Hello fellow sleevers,

just thought I would start a thread for all those who want to get to goal in 2012, regardless of where we are in the process.

I posted it the 'Slow Loser' thread, because that is what I am!! (I am not complaining by the way, just pleased to be a loser...lol)

For me to get there, I know that at 18mths out I need to be strict, accountable and have support from those in the same 'place', who understand that the sleeve isn't a miracle but a tool.

I have done well so far, but the weight hasn't 'melted' off me and since 6mths post op I have had to fight for each and every pound. At first it made me a little bitter, frustrated and I started to get into a 'dark place' about it, now the scale victory tastes sooooo sweet!

I have taken the month of December 'off'... I needed to rest from the constant worry of food, cals, water, carbs and protein... my head was spinning and I was starting to feel very frustrated and overwhelmed at not being at goal again. I needed time out!

I have thoroughly enjoyed the Christmas period and I have eaten what I wanted and when I wanted it; this includes ALL foods, no food was off limit and I let my sleeve do its job! The quantity was low but I still enjoyed every mouthful. Interestingly, I found that my cravings were satisified very quickly... 1 or 2 biscuits/sweets, and so on, hit the spot, instead of 5,6,7,... you get the picture. Subconscious damage limitation? I don't know but I like it!

I have learnt a lot by doing this. I now know that I can eat a little more if I 'try'... I know that I can enjoy food again without feeling guilty and I know that food doesn't have to be the enemy. So, with all that, what was the outcome? Yep, I have gained 2lbs above my personal bounce! Oops!

I am not, in the slightest, worried about this because I KNOW what is the cause... sugar and salt! And this time, I am sure it will come off as quick as it went on!

So, what is the plan?

Per my surgeon's instructions: I am going back to basics... yep that ole one...lol

• 3 meals a day - no snacking.
  
• Weighing my meals between 6-8oz depending on what is on the plate.
  
• Protein first, followed by veggies.
  
• Plenty of water.
  
• A limit of 1000 cals a day.
  
• Continue with my exercise - boxing twice a week, gym in work 1-2 times a week (depending on work load) and walking my dog (just over a 2 mile circuit). The exercise is the only thing that I have stuck to in December... I actually enjoy it now!!
  

As a side note, and I ain't sure if my American friends can get this, but here in the Uk, on SKY there are a few fitness channels. I have recorded some aerobic workouts that are really good... they're free and can be done at home... this is saving me some money on classes and DVDs and if I don't like the workout I can delete and look for another!! Bonus!!

Ok, who is ready to join me on the final stretch to goal... hope on board and enjoy the ride my friends...

Hurrah Coops! Every pound gone deserves to be celebrated!

I have been MIA lately so here is the update -

Moved out of my house/last day of my job was the 31st, then BF took me out to the middle of nowhere (Kansas) to his parent's farm where I just decompressed for a week, Olympics on the giant flatscreen, baking a pie with fresh peaches, visiting his family. Now I am in his/my apartment, in a state of constant rearranging cleaning and packing. BF leaves for Germany on Sunday, when he leaves we will be break up. I want to break up, this is a good thing - we had a lovely sweet season together but that is all it was ever going to be, neither of us is right for the other at this time in our lives - but that doesn't make it any less difficult.

So, I am back to going to the gym, yoga and pilates. Since I was out of it for so long I am not jumping right back in to Crossfit, I will do a few weeks of running and yoga first.

Looking for a job, trying to pay attention to the silent carbs that have been sneaking into my food choices ...

Coops, I'm so happy for you--so many great NSV's! And a lovely vacation coming up, too. :-) ENJOY!!

GT, sounds like you've got a good plan coming up, even though you're going to have some rough spots. I'm glad you had time to decompress and chill--that is SO important for all of us to remember to do!!

Welcome Momoslim!

We have one more week until I have to go back to school for meetings, and two weeks before students return. My husband is going to be a full-time student this fall--turns out my university will give a tuition waiver for dependents and/or spouses who want a college degree, so we're taking advantage of it! We're really excited--he's always wanted to be a teacher but has spent most of his adult life as a computer tech. Now he's going to get to do what he's been secretly longing to do--and I'm really thrilled for him. He'll be in my building (he's a band geek and will be doing a music ed degree) so I'll get to see him a lot during the day.

And I'm holding steady at 180--still have 175 as my "goal," and still doing what I usually do and waiting for the tiny drop down. :-)

Hey... how is everyone?

How are things with you all over that pond???? Gotta say, I missed this when I was away!!

But I'm back now!

We had an amazing time in Crete ... it was very hot and sunny, something that I am just not used to here in Blighty! So needless to say, we took advantage and spent a lot of time around the pools and on the beach! We went to a Water park and the kids and Steve has the best time... they absolutely loved every minute.

The hotel itself was awesome and somewhere I would defo go back to... the only problem is that the room was too small for the four of us, it was basically a double and they squashed 4 into it! But for the amount of time that we actually spent in there, it didn't spoil our time.

The food was good too... good quality, good choice and plenty of it! Thank God for my sleeve...

I did pretty well to be honest, I had a few moments of panic; no scales and eating empty calories scared me a little. But I had a good chat to myself and put things into perspective! I kept to three meals a day, and didn't snack inbetween... so if I wanted a mouthful of cake I had some... but it was little!

Anyway, the damage was 3lbs and already a pound of that has gone... it will all be gone soon...! Of that I am determined.

I start back to work on Monday... I can't believe that the school holidays have gone already... honestly, the last 6 weeks have flown by!

So, back to work and back to having the routine that working in school brings... I am also allowed to go to the gym now, so next week I will use the school's gym and start to build up my fitness and strenght. My aim is to get back to the boxing gym by half term, which is mid Oct.

So that is pretty much that...

let me know how you all are... I've missed you! =]

Hey, coops -- welcome back! Sounds like you had a great holiday. Only 3lb is verrrrryyyy good, and I'm sure it will be gone in no time.

I'm still doing the same as always. Sometimes being good, sometimes not so good; working out regularly but not killing myself in the gym or anything; having lots of wine from time to time. And still about 5lb from my original 'goal.' But not convinced I need to get 'there'...and maintenance seems to be going well so far...

Hey swizzly,

to be honest, looking at your stats, I would be doing the same thing! You've done a great job. I don't know about you... but I ain't afraid of maintenance at all! Are you try to get rid of that last 5lb, or just see what happens? My surgeon's goal for me is 150 and I'm just 5'2'!... =]

I am looking into a tummy tuck now though...after spending two weeks in a swimming costume, the reality of my tummy has really hit home! It has to go - I am sure I would lose a dress size from around the waist too! Also gonna look into boob job. Get some prices, work out recovery time etc and see where that takes me. my hubby is on board 100% now, so that is a relief!

Welcome back! Sounds like you had a blast!

Hey swizzly,

to be honest, looking at your stats, I would be doing the same thing! You've done a great job. I don't know about you... but I ain't afraid of maintenance at all! Are you try to get rid of that last 5lb, or just see what happens? My surgeon's goal for me is 150 and I'm just 5'2'!... =]

Well, I was never really dead set on any goal anyhow, and my surgeon and doctor never set one for me either, they're not into that. So I picked something fairly random that got me into the normal range...and I also weighed 140 last time I was thin at all. But I'm older now and it seems to not be coming off anymore, so I might just call this good and focus on my fitness and keeping things going. I also lost an inch in height during this process, so I'm 5'6 instead of 5'7, which made me think I should go lower. But meh. I'm not that bothered if I'm honest.

I'm just enjoying the ride and what each day brings.

Hey y'all! It's been a while, hmm?! Welcome home, Coops--sounds like a lovely vaca, and I hope you made some great memories!

I just turned the big 5-0 last Tuesday, the same day Hurricane Isaac blew through here. Yep. Yikes. My husband and I took a quick visit up to east Texas to my sister's house, where she had decorated a beautiful birthday table for me with "fun fabulous fifty" all over it in pink leopard print!! Sweetie that she is, she and my mom had made lemon cake AND bought my favorite sugar cookies--and I ATE THEM for 48 hours straight, it seems like. I didn't even blink. I just ate cake and Cookies for two days. So here I am. I haven't gotten on the scale in probably five days, and I know when I get on there tomorrow it is NOT going to be pretty. Ah, well, as my mom (the South African/English-schooled lady) says, "Back to oatmeal and old clothes," which I always took to mean, "Back to the usual way of doing things." Tomorrow I'm heading to the grocery for veggies and fruit, since our fridge is empty post-hurricane--believe me, when we hear one is coming, everyone around here tries to cook and eat all refrigerated food, since the power WILL be going out.

Anyway, we have power and air conditioning, no flooding, and blessings seemingly raining on our heads here, so I am NOT going to sweat it if I've added a couple of pounds over the last week. I'm just going to work them off doing what I know to do, which is eat clean and live my usual busy life. Classes will resume on Tuesday (we've been out since last Monday afternoon because of the storm), and I will not be sitting around eating--rather the opposite!

So nice to hear from folks and keep up with what's going on. Cheers to everyone!!

.... she and my mom had made lemon cake AND bought my favorite sugar cookies--and I ATE THEM for 48 hours straight, it seems like. I didn't even blink. I just ate cake and cookies for two days. ........... "Back to oatmeal and old clothes,"

I hope you had a wonderful birthday! Sometimes the world conspires to set you up with lemon cake and sugar cookies! I'm glad you enjoyed flirting with cookies on your birthday, you are NOT married to them, it was just a fling... and I bet the scales will not be too shocking, you will get right back on track and be just fine. Love the oatmeal statement, very funny!

Maybe I should join you guys on this. I met my goal, but I'm thinking about setting a new goal of 140. I've started doing yoga which I'm really digging. My husband starts his pre-op diet tomorrow and I'm thinking about going back to the very beginning and moving through the eating phases with him once he's had his surgery. :shrug:

Excellent idea!!!!

BTW, I came late to this party, but I'm in!

Hey y'all: I was super worried about the scale after the cake/cookie fest last weekend, and yep, it was sort of shocking. I had been at 177 at my lowest, and when I stepped on (granted, at the end of a day, but still) and saw 184, I just about cried. But I knew I had been eating sugar, sugar, sugar, and I also knew that I tend to hold water when I do that. Sure enough, every day for a while, I've been dropping a pound as I get back into clean eating habits and out of the sugar fest. Now back to 179 and pretty sure that will go lower, as well, over the next couple of weeks. It wasn't even that hard to ditch the sugar cravings, although I was GRUMPY for a few days. I think I was sort of feeling down about the whole "yikes, getting older" thing. I talked with my husband about it and told him I was feeling kind of old. With his usual good humor, he fired back, "You may be old, but you're a hot old broad!" How can any woman be grumpy around that?!

Meg, good work kicking that sugar habit and getting back into the 170's!

I just hate new numbers (going up that is)

I am really tired of the way my scale bounces up and then down. I never know what my weight is. I work hard at not eating sugars but do occasionally. And I don't like myself when I do things like that. My problem is, I can't get past 146 lbs. Then the next day I'm back up to 168 lbs. Seldom do I go back down to 146 lbs.

Meg: you have done a great job bouncing the excess lbs off. CONGRATS! Such a great feeling.

Feedyoureye: You have done fantastic, I like how you get back on track when you need too! CONGRATS! It's just being aware of where we are and what we need to do to get back on track.

Coops: Miss you I know that you will get your weight off really soon.

everyone of us are awesome!

Doesn't sugar have a weird effect on us... I think my holiday gain was sugar, cos I didn't go mad with food... I CAN'T!! But I did drink a lot of sugary drinks!

I've lost my holiday weight, but can't get under 164/163! Dorries, I also hate the way the scale bounces around and I have to be honest with you guys... I am having a 'Oh sh*t to it' time at the moment. I am getting fed up of the same numbers, the same food and not feeling that I am making progress. My surgeon's goal is so close, I can almost feel it!

I know I need to get back to the gym but to be honest, I've sorta lost my mojo and my energy! *sighs*

Oh yes, Coops, sugar DOES have weird effect on us! But carbs do for me more than anything. I am between 164-170 all the time. Got all the way to My Goal 150 (surgeon never really gave me one but indicated 155-160) and I lost steadily all the way to150. Really never had a true stall. As soon as I hit goal, I started relaxing and gained a little over the next year to where I am now. At 2+years I can definitely eat much more but what I if d alarming is the fact that I truly have had to realize in the last few weeks is that MY HEAD hasn't changed much! Lol. As any addict, if I let myself I would devour Snacks all day long and they will slide right on down as fast as I eat them. Trouble! I carry my weight from the waist up and as soonas any pounds go back on it goes right to the middle!

Sooo. Tried low carb for a few weeks which I can do because I love meat but noooo energy so I stated just eating healthier and watching calories 1200 recommended to lose 2lbs week. It is amazing how differently I look at myself even after a few days when I KNOW I am eating right etc. I LOOK slimmer to myself, I have more energy and better frame of mind overall. Isn't it funny how our psyche plays tricks with our minds!?

AND I am loving myfitnesspak app since I a, logging every bite now. I truly never had to in losing stage because it seemingly fell off me without much effort. Lucky me! But now jam realizing that MY NEW NORMAL will always have to be very mindful of what and how much I put into my mouth. My body likes where it is and I suppose I could be happy here if I didn't KNOW how I felt and LOVED being at 150.

It is encouraging, MeginNOLA, to know that when we correct ourselves quickly, our bodies happily respond to!

I really love talking to is gang of VSGbies! Have a great wknd!