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...

Okay, I'm just catching up on all the new posts, lol. I have always been a snacker, my plan has been three meals and three snacks all along, and I doubt that will ever change. It's the only way I can get in all my calories for the day. I do have mostly high-protein snacks (Quest bars are my current passion, but I also eat cheese, yogurt or boiled eggs for snacks) and carbs are not really a major temptation issue for me. That said, I don't really have too many bad snacky items in my house, aside from a few things my husband likes, so I can't be that bad even when I want to LOL. Work doesn't have very good snacky food either, so not much temptation there. I feel very lucky in that!! The one thing I've noticed is that I eat more chocolate now than I did pre-op -- not more at one go or anything, but I have never been a chocolate fan really, and now I have to have my dark chocolate a few times a week. So I do have that as a naughty snack every day or so.

Hey SouthernSleever, it's time to dump the coke, and throw away those wonderful tasting cupcakes before they go on your hips or belly. I know I have to throw away the chips my hubby brought home and hasn't eaten as well as the other junk here today. It is too tempting otherwise. So I have started loving to throw away food now. If i even look at it, I gain weight. LOL. Ok let's do it everyone, let's get on track and follow the sleeve rules of protein, veggie, etc etc.

It is great to see all these posts... loving the updates.

Well done Southern sleever... sooo close now. If it is any help - which I doubt lol- but I would love to see 15? lol! You keep at it my lovely!

Diva and Co, the no snacking appeals to me... my plan since the New Year, as post op, is three meals a day. When I increased to 1200 cals I had to have a snack to make the cals up but it was 'good' cals; Protein based or nuts. So I ok with that. I think I am going to keep to the 1000 cals this week, see what happens and perhaps do one week 1000 one week 1200 to try and 'trick' my body a little? What do ya all reckon? I really hope that me watching the cals will have some benefit soon... I just feel that I need to see a reward of some kind; be in on the scale or in my clothes, I don't mind...lol

Also gonna get to the boxing gym twice this week too... and I am also considering trying the treadmill too... perhaps just for a short time to see how my leg/back holds out. With this pesky menopause nonsense, I am really aware that I need to build muscle and strength now, to help me in my later years! Oh and of course, this is the week where I promised myself that I would go back to the pool... I have penciled in Friday! Wish me luck.

I was going to add a recent photo on here, but I can't see how to att'ch one? I bought a pair of green skinny jeans and although they are a size UK16 they fit lovely... just didn't know if I should wear them in public....lol...Any advise?

Keep the updates coming in my sleeve friends! x

@coops... yes you should wear em!! You earned it lov!

Also, your routine sounds very similar to what I have planned for this 29 day February.

Refocusing on the Protein first rule, starting the first 5 days this month with my basics bootcamp. From there it's 100% sleever rules - and NOOOO carb snacks!! I will make my Snacks either nuts/seeds/peanut butter or dairy something or other. Yogurts/string cheese... etc...

My calories in will be 1200 max and my calories out will be 1,000 min. Whowww thats gonna be tough, especially for the first week, but once I shoot past that I should be G2G...

Lotsa luck y'all!

Oh. don't know if this makes a differnce to the sizing of things - perhaps I am being vein here - but the skinny jeans were from the teenage section...lol!

Yes it does! They make the legs very thin and hips are usually smaller too. FABULOUS YOU!!!! *snap*

Diva what is your exercise that burns 1000 cals? And Coops girl work those jeans!!!!

I burn most of my daily calories either with the elliptical (I work hard on it! I broke it the other day rollin too hard... LOL I need to buy a new piece so it will work right) and I also run/jog/walk - etc.

I will do my muscle toning which will now be my main focus with the kettlebells/medicine ball/Callanetics and burn the remaining 1k calories doing the stationary bike AND treadmill or elliptical.

I may throw in some cardio DVD's too if I get bored. I have a huge stack of em.

Oh. don't know if this makes a differnce to the sizing of things - perhaps I am being vein here - but the skinny jeans were from the teenage section...lol!

I'm wearing skinny jeans right now. Put on those skinny jeans girl! If now now, when!?

I just got a pair of size 12 Eddie Bauer jeans--they're "boyfriend" cut, so they're sort of relaxed, but they're size 12's!!!!! This is a BIG DEAL to me, the former size 26/28. I wore size 12 in high school.

On the down side, I know they're not a "true" size 12--I was in Old Navy today and tried on a pair of size 12's there, and they didn't even get up around my hips. I have a pair of "skinny" jeans, too, size 14, and they fit beautifully, but I'm really, really determined to get to those size 12's on a regular basis.

Exercise is not happening here other than work--my shortness of breath issue is kicking up something fierce. My next pulmonology appointment is in two weeks, and hopefully at that point we'll be able to schedule the cardiopulmonary exercise stress test to find out the reason behind the shortness of breath. So then we'll see what's possible from a cardio perspective.

Oh. don't know if this makes a differnce to the sizing of things - perhaps I am being vein here - but the skinny jeans were from the teenage section...lol!

Totally! Work those skinnies, baby!! I was wearing red skinny jeans from some youngster shop (Nafnaf, the name cracks me up) yesterday too, and I think they are pretty good. Love your new photo, you look so wee and cute!!

Meg -- sorry to hear about the breathing issues, I hope they find a cause and cure quickly! Congrats on the size 12s. (I love EB boyfriend cut...FWIW, mine were smaller than my other jeans in the same size and I could fit 10s at the same time as EB boyfriend 12s...)

Thanks, everyone, for your concern (here and with private messages). It's something that started post-op, and I haven't read about anybody else on the forum experiencing it, so I don't know if it's tied to the surgery or not. It's a strange sense of shortness of breath with exertion. I thought at first it was exercise-induced asthma (I had asthma as a child), but I don't have any coughing. Now it seems I have "air trapping" (?) but the cause of that is what's unclear. There might be slight damage to my diaphragm that causes me not to be able to push enough air out of the lungs on exhale, and that makes sense to me because I can't cough as forcefully as I used to--in which case, I'm not sure what's next. It might be that there's some sort of process happening in the small air tubes that is blocking the free flow of air... in either case, we're going to get to the bottom of it. Most of the time, I don't have any problems at all, but I'm a conductor/singer, and that deep, regular breathing and physical exertion really kicks it in. Rehearsals are pretty high-energy times, and it's not good to feel crummy at those points!

Swizzly, I'm living in my EB boyfriends now--when I'm not teaching, that's what I have on; they are the most comfortable things I have ever worn. I am THRILLED that they say "12"--and I know 12 is where a lot of petite girls start out pre-surgery, but for me, that's a huge accomplishment. My pre-surgery goal was 16 (so I could shop at "regular" stores), but I'm thinking at my current rate of loss, I might be in a comfortable 10 by summer. I'm not going to worry about it--it's not like I'm doing anything particularly special to keep losing; I'm just eating what I can eat and living, and what's going to happen is going to happen. :-) That's why I love my sleeve.....

It's something that started post-op, and I haven't read about anybody else on the forum experiencing it, so I don't know if it's tied to the surgery or not. It's a strange sense of shortness of breath with exertion. I thought at first it was exercise-induced asthma (I had asthma as a child), but I don't have any coughing. Now it seems I have "air trapping" (?) but the cause of that is what's unclear. There might be slight damage to my diaphragm that causes me not to be able to push enough air out of the lungs on exhale, and that makes sense to me because I can't cough as forcefully as I used to--in which case, I'm not sure what's next. It might be that there's some sort of process happening in the small air tubes that is blocking the free flow of air... in either case, we're going to get to the bottom of it. Most of the time, I don't have any problems at all, but I'm a conductor/singer, and that deep, regular breathing and physical exertion really kicks it in.

Oh. my. god. SO WEIRD. My husband and I have been noticing for the past few months about how I can barely cough now, sounds like I'm trying to fake a lame cough. I find it soooo odd. And sometimes I have a hard time to really truly catch my breath, though I'm fine while exercising so far (touch wood). If you don't mind, I'd love if you updated when you know what's going on. It's a very weird thing and I don't know what's causing it...

Good luck!!

hi ladies! I've been out of the loop a bit... but I'll try to catch up here :-)

Diva, do you burn 1,000 calories a day? I'd love to do that. How long does it take you?

Coops, are you wearing your new skinny jeans in your profile pic? HAWT! You should definitely wear them out in public! You look soooo skinny!!!

Meg and Swizzly, wow, I'm sorry to hear about the shortness of breath issue. I hope you both get to the bottom of it. My thoughts are going out to you both, and hoping you find out some good news soon.

Me, I have been doing some tough workouts, and I think I am finally seeing some results. Now, let's hope I keep the momentum up! Maybe I can get under 185 this week. Fingers crossed! Maybe I just need to up the hours along with the intensity. Wish me luck!

• So here I am, back in the Forum, still one Slow A** Loser =P. It is the sweets that have gotten me, specifically the sweet carbs. I have been known in the past 6 months to eat a Payday bar, a snickers, a doughnut!!!! Certainly this hasn't helped matters but, I have always been a slow loser, just never this slow. I don't do much cardio even though I move a LOT - yoga, pilates, TRX, tango.
  

So, how to frickin lose my last 40?!! GAH!! Obviously, stop it with the junk food, increase my water, change up my work out to include more/better cardio. But what about my calories? I have always been low cal, 850 or less. The one thing I've never done is go high cal for a concerted period of time, say 1200 for a week. I'm afraid to go that high. WHY have I had to fight for every ***ing pound, since day one?! F***!!!! I'm just so tired of being fat. 18 months later and I'm STILL. FAT.