Chimera

I know you guys have your own group but figured you guys would read posts here - I just watched Michael Mosley's PBS special Eat, Fast, and Live Longer and it was great. I know it is on a few times this week on my local PBS station. Taping his next show which is called the Truth About Exercise. Here is a link http://video.pbs.org/program/michael-mosley/

Im still plugging away - my body seems to like hovering around 172-174 so I have not seen much downward progress with the numbers - I figure I have some excellent company though. I was one of those that the scale started to stop until I was having my cycle - then woo then scale would show losses of anywhere from 2-10 lbs. Now I think the dreaded (or not so dreaded) change is upon me and who knows when my cycle will appear these days. The weight does not want to budge! I feel great and am so happy with my progress, I never could have done this without my sleeve - I am just so looking forward to the day I can say that I achieved my goal weight - what a milestone that will be!

I think you will be fine! Brent and I had spectacular 1 year bloodwork - everything was right where it should be, and this was with not always being so vigilant with the supplements (miss a day or two here or there - don't like a new vitamin so I am not taking any of that today etc.) I think you and Lauri (sp?) have made such remarkable improvements to your health over the last years that the thought of getting news that you might be off on anything might make one nervous - I predict everything will be great!

Gastric Sleeve Veteran's Forum (NEW FORUM) This forum is dedicated to veteran Sleevers who are six or more months post-op, to discuss issues specific to those who are further along in their journey. You must have 100 posts in order to post here.

And folks that are on or approaching the pre-op diet - the goal is to shrink your liver, this vital organ is lifted with a small retractor to get at your stomach . Yes the benefit of losing weight prior to the surgery is great, but reducing the size of the liver is what is crucial as most of us who are over a healthy BMI have some level of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. What that means is that your liver is large, puffy, and soft - My surgeon compares it to the texture of foie gras and it can be very easily damaged if you do not comply with your diet protocol. You want to talk about the mother of all complications - inadvertently slicing your liver is not good. Low carb diets rapidly shrink the liver and change its texture and size for a safer surgical procedure. Every Doc has a different protocol - my surgeon does not have his patients do liquids but rather Atkins induction in the weeks prior to surgery. Every gram of glycogen has about 3 times that in Water attached to it - thus why we drop weight so rapidly on a very low carb diet initially - the water is going as we burn off our glycogen (stored carbohydrate) stores. Here is a good read about how our bodies metabolize glycogen stores. http://www.justinowings.com/understanding-bodyweight-and-glycogen-de/ None of this is easy - it is very much about discipline, turning yourself around to learn how to really take care of ourselves, physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually. No, not easy, but hands down probably the nest thing you will ever do for yourself and your health in the long run.

really?

Just logged some gym time on My Fitness Pal and thought I would post my MFP avatar - really makes you want to get up and shake it haha!

Seattleite here (but you knew that), I think I went wrong when I wouldn't stop eating things that were terrible for me in copious amounts over many years coupled with my goal to stop moving haha.

Just like when the computer needs a reboot - so do our eating habits Reboot to the rules we all need to follow for success- Protein first, oceans of non-caloric, non carbonated liquid, drop the carbs - I go for Atkins 72 personally - which means 0-20 grams a day to detox from flour, sugar, etc. Don't beat yourself up - yesterday is gone. Be honest about what you consume and expend. This is a process that will never end

Lol see it never ends - I look at my own ticker and realize I have 32 lbs to go to hit goal and not 42. Lord knows the work involved when I eventually do attain the elusive 140 lbs. I have never gotten there.

My husband and I deal with this on a daily basis and we have both had the surgery hah! He works out like an animal 6 days a week, he has a gym at work and has pals that he works out with daily - I am not quite there yet. He lost all of his weight in the first six months and is maintaining and is building muscle - competing in events like the Warrior Dash etc. Meanwhile, I am not in maintenance - I have 42 more lbs. to burn and like many others, the losses have slowed way down for me - I will get there eventually though. I certainly am not going to get down on myself at this stage of the game. In truth, I am already there as my Doc says - all of my co-morbidities have been resolved. It is still hard to wrap my mind around the truth that I am only a few lbs away from being just overweight rather than super morbidly obese. I often struggle with body dysmorphia issues - washing my own clothes and not realizing they are mine, always thinking "I cant fit into something that small" these aren't my clothes and just generally not being able to see myself. Over the past months I have thought an awful lot about this very issue - I know in some ways it has to be tied to identity - and for those of us who have never seen themselves as athletic (me) trying on a new viewpoint. I am getting to the point that I actually look forward to exercise (how crazy is that!) - I know that I need to continually be mindful and focus on how much better I feel about myself being more active, and to remember just how far I have come - I am literally unrecognizable from who I was only a year ago not to mention 2,3,5,10 years ago. Change comes incrementally - those short evening walks a couple times a week turn into running 7-10 mph on a treadmill very quickly. Progress is cumulative - all of those little changes we make add up to some pretty big victories. My husband goes out and challenges himself with much more exercise than I do and we spend time each week doing active things together that are easier for me. I don't know if I will ever see myself as athletic but I am working on it

The hardest part of all of this is altering our mindset - and making the healthiest choices we can. Its really, really important to work on the habits that will make the surgery a success - what's the Doc say? Protein first. Protein first. Protein first. Take it from me - who just came back from a trip and witnessed my sister in law - who had lost all of her excess weight after a RNY - working her way back up - gaining 35 lbs since Christmas eating crap - little bits at a time.

I have been having the same problem out of the blue - my work around was to make a word doc and cut and paste from there- just a bit clunky...I am on Windows 7 desktop as well.

Food funerals don't mean much when you are addicted to food. Even after surgery you will have the same issues with food after you heal and a ways out from surgery. Then the stakes are even higher, because to undo all of one's hard work on this marathon of a journey is tragic. Honestly I think most of us struggle with this stuff.

2. Don't ever do a plank in a loose shirt that you can look down, you will be terrified! Hahaha! I have scared myself a few times with that one What's so strange is how the remaining fat and skin is like some strange outfit you have on - standing in place and shaking oneself too and fro (like a dog shaking off water) is crazy...some days I think I could start an earthquake...

The Fitbit and the neat scale are on my wish list for my birthday - good to hear that you guys love it!

Swizzly do you ever read Mark's Daily Apple? it is a primal site with lots of great recipes, stories, and info (primal is similar to Paleo but allows dairy) I must have my extra sharp cheese on occasion as well as my latte's and Greek yogurt Here is a link - this is where the recipe for those fat guacamole devils came from btw (devils eggs with yolks mixed with avocado - yay for healthy fats). I also really like his take on fitness - it makes sense. http://www.marksdailyapple.com/#axzz2Z3ZQVymy

I would ask my Doc for their opinion on how long to wait on exercise post surgery - I was really run down for a long time after my own (had complications though) I do think it takes about 8 weeks for things to really heal up - Crossfit sessions could be a bit too much early out. I would walk to start, and focus on healing and getting fluids in.

I didn't start to move around much until 9 months post vsg - started with Water aerobics twice a week. I know nutrition is responsible for 80% of WL - I am finding that working on my long walks, enjoying my new gym membership, etc. are helping me build strength and flexibility in a big way. I am trying to get away from the mindset of exercise as a means to lose more weight - but rather use it as a tool to be able to do more things that I could not do when I was almost 320 lbs. I still have to make myself go exercise, but it is a bit better these days. We enjoyed a family hike yesterday and there is no way in heck I would have been able to participate in this prior to losing the weight that I have. I have terrible arthritis in my ankles, knees and hips and am working towards building up strength so that I am not as hindered by it. This has become the new goal - fitness so that I can live a better life. A few weeks ago while driving through the parking lot at our small local mall I saw a woman who was in her 70's struggling with opening the door at the local Barnes & Noble - she honestly did not have the upper body strength to pull it open...I want to be strong enough to do the things I want to do!

heh sounds like carb detox - its hell at first, but it gets waaay better - I feel ill now when I eat the way I used to before surgery.

Just want to chime in regarding the inspiration in this thread - we will all get there! My losses are harder to come by these days and I am very much looking forward to next week when our houseguests return home and there are no more cookies, or hamburger buns, or bread in my normally safe, bad-carb free home. They go down waaaay to easily after that first year - my hubby who is also sleeved has lost his mind I guess...he is at goal and can seemingly eat anything and not gain. I also had a fright seeing my sister-in-law last week - who was the inspiration for my husband and I to have WL surgery in the first place. She had a RNY and is 3.5 years out, after a very stressful spring with her job, she had gained back 35 lbs of the 165 she had lost. Over a weeks camping, she had a personal stash of packages of golden Oreo's, those giant containers of goldfish crackers, chips, juice, and bags of dried fruits, including coconut (when I looked at the bags nutrition content and how her dear husband, who is heavier than he has ever been could not seem to stop eating from it - not good.) I am worried that she will gain more back - she has a weakness for sweet carbs This felt like the cautionary tale, the wake-up call - for me to be careful, and mindful, and to keep on working on things that are healthy habits. It is so freaking hard some days...

I was just going to recommend BCAA's too Fiddle they work wonders! and hope your wife is recovering well from her surgery.

Wow I guess I don't see these threads - maybe because I am post op and read mainly threads on fitness and nutrition, and friends updates. There are a lot of folks in the world who are angry and bitter - maybe WLS will improve their outlook

My surgeon used a 40 on my husband and myself - the larger the bougie, the fewer the complications. We have terrific restriction, he hit goal in less than a year and I am 80% there - so far so good.