Madmax68

@@Inner Surfer Girl I totally agree. I've been swimming for the past year and credit it for keeping me healthy and toned as i have back and hip issues. @@gowalking I have something called a Finis Duo - absolutely love it. it conducts sound through the bones in your head. I actually went through two others (UWaterG5X) before finding this one. Both of them fell apart after four months. I can't swim for long without it - i get bored. With it, I can go for 60-90 minutes no problem. The sound is fantastic.

@@Inner Surfer Girl I totally agree. I've been swimming for the past year and credit it for keeping me healthy and toned as i have back and hip issues. @@gowalking I have something called a Finis Duo - absolutely love it. it conducts sound through the bones in your head. I actually went through two others (UWaterG5X) before finding this one. Both of them fell apart after four months. I can't swim for long without it - i get bored. With it, I can go for 60-90 minutes no problem. The sound is fantastic.

Starting weight 173 - goal weight 165

Thanks for doing this again, I find these challenges very helpful I'll post my weight and goal on the 22nd.

Met my goal - yay! 174.8 Thanks so much for doing this

@becca1281 I have a new favourite Protein shake. I mix one danactive yogurt drink, a scoop of vanilla Protein Powder and three quarters of a cup of fresh orange juice together with ice and blend it - it tastes like a creamsicle. So yummy! Not sure why the site is putting links to my protein mentions (I'm not recommending any single brand of protein)

I swim five hours a week and was advised by the nutritionist to add complex carbs (sweet potatoes, squash, lentils, beans, peas etc) and make sure I was getting 1200 calories per day to support my activity level.

I have anxiety issues and am grateful to be able to see a therapist twice monthly. I've learned lots of techniques for dealing with my anxiety and panic attacks. My go to is called "square breathing" I breathe in for the count of four, hold it for four, breathe out for a count of four and hold it for a count of four. I do this several times, as slowly as possible and it really helps me feel better. Thinking positively to counteract the negative thoughts really helps too. I catch myself thinking something negative, then reframe it to a positive thought. If at all possible, I highly recommend finding a good cognitive behavioural psychologist. Rather than just talking about feelings, they actually give you tips on how to cope

175.2

@@Inner Surfer Girl Thanks for the update, I've been wondering how you like it. I've seen them on amazon and am still contemplating getting one myself

A tracking tool like MFP, twice-monthly visits to a therapist and regular exercise at the local pool have kept me on point. I noticed when I stop tracking or swimming my losses slow down or stall. My therapist has helped me deal with my emotions in healthy ways rather than comforting myself with food. It all seems to be working

176 this week

I lost 41 pounds pre-op and another 95 in the last 10 months since surgery. I am working to lose another 30-40 pounds

I logged up until month seven (the nurse in my Bariatric program told me I could quit logging in month six). I found my weight loss slowed dramatically so started up again in month nine and am losing steadily again I use MyFitnessPal as it was recommended during pre-op and found it helpful then too. I realized there were some foods that should be eliminated right away. It was great as I managed to lose 41 pounds prior to surgery.

177

At 6 months my nutritionist recommended 1200 calories per day. My weight loss had slowed and she told me I wasn't eating enough to support my workouts (I swim an hour three to five times per week and have now started lifting weights) and my body was in starvation mode. I'm at 10 months and have lost 135 lbs to date (94 lbs post-op).

180 this week - sorry for the late reply - the battery in my scale died

182.4

@@instantpuddin do you use it for tracking swimming laps? and how well does it function as a watch?

@@megpie22, you really should discuss all the options with your surgeon. I opted for the sleeve because I have longtime anemia problems and was worried about absorption of my psychiatric meds. I originally was looking into the bypass because there is more long-term info available and patients tend to lose slightly more weight.

Hi there! I was in exactly the same position as you. I had very good reasons for opting for the sleeve, but received a call from the surgeon a week before surgery. Although I had no problems with acid reflux, she saw a small hernia in the pre-op swallow test. She strongly urged me to opt for the bypass, stating she would likely have to do a revision a year or so down the road because of GERD. I ultimately went with the sleeve and hernia repair. I've had no reflux/GERD, zero complications and have lost 127 lbs in 10 months, surpassing the surgeon's prediction by 13.6 pounds so far. I'm not saying this is typical, but it is my personal experience. I wish you well!

@@Inner Surfer Girl Thanks for the post! I am also a swimmer and have been looking for a fitbit-type product to track laps. This is perfect!

I'm in - thanks so much for doing this! My starting weight is 186.4 and my goal is 175. Thanks again!

I really like MyFitnessPal. I find I meet my Water and Protein goals much better when I am tracking. It was recommended by my surgeon's office and before surgery it really helped me realize where my extra calories were coming from. Since surgery, it has really helped me meet my nutrition goals. I wanted a Fitbit, but like Inner Surfer Girl I do most of my exercising in the water. I understand the fitbit is not yet compatible with water sports. Please let me know if I am wrong