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I had my first NSV today! Last night I went into my closet and tried on some of my size 24 pants that I haven't worn for 2 years. I knew that my size 26's were too big but never thought I was able to wear the 24's so soon. I wore them all day and even left the button done up all day. I feel great!!! On my surgery date I was 311 pounds. Now I am down to 289. I had a little bit of the stall I have heard everyone talking about and was worried, but have since realized that is okay. I am working out 3-4 times a week already and am being very active.

I wasn't expecting to write any type of entry for week two, but this week has a big impact on my thought process. Losing 22lbs in week 1 was amazing. I felt great! On top of the world! Ready to jump-start my new life! ...And then, it stopped. On day #7 the scale stopped moving. Now, I've researched this surgery soooo much and knew this was very likely. It seems many people have a stall around week 2-3. I thought I was prepared for this strange phenomena... But I was wrong. I had so many doubts this week. Would I ever lose the weight? Am I doing everything I'm supposed to do? Did I just have surgery to lose 22lbs? It was a terrible week. And then I realized... This is completely normal. Not only not losing weight is normal, but also all these feeling are normal as well. It's easy to get discouraged when things don't go your way. It's easy to get angry or sad... But that's what this journey is about- it's about a fight to a better you. A physically better you AND an emotionally better you. It's about strength, determination, and learning. To all you who are discouraged and down this week, pick up the pieces and keep on keeping on. This is all part of your story- the ups AND the downs. There are many times we will feel this way, down and depressed, but we just have to pick ourselves up, dust off, sip some water, and walk it off.

It's been 6 weeks since the insertion of the miracle flab fighter in my mid-section. My loyal readers know that the procedure and recuperation were a piece of cake ... oops, make that a sugar free pudding. The journey so far has been eventful and very successful. But it hasn't been easy. I find myself a bit taken aback when I hear some high metabolism individual comment on how people that elect do to the Lap-Band are taking the "easy way out". I really started noticing it when the news of the rotund Governor Christie hit the media. Several TV talking heads decided he had the "easy way out" procedure to prepare a run for the White House. I have no idea whether Christie is running or not. Since he is a public figure, the media certainly has a right to comment on his political future. But I draw the line when they call this surgery the "easy way out." I've actually heard others make similar comments as well and it irks the H-E double hockey sticks out of me. A major weight loss undertaking is anything BUT easy, regardless of which path you choose to achieve your goal. So phooey on anyone who doesn't grasp the commitment of the motivated chubster looking to change his or her life. I had my first monthly check up with the venerable Dr. X this past Monday. He gave me a routine vitals check and then proceeded to give me my first "fill". I laid down and he expertly poked a syringe of 1.5cc's of saline through my skin and directly into the Lap Band port. It took about 2 seconds and the pain was minimal. No biggie. Before he left the room he told me that after the fill, some patients can't eat in the morning or can't get certain foods through the band. I had no issues at all. Fact is, he put 1.5cc's in my 10cc band. I have noticed no additional restriction at all. As you all know, I pretty much haven't felt any restriction since the surgery. I got this far on my own. And no, it wasn't easy. The Lap Band is just a tool to help you lose weight. Like using a crutch for a broken leg. You don't always need the crutch, but your leg won't heal properly if you don't use it correctly. I just read a story of a Bandster that found a way to cheat his band and gained a large amount of weight. I heard of a lady that had the more invasive stomach surgery, lost a ton of weight, then had the painful skin tightening surgery and then gained almost all her weight back. There are numerous stories like these. Ya can't just get weight loss surgery and sit there and wait for something to happen. If you do, you will fail. It took me years to get my head in the right place to attempt this. That meant first getting it out of my over loaded backside long enough to see the light. I have to change the basic way I live my life. After 50+ years of self imposed bodily harm, that ain't easy. There are challenges and decisions to make almost every waking hour. Could I still start the day with a three egg ham 'n cheese omelet, hash browns well down, and a double order of bacon? Yup. Then go to lunch for a Portillo's chopped salad? No problem. Have a half bag of popcorn when I get home? Easy. Then have a full dinner and a touch of Ben & Jerry's? Yes and Yes! Could I still shove down most of a full size Tombstone pizza at the drop of hat? Probably. The Lap Band isn't stopping me. I'm stopping me. I have made good progress since my adventure began. I will admit that just knowing the band is in me makes me think twice about anything that goes in the oral orifice located just beneath my nose. That's huge for me. The old me could eat or drink just about anything. I was the billy goat of fat asses. I made a decision to try and lose the weight of a small child. I knew it would be difficult. I knew it would be a challenge. I knew it it would take time. I also knew it wouldn't be easy. More to come jt P.S. I got a cool new Fitbit scale that syncs with my Fitbit wristlet which syncs with the Fitbit app on my phone. Every time I step on that scale my weight is recorded on my app. It also tracks every step I take. It also has options for exercise and a food diary. I'll get to those ... eventually. Stop by my blog. TheDeconstructionOfJohnny.blogspot.com

Don't be discouraged! 19 lbs is awesome!! My first couple days of soft food I made tuna salad (tuna, eggs, a little light mayo, and a small piece of pickle) I blended in my ninja until it was about baby food consistency. I also eat Greek yogurt for breakfast. Today I ate an egg (well, most of it anyway) that was mushy/runny. Tonight I'll try to make chicken salad but I plan on leaving it just a little chunkier than my puréed tuna- just so I can slowly get used to a thicker consistency- baby steps. I hope this helps you!

Eating my stress away, and meeting Mrs. Strange It's one of those days! Have you ever had one? Where you go to sleep early you wake up late your hubby has been up hours ahead of you and is in a bad mood because while you were sleeping the insert curse word here (kids) yes that's the word I was talking about, went around the house doing their own thing with regard to nothing and no one. So that ticked him off and rightfully so, if I wasn't so tired I'd be upset about it too, but good grief I am sooooo tired of the drama and the stress. It seems like it's my life really, it's not just since surgery though surgery has changed the way I think about it all. Before surgery it was easy to ride to the local pharmacy or corner store and pick up a bag of chocolate go home and eat my stress and fustration away. Today it's not so easy to do. Not because I don't want some, but because I think about all I have gone through in the last month, and it's just not worth it to go backwards. I want to move ahead, I want to be healthy and bag of chocolate is not the healthiest choice for me to make and I wouldn't be able to eat a whole bag and I might just end up not enjoying it anyway since I have no desire for it to begin with. This is were Mrs. Strange comes in, that's how I feel about it all. As if there was this insecure and scared part of me that has had to grow up and deal with these little every day and not so little but for me just about every day!!!! Stressors. She has had to grow up and can't have her bag of candy, she has to deal with the feelings and the issues and cope with them in another way. She's not doing a bad job if I do say so myself, but in these moments….it all feels so strange. I feel so strange. I am not used to floundering through my feelings and my emotions, I'm used to just dealing with it head on and medicating it later with a bag of candy! I'm not as familiar with Mrs. Strange as I am with Mr. Hershey! Though I am getting to know her a little more each day. Mr. Band-it introduced me to her about a month ago. Mr. Band-it and I bonded instantly the day after surgery, he was part of my life. It's this new Mrs. Strange, who walks away from the candy isle and heads to the gym to work off her fustration and stress. Who sits here and watches all her co-works come up to the desk to take cookies out of the tin, and pretzles out of the bucket and thinks to herself as they all complain about eating yet another cookie, it would serve them right if I super glued the container shut. At least I would have something to laugh at watching them fight to get it open so they could reach those cookies and pretzles! I shared that thought out loud, and my boss laughed but later gave me that sideways look before he dived into the pretzle bucket, I'm sure wondering if I actually did or would super glue it shut Mrs. Strange has a way about her, but I’m starting to like her better every day! She and Mr. Band-It are getting along very well and helping me to make a lot of positive changes in my life.

yes. actually a lot of photos people post of their before and afters...I usually think they look much older in their afters. Of course, they are older!!! I think it just comes with the territory you know? We have fat in our faces that fill them out and make us have less wrinkles. As we get skinnier, it unfills showing our wrinkles and probably sagging a little. Saggy skin will also come with those of us who have a lot of weight to lose which causes the aging look. I wouldn't worry about something you can't control. Just know that even if you do look a little aged...your body will feel 20 years younger with the weight off.

That awesome moment when your ex is getting fatter and you are getting hotter!! Love this. I don't have an ex but I have many ex friends and saw one the other day and she couldn't believe how great my hub and I look.