Peony

On June 30, 2011 I had surgery to remove my Lap-Band and be revised to a VSG. I'm 25-years old and I feel like I've battled with my weight my entire life. Right around the time that I reached adolescents, I started to put on extra weight and it wouldn't come off. As an adult, I was always about 30 lbs. overweight, then it escalated to 50 lbs. I couldn't stand living everyday hating my body, so in September 2006 I had the Lap-Band procedure. This was a life changing experience for me. With the band I was able to get down to 136 lbs., which is very slim for me, as I'm almost 5'10" tall. I put about 10 pounds back on, and I felt mostly comfortable at 145 lbs.

I was never "happy" with my Lap-Band, only the fact that I was losing weight. Never mind the fact that I was vomiting at least once a day and was always having some type of gastrointestinal distress. The only reason I went to the doctor (sick as it is) was because I was gaining weight back. My surgeon discovered that I had a band slip and at that point, I was already set on getting the sleeve.

My goal now is to (of course) lose weight, but to also focus on being healthy and making lifestyle changes that will last me for the rest of my life. I don't want to be a yo-yo dieter, whether it's 5 lbs. or 50 lbs., I'm done with the constant struggle. I recognize that my battle with my weight is as much psychological as it physical and I'm also trying to work through why I felt the need to comfort, reward, cope, and every other emotion with food! I hope to find some like-minded people here who are also on the road to health and wellness.

Weight Summary (2006 - Present)

Starting Weight: 205

Lap-Band "Stable" Weight: 145

Weight at the Time of VSG: 168

Current Weight: 155.6

Goal Weight: 135