April 2012 I have lost most of my weight.  I am in the 160s and feeling great! I scuba dive and I have done a couple of 5Ks - running all the way.  :)  I am just so happy to feel normal. I go to shops and can quickly find something that fits. I feel really blessed.  

My  Struggle with my weight began to get serious about 11 years ago after the kids were born. I am 5.6 and  I have been as low as 119 lb (young) and as high as 235 in my life.  I started the pre op at 225 and now a week after banding I am 207. A good weight is probably 135-145.  But my real goal is to get healthy and to not let food control me. I used to be really scared of setbacks. I was afraid I would get banded than eventually gain my weight back. 
  Then I met a lady who was having a second surgery. She had Gastric Bypass and had kept it off for 10yrs than regained it all in the next 10 years. So 20 years later she was coming for more surgery.  I realised she was inspirational. It was not about winning, but the ability to keep fighting. If I gain it back than I just have to get up again and keep swinging. It is a lifelong battle. I hope I lose and never gain but like a lot of things we change- it may not all happen at once. I can do this I just need to keep trying and not feel defeated.