BAND ANNIVERSARY!!!!

Happy birthday to my band and my new life.....  so much has changed.  My whole life has changed. 

Here I am one year ago today...

And here (much to my chagrin), is my transformation video...

First and last picture together for fun: 

The one annoying thing...

Ok - here's a post for people considering the band or even newbies....

One year out, the only thing that I find annoying is that I cannot, simply CANNOT, eat and drink at the same time.  Day to day, not a big deal.  But when you are out to dinner, you need to have that drink well before they bring the appetizers.  My husband has a good trick for me, we go to the bar first and have that drink and then we get seated and focus on the eating part.  But it is kind of annoying...  Last night I ate a crab cake and man, I can remember the way crab and white wine tasted together.  But there would have been no way to consume both at the same time.  My trick is to take the tiniest, itsy bitsy sip, just to have the flavor of the wine on my lips ;) 

I remember reading alot about people being worried about giving up food - or certain types of food.  I have said it before, and I will say it again.  Once you puke it up, you kind of stop wanting it.  The band takes care of that through a Pavlovian approach.  What's the big deal about eating one mini crab cake instead of 2 big ones?  Or the broth from the French Onion soup rather than the cheese?  Or 2 ounces of beef instead of 12?  You get over that stuff.  But man, I wanted to finish my martini last night and it just was not going to happen.

But then again....I slipped on my size ten shorts this morning without undoing the button so I guess annoying is relative ;)

Blurry picture from last night - but a Victoria's Secret size Medium nonetheless.

Tuesday is one year.  I weigh 163.8 pounds - from 286 last year at this time.  I will post my transformation video on Tuesday even though it scares the HELL out of me.

It's DONE

Okay - just back from Costa Rica today - haven't weighed myself, will do so tomorrow and report back in.  2 weeks until my band anniversary....

But, on more exciting news.... I did it.  We were in Tamarindo, I had just signed the papers formally purchasing our beach property and we were headed for sushi and I decided, today is the day.  Printed out my logo and paid a crazy Roman to ink me.  What do you think?

My first tattoo...at 39.  My 10 year old son nearly had a heart attack.  But man was I sure of what I was doing.  This is my crazy journey.... to recoup my status as the lead singer.  And now I am branded ;)

Amazement

Anyone get amazed or even a little disgusted watching other people eat?  The past couple of days I have sort of been amazed and a little grossed out at the process.  It's so funny.  To watch my kids eat a hamburger and intermittently take slugs of some carbonated drink gives me a wave of nausea.  To watch people take huge mouthfuls of things and swallow freaks me out and kind of makes me want to puke.  Am I abnormal or have you all experienced this?

On Lap Band Talk, there is a thread about getting to the point where you just don't care about food.  I am definitely there.  I have pretty much no interest, no desire.  I don't have cravings really and I don't plan my days around food.  Yesterday, besides ice coffee (with protein added in), I had a 4 ounce chicken breast for lunch and 2 ounces of beef and some green beans for dinner.  That's it.  Nothing exciting - just trying to meet my minimum requirements.  I think about a year ago, right before I started my 2 week pre-op liquid diet, I was eating everything and obsessing about food and what my life would be like post-op.  There is no way someone could have warned me about this.  I no longer care at all.  And besides the weight loss, this is the biggest gift of all.  ;)

Happy 4th to you all ;) 

Fat Summer

Being fat in the summer sucks.  I remember.  Just last summer, I clocked in at 286 lbs.  I was one month pre-op.  I was miserable.  I was hot, sweaty, my thighs rubbed together.  I never wanted to go outside or do anything.  I hated going to the pool and got hives at the thought of a bathing suit.  I couldn't wear make up because I would for certain sweat it off.  It was not pretty. 

This year could not be any more different.  I am comfortable.  I don't sweat.  I go places with my children.  I wear a bathing suit at the pool!!  I wear cute sun dresses, skirts and even short shorts (I know, it's my mid life crisis).  I am no longer a hater of the fat summer.  I bare skin.  I am free.

These are the ideas that passed through my head as I got dressed in my jean shorts and tank top today.  I am comfortable.  I am not constantly dreading exposure or discomfort.  I can be me.  Love it.

Cheers to my first non-fat summer in over 22 years!