Oliver's Mom

I have found that exercise draws excuses like a prom queen draws phone numbers.
Having to go to a gym; nothing to wear, too cold, it's raining, car's out of gas, etc. Then there's waiting for someone to go with you, too tired, just ate, good tv show on, I'm sore, maybe tomorrow, blah, blah, blah.
I devised many exercises that I do at home that got me in top shape. Don't have to go anywhere. Whether someone does them with me is irrelevant.
Edit:
I, too, have posted in the ladies powder room by accident. Reminds me of the time when I was sick and half there and wandered into a theater women's room by accident. I saw high heels in the next stall and when I emerged I gave the lady a mean look as she gave me a mean look. I looked above the door and saw "Women". I left the theater in the middle of the show. :ph34r:

Just go to the gym alone and then casually mention all the guys (and maybe some ladies) "noticing" your progress... He'll be there with you next time

I started right around 40 too. I simply couldn't get under 200 lbs after years of trying, including Weight Watchers in person, Weight Watchers online, hypnotherapy, cognitive behavior therapy, 3x per week with a personal trainer, and a brief stint with Alli pills. This surgery was my "hail mary" to regain my health.
Lots of people told me I was too small. I told them "My doctor and I have decided this is the best option for my health."
This surgery forces you to change the way you eat for a while. It carries very real risks. It can be expensive. Only you can decide if it is the right option for you.
Lynda

So tomorrow will be my 6 months since my surgery. My surgery date was Jan. 21st 2013 and I was 360lbs. As of today I am 230lbs.
I set a test for myself at my 6 month mark called the Savage Race. This is a 4 mile run and 25 obstacles course. I completed the race in 1 house and 40 minutes. I wanted to prove to myself that I could and I did. There is no way I would have been able to do this race 6 months ago. I'll be moving on to my next challenge and reclaiming my life back, Skydiving (need to drop 15 more pounds to do so).
So here are my before and after pictures. sorry that they are so big.

It's all over the map. I felt OK, but was very tired! All I can say is try to have a seat available, work in the shade and DO NOT get dehydrated! Best of luck, coach!

And wow! You have lost a tremendous amount of weight and look great! Congrats on finally reaching goal. What an inspiration to people that get frustrated when they aren't at goal within a year, and also to the folks the have more than 100 pounds to lose. Simply amazing work - congrats!!
~Cheri

So, I just thought I'd update my status on this thread. I reached goal yesterday. It took 2 years and 23 days, but I finally hit 225 pounds lost. I started at 375 and now weigh 150. Slow? I guess that depends on how you look at it. I didn't lose it all in a year and I didn't stop when it got hard, but I did it.

Candy reached goal weight by CandyTX, on Flickr

So today I had a lot of errands & appointments scheduled. I knew I would be gone from the house for hours (including snack time & lunch time). Without a thought I packed a bag with low fat, high Protein, low carb food for both my lunch and a snack. I grabbed two 24oz bottles of Water (it's day three here of a heat wave) and headed off.
When I stopped for lunch, sitting on a park bench under a large shady tree and opened my bag it hit me........who is this person I've become? I like her! She no longer goes to a drive thru fast food restaurant, or stops at a convenience store for a lunch of soda, chips and a candy bar!
Packing the lunch and healthy Snacks was done without even thinking about it. This change all happened a step at a time over the last 11 months - almost 8 months post op and the 3 months of preparation for the surgery.
:-)

So today I had a lot of errands & appointments scheduled. I knew I would be gone from the house for hours (including snack time & lunch time). Without a thought I packed a bag with low fat, high Protein, low carb food for both my lunch and a snack. I grabbed two 24oz bottles of Water (it's day three here of a heat wave) and headed off.
When I stopped for lunch, sitting on a park bench under a large shady tree and opened my bag it hit me........who is this person I've become? I like her! She no longer goes to a drive thru fast food restaurant, or stops at a convenience store for a lunch of soda, chips and a candy bar!
Packing the lunch and healthy Snacks was done without even thinking about it. This change all happened a step at a time over the last 11 months - almost 8 months post op and the 3 months of preparation for the surgery.
:-)

So today I had a lot of errands & appointments scheduled. I knew I would be gone from the house for hours (including snack time & lunch time). Without a thought I packed a bag with low fat, high Protein, low carb food for both my lunch and a snack. I grabbed two 24oz bottles of Water (it's day three here of a heat wave) and headed off.
When I stopped for lunch, sitting on a park bench under a large shady tree and opened my bag it hit me........who is this person I've become? I like her! She no longer goes to a drive thru fast food restaurant, or stops at a convenience store for a lunch of soda, chips and a candy bar!
Packing the lunch and healthy Snacks was done without even thinking about it. This change all happened a step at a time over the last 11 months - almost 8 months post op and the 3 months of preparation for the surgery.
:-)

So today I had a lot of errands & appointments scheduled. I knew I would be gone from the house for hours (including snack time & lunch time). Without a thought I packed a bag with low fat, high Protein, low carb food for both my lunch and a snack. I grabbed two 24oz bottles of Water (it's day three here of a heat wave) and headed off.
When I stopped for lunch, sitting on a park bench under a large shady tree and opened my bag it hit me........who is this person I've become? I like her! She no longer goes to a drive thru fast food restaurant, or stops at a convenience store for a lunch of soda, chips and a candy bar!
Packing the lunch and healthy Snacks was done without even thinking about it. This change all happened a step at a time over the last 11 months - almost 8 months post op and the 3 months of preparation for the surgery.
:-)

Great post, you are so correct and sometimes I think we all can get stuck focusing on the scale. Keep up the great work.

So today I had a lot of errands & appointments scheduled. I knew I would be gone from the house for hours (including snack time & lunch time). Without a thought I packed a bag with low fat, high Protein, low carb food for both my lunch and a snack. I grabbed two 24oz bottles of Water (it's day three here of a heat wave) and headed off.
When I stopped for lunch, sitting on a park bench under a large shady tree and opened my bag it hit me........who is this person I've become? I like her! She no longer goes to a drive thru fast food restaurant, or stops at a convenience store for a lunch of soda, chips and a candy bar!
Packing the lunch and healthy Snacks was done without even thinking about it. This change all happened a step at a time over the last 11 months - almost 8 months post op and the 3 months of preparation for the surgery.
:-)

So today I had a lot of errands & appointments scheduled. I knew I would be gone from the house for hours (including snack time & lunch time). Without a thought I packed a bag with low fat, high Protein, low carb food for both my lunch and a snack. I grabbed two 24oz bottles of Water (it's day three here of a heat wave) and headed off.
When I stopped for lunch, sitting on a park bench under a large shady tree and opened my bag it hit me........who is this person I've become? I like her! She no longer goes to a drive thru fast food restaurant, or stops at a convenience store for a lunch of soda, chips and a candy bar!
Packing the lunch and healthy Snacks was done without even thinking about it. This change all happened a step at a time over the last 11 months - almost 8 months post op and the 3 months of preparation for the surgery.
:-)

So today I had a lot of errands & appointments scheduled. I knew I would be gone from the house for hours (including snack time & lunch time). Without a thought I packed a bag with low fat, high Protein, low carb food for both my lunch and a snack. I grabbed two 24oz bottles of Water (it's day three here of a heat wave) and headed off.
When I stopped for lunch, sitting on a park bench under a large shady tree and opened my bag it hit me........who is this person I've become? I like her! She no longer goes to a drive thru fast food restaurant, or stops at a convenience store for a lunch of soda, chips and a candy bar!
Packing the lunch and healthy Snacks was done without even thinking about it. This change all happened a step at a time over the last 11 months - almost 8 months post op and the 3 months of preparation for the surgery.
:-)

I am now three months out, and have done pretty good overall. I found myself so focused on how many =pounds= I was losing. Comparing, to those here even though I tried not to. Playing that head game of, am I like others? am I not doing it right ? etc........and today...WAKE up call. I had my three month checkup and as always I do labwork. My cholesterol is under 190 now ( used to be 230) , my triglycerides rather than being over 250 are now 170. My good cholesterol is up, my Vitamin D went from 16, to 52. My blood pressure when has always been borderline high, is now 127 over 78.
I am losing weight, I have really no side affects other than Hair loss and sometimes I feel like I will never have a normal bowel movement again.....and my blood work has NEVER looked better. I would guarantee many =average sized= people don't have these sort of numbers.
So, I guess what I am trying to say.....is if you are like me. Dreaming of every pound lost, grumbling when it doesn't seem to be enough. Remind yourself, that this is way more than what the scale says. Even though I am no where near my goal, my body within three months is healthier than it's been in 20 years.
The mind games I play with myself is amazing!

So today I had a lot of errands & appointments scheduled. I knew I would be gone from the house for hours (including snack time & lunch time). Without a thought I packed a bag with low fat, high Protein, low carb food for both my lunch and a snack. I grabbed two 24oz bottles of Water (it's day three here of a heat wave) and headed off.
When I stopped for lunch, sitting on a park bench under a large shady tree and opened my bag it hit me........who is this person I've become? I like her! She no longer goes to a drive thru fast food restaurant, or stops at a convenience store for a lunch of soda, chips and a candy bar!
Packing the lunch and healthy Snacks was done without even thinking about it. This change all happened a step at a time over the last 11 months - almost 8 months post op and the 3 months of preparation for the surgery.
:-)

Just left my one week follow up. I'm so glad to have that stupid drain tube out of me! I'm down 13 pounds since surgery on the 8th and 26 since the first visit with the surgeon. Things can only go up from here....well down I should say

I do!!! On Friday,50 minutes into my hour long training I was beginning to feel dizzy & lightheaded - when I said that she chuckled and said ' only 4 more to go!'. When I completed the set - I had to lean/sit against the wall because I thought I was going to pass out.
Sometimes I laugh during the workout because I want to say 'wait' or 'break' but I know I won't get the break or a wait!!
But the training is changing my body, I'm so much stronger and even when the scale stays stuck I see the differences in my body.

Great thread. We are all on this journey together but at the same time taking this journey alone. Our bodies are all different - it's not a good thing to constantly compare yourself to others. Compare yourself to your past attempts at weight loss. We've all tried over and over again to lose weight. I lose, I stay the same, I again back a lb and the next day I'm down, I decided if I follow the plan given to me, it will work and my body will decide when the lbs come off and when it stays the same. Wishing all of us a wonderful 2013.

Wishing you an easy surgery and an uneventful recovery. Be patient with yourself, it's a journey of a lifetime. The 'stages' of eating before you are in your new normal may seem long while you're in it, but it's really not. We care about you and are here for your support. Be well.

My husband was on vacation last week (I'm retired.) We had a friend here visiting from Indiana. We ate out every night, breakfast out at least 3 times too. We went to a Red sox game, partook of all of the July 4th celebrations in town. Weather was in the 90's the whole time.
My NSV's - no weight gain at all! I know that I did not exercise as much as I have been.
- being able to comfortably walk around town for all the festivities
- being comfortable in the seats at Fenway - room to spare actually!!
- having so much energy that folks were trying to keep up with me this year!!
I made sure I got in all of my Water - averaged about 90+oz a day. Continued to track on MFP, only 2 days I went over my 1200-by less than 60 calories.
I feel like this was a good test for me - I know I can do this for life.
I must say these last 11 pounds are stubborn, losing just oz at a time. But it will happen, for all of us December Sleevers!!

Yes, lots of us have cravings - also sometimes called "head hunger" (you can search for that here in the forums and find probably hundreds of posts about it). I crave a grilled cheese sandwich. Nothing fancy, nothing huge. Just cheddar cheese and bread toasted to a nice golden brown and oozing. I can't have it right now. I've accepted it, and moved along.
The thing is, the sleeve isn't a miracle, and it wasn't an operation on your brain, which is where the cravings come from. The only thing the sleeve is guaranteed to do is make your capacity smaller. It MAY also reduce or eliminate physical hunger for a while, but that's not guaranteed.
It's a lot of work, fighting the cravings. But you can do it!

A suggestion from a friend of mine was to give myself a visual reminder of where I was....and where I was going through the use of motivation jars. Get 2 glass vases (I chose a short, squat one to start because that's how I see myself NOW.....a taller, thin one for the end because that's where I hope to be), find some pretty glass rocks, beads, etc. to place in the first vase to represent the pounds that you want to lose. As you lose, you move 1 bead per pound from the first to the 2nd jar. You will be able to visually check yourself and make sure the 2nd jar is getting more full while the first one is emptying. It's a triumphant moment when you move that bead from one jar to the next. When your 1st jar is empty you have reached your goal....and perhaps it's time to add some more beads and set a new goal! I'm a visual person so this is very motivating for me.....my kids have even joined the fun and ask every morning, can I move your bead today? LOL Hope the picture attaches!

My husband was on vacation last week (I'm retired.) We had a friend here visiting from Indiana. We ate out every night, breakfast out at least 3 times too. We went to a Red sox game, partook of all of the July 4th celebrations in town. Weather was in the 90's the whole time.
My NSV's - no weight gain at all! I know that I did not exercise as much as I have been.
- being able to comfortably walk around town for all the festivities
- being comfortable in the seats at Fenway - room to spare actually!!
- having so much energy that folks were trying to keep up with me this year!!
I made sure I got in all of my Water - averaged about 90+oz a day. Continued to track on MFP, only 2 days I went over my 1200-by less than 60 calories.
I feel like this was a good test for me - I know I can do this for life.
I must say these last 11 pounds are stubborn, losing just oz at a time. But it will happen, for all of us December Sleevers!!