She Smiles

I'm hovering around 155 now and have set my goal at 143, but I think once I get there, I might shift it down again (to about 130). I set it at 143 when I started out 14 months and almost 100 pounds ago aiming for that because it was just under the healthy BMI for my height (5 foot 3). I am in an Australian size 12-14 (US 8-10) now, I'd like to be a small 10 (US 6).

I'm with Steph, at no point on my surgery day was my weight mentioned until I was with my surgeon in the OR and he asked me how much I had lost in my pre op diet, 5 seconds later I was out for the count. I think it was just his way of distracting me from the fact that the anethesiologist was doing his thing on the other side of the operating table lol. My dh has come along with me to fill appointments, but has always waited in the waiting room. You could keep your "number" to yourself pretty easily if your partner isn't going to be there in the dr's office with you for your fill appointments along the way. It can be done if you are wanting it to be that way. That said, my dh knows how much I weighed at my highest and has known along the way. I told him yesterday that I was staring down the barrel of 100 pounds lost. Its never been something that I kept from him or my family and closest friends. Yes, I was ashamed of being that big, but I was more proud of my loss. Maybe you will feel the same post surgery too.

Hi Lauren, it sounds like you have a similar body shape to mine and after almost 100 pounds gone, my stomach is STILL there. Well its more like a spare tyre now, that hangs a bit. Attractive visuals right? I think its a sensible thing to go into lapband surgery thinking we might need plastics to fix us up, and if we are one of the lucky one who doesn't need it, then good for us.

A big big congrats! I'm aiming for my first half in March if my schedule can fit around it, otherwise I'll have to wait until May. What kind of training did you do in the lead up to it? Any hints or tips to make it a more comfortable run?

Geez, I'm so close...... Gimme a couple of weeks and I hope to be able to be added to this list!

Yep, after almost 100 pounds gone, I'm hanging all over. Its not bad enough anywhere other than my tummy to consider surgery though, its just not taught like some of my non-previously-obese 29 year old counterparts is, I imagine. I'm going to ask my surgeon for a referral to a PS when I see him later this month to find out how much a tummy tuck will cost.

It was probably somewhere between about 220 and 200 pounds that I felt like I'd found my groove with exercise and started to enjoy it cos.....it got easier. Even now the more I lose, the easier it gets. Funny that. Can't wait til I'm at goal, I'll be nearly flying haha. Just do what you can, and build on that time, your weight loss and your increased fitness will get you the rest of the way. Good luck!

I have to recommend Asic too. I've had 3 pairs of kayano's now and swear by them. They also do a gel walking shoe similar to the kayano. You can get specialty walking and running socks from sports and running stores. I've found the fit dri nike running socks to be fantastic. They are thin but keep your feet cool and dry.

I exercise anywhere from 3 to 7 days a week depending on my schedule and commitments, and have done since about 6 weeks after I was banded. I attribute a lot of my success to having gotten up off my butt to exercise because I don't count calories or restrict carbs, or "diet" in any sense of the word. You can click on the link in my signature below to see the type of exercise I do, I've started it to keep track of and be accountable for my fitness and exercise.

I Just wanted to post and say that I've started a blog to track my exercise in an attempt to become more accountable. I've been throwing around the idea of doing a half marathon in May, but I need to be much more dedicated if I actually want to complete it in under 2 hours 20 mins, which is my aim The link is in my sig at the bottom. Feel free to leave comments, ask questions or just read, but please be nice :biggrin1: Or, you can always ignore it if its not your cup of tea! :eek:

I know that I wouldn't have lost as much as I have if I didn't exercise the way I do. In fact I had a plateau for about 2 months when I had some personal things going on and couldn't get to exercising. As soon as I got back to it, I started losing again.

I've just started a blog (yesterday! The link is in my sig) to try to better track my exercise. I was keeping a written journal of sorts when I did outdoors runs (distance, time, the weather, time of day. I track my runs on mapmyfitness.ninemsn.com.au > Special K navigator - home for jogging, cycling and walking maps [its an Australian site]), but it didn't keep me as accoutable as I'd like, and I always forgot to take it along to the gym to record my cross training sessions. So I'm hoping this will help get those last few kilos gone. As for food, I don't track it, I try to just be my own moderator on that front.

Thanks Susie *hugs you back real tight*

Oh don't get my wrong, my pride in my loss is only my own, there are only a few people in my life that know that I did this with the help of my band. I wanted to avoid the judgement and the questions about :how much I had lost now?". AND the big one, like you, I was incredibly ashamed that I had to resort to a surgical option to acheive and maitain a healthy weight. I could just never have the f**k you attitude. Unfortunately, I still still haven't gotten to the point of not caring what other people think....

I eat it every day for breakfast. In fact I'm eating my breakfast right now!

Hi Kylie, Only you can know if this is right for you. I personally was at the place that you are, where I was just tired of being the big girl. I hated going out and unlike you I was totally inactive. I've now been banded almost 14 months and am SO glad that I made this change in my life. Let me attempt to answer your questions from my point of view What will it be like to walk into a shop and buy anything fashionable off the racks? I'm not quite at this point yet, although I don't know that I will ever be. I vary between a 10-16 depending on the shop, but I can usually find something l like and that fits in all the nice shops I like - Sportsgirl, Witchery, Portmans, Miss Shop. I can always find stuff in the fashionable young sections of Target, Kmart and Big W cos thier cuts are a lot bigger (and this is good for the ego!). But, like anyone, my personal body shape (which is big boobs and hardly any waist) limits the styles I can wear, but my options are there if I shop around, and trust me, I do! haha What will it be like to walk past 'My Size' without walking in to buy something? You know, it feels like such a personal acheivement. I've worked hard to lose the weight I have and to know that I can keep it off is something I am proud of. How did it feel during the journey to your goal? Well I'm not quite there yet. I've put 65kgs as my goal just to have a number to aim for, but when I get to a size that I like, then I'll stop. It may be more or less than 65. That said, its been a rollercoaster ride getting to where I am. I've had a couple of plateaus due to personal issues and I've also struggled a bit mentally with how the effects of being so obese have affected my body. I have a fair bit of loose skin and will be considering plastic surgery sometime in the future. That said though, again, I am glad that I chose to take this journey the pros FAR outweigh the cons. What was it like to make the changes in your lives? For me, I'm not one of those bandsters that counts calories and carbs and all that junk. I eat what I want, but just A LOT less of it now. I generally make better choices now because I have seen how that just makes me feel better physically and mentally, but I still indulge from time to time. I have to add here that I also do intense exercise up to 5 days a week (which can total 32kms running a week of late). I don't know that I could eat the way I do and still lose if I weren't so active. The exercise thing was a no brainer for me, I wanted to lose as much as I could, the quickest I could in the healthiest way. Was it a constant battle? I wouldn't say battle, no. I would say that I had a constant awareness of what was the right and wrong thing to be eating. But if I had of had that before, I wouldn't have been obese to start with. Sometimes it was a battle with myself to get to the gym or out for a run, but the eating side of things just seemed to make sense to me once I started seeing the results. I am 'vomitphobic':) so is it likely I will vomit! The only time I have vomited with my band is when I had a stomach virus. As Danna explained, PBing isn't like vomiting. Its just like bringing up the food in once clump and then its over with. You don't usually feel ill or nauseous, you just sense that its on its way up, then its out and over with. I have probably PBed 7 or 8 times in my 14 months, in varying intensities (sometimes it will take a while to make its way out). Hope some of this helps! Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

Whats the biggest weight loss myth you have ever heard/read?

Wow, I'm so incredibly jealous, they look just perfect Julie. Thanks for sharing.

I plan on doing my first half marathon in May 2008, and I want to be at goal before then. I will run a minimum of 20kms a week, working up to 40+kms by May.

She Smiles 161.........159............152............7

The short answer is yes. My hips and thighs and are saggy and my stomach is also pretty bad. Luckily (ha!) I carried most of my weight in my stomach and put my weight on gradually, so my inner thighs and arms are pretty good (some stretch marks but nothing worth surgery - lets see in another 20 pounds though). I have recently been researching recontructive surgery, I'm looking at a TT or a LBL perhaps with some lipo first and a breast lift at a later stage (they are pretty saggy, but I can live with them for a couple of years). I have no idea where I am going to get the money from but I need to have the surgery to feel like my journey is complete, you know? I'm with Argon, why spend the rest of my life unhappy with how I look after all this hard work I've put in, I'm only 29 for pete's sake!

Susie, if I were you I'd contact your surgeon or even GP and get some bloodwork done. Are you still taking your Vitamins? Perhaps your diet isn't sufficiently giving the energy you need - you might need more Iron, you could be a little anemic. I know that the past couple of weeks I've not been exercising as much (the weather has been crap and work TOO busy) and I have been more tired too, funny how that works, hey? Have you made any changes, even minor to your routine recently? Changes in activity and contact with others can sometimes affect us with out really knowing. Hope you can get to the bottom of this - I hate to think you're not well xoxox

Wow Julie, you just look fantastic! Each new set of photos you post just blow me away. Good luck with next weeks bloodwork, what a great new year you'll be having in your smokin' hot body!

I beleive the concept behind letting you take it out of your super is that you are expected to have a longer life expectancy and better general health not being obese and will therefore be able to work longer and make up the money that you spent. I think its a fantastic idea. And its not like you are spending available funds on your band instead of a holiday for your family or something.... I have health insurance, but had I not had the extra $5000 to top it up, I would have gone the super route for sure. I'm impatient and wanted the surgery yesterday when I decided to go ahead with it. I'm just over a year out from my surgery and I feel great. This is your life and your health you are paying to improve. I agree with Amy, that in my opinion is more important than money any day.

Julie every time you post new photos, I just sit looking at them for a few minutes in awe. You have done so incredibly well and as everyone else has said, you look fantastic - but you are beatiful both on the inside and out. You truly are an inspiration for those of us coming up behind you heading towards similar surgeries in our futures. Thank you once again for putting yourself, your heart and your life out here for us. It is truly appreciated.