salsa1877

Steph...Running a full minute is HUGE! Remember...I had to start somewhere and it certainly wasn't at 6 miles. But I have been doing this since JANUARY! As for the eliptical, I did a full hour on it yesterday and I think it registered just over 3 miles. So unless you have the resistance REALLY low and are almost sprinting on the thing (which I do not recommmend as it can be hard on the knees) you are not going to go very far. I have always been able to do the elipitical for a long time. Even when I was fat, I could go for a while on the eliptical. My legs have always been in good shape it is just the rest of me that lacked! Oh and on a side note...I took my resting heart rate when I got up this morning and it is down to 60. Before surgery it was at 90+! HUGE NSV for me!

I did it. I ran 6 miles. I didn't get to do it this morning as we went to meet MIL for lunch, then DH and I went to a musical. So I didn't even get started until after 6PM, but I finished the whole thing. I am not going to sugar coat this and say it was easy or fun...I do not have a runner's high tonight...I am just tired. It was hell! And OH BOY did I sweat! It was dripping from everywhere...even places I didn't know could sweat! I am sure I will be much more impressed with myself tomorrow...but right now I just have to get in more calories...I am only at 1150 today...not nearly enough when I just ran off 650!

As Steph would say "holy cats" I did it. I ran 6 miles. I didn't get to do it this morning as we went to meet MIL for lunch, then DH and I went to a musical. So I didn't even get started until after 6PM, but I finished the whole thing. I am not going to sugar coat this and say it was easy or fun...I do not have a runner's high tonight...I am just tired. It was hell! And OH BOY did I sweat! It was dripping from everywhere...even places I didn't know could sweat! I am sure I will be much more impressed with myself tomorrow...but right now I just have to get in more calories...I am only at 1150 today...not nearly enough when I just ran off 650!

Definetly go to your doctor tomorrow. I might not even call...I would just go in there and demand to be seen if that is possible for you. My doc would be mad if I didn't do that.

Happy Mother's Day!

I am upping my calories to 1800 this week to see if I can start maintaining. No I have not had my body fat % checked yet. My lap band doc told me NOT to becuase of all the excess skin/fat that is hanging will most likely cause the readings to be falsely HIGH, and he was afraid that would cause me mental problems. As soon as I am healed enough from the TT though, I do want to go in and see it. I really do want to maintain...I just wanted to make sure that I will be below 150 after the TT happens. I think only being 4.5 pounds above that I will. So I am upping the calories by 300 a day in hopes that it will stop the weight loss. In fact I may have to increase them even more as I have to increase training. At this point I burn 100 calories per mile...so my Thursday workouts when I hit 11 miles this week...I will be at 1100 calories burned. Within 3 weeks I will have 2 workouts a week that burn more than 1000 calories. There is no way I could stay at 1500 calories and maintain. Here is the hard part however, I have to keep in mind that I am going to have to drastically reduce my calories again when I have surgery because I will not be doing this kind of exercise. So I want to make sure that I don't set myself up to start gaining weight when I have to sit on my butt for 6 weeks! However once I am healed then it is training for a marathon, so whatever I do gain during surgery, I will be able to lose quickly. I was thinking of whether or not I was going to get a fill after surgery, but that is all going to depend on how quickly I can start training for the marathon. If I can get back to light training in less than 2 months I won't, because there is NO way you can eat the amount of calories that you need to and be filled. I would waste away to nothing. Thank you so much for your concern. It is nice to feel loved and worried about. I have promised everyone that if I get below 150 that I will increase the calories so that I can get back above it. No more being happy about losing weight. I really do need to stop, but I am not skin and bones...and I don't want to get there either.

I paid 384$ for the entire year. Just one lump sum. THe cool thing is they will suspend my membership while I am recovering from the TT...for free! I got a discount because I am a teacher...one of the rare things we get for doing that job! Mainly because it is across the street from the high school. For me location is a huge thing because otherwise I won't go. The canyon that I run in is between my house and school and I drive by it everyday. So if I don't go there is a little pang of guilt. Keeps me honest. Phyl- your smileys are dead on when it comes to Pacific NW weather! I love em! Keep your head up about your DD...Maybe she will come to her senses tomorrow! Appears that Janet did get to go to Laughlin. I am so happy for her cause she has had a rough week! Well I did 60 minutes on the eliptical this afternoon and now DH and I are going to play computer games for the rest of the evening! Will check back in between quests!

Don't pick a junk food item. Pick something that will not cause cravings...nuts, higher calorie cheese, butter to a meal. I didn't do a cheat day, but these are the things that I had to add to my life once I hit maintenance. You are totally right that if you add a handful of M&M's you will start binging. Most people will even if they won't admit it here. But substitute higher calorie ingredients into your meals to raise the calories one day. IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT YOU TRACK YOUR CALORIES! And yes that is meant to be yelled. According to my doctor, the band will only help you lose 25-30 pounds (assuming you start with a BMI over 40) if you change nothing but the portion sizes that the band will force you to eat. However, if you want to lose more...YOU HAVE TO EAT THE RIGHT FOODS. There are a bunch of different ways to eat most of the same foods that you love by substituting healthier alternatives. This is how I lost 95 pounds in 9 months. I no longer eat ground beef...instead I make my own ground chicken using a meat grinder. In fact I just bought 15 pounds of chicken tonight so that I could grind it and use it for the next couple of months. Substitute Beans for Pasta and rice. Eliminate oil...believe me you won't taste the difference. Even at maintenance I still use low fat cheese or FF cheese, because I can't taste the difference. THe next time you eat a meal, I want you to close your eyes and think about what you can taste. If you really can't taste it...eliminate it. I learned this from subway. I realized that the only thing I could taste on the sandwich was the veggies and the bread. So that is all I ever got (pre-band of course). If you need some help on reinventing your recipes, send me the recipe via PM and I will do my best to help you out. As for getting in Protein...I feel it is essential to get off the Protein drinks as soon as you are able to eat solid foods. Those things are filled with sugar, trigger cravings, and do not keep you full. If you need to supplement, try a Protein Bar. It helps with the sweet cravings plus I have found stays with you for longer. Making sure to get in LEAN Proteins (eggs, beans, chicken, tuna) I have RARELY been under 100 grams of protein. I hope some of this info helped. Good luck and don't give up...just keep trying new things.

The biggest loser workout video VOL 1 is fantastic. I used it a lot before I joined the gym. It has 4 different videos in 1, so you can switch them up!

I lost another pound! Down to 154.5. I am happy....DH not so much. SO I am averaging 1 pound per week now. Guess I need to up my calories. I just wanted to get to a weight where when they take off this belly skin that I would be guarateed to get below 150. I think I am getting there!

I am doing much better today! My behind is still a little sore, but that usually goes away when I workout, which I will do later this afternoon. Thnaks for the encouragement. Tomorrow I am attempting a 6mile run. That is when I will REALLY need encouragement. I am going to download a book on tape and see if that helps me zone out and focus on the book rather then on my breathing and my legs!

You are right, it is under edit options...I changed my original post. Thanks for the heads up.

Congrats on your upcoming TT. I too will be having a vertical incision TT. I have so much extra skin that she told me that was the ONLY way that I was going to have any sort of contouring. I know that I alot of people are nervous about a vertical scar...but like you I never plan on wearing a bikini. It is good to hear about someone else having the same type of surgery. I hear they are much rarer than the single incision. Good luck.

I had this happen yesterday too. This is what I did and they just started working again. 1. Go to Edit Options 2. Scroll down to Default Thread Subscription Mode 3. Use the drop down menu and reselect the Instant Email Notification (it will most likely say it there already, but I selected a different one, and then immediately reselected the Instant Email Notification) 4. Click save settings at the bottom. Within a matter of just a few minutes it started sending me emails again! Hope this helps!

Pizzi - Welcome back...We missed you. Glad to see you are settling in...while moving around!

That is how I started. I too love running now. I don't love training but the races make it all worth it. The feeling is INCREDIBLE! I didn't work out today as I have found that I MUST have a rest day after doing that amount. MY BUTT IS KILLING ME! You would think it would be my feet, my knees, my legs...nope...my butt! Buns of steel here I come! WIll check in tomorrow after my 1 hour cardio workout!

HOLY CRAP I'M SORE! My butt is killing me!!! Though I have to say...everytime I moved and it hurt, I kind of got a little smile on my face because I know that pain meant that I had accomplished something big last night. I was supposed to do a 1 hour cardio workout today, but that is just not going to happen the day after my long walk/run. So I moved it to tomorrow. I was in meetings all day today so this is the first time I have been on since this morning. Janet- I hope you are not reading this and are on your way to Laughlin! Love ya!

Kat - I am sooo excited for you...but jealous. I still have almost 2 months before mine! I can't imagine a flat tummy! Good luck.

HOLY CRAP! You look FANTASTIC! Your face has TOTALLY changed shape! I know you worried about your cheeks, but they look perfect now!

Steph- My foot is feeling great. It is a little tender tonight...though there really isn't anything below the waist that isn't a little tender tonight! The shoes were SOOOOOO worth the money. There is no way I would have made it without the shoes. Seriously the worst part of the entire thing was how long it took. I MIGHT have been able to run the full 10 miles and there were times when I was tempted to run because the miles would have gone by faster and I would have been done sooner. I am going to attempt to listen to an audio book next time so that I can concentrate on something other than the slow time! Okay...falling over asleep. Got to go to bed!

Awww shucks... I don't think I have ever been called a hero before. Being able to motivate, encourage and be a role model for others has always been important to me. I guess that is why I became a teacher. But now to be able to do it with something that I have struggled with, makes ALL the pain seem worth it. Well I need to go ice the legs! I will be wearing my pretty hat while I am doing it!:tt2:

Thank you! The half-marathon is June 29! That is just fine if you forget. I forget things ALL THE TIME! If my head wasn't attached I would most certainly leave it somewhere! My students would agree.

Sorry Frangi...no nagging...and no nasty emails from everyone else. I did my 10 miles. I ran 4, walked 5 and ran the last one...Yes that is right you don't need contacts...I ran the last mile. My legs hurt like HELL. But I feel on top of the world. I am convinced that while this half-marathon will not be EASY, it is most certainly doable. The worst part of the entire thing was how long it took. (2 hours 9 minutes). The best part of the entire thing was that according to the machines I burned over 1000 calories. I had to start the treadmill 3 times!

Put 'em down....Nice and easy...THere you go... No need to bring out the big guns. I did my 10 miles. I ran 4, walked 5 and ran the last one...Yes that is right you don't need contacts...I ran the last mile. My legs hurt like HELL. But I feel on top of the world. I am convinced that while this half-marathon will not be EASY, it is most certainly doable. The worst part of the entire thing was how long it took. (2 hours 9 minutes). The best part of the entire thing was that according to the machines I burned over 1000 calories. I had to start the treadmill 3 times! Janet....are you still soaring! HOpe you can come back to earth and check in with us at some point! But heck if you don't get back down to earth tonight, we all understand!

The first question out of my PS mouth was "Do you plan on having kids?" Since I am only 28 she was concerned that I wanted kids, but since I don't she was willing to do the surgery. She does NOT recommend having children after the TT as it can stretch the skin and muscles again. I don't know what the philosophies are from other PS's but I do remember reading about one of the former contestants on Biggest Loser who had a son after a LBL and she said it was very painful.