danyelleb

Gosh I have a way from this site for quite a bit now. I'm actually hiding from my reality. My reality is that I am 3.5 years post opt and in the last few months I have gained about 12 lbs. My lowest was 143 and my highest as of this morning is 156.6lbs. I have times where I eat a lot of junk food. I'm sure I can eat up to 3000 calories in junk when I'm in an emotional spot and just don't care. Other days, I can keep the calories low and focus on mostly Proteins. but I am a carb addict and I tend to tell myself lies and postpone the inevitable watching what I eat. This is not the easiest journey for sleevers but a good reminder that this is just a tool. It helps to read that others have the same struggle and hear suggestions given. My bariatic case manager has told me that if I eat more than 1200 calories, I will definitely gain weight. I of course have tested this only to discover how true it is by the reality of my weight gain. So today is the day that I am on proteins and keeping the calories really low. I also had an incident where my cat spelt half of my Protein Drink. Yayyy that helped cut calories there.

I think alot of vets have just stopped posting much. Many just never worked through the navigation changes on this site.

I lost 100 total from my top weight.
Dr. Sauceda in Monterrey, MX did my surgeries. There's a forum on ObesityHelp for his patients and when you're close to surgery, there's a Facebook group you can join.
I got a lower body lift, butt flap implant, breast lift/small implants, arm lift and neck lift. Happy with everything except the scar on my back has some keloids. Recovery was uncomfortable but not painful. It took about 4 months to feel normal. At six months I was running half marathons again. I would go to him again in a heartbeat. Such a kind and humble artist.

Welcome back Amy! We had surgery around the same time and did C25K at the same time on the "Started C25K..." thread. I'm still around but don't post as much because I'm now living my life to the fullest. I do still read posts on here a lot, especially the vets.
The one thing that helped me mentally the most was plastics. I had mine at 18mo out and the results keep me motivated and at goal. I'm 49 and have a better body than I had at 20.

So life happened and I haven't been around for a Really long time but I've missed some of my pals!! From a quick scroll through the list I don't see anyone I recognize here, I was a member when the site was named Something else.
I'm now two years and 3 months out and I had gotten to 120 lbs but did fall at one year out when I hit goal. I think the "what now's" hit me and I failed. Started bingeing on poptarts and Cookies. In ashamed but I'm back on track. Ready to do this thing.
I'm glad to be back. My goal is to lose this weight again keep it off for six months and hopefully get a mommy makeover

As I go into my 4th year of the sleeve I have recognized an evolution of my sleeve. Year One is weird, surreal, tiring, I didn't like food much, wondered if I would ever be able to drink coffee and wine again, as well as rice, Pasta, bread, etc. But it was also SO exciting....like WOOHOO!!!!!! Look at me!!!!! I'm losing so much weight. And the compliments were fast and furious. So it was these two ends of a continuum; one not so great the other thrilling! Shopping and sex was so much fun again! It was a true honeymoon!
Year 2 was also great and although I was at the top end of my goal, I thought for sure I would drop 5-10 more lbs that year because I was moving so much more! I had a whole new wardrobe and I never felt deprived or that I was on a diet. But I never lost any more weight.
Year 3 has been humbling. Still at the top end of my goal but nothing is coming off. In all fairness I won't say I am struggling to stay here, I eat what I want including wine and Cookies almost every day, but I am still around the 1000-1200 calorie mark each day. And when I have tried to cut back and lose, the scale is not budging.
I am writing my blog again and coming back here daily for inspiration and support.
And, I feel fat at 139 lbs!!! So what's up with that???? How are the rest of you veterans doing?

Yeah the proper shoes make such a difference!!! I am shoe junkie now, but once you are fitted you can get great deals on the good shoes online at places like 6pm and Active Gear Up and even Amazon. The big brands clear out their last years models for like half price. I've gotten my $120 Mizuno's for $64 and my $160 trail shoes for $80. Runners Warehouse website also has great sales and clearances and I got my Hokas for $60 there.

I am 55 just lost 110 lbs and also just started running. I had not run more than 1 mile in the last 30 years. So if I can do it anyone can. It is amazing what I can now do after the huge weight loss. On week 2 I am up to slightly over 2 miles without stopping. I don’t run out of air, but my legs get a bit fatigued. With some advice from my running friends I went to a running shop and got fitted to shoes. I am overwhelmed at the difference between running shoes. It is night and day. Sure they aren’t cheap, I spent $170 at Brooks, but my feet feel great. And one can get great shoes for about $120. I just liked the more expensive shoes better. And hey I am worth it. At first I was thinking 5K but in one week can no doubt make that. So I have set my goals higher to a ½ marathon in April with a 10 k in February.

Though I said I wasn't going to run today after yesterday's muscle burning hill run I just could not run when it's above freezing here. From running in -30c (about 25 below F) weather last week to 2c (36F) today, I had to get out. Ran 6.24k (about 4 miles) at an easy pace and felt great.
If you're post Bariatric surgery, get active but start slow. Exercise is the second tool we have been granted in this lifestyle do over. The first tool was the surgery. It's not a cure, but a terrific tool if we use it properly. The ability to finally move and become active because we've lost some or a lot of weight us the second tool. Look upon these things as gifts given to us who have struggled all our lives with weight issues. Fur maybe the first time in a long time we have the control to change our lives.
Exercise is the second gift or tool. Make good use of it because it will bestow a ton of bonuses upon you if you do.
Walk before you run. Walk daily for a month, and slowly increase your distance. Once you can walk an hour, start to increase your speed for the same distance. From there add a run segment but very slowly.
Walk 5-7 mins, run 1, repeat for that same distance. After a couple months you'll be running the entire distance.
Remember why your doing it. You're not a professional. No one is paying you to be active or run. You are doing it for your health, for stress reduction, and most of all because you enjoy it. If it's not fun, why are you running?
Two years ago my dad died in hospital. The week before he passed, I was at his side visiting. He had a breathing tube dvd a feeding tube down his throat. He couldn't talk, take care of his bodily functions alone, nor could he do much but sleep. The doctors came to his bed to ask him if he wanted DNR (Do Not Resuscitate), or did he want Heroic Measures taken in the event his heart stopped. My dad told them he wanted quality of life, not quantity and decided to accept the DNR. A week later he died of double pneumonia.
I think about that moment often.
Quality of life over quantity.
What kind of quality did we have when we were 100, 120, 150 lbs it more overweight? I was on 15 pills a day for type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, GERD, depression, and herniated discs in my lower back which I've had surgically repaired. Gallstones necessitated the removal of my gallbladder last year.
My quality of life sucked but now I have these two tools that just keep giving back the more I use them. Life has changed since I've become active, since I've had surgery, and since I've dropped over 100 lbs. Join me because if I can do it, anyone can. It just takes time that's all.

FINALLY A BREAK IN THE POLAR VORTEX!
It's 1c (34f) here in Saskatoon, Canada. I ran last week in -32c weather with s windchill of -50c. For my nonCanadian friends, -40c is -40f so that's freakin' cold.
We ran 7k of steep hills last night then I went to a 1.5 hr yoga for runners class. Pretty tired this morning but but by this afternoon, I couldn't resist the warm weather and the sun so I went out for a 4 mile easy run.
I'm now down 127 lbs in 8 months post mini gastric bypass surgery and am 4 lbs from goal of 189 at 6'1".

Thanks @@Chrystee @@deedadumble @@jess9395
I looked up the symptoms related to the IT band. It's the opposite of what I experienced. My pain is on the inside vs. the outside. hmmm.
I have flat feet and I do have orthotics, although when I wear boots, etc. I don't use them. But I wear sneakers with them most days at work (yah, stylish I know - finding shoes that fit orthotics is a royal pain).
Fortunately my knee has improved quite a bit from rest. That's a good thing I think.
I plan to go get fitted for some running shoes in the very near future. I have a few options in my area (Marathon Sports, New Balance...). I think I need to do this before I do more running.

Okay, I have started running. wahooooo.... I am up to 5k (mix of run and walk) complete in under 40 minutes. as I build endurance, I need to learn about form. so many questions that I feel need to be answered in person, by a pro.... I live in Portland, maybe I can "run" into the famous coach/athlete Alberto Salazar and have him give me some pointers. Or go back to high school (undercover) and join a track team.... I really do feel that I need to learn proper form now so I advance correctly. I have no idea what I look like when I run. loosing another 40+ pounds or so would help immensely as well. love this thread.

Check out Chi running for help on your running form. You may be striding too far in front of your body and putting stress on your knees. There are videos on YouTube and websites dedicated to it.
Have you been fitted for running shoes? If not, try out some with a "zero drop" or "minimal drop". They will also help with knee issues. I wear Brooks PureCadence and love them. Since I switched from Brooks Adrenalines I've had a lot less knee pain.
If it's a patella problem (chondromalacia), physical therapy can help build the inner quad muscles to help pull the patella into correct alignment with the knee groove. Taping using KT tape can also help, but it needs to be done correctly.

Training for a 50k in February and a 50 miler in April. I'd love to hear from anyone about how they are fueling endurance events. Love to see people so excited about fitness. It's fantastic what the body can do.

That's an awesome goal!!! Obstacle races are a lot of fun. So is the color run. Look into that one too!!

Oh no!! Falling is the worst. I'm sorry about your race. hopefully it feels better tomorrow. Good plan about seeing a doc if ur still sore. Welcome to the gravity check club!

Don't mean to sound discouraging but I am finding maintenance much harder at 3 years -I was still losing at 12 months. Anyway I am thankful for this forum as I realize most of us are going through this.

I am 3 years out and had put on 10 lbs over the holidays. I too have kicked my self and been very angry for falling back into old habits and irrational thoughts. This is all cognitive too. I am a sugar addict and even though I knew this, I kept eating all the candy I wanted, and it had become habit to put into my mouth without a thought. I would then rationalize and say I would stop tomorrow. Each day it was tomorrow. This was a flash back to the past....
So in the past two days I have stopped eating carbs, I have a Protein Drink in the AM and a healthy high Protein meal for lunch, and protein for dinner.. I am following the 5:2 diet plan also. I just did 2 days of eating 700 calories and I lost 2 lbs. This diet is posted here. The diet saids to do 500 calories but I struggle with keeping it that low. So if I can do this so can everyone else here. Don't be too hard on yourself, this is a learning lesson. Get back on the wagon and stay away from carbs and keep portion size small. I can eat more but I'm not hungry. I'm over eating and that caused weight gain. but it tasted so good is the rationale I would use. In fact, I was just making excuses. We really don't need to eat as much food as we have and other people are still eating. Less is better and healthier. Hang in there and be good to yourself...

Thanks Guys,
I got my son to pull out my remaining RTD Protein shakes out of the cupboard so they are on the worktop and not out of sight anymore! I 'know' I can do this - I just need to get my all in to it.
My daughter has a treadmill and said I can go on that, so that's going to be my exercise sorted.
Wish me luck!!

It's not the end of the world! You know what happened and you know how to fix the problem. Now it is just a matter of making it happen. I would suggest going back to basics. A small portion of Protein and veggies for meals supplemented with Protein shakes instead of Snacks as needed. You will be back on track in no time! No worries, you have got this!
Oh yeah, and get rid of any of the holiday treats still laying around!

I run 6.2 miles every other day and when I started 4 months ago I too shook and shivered as I ran. Get a good compression shirt and pants like that made by Underarmor. It holds all the looseness in place as you run. I did and I love them now. They are skin tight as you can see in the photo below but they make all the difference in the world. Running gets easier as you progress but don't go to fast or you'll get injured. 1 mile to start is too fast. Walk before you run girl.
I had my surgery on April 23rd, 2014 in Tijuana and started walking slowly a month later. that progressed to walking quicker and longer over the next two months until I was walking 10k (6.2 miles) very quickly. I'm Canadian hence the metric crap. We hate it too. At that point I started to run a minute/walk 5. Eventually I could run a mile then two and now the 10k.
Running is all about form I discovered. If you don't employ the right form you will hurt. It takes time to build up stamina. I run outside. Today it was -23 here in Saskatoon but layered up and ran 4 miles of sprints. Crazy Canuck? You bet but I feel great, pain free, and stress reduced.
Brian Trainor  

This has been an interesting thread to read, because I have always hated running. I always loved sports, but never could run worth a darn. I don't currently aspire to run, you know, EVER, but I really want to do one of those obstacle courses with the mud and stuff. I doubt that qualifies as "running" really, but someday I will do one of those - what's that one where you jump over fire? Not. That. One. LOL
In order to get my 5k on, I do random walking events, and I even bought the event shirts last year because they finally fit me! I recently did a Turkey Trot in the pouring rain on Thanksgiving and it was fun despite the sogginess. I've set a goal for the new year to do at least 4 events in 2015 (only managed 2 in 2014), even if I'm only walking.

I actually have two events coming up, they are actually running them in different states as well.. We did the wipe out run (last year it was called the ROC race). We had so much fun we're doing it again and adding one!!!
Event name: Nor Cal Mud Run
Date: May 23, 2015
Location: Alameda County fair grounds
http://www.mudrunguide.com/event/norcal-california-rugged-maniac-2015/
Event name: Wipeoutrun
Date: August 22, 2015
Location: San Jose
http://wipeoutrun.com/locations/

So far I've only done some 5k runs for charity - but there's one in my area January 10th that is 5 miles (not Ks) and others will be doing 10miles or more - so I decided if I could do a 5k of three miles, 5 miles should be achievable. So today I set out on a flat route and actually did the whole 5 miles! Hooray! I stopped a walked three different times, for equivalent of a quarter black or so, and then got running/jogging again. Hard to make myself do it, but so glad I did. Of course my legs and knees are grumbling at me now...but worth it. Nice to have a goal event again!

Love running and it does get easier if you stop challenging yourself. I was sleeved 3.12 and since then I've completed lots of half marathons, and 7 full marathons. I'm currently training for a 50 miler. I was never a runner. I tried several times prior to sleeve surgery and I'd always end up with injuries. After losing lots of weight, my body no longer comes up lame. Lol. Give it a fair shot. You have to get past the sucky part. You'll get there in time. If you still don't like it- don't do it. There's too many neat ways to get your cardio in!