The title of this post is a quote of Montgomery Scott from the original Star Trek series. If you are a Star Trek fan, you know that Scotty was constantly worried that the Enterprise would somehow fall apart when Kirk ordered him to “give it all we got” to escape from a nearly inescapable situation. This post is a somewhat long look back on my weight loss journey to date and a realization that it is up to me to take ownership of my weight and health. Scotty’s words seem pertinent to my journey over the past few years as I somehow try to keep it all together and keep it from falling apart.

My posts on weight loss have become less frequent over the past year. During my first year post-op I blogged pretty frequently on the subject. Let’s face it; the numbers on the scale were falling pretty consistently and my life was changing. It was a pretty exciting time.

Then I hit my plateau at about one year out. As I approach my two year bandiversary of my Lapband surgery, I have fallen into a pretty comfortable routine. The good news is that my weight has been very consistent over the past year hanging around 190+ pounds. I am pretty good with a healthy diet and my exercise level has increased. My surgeon, cardiologist and primary care physician are all extremely happy with my health.

A few weeks ago I had a quarterly Lapband surgeon appointment to check in on my health and progress. I had a very small unfill. I have really had a small number of fills. On a prior appointment I had asked for a fill thinking it could accelerate my weight loss and found over the last quarter that it was too aggressive. I had some acid reflux and had issues eating lean protein. With my unfill, I am back to normal and a happy camper.

Since I began my weight loss journey, I have friended a fellow Lapband patient in a weight loss forum who is about a year farther out than me. Mick is very successful in his weight loss. He blogs extensively about his journey and has inspired me so much. We email each other now and then. I check in on his blog and read about his life. I have found that Mick and I are now on the same plane in terms of weight loss and life as a Lapband patient. His posts seem to speak to me more than they ever have and are often exactly what I am personally experiencing.

As Mick has discovered before me, I have come to realize that maintaining a healthy weight is in my control. It’s not about the band making me skinnier. I have reached that point where the band helped me get to where I am where it’s up to me to go on from here. Let’s face it; I know the ins and outs of living with a Lapband. I know how to use it properly and more dangerously… how to work around it. So, it’s up to me on where to go from here.

Very early on when I began chatting with Mick, I remember him pounding into my head that it is not just about the weight loss. I was in that stage where I was frustrated with a slow weight loss and wanted to be “instantly” thin. It may have taken me over a year, but I now know how true Mick’s words were. It’s nice to be thinner and be able to walk into a store and find my shirt and jean size readily available. What is nicer is being able to bicycle as much as I do. It’s nice to be much more active and not laying around the house on weeknights and the weekend. It’s nice not hearing my doctor telling me I need to lose 50 pounds. It’s just nice feeling so much healthier.

I guess this post marks a point in my life where I acknowledge what my Lapband has done for me and recognize that it has turned control of my weight loss/gain over to me. Let’s face it; it has always been in my control. Sometimes it just takes almost two years to realize that you have more control over your life than you think. Weight loss surgery has taught me a lot of things. When a person considering surgery asks me about it, I tell them that it is not as easy a journey as many people think. It takes work and commitment to be a success. I now add that at some point you need to recognize that you control your personal weight. If you don’t recognize that soon after your surgery, you could find the scale moving upward and your success dwindling.

I’ll close with “Live well and prosper.” That seems to sum it up this long boring post in a short concise sentence.