcome back to the losers game. I forgot how important it was to be a part of my healthy lifestyle not just float next to it. Last month I lost nothing. This shocked and scared me right out of my rut of how important it is to put forth the effort to see results. Over the holidays I got a little lazy in my exercise. Honestly, I quit exercising if we are going to be truthful here. Plus I was over indulging way to often and choosing to eat whatever as long as it was a small portion. Well as we can all see and I myself which is the most important just sliding by won’t lose the weight forever. This past month I decided to show myself that with a little more control and simple calorie counting along with 3x a week workout on the treadmill. I can have the results I want. Even results that match the first few months of weight loss. The exercise goes to prove it has helped not only on the scale, but this month I have lost more inches than I have in a few months. To sticking with it not just now, but forever. This is my life and my body so I have to put in the work. No one else can do it for me. To an amazing month ahead and my one year surgiversary. *My own little pep talk. StartWeight: 273 lbs. **Goal Weight: 157lbs. Pre-op:--- 6 lbs. lost Surgery Weight: 267 1 month: 247 -- -- bmi 39.0 -- -- 20 lbs lost 2 month: 238 -- -- bmi 37.3 -- -- 9 lbs lost 3 month: 229 -- -- bmi 35.9 -- -- 9 lbs lost 4 month: 220 -- -- bmi 34.5 -- -- 9 lbs lost 5 month: 212 -- -- bmi 33.2 -- -- 8 lbs lost 6 month: 207 -- -- bmi 32.4 -- -- 5 lbs lost 7 month: 201 -- -- bmi 31.5 -- -- 6 lbs lost 8 month: 198 -- -- bmi 31.0 -- -- 3 lbs lost 9 month: 192 -- -- bmi 30.1 -- -- 6 lbs lost 10 month:192 -- -- bmi 30.1 -- -- 0 lbs lost 11 month:183 -- -- bmi 28.7 -- -- 9 lbs lost Lost since surgery: -84 Lost Total: -90 lbs. Overall Goal Weekly Break Down, lbs. lost pre-op week: 6 lbs week 1 -- 8 lbs. 2 - -5 3 - -3 4 - -2 5 - -2 6 - -3 ~2 months 7 - -3 8 - -1 9 - -2 10 - -6 ~3 months 11 - -0 12 - -2 13 - -1 14 - -3 ~4 months 15 - -0 16 - -4 17 - -2 18 - -1 ~5 months 19 - -1 20 - -3 21 - -3 22 - +1 ~6 months 23 - -0 24 - -3 25 - -2 26 - -1 27 - -2 ~ 7 months 28 - -0 29 - -0 30 - -4 31 - -0 ~ 8 months 32 - -0 33 - -3 34 - -0 35 - -0 36 - -1 ~ 9 months 37 - -2 38 - -1 39 - -2 40 - -0 ~ 10 months 41 - +2 42 - -2 43 - -0 44 - -5 ~ 11 months 45 - -0 46 - -4 47 - -0 48 - - ~ 12 months 49 - - 50 - - 51 - - 52 - - StartJean size: 24/22 Current Jean size: 12 some 10 & 11 Start Shirt size: 3x/2x Current Shirt size: L some M Inches: Neck Start: 16 Last: 13.5 Recent: 13.5 Loss: 0 Total Loss: -2.5 Upper Arm Start: 15 Last: 12.0 Recent: 12.0 Loss: 0 Total Loss: -3 Forearm Start: 11.5 Last: 10 Recent: 10 Loss: 0 Total Loss: -1.5 Waist Start: 49 Last: 37 Recent: 36 Loss: -1.0 Total Loss: -13 Abdomen (belly button) Start: 55 Last: 43.5 Recent: 42.5 Loss: -1.0 Total Loss: -12.5 Hips Start: 55 Last: 44.5 Recent: 44 Loss: -0.5 Total Loss: -11 Bust Start: 54 Last: 44 Recent: 43 Loss: -1.0 Total Loss: -11 Chest Start: 44 Last: 36 Recent: 35 Loss: -1.0 Total Loss: -9 Thigh Start: 30.5 Last: 24 Recent: 23.5 Loss: -0.5 Total Loss: -7 Calf Start: 17.5 Last: 15 Recent: 15 Loss: 0 Total Loss: -2.5 1st month loss: -19.5 in 2nd month loss: -9 in 3rd month loss: -13.5 in 4th month loss: -6.0 in 5th month loss: -2.0 in 6th month loss: -6.0 in 7th month loss: -4.5 in 8th month loss: -5.0 in 9th month loss: -1.5 in 10th month loss: -1.0 in 11th month loss: -5.0 in Total Lost: -73 inches Easter Goal Start weight 192 Goal weight 182 8 weeks – 10 lbs. Current weight 183 … 1lb. to go!

May 14th! Waaaaaaa! The long awaited "date"! I feel like a beam of light from the heavens should shine down on me with some celestial music accompanying it. Well that is how it felt as I discussed the conversation with the pre-op coordinator on the phone. I tried to play it cool, but inside I couldn't wait to get off the phone so I could squeal like a little girl and do the happy dance. These past few weeks I have read over and over people posting their exciting messages about the date they have. I can feel the excitement in their posts and now I have joined the "date crew". This is all starting to move so fast. It's so real. I can't wait! My pre-op coordinator gave me a little more good news...no great news. I have been a self-pay up until today due to insurance not covering the procedure because I didn't meet criteria. Well, that is what they are telling anyone who inquires about the coverage right now, but the truth is the new criteria and policy do not begin until June. Because my surgery is before May, it will be covered and not allowed to audit after. Yay!!!

So far, so good. I got in a 17oz protein shake with 42g of protein, 2 bottles of water, a small coffee, 1 packet of cream of wheat, and a SF pudding yesterday, all with no issues. Just have to take my time and do baby sips. Slept for 4.5 hours straight last night! That's a record since the surgery. Woke this morning feeling pretty good. I still have brief moments of feeling a teeny weeny faint, but then it passes and I'm good for a while. Don't know if that's lack of food, lack of sleep, or just from the surgery itself. Today, again I'm going to focus on getting in the nutrition, liquids, and just all around resting. The weather is absolutely beautiful, so the windows are open, and I will go for a few short walks later today.

Okay, so I had my first fill last Thursday, 3/22, under fluoro. It was super quick and painless; I did have a little needle stick when Dr. G. put in the lidocaine, but when he injected my port, it was painless. By the way, my port is just above my belly button. It was really cool to see my band on the X-ray....I kind of had that "seeing is believing" experience...especially since prior to being filled, I felt like I could eat anything. I had liquids for 24 hours after the fill followed by 24 hours of mushies and then back to a regular diet. I can definitely feel the restriction (even with only 2 cc in my band). Can't wait to see what this week brings... Deana

Well here it is one week from the day my life will change forever and a new healthy approach. This has indeed been a journey and learning about what is ahead makes it so much better. I am so grateful to God for allowing me to have a new life and just enjoy fullness. Thank you for everyone who is reading this for you have been a motivational tool like no other.

Today I started the day fast.I wanted to have yogurt with protein powder but could only manage some as it was just to sweet....hehehe,a first ever for me,something being to sweet to eat. Went for tea with a friend and came home only at 15:00.I made a smooth protein thingy with 4 slices of turkey lunch meat which went down well.Only came home again at 19:00 and by then I had had quite a quite a bit of water but I also had a stomach and back ache like you wouldnt believe.the back ache is high up,where my bra is a little to the left directly behind the stomach ache. Made some liquidized,strained soup and had that.wanted a little sweetpotato liquidized and really struggled with all this.Another first for me since this surgery.I never struggled to finish even a full cup of soup before. I think that I should eat a little more frequently as it is only liquids,and I shouldnt be on my feet so much yet. My one incision is a bit wet and red and if you see what the scars look like on the outside it makes you realize it is not healed altogether on the inside yet. Tomorrow,I will make time to just sit every now and then.And I will take it a little easier. I should also start tracking my intake a little better but I am super careful at the moment and actually know exactly what I am taking in.For future reference: 100ml yogurt,half cup turkey mousse,half cup strained beef soup,sweetpotato soup made with 120g of sweetpotato and NOT ENOUGH protein.about 40g in total.The calories were about 550-600 calories for the day.I am happy with this for now.