KristenVSG2014

Happy Surgiversary!! Slow and steady wins the race. As long as we are losing or maintaining we are winning ????????

Happy Surgiversary! I remember reading your posts a year ago when I was preparing for surgery. I'm only a few weeks behind. Keep it up! I can't wait to see your progress next year!

Yes! Unfortunately I live in a very small rural town and there aren't any pools available to me. Anytime I go on vacation I always have my bathing suit though because I love to swim.

One more sort of side shot:

240ish (not even close to my heaviest) vs 166 (pic from Monday)

Aw, thanks, @@Dub! I've seen a lot of your comments on the boards and I can tell you've got what it takes to be successful! Thank you for reading my post. :-)

No, I didn't quite mention an exercise plan. I have a condition where certain joints are very hypermobile and at times it causes extreme pain. Whether my joint slips out of place or I overextend the joint, my muscles become very sore. I have good days/weeks and then bad ones. I've learned certain actions that cause my joints to slip so I try to avoid them. That's scrubbing my tub, washing my dogs in the tub, pushing a full grocery cart and washing dishes for more than a few minutes. My joints most effected are sacroiliac (SI), entire spine from cervical to lumbar, knees, ankles, and wrists. When a joint is out of place the muscles and nerves surrounding it become very angry. They spasm, get very stiff and sore, and sometimes develop painful pressure/trigger points. As you can guess it is very difficult to maintain a structured exercise plan. I work closely with my chiropractor who tells me I'm not allowed any high impact exercise, only walking to avoid jarring my joints. I used to do Zumba one or two times a week and work through the pain but it got to the point I couldn't function anymore. I also have to be careful about stretching because it's so easy to overstretch muscles. You know how you get DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) after a difficult workout? I get it after pretty much any activity beyond a normal day and it lasts almost a week. But, I'm a very stubborn person and I constantly do things I'm not supposed to. Last week I was cleaning my house and decided to haul two 50 pound bags to Goodwill by myself. So I carried them to the car then threw them up on the platform. I felt like an Amazon woman. I've been sleeping on a heating pad for a week now because the back pain has been horrible. It hurts to be in any position. A few months ago I did a 5K and really wanted to do it in under 45 minutes so I ran some of it and at one point I overextended my stride too much and my SI slipped out. I was stubborn and waited too long to have it put back and it ended up taking three visits to put it back where it belongs. So the short answer is I try to walk the track at the high school when I can. Sometimes I get bored and I run. Most of the time I'm just trying to get through a normal day (full-time job with a standup desk).

I'm not a bypass patient but eating yucca would be like eating mashed potatoes. They are pretty starchy with little to no Protein. What do your post-op instructions say about potatoes?

I did the pre-op diet for four weeks then I had to do clear liquids only for three days before surgery. By the day of surgery I was begging them to cut my stomach out so the hunger would stop. It will all be worth it. Just hang in there! Drink lots of broth. That helped me.

My hair started coming back before I was done losing. My new hairs are a few inches now!

Glad I found this older thread. This happens to me a few times a week. I can't seem to find any cause. The only consistency is it is usually lunch and maybe I've waited a little too long to eat. After I eat all I can think about (and sometimes I give in) is taking a nap. I almost feel drugged or buzzed. That overwhelming sleepiness that you can't fight. I wonder what causes this? I'll ask my doctor next month!

"I worked closely with my doctor." Then change the subject.

No, I'm one of the lucky girls who gets cramps on the side I'm ovulating from then cervical mucous for a few days. Kinda cool but mostly gross. I'm just glad I haven't had those horrible periods I used to have before my IUD. I went through so many pairs of sheets and underwear despite super pads and tampons and sleeping on a towel. I would go months without a period then my uterus would open the floodgates. My gyno got worried because one test came back saying my lining was irregular so she ordered a biopsy of my uterus. Most painful thing I've ever had done. Thankfully it was negative but she suggested Mirena because I was so drained from the massive blood loss each period and she said this would prevent the blood from building up in the first place. Best thing ever! I haven't used a pad or tampon in years. At most I might need a panty liner for a day or two.

Midol and heating pads.

Such a timely thread. I'm 6 pounds away from maintenance and I feel a bit overwhelmed by it. I've read all of these responses and appreciate the words of wisdom.

I also have PCOS. I didn't have any periods before surgery (I also have Mirena IUD) but I had one right after surgery and I've ovulated every month since. Sometimes I ovulate twice a month. If I wanted to have a baby it wouldn't take long once I took the IUD out.

I went from a 9.5-10 to an 8-8.5. I had to get all new shoes. I still haven't purchased any boots. I didn't make the connection between my previous foot pain and weight either. Hmmm. Interesting!

Thanks for reading! I just re-read over all the posts from the last year. It seems like so long ago. I can't wait to see what I accomplish in the second year post-op. ????????

I've had two people tell me in the past week it's time for me to stop losing weight... Nah. I'm going to hit my goal. Thanks for the opinion though!

Take a look at my thread Kristen's Journey. I'm almost a year post-op but I update there at least monthly. I just posted a before and after of my neck. Amazing results! http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/320791-Kristen%27s-Journey-From-Pre-Op-and-Beyond

Sorry, this thread is from last November's sleevers. We are almost veterans now ????

Yeah, that's still pretty early. I didn't really start eating those until 3 months out.

I'm so late with my update. On October 1 I weighed in at 167.6. I lost 1.4 pounds in a month. My measurements stayed exactly the same. This was my lowest amount ever lost but 1) I still lost weight, 2) I'm super close to goal, 3) my skin tightened a LOT over the last month. I've noticed a trend in the way my body loses weight. I have weeks where the scale reflects large losses but my skin looks very wrinkly then I'll hit a 3-4 week stall but my skin tightens up during this time. I'm very happy with the progress my saggy thighs are making! I can't wait to post my one year pictures next month!!! Here's an awesome before and after of my skin from over a year ago when my PCOS was out of control vs now.

Those drinks actually caused the "skin" of my mouth and throat to slough off. It was so funky. I drank them for three days then had to move on to something else.

How far out are you? I allow myself one taco with a corn tortilla about once a week. It keeps me sane. ????