Kathybad

Leslie, thank you for sharing your story. It is wonderful to hear your perspectives. Sarah will always know she was chosen too, our special choice. We've talked about the concept of adoption with our kids, but Sarah is too young to understand it, and Jesse really doesn't get it completely. I think he has a basic understanding that she came from somewhere else but is now his sister. Every once in awhile he says something like "I don't want Sarah to go to her home, I want her to come home with us". when he says this, I know he understands enough. All I know is that it was the best choice we could have ever made. Bringing Sarah into our family made us complete. Not that I wouldn't like a bit of Serenity once in awhile, but I'm ok with the craziness. BTW, Serenity is her birth name, now its her middle name.

Ok, my turn for sappy... we adopted our daughter. She moved in just before her 2nd birthday and her adoption was final 1 1/2 years later. She's now 4. We also have a 10 year old son (biological). Sarah's story is also a sad one... her family was already under the watch (and care) of Children's Aid when her mom became pregnant with her. She is the youngest of 4 kids to parents that are alcoholic drug users. They could barely take care of themselves let alone all of their kids. Sarah was born at 26 weeks (way too early) and barely survived. She had lots of health problems out of the starting gate, but kept fighting to make it. She finally went home 4 months later, but only stayed with her birth family for about 3 weeks before Children's Aid stepped in. Then she bounced around the system for 18 months before she came to us as a "Foster with a view to Adopt" child. Which in Canada means we were taking her in with the intention to adopt her once she became a "crown ward" (similar to "state ward"). That took about a year for them to get all the paperwork in order and the judge to approve it. Sarah has fetal alcohol effect and many other issues that will impact her life, but in many ways she is a wonderful, funny, loving little girt that drives us insane... but we love her so much. Jesse, our son, has lost of special needs too. He is hearing impaired, intellectually disabled, has epilepsy, and a few other things too. Our intention when we set out to adopt was to give Jesse a sibling, we didn't intend to adopt another special needs child. But you can't tell your heart what to do... it tells you. So be it. In the end, it was the best choice we could ever have made. Sarah is so much like me and Jesse is so much like my DH... looks and all! Ok, enough sap! Leslie, I always love to hear adoption stories, especially successful ones. Thanks for sharing. Renewed, I've said it before, but I'll say it again... you're amazing! Georgia, a snake would have completely freaked me out. I would have had to leave the house and had someone in right away before returning. We had a baby mouse that we saw run into the house. It was 2 days before we caught it and let it go in the park (a long way from our house). I didn't sleep, and my DH certainly didn't get any rest (I wouldn't let him :biggrin:). I hope your ankle is feeling better, but congrats on Day 1 Week 2!!! Other than the trip, it sounds like the run went well.

Renewed... way to go! We're both pooched, but we did it. And yes, I'll quote that post. I'm remembering the page number as I type... HAHAHA Thanks everyone for the encouragement. I've now cooled down, and logged my food for the day. that's when I realized I had only eaten about 700 cals for the day, so no wonder it was a hard run. So I whipped up some hummus, which always hits the spot... full of protein, fibre and good fats. Ok, off to bed. Good luck with your run tomorrow Mama.

Well, I survived Day 1 of week 2... barely. I was sucking wind big time, thank goodness for the 2 minute walks, if they were any shorter I wouldn't have made it. I knew right away I was going to struggle with it. I think I prefer to run earlier in the day, when I'm not so tired and I don't have a full day of food in me. But, I was too busy during the day today, so had to wait until now. I'm going to make sure on Friday that it is earlier. If I suck as much on my 3rd run as I did tonight, I'm going to repeat week 2. Here it is 30 minutes after my run and my heart still is racing a bit and my breathing is still heavy... and I'm pooched! All complainin' aside... I DID IT... I DIDN'T THINK I COULD... BUT I DID :thumbup::frown::thumbup: (I hear a Rocky song somewhere in the distance) Renewed... you crack me up with your "big girl panties"... go on and get your run in!!! Bonnie... keep on dancin' & runnin' Sugar... I know what its like to have a buddy along for the run... my DH came downstairs with me tonight to keep me company while I ran... he Wii'd (all in the same area), now he's running and I'm typing... it is really nice having a buddy. Of course, while I was sucking wind, he was a bit too concerned about me so that was a bit annoying, but I know he only worries cause he cares. Georgie... did you run today? Mama... how's it going?

Ok, I finished week 1 of the Couch to 5k program, and did great. I followed the "Podrunner Interval" program 3 times in week 1, resting on my days off. This included 8 intervals of "run 1 minute, walk 90 seconds". Now I'm ready to move to Week 2, which is "run 90 seconds, walk 2 minutes". I'm really excited about this!!! My weight hasn't changed, but I have been eating more calories this week... all pretty much healthy stuff, but a bit more than recently. I'm not concerned, as I know it will come off eventually.

Ok, I finished week 1 of the Couch to 5k program, and did great. I followed the "Podrunner Interval" program 3 times in week 1, resting on my days off. This included 8 intervals of "run 1 minute, walk 90 seconds". Now I'm ready to move to Week 2, which is "run 90 seconds, walk 2 minutes". I'm really excited about this!!! My weight hasn't changed, but I have been eating more calories this week... all pretty much healthy stuff, but a bit more than recently. I'm not concerned, as I know it will come off eventually.

Leslie... I love your signature "smiles". Couch to 5k in visual!!! Don't worry about your ignorant co-worker. People who have never had a weight issue rarely mean what we think they mean when they say stupid things... and those that do mean it aren't worth our time to even hear what they are saying! In the end, you'll be much more healthier than her... inside and out!

Leslie... just run through the soreness! I found I was sore the day after my first run and the day of my 2nd. When I started my run, it quickly disappeared... sort of losened up and went away. The soreness returned the day after that run, but was much less, and by the end of that day it was gone. I think my muscles were a little tight, so once I stretched after the run... they eased up. Good luck today! Renewed... how was the Wii Fit???? Well, today I move to Week 2, Day 1!!!! Wish me luck.

Mama... you did it!!!! congrats! I know you were sckeptical and didn't think you could... but you did! :eek: Leslie, thanks for your support! Yeah, its tough when you loose your job, and especially when I'm the career person in the family, and they depend on me financially. What's worse is that I have always felt most successful at work, I'm somewhat defined by my career. Then to be let go after having been promoted a few weeks earlier is a bit hard to take, not to mention worrying about how to keep our house and cars and feed the family. Thanks for letting me vent!

Way to go Leslie!!! You're a runner now, and hooked. Thanks for the umpalumpa visual... I'm still laughing :biggrin2: Great job Georgia... it felt harder probably because you were already tired and maybe didn't have enough fuel in you. You must have felt proud to have finished it knowing how tired you were! Sugar, I looked for one of those, but couldn't find one! The guy in the store thought I was crazy, but honestly... how my butt could fit on one of those tiny seats is a mystery... and probably not architectually sound :eek:! Thanks Bonnie... I've just printed this. It will be helpful to know what I'm listening for! Keep up the great work. Did I read right that you aren't banded yet?? If that's the case... I am so in awe of you doing all of this before you get banded! You will have such a successful weight loss! Wow... on your way to work! I can barely get myself up and the kids fed and dressed, let alone think about working out! I am not a morning person, thankfully my DH is. It takes me at least an hour to cool down (visually!!), so that would mean getting up way too early before work! If he makes fun of you, threaten him that you'll embarrass him in front of his friends (or a girlfriend??) next time! That always worked for my brother when he'd tease me. Seriously, go for it and take it slow. Wow... it's fun coming here and catching up on everyone's progress. I feel really good today. I think the running has helped my mood a lot. I've been fairly stressed lately since losing my job, and looking for a new one. I've never been a stay at home type, so really don't know what to do with myself. Probably why I latched onto the running and this group!! I noticed that my weight hasn't gone down yet, even though I've been eating really well and exercising. That's ok, I know it won't go up, and it will eventually go down. It would be nice if it dropped at a steady rate, but I know my weight loss tends to happen in spurts.

If you do... please listen to your body, and rest tomorrow if you need it. We want you to succeed, so will offer our advice. But we'll be here to support you whatever you choose to do!!! Good luck!

Thanks Whosya for your perspective on what you like about each type of exercise. I love to swim, just don't get to go very often. When I was a teenager... eons ago! I was a competitive swimmer and won city champ for individual relay, backstroke and butterfly. I have (had??) very strong legs, so could power through most strokes, and butterfly is a difficult stroke to master so I didn't have a lot of competition. My only downfall was breast stroke, which required a bit of grace and stronger arms. My coach used to say that a rock could swim faster breast stroke than me... I agree! I like strength training a bit, but don't really do it very well or often. I know I should, and probably will start that soon. I have some hand weights, exercise ball and bands that I use at home. We used to have a gym membership, but it became too difficult to get there with the kids in tow. They had babysitting, but not skilled enough for our 2. Well, I did it... Day 3, week 1!!! I am so proud of myself... and the runner's high is just kicking in (1 hour later). I really enjoyed the feeling today while running. I didn't hit a wall at all, so I think I'm ready to move onto week 2. Its funny how working really hard at this program makes you stick to your healthy eating habits the rest of the time! I've been tracking my food now for 10 days on thedailyplate, and notice I'm making some great choices. Trying to make sure I have a good balance, enough calories, enough fiber, etc. In the past, I'd log in maybe 2 or 3 days in a row, then lose interest. Now its dare I say, an obsession!!! Kind of like running :crying:.

Ok Renewed... just wanted to remind you of your first post to this thread... take your own advice. If I remember correctly you are in week 4, which is about 3 or 5 minutes of running. I know you are already working out, but running can easily cause injury when you don't have the bone and muscle density you need... in the places you need! At least wait until you've done the 20 minute run successfully. And remember... take your own advice. I'm not an expert, but I believe Whosya would give you the same advice!

Thanks Bonnie... I'm so un-dance-coordinated, so probably not for me! :frown: But you dance your heart out!!! Mama... way to go on!!! If I had to run in your scary, isolated conditions, I'd probably still be sitting on the couch. I'm such a chicken... I guess I've watched too many scary movies! Good luck with week 4... you can conquor that one too! :eek: Renewed... love the pictures. We are always more critical of ourselves than others are... all I see is determination and accomplishment, and a bit of exhaustion!!! :crying: Just think how the next 5k pictures will look... Rocky music anyone!! Sugar, I think as long as we're continuing on this program we are considered "runners"... ok, did I mention I have a distorted sense of reality!! No seriously, we will all be runners... especially is Whosya has anything to say about it!! Congrats on getting to Wk3 Which do you like best... running, swiming or cycling? I know you love your triathalons, but which part agrees with you most? By the way... you are amazing! Keep at it and the weight will also come off. Good luck Leslie... you can do it. Ok, I've just finished my lunch, and in a few minutes I'm going for my run... week 1 day 3!!! I'm so psyched, it feels great! Imagine that... wanting to run :smile:

Way to go Georgia!!! That must feel great. I know I struggled with the 244-240 range for about 4 months. Then it all of a sudden dropped down to 238. Then I lost my job 3 weeks ago and the stress of that closed up my lapband so nothing was going down easily. I went from 238 to 222 in 3 weeks. The stress changed to sadness, and now I can eat relatively normally, so I'm hoping the weight will stay off and running will help me lose more.

Way to go Georgia!!! This program seems to be working for all of us... building our strength and endourance as we go. Good plan to have the crackers ahead of time. So you're going to repeat week 1? Are you going on Monday or Tuesday? If my run goes the same on Monday, then I think I'm going to give week 2 a try. If that turns out to be too much, then I'll go back to week 1. But I think I can do 90 seconds. I don't think I'll move beyond week 2 right away though. BTW, I checked my sugar level again this morning, and once again it was in the normal zone!!! Yesterday it was just above normal (no run the day before), but this morning it was NORMAL (ran yesterday). I think it's helping me. I keep hearing how much fun the Wii Fit is... when I get another job (and have some money coming in :thumbup:) I plan to get it. Bonnie... I just really started to exercise, so I take lots of days off in between. But now that I've started this, and also seem to have lots of energy, I have been at least walking the dog and/or the kids on my days in between. This is not full fledged exercise, but it is movement! BTW, what is 'DDR' ?? Mama, yoga is such a great exercise... one I wish I could do. I have a friend that is a yogo master and she is in such great shape, and is so "centered" (I think that's what they call it, lol) I tried it a few times, but I have arthritis in my hands (the joint at the base of both thumbs), so any pressure on these joints is very painful... and go figure, almost all of the positions I tried put pressure on those joints. So no can do for me! Keep up the great work everyone. Today, if it doesn't rain, we're going for a family walk.

Amy, great job! Congrats on finishing week 3. Thank you for starting this up... its a real inspiration and so much better to do this together! Georgia... good luck tonight! I have to eat something prior to running... but not right before. I've eaten a yogurt about 30 mins prior. Then I bring my water with me. However, I don't drink too much water during because it gerggles around in my stomach and bothers me when I'm running. I think I'll get used to this, and when the intervals are longer it might be better... but right now I don't. When I do drink, its on a walk interval. I then drink lots of water afterwards, and also eat a meal. So far I've eaten a lean cuisine dish following the run... and it tastes sooo good!

Great job Sugar! I envy your outdoor weather... it's 36 celcius here... which is 97 F... so I ran inside. I did my Day 2 week 1 run this morning... it went great. I struggled a bit around the halfway point... but overall did better than the first. I was more tired today than Wed., and no runner's high :scared2:, but felt good afterwards. Who'sya... thank you for giving us such great advice and being our mentor and role model!!! Good luck everyone.

Hi everyone... are you getting excited for your MOA trip? You'll have a great time! I can't believe its been a year since our banding. What a year! I wouldn't change this for anything. I've started the Couch to 5k challenge, learning to run through interval training. I didn't think I'd be able to do it, but I tried it yesterday, and was so proud of myself. I'm still very heavy, so was worried about my knees, but no problem. I even got the runner's high afterwards! Tomorrow is my 2nd run... and I'm so psyched for it! I've exercised everyday this week, which is the first time I've done that since being banded. I know... you guys have been... but I was a slow starter in this area. So now I'm building the habit! Enjoy your trip! Candice... love the photos you sent!

Hi everyone... sounds like we're all doing great!! I took the kids and dog for our nightly walk with my DH. Its a 2km walk, and we usually stop at the playground halfway. So tonight, when we stopped at the playground, I sent them off with the DH to play and I continued with the dog for another 2km at a much faster pace. It felt great, and all I could think about was wanting to run!!! I think this is going to be good!

I've lost 70 lbs so far, one year into the bandsters! Now its time to kick it up a bit. So I've started the Couch to 5k challenge, to learn how to run and get addicted. I did my first run, and was so impressed with how well I did, and amazingly got the "runner's high" feeling I've heard about!

I've lost 70 lbs so far, one year into the bandsters! Now its time to kick it up a bit. So I've started the Couch to 5k challenge, to learn how to run and get addicted. I did my first run, and was so impressed with how well I did, and amazingly got the "runner's high" feeling I've heard about!

Thanks Georgia. Do you have Wii Fit? I've heard it's fun, but haven't bought it. Money's tight right now since I lost my job a few weeks ago. I like Wii Golf... I beat my DH everytime!!! Last night I was playing with my profile and loaded some of my photos of before, during and current. I don't think I've created the folder correctly, so will still work on it, but it was fun looking at the progression.

Oh yeah... us Canadian's have a different scale for blood sugar in case you're reading this and saying huh? Normal is 3 to 6 High is 7+ low is under 3

Hi Ang, A fellow Canadian!!! Welcome. Ok, morning after my first run... not too bad. I expected my knees to hurt, but they don't. :wub: My thighs do a bit. One really big change... might not have anything to do with the run, but I did nothing else different yesterday, so I'm thinking it was the run... my blood sugar was the lowest it has been in 5 years!!!! I'm a type 2 diabetic, and pre-banding I was on meds, then came off the meds and my typical morning sugar was about 7.2 - 7.5, which is technically a bit high, but not too concerning for me. This morning it was 5.9... that's in the NORMAL zone!!!! If that is because of the running... I'm not going to stop!