UPDATE: Below Goal Weight and Maintaining

Wow! I had not realised that I have not been updating for such a long time. It has literally been a year and 1 week since my last post. Well, I can tell you that a looooot has changed since then. I don't even know if anybody is following/reading anymore?

Anyways, let me get to it...

I am currently in Eastern Turkey, up on a mountain so high that sometimes I think my lungs are gonna pop. :) I am here on a 12 month contract to provide linguistic support to US soldiers that are here on a mission. Currently been on the job for over 3 months, but it has been over 5 months since I got here. 

The last year has been awful with band slippage, not being able to find a proper knowledgable doc in Turkey, etc etc... Currently I have no fill, had to have it all removed after being severely blocked, not being able to get any fluids down even. Have been very ill on and off due to continuing deficiencies. However, with the amount of sunlight exposure and a Vitamin D injection, I think I am doing well in that area as I no longer have sore bones. Thank God! However, my blood count and iron level continue to be low...

But, I am not complaining. I am currently a few kgs below goal weight. My goal weight has been to get down to 75kg (from 148kg), and now I weight something like 72kgs. My ideal weight is around 65kg, but I am not fussing, I have reached goal, and my surgeon had told me not to expect to get below 100kg. :)

The only thing I desperately want but cannot get due to financial circumstances is to have my excess skin removed. Unfortunately, it makes me feel like crap. When I see photos of myself standing up, I think I look pretty decent, otherwise I feel sluggish with folds of meat everywhere... especially when photographed in photos while I am sitting down, the excess skin clutters, and makes me look as bad as I feel about myself. Maybe one day... one day I will have enough cash to have that crap removed to feel and look like a normal human being. However, when I go shopping and dress up, I do feel great, I cannot complain about that! I love being treated like the human being I deserve to be treated... It really makes me sad to notice that I actually was treated slightly different in public as an overweight woman. I get a lot of attention from males, and a whole heap of compliments too. Does it feel good? Sure does! But it pisses me off too! Big time!

Anyways... Once I get back to Australia, I need to have enough cash to have my lapband surgery reversed and to get the sleeve. I mean, yes, I have no fill right now, and I have been maintaining my weight, but still, I know that if I ever fall pregnant (I hope to one day), I will get back to my old ways, and I need the assistance that WLS provides. Argh, the cost of all this does not make me happy, and does not make it easy, but one has got to do what one has got to do...

WLS is not easy, but if you stick to it and be patient, it really pays off.

Here are some of my latest photos... for inspiration...

A facial close up from last week

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This is from yesterday, so it is my most recent photo

A side shot from yesterday... just see my older posts for a comparison...

This is about a month old, and taken at my work place and home. I live on a mountain in Eastern Turkey... a very different experience... a adventure and a journey I appreciate...

This was also from last week

And this one is about a month old...

So I am 1.64m tall, and weigh approx. 72 kg at present... My bottom half I am not so upset with, but my back and arms have heaps and heaps of fat, excess skin that bothers me... but I should be grateful... and I am... but I am also a woman, and I complain :P

To all of you out there who are struggling to lose weight and/or maintain their weight loss, I wish you all the best, I know that it is very very difficult... not only physically but also emotionally...