6 months ago today...

...I was starving. And nervous. And getting cold feet.

I was starving because I'd eaten nothing but protein shakes for two weeks, nothing but clear liquids for 24 hours, and NOTHING the day of surgery. My surgery ended up not being until almost 3 pm, and while food would have been nice, I probably would have traded my first born for a drink by about 1 pm. Oh, I was so thirsty. And then when I woke up, I thought they'd sent me on a year-long hike through the desert without water rather than giving me a band - I couldn't even speak, my mouth was so dry.

But they didn't send me on a hike, I really did get banded. It's been a wild ride - waiting for restriction, fills that swell so tight and then relax to basically nothing, tears, smiles, frustrations, celebrations, and more. However, it's been more than all the frustrations and tears, because the band has given me my life back. It's given me hope. It's made me a better mother, wife, daughter, friend, and human being. I know that sounds dramatic, but it is true. I had resigned myself to being fat forever, and with that resignation went my dreams and aspirations, my self-confidence and motivation, my desire to really live. Being fat had robbed my kids of a mother who was happy, my husband of a wife who felt beautiful, my parents of the self-confident daughter they'd so lovingly raised, and my friends of the friend who could inspire them to do great things.

The band is bringing back the person I was. And while it's not all good (I'm far from perfect!), the good far outweighs the bad (no pun intended).

In the last 182 days, I've lost:

• 70.6 lbs total.
• 6 oz per day, on average (yes, I am a stats geek).
• 50+ inches.
• 2 clothing sizes, from what was probably a 30W (I don't really know as I stuck to LB size 8) to mostly 26W on the bottom, and a tight 3x to 2x (some 1x) on top.
• Swollen ankles.
• My fear of gaining weight back.
• My resignation of being fat forever.

In the last 182 days, I've gained:

• A wonderfully supportive blogging community of true friends.
• New, smaller, sassy clothes (thank you, sisterhood).
• Confidence in being able to lose ALL my excess weight.
  

And as the pounds have melted away, they've unburied:

• My self-confidence.
• My happiness.
• My sparkling smile.
• My ankle bones.
• The ability to dream about the future.
• The amazing person I was meant to be.

I am looking forward to the next six months and beyond. There's so much more in store for me as I continue to lose and become the new me.

Thanks so much for all your support along the way. I read each and every comment, often 3 or 4 times, because they mean so much to me. I love you all!