bluegirly

i have my very first race on april 12, it's a 5k. may 4th i have the broad street run in philly (it's a 10 miler), then i have an 8k the next weekend. october 19th is my first half.
SOOO glad there are other runners here!! good luck to all!

would you mind sharing your black bean burger recipe? I don't know that i would be able to go vegan, but i would love some meat substitutions, especially when summer comes around!

Already this year I have run 2 half marathons, a 10K, and the Miami-Key West Ragnar Relay. I only have one more race scheduled this year... the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon Relay where I'm running the first 2 legs of the relay and concurrently running the half marathon. I'm considering running the new Disneyland Avenger Half Marathon in November, but I want to get plastic surgery and that race would only work if the surgery is timed just right.
Have fun in your races! My first 5K after surgery was in May 2013.

I am so excited that I just had to share!!! I am out of the 300s and into the 200s!!! I am 8 weeks post of, and know that I have a long way to go, but I am so proud of all that I have accomplished so far.
I go to see my surgeon tomorrow. I was wondering if I would get a fill, but I am staying satisfied for 4 hours after each meal. I feel like what I am doing now is working, so I don't want to mess with success. The doctor knows what is best, so I will follow his suggestions.
Thanks for letting me toot my own horn for a few minutes!!! You all are so inspirational to me and always make me feel like part of a community. I lurk more than post, but this board is truly one of the main reasons I am doing so well.

Wow! I love when you can compare your weight loss to a common item like that! That's amazing! Great work!!!!!

Wow! I love when you can compare your weight loss to a common item like that! That's amazing! Great work!!!!!

Wow! I love when you can compare your weight loss to a common item like that! That's amazing! Great work!!!!!

Wow! I love when you can compare your weight loss to a common item like that! That's amazing! Great work!!!!!

Wow! I love when you can compare your weight loss to a common item like that! That's amazing! Great work!!!!!

Wow! I love when you can compare your weight loss to a common item like that! That's amazing! Great work!!!!!

I always test my band with sips of Fluid before I try solids after a stuck episode. my doctor wants liquids for at least 24 hours after a bad episode. I would start out with liquids and slowly graduate up. you do not want to get stuck again today. that would likely cause a problem.

Been going for massages weekly to help with the lower back pain/sciatica. Got a really good masseuse today and gonna stick with her since she did such a great job. So I also told her my tailbone (which is not aligned particularly well) was bothering me and she started working on that area also. As she worked, she asked me if I used a pillow when I was sitting because I must need something to support the area since I have no body fat back there to pad me. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The girl with the big bottom just heard someone tell her she literally wasn't a fatass anymore. Whoopee!

My family and friends were the SAME WAY!!!! They really are just trying to be supportive, even though it gets frustrating for you. But eventually you will heal and move on to regular foods and guess what? They will kind of forget about it! Being banded is a way of life and your family will adjust with you and then not even notice it! Try to be patient with them, and come here to rant anytime!!!!
Congratulations on your journey!!

Amazing! You look great, and I love hearing your voice....the computer does leave a little to be desired! Thanks for sharing!

I agree with the above comments about running on an empty stomach- but making sure you are hydrated. Running seriously changed my whole body during the first year of my weight loss post-lap band. I started slow, alternating between walking & jogging, and eventually built up to running 5 miles, 4 times a week in the mornings before work.
To beat the hunger that comes from running- I always followed up with something that had Protein and carbs (usually a Protein shake with fruit)- and it helps. Make sure you stay hydrated throughout the day as well.
Best of Luck with your new fitness accomplishment! I hope it treats your body as well as it did mine
"She believed she could, so she did"
Lab Band- May 31, 2011
Starting Weight: 290
1 Year Surgervisary Weight, May 31, 2012: 160
2 Year Surgervisary Weight May 31, 2013: 163
UGW: 155- Reached June, 2012
Current Goal: To get back to UGW!

I am a runner. I've done a few 8k's and mudders. I never thought I would say I love running. I would not count on how many calories you intake and make sure you eat enough Protein after your runs. i would use a tracking app like MyFitnessPal to track how much calories you burn during your runs and make up the difference later in your meals. Before a run, I usually eat something light about an hour before, then after a run, drink a ProFit Protein shake to recover my muscles.
My suggestion is to not worry about the calories or track your calories burned to make sure you are getting 1200 a day.
PS- Congrats on the running. Its a huge accomplishment.

Depends upon what you are trying to accomplish.....
When I was concentrating on loosing weight, burning fat...I ran my 5 miles on an empty stomach, then had a recovery shake afterwards.
My goal was to burn stored fat for my energy source, NOT the calories I just ate....
If I was running in a competition, or had no excess weight of fat to burn, then yes, I need to fuel my body with carbs and calories....
Side note...I have very little faith in nutritionists....1200 calories sounds good for someone not going through WLS.....
We are a different breed....
BTW...my theory of not eating and burning stored fat was 100% spot on for me....worked splendidly....but that's me.

So I'm not a runner let me tell you that first I haven't gotten to where I can run more then 1 minute on the treadmill. However...my boss is Mr. Triathlete, Iron Man competitor etc.
The reason they tell you in running to go for carbs and light Protein is because the body will use the sugar (carbs) first for a big burst of speed. As a bandster we want our bodies to burn our fat, so we don't consume much sugar for the body to have access to.
Protein takes longer to digest and lots of "energy" and body resources are routed to the stomach for breaking down of the protein, where as simple carbs are digested easily and don't require much resources from the body who can then transfer the energy to the muscles that are running and helping you to go faster.
Now I'm not sure your competing for time...or you just are looking for duration in your run. That will determine what you want to eat before and after a "race".
Carb cycling might be what your nutritionist advises you to do as my boss does. He will carbo load before a race, and then use protein to recover.
All good info should I ever find myself running! Since I broke my foot 6 years ago though..sometimes just walking is painful

Hey Bluegirly,
Congrats on your success! I'm getting ready to do my first HM in about 6 weeks.... So, take what I suggest with that in mind. Nothing more than an opinion.
For running 3-5 miles, your body will probably not need anything before you run....EXCEPT for adequte/normal hydration.
"Most people carry enough glycogen to exercise full out for 1-2 hours,"
I did my longest run this past Sunday, 18km, and had nothing except half pot of coffee before hand. During the run, I had 12 oz of Powerade zero, half pack of shot blocks, and one Gu Gel. It worked well for me.
I do agree for longer exercising sessions, that carbs are necessary....spread out with some Protein. I like Clif bars when cycling....they're about 4:1 (carbs:protein)
I'm glad you started this thread!! I'm gonna follow and learn! Happy running
Here's an article about this topic.. http://www.runnersworld.com/nutrition-runners/how-do-i-fuel-early-morning-run
PS...if you have a "LoseIt" account, the runners forum is very, very helpful.

So a few months ago I started walking, then jogging, and now I am running. I typically run 3-5 miles three times a week. I am working on increasing my mileage and am planning on a half marathon this fall.
I am finding that I am struggling to balance the banded life with the running life. Before runs you are supposed to eat foods high in carbs and lower in Proteins....but that goes against everything I have been doing to be a successful bandster. And my nutritionist wanted me at 1200 calories a day, but with my longer runs I get HUNGRY!!!! I am planning to go back to see her and talk about it.
Is anyone else dealing with a similar problem? Any suggestions for me?

My family and friends were the SAME WAY!!!! They really are just trying to be supportive, even though it gets frustrating for you. But eventually you will heal and move on to regular foods and guess what? They will kind of forget about it! Being banded is a way of life and your family will adjust with you and then not even notice it! Try to be patient with them, and come here to rant anytime!!!!
Congratulations on your journey!!

Amazing! You look great, and I love hearing your voice....the computer does leave a little to be desired! Thanks for sharing!

Try brushing your teeth....no one wants to eat after they brush their teeth!
You can also try polishing your nails. Makes your hands pretty and you can't eat with wet fingernails.

Thanks Again everyone! This is not actually a post about potty training, though, but about my inability to resist cravings for the past two days. I don't feel like I need advice on potty training my second child, but if you need to give it, go ahead. I am completely fine with my kids having a sweet treat every now and then when I know they eat fruits and veggies at every meal and don't drink juice at all.
This is about MY issue....not my parenting choices.
As for my diet choices, that is where I need support sometimes and that is why I come here to this forum. I truly do appreciate the support and love available here.

Wednesday mornings I weigh and measure myself....and today, I was 199.4!!! I made it to ONEDERLAND!!!
Before my surgery I made a list of both scale and non scale goals I wanted to reach, and it feels amazing to keep checking them off!