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 Time sure has flown.  I am now 7 months or so from my surgery.  I guess you could call me a poster success for the lap band.  I have lost about 135 pounds since about a month before my surgery.  Starting in January I seriously upped my working out.  I signed up for a half marathon, my first, on April 3rd.  I lift 3 times a week.  If I miss a workout, I get pissed.  Today I ran 10.5 miles up and down the hills around my house.  

Its kind of funny, people ask me everyday if I feel better, if I feel like I have more energy.. actually..  I feel pretty tired and sore most of the time :)   

I'm sure I am gonna rock through the half marathon.  My sights are now on a full marathon.  I originally was thinking in the fall, but the way I am progressing, I think I may look for something this summer, maybe in the mountain states.  I'm also looking to get into endurance cycling.  I am looking to get a decent bike to start.  My eye is on triathalons, but I don't really know where I can train around here. 

I can't quite believe how quick I have lost weight.  6 weeks ago I was pigging out nightly and near my normal "high" of 340 pounds, with a BMI of over 44.  This was down from my highest of around 360 or so, and about where I have spent the most amount of time over the last few years.  How crazy that here I type today at 300, with a bmi of 39 and change... and this time, I have a band in, so I am confident I am not only going to keep it down, but conitinue much much lower!

Well, I have been a fat guy for quite a while.  Although not really obese as a child, I was always husky.  In my senior year of high school, I lost a lot of weight and was probably pretty normal.  I went in the Army reserves my second year of college, and was in the best shape of my life.. a svelt 175 when I finished AIT that summer.  I gained a bit when back in college, and hovered around 200-210.. eventually I went active duty, and while always being over the army standards, I always made the body fat "tape test".  I maintained about 220 while running and doing lots of army stuff.  At 24 I got out.. vowed I'd never run again, and ate like a pig.  My weight chart reads like exponential..  By the time I was 28 I was approaching 300, and started the "yo yo".  In 2002 at around 310 with a BMI around 41-42, I started exploring weight loss surgery.  The RNY just seemed to risky to me at the time.  I moved to the lap band.  I had about 3 or 4 false starts, mainly because of insurance/job changes right when I was getting ready to get a date, or else major life events that made me delay.  Since 2002, I have pretty much stayed above 300 and been as high as 360.  I had one great diet run where I broke 300, but it didn't last too long. 

I finally pulled the trigger and went after after the 6 month "monitored" diet over the winter required for my insurance.  Just as I was finishing up, I had to change the insurance plans again!  The good news is, I was able to get Aetna, which is very band friendly (assuming you have the 6 month diet!).  I still had doubts though, and procrastinated moving forward.  Secretly, I knew I had my vacation to OBX coming up in July, and I really didn't want to do anything until after that.

Well, the vacation was like a food frenzy for me.  Knowing what I was going to do after it was over, I let myself go.  Actually, it was great fun, and I didn't feel guilty at all.  When I got back on July 10th, I was at 340.  That night I started my diet.  I saw Dr. Kwon on July 14th or thereabouts, my weight was at 336.  Having done my initial visit some 9 months earlier, Dr. Kwon's rules were I had to lose 5% of my excess weight before surgery...  this meant I had to weigh 317.  Dr. Kwon gave me a surgery date of August 12.. so my first challenge started.. lose 19 pounds in about 3.5 weeks.  I went with two to three EAS carb control chakes a day and a protein dinner, usually something like a couple of grilled chicken thighs, and maybe a little veggie from the garden like squash or beans.  I did not cheat at all.  When my pre-op visit came on August 10, I weighed in right at 317!  2 days later at surgery, I weighed in at 314.  And that was after I had a last day mexican meal with my wife - but even there I didn't really pig out - but they were some of the only simple carbs I had in a long time.

My surgery was August 12th.  As of this blog, my weight is now 301.5, so in about 6 weeks, I have lost 38.5 pounds.  My BMI is now right at 40.  I'm rather impressed with myself so far.

So far its been shakes.  I love the eas shakes, but I am a little worried I am not getting enough protein as I am pretty weak.  I added in a shake with GNC Wheybolic Extreme in the morning.  It really makes a big difference.  Even still, I am only getting about 500 calories a day, which seems low.. but just following the surgeon.