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sarahcc

LAP-BAND Patients
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Posts posted by sarahcc


  1. You said you started exercising after the bulk of weight came off what was your weight when you started? Also how many months out?

    At my current weight I have a hard time exercising.

    I started exercising about 9-10 months post op on a regular basis. I would say the bulk of the weight had come off by then, meaning about 100 pounds. I've lost 117 pounds total as of today, so yeah, the vast majority of it was already gone. That being said, muscle weighs more than fat so if you start exercising earlier you can probably expect to lost weight slower. BUT -- muscle also burns fat, and keeps you healthy and strong, so it's much better in the long run for you. I'm not saying my way was right or wrong, but it is what worked for me and I wouldn't go back and do it any differently :)


  2. Wow your a total insperation!!! You look awesome!! Great job hope I have the same sucess as you have.. did you exercise a lot?

    Thank you! And I started exercising after the bulk of the weight had come off. I just wanted to get a lot of the excess off first and take it easy, and use my energy as effectively as possible. Now that I'm in maintenance, I usually cycle between running and toning exercises like squats to try and tighten up and finish leaning out my body.


  3. Great post! I luv the fact that ur no longer on a diet. I was banded 3 1/2 yrs ago (awaiting revision to sleeve) and lost 104 lbs eating everything, just smaller quantities. Its why I even had wls _ so that Id never have to diet again. I luv being able to eat anything (including Taco Bell and Jack in the Box) and still lose weight.

    However, since my band slipped, Im counting calories. My band is totally unfilled and can eat alot more. So I've gained about 22 lbs. My fault. I own my mistakes. But if I wanted to watch what I ate and count calories I wouldn't be having the band or the sleeve. Im having the sleeve done because Im no good at watching what I eat. I've proven that recently with the weight gain.

    Congrats on ur achievment. I hope to be u when I grow up!

    I love the accountability but don't beat yourself up over it please!! Dieting never worked for me and if I ever had to go back to counting calories like the old days I would have a really hard time. What I really like most about the sleeve is that it really does help by force -- obviously you can't eat as much by far -- but it also promotes lifestyle changes too. I can honestly say that because I get so many fewer calories and nutrients on a daily basis, my body CRAVES healthy food. For example, I eat salad ALL the time now, and I was never a huge fan before -- it wasn't filling enough and always left me wanting more... a waste of time, if you will. Now it's perfect. And I get my fat from healthier sources like cheese, nuts and avocados. Fish is my preferred meat because it feels so soft and good digesting in my stomach. I've learned that the closer I can get to a raw and/or natural diet, the easier it is on my stomach and in the process I'm SO much healthier. That being said, I also eat plenty of ice cream, or a super greasy burger (well, half of one) when I'm hung over, LOL. I also indulge in french fries from time to time, and during my period just TRY to take a piece of chocolate away from me!

    Anyway, Please feel free to follow up with me if there's anything I can help with along the way for you!!


  4. Holy s*#t you look great lol. I like seeing pics of a year out. Van I ask of you experiences many stalls? If so, what worked for you?

    Great question! I can say I lost pretty consistently. The only time I can recall stalling for a short period of time was around 9 weeks out and I don't think I lost much of anything for about about 2-3 weeks. Other than that I lost really really consistently... about 20-25lbs the first couple months, then I dropped to about 10lbs per month after and maintained that until about month 8-9 out, when I dropped down to about 5lbs per month. All totalled, I've lost about 117 pounds and about 105/110 came in the first 10 months :)


  5. This is exactly how I hope to be. I have never been good at keeping track of anything. I get discouraged on this board sometimes because it seems like everyone is so strict with tracking and never eating any carbs. This makes me feel like there will be some hope for me. Thanks!

    There is so much hope for you!! I can't speak for anyone else, especially anyone that has a different system in place than I did. But I will say that it feels so much like the strict diets and routines are, more than anything, driven by fear of gaining the weight back. We've been given such a great opportunity and to screw it up would be devastating. That being said, I just wanted to take it a day at a time and use this opportunity to really get to know my own body a lot better than I ever did before. There WAS trial and error, I won't lie. I'm sure there are some really rigid folks who will tell you they never threw up, or only one time in years, or whatever. I'll tell you the truth of myself, I've thrown up from taking one bite too many. I haven't thrown up in probably 6 months, but that first half of the year was a lot of trial and error. But I HAD to learn, because I wanted to get as close to "normal" as possible. I wanted to understand what was going to work and what wasn't. And I wanted a solution that I was positive was going to work forever, that I wouldn't burn out on or learn to resent over time. I couldn't be happier :)


  6. You look so different, my gosh!! My dr was the same way in that i didnt do a liquid pre op diet and she has her patients eating food right away. You know I've always wondered if ppl who had to do weeks of liquid had some sort of edge but you have done great!! You look awesome!! Nice job!

    Yeah I always wondered that myself in the beginning-- but I think there's really something to be said about the progress you make when you don't stress or worry. From my perspective, I just really felt like if I would be willing to count calories, count Protein, and cut out foods that I loved even though they were bad for me... I probably could have accomplished the same weight loss without the surgery. Does that make sense? I just felt like if I was going to go through the process, and all the side effects, etc... that I wanted to live life like a normal person. And now I do. I eat what I want, but I make better choices. And I can get back on track if I gain a couple pounds. I just seized the opportunity to start over, and now I can prevent myself from making the same mistakes over again :)


  7. I'm about 2 weeks late for my surgiversary post, but I'll make it up to everyone by being short and sweet!!

    Started:

    • 25 years old
    • 5' 1" tall
    • 241 pounds
    • Size 20 pants
    • Size XXL tops
    • 40DD bra size
    • Size 8 shoe

    Currently:

    • 26 years old
    • 5' 1" tall
    • 125 pounds
    • Size 4 pants
    • Size Small tops
    • 34C bra size
    • Size 6.5 shoe

    Key surgery/post-op points:

    • I had no pre-op or post-op fasting or liquid diet. I started on pureed Protein such as eggs and tuna while I was still in the hospital on day 2 post-op. I ate regular meals up until 24 hours before surgery. This was at my surgeon's discretion.
    • I've never counted calories, carbs, fat or any of that stuff. I eat and drink as I feel comfortable doing so. If I had to guess, I would say I take in about 900-1200 calories a day on average.
    • There is no food I can't eat or drink, but I don't eat many rice/pasta/bread products because I tend to feel uncomfortable afterward. I do take bites here and there and I do eat dry carbs such as chips. I also eat potatoes. I love dairy such as cheese and yogurt. I love fruits and vegetables of all kinds. I love fish and seafood as they settle easiest in my stomach. But I also eat steak, hamburger, chicken, etc... and I love it :)
    • I eat all day long. Tiny amounts, but constantly.
    • I still enjoy half a cheeseburger or handful of french fries from time to time. I have cut NOTHING completely out of my life food wise. I did not go through all this to be on a lifelong diet. I change my lifestyle and my eating habits, but not a diet.
    • Now that I'm thin, I have so much more energy to run around and exercise. I have a gym membership and I use it primarily for cardio, but this summer I'm going to focus on strength training to rebuild my muscle that was lost in the rapid weight loss. I want to be strong :)
    • I do have loose skin, but it's getting better. My stomach is pretty flat, and my arms are tightening up. I have a little sag in my butt and a small pouch of skin/fat left in my pelvic area, but I'm comfortable with it at this point. I would never consider having surgery. I think with toning and time it will firm on it's own (I've also had two kids, for what it's worth)
    • I was the healthiest fat person I know. That's something important to take into consideration when looking at my results. I had no other underlying issues that would prevent the weight from just melting off, which it did. I've been within 5 pounds of my current weight since 10 months post op. Nowadays I'm just trying to get my shape back and build my strength and tone back up.

    Pictures:

    before1.jpg

    Before - Approx. 250lbs

    20130221_172319.jpg

    128 pounds

    125 pounds

    125 pounds

    If I can do it - anyone can :) Hope this motivates someone who was in the same place I was in a year ago - scared and overwhelmed. It's all gonna be ok :) :) :)

    (by the way, that's the same grey sweatshirt in the before pic and the one where I have the hood on)

    post-20898-13813665208021_thumb.jpg

    post-20898-13813665208326_thumb.jpg

    post-20898-13813665208865_thumb.jpg

    post-20898-13813665209956_thumb.jpg

    post-20898-13813665211044_thumb.jpg

    post-20898-13813665212155_thumb.jpg

    post-20898-13813665213057_thumb.jpg

    post-20898-13813665213403_thumb.jpg


  8. Thank you everyone!!!! I actually posted a more recent update to my journey here:

    http://www.verticals...o-128-pictures/

    Here is an updated before/after pic:

    Before and After - 241 to 128

    I'm down about 10lbs more than the lowest ones in the pictures from when I started this original post! Never, ever thought I would get that low (128lbs) and I seem to be hanging there for the last month or so, so I may be close to done losing and into maintaining. As I head into Summer and spend more time outside I am hoping to get down about 5 more pounds so that I can gain and lose that without worrying about it.

    I appreciate the support and can't tell you how much it has helped me along the way. So much love :)


  9. Sarah, thank you for your words of wisdom. I agree that stress is detrimental to the process. We all see post after post of phenominal loses including yours. Great job, you look gorgeous! I hope to get down to your size and to do that I have to trust the process. Again, great job and I can't wait to see when you reach your new goal.

    Thank you!! I am about 3 pounds away and I suppose I should stop watching food network while eating chicken wings if I want to get those gone :P


  10. What is your main advise. You look great

    I posted a much bigger response in another reply but THANK YOU! And my biggest advice is to relax and trust the process :) Also, please be forgiving and allow yourself to eat what you want, when you want, sometimes. My choices consist of about 80-85% discipline and 15-20% what I want, when I want it. I eat ice cream, Cookies, pizza, etc... sometimes. I won't apologize for that. Dieting all my life got me nowhere but obese and extremely depressed and disappointed in myself. A vicious cycle of failure. I wanted a tool to help me control my portions and get me back on track so that I could maintain from a "fresh start". That's exactly what I got. I am committed to my health and my body, but I also can't deprive myself. I don't worry about the scale. Most of the time I weigh myself daily, but I travel a lot for work and will sometimes go weeks without weighing in and I don't lose a moment's sleep over it. You know what the right choices are and you've got tons of resources available for any help you need. What no one can help you with is being GOOD with who you are and what you bring to the table for yourself and others. It's really all about the mindset. I am a firm believer that the sooner you can come to peace with this whole process, the quicker you will see results. There's also a lot of uncontrollables at stake, such as age/genetics etc... but stress to me, was #1. I hope that helps in some small way :)


  11. in for advise or any tips you can give. Whats your diet and exercise look like. How much carbs, Protein and calories are you taking in daily.

    you look great.... awesome inspiration.

    So maybe I'm a terrible role model, I'm not sure. But I don't track any of that stuff in any formal way. I go based on how I'm feeling and what I know I've eaten during the day. When I don't get enough Protein, I can FEEL it. I also don't keep track of carbs, but I do try to limit myself to fruit/vegetable carbs and a small amount of "dry" carbs as I call them, or things like crackers/tortilla chips, etc... (edited to add: I don't cut out carbs such as rice/pasta/bread etc.. because of any diet plan, per se, but because I just don't like how my stomach and body feel after I eat a lot of those foods. It just doesn't sit well like it used to. Very uncomfortable as opposed to pre-surgery when it felt soooo good to eat a big bowl of pasta!!)

    As far as calories go, I'm at about 900-1100 per day. I work in an large call center as a supervisor so I'm not in a role people would consider "active" but I do get plenty of walking in, and when the weather permits I do at least a mile walk each day during my lunch hour. I also do regular cardio in the gym, probably 4x weekly on average. Nothing crazy though, which is probably why I haven't toned as well as I'd like to. The weight is gone but the lack of muscle and loose skin serves as a reminder :P

    My best advice is to take it easy and be forgiving. If you stress you will only delay the process of letting your body do what it wants to do. Live and learn from days when you mess up. Also, don't compare yourself to me or anyone else. That was one huge mistake I made in the beginning, having unrealistic expectations. Now, I lost 113 pounds in 10 months and I didn't start out as high as some. I think I am in the minority, though. I'm young(ish) and other than being fat, I had no other health issues. When I look at myself now, and before I had kids, it was clear to me that my body never wanted to carry the excess weight. For some, it just hangs on. Maybe due to age, genetics, other health concerns, etc... but for me, it was just the right combination of things to get the weight off SO quickly.

    BUT - I digress. I give most of the credit to taking a no-stress approach. There were weeks when I gained 4lbs and I was on the brink of breaking down -- how do you gain with what we've had done? In one week? But then it came back off just as quickly, and I realized that it did me no good to worry about it. I can only control so much, and if that is what I do, consistently, then there's nothing else to it. I also don't deprive myself of what I want. Some nights all I want before bed are a couple girl scout Cookies. At 10 pm. With a glass of milk. And you know what? That's exactly what I have. And I don't spend a single minute after that worrying about what the scale is going to say. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. I know that I make the right choices 80-85% of the time. I'm not going to apologize to myself or anyone else for caving every once in a while. It does me no good and only will make me resentful of the process. I went into this promising myself that I would never diet again - I always failed and ALWAYS felt awful about myself. Now I feel great and so so so much more confident in myself. I guess that's all we can really hope for!

    Sorry, I know that's probably not any answer you were looking for, but I hope it gives some direction and insight nonetheless :)


  12. The basics

    Height: 5"1

    Highest Weight Tracked: 241 pounds

    Largest Size: 18/20, XXL, 40D

    Surgery Date: 4/19/12

    Original Goal: 140 pounds

    Revised Goal: 125 pounds

    Currently:

    Weight: 128 pounds

    Size: 4, S/M, 34C/34D

    Pictures!

    40lbs01

    Before (left) (right was first 40 pounds gone)

    128 lbs

    Current!

    128 pounds

    Current!

    I am so excited with life right now, it's hard to believe. Part of me is always waiting for the other shoe to drop but so far it hasn't. Trust me for anyone who thinks they wouldn't be successful... if I can do it, anyone can :)

    post-20898-1381366336739_thumb.jpg


  13. You look awesome! Congratulations! I will be glad when I hit the 100 lb mark and get to onderland!!!

    Look how far you've already come!! Great job - one huge milestone for me was getting out of the "obese" BMI category and get into the "overweight" one, as weird as that sounds hehe. And it looks like you're almost there with that too, according to your ticker! Congrats on all the success so far :)


  14. Good Grief!! That was dramatic to say the least, you look like an entirely different person. Not saying the old you was bad, but everyone looks better when the are healthy. Mission Accomplished on that front, cant wait to have my day on the table. Do you have any issues with hair loss? I have been reading posts about people losing quickly and experiencing this, I am Oh Sooo "Terrified" :o. Again you look really really really great, congratulations on your success!

    Oh THANK YOU!!! Yeah I hear that I look totally different a lot... never thought it would be such a nice compliment LOL. It probably doesn't help that I colored my hair either.

    About the hair loss... yeah, I definitely had it. I'll give it to you straight - I was a little freaked out at first. It first started around 4-5 months post-op but by 8 months (a couple weeks ago) I definitely noticed it was coming back in and getting thick again. NOW - full disclosure - I had a LOT of hair, and it was ok, in honesty I had plenty to lose.My hairdressers always told me I had the most hair they had ever seen. I'm really happy with the thickness it is now, actually. But, I did lose about half my total hair. I doubt that people with less hair lose that volume. Everyone I hear about losing half their hair always say that they have tons of hair to start with. I was always a shedder anyway :)

    Please feel free to ask any other questions that come up, I am always eager to help! Good luck with everything!!!


  15. Wow great job!!!! What an inspiration to me. I go tomorrow for my first consult. I am a self payer so in hope it goes quick!!

    How exciting for you!! I hope it all goes quickly but look at it this way - you've waited this long, and you're on the fast track now!

    I feel really proud to be an inspiration to anyone - it hasn't always been easy and I've had those fleeting moments of, "Ugh, what did I get myself into?" But never regret, not even for a second. And then to have it come off as fast and consistently as it has been, I've been really lucky. I would go back and do it again without a second thought!

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