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I was going to wait on making a blog entry until next month as April 16 is my one year mark of my surgery. Today I stepped on the scale and I was 321. I had a sudden realization of how thing have changed in just a short month and a half. I'll explain shortly. Since I was banded in April of 2012 I always had this thought that weight would slide off seeing that I was so big and typically big people lose quicker. As time went on I realize that is not how it works and I begun to accept that. Even though I understood slow and gradual movements on the scale I never seemed quite pleased. Now before you scoff or judge me because yes I have lost a ton of weight in a short time it still didn't seem quite right. It seemed I would lose two pounds then the scale wouldn't budge sometimes for like 3 weeks. Sometimes even longer. I often times got really frustrated in the beginning but slowly I adjusted to it. So going back to today. Today I weighed in at 321 and when I got my last fill on Jan 29 I was 341. I have lost 20lbs since my January appointment. My food intake changed drastically as did my attitude. Eating a cup of food is more of a chore then ever as of late. I thought before this latest fill I was in the green zone but as I crept closer to January not so much. Now since this last .5cc I am actually there and for the first time I am seeing the weight move like I originally expected. I am hoping it keeps up for a little while but I know the more I lose the slower it will become. So take it from someone who is someday hoping to become an actual veteran bandster that the green zone can be very allusive but once you find it...WOW. Missy (Mis73) told me time and time again that .5, yes a just half of cc can make a whole world of difference. She wasn't kidding!! I hope the downward trend continues and I hope you're all losers....just like me. Have a wonderful healthy day and weekend! -Jim

So it's 2 days before my 7 month sleeve anniversary- and it's blowing my mind... I remember thinking, I'm losing to slow, etc. But wow- the before and afters are speaking for themselves. Today I'm weighing in at 153.9 lbs from my heighest pre-op weight of 216 for a total loss of -62.1 lbs and I'm -18.9 lbs away from my ultimate goal of 135, and I'm only a few pounds for my second optimal goal of 145 (doctors original goal for me). A lot of the reason I haven't posted in my blog lately is this funny thing called life. I've been living it. I wasn't before. Plain and simple. I hid behind my computer, I was socially done- I had no motivation to go out, or even go shopping. I had to force myself to interact and get dressed up. Well, a few months ago a met a nice guy, and we started casually dating. In January he asked me to make it official the day before his parents flew in for a visit so he could properly introduce me as his girlfriend. Life has been amazing ever since. He moved a couple of weeks ago and now we are doing the long distance thing while I finish my PhD for the next year or so. I'm getting back on the wagon and tracking my calories and carbs and protein like crazy on Myfitnesspal.com (screen name DLMeekie if you want to follow me). It's only been 7 months since my surgery, but it already feels like a life time ago. I can't believe I will be at goal or near it at my 1 year surgiversary. I'm so happy now, that I struggle thinking it could get any better. My weight loss has slowed down tremendously, but I'm okay with that as long as I know I'm doing my best to eat right and work out. Since I stopped swimming last semester I joined a women's only gym with onsite daycare and I've been going at least 3 days a week, and walking at a steep incline for 3 miles, then I rotate the weight machines (upper body versus lower body) for at least an hour. So basically, I'm in the gym 3 days a week for 2 hours.I miss swimming a lot, and I don't enjoy the gym as much, BUT I'm getting it done. And it's not nearly as hard as it use to be. It fits into my schedule and my life with my son. My only regret still remains. I wish I would have done this surgery sooner. I wish I could go back and reclaim my 20's. But I can't. So I must embrace my 30's when they arrive in 6 months or so.... Life is good. Height: 5'9 Highest (Surgery) Weight: 216 1st Primary Goal Weight: 169 (Achieved 11/27) 2nd Optimal Goal Weight: 145 Sleeve Journey: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 8/17/12- PreOp/Surgery Day w/Pics Posted in Blog Week 1 (8/24): 204.8 (-11.2) Week 2 (8/31): 200.6 (-4.2) Week 3 (9/7): 196.8 (-3.8) Week 4 (9/14): 193.5 (-3.3) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 9/17/12- 1 Month Anniversary w/Pics Posted in Blog (-22.5 lbs) Week 5 (9/21): 191.6 (-1.9) Week 6 (9/28): 190.1 (-1.5) Week 7 (10/5): 187.0 (-3.1) Week 8 (10/12): 181.9 (-5.1) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 10/17/12- 2 Month Anniversary w/Pics Posted in Blog (-11.6 lbs) Week 9 (10/19): 181.4 (-.5) Week 10 (10/26): 177.9 (-3.5) Week 11 (11/02): 176.8 (-1.1) Week 12 (11/09): 174.7 (-2.1) Week 13 (11/16): 173.3 (-1.4) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 11/17/12- 3 Month Anniversary w/Pics Posted in Blog (-8.6 lbs) Week 14 (11/23): 173.1 (-.2) Week 15 (11/30): 167.3 (-5.8) Week 16 (12/7): 168.1 (+.8) Week 17 (12/14): 164.6 (-3.5) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 12/17/12- 4 Month Anniversary (-8.7 lbs) Week 18 (12/21): Holiday Break/Vacation- No Scale Available Week 19 (12/28): Holiday Break/Vacation- No Scale Available Week 20 (1/4/13): 164.5 (-.1) Week 21 (1/11): 161.5 (-3.0) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 01/17/13- 5 Month Anniversary (-3.1 lbs) Week 22 (1/18): 161.7 (+.2) Week 23 (1/25): 158.7 (-3.0) Week 24 (2/1): Out of town- No scale Available .2Week 25 (2/8): 157.2 (-1.5) Week 26 (2/15): 157.2 ( .0) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 02/17/13- 6 Month Anniversary 157.2 (-3.3 lbs) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 03/17/13- 7 Month Anniversary 153.9 (-3.3 lbs) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 04/17/13- 8 Month Anniversary ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 05/17/13- 9 Month Anniversary ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 06/17/13- 10 Month Anniversary ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 07/17/13- 11 Month Anniversary ONE YEAR SURGERY ANNIVERSARY~~~> 08/17/13- 12 Month Anniversary

Cleopatra, Lady Godiva, Joan of Arc, Amelia Earhart....women of history. Now calm yourselves! I don't expect to be remembered at the level they are; but one thing I have learned as a historian is that we ALL have a history. No matter how unimportant you think your life is, you have lived through historical events and you have impacted others' lives. You have the choice to what level you will participate in history. You have the choice as to what YOUR STORY will be. After much soul searching and failed dieting, I had decided I was just going to live with being heavy. I can be happy with it. The truth was, I was actually trying to convince myself. My body is getting larger. My health is getting worse. And one night at the mall, I could no longer keep up with my family at a regular pace. I was out of breath and had to stop for a moment. We hadn't even walked that far! I was so ashamed and humiliated as my boys looked at me with concern and confusion. It was supposed to be a happy evening, and I swallowed my shame and brushed it off. The night have been ruined for me, but I wasn't going to ruin it for my loved ones. The next day, I looked up surgery options. I had looked into the local hospital's program, but was denied so I didn't really care. That was a few months and 15 lbs ago. Today, I no longer cared about the stigma of bariatric surgery. As I was looking, my doctor called. My B12 level was still low (not a surprise to me), but now so is my D levels. She also had concerns that I was showing signs of adult onset diabetes. Last night my right cheek (SLAP!), and now my left (SLAP!) WAAAAAAAAAKEEE UUUUUUUUUUUUP!!!!!!!! So, that was that. I contacted My Bariatric Solutions and started asking questions. As if the stars aligned, mom called and she and dad had talked about my health issues. They were concerned because I am too young to be having my problems. I agreed. They suggested surgery and how to cover the costs. I felt like a minion...WHAAAAAAAA????! I am making my own history. I am taking decisive action to show that I am in control of me. I do not have to be content with who I am. This is my journal to keep myself reminded that history is not made in a moment. There are always events and decisions leading up to the event. Now....how to stay patient until surgery for the next 2.5 months......?

After dropping 20 lbs in total from the pre op diet and first few days after surgery, I've weighed exactly 254.7 for the past 3 days. A stall during the first week post op? A bit discouraging. I spent a couple hours last night reading these forums about people's stalls. I guess I need to not obsess about the scale, and let things happen in their own time. I believe it's physically impossible not to lose weight with the small amount of calories I've been taking in. I am very moody and irritable today, even getting annoyed if my kids try to talk to me. I'm not sure what that's about, that's not my normal. I guess I'll attribute it to the diet. I've progressed to the stage 2 of the the post op diet, mushy or puréed foods. I went to the grocery store to pick up some things that sounded good from the list - low fat cream soups, instant grits. I also went to GNC and picked up a case of the Isopure bottles. Expensive, but I like them better than the powdered shakes which seem too sickeningly sweet to me now. 40 g of Protein and 20 oz of liquid simultaneously? Win-win. I got the Alpine Punch flavor, really only because it was the only one there was a full case of, and it's not bad. There are some other flavors I'd like to try also. My first mushy food was the instant grits. I only was able to eat 4 spoonfuls, and I put the rest into a container for another time. I will probably try a soup at dinner time. I'm finding it very difficult to eat and drink enough, especially since I can't drink for 15 minutes before, or 45 minutes after eating something. That takes 3 hours out of the day where I can't drink anything. I was more thirsty than hungry at lunchtime, even after taking a couple hours to drink the 20 oz Isopure. So I drank instead of eating.

I've never had surgery before and I'm terrified. I don't understand how anesthetic works and that scares me. I'm ready to be home. That's all. Mumford and Sons playing to keep me calm, and it's working.

http://dailyhealthpost.com/are-bananas-as-bad-for-you-as-cookies/?utm_source=taboola#axzz2NXmpdREq

tonight I had my support group. They had a sleep doctor and she talked about the different kinds of sleep and how having the surgery does change people sleep. I know I sleep much better and hub said I don't snore anymore. Also, I no longer take 2 hour afternoon naps. Next meeting we are having a tasting party with new products. I will let everyone know about the new items. Then in May is a cooking demo. ​Most people in the crowd have not had any surgery yet. Some couldn't decide what they wanted. So being me and talkative I said the band is the best. One man had bypass a few years ago and loves it and he was with his sister who is scheduled for the sleeve. Another man, no surgery yet, said his brother had the by pass and never smoked. He now is a chain smoker and said the by pass causes addiction. I don't know anything about that. Interesting. I really enjoy the meetings and listening to other people's stories, pros and cons. Do all of you go to your meetings? My hospital is 5 miles from my house, which makes a big difference. I told the director of the office about this site and that she would learn a lot about people's thoughts. Enjoy your evening everyone.

A year ago this week I started my two week pre op diet....I was so scared that I couldnt do it! It was tough! But my mnd was right and I knew that I needed to get healthy. Now as I look back, I am proud of how far I have made it. It is a journey and it has been slow going the last 6 months but I have always moved forward and it is a process of lifestyle change. Almost 35 years of bad habits are hard to change and break. I had always thought that this was an impossible dream and I have never had success with something this hard. I have and advanced degree and THAT was hard work but school was not that hard for me and I had no doubts I could do this. When I started this weight loss journey I had so many doubts and had always failed before. This tool that was provided for me helped me, but I have never worked so hard at something like this. It is life changing in so many ways. I knew going into this that this is a lifetime battle. I will always have to fight this. It feels good to have some kind of victory though! Keep moving forward....slow but sure...I can do this!

If I could talk to the old me, I would say……….. Amanda you are beautiful, but beauty is more than appearance. You have a strong heart and a strong mind and that is what makes you beautiful. The reality of the situation is, you are Morbidly Obese and at 277 pounds you could have some real heath issues if you don’t make a change. I promise you that once you start exercising you will love it, I know I do. The amount of stress that is release during a run or power walk will relax your mind and strengthen your heart. All of the negative energy and emotions that you are holding on to will be sweated out and literally washed down the shower drain. You kids will be impressed and encouraged by your strength, discipline, and the positive changes they see you making every day. Oh, and they will love all the cooking your doing. Others will be inspired by your pictures and your story, and one day you will complete a 5k run and it will be the best feeling you have experienced other than the birth of your children. I know your confidence is lower (hell, its non-existent) but you will slowly build it back up when you see changes happening in your body. What I’m saying is “You will have to get smaller, to become bigger.” Look in the mirror everyday and say I’m strong, I’m a survivor, and I’m me. Love ya! What would you say?

Source: Any March Sleevers? Didn't want to retype the above and saw I could blog it from the message. I truly am feeling pretty good. Scale was down three lbs this morning. I know that being on a total liquid diet that I am bound to lose a lot in this two weeks. The end result is what I am anxious for. I have been working out to make the surgery easier too. I am up to 30 minutes on the treadmill working toward 45 minutes before surgery. Who knows, maybe I will be running a bit by then. Since I am older I know that my skin is not going to spring back so I have to do what I can to help it along so it won't be so dang bad. Every day I smile I little bigger. I know this is going to be an awesome adventure and I can't wait for March 7th to get here. Upward and downward. :-)