Progress Photos - Long Time No See

I've been up and down with sickness in the past couple months. I think I did mention the reflux and fill removal last time?

Well, I had the fill put back in gradually (2 appointments) and was going well until I got sick again... and reflux again...

This happened a couple times and I had 1 ml removed today to give my internals a rest for a couple weeks.

I have been doing great with weight loss, but if it weren't for the episodes of illness I've been experiencing, the results would not have been achieved as quickly. I have to admit that! The cause of the tightness in my band leading to reflux seems to be triggered by colds. I've been catching colds, and whenever I do, my band gets tighter leading to reflux. Apparently something goes on internally when a person gets a cold, and that pushes onto the band making it feel tighter. Doc today said colds can be tricky. Damn!

Anyhow, I am so scared to put the weight back on, because I know it is common... the body thinks you are starving it, so anything that goes in your mouth is stored as fat for survival UNTIL your metabolism kicks in again. So this means I need to hit the gym again rigorously to compensate and kick start it.

Other than all this, I now feel that the band is not for everyone! I personally wouldn't change a thing (other than doing it earlier), I love my band and very thankful for it. But I know that not everybody can cope with the throwing up, struggling to get anything down... sometimes even getting water down is a problem with the reflux. But yeah, just depends on YOU!

I am currently at 100.3 kg, but doc said take last weeks weight as my actual weight, because I was dehydrated and got nothing down the past few days. So in reality, I am approximately 103-104 kg. So that is 10 kg less than the last photos I posted. :)

I have to add that I am very happy and proud! I am loving all the compliments I receive from people who have actually seen my before and current state. :))) I can't wait to get off the next 15-20 kg (maybe another year?) --- then surgery to remove the sagging skin... my God is everything sagging or what! It's turning me off and I think I am going to be really affected psychologically (more than I already am)... dunno how to save up for it, as it is going to cost a lot... I think the cost is going to be the thing that stops me from reaching my goal/dream. Anyway, I have my fingers crossed!

Me @ 103kg at month 14... 45kg down in 14 months!

Now, comparing to the photos in the previous post, I can't see much of a difference, but the jeans I was wearing in the previous photos was a size 18, and they are now quite big on me, very loose! These ones are size 16. I now wear size 16, there are rare occasions I wear 14 (depending on fabric), but I think that if I had the sagging skin in my midrift area removed, I would probably be a 14. That bulge you see in the centre is majorly the emptied out sagging skin which I hate to see when I take off my clothing.

Slowly does it...

It has been a little over 7 months since the surgery...

The weight loss has not been as fast as it is for some and not as slow as it is for others... Nonetheless, we all have different body shapes and systems and eating habits and problem areas, and etc. etc... So what matters is the fact that we continue to lose weight!

Mine was very slow during months 4-5-6 with losses of 0.5 kg to 2 kg per month. It did make me feel down, but I always thought a loss is a loss.

Now, for the last month I have been a little worried that my metabolism will sort of crash because it is the month of Ramadhan where Muslims fast (abstain from eating, sexual activity, etc from dusk to dawn) for a period of 1 month. Obviously we need to eat frequently but in smaller portions compared to our pre-banding state and this was not possible for me during the past month. Anyhow, it hasn't been too bad with a loss of approximately 2 kg, but I hope and plan to lose approx 3 during the following month.

Today is our last day of fasting for the year and the celebrations begin tomorrow. So we shall see how that all goes.

In the meantime, some more photos to share.. :)

This is from last week... Weight @ 119 kg

This is a 'fresh' photo :) from today. Weight @ 119 kg

Side shot from today :) I apologise for the link at the bottom of the photos. They are from another of my fashion-related blogs. :)