naenaern777

up to 12 laps in the pool today.. good for an old lady.. working my way up to 20 soon

WTG!! You are really doing great!

10K run this morning in 1:10 I'm pretty happy with that

So July 1st was my 1 yr Bandiversary. I wanted to post that day but I didn't hit my 1yr goal and was beating myself up which was completely silly. So I stopped to take the time to reflect how much has changed in this last year. When I spoke to my surgeon pre-op I told him exercise was not an option because my body was so beaten and worn down from all my diseases and meds and chemo shots. Now I run a 5K 6 days a week and completed my first official 5K in June. This brings tears to my eyes because before I got sick I was a gym rat and how I missed it but still can't believe I am a runner a real runner!
I has spent the last 6 yrs sick and fighting for life and when I decided to get the band originally my family freaked and said it was to dangerous. So I stopped the process then and wasted another year before I told my family something had to change. I wanted to live life and be a great mother and wife. I did not want to just exist and be a burden on them anymore. They were hesitant and still worried but supported me. There are truly not even words to explain what the band has given back to me.
Everything has been at a very slow pace but in a year as far as health I am off the chemo I was on for lupus and have only had a few small flares. I haven't had to be hospitalized at all since my band. I am only on one med now for lupus which is prednisone my best friend/worst enemy. I was able to cut out so many meds which is freaking awesome. My thyroid is also responding to my weight loss and I just was able to decrease my synthroid for the second time. My weight loss has been slow but I also have Addison's disease so I have to take prednisone 3 times a day forever probably. So I need to often remind myself that I am still on a pretty high dose of steroids everyday and I'm still losing weight/inches. I have still had some flares and have had to double and triple my steroids which stops my loss each time and causes a small gain. I have to wean off very slow so it takes weeks to get back to where I can lose again. I still managed to lose over 60 lbs in this year and 4 clothing sizes from 20W to 12!!
I look like me again and feel like a real person. Last year at this time I was driving my kids to do 5K's now I am the only one getting out to run and have beat both of their best times!! My kids have their mom back and couldn't be happier we are so close. We are all together everyday enjoying life. I am a wife again I can make dinner everyday for my husband and keep up with the house and laundry so my hubby can relax and watch the Pirates now lol... I can babysit my toddler nephew all day and play with him and chase him.
I never thought I would see any of these things happen again. Lupus was kicking my a$$ and as hard as I fought I couldn't beat it. Now its my turn I'm fighting back and taking my life back. I know that this is not a cure because there is no cure but this is best case scenario for me and I will certainly take it.
When I'm on higher doses of prednisone and having a pity party for myself I get on here and read all the posts and it seriously turns my attitude right around! So thank you all for being here for me to help me and support my journey! You guys all rock!!
And by the way I did hit my goal of being in ONDERLAND 2 days after my anniversary and that's close enough for me!!!!
Gotta go pack I am off to the beach tomorrow for a well deserved vacation!!!!!!

5k run this morning after work. Almost Friday....

Well it's only 85 degrees in Cali., I ate my lunch drank, went & walked for 30 min. around the building at work, I will go home & do my 30 minutes of dancing to the oldies by Richard Simmons , then take my shower ,catch up and go to bed.

Today marks one year since I ran for the first time in 20+ years. I did 2 miles a year ago today....could hardly believe it then. Things have definately changed in the last year.
I remember thinking I'd probably never do the 5k's I read about on here often....but that was just the beginning. For those just starting out, stick with it for a while and you'll be glad you did.
This morning I did one quick mile after work, quite a difference from a year ago. Rode my bike in this evening and will ride home in the morning, 21 miles each way.

I'm training for the Dirty Girl Mud Run 5K in Baltimore in August, at the moment! It'll be my first 5K ever so I'm super excited!! I've been working with the C25K training app and I love it!
I averaged less than 12 minutes a mile this morning... Considering this time last year, I took 25 minutes to walk a mile, I'm pretty flipping happy... I jogged/walked 2.8 miles in 30 minutes. Yay me! 5K, I'm coming for you!‪#‎bringonthemudrun‬ ‪#‎nowIneedtoworkonthesenoodlearms‬

My hospital does a Walk From Obesity to raise money for the Obesity Action Coalition. It's in October and includes a 2K run/walk and a 1K walk. I'm going to train to run it. I'm hoping to find a 5K to do in there before then as I think I could build up to run one by the end of August or early September. 2K is not that far!

6K run this morning.

6K run this morning.

Hi Candace,
I weighed 354lbs on September 4, 2013 when I went for my pre-op appointment. I had surgery on September 11, 2013. I weighed last week and was at 197lbs. I am not, apparently, the normal lap band patient. My surgeon and my nutritionist remind me of this at every appointment. However, I have done exactly what my doctor asked me to do. If he said no coffee, I had no coffee. If he said eat fruit, I ate fruit. If he said jump, I asked how high. I no longer have high blood pressure. I no longer need strong meds for my arthritis pain. I exercise 3-4 times a week at a boxing gym. I ride my bike. I walk when my knees and feet will allow. So, I don't think of myself as special. I am just me. If I can do this....anyone can. Good luck to you!

There are a few people here who fall in this category. I started my journey at a high weight of 327. I now weigh less that 192 (not sure the exact weight bc I don't weigh but once every 4-6 weeks at my doctor's office.)
My journey started with me trying yet another DIET on January 2, 2012. I gave up most refined carbohydrates for that year, and by May of 2013, I weighed 288. I joined a gym and painstakingly made myself go 5-6 days a week, even though I could barely move, or breathe, for the first two months. I had lapband surgery on Aug 22, 2013, with my weight at 271. I now weigh somewhere at or less than 192. I still go to the gym 6 days a week, and I LOOK FORWARD TO IT EACH AND EVERY DAY. I will post "Before" and "Now" pictures here........

I just signed up for my first 5k!!! August 8th- A local color run. I will walk/run it as I just started working out this weekend. I'm 6 weeks post op.
Also signed up with a friend for warrior dash in Illinois June '15! 10 months should be plenty of time to prepare. I'm sooooo excited to do it!

My goal back in January was to run five 5k races before December. I have run three so far. I am also going zip-lining in August, and sky-diving in September.

1 hour ride this afternoon before work. 18 miles

Nice 5K run in bright and early now off to drive my daughter to Juniata College for volleyball camp happy Sunday all!!!!!

Way to go Catfish! Congrats on first place!!!! You must be proud!!! And after night shift....wow!!!!!

Nice 5K run in bright and early now off to drive my daughter to Juniata College for volleyball camp happy Sunday all!!!!!

Way to go Catfish! Congrats on first place!!!! You must be proud!!! And after night shift....wow!!!!!

I'm pretty excited about planking. The Mrs. Winnie-the-Pooh belly is much smaller now, but I really need to tone my core for every reason. Unlike a lot of exercises, this one is easy to do in a very short amount of time. Also I have wrist and hand problems and since this is on the forearms there is no impact at all. There are challenges that suggest twenty seconds to start on first and second days, then moving up to thirty, etc.
These images helped me a lot:

Next goal is the NYC marathon in November. I've done several half marathons, but this will be my first full. Surgery 2 years ago and down 100 lbs! Let's see what happens

Summer Sizzler 10K this morning.
My first 1st place age group (40-49 y/o) medal.
I think all the fast runners must have slept in today.

Well people are starting to say every time I see you it seems you have lost more and are looing good and healthy , I still can't see it and I was getting depressed that I am not at my goal and probally won't be in 2 yrs. in the end of Sept , that's ok I am still a getting smaller sizes and someone said the last few lbs for me it is about 45 ore to lose will and is the hardest , Thank you Alex and everybody for encouragement and the inspiring words because everybody is different at takes some of us longer than others , but I will get there , I asked someone how long it took the to lose a 100 lbs and they told me it took 3 yrs. and they have kept it off for a long time so I know there is hope.

After working a 12 hour midnight shift, I went to the "Summer Sizzler 10K" this morning at 7am.....Guess all the "fast" runners in my age group must have slept in.
I got 1st place in the Male 40-49 y/o division. And it was my first medal for either a 5 or 10k. Not sure how many were in the division, but couldn't have been too many. I think there were only about 80 runners total there today. Not a PR time for me, but 2 minutes faster than my last 10K. Its time for a shower and bed!
Hope everyone enjoys their weekend!