BlessedBeyondMeasure2012

This is exactly what I do. I have an elliptical that I use at home and I usually alternate that with walking/jogging in my neighborhood. I also have a set of 5 lb and 10 lb dumb bells that I use at home. I do lots of body resistance exercises like squats, incline push ups, plank, lunges, etc. I found that nerdfitness.com has a lot of good body resistance exercises and I have found them super helpful. I'd love to be able to go to a gym but I've got two kiddos at home and it just isn't possible. My hubby and kids come with me for walks and I love it when they do and my 5 year old likes to "lift weights" with me when I'm doing resistance stuff at home. We have a good time

You look so pretty! Great job! I say all the time, I've come a long way but I still have a ways to go

So one of my goals from preop was to be able to wear my husband's t-shirts. Not that I will wear them but just that I could be able to. He wears a large and I can't ever remember buying large shirts. For as long as I can remember I've only ever bought XL shirts. A few months ago I found a t-shirt that I really liked but they didn't have it in an XL so I went ahead and bought it in a large. I wore it this past weekend!!! I also tried on one of my husband's t-shirts and IT FIT!!! GGGOOOOOAAAALLLL!!!!! I was so excited! I also had a pretty funny NSV the other day. I was standing and looked down and saw a shadow next to me, I couldn't figure out who was standing next to me until I realized it was my OWN shadow! I didn't even recognize my own shadow! I couldn't help but laugh. I also saw a picture of myself that a random kid took of me, took me a second to realize who I was looking at there too. It is strange seeing this thinner, healither (and prettier too if I can say that without sounding conceited) woman looking back at me

You look amazing!!! Keep up the good work! You are such an inspiration! I work in the medical field and see people all the time who are disabled, the fact that you are thinking of going back to work even after being on disability is HUGE and I give you major props!!

I have found that I like cottage cheese with a splenda packet and some fresh strawberries. I do put unsweetened canned peaches or unsweetened pineapple chunks in it too (also with some splenda). I sometimes add sugar free jello to it, straight from the packet, and a little goes a LONG way. Obviously I like mine on the sweeter side but I have also had people tell me to put salt and pepper on it and it is good that way. I haven't tried it with s/p but could be. I always use the lowfat made with 2% milk.

Yes. Ice cream sandwiches would be a slider food so they are going to pack in and move through your stomach quicker and easier than solid protein.

Lipstick Lady beat me to the punch...

Peppermint actually relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter (the opening from the esophagus to the stomach) so if you are having nausea it actually may relax it enough that you start throwing up easier. Some people it doesn't happen to and the peppermint just simply relaxes the muscles of the stomach but just be careful and mindful when trying it.

What Laura-ven said. The bypass scares the crap out of me because of all the malabsorption. I don't like the rerouting of the intestines either. I had a lady come in and tell me that she had tried to convince her husband to let her get it done and he was totally against it. I saw him last week and he decided that I look so much better and healthy that he is all for her getting it done now.

Anyone try these or know much about them? I got my hair cut yesterday and asked her about something that might help with hair regrowth. She suggested these but I can't find much info out about them. Just curious...

Okay, so I do the elliptical and we have a love/hate relationship. I really do love it but when I'm on it I pretty well hate it. When I started doing it I could only go for about 3 mintues at a time. I would add 30 seconds to a minute each day that I did it. Now I have been sporatic with it (I'm also trying to do couch to 5K now that the weather is nicer) but I am up to 20 HARD minutes on it. I usually vary my intensity throughout the workout but stay at least at a 13 minute mile pace. I do push myself during the workout and most of the time I can sort of carry on a conversation with my son who like to watch me exercise. Usually by the 15 minute mark though I'm running him out of the room cause he is asking questions and I just don't have the breath to answer them! I am almost 7 months out but I have, just within the last month, really gotten serious about my exercising. I do cardio at least 6 days a week, 7 if I really push it. I usually do Couch to 5K on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday and then my elliptical on Monday, Wednesday and Friday (Friday is my one break day if I am going to take one). I also have added in some resistance training 3 days a week. I do all of my resistance training on the same day and then I don't do resistance training two days in a row to give my muscles time to rest and build (some people like to work out a certain muscle group one day and then a different set the next day). You build muscle when you rest it so it is important not to over work your muscles day after day. I don't go to a gym. I do everything either outside or in my house. I do have a few sets of dumbbells that I use but I also do some stuff with just my body weight as resistance. You can find some really good stuff out there if you will do some research. I like reading on NerdFitness.com, he has some good workouts and some good tips. Good luck!

I try not to eat before I work out and if I do I wait at least two hours after I eat before I work out. I like to work out best first thing in the mornings on an empty stomach but that doesn't work out during the week most of the time. Generally I'll work out (during the week) in the evenings after I get off work and before supper. I feel like if I eat before I work out then my body is using the food that I just ate as energy during the workout as opposed to burning fat from my body as the energy during the workout. Guess that didn't really answer your question... sorry about that! I hope it is helpful anyway

WOO HOO!!!!! Congratulations and good luck! I'll be willing to bet that you won't have a single regret! God is SOOOO GOOD!!!

There is a BIG difference! You look great!!!

Thanks so much y'all! I love my sleeve!! I tell people all the time that this was one of the best decisions I've ever made and I recommend it to people all the time I could not agree more! My sister is going to be getting a sleeve next month and I can not wait for us to take pictures at Christmas this year, we are gonna be two HOT MOMMAS!!!

Down about 113 pounds in the second picture. The 1st picture was from last Christmas, I was 7 months pregnant. The 2nd picture is from Oct 5. My surgery was March 25. It's a work in progress, my weight loss has really slowed down but my exercise has really picked up. Shooting to be under 200 by Christmas, not sure if it will happen but I'm working at it!

You are one of my inspirations!!! I started higher than you and still have a long way to go but you look AMAZING!

I totally agree!! You look great!

You look GREAT!!! Keep up the amazing work! You seriously are an inspiration!!

In my 'previous life' I would usually drink a coke or sprite to help settle my upset stomach. I haven't had a soda of any kind since March 11 and as much as I feel like a sprite would help I'm not going to drink one. Does anyone have any suggestions? The thought, and the act, of drinking water makes the nausea worse.

One more thing, I started in a 26/28 and I'm down to a good 18 now, still some 20s and an occasional 16 depending on the size/brand. I am down almost 110 pounds. I was figuring I'd be down smaller than this by now too, but I'll take it as it comes!

It will come!I You'll find that the more you lose the less you have to lose to change sizes. I don't know about you but it seems like it took forever for me to get out of my old stuff. I think I wore it way too tight so it had to go from too tight, to fitting, to too big. It is harder, for me, to know when to move down sizes. I don't wear hardly anything snug anymore because I don't have to. Before, when I was going UP through sizes, I never wanted to buy the next size up even if I needed to. Now, when my clothes are big and I put on some that fit, they feel too tight. I usually have to ask my husband how things look. Most of the time he will tell me that things look fine even if they feel a little tight. I actually think it is harder moving down in sizes. I've never had to fight this battle before but I have to say it is one that I dont mind fighting anymore!

Baked chicken and some sauteed green beans, yummo!!

Well, I wasn't sleeved when I had my daughter just over 6 months ago (I had my sleeve done when she was 4 weeks old) but I only gained 23 pounds during my entire pregnancy and she weighed almost 10 when she was born. Most of what I put on I put on in the last 2-3 months. I stayed pretty steady for the first 4 months or so then gradually started going up. My baby girl is healthy as can be now. I have a cousin who is a tiny thing that didn't gain a pound during her pregnancy and had a completely healthy baby. As long as you are eating like you should and exercising, then you and the baby should be fine Congratulations and good luck!!!