DonRodolfo

Sorry for the delay, I don't get on here much.
Here is a link to the latest version of the DFW Support Groups List: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/259587-dfw-area-weight-loss-surgery-support-groups-list/?p=3608299

How about a whole community of sleevers to compare notes with: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/259587-dfw-area-weight-loss-surgery-support-groups-list/
Highly recommended: THINspiration Weight Loss Support Group, every third Saturday of the month (contact KevLev12282012 (Kevin Levin) here to attend or let me know and I'll tell him for you). Check out the rest as well, we have a great WLS community in DFW.

Congrats (and thanks) for taking up the lead for the DFW chapter. Happy to get your meeting added to the DFW Support Groups meeting list that is circulated around DFW if you'd like, just let me know once you've determined a location and date(s) and time(s).
Looking forward to attending your first meeting!

Hi Paul,
I am 51 and I've lost 220lbs since getting sleeved 5/28 of 2013. I followed the plan given to me by my surgeon and I exercised as recommended. The key to sticking with exercise is finding something you enjoy doing - in my case, I rediscovered running and haven't looked back.
What a lot of people forget is that we have a limited window of opportunity after surgery (12 to 18 months) where the majority of the weight will come off. You want to maximize the opportunity by eating right and tracking and learning good habits so that they become second nature. The naughty stuff you used to enjoy will still be there once you hit maintenance and you'll probably be able to eat most of it. I want to emphasize that it is VERY possible to kill your weight loss mid journey, end your window far from goal, and be stuck trying to get the rest of your weight off. I know people in this situation, you don't want to be there.

You are invited you to..
THINspiration's WLS Support Group Meeting
at
*** Sonny Bryan's ***
1251 W. Campbell Road ~ Suite 240 ~ Richardson, TX 75080
Saturday, August 16th @ 12:30 PM

If it's your first THINspiration meeting... Welcome!
You're about to see what everyone else has been talking about!

Please RSVP to wls.thinspiration@gmail.com so we can get an accurate headcount by Thursday, August 14th.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email as well.

You are invited you to..


THINspiration's WLS Support Group Meeting

at

*** Sonny Bryan's ***

1251 W. Campbell Road ~ Suite 240 ~ Richardson, TX 75080

Saturday, August 16th @ 12:30 PM



If it's your first THINspiration meeting... Welcome!

You're about to see what everyone else has been talking about!



Please RSVP to wls.thinspiration@gmail.com so we can get an accurate headcount by Thursday, August 14th.





If you have any questions, please feel free to email as well.

I started at 416, and there are folks here that started higher than me. You are definitely not alone!
My surgeon suggested bypass to me as well but I insisted on having the sleeve.

Can't stand Colleen anyway!

Congrats (and thanks) for taking up the lead for the DFW chapter. Happy to get your meeting added to the DFW Support Groups meeting list that is circulated around DFW if you'd like, just let me know once you've determined a location and date(s) and time(s).
Looking forward to attending your first meeting!

I am here in Forney as well going to be sleeved June 30th

Hi Paul,
I am 51 and I've lost 220lbs since getting sleeved 5/28 of 2013. I followed the plan given to me by my surgeon and I exercised as recommended. The key to sticking with exercise is finding something you enjoy doing - in my case, I rediscovered running and haven't looked back.
What a lot of people forget is that we have a limited window of opportunity after surgery (12 to 18 months) where the majority of the weight will come off. You want to maximize the opportunity by eating right and tracking and learning good habits so that they become second nature. The naughty stuff you used to enjoy will still be there once you hit maintenance and you'll probably be able to eat most of it. I want to emphasize that it is VERY possible to kill your weight loss mid journey, end your window far from goal, and be stuck trying to get the rest of your weight off. I know people in this situation, you don't want to be there.

Hi Paul,
I am 51 and I've lost 220lbs since getting sleeved 5/28 of 2013. I followed the plan given to me by my surgeon and I exercised as recommended. The key to sticking with exercise is finding something you enjoy doing - in my case, I rediscovered running and haven't looked back.
What a lot of people forget is that we have a limited window of opportunity after surgery (12 to 18 months) where the majority of the weight will come off. You want to maximize the opportunity by eating right and tracking and learning good habits so that they become second nature. The naughty stuff you used to enjoy will still be there once you hit maintenance and you'll probably be able to eat most of it. I want to emphasize that it is VERY possible to kill your weight loss mid journey, end your window far from goal, and be stuck trying to get the rest of your weight off. I know people in this situation, you don't want to be there.

I am 51, was sleeved at 50. I've lost 188lbs as I type this and made the mistake of looking at my backside in the mirror. :-( That being said I am healthier, more active, and no longer taking high blood pressure or diabetes meds. A couple days ago I bought the first 1X shirt since the early 1990s.
I'll live with the loose skin until it causes me medical issues.

You have a limited window - maximize your efforts in exercise and eating (the naughty stuff will still be there once your window has ended).

You have a limited window - maximize your efforts in exercise and eating (the naughty stuff will still be there once your window has ended).

A couple things: first, you have a limited window (1 to 1.5 years) to work with where you need to get off all the weight you can because outside of that window it could be as difficult to lose weight as it was presurgery. This fact alone should make it a priority in your life. Two, you need to find an activity (ideally activities) that you enjoy. I discovered running. I have friends who bicycle and that would bore me to death. Running bores them lol! Third, I found that setting goals kept me motivated to continue. For me it was being able to run continuously for as long as possible without walking. This was too vague of a goal so I started losing interest. Someone mentioned doing a 5k (which I had never done) and I started training for it. I finally worked up the ability to run 3 miles without walking. The first time I did it I was on the treadmill in the middle of the gym crying lol! The next goal was to be able to do 10k without walking. Accomplished that! Now I am into week 4 of working on a half-marathon training plan. I'd like to do it without walking but the first one will be all about finishing (and getting one of those silly 13.1 stickers to put on my car (and possibly a tattoo of the same!). A frequent question at this point is whether I will ever do a full marathon. I refuse to consider that until I've done a half marathon or two (don't want to get discouraged by overreaching). Lastly, it's said that it takes 21 days for an activity to become a habit. Find your activity and keep doing it until it's something you do as a necessity without thinking (like brushing your teeth or putting on deodorant ever day). It could take you less than 21 days or maybe more, either way keep at it.
Weight-loss surgery gave us a second chance - it's up to us to squeeze everything we can out of it.

A couple things: first, you have a limited window (1 to 1.5 years) to work with where you need to get off all the weight you can because outside of that window it could be as difficult to lose weight as it was presurgery. This fact alone should make it a priority in your life. Two, you need to find an activity (ideally activities) that you enjoy. I discovered running. I have friends who bicycle and that would bore me to death. Running bores them lol! Third, I found that setting goals kept me motivated to continue. For me it was being able to run continuously for as long as possible without walking. This was too vague of a goal so I started losing interest. Someone mentioned doing a 5k (which I had never done) and I started training for it. I finally worked up the ability to run 3 miles without walking. The first time I did it I was on the treadmill in the middle of the gym crying lol! The next goal was to be able to do 10k without walking. Accomplished that! Now I am into week 4 of working on a half-marathon training plan. I'd like to do it without walking but the first one will be all about finishing (and getting one of those silly 13.1 stickers to put on my car (and possibly a tattoo of the same!). A frequent question at this point is whether I will ever do a full marathon. I refuse to consider that until I've done a half marathon or two (don't want to get discouraged by overreaching). Lastly, it's said that it takes 21 days for an activity to become a habit. Find your activity and keep doing it until it's something you do as a necessity without thinking (like brushing your teeth or putting on deodorant ever day). It could take you less than 21 days or maybe more, either way keep at it.
Weight-loss surgery gave us a second chance - it's up to us to squeeze everything we can out of it.

A couple things: first, you have a limited window (1 to 1.5 years) to work with where you need to get off all the weight you can because outside of that window it could be as difficult to lose weight as it was presurgery. This fact alone should make it a priority in your life. Two, you need to find an activity (ideally activities) that you enjoy. I discovered running. I have friends who bicycle and that would bore me to death. Running bores them lol! Third, I found that setting goals kept me motivated to continue. For me it was being able to run continuously for as long as possible without walking. This was too vague of a goal so I started losing interest. Someone mentioned doing a 5k (which I had never done) and I started training for it. I finally worked up the ability to run 3 miles without walking. The first time I did it I was on the treadmill in the middle of the gym crying lol! The next goal was to be able to do 10k without walking. Accomplished that! Now I am into week 4 of working on a half-marathon training plan. I'd like to do it without walking but the first one will be all about finishing (and getting one of those silly 13.1 stickers to put on my car (and possibly a tattoo of the same!). A frequent question at this point is whether I will ever do a full marathon. I refuse to consider that until I've done a half marathon or two (don't want to get discouraged by overreaching). Lastly, it's said that it takes 21 days for an activity to become a habit. Find your activity and keep doing it until it's something you do as a necessity without thinking (like brushing your teeth or putting on deodorant ever day). It could take you less than 21 days or maybe more, either way keep at it.
Weight-loss surgery gave us a second chance - it's up to us to squeeze everything we can out of it.

A couple things: first, you have a limited window (1 to 1.5 years) to work with where you need to get off all the weight you can because outside of that window it could be as difficult to lose weight as it was presurgery. This fact alone should make it a priority in your life. Two, you need to find an activity (ideally activities) that you enjoy. I discovered running. I have friends who bicycle and that would bore me to death. Running bores them lol! Third, I found that setting goals kept me motivated to continue. For me it was being able to run continuously for as long as possible without walking. This was too vague of a goal so I started losing interest. Someone mentioned doing a 5k (which I had never done) and I started training for it. I finally worked up the ability to run 3 miles without walking. The first time I did it I was on the treadmill in the middle of the gym crying lol! The next goal was to be able to do 10k without walking. Accomplished that! Now I am into week 4 of working on a half-marathon training plan. I'd like to do it without walking but the first one will be all about finishing (and getting one of those silly 13.1 stickers to put on my car (and possibly a tattoo of the same!). A frequent question at this point is whether I will ever do a full marathon. I refuse to consider that until I've done a half marathon or two (don't want to get discouraged by overreaching). Lastly, it's said that it takes 21 days for an activity to become a habit. Find your activity and keep doing it until it's something you do as a necessity without thinking (like brushing your teeth or putting on deodorant ever day). It could take you less than 21 days or maybe more, either way keep at it.
Weight-loss surgery gave us a second chance - it's up to us to squeeze everything we can out of it.

For me my motivation comes from how I feel when I'm done with the workout and finding a workout I like.
I do 3 days cardio and 3 days weights --Chalene Johnson's Chalene Extreme. It is tough and the first week I hurt, but now - I look forward to it. I feel guilty if I can't for some reason. I also play tennis a couple times a week.
Find something you really like - that way it doesn't feel like a workout - it 's more fun than it should be.

There's the monthly Baylor Plano meeting nest Wednesday. If you are really struggling, you may consider the weekly lifestyle change group ran by Dr Ashmore. It's fantastic. You have to have met with him first, so if you are interested, come to Wednesday night and get the info!

I'm currently attending one in Frisco. It's a great inspiration to me. Each group will have its own personality so if you don't like this one find another group.

While the sleeve is a marvelous tool, you have a limited time window to work with - typically a year to 18 months. After this point your stomach will be at it's final size, your body will have settled down, and you will not lose weight so easily as you will be at maintenance. You need to lose as much weight as you can within the window, and it looks like women have a harder time losing than men (I know, it's not fair).
I see two things you need: accountability (tracking (like MFP) will help here) and support. Find a support group in your area asap and get involved.