NIKKI WATERS
4/19/07 10:42 am
Today has just been one of those days where you just like to sit back and reminisce on what you have been through and where you are at today... I know I am only 19, but this weight loss journey has been a long one for me. I know some of ya’ll senior bandsters are probably laughing but it really has. I am now a little over 9 months out and I can tell you, all the info you learn in the seminars and information booklets you receive doesn’t even compare to all the stuff you learn from actually having the band and going through all the struggles. People may say that weight loss surgery is the easy way out, but I can stand firm and say it is NOT! Not knowing what you can and can’t eat and when you can eat has been the biggest struggle for me, but I can say this surgery has defiantly been a blessing! I have been overweight since I started kindergarten, my mom says it’s once I found out where all the little debbies were, lol; and I can remember walking into the classroom looking around at all the kids and noticing there was something different between me and them… but it really didn’t get to me until 1st grade, that’s when the teasing came in. I had friends, don’t get me wrong but you still had the teasing going on and I think that got to me more than anything, I just wanted to be like all the other kids! I already was really sensitive and then get those smart and rude remarks made twords you was so rough!! I think the teasing finally calmed down until about 4th or 5th grade… but that’s when you started having your “cliques” come about so of coarse you had all the pretty, rich and popular girls to look at all at once, but it really didn’t bother me because of coarse I always had my friends. Middle school was ok, I went into the 6th grade wearing a size 20… at this point I was about fed up with my weight so me and my mom tried the weight watchers diet. I liked it, it was pretty neat but I only lost 20 lbs before I just gave it up, and gained that weight back plus more. Then around 8th grade we tried it again and of course, 20-25 lbs gone but then money became an issue and we had to stop, so of coarse gained that back plus more! I also had went on my own diets before and as all of you know… those don’t work either! Lol I think I hit rock bottom when I got into high school, seeing everyone going to parties and swimming wearing their little bathing suits and cute party outfits, it was really depressing!!! I wanted to be apart of that so bad!! Well I graduated and at graduation I was on the phen phen diet and had lost 35 lbs… and then of coarse money became an issue so I had to go off of it… and lord help me but I went from 235 all the way up to 275 in 6 months!!!!! That was almost a 50 lb gain!! That’s when I knew I had to do something fast!! I was engaged at the time and thought I had found the love of my life then all the sudden that crashed, and honestly right now I want to thank him, because of him I have found out that I can better myself and do better! Well back to my story J Then my mom brought up the option of weight loss surgery… and the first thing she gave me the option of was gastric bypass and I knew I wasn’t ready to go that far with it, and so we did some more research and my mom found something about lap-band and she gave me a lot of information on it and I thought about it for two months and made the decision to go to the seminar, and then went ahead and went for all the tests and pre qualifying, and then I received the best birthday present ever!!! My lap-band!!! I had surgery on my birthday July 18, 2006 and I will have to say the next week was hell for me, but it was worth it, every single ounce of pain! I am now a little over 9 months out and I have lost a total of 61-62 lbs weighing 213-214, and I started out at around 275-276 some of the difference I realized is I am now a size 16-18 and was a 22-24, I got collar bones!! And elbows!! And ankles!! And shoulder bones!! Lol, not to mention my health has been tremendously better!! And ladies… this has to be the biggest booster in the world, heads actually turn for better!! And even sometimes a few whistles!!! J Well I just thought about writing some of my experiences so I hope ya’ll enjoy it. Anyone who is thinking about lap-band and want to know more just let me know and I will be glad to help you out any way I can! It’s so great to be on the loosing side J
