Today marks the first anniversary of my lapband surgery. I have given some thought over this past week on what to say about this event. It’s been quite a year for me. When I started this journey I thought that lapband surgery would make losing weight a breeze. What I found out is that it is hard work. It is truly a tool in which you have to use properly.

Questions I get a lot are, “Would you do it again?” and “Was the surgery really worth it?” My answer is “Definitely yes!” to both of these questions. As I evaluate my health and overall well being, I know that I am light-years ahead of where I was a year ago. I am certain I could not see this kind of weight loss without the help of the lapband.

I attribute much of my success on this journey to the folks who supported me. My partner Brett inspired me to have the surgery with his dramatic weight loss. I have so many chat buddies in the GLBT room of www.obesityhelp.com. There is no question I was quite bitchy with my painfully slow weight loss, and these folks listened and helped me along. I am particularly thankful for Mick from Atlanta and Michael from Charlotte. They were such an inspiration and a success that I can not even compare to. I found out how much on-line social networking and communities can help you.

I still wonder if I am a successful WLS patient. I pale in weight loss to most of the folks I chat with and see in support group. I have exceeded my surgeon’s expectations but fall short of my own expectations. I really think I could have done better. I look at the changes I have made in my life. I am up at 5:00 a.m. every morning to exercise. I eat a much healthier diet. I am much more active. The scale is below 200 pounds. Life is good! I guess I see my self as a moderate success.

This month was a difficult month for me. For the first time in 13 months, I gained weight. I weigh in at 190 pounds; up 1 pound from last month. I know my loss is slowing and have been expecting that. I had a very challenging week with a day at Cedar Point, 2 picnics, and dinner out with friends. This is a valuable lesson for me. It shows me that I have to be vigilant with how I eat and my overall behavior.

I guess I’ll close by saying that my life has been transformed. I am still a work in progress. I know I have probably bored my friends with my obsession with the scale over the past year. I have now moved beyond that. As my on-line chat buddy Mick reminds me a lot… “It’s not just about the scale.” It took me some time to learn that lesson.

I have included a before and after pic of Brett and I. The left pic was taken at the fountain in front of Paris Casio in Vegas in February 2003. This is Brett and I at about our highest weights. The pic on the right was taken earlier this month in Downtown Chicago… 260 pounds lighter. It’s refreshing to visually see the difference.