Cecilia

Hang in there, hon! We all have our days. I felt like that all weekend. It's like my stomach decided that everything I was eating was rocks. Ugh. You've been such a good sport through all your ordeals in the early days!

Yaaaay!!!!! Keep up the good work, girl!

Oh, wow! Congratulations!!!

If you're new to running, definitely start with the Couch-to-5K Zombies, Run! app. It's a very slow and gentle transition from walking to running. Definitely doable!

I confess that I've all but given up on trying to get as much protein as I should. I try and make sure I have protein in every meal, but I"m so done with shakes... I try to get two cups of milk in per day, an egg or two, my work lunches usually have 10-18 grams of protein, and supper usually some left-over with protein in it. But I felt like I was force-feeding myself when I tried to get all the protein in.

Is there anyone in a size 2X who is interested in a pair of plain black, just-above-the-knee compression shorts for running in? I will mail them to you. They are super comfortable and make running so much more, well, comfortable. Even if you're just starting a couch-to-5K program, you'll appreciate them!

My first real race in 18 months: a little 2-mile run in which half the participants were elementary school children. I finished last, (half walking half running) with an average pace of 18 minutes, but it's still faster than sitting on the couch.

Definitely put food on your plate. Then you could say you just aren't that hungry, or you feel like you may be coming down with something and have lost your appetite, or you're just getting over something and don't have any appetite...

Take heart... it's counterintuitive, but the littlest bit of exercise (walking around the block) will give you more energy than you had the day before. If you do this a few days in a row, you may be inclined to walk around the block twice the next day, and so forth. As for your thyroid, that can DEFINITELY have an impact on your energy level. I was hyperthyroid (metabolism going great guns) the year before my surgery, and I couldn't get off the couch. Again, doesn't make sense, but there you have it. Baby steps is what I recommend. We all need exercise as a part of losing weight and keeping it off.

You got the ticker on! And I love it! LOL!

Ever since my days of Atkins low/no carb'ing, I'm a firm believer in the idea that you *can* eat "not enough to lose weight." It seemed like every time someone was stalling out, all they needed to do was increase their calories, and the weight loss started again. Sort of goes against the whole "a calorie is a calorie" thing, doesn't it? So happy for you that you've lost so much weight!

Way to go! I am craving a leafy green salad like you have NO idea! I'm so jealous!

Yaaaay! It feels good, doesn't it?

Yes you are, and your ass-hurt = firm ass!

I agree with your doctors. You can burn just as many calories walking as running, taking some variables into account. The thing is, I LOVE to run! I will quit when my knees start giving me trouble, but I'm a low-impact runner anyway, if there is such a thing. ...Just checked online. There is a ton of information out there on low-impact running! And here I thought I made it up, LOL! http://www.lowimpactrunning.net/ <-this is exactly what I look like running, but with even shorter strides, about 3 per second.

You just gave me the inspiration I needed to get back on the ball! I was out of town for almost a week, and although my SIL took me on crazy 4.5 mile walks two nights, it's not the same as training to RUN. I was about to do day 2 of week 2, but had lost my motivation. I work crazy hours Wednesday and Thursday, but I will run on Friday and Sunday, and you can hold me to that.

Upper right of the page, click on the drop-down arrow by your name, and go to My Tickers.

You're in good company, ladies. Two months and 30 lbs.

My weight loss has slowed down to a creeeeep... I'm at my two-month mark and have lost 30 lbs. 20 the first month, 10 the second. I can live with 10 pounds a month, as long as it doesn't slow down more than that!

p.s. One last thing before I go to bed: Yes the cookies and coffee were bad, but I realize what did me in (and this may just be my version of dumping) was the 1/4 cup of salad I had. It tasted SOOOOO good! Fresh crisp lettuce! I could have eaten a plate full (good thing I didn't) but it pretty much passed through undigested, and from the looks of it, I didn't do a very good job chewing, either. TMI, I know... TMI!

On the topic of prilosec... the few times I haven't been able to keep something down, when it comes back up it is NOTHING like the acid reflux I used to experience. It's like burping up water. Some stomachs must just have a whole lot more acid than others... I can't imagine developing an ulcer... or how much that would hurt!

Amazing!!! Congratulations!!! Wow! Another big loser! I'm so jealous!!! I could not imagine eating 1 1/2 medicine cups at this stage of the game, and getting such mixed messages has *got* to be frustrating! I just found that there's not just differences from hospital to hospital, but from doctor to doctor within my same hospital. I had the "clear fluids for a week postop" doctor. Someone I met had the "mashed potatoes the day after surgery" doc. Really, at this point, I just do what feels right. I'm not losing as fast as some of you, but I do feel good (most of the time, ahem!) LOL!

Uuuuuhhhhnnnggg!!! I would congratulate you all on your amazing successes, except I'm too busy running to the bathroom every 10 minutes. WARNING: TMI & GROSS CONTENT FOLLOWS. PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK. Here's the story: I traveled to a nearby city to take a 4-day class. I'm staying with my brother and his wife. I'm off my daily routine. Skipping breakfast, packing my oatmeal but not making it, that sort of thing. At the conference they have coffee and cookies and rolls, so I nibble on a tiny piece of a roll while drinking coffee. Then sampling a little bit of a cookie. Eating whatever my SIL makes for dinner, then taking it the next day for lunch. Having no gastric distress, the second day I get bold. I get a whole cup of coffee and two cookies. A chocolate chip and a humongous shortbread cookie dipped in chocolate so greasy it would make pizza look low-fat. This was a huge mistake. Mind you--no dumping or vomiting has happened, so I think I'm safe so far. Only after dinner (spaghetti, fresh salad, greasy garlic bread -- I don't want to put my hosts out, so I eat what they're eating) I hear my stomach grumble, and the fun begins. My stools get looser and looser. I'm up all night running to the bathroom, and when I'm sleeping, I'm dreaming of my intestines (true!). This morning I actually saw a greasy oil slick in the toilet after evacuating what feels like the last little bit of what's left in me. Lesson learned. I can't just "wing it." I can't eat cookies. I can't tolerate greasy foods. And you know what? Other than the chocolate chip cookie (which was amazing) and the salad (I miss crispy vegetables!), nothing really was that good or so delicious that I'd be interested in eating it again. It really just wasn't worth it.

Awww, man, that's terrible. You have every right to feel crushed and embarrassed. I'm not sure what I would have done in your place, but right now I'm feeling very much like whoopin' him upside the head. I'm trying to remember... are you the same person who had the husband who was afraid she'd leave him when she got thin? If so, I would suspect his comment comes from a place of fear (not that it excuses him). If that wasn't you, has he made comments like this before? That is, is he supportive and just couldn't wrap his mouth around the word "bariatric," or is he really as insensitive as that comment made him sound? Curious, Cecilia

Definitely do not worry about what others think or about "competing" with others. All our bodies are different. My doc says slower is better... it gives your skin a chance to keep up with your changing shape, LOL! Congratulations on your exercise as well. I have an easy time running in the summer, but it's going to be a challenge for me to keep exercising in the fall/winter.