Stories from the road.......: SEVEN YEAR ITCH or LUCKY SEVEN???

Seven years ago this week, I started this blog....

Seven years ago this week, I had my LapBand surgery.

Seven years ago this week.....my life changed.

Year 1

Happy Bandiversary and Happy Blogiversary to ME!

It's a bittersweet celebration....

It's a little bit PITY PARTY and little bit PARTY PARTY.....

This past Monday, I had my 7 year Lap Band check up with my surgeon and her great team.
As their gift to me....they walked me through the past 7 years.
WITH A BIG CHART......A VERY BIG CHART..... projected on a very BIG wall....

Regardless that it was jam packed with successes, inspiration and helpful information--in the end...the only thing I heard was....you gained 12 pounds.

PITY PARTY!!!!!

It's taken me a little shy of 48 hours to digest that appointment....thinking it through and trying to learn from it.
And, most importantly.....finding a way to go forward from here.....

Bruce can always be counted on to capture how I am feeling and what I am thinking....

My 7 year appointment was a reminder call.
Simple as that.
It was a huge reminder that my journey never ends and that my Lapband is my very own personal tool to keep me on the road. My Lapband was here when I was 48, it's here when I am 55 and it shall be with me on every road that life takes me on. It was a gift I gave myself forever....and EVER.
I must respect the gift and myself and my hard work by continuing to do the hard work that it takes to make sure that my precious gift keeps on giving.........

My 12 pound weight gain over these past 5 years (since I lost the initial weight) was the bitter part of that call and the path of discovery that it led me on these past 48 hours was the sweet part of it.....

When I was able to process the entire appointment as it relates to my entire journey...I realized.....
Yes, there was more to it than just those 12 pounds.....

I had to step back to see the big picture.....

The progression of my weight gain was rather telling as it relates to more things than just the number on the scale.
The fact that I gained the weight put me into a mode of analyzing everything from where I was in my life at certain points to where I am today...7 years later.
The number on the scale at my appointments was only part of the journey.
That number doesn't tell the behind-the-scenes story......
It doesn't tell about the minor weight gains and weight losses in between appointments. Nor does it mention holidays or vacations when temptation raged on and I was able to avoid pitfalls that once derailed me. And, it didn't nod to those stressful times when I walked through the fire and came out the other end without eating 2 pounds of pasta. My triumphs were hidden in between those weigh-ins.....just like my heartbreaks were tucked inside there too.
Those moments of recorded weight at my appointments did not tell the story.
But, part of the story that it tells me today is worth it's weight in gold.
It tells me what I knew all along.....this blog....this little blog that I started way back in 2007...is so deeply, deeply connected to my Lap Band success....

Here.....let me prove it to you....

2009 marked the year that my weight was consistently going down in small, healthy increments.
2010 marked the year that I was at my lowest weight.
I was able to maintain that weight throughout 2010.
2009 and 2010 mark the highest number of blog entries throughout my 7 years of blogging.
In 2011,when the weight gain began...albeit not much....my blog entries curtailed a bit (2 pounds).
In 2012, when there was a bit more of a weight gain....my blog entries dropped off even more(4 pounds).
In 2013...when my blog entries upped a bit....the weight gain was very low (1.5 pounds).
Now, in 2014...when my blogging is dwindling,I have had the most significant weight gain (4.5 pounds).

Do you see the correlation?
Well, I sure do.
I am someone who needs to stay accountable and who needs to focus on a path.
When I don't do it.....it shows.
My little daliences away from Stories from the Road reared it's ugly head on the scale.
Conversely-- my commitment to doing daily entries kept me focused and empowered.
The proof is right there.
From the way I see it--the fix is not all that hard.
Blog more=Maintain my weight.
Easy.
PARTY PARTY!!!!