Susan O.
My best friend has been trying to talk me into wls for two years. She had DS four years ago (and looks fantastic btw). I resisted, I thought I could do this on my own. At my highest weight I was 217.
I attended a work meeting several months ago. I was the youngest person at the table and the heaviest. Something had to give. I scheduled an appt with the Laparascopic Weight Loss Surgery Center the next week.
Here I am, about 5 weeks from my initial consult. I am scheduled for surgery on Dec. 23rd. Merry Christmas to me. I am on pre-op diet and down to 197 lbs. For a minute last week the scale said 195.5 - that was pretty exciting.
02/22/06 - I am eight weeks post op. I have lost 34 lbs from my initial consult. On my home scale (the one I track on) I weigh 174.5 lbs. I had my first fill on Feb. 20th. My surgeon added 1cc to my band. I was great the first night. I had a little reflux last night but I don't think I am too tight. For the first time in a long time I feel like my weight falls in the range of normal in the general population.
The only thing that I would change now is adding some exersize. I am great about getting to the gym one week but then not the next. There is still hope for this week, though. It is only Wednesday.
2/27/06 - I took up the two week weight loss challenge (thank you, Jason). My goal was to be at 173 by today. I am at 171.5 --I am sure that has a lot to do with my first fill but I will take it. I can't wait to be in the 160s. I can remember the last time I weighed in the 160s and I have missed it.
3/27/06 - I took the March Madness challenge to add exersize etc and set weight loss goals. My goal was to be 161 by April 1st. I hit 161 today. And I didn't have the greatest compliance over the weekend. Still I was at the gym on Friday and went for a 17 mile bike ride on Sunday and was at the gym this morning.
I have had too many NSVs to count. I was shopping with my girlfriend two weeks ago. She talked me into pants that were way too snug. I have been meaning to take them back. As of last week, the pants aren't snug and I am so glad I kept them because I needed to have additional clothing. I have still only had the one fill. As long as I stick my the bandster rules, and I am compliant about 85% of the time I may not need a fill for another little while.
4/5/06 - 159 today. That is a two lb loss in about 10 days. There seems to be about 1 day a week that I just overconsume. Typically a Saturday or Sunday. On Sunday I felt like I could eat anything. I called Dr. Webb for a fill this week, but now I am not sure that I really need one. I know that Bruce the Band can have fickle days and maybe Sunday was one of those. I will think about it today and then decide. I have been at the gym at least 5 days a week. I am really happy about that. One of the things that I have stopped doing is negotiating with myself about exersize. I don't tell myself in the morning that I will go later. I just go. It is Wednesday and I am already looking forward to a long bike ride this weekend. I also think I will take some after pictures today. I haven't taken any photos since surgery. Woo Hoo, Go Bandsters!
4/7/06 - I didn't have a fill last week but have decided that I really do need one, so I am going to do that this afternoon. I have been 159-161 for the last week or so, which seems crazy to me because I have been to the gym nearly every day. And, on April 9th we biked a rails to trails stretch that was 30 miles round trip. I did it in two hours and 15 minutes or so with a bad cross wind both ways! How can that not move the scales? Actually, I am very certain that the lack of scale movement is about my body resetting and building some great muscle. So, I am truly not all that worried. I went with my daughter to buy a prom dress over the weekend. She wanted to go to a boutique in St. Augustine where she had seen dresses last year. She found an absolutely gorgeous dress, totally one of a kind. I found a sweet little black dress for me. Size XL, which at this boutique is probably a 14 or so. Then we went to the Tommy Bahama outlet store. I came home with a sweater, pair of shorts, pair of pants - all size 12. That was pretty fun. Well, today I am looking forward to liquid diet!
4/11/2006
Yikes. Had a 1cc fill on 4/11 and a .5 cc unfill on 4/12. Was kind-of funny, actually. The second the fluid came out of the band I had instant relief. Was a bit overindulgent with wine calories on Easter. But today I am down to 157 lbs which is great. I had a rough time getting to the gym the week of my fill but am totally back on the wagon. I am really shooting for hitting my goal of 140 lbs sometime in June! I think I might be able to do it without having another fill. I really hope so.
4/24/06
I have been up and down weight wise for the last two weeks. Lots of holding steady. I reacheded 155 lbs this morning and feel fantastic. I was talked into a pair of size 8 capri pants by a great sales person at Ann Taylor. They are snug but totally doable. Also, she said if I was going to lose any more weight that the 8s would keep me for a while. I am 15-20 lbs from my goal weight. I would be really happy at 140 but thrilled at 135. OMG, I can't believe I am this close. I am have been averaging 5-6 days of exercise a week including very long bike rides on Sunday mornings. I am also consistently doing strength training at the gym. I am getting a personal trainer for at least 2 days a week to help me to goal. Woo Hoo!
5/14/06
Yikes, the scale has not been particularly kind the last couple of weeks. I am hanging out at 154. I was down to 153 last week but the scale went up almost 3 lbs in the last 4-5 days. I know that some of that is muscle mass. I am working out with a personal trainer 3 days a week and we are doing some pretty hard work. I am definately developing some nice muscle mass. Some of that was just overeating (I had a 1500 calorie day last Saturday). Some of that is water retention. I am back to obeying the rules. Getting all my water in. Keeping the white carbs very low. I would have really liked to be down to 140 by the middle of June but I just don't see that happening, now I am thinking it will be more like the end of June. I knew that the last 20 lbs would be the hardest and I should have been more attentive last weekend to what I was eating, but I will get there.
5/16/06
Things are improving here! I am at 151.5 this morning. I had a little incident with steak over the weekend causing me to do liquid for day and really be cautious. I am slow cooking chicken thighs so that my dinner is solid but really tender. My goal is to be at the gym or on my bike every day this week, and be at 150 by Monday May 22nd. I told my husband that we are going to stick to the rules this week. I feel really great about what I am accomplishing. I feel fit and healthy and I love my band!
6/08/06
Down to 149 and holding a bit. I have been traveling a lot lately and have been solely focused on maintaining rather than losing. I really should be considering a fill but I think I will wait a couple of weeks then evaluate where I am.
6/28/06
Still holding at 149-150. I am having some trouble with acid reflux, so I have decided to hold off on a fill until I get some testing done. With the reflux, my portions have actually been a little smaller than average so I may be able to get another couple of lbs. off over the next couple of weeks. I have had to revise my goal of being at 140 by the end of the month, but I have actually had a week where I was up five pounds, so I am trying to be patient. I think 140 by the end of July is the only realistic thing, especially without a fill.
Some good news, though. My total cholesterol is 148. My doctor cut my cholesterol meds in half. My good cholesterol is very good and ldls are in the normal range. My blood pressure today was 106/60.
7/11/05
So, I have been hanging out at 150-152 for the past couple of weeks. Dr. Webb would absolutely give me a fill but I just haven't been making the most perfect food choices and I really want to get my head on straight before considering this a fill need. I can't eat that much so a fill doesn't make sense. Anyway, I didn't get to the gym much last week but was back with a vengence yesterday. Today I hit 148 lbs!! I am so happy I could cry. I really needed the scale to move just to get the next round of motivation and staying power. I might really be able to hit 140 sometime in August. Woo, hoo!
8/16/2006
I am at 147 lbs today. I had my third fill yesterday. Dr. Webb added .5ccs to my band. That puts me at a total of 2ccs. I told Dr. Webb that I thought I could be very happy weighing 140 lbs. He said that he thinks I will just wave at 140 while I head into the 130s. So, I am on full liquids for the next three days, then soft foods then back to real food by Tuesday. That is fine. I always feel like a horse has stepped on my chest after a fill - I get very swollen. I am doing well at getting to the gym. I lost about 10 lbs with my last fill, so I really might be able to get into the 130s with this one.
8/23/2006
I had to have a .25cc unfill two days after my third fill. I was just too tight. Frankly, I am still tight and am not completely convinced that this .25 ccs won't have to come out. Three bites and I am full. So, that is interesting. Also, if I get too hungry I almost can't eat solid food. I have to do a protein shake. So, I am making sure that I eat three small (really small) meals a day. I am down to about 142 lbs. Dr. Webb was probably right, I will just wave to 140 as I move on down. So, I am 7 lbs from my goal. I can't hardly believe it. I really have to do something about clothes now!
9/14/06
Well, I hung out at 142-143 for a couple of weeks and then gained up to 146. That was a bit scary. Today I am back down to 143. My goal is to be at 142 my Monday the 18th and 138 by October 11th. I have fallen off the exercise and fitday.com wagon - mostly due to laziness - but I seem to be back on track now. As soon as my afternoon meeting is over I am headed to the gym to run. I do love it that I am back down to the low 140s. I really need to focus on my diet and making sure that I am a bit better balanced with solid protein and solid veggies. Sometimes the veg part is really hard because they get sooo boring. Now that fall is here I can do some oven roasting. That should help for variety.
9/15/06
So, as it turns out, eating well and exercising does work. I am at 141 lbs today. Most of that is, seriously, due to eating well. I just started back to the gym today. Did 45 minutes on the elliptical. I thought I was going to keel over. If that isn't a reason to be a consistent gym goer, I don't know what is. So, I am ahead of my goal by just a little bit and I am going to maximize every minute of it. I have to call Donald, my personal trainer, and get back on that regimen. That is the easy part. I think it would be awesome to be at 135 lbs by mid October and I really think I can do it. I do still need to see a therapist. I have a huge fear of failure and I think it might be preventing me from losing this last few lbs. But I also can't wait to weight 139!!!
1/5/07
It has been far too long since I posted but for very good reason. I had absolutely no change in diet, exercise or weight loss since Sept 15. It was crazy. And I kept gaining and losing the same 3 lbs. Actually, that was probably just natural fluctuation and my weight was really just very stable. I took a gym break in mid-December and made the decision to have a fill on Dec. 22nd. I know, 4 days before Christmas - what was I thinking? Well, it worked. I stuck to the plan and was on liquids until Christmas Eve, which was totally fine. I just had Dr. Webb put in .25ccs but it seems to be plenty. I have dropped nearly 5 lbs which puts me at one half lb above my goal weight of 135 lbs. I feel great, I look great. I am almost at the point where I see myself as a slender person. I am contemplating tummy tuck and breast augmentation but that is something I will wait to do til later in the spring. I just want to time it so that I will be out of recovery by the beginning of summer. Why do it if I am not going to be ready for swimming suit season! I am very surprised and a little overwhelmed by being at goal. I am not sure that I every prepared mentally for being here. What a great trip.
2/15/07
I have been up and down in the last 30 days but I seem to have, for the last week, been able to keep at a steady 135 lbs. I am really shooting for a 132-133 range so that I have some leeway with this. I haven't been exercising as much as I should but I am ready to get back on the wagon. I have started seeking plastic surgery consults. The first one went well. The second one is in two week and I may seek a third. So far, I am very happy with what I am hearing. The hardest thing for me will be the pain of recovery. The band surgery recovery was a little rough. The TT will be so much worse. I try not to think about it too much. I have been eating very, very well. Probably too much wine the last couple of days but I am curtailing for the next couple of weeks. I am so proud of myself for getting to goal. I saw my PCP this week. I had not been taking my Vytorin (very small dose, anyway) for the last 3 months. No reason, really, I just stopped. She was not even remotely worried. Oh, and another weird thing. When I commited to this I really did cut out bad carbs. Only whole grains and very limited amounts, with one exception. I told myself I could have mashed potatoes at least twice a month. And I did. But sometime before the holidays I noticed that I did not have a huge desire for the potatoes anymore. Or for sweets. I can totally eat one or two bites and that's it. I guess you can really bust the carb craving. That is fantastic! I intend to keep it that way. 135, I can't hardly believe it but I love it!!