6 months in - PHOTOS!!

Since today is my 6 month bandiversary I have plucked up the courage to post some photos.

I don't actually have any photos of me at my biggest (I hid from cameras and deleted any that were taken).  I do have a photo of me setting up for my daughter's 18th birthday party - that one survived because there were other people in it (I've cropped them out below).

If you are due to have a gastric band or are recently banded I urge you to take photos of yourself now and regularly as you lose.  I so wish I had....

Here goes...............

May 2011 - not at my biggest I put on 2st more pre-band

30th June 2012 - side view for comparison with above pic

June 2012 - 6 months post band

The dog in the pics is my beloved chocolate lab Dobby :D.

I have a little over a stone (17lbs) to shed before I reach my target weight.  I will post more pics if/when I get there..................................

Today is my 6 month bandiversary.........

6 months ago today I was banded.

I am so pleased I did it. I would do it in a heartbeat if I had to make the decision again (knowing what I now know).

My band, Geldof, is now part of me and he helps to stop me obsessing about food, to slow me down when I do eat and to permit me to feel satisfied after a reasonable amount of food. I used to consider what I now eat to be a small amount of food - my mindset has soooo changed on that; I eat suffient, and I don't feel deprived.

I'm not saying this band thing is easy. It doesn't do the work for me. Only I can decide what to put in my mouth and how much to move my body. I am dieting, Geldof is assisting to make sticking to my diet less difficult.


Life is different now:

* I wear size 12-14 clothing;
* I have more energy and my joints don't hurt anymore;
* I can enter a cafe and not have to plan my route between the tables and chairs :);
* I feel sexy again and my sex life with my husband is once again incredible.....;
* I only ever eat food that is both healthy and delicious - if it isn't yummy I stop eating (before I would eat food I wasn't enjoying faster to 'get rid of it');
* I think about food much, much less often;
* I actually enjoy walking (never understood before people who wanted to go for a 'nice walk');
* I am happier and more confident in every area of my life;
* I no longer reach for food to deal with my emotions (my increasing understanding of my emotional eating warrants a separate post - I will put writing that particular post onto my todo list);

This is how my tickers look 6 months post band:

My waist is now smaller than my thigh was......

Incredibly, my waist now measures less than my left thigh did when I began this journey!!!

At this mornings' weigh-in my waist measurement stood at 30 3/4"; my thigh measured 31" when I began (it now measures 24 3/4").

Progress at 5 months post-op........

I'm a little over 5 months post-op so I thought it was time to update on my losses:

Weight lost so far:

4st 9lbs.

Inches lost so far:

Waist: - 9"

Hips: - 7"

Thigh: - 6"

Chest: - 5 1/2"

Upper arm: - 2"

Less than 2st to go to target!!!!

At this Saturdays' weigh in I was 12st 11lbs. Meaning I have lost 4st 9lbs in 5 months. I have 25lbs to go to reach target.

I'm having a totally lovely weekend in my matching bras and pants. Partly due to said items and husbands' approval ;). Partly due to my not working - I've taken the whole 4 days off (Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend)- 1st time I've had more than a day off (inc. weekends) since I went back to work on 5th Jan after being banded!

Husband and I have been out on his motorbike today (and yesterday) having fun and shopping - clothes shopping - today I bought a pair of skinny jeans (size 14) - I have NEVER been able to wear skinny jeans. I'm still in shock.

I hope you guys are having weekends as lovely as mine :D



Bxx

Bras, bras, bras, bras and boobs :)

Hello everyone :) This week has seen me reach a milestone I've been really yearning for :D : I can again fit into a whole drawer (and we're talking about a big drawer) of lovely bras that fit me :D. Hurrah!!!!!

I've always been busty and when I lose weight I keep my boobs but it is such a relief to have slimmed into a size that some 'normal' shops stock. When I was banded I only had two bras that I could squeeze myself into (and only just); and one pack of pants that I bought from M&S (the kind that come up to almost meet your bra).

I now have over 30 bras that fit (in a glorious range of colours) and matching pants for most of them (they all fit too :D). Even GEORGE @ ASDA do 34G bras so I can buy one for £6 rather than having to fork out extortionate prices to specialist suppliers.

I am one happy bunny :D - so is husband ;) (he took great delight in throwing the bloody M&S granny style pants ceremoniously in the bin).

The two larger bras have been permitted to retire - the poor things needed to be released from their onerous support duties - I'm sure their union would have something to say about their hours (and conditions) of work and the heavy lifting involved - lol.



BeBea x

PS I find I lose less stuff between my boobs these days too :) - gone are the days of me removing my bra to find that bits of chocolate have worked their way down there and melted unbecomingly!!