100 pounds down! Never going back again!

[SpideyMom 1]

Congratulations! I hope to be where you are very soon! :smile: You look fantastic!!! :tongue:

[destin2fly19 0]

10 months! I want to be you when I grow up. LOL! :smile: You look great and I'm sure you feel the same. Congratulations! You're an inspiration. :tongue:

[ValJean 6]

Thanks everyone for your supportive comments--it's so great to have so many people cheering for you!

In response to several questions:

1. Habits: For the first 6 months, I wrote down every single thing I ate, religiously. I also wore a GoWear Fit (like a body bugg) to track my caloric output. I will admit that I got a bit obsessive, and eventually decided that I wanted to take a break from that--so for the past couple months, I've stopped both, just to see if I had trained my brain to do these things on my own. And I have been staying on track--but if my weight stalls or starts to go up, you can bet I'll go right back to those tools, because I know they were integral in my success from the start.

I still weigh in once a week--same day same time-- and my bf takes my pictures at that time as well (in underwear, front, back, and side). While the scale isn't the "end all, be all" in my mind, the pictures don't lie!

On those "down days" when I am not feeling that great about myself (those days when I still feel like the "old" me, and I have those days, trust me), the best remedy is to pull up my very first picture and look at it next to my most recent picture. It reminds me how far I've come, where I am at, and what I am capable of. I HIGHLY recommend it!

2. Food: again, in the beginning I was VERY strict with myself, and followed my doctor's menu plan to a "t." I tracked all my food and had a set calorie restriction (800-1100 calories per day). This was so important both as I worked towards proper restriction with fills, and as I learned a new way to eat and relate to food. Once I had good restriction, and had found that my thinking toward food had begun to change, I started to open up to the idea of introducing "regular" foods back into my diet. I stopped drinking Protein shakes, too, and focused on getting my nutrition from "real" food. My bf and I got a farm share for the summer, which meant fresh veggies delivered every other week, so we cooked at home a lot and ate out rarely. But when we did eat out (or order in) we were sharing Entrees rather than ordering two full meals. He eats 2/3 and I eat 1/3--and am totally satisfied. I truly believe that w/o proper restriction, I would not be having the success I've found with the LAP-BAND®. Before LAP-BAND® I could eat and eat and eat...and then eat some more. It was as though I was never full, never satisfied--until I got to the point of completely overstuffed and in pain. Once I had good restriction, it was joyful to find satisfaction and fullness after eating only 1-2 cups of food. It was such a weird and happy sensation--I felt like celebrating every time I had food left on my plate! I guess it was just because I had never felt that before. Now, I don't feel like celebrating--it just feels normal. I eat when I'm hungry, and I'm no longer hungry all the time. For me, that means I eat the foods I want to eat, and am not afraid to enjoy them. My enjoyment no longer rests on being able to eat every last little crumb. I cannot stress enough--this is truly how the band has changed my life, in a way that no other diet/program/insane gimmick I've tried in the past has worked.

3. Exercise: I have to say, I really love working out. I always thought I hated it, but that was because, from a very young age, I was afraid to participate--because I was always heavy. In my adult years I've ebbed and flowed. I'd get on a workout/diet kick, then would crash out on the diet and the working out would follow. I can't really explain why, because when I was in a workout routine, I always felt so amazing, and vowed I'd always remember that feeling and stay with it. But I didn't. Crazy how the mind works, I guess. That's my best insight...

This time around, for whatever reason, my mind is different. I truly think it's the change in my relationship with food--and the feeling that the change is REAL and here to stay--that has kept me motivated to exercise. That, and the fact that I have seen real results. I started out just riding my bike to work (8 miles one way), then joined a fitness group in the summer that did outdoor "bootcamp style" workouts--I'd do 1-2 a week. In the bootcamp, one thing I had to do was run a mile. I didn't think I'd be able to do it, but I did. Which made me want to run 2 miles, which made me want to try a 5k. After the first 5k, I decided to do more! And after four 5ks, I decided to try a 15k. And I was able to do it. Every small victory has spurred me on. Plus, I just FEEL so good. I've also taken up bikram (hot) yoga, which I practice a couple times a week. It is like a complete cleansing for my body and mind--not to mention a killer workout. I leave there feeling so amazing in my own skin. I don't need to look in a mirror to see that I'm thinner--I feel different inside and know that my body is healthier. That keeps me going.

I also have to say--and I'm of course only speaking for myself here--but the most important thing to come of this journey, and the key to making it a true life change, has been learning to not obsess! I used to be a compulsive overeater and binge eater. That was my outlet for a lifelong obsession with hating and judging my body. Once I got the band, I still had that obsession--for the first couple months I became fixated on every calorie I put in my mouth and every calorie I sweated out. Maybe I needed to do that in order to change, but that's not where I want to be forever. So recently I've really been trying to understand moderation, in all its forms. Rest, relaxation, and fun are essential! I don't want to think of exercise as punishment, and I don't want to be afraid of food. These are adjustments that might take a lifetime to make, but I am really trying to work on them every day--and take each day as it comes. So funny, just last night I was watching the show "Intervention" and heard this little saying "Inch by inch, it's a cinch. Yard by yard, it's pretty hard." I am taking this inch by inch (literally and figuratively!), and enjoying each day and each small victory. However you measure your success: by pounds lost, by inches lost, by clothing size, by something that doesn't have a number attached to it at all--just by how you feel about yourself--I think it's so important to see each step on the journey as a goal, and each small goal as a triumph. The thought of losing 140 pounds was terrifying for me--it felt so far away. But losing 2-3 pounds...I thought, that's easy enough, right? And every 2 pound victory gave me confidence to lose the next 2. Now I'm 100 pounds down. And I'm so excited for the future--102 down, here I come!

Val

[Ewiedbingcott 9]

What an incredible story. You look fantastic and you've used the band as the tool it's meant to be. I loved what you wrote - I've printed it out and will keep it, along with all the other "smart posts" I've found along the way.

Good for you. Congratulations. What a success story!

[Kelly~V 1]

Great Job! You are an inspiration!:thumbup:

[KimDB 0]

You look incredible !!

The thing I find so amazing is how much younger so many people look without the extra weight. You literally look 15 years younger, like a college student. You must be so proud of yourself!

[heidsz 0]

Wow, you look great! Thanks so much for sharing your story. It is an inspiration! Heidi