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I finished it WITHOUT stopping to walk!!!! I'm am so proud!!! Yippee : )

Thanks guys ; ) I was running with a re-connected friend ( after 7years of not seeing her), so I know I was running the right pace because we were able to chat a bit. I was worried about using it as a "race" so I took it easy. The poor girl tho. She is using running as a weight loss tool (as I was/am), so I encouraged her (boot camp style) to sprint the last 150m. She kept up and did a bang up job, crossed the finish line, and promptly PUKED!!! Lol!! I thought she'd be mad at me. But she just laughed and asked me to do more runs with her!! Lol My time wasn't great, but I wasnt working on that, and I broke so many other self- barriers, that I'm estatic about the run all together!

That's awsome!!!! I wish I could go for tests, but my dr. believes only to send for tests if there are ailments : (

My fiancé and I have been engaged about 7 years. We were due to be married in june in Hawaii, then my soon-2-be mom in law fell I'll in hospital in march. When she showed no sign of getting better in time for the wedding, we postponed it. We got pregnant a couple weeks later. My mother in law past away that October. Then life just got in the way. We had a new baby and I got huge! I got pregnant again when our daughter was 1 and a 1/2. I really felt that NEED to be married, so I bought another dress and was due to be married when I was 6.5 months preggers. Then my fiancée's dad fell ill. Once again, we postponed it while he went through chemotherapy. He past away when my daughter was 3 and my son was 1 ( 2 years ago). I have now completed a half marathon, and I have 4 more this year. My parents were in Hawaii in January ( they go every year) and saw they had a new half marathon starting up right around the time of our anniversary. I thought to myself," how cool to put the 2 together!! Get married, then run a half!!" yes I am that crazy!! So anyways, the run is coming back!! And my fiancé is gungho for putting the two together!!! Yippee!! So I went home and tried on my dress. It's a 14 and I'm an 8, but it is still "the" dress!! It'll need quite a bit of alterations, but who cares!! I love it!! Sorry for the long post, but I'm so damn excited that I'm going to be a skinny bride!!!! ; )

Sweet!! Good job!! I started out not being able to run a full minute, now I've run a half marathon!!! Let that running bug bite you : ) Just do what you can each day. Before you know it, you'll do a little more, than a little more. Keep challenging yourself to beat your last time ( even if only by 1 second). Good job and keep it up!!!!

I'm sad to say I still am really self conscious about what I look like. I know with clothes, I'm pretty happy ( except for some new saddle bags- I alway had then, now they are very pronounced!!) With out clothes??? Well, I feel like I look like a winkle dog. I hate a the extra skin!!! My upper body faired quite well. My lower body? Yuck. I downloaded my pics from my first half marathon. I was really excited as it was at Disney and I wore a tutu : ) Turns out, the tutu showed off my middle : ( I know I'm my worst critic, but I FELT so damn good!! I guess I need to learn to go with my feelings ( and not wear a tutu again) lol

Thank you all so much for your kind words everyone!!! The half marathon is something I am so proud of and I'm crazy enough that I have 4 more this year!!! Next year I'm signing up for the goofy challenge in Disneyworld. On the Saturday I'll do the half marathon ( the Donald), then on sunday, I wake up and do the full marathon ( the Mickey). If I can complete the 39.3 miles in the 2 days, I'll complete the goofy challenge!! I can't wait!!! As for my self image, just to clarify, I have come a long long way in learning to love myself so much more. I have challenged myself physically and mentally in so many ways. I finished my last day at my old bakery today ( I was the assistant manager). I move to my new bakery were I will be the head hancho!! I have worked a little more with the president of the company, who has told me that the change in my attitude and how I carry myself has impressed him so much, that he cleared out a bakery just for me because he'd like to see what I can do! He's also enrolled me in a leadership course through the company. Looking at the criteria to be enrolled yesterday, I am part of a very small group that they need to see huge potential in before even being considered!!! I think what gets me, is knowing how hard I've worked and seeing how bad my lower body looks to me. Like I said, I know I'm my worst critic and I need to challenge myself to learn to love what is now left over. You all are so supportive and it's great to have people to turn to that know how I feel so thankyou all so much!!!

I never realized how different people see me until the other day. I'm 13 months out, down 100lbs and have run a half marathon since surgery. I have now seen 2 promotions in work and am reaching out to friends I haven't seen in ages. I have energy to spare! I'm working a 12 hour shift tomoro, then heading over to my parents to be a grunt worker while they declutter to move. I see all this and I think, " well yes, I did this over time and I am proud". My aunt doesn't see me alot, but we are Facebook friends. I saw her the other day and she was talking about how well I'm doing and how inpiring I have become. Inspiring??? Me??? It turns out there was a family discussion about me and how much I have changed since surgery. They can't believe my attitude and the fact that I wear colour now ( I used to be a plain white t kinda girl). I guess I never realized! It's amazing what this surgery gave me. Not only the will to live, but the will to succeed!!

Before 229 After 129-135 flux Sleeve date - feb 25- 2011 (13 month out) Weight gain- nope Accomplishments - 1 half marathon down - 4 more this year, full marathon next year!!!

It happens unfortunately. I had mine about 2 weeks early and it lasted 3.5 weeks. Yuck!! It could also have to do with the surgery itself, or it could be the estrogen. If you are worried, check with your doctor. But I think you'll find lots of replies that say the same.

I've run into some family stuff (trying to help my parents get ready to move after pack-ratting in their home for 35 years- this is a HUGE HUGE HUGE job), and I haven't been able to get out for ANY runs in the last week!!! I can't see any runs coming up either....... I have a 10k race in a week and a half. Am I doomed??? on a side note, I jammed my shoulder the other day. How much impact do you figure it'll have on my running (if any)?

Thanks guys! I'm going to go enjoy the run and I'm not going to worry about time : )

You could be dehydrated from the extra exercise. Could you try really amping up the water before you go to the gym? ( I know it's hard). I know also that when you run, you stomach shuts down ( so to speak). So it could be something like this...... Not sure what the answer is for that though....... Sorry : S

My fave food at this stage was making my own chicken Soup. My bought pre roasted chicken from Safeway ( because it was easy. Fed my family, plus saved some breast for me.I Boiled the bones with a bunch of veggies and strained it, making my own chicken stock. It's actually better Protein than the tetra packs you can buy ( and taste better). I pureed the stock with roasted veggies, chicken breast, and milk. Then I would add spices depending on my craving..... Taco seasoning for Mexican, butter chicken sauce for Indian, etc. If I felt I needed more protein, I added a half scoop of chicken unjury to it. Yummy!! If you need more calories or fat, use cream instead of milk. This was definately my go to meal. Please remember to strain if you don't have a really good blender though!!!

simple answer? yes and no. The reason I got this surgery was to stop the insane way I was eating. To make myself be accountable for what I put in my mouth. I'm sad I don't get to gorge. Then I remember how I felt after I gorged. Like, well, someone made me eat a bowling ball!! When I go out for dinner, I still make a point to get something I'm craving. Because I run, I need to extra carbs now, though I did low carb through my losing phase. I will get a full meal and not feel bad about it because then I get dinner over 3 nights!!

hoping this works. here's a pic. I was insanely happy at this moment. I was at the finish!!! LOL

I know!!!! I can't wait to get back on the trails!!! Snow, snow go away!!!! Oh well, I have a 10k race in a week and a half. I can look forward to that!! Any more races on the horizon? I remember you did that 5k a while back......

I don't know how to answer this one. I've dropped about 100 lbs, but things are not great physically between hubby and I. He is heavily over weight, he wants surgery too, but wants to wait until he settles into his job a bit ( just got out of school and got his first job). but I think he feels so bad about himself and maybe feels like he'll break me???? I don't know : ( Mentally, we are great. We are both very affectionate, just not in bed : ( Man do I miss that : ( I've tried getting him to come to the gym with me, but a no go there......

That's so awsome!!! Here in Vancouver, we have something called the grouse grind ( google it sometime!! It's so crazy!!) it's only 2.9km (probably 1.5 miles) of straight up the mountain!! I got addicted to it last summer and did it once a week. I can't wait til the snow goes off the mountain so I can do it again!!!! Doesn't it make you wanna do it again?? It gives you such a high that food just never came close to!!!

I just pre registered for next year!! August 11/13 I'll be part of the tough mudder family!!

I want to do this soooooo bad!!! I've booked myself too many 1/2 marathons this year, and a full marathon in January next year, but if they come to my area next year - I'm so there!!! Congrats!!!!

Omg!! Your doing tough mudder?????? You. Are. My. Hero!!!! Since I started running and checked a 1/2 marathon off my bucket list, I realized that I just had to do tough mudder!!! Please please please post a zillion pics!!! Ps - love the hawk ; )

You could always go for the standby lemon wedge in water, but try other fruits. Oranges are great, as is watermelon or other melons. Good luck!!

I think you'll be fine!! I just got back from Disneyland. We took our water bottles and crystal lite packets so we kept up on water. We even packed snacks! I packed a suitcase full of snacky type stuff and then threw it in the bottom of the stroller. No troubles! Saved us a boatload of cash, plus I had good snacks to eat instead of junkfood.

Woohoo!!! Feels great doesn't it?!?!?! Good job!! Ps- love the idea of a goalies bench ; )