Someonefab

I have natural hair and one thing I would recommend is to wet ur hair, put conditioner on your hair, swim, rinse it out with a sulfate free Shampoo, put it in a ponytail and let it air dry. Putting too much heat on the hair with or without a heat protector, can damage your hair after awhile. If you are going every day, a sulfate free shampoo will not strip ur hair of its natural oils. Products with sulfates are like degreasers. They strip your hair of everything, the good and the bad. It is mainly about what products you use and what you put into your body. Your hair and skin are manipulated by what you eat and drink as well as the products you use.
I have been natural since 7/30/11 and I just love my natural hair. Currently, I am growing dreads.

I agree with the above. My twins were nearly three when I had surgery and my stepkids ranged in age from 11-20 years old (four of them are girls). The impact on all of them has been bigger than I thought. In fairness, my stepkids do not live with me, but seeing me shed weight in a way other than the extreme diets their mom does has been very positive for the girls. They would emulate their mother and simply skip meals over a perceived need to lose weight. Now their approach is more balanced. I can't help them all - I have four stepdaughters and one of them has battled anorexia (and other equally serious issues like drug addiction) for the past five years.
The huge impact is on my kids and how I raise them. My children eat a very healthy and balanced diet. We do not follow the clean your plate rule; we eat until we're no longer hungry. Just that one change is huge. My kids don't eat from boredom and we're all more active.
They do not remember big me. They sometimes know that the larger lady in older photos is me but they forget just as often. Their mom does not look like that.
Furthermore, while it's still sometimes a struggle for me to be nice to myself, I am not raising my kids to look in the mirror and declare themselves fat or unattractive. We're trying very hard in this house not to put too much emphasis on size or weight. We focus on healthy choices and moderation. My kids know cake isn't a very healthy choice, but they also know that if they don't eat it every day, it's okay to enjoy it sometimes. Too many moms I run into on the playground these days wonder why their kids binge on candy and soda when they get the chance - but they told their kids those foods were bad and forbid them from being in the house. Well, you have to find a balance here and one extreme is just as damaging as the other.
The only thing I'd be wary of is the portion sizes with your seven year old. Kids are very observant. What you don't want is for them to think that it's normal for everyone to eat a few bites or spoonfuls of food and declare themselves full. My one stepdaughter has a number of issues, but a huge factor in her body image problems is due to her mom's constant cycle of failed diets, coupled with continually putting herself down for not achieving her goals. Every one of those four girls has at times completely blasted their bodies and told me how fat they are. And every one of them is in truth, very thin. Do not ever underestimate the power you have over how your children feel about their bodies. You cannot control it all, but being mindful of what you do and what you say is incredibly important.
Best of luck. Your kids will benefit from this as you become a healthier and more active person. I can actually play with my kids and chase them...I'm not just huffing and waddling behind them hollering at them to slow down for Mommy anymore.
~Cheri

Just to let everyone know, I have finished week 4 in my classes. I have been averaging about 2.3 to 2.5lbs lost per week. My classes end on 8/28. I have even tried my hand at cooking. I am not a cook. So this weekend was fabulous for me. I cooked Beans with turkey necks. The beans were a mix of about 15 types of beans with red, yellow, and green bell peppers. I put onions, celery, and as far as seasonings, I added salt substitute, garlic pepper, chili powder, paprika, ground cumin, rosemary, parsley flakes, and I believe that is everything. Then I made some brown rice and a strawberry salad. It was so delicious. The strawberry salad had romaine lettuce, spianch, strawberries. The dressing was made from mayo, milk, sugar, white wine vinegar, and poppy seeds. For the milk, I used 2% milk. For the sugar, I used Truvia, the sugar substitute, which is better than equal and a lot of the sugar substitute.

According to my trainer, he said that you need a Protein Shake during my workout so that my body will not eat away at the muscle. That particular day I did a cardio class for an hour and was getting ready to do some weightlifting for another hour. He said that my body needs the Protein to help build the muscle and to give my body the fuel it needs to perform at its best. Well when I did that, I notice I had enough energy to complete my workout with energy to spare.

No soy latina pero amo la cultura Hispaña.

No soy Latina pero hablo español poquito y comprendo mucho. Puedo leer y comprender mucho. I just love reading you guys posts. I have a love the spanish language and culture. Some of my friends use me to translate for them. I am not fluent but I understand a lot. I had friends who were mexicanas, salvadorena, boricua, y de honduras. I don't have anyone to practice with so that I can become fluent.

I love Zumba. But one thing is for sure is that I like variety. I get bored very easily. So in order for me to stay interested, the instructor has to mix things up a bit. I can't do the samething every week. I have to mix it up or I will lose my momentum in working out. I wouldn't worry too much about being big cause there are a lot of people in ur same situation that just gets out there to have fun while exercising.
I would suggest looking for free events in your area that have dance lessons. In Los Angeles, every other Friday, they are teaching a different style of dance. It is so much fun and you are exercicing in the process. I would say make a list of things you like to do; then make an appt with urself to do one thing off that list every other day. For example: if you have to go grocery shopping, make it a point to walk arounfd the perimeter of the store before getting your groceries. After doing that for awhile, your body will get used to that and then you have to change it up so that you can trick your body into getting into the fat burning mode. Just be creative in getting in your exercise. The key is to find something you enjoy doing so that it will not feel like exercise.

Today was my first class of the 12 weeks and the only thing I noticed is that the goal is to exercise 30 minutes every day or 60 minutes five days a week. Has anyone else been told that?

Yeah thats the one thing I don't have...a support system as I have decided to not tell a soul about my surgery. I do however plan on using this site as much as possible and join a support group. I'm even thinking of making a "meetup group" on meetup.com for the Long Beach/South Bay area.
What have you learned so far in the class. Also how long did it take you to get enrolled in a class after your orientation?

Hi Leanne - you might start by eating every 2-3 hours and increasing good carbs and fats over a number of weeks. You do not want to ramp up your calories too fast because your body will not be prepared for it and greedily store them instead. I do not know exactly how to do this, but perhaps target an extra 100-200 calories a week until you are 200-300 below your TDEE. Again, this will take you some time so do not try and rush the process.
Both Mike Ross and *Susan* have given some excellent advice in past threads so perhaps they will chime in here. You might try eating advocados or banana with a nut butter. Perhaps think about other fruit that is lower on the glycemic scale like apples.
Do consider the use of supplements to help you increase calories. Eating a casein shake at night is a long acting Protein and will keep your BMR churning all night long.

In my opinion, if you lost those friends, then just maybe they weren't your friends to begin. You always find out who your true friends are when you need them the most.

Nikki D u said a mouthful. If you don't get your health on track, you might not be around for your daughter or your husband. Selfish is if you didn't try to get yourself healthy....some people just need to sit back and be quiet because without the facts they really don't know.

Note to Surgeon: So people are better off not having the surgery even though it's statistically proven that Morbidly obese people have an exponentially greater success with WLS than without it? If what you say is true, then why do MORE ,more morbidly obese people regain weight after losing it "the natural way" than those who lose with the assistance of WLS?
to your friend: Congratulations! Losing 45 pounds is a great accomplishment! Now that you've also committed to a healthier lifestyle, we can go workout together once I'm well!
For everyone else: I don't want or need your approval. I decided to take control of my life. This is not a game or a contest.. there is no easy way or hard way.. there is no "cheating"... It's NOT A FREAKING GAME.. this is a battle, it's a war... there is success and failure.. I am taking this extra step to ensure that I'm a success and I win this battle of my life. If my choice upsets your delicate sensibilities, then go cry to someone who cares.

Me too. I weigh every morning right after I get up. This is my official weight. But I also weigh in the evenings after work. And before and after using the bathroom. And, Uh, hang on a sec.... Ok, I'm back - Woot! Down 2/10ths from this morning
I don't let the weight fluctuations bother me (too much). It is what it is. I know from extensive experience (5 months now) that the weight will keep dropping as long as I keep to the program.
As I try to tell people, I'm not obsessive about weighing myself, I just have a really boring life.

I keep the scales next to the fridge. Every time I think I want something to eat, I weigh myself first, and usually reconsider.

Rebecca just keep your eye on the prize. The prize in this case, is a more vibrant and vivacious person that can accomplish anything her heart desires. I too turn to food but then that starts a cycle of feeling bad and eating more. Then at the other extreme I will workout 5 days a week for 2 hours straight sometimes. So I know I need to find a balance and so can you. Keep positive reinforcement around you like pictures of how you want to look. They could be pictures in magazines, your friends, family, or anyone that has the body and mentality that you are striving for. Keep your head up and you will be fine.

Weight loss:
Heaviest (2 months before surgery): 360
DOS (7-2-2012): 335
Month 1: -45
Month 2: -45
Month 3: -30
Month 4: -15
Month 5: -15
Month 6: -20
Month 7: -8 ( 2-27-2013, goal - 2 lb below goal, 178 )
Month 9: + 12 , 190 (add lean muscle)
Month 10: -4, 186 (today - lean out a few lbs this month, but trying to preserve muscle gains at same time)
Exercise:
Month 1-4: low - moderate exercise (walking, elliptical) - fairly sporadic exercise
Month 5: moderate - running (3-5 mile a week) - start of disciplined exercise plan
Month 6: moderate- high running (10-15 mile a week) - 1 hour a day 3-4 days, rest every other day.
Month 7-10 : high (18-20 mile a week over 3 days, HIIT running 1 day, cross fit 2x a week, yoga when time in evening) - 1 hour a day 6 days, 1 day rest
Height: 5'11"

Hey there. I am in the same situation as you. My aunt had the surgery, although I am not sure which one. She had three surgeries and went for the fourth and died. The one thing I do know is that she didn't follow the doctor's orders and developed complications from the last one. The difference is I don't smoke or drink and I tend to do a lot of research prior to making a decision. I would recommend for you to read, different sites, look at their forums, and then decide if the surgery is for you. I have decided to do the surgery. I am taking proactive steps prior to my first information session at Kaiser on Tuesday. There is an abundance of information out there. You just need to decide if it is right for you and your health. Just remember! Always follow your doctor's advice to prevent the least amount of complications, if any.