SleeveToBypass2023

Just finished my strength training for today, and thank goodness for pre-workout lol I never would have made it through otherwise. My body is so tired and so sore and just DONE. I'm off to have a long, hot shower and then some dinner. Definitely going to be an early night for me. So glad tomorrow is a rest day. Curious to see how tired and sore I'll be lol I'm proud of what I've been able to do. I didn't my body could do these things, and it's just a testament to the hard work I've put in that I can actually keep up with my cousin's program. Excited to see where I'll be in a month

So omg my body hates me today lol Absolutely everything hurts. But it's that good hurt, you know? Today is strength training, and then I get to have a rest day tomorrow. I'm doing 50 sit ups, 50 stomach crunches, 25 push ups, 25 calf raises, 35 front and side lunges without weights, 35 squats without weights, 50 step ups (stepping up and down a step or elevated surface), and 50 side leg raises. Let's see how it goes!!!

It's my cousin lol And I'm posting everything here that she said for me to do so anyone who wants to do it, can. I'm also drinking Propel electrolyte water, gatorade zero with protein, and I use Arbonne pre workout Arbonne muscle recovery. And long, hot showers after lol I'm used to working out a lot, but these are INTENSE!!!

Ok, my weight training today was INSANE. I only have 7 pound weights (I need to buy more) but I used them to their limits, believe me lol I did 50 squats with them, 50 lunges with them, 30 bicep curls, 30 hammer curls, 30 overhead presses, 30 goal post presses, 30 side curls, 30 side extensions, and 30 tricep kickbacks. My goal is to get to 100 squats, 100 lunges, and 50 reps of each arm exercise. I'm gonna get there!!! I don't have as much arm strength as I'd like (that's more because of my MS) but I'll get it. Might take a while, but I WILL get there. I know I'm going to be SO SO sore tomorrow, but I'm doing strength training (sit ups, stomach crunches, push ups, calf raises, front and side lunges without weights, squats without weights, and side leg raises) so I gotta keep pushing. I'll do a rest day on Thursday (was going to do it on Friday, but I think my body will need it before that) and then start all over again with cardio on Friday, weight training on Saturday, and strength training on Sunday. Here's hoping I can keep this up!!!

Congrats!!! I remember how excited I was when I got my approval. You're on your way now!!!

No, she's a professional trainer, and I asked her to help me come up with some new ways to strengthen and tone my body, burn fat and calories, and ward off the boredom of doing the same stuff over and over. I've never worked with a trainer before, and she's doing this for me for free. I'm very fortunate and grateful for her help.

Oh, I'm sore lol I woke up and body said "Bit%& you ain't doing ANYTHING today. Lay down" LMAO I'm going to be doing weight training today, but I'm going to go easier than she suggested since my body is NOT HAVING IT lol Tomorrow is strength training, then Thursday is cardio again, then I'm going to rest on Friday. I might rest on Saturday, too, depending on how I feel on Friday. We'll see.

I think my cousin is trying to kill me LOL She's a trainer, and she gave me some really good pointers for cardio, strength training, and weight training. Well, today was cardio day, and she said to go to speed 2.5 and incline 15 on the treadmill and sustain it for a solid 30-45 minutes. I thought "no problem, I can do that". OMG by the time I got to incline 12 I thought I was gonna die lol It took me 20 minutes to work my way up to incline 15. Once I got to it, I was able to sustain it for 40 minutes. I'm so proud that I was able to do it. I really didn't think I could, especially at the end. Now I'm exhausted and my body is screaming, so it's time to eat dinner (chicken drumsticks) and then take a long, hot shower.

Oh yeah, apples definitely are not my friend, either.

I just started yet another stall. Each one lasts longer than the last, and my last one was 4 weeks long. So I'm just settling in for the loooong miserable wait to get out of it. Last time I was in it, my nutritionist recommended adding weight training and switching up my calories (1200-1300 on working out days and 900-1000 on non working out days). I added weight training 2 days per week and eventually upped it to 3 days per week. I also reached out to my cousin (she's a professional trainer in AZ) and she gave me some tips for cardio to build up strength and switch up what I do. I ended up losing 13 pounds in 2 weeks doing that. Aaaaand...now my body is freaking out about the large amount of weight loss and I'm in a stall again.

I just took this today. OMG I actually have a waist!!! And hips!!! You can see hints of my figure. I can't believe it 103 pounds down, but not done yet!!!!

Well, I'm now almost 7 1/2 months out, and I'm still freezing all the time. Right now I have on leggings, socks, a long sleeve sweatshirt, and a blanket wrapped around me lol And I'm wearing slippers. I look ridiculous. But I can't help it!!! I'm COLD!!! I have the heat on (it's 18 degrees outside) but my hands and feet are frozen. Just absolute popsicles. It's so so weird to me lol

How are things going? Has anything changed/improved?

I'm almost 7 1/2 months post op, and I thought "Oh! Let me see how I do with some plain popcorn. It's ok to have that on my diet" so I got 1 cup (used a measuring cup) of popcorn and sat with the hubby to watch a movie (this was last night). I ate it slowly, 1 piece at a time. Waited until it was a designated snack time. And by the time I was done with it, my stomach HATED me. Omg.... I was so nauseous and ended up with diarrhea and had stomach pain. Today I'm still not feeling great so I've been taking it easy with what I eat and drink. It's trial and error to see what I can eat now and what I can't. And popcorn is definitely on the "can't" list. Edited to add: Bacon still tastes gross, pickles are still gross, sweets still hold no appeal for me at all, still can't tolerate carbonation well so no soda at all, can finally tolerate a small amount of Himalayan salt (and I do mean a SMALL amount), still don't like pork chops anymore, etc... All these things I loved pre surgery, and now...nope. Not gonna happen. I either don't like it, don't want it, or can't tolerate it. I thought it would have worn off by now, but so far it's still going strong. I do miss popcorn, tho

I learned the hard way to measure and weigh out my food until I learned to eyeball it lol After once or twice of having 1 bite too many, I learned to eat until I'm not hungry anymore, not until I'm stuffed. I've felt like "omg I'm officially dying now" and that's not fun at all. So I make sure what I eat is within my allotted limits, even though certain foods sit heavier (like red meat and pork chops) and I end up eating a little less than my portion. It can be trial and error, but you'll get there. We all have a bit of a learning curve in this.

Absolutely fantastic!!! This is so awesome. I love these stories because it's hard to not feel like I'll never hit my goal. I had it in my head that I "have" to hit it by my 1 year anniversary. But you're proof that even if it takes longer than a year, it can and will still happen. Congratulations!!!

This is definitely not a failure. I think you're doing great!!! If I may ask, what was your starting weight and bmi? Those that start off at a lower bmi tend to lose slower. Your non scale victories are amazing, and if you're happy, then it's a success, not a failure. Never compare yourself to anyone else. We are all on very different journeys, and no two people's will look the same.

I do a modified keto. My surgeon said to do 60-80g of protein everyday, less than 50g of fat, less than 50g of carbs, and little to no sugar. I do all of that except I chose to limit my carbs to 25 or less per day and I typically do 70-90g of fats (healthy, like avocado, not a lot of bacon and sausage and all that). I also severely limit my salt. I told my surgeon, and at first he wasn't too happy about it. But I've lost 103 pounds in almost 7 1/2 months, my cholesterol and bp are perfect, I'm no longer diabetic. So he said as long as I'm doing good and my numbers stay good, he's ok with it. I'm no longer on my bp pill, my 3 diabetic meds, or my Celebrex (really strong anti-inflammatory). I'm now able to work out 5-6 days per week and I have my full mobility back without my cane (I needed a cane at my heaviest weight).

I'm getting all the things lol My boobs are completely flat and deflated. I'm getting boobs, tummy tuck, and skin removal everywhere that needs it (maybe I'll just do a full body lift...not sure yet). I just know that once I hit my goal and maintain it for a bit, I want my body to be BANGIN!!!!! All this work to get healthy and lose weight, and now I'm gonna need to look the part lol

I've been working out at the gym in my apartment complex, but I need a trainer and more variety, so I'm looking at joining an actual gym. I've never worked with a trainer, so I'm nervous and excited about it. I want to build more muscle and tone up and strengthen my core.

I chose 200 pounds because even though it still has me at overweight, I felt an looked GREAT at that weight. And I haven't been 200 pounds in 26 years. My secret goal weight is 170, but if I don't make that, it's ok. 200 is really the one I'm the most concerned about.

Holy cow!!! That's so crazy. I'm sorry you're going through that. I can't even imagine. But at least you're seeing non scale victories. Those always help me get through stupid stalls.

Thanks lol The one I'm wearing now is a maroon color and says "I identify as skinny" LOL

Thank you so much!!!

Thank you so much, everybody!!