Leaderboard

Fast loser, slow loser, I am a half-fast loser! On average, I lose about 3 lbs each week. But on the other hand, I'm eating good and haven't really had to exercise hard. I walk 5 days a week and am working my way up to 5 miles per day. I've managed to get to 5 miles only 2 times since I've started. Knee and hip pain sometimes interfere with my walking. How I wanted to be one of those posters who could say they lost 100 lbs in 6 months, but it doesn't look like it's in the cards for me. But I try to be satisfied with a steady down tick of the scale. If I can maintain this downward pace, I'll be down 150 lbs in 10 months. That would be freakin awesome! That would put me at my lowest weight since high school - 27 years ago! And at 190 - my ideal body weight. Jeeze, until I wrote that last sentence, I hadn't taken time to do the math! 190 seems like a weight someone else is, not me. I don't know if I can handle being normal. It seems like one of those daydreams that only comes true in the movies. Ok, back on topic - the one thing most fast losers don't mention in their posts is, what they had to do to have such fast results. Did they workout 7 days a week on the treadmill for hours, living on Unjury and water? Or do they have a naturally fast metabolism? Or are they just attention whores, looking for approval and praise? ***Disclaimer, I know of no one that has lied about their weight loss! And no animals were harmed in the writing of this post. But my cat thinks I'm starving him!*** Anyway, the whole point of this post was supposed to be, be satisfied that you are losing weight - whatever the speed! If you want to lose faster: move a little more, eat a little better, and stick with the guidelines from your NUT. Oh, and don't forget to have a support group like the good folks here on verticlesleevetalk. You don't have to post anything, it helps me just seeing that others have the same questions and concerns keeps me from feeling alone.

I started at 417 pounds with 30 Seconds of exercise 19 months ago This weekend I did my first 5K I would love for you to visit my blog and leave me a comment over there if you can. Here is the blog link to read about my 5K Here is the link to join my Facebook weight loss support group for those who are interested in learning more about how faith and prayer can help you on the journey. It is a Christian weight loss support group for all people regardless of whether they had surgery or not but open to anyone interested in faith! Here is the link for that

Okay, this post is not to bash the newbies or newts (not a newbie/not a veteran), although I can see how it could look that way. My sense of humor is dry/sarcastic and it's hard to convey that in print. I thought I'd start compiling some of the most commonly asked questions I see posted on weekly basis, just to show that you are not alone with your thoughts and concerns. Will all my hair fall out after VSG? "Individuals don't begin to notice the increase in hair loss when showering or brushing the hair until about three months post-surgery. Although the resting hair is being pushed out of the scalp by new hair that is already growing, it can take anywhere from about six months to a year for the hair to return to its normal fullness. Individuals who have undergone gastric bypass or other operations of the digestive tract designed to reduce obesity are more prone to hair loss post-surgery. This is due to the reduced intake of food in the weeks and months immediately following these procedures. The body needs an adequate amount of proteins and vitamins to maintain hair production. Protein-enhanced shakes are often recommended for these patients as a substitute until solid food can be better tolerated. Hair loss related to surgery typically reverses itself without any medicinal intervention or the need for over-the-counter hair loss tonics or treatments. However, maintaining a diet rich in protein and iron is believed to help promote and speed up healthy hair growth. Suggested foods include salmon, beans, eggs, spinach, broccoli, nuts and whole-grain cereals. Avoid foods that can inhibit hair growth, such as those that contain high levels of caffeine and fat." Losing Hair After Surgery | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/...l#ixzz2Maz1GjQH Can I take my leftover stomach home in a jar? Man, what kind of sickie... um I mean, that's a very astute question. I didn't ask my doctor about it, but from what I've read, it's considered medical waste and a biohazard in the U.S. So you can't have it as a trophy or to tan and make a beanie out of it. If you're having surgery out of the country, then they may let you take it home, just be careful going through customs. If they ask about it, just tell them you found proof that the Chupacabra exists in Mexico. Can't I do this with out the surgery? You know, eat the crazy small amounts and still lose weight? Why isn't that ok? You can eat the small meals to lose weight, and it is okay. I just couldn't live that lifestyle for very long. It was a non-stop battle to keep myself from eating more. How did you choose your doctor, how much did it cost, and how did you pay for it? I don't want to recommend my doctor, since I wasn't happy with the aftercare, but I paid about $5k between the doctor and hospital. I put it on a credit card and will have it paid off before the end of the year. I found my doctor by calling my insurance company and getting a list of approved WLS doctors. I did a Google search for each doctor and read the reviews before choosing my surgeon. Do you regret having WLS surgery? I do not regret it for a minute. Even with all the discomfort of the 1st 10 days, I am very happy with the result. Food is no longer the focus of my life and I love sitting at a buffet restaurant knowing that I will only eat about 1/4 plate of food. What do I need to pack for the hospital? Here is a long list of suggestions on things you might want to consider taking with you. http://www.verticals...surgery-thread/ How soon after surgery can I start drinking alcohol? I'm sure every doctor has their own recommendations, but my doctor said wait 6 months post-surgery before drinking alcohol again. I'm not a big drinker to begin with, so I didn't miss alcohol. But I did drink about 2 oz. of Tequila at month 6 or 7 and was buzzing immediately, more so than I would have been pre-surgery. So, if you're going to start drinking again, just be aware that it may take less alcohol to impair your system. :-)

For those of yolu worried about getting protein in and calories and even basic vitamins YOU WANT THIS APP!!!!. You can make your daily calories what your dr sets. You can scan the barcodes on all foods or just search for them. Makes life easy. I am supposed to be between 500-600 daily. come to find out I was only getting 400! which can cause a stall. It will track your weight and even measurements. Oh and add friends ---asifitsthelast.

Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat....Not hungry, but I want to eat.... I'll have a strong cup of decaf and play a video game instead.

I just finished my psyc eval and my last nutrition appointment, but I'm finally finished. And in classic Group Health fashion, my 2 years of health records still have not made it to the clinic, I hope that they make it there soon so that the insurance coordinator at the clinic can send in all my paperwork to my insurance company. She told me that I should expect an answer in about 2 weeks. Then I will be able to set a date for surgery, and I only have to do 7 days of pre op diet, so I'm hoping I can get the surgery on the 21 of March. The clinic that I am going to doesnt do surgeries on Fridays, so I hope I can get banded on Thursday, so I only have to take 2 days off from work. Pray for my approval please. Happy losing!

This is my first blog entry, so I will give a brief synopsis of what has happened so far. I am 9 days from my surgery, on March 8, and will be starting my pre-op diet tomorrow. It's getting very real for me now, and I'm FINALLY starting to feel a bit nervous (and excited of course). Dr. Karl Strom will doing the procedure at Bayshore Community Hospital in Holmdel NJ. My wife and I are taking this journey together, although I will have a month and a half head start on her, due to her not being able to get out of work until the end of April. We had originally decided on getting the lap band surgery, but after doing lots of reading and research decided that the sleeve was the better option for us. I've gone for all of my pre-op testing, except for one last thing tomorrow. My surgery was scheduled so quickly, that some of the doctors were booked up and I had to wait for dates for pre-op stuff. I went for my bloodwork and chest X-ray on President's day, did an EGD 2 days ago on Monday, and a cardiac stress test yesterday. This morning I had the final consultation with the surgeon. Tomorrow I have my second and final Nutritionist visit, and a Pulmonary stress test. Then I should be done with all of my pre-op stuff, yay! That about sums up where I'm at now, I'm sure I've left out a lot of details, but now that I've started to blog I hope to keep up with it.

Before you know it, it will be dreaded swim suit time. I live at a condo and do go to the pool. I don't mind it because I was never the biggest. But this summer I will need a new swim suit. For women (sorry men) there is a wonderful site where I buy my suits from, swimsuitsforall. I really like their choices and have bought cover ups, too. They always have great sales. Another site I like is, Jones New York. They have great sales sometimes. The site is much less than stores when there is a sale. I recently bought a twin set with shipping for under $35. and list was over $150. I now fit into the misses xlarge but have bought from their plus sizes at their outlet store. Kohl's has wonderful 't' shirt type tops that when on sale are under $10. and they wash real well. The long sleeved ones recently were under $7. I own a lot of them. Have fun shopping.

So I started my journey on January 7 and has since lost a total of 26 pounds. Now I'm happy about my weight loss but I'm really happy about fitting into a pair of jeans I haven't worn in a whole year. It's the little steps that count. :wub:

When I'm smaller. Instead of worrying about laying in an uncomfortable position to make sure my rolls, chins, big boobs, and other things don't create unwanted tan lines. I can't wait until I am able to just lay down and not worry about it. This is just one of my many non scale victories. Tomorrow I am going to start swimming laps, and walking or biking to work. And Ty is going to start walking home from work to get in his 30+ minutes of exercise for the day. I just need it to be the end of the month. Happy losing everyone! Have a great week! Shelley