Lochnagar

Folks, anyone else experienced this before I call Dr. Spivak? I have been slming at a very high rate for the last week or so. No discomfort, as such, but just bringing up an incredible quantity of saliva. The biggest (and scariest) probelm is that this will happen when I am sleeping, and I wake up choking on my saliva. No fills for about 5-6 months and I am getting close to my target weight. I did increase my food intake over Thanksgiving, but not by a huge amount. I've been on a self-imposed liquid diet for the last 3 days, but it doesn't seem to be helping. Thanks

I am wondering the same question. I used to play rugby, and now that I am getting close to my goal weight I am interested in playing on a "masters" team (boy do I feel old). I am concerned about hits to the port area though

Chris, At my heaviest I was 315lbs. I played rugby at a fairly high level when I was younger (up to my early 20s), but I never was a long distance runner. I tried to follow the "couch potato to 5k" program, but found my progress to fast for the plan. I started this around 255lbs. No problems with knees, joints, etc - just bruising and losing my toenails. I was running a 5k race every other weekend, but I am now scouring the area for 10k+ races. Good luck with the banding - let us know how it goes.

JP, It took me at least 4 fills to get it right and several months - it was very frustrating. However, once you hit the sweet spot, you will know it. I am now down 96lbs and within 24lbs of my goal. I've found that I have to combine heavy exercising with my lower caloric intake to acheive the continued weight loss

Well, I am now within 4lbs of a 100lb loss! I can't seem to be able to update my ticker, so ignore that. I reached 219lbs this weekend. On Saturday, I got up at 2am, drove up to Dallas (I live in a northern suburb of Houston) and ran in the "Tour Des Fleurs" 20k race. My time was slow - 2hrs, 50 mins, but I did not stop or walk once - I ran/jogged the whole way (about 12.8 mile). I then jumped back in the truck and made it back home for my son's football game at 2:30. I took Sunday off, but ran about 8 miles this morning. I have a 10k this weekend and then the Huntsville 1/2 marathon October 13th. I was planning on running the San Antonio marathon November 11th, but my son has a Cub Scout camping trip that day, which I cannot miss. Cheers!

Don't know about Speigel, but you will not go wrong with Spivak

Ditto to what everyone else has said here. If I don't get my run in I get grumpy now - it is my new "addiction" I am ramping up to a marathon in November. I did my longest training run yet this weekend of 15 miles. My toes are a bit sore and my legs a little stiff, but boy did I enjoy it. And all this from a (male) former couch potato who weighed 315 and is now at 225, and can comfortably wear 36" pants (from 56"+)!

Mrs. CB, I have been banded about a year now and it was the best decision I have yet made. I am a 41 year old male, and though I didn't have the full-blown co-morbidities associated with obesity, I was getting pre-diabetic, my bp was on the rise, and I had sleep apnea. Now, after a loss over over 80lbs,, I have none of these conditions. I was never a long distance runner before I gained the weight (I was a rugby player), but now I have fallen in love with running. I race in 5ks every other weekend, and will run my first marathon (hopefully) Nov.11. My Bp is now around 115/65 and my resting pulse is in the 50s. Do it - you won't regret it - I don't!

Well this former couch potato is going to attempt the San Antonio marathon on November 11th - I just registered this morning! I have been running for the past 10 weeks or so, and am gradually increasing my distance. When I started I couldn't run for more than a minute without stopping - I ran 10 miles this morning with no stops! I run in a 5k race every 2 weeks, and I have registered for a couple of 10ks, a half-marathon, and a 25k between now and race day. I am far from fast, but boy, am I enjoying it! With this exercise, I am losing about 3/4 pounds per day and my intake is about 800 calories - mostly Protein. If I can do it - anyone can do it!

Before and after (well during) pics:

I'm 5"11, so I'd like to be around 195 - so I've still got just less than 40lbs to go. I started using the "couch potato to 20 min runner in 10 weeks" and it was a good program, but I needed to accelerate the results as I wasn't being challenged. I think I was running 20 mins within 3 weeks.

Well, after about a year banded I am down 81 lbs from 315 to 234 (I haven't updated my ticker). I am running 5k races every 2 weeks, will be running a 25k in November and a marathon in January. My "long" training runs are 9 miles and my short ones are 3 miles - I am running about 25 - 30 miles a week. Waist size has gone from 56 to 36, and shirt size from a tight XXXL to Large. This feels good!

Name........................Starting….......Curren t …...Goal….....To Go losingjusme...................293..............280 ...........266...........14 juliegeraci....................226..............22 6...........206...........20 areellady.....................251.5...........237. 5 .........230..............7.5 punkeyb88...................306.............238.. ..........225..........13 Chris_NJ......................326.............295. ...........290..........5 PaulaD........................222..............222 ............200..........22 MM............................248...............24 8............230.........18 sdakotaRN..................255...............255.. ..........230..........22.2 Babygrl1234...............224................213.. .........199..........14 faithmd.....................312...............308. ..........285...........23 Jan421......................267...............262. ...........247..........15 Metalband.................203...............193... ..........183...........10 tann........................223................208 ............198...........10 Banannie..................182..............175.2.. .........162...........13.2 Josette....................322...............314.. ..........299...........15 chickatee.................217...............212... ..........199...........13 beachgirl..................270................220. ...............155.........65 Marlluvia...................220...............220. ..............200...........20 Jennifur....................222…............219... .........200..........19 KariK.......................179..............179.. ..........155..........24 MarCar.....................296............ 284.............276...........8 Punkeyb88................238............238....... ..... 220......... 18 Jadrad7....................243............230..... .......220..........23 Denise......................265...........259... .........240..........25 Wen.........................303...........295.. ...........285.........10 SWEETY...................217...........205........ ......199.........6 Lochnagar................249...........235.... ........221..........14 glinadb....................285…........278.6...... .....260..........18.6 Denise....................330............265...... .......240..........25 mel........................254.4........237.6..... .....230..........7.6 Amelia40..................285...........288....... .....255...........33 Crabby54.................257...........245........ ....232.........25 Sunny 112...............219...........173.............16 5........8

Not as close as most here - but at 235 it is well within sight! I started at 315.

I might sign up - but I'll be running (thanks to Dr. Spivak!) I'll need to see if I can juggle the schedule