1 year 5 months post op update with before and after pics - any questions?

[NY Lou 204]

I haven't posted for a while and just wanted to send this update. I was sleeved in march 2013 at about 300 lbs and reached my goal in jan 2014 at around the low 180's. today, Aug. 20, 2014, I still weigh 182, so since jan I have basically maintained my weight in between 180-185 so I think this is the weight I will permanently stay at. I exercise 3-4 times a week. over the last 1.5 years ive become a runner and do about 15-20 miles per week. i started out by just walking but now ive also completed a few 13.1 mile half marathons and earlier this year I finally fulfilled a lifelong dream of mine and completed a 26.2 mile full marathon. I can definitely eat a lot more now that I did when I was first sleeved, but I do make the right food choices of what I put in my mouth. I can see that if I made bad food choices I could easily gain back 15-20 lbs or even more because like I said, I can eat a lot more now than I could a year ago. so making a lifestyle change is critical for long term success with the sleeve. if you don't make the correct lifestyle changes, eventually you will stop losing weight and as your ability to eat more increases, you could actually start gaining weight again. thankfully ive been one of the lucky ones and ive had no complications or trouble eating. I never hit any serious plateaus as I went from around 300 to the low 180's very steadily. but I did work the program and I always ate right and I always made time for exercise. I think these last 2 steps is what truly made me successful and made my journey an easy one. heres a few current pics from this month. life is good, the sleeve is the best thing that's ever happened to me and at the age of 51 im in the best shape of my life!

if any of you have any questions for a 1.5 year out sleever, ask away and ill gladly answer.

   

Edited August 20, 2014 by NY Lou

[JamieLogical 8,684]

Thank you so much for posting this! You are a huge inspiration to those of us just starting out and it is great to know that if you stick to the program, you can reach and maintain your goals. You look amazing and congratz on finishing a full marathon. It's my secret dream to run a marathon someday, but right now I'd settle for just getting back to running 5K's.

[Comeflywithme 402]

WoW! Impressive and great advise, you are a true example of a winner! Thank you for your post!

[ProudGrammy 8,322]

lifestyle change is critical for long term success

@@NY Lou

i enjoyed reading your post

great pics

wonderful weight loss

are you married, do you have any brothers

ooooops i forgot, i'm married

you are a cutie petutie

big challange you took on about the marathons

good for you on being successful!!

continue the wonderful job for the rest of your healthier, happier, longer life

kathy

congrats

Edited August 21, 2014 by proudgrammy

[Forsythia 882]

You look amazeballs!

[Arlene G 31]

Congrats on maintaining, eating right and exercising. I have read many of the blogs here and elsewhere and become so sad when people go back to old eating habits after a while. Surgery is a tool we use to become healthier. So many of us take our health for granted. You have made a conscious choice to stay healthy. Very proud of you.

[taylorj7 51]

Great story ! I hope I will be successful as you. Keep up the good work.

[Summer Rain 245]

What an inspiration! Congratulations!

[Unhappysleever 39]

NY Lou, congrats on yr magnificent weight loss. I have a question for you, you say you eat more at 1.5 yrs out, what would a typical day consist of food wise????

[Kindle 8,667]

Thanks for taking the time to post on here. You have done so great and it's always good to know there really no "secret" to success. The simple postop plan works the way it's supposed to if we just stick with it. Congrats!

[NY Lou 204]

hi unhappysleever. I read some of your posts where you say you have to eat at a snails pace. you are not alone. I know some other people who have had the sleeve and they too have trouble eating. they too must eat very slow or they feel like they will throw up. one particular person is 1 year 2 months out and just now is starting to be able to eat a little more normally. so it does take different people different amounts of time to be able to get back to normal. but eventually most do. don't give up on your sleeve and feel "unhappy" about it because its yours for life. just believe it will get better because it will.

now to answer your question. you asked what would a typical day consist of food wise. im not including liquids as i always get in 64oz of liquid (nothing with calories or carbanation, just Water and crystal light and sometimes 1 Protein shake made with water). heres exactly what I ate yesterday:

8 am breakfast: 2 eggs with cheese in an omelette and an apple.

10:30 am snack: a 1oz low calorie cheese stick and a 6oz lowfat double Protein greek yogurt

1 pm lunch: 3/4 of a 6 inch subway tuna sandwich with the top bread removed

4 pm snack: a mcdonalds yogurt parfait and an 8oz bowl of watermelon

7 pm dinner: 8oz of baked chicken w/a little BBQ Sauce on top and 6oz of steamed broccoli w/garlic

10:30 pm snack: the other 1/4 piece of the subway tuna sandwich with the top bread removed

so that was yesterday. it probably seems like a lot of food and it actually is. but most of the choices are healthy and I normally make sure I eat my high protein foods first so that if I fill up its on the high protein stuff. I stay away from fried foods and I really don't eat sweets anymore except for yogurt or fresh fruit. those mcdonalds yogurt parfaits w/granola are only about 155 calories but they taste so good! and i always make sure i exercise 3-4 times a week as that too burns calories and allows me to eat more. I still enjoy eating and although I can eat a lot more now than 1 year ago, its still much much less than what I used to eat before I had surgery when i weighed about 300 lbs. I hope this info helps and again you must keep your head up and believe it will get better. best of luck to you, take care.

Edited August 21, 2014 by NY Lou

[Unhappysleever 39]

Thanks @@NY Lou, it replies like yours that keeping me moving forward

[*Lexie* 1,486]

Thank you for sharing your story. You look so healthy. My post op goal is to run the Honolulu marathon in Dec 2015 so your post is so inspiring to me. You have reinforced everything I've been told by my dietitian.

[mermaiddreams 8]

Amazing is how you look thank you for the update it's inspiring!! Besides making good choices what has been an "ah- ha" moment?

[NY Lou 204]

^{reply to lexie: theres no reason you cant meet that goal of running a marathon in dec 2015. just remember its small steps forward now that equal those bigger steps later. so start slow, be safe, follow your doctors advice, listen to your body and youll do fine! best of luck.}

^{reply to mermaiddreams: there have been a few ah-ha moments for me. looking at myself in pictures and realizing I no longer had to try and hide my stomach any more as that was just the normal thing I did. I would always hide behind someone so only my shoulders and head were visable in the pictures. also, when I completed my first half marathon I actually cried and realized I had become an athlete. I never thought of myself as an athlete as that was never a thought I believed possible. lastly I would say just accepting the mental realization that I wasn't that heavy guy anymore. even when I had lost 60 or 70 lbs I still saw that heavy guy in the mirror. then one day I looked in the mirror and that heavy guy was gone...and hes been gone ever since! best of luck to you in all that you do - stay positive, believe in yourself and you will achieve whatever you dream.}