cludgie

yay, did some random jogging for the first time ever this weekend, then found c25k, and did w1 d1 today, 3 consecutive days in I'm sore, BUT so far I've increased from 1.8miles to 2.2, and from 4mph to 4.8, so although I feel shattered, and like each effort has been sorer and slower than the last, the stats don't lie, and something is happening

Well, I'm such an avid avoider of exercise, I've waited until I got to goal to commit to more activity, however it is my new commitment, and I did day 1 of c25k today, using the NHS podcasts, which are great! I've committed to a 5k in june, and have been asked to do a 12k assault course called survival of the fittest in october! eek!!!

With the sit-ups, do crunches count? I started boot camp recently, and have discovered that I possess no abdominal muscles (seriously - none, and no core strength!), so this would be a MASSIVE challenge, but why the hell not - are we going to update on this thread to spur each other on?

I'd welcome opinions! I am 364 days sleeved today (surgi-versary tomorrow yay!), I am 5'8 and had initially set my 'realistic' goal as 189lb, as I was that on my wedding day, and at 235lbs could not imagine why I'd originally been unhappy at 189! I did however set an aspirational 'dream' goal of 154lb, which I last weighed age 11 (obviously at 235 I NEVER thought I'd get there. So in due course 189 came, and went, and on 23rd December I got to 154! Goal - I danced, I cried, I facebooked, I texted friends, I bought a scandalous mini dress, and then I cried a bit more. I mean, seriously goal? Me? Wow. It was great, but I recognise that what I thought was going to be thin, isn't really, its normal, which is ok, its saggy, which is less ok (2012 is my year of toning up, and getting fit!), but I still see my thin friends as thinner than me (even the ones I now know weigh more, look smaller), and even when I started appraising it like that I was good with goal. Then came the Christmas reunions! Basically my friend has dieted her ass off (literally) and got to goal in november, when she saw me at christmas she was so thrilled for me to be at goal too, and after I commented that it still seemed unreal, she said "yeah, it feels great to know you are getting there doesn't it?". "Getting there" - OH! I thought I was there. So that really got me thinking, if other people look at me and think, wow she is really getting there, where should the finish line be, because I thought I had crossed it once!?!?! So now I am wondering if 147, or even 140 would be a more suitable goal? Or am I just so used to life long dieting that I can't switch off and be ok with where I am??? Opinions would be warmly welcomed - thanks! P.s I hope I don't sound whiny when I say this, I know how hard it is to get to goal, and a lot of people are still fighting very hard to do so, and I am really not playing that down by raising this question.

You will get there! I took 50 weeks to lose the 81lb to get to goal, and I used to get quite upset at times looking on here and seeing people who have lost that in 3 or 4 months, but I had gains, and I had stalls, and towards the end I found that my hormonal cycle was related, and I would only lose weight one week in four! However that being said the stalls did break, even of it was just a few lbs before the next stall, and one day I realised I was pretty much there. When I got down to 9lb from goal, and started to stall again I went back to basicis, did a week of shakes, and then upped my Protein following that by having shakes instead of lunch, and thankfully that helped to fend things off a bit. Good luck, you have done brilliantly so far, and your body will work things out and relent soon xx

I bought some new pyjamas for my seven year old, and when we got home the clothing size and the size on the pack were different, and were far too big for my 7 year old! I was a bit miffed as I lost the receipt, so couldnt change them. Joking with my daughter I tried them on for a giggle and THEY FIT!!!!!! They are size 13-14 years!! Ha ha, I am typing this in my new rather mini, minnie mouse pyjamas - Yay! I LOVE MY SLEEVE!!!

Hiya, Well tomorrow is my 1 year sleeve-aversary, and some days I feel I can eat a lot (by which I mean like a side plate sized portion of food in one meal), yesterday for instance I ate about 2/3 of a toasted sandwhich, which seems a lot these days (i know how skewed someone who isn't yet sleeved), but I still avoid empty carbs like bread as a rule, so it was a real treat! Tonight I thought I was hungry, but felt a LOT of restriction, so I had about 4 teaspoons of quorn mince for my actual tea, and then some stir fry a couple of hours later because I thought I should - unfortunately that proved to be a mistake, and although I had probably 1.5 serving spoons full, it did not agree, and didn't stick around Although I am still surprised that at a year out I still don't know all the quirks of my new stomach, part of me is glad every time it rebels as it re-affirms that it is helping to moderate me! I'd say that in terms of average meals for me, I eat a lot of chicken so I can usually do 1 medium chicken breast and maybe 1 desert spoon of something with it, although on more restricted days this will over face me slightly, alternately I find omlette is another good high Protein option, and I can usually manage 3/4 of a plain omlette made with 2 medium eggs. I can honestly say that a year out my sleeve is still well and truly paying for itself! Good luck in your journey x

Hiya, More than happy to share advice/experiences - sos is surgical obesity solutions. link to their site is; http://www.obesity-solutions.co.uk/ I was particularly swayed buy the fact that vanessa feltz used them and her uncle is a surgeon, who apparently recommended them to her! I'll always go with a recommendation any surgeon would make to a family member. Good luck xx

Wow, everyone is looking great, well done. My last bit of photo wh@ring from me for a while - new dress to Celebrate goal, and for New year's eve.

Ha ha, great little nsv! I'm staying with my in laws for Christmas, so the whole family was over yesterday, and whilst tidying up the aftermath my mother in law phones my sister in law to tell her our seven year old niece has left her coat behind. She was just about to dash it over to them when I heard my daughter's panicked cry of "No, dont that's MUMMY'S coat!" I get that I'm smaller, but seriously, confusing my clothes with those of a 7 year old??? Made me smile!

GOAL!!!!!!!!!! :) I <3 my sleeve. Merry Christmas everyone

Sn - cludgie Cw- 154 Goal - 154 Lbs to goal - 0!!!!!!!!! It happened!!! Somehow I made goal in time for Christmas, so Christmas challenge is complete, AND so is my quest for goal, I'm so happy I have spent most of the day bursting into tears!

Ok, so its been another tough challenge, and after a stall and a 6lb re-bound, I've had a loss, and I'm now 2lb from both christmas, and my final goal. I'm guessing I wont make 2lb in 3 days, but I'm actually pretty happy here for now. Merry Christmas! xx

Ah hell!!! Ok so finally got to just 3lb from goal at the weekend - I want to be at goal by Christmas, and 3lb in 2 weeks is totally do-able, right??? Well yesterday morning I weighed, and I was 6lb from goal - SIX!!! that is twice as far from goal in just two days. More than a little bit miffed I weighed in this morning, and am still 6lb from goal - gutted! This evening I did the most stupid thing of all, I weighed at the end of the day (I don't normally do this), and now I am 9, yes NINE POUNDS from goal, just so upset, this is a massive fluctuation, and not something which normally happens to me. I seriously doubt my ability to shed 9lb in the next 11 days. Damn!

Cludgie...................Current 157..................Goal 154.............lbs to goal 3!!! Please, please, please God help me make Goal by christmas x

Hi Vicki, Sorry to jump into your thread, but I'm a UK sleever too, and I went to belgium for mine last January (Dr Toone Sonnevill with SOS), the others have answered your questions, but feel free to shout me if you want to chat through the Belgian experience, or ask anything else - I was more than happy, and still am. Goos luck xx

I am so sorry for your loss - I know what it is like to suffer a miscarriage, and I would personally say give your body just a little time to settle before you start to ramp things up again. Once you feel ready to I'd say go back to shakes for a few days, it usually makes me feel re-focussed, and then you can build it up from there. Take good care of yourself. ((((HUGS))))

Surgery 05/01/2011, Lost 77lb, 4lb to goal (Goal by Christmas fingers x'd).

Yay, big congratulations.

That is great - well done!

Fantastic - you strut lady!!

Sn.................SW........................CW.................Goal......................Lbs to Goal Cludgie...........163.......................158..................154..............................4 4lbs to goal, which also means 4lbs to my final goal. Come hell or high water I am hitting this challenge!

I'd been stuck since October, so have gone back to liquids only for a bit, stall broke, and I actually felt kind of cleansed after 48 hours too, so positive all round! I want goal by christmas so I'm happy to go all liquid for a couple of weeks if it'll keep it moving! Good luck! C

Hi, I'm 31, and 11 months post op today - happy to help if I can, feel free to message me Claire

Ha ha, I saw someone for the first time since Easter today, and he asked where I'd left the other half of me - so I guessed its a good day to do photo updates :smile1: One is day of surgery, the other is today, 4lb from goal.