BlackBerryJuice

I agree with the above - weights first. Now, if you were training for a race, then I'd say do your cardio first, while you have 100% of your energy, but just for day-to-day workouts, it's best to start with weights - after a little warm-up, of course. Also, I find that as you progress and your cardio becomes more challenging and your weights become heavier, it's best to just have weights-only days and cardio-only days. On my weights days, I'll run on the treadmill or do the elliptical for 10-20 mins, then hit the weights. On cardio days, I'll go for a cross-country run that lasts about 30-40 minutes - it leaves me completely beat after. I'm just too exhausted to do both in one workout and still give it 100%.

I actually read an article about how lipo fails within a year just this morning and lo and behold, the link has already been posted on VST: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/17114-fat-liposuctioned-from-hips-returns-to-belly-within-12-months/page__pid__145171#entry145171 I don't know anyone who's had SmartLipo, but my mom's friend had regular lipo on her lower abdomen and she regained all that weight - but it didn't go back to her lower belly and instead concentrated right above her bellybutton. She had a bit of a belly before, but now she just looks ridiculous with this weird spare tire hovering above her bellybutton and then a completely flat lower abdominal area. She definitely regrets getting the lipo. I've oscillated on the subject of lipo for a while - I'm also pear-shaped and while I'm finally at a point where my thighs don't chafe if I wear a skirt, I still have some flab there. But after seeing that article, I think I'll pass.

I wore a bikini at 175 lbs when I was at a lake with a bunch of new classmates I had just met and I felt pretty confident. It's really not something that is determined by your size and weight. Some people are super-fit but somehow just lack the confidence to rock a 2-piece (or a one-piece without a cover-up even!), whereas others might be quite overweight but not care too much. My mother is obese, probably at a BMI of 36 or so, and she wears 2-pieces - she actually looks better in them than in a one-piece. Sometimes when people go out of their way too much to "hide" their body issues, it just attracts attention to it. Just don't wear something with tiny strings that will cause rolls of fat and skin to spill over, and you'll be fine!!! Pick a slightly more "modest" style with good chest support and moderate-rise bottoms and it will look fine. http://forum.purseblog.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=1179047&stc=1&d=1281710164 http://www.flowerdazeskatewear.com/Sewing/Ruffle%20Bikini/Ruffle%20bikini%20front.jpg

It seems most people here who are close to a year out are at a normal BMI range. Of course, not everyone will get there, for a variety of reasons - 1) low metabolism - could be because of older age, not exercising, physiological reasons, medical problems 2) not using the sleeve to the best of its ability (eating too much junk/too much, period) 3) excess skin - if you used to be very big, you could easily end up with an extra 20+ lbs of skin, which would push you over into the overweight/obese category even if you don't have that much fat on you. Etc etc.

So jealous! I have a bum knee that really acts up when I bike, so I can't do it.

I'd also like to recommend "Overcoming binge eating," but that's most fitting for those that have not yet been sleeved, as it features relatively high-calorie meal plans. But even if you don't do the diet and log, it's still an interesting read.

I'm getting laser hair removal on my armpits and hooha right now. I'm a dark blonde with pale skin and the hair in those areas is quite dark - not quite black, but definitely dark brown, so I should be one of those people for whom lasers would work very well. On my pits, I'm getting a laser with concurrent vacuum action, not sure what the point of that is - but it's also quite painful (like rubberbands snapping against your skin as others have said). I've had 2 sessions to date and have lost about 1/2 of my armpit hair. However, I feel like almost all - if not all - of the hair loss was after the first session and I'm not sure if there's been any decrease since the 2nd session. My coupon was for 3 sessions, and the last one's coming up this week, so I'll see how it goes, but it definitely won't be enough to remove ALL my armpit hair. I don't mind given that I only paid $100 for these 3 sessions, but if I had paid full price, I would've been pissed. On my special place, I'm getting a regular laser (no vacuum). It's painless BUT I'm unimpressed with the results so far. I've lost maybe 1/4 of the hair after 2 sessions. Again, I only have 1 session left. Definitely wouldn't bother with that laser again. I've had friends get laser hair removal and also end up quite unimpressed. One of my friends is a light-skinned South Asian and she got laser hair removal on her forearms and was very disappointed. Bottom line: don't get your hopes up and try to find a discount (through Groupon or LivingSocial is best, that's where I got my coupons).

You can try, but I'm gonna bet $1000 that you are NOT going to be able to do 2 weeks of liquids and then a month of 800 calories/day pre-op. If you could handle it - sure, you'd probably lose the same amount of weight as someone post-op (although I was closer to 300-600 calories the first month post-op), but realistically, the hunger will drive you nuts and you'll binge. The difference is that post-op, you'll have hardly any hunger and get full on these 800 calories.

Bfast: 1) pre-workout - Zone bar 2) post-workout Myoplex Lite shake Lunch: 1 cup Bolthouse strawberry/banana smoothie, homemade cornbread, homemade chili with xtra lean ground beef Snack: coffee with cream, banana Dinner: 2 Vietnamese salad rolls with peanut sauce Gonna have something else, too - currently the plan is either a Dairy Queen soft serve cone with a friend or dinner out (veal canneloni) with my boyfriend Workout: 1-hr bootcamp

I'd say the absolute best protein powder out there is Whey Gourmet by PVL. Chocolate peanut butter is my favorite flavor, but I also have chocolate and strawberry/banana flavors at home. It's probably one of the most expensive brands out there, but it's a cut above everything I've tried. Give it a shot. Also, drink it with milk (cow's or soy, almond, etc) - even the best protein powder tastes like cat butt with water. You can always try it with water later, but start with milk first.

I don't see any reason why you need to be on a clear liquid diet BEFORE your surgery. I'd go ahead and have whatever shakes you like.

The sleeve surgery was the only surgery I've ever had and it was SO much easier than I expected. My greatgrandmother had a gastrectomy for cancer about 20 years ago, and it was an open surgery back then. She could barely get out of bed for a month, it was a brutal recovery. But I was able to walk down the hallway and back two hours after waking up from anesthesia. I did have SOME pain, of course - the first night I had trouble sleeping because of it, so I requested some pain meds, but that's about it, it wasn't so painful that I was breaking into a sweat or anything like that. On my 2nd night, I slept just fine with the normal amount of meds. The only time I really had any pain during the day was when I moved, esp. sat up, but I would compare that pain to the soreness you have after a really hard ab workout. It's uncomfortable to move, but it doesn't really prevent you from doing anything, it's just a nuisance.

You're on vacation, treat yourself! As long as you get right back to your normal ways of eating and exercising when you return, it's all good. I went to Hawaii in February and we ate chocolate peanut butter ice cream from Haagen Dazs every day. I also ate a ton of chocolate-covered macadamia nuts and fancy truffles (put away 2 boxes in one week), and we had booze every day, too - and I only like sweet drinks which are usually loaded with calories. Oh, and I went through half a dozen cans of Vanilla Coke, too - we don't have it here and I couldn't find a diet version, so I just had the regular kind. So altogether, I probably ate double my normal amount of calories. BUT we made a point of walking everywhere possible, at least 5 miles a day - and one day we walked 14 miles! When I got back, I was 2 lbs heavier the next day; the day after, I was already down 1 pound; and within a week of returning, I was back to my pre-vacation weight. I just stopped eating all the junk and the weight came off immediately. Moral of the story: 1) if you are going to eat a ton of crap, make a point to be very active 2) get right back into it and you'll drop the pounds in a few days!

Bfast: Zone bar, coffee with cream Snack: 10-grain pancake with yogurt, dragonfruit Lunch: leftover mac and cheese from yesterday, coffee with cream Snack: banana, Toblerone triangle Dinner: homemade chili with xtra lean ground beef, homemade corn bread Snack: cucumber, about 1/4 cup Haagen Dazs green tea/honey ice cream Workout: no gym but walked 5+ miles

I know Myoplex sells both jars and packets of protein powder, I would presume that it's the same kind that they use to prepare their RTD shakes. Maybe stop by your area GNC or get a few samples online?

Ate a lot and worked out a lot today! Bfast: 10-grain pancake with fruit yogurt, coffee with cream Pre-workout: Zone bar Post-workout: Protein shake with milk Lunch: 2 homemade salad rolls, blackberries, coffee with cream Snack: small Dairy Queen chocolate-dipped cone A handful of Reese's Pieces Cereal Dinner: mac and cheese and a mojito Workout: 5K cross-country run in the morning 8K walk in the evening

Beat it by 1 lb! BlackBerryJuice............208..............139............140...........-1

It's amazing how the same height/weight combo spans from very lean and lanky to noticeably overweight on different people.

Yay!

Oh, you'll be hearing it regardless! My boyfriend starting singing to the "you're too skinny, don't lose any more!" tune around 165 lbs - just a few pounds under the "obese" range for me. My mother said I look amazing and shouldn't lose another pound when she first saw me post-surgery at 150 (just when I hit the overweight/normal weight cut-off). I sent her my photos at 140 and she once again said I look great and shouldn't lose any more. I'm sure if I lost 5 lbs more, she'd say the exact same thing! I think when you have a lot of extra weight on you, you don't really realize the sheer amount of fat you are carrying, and other people have a hard time picturing you at an average size. I couldn't really imagine going below 150, either, but now I can see that I could theoretically even get to 130 and not look bony, although I don't necessarily want to go down that low.

Same as when I'd lose weight before the surgery - from the top down.

Don't you wonder when you hear your doctor say ALL your problems will resolve when you lose weight? Most will, but I do feel that sometimes they are too quick to assume ALL your medical issues are due to weight. E.g. I expected my knee pain/tightness to go away after losing weight, but while it's a little bit better, it's definitely still there! That statement about carpal tunnel going away with weightloss seemed a bit fishy to me....I guess I could see how it might work, but it just seems unlikely. I do recall being taught that CP is more common in obese individuals. But here's what I found on Google:

I'm 8.5 months out and no problems yet *knock on wood.* I pretty much expected to have gallstones, too, as I had issues with gallbladder sludge in childhood. And just like Tarain suggested, I was NOT trying to eat low-fat after the surgery, and my calories weren't crazy-low, either. I was definitely closer to 1000 after 1 month, and 1200-1500 later on. So maybe it IS true that eating more fat will help prevent stones from forming. It certainly makes sense to me, as long as your gallbladder is regularly contracting to expel bile so you could absorb the fat from your diet, you are taking away one of the 3 crucial elements of stone formation - bile stagnation.

I agree with the above. And you could definitely weigh 135! I've got a big frame with a lot of muscle and I'm at 139 lbs right now - and I'm 3 inches taller than you.

I'm going to my boyfriend's grandparents', so they will be making the dinner. I suspect there'll be turkey, at least I hope so - I've never liked ham, and after a horrendous food poisoning with food bank ham a few years ago, I can't even look at it without feeling sick! I'm making chocolate truffles to bring, so definitely some of those, too! I'm 8+ months out and can eat everything, I'll probably just have about 1/3 of what other people will.