Amanda131

I was right there with you, my friend. I remember praying for a sign to either calm down or get the heck outta there! Fortunately, God provided me with wonderful peace following that prayer.

I have been training for a 1/2 marathon since July. I hadn't run at all prior to July. I actually ran 14 miles this past Saturday. The 1/2 marathon I am training for is January 30th. I love it! I will say that as the miles have gotten higher it is difficult to fuel my body and continue to lose weight. I am having a hard time getting the carb ratio right. At this point, I am focusing on my race and being fueled for it. I can also say that the muscles from running are really helping with the sagging skin. Next up for me is a sprint triathlon in August and a full marathon next October. You will definitely be able to run as a post-VSGer. Good luck! Amanda

Woo hoo! Get your groove on, girl. Congratulations.

Is this your weightlifting gym plan? Do you have another for cardio? If not, then I'm concerned that the cardio session isn't long enough and should be closer to 30 minutes. Of course, anything is better than nothing! I would suggest flip flopping the treadmill warmup and your opening stretch. It is much better to stretch warm muscles. Good luck! Amanda

Hi Doglover- I just want to hug you. You remind me so much of myself and how I felt in those early postoperative days. Day 5 of recovery was by far the hardest- I experienced some serious buyer's remorse and worried that I'd made a horrible decision. Trust me when I tell you that you will feel significantly better both mentally in physically at two weeks out and damn near amazing at 6-8 weeks post op. The two most difficult aspects of recovery in my opinion is the exhaustion and dealing with the mental part of food. You will be very tired in the next few weeks as your body learns to function with so little. I promise it goes away around 6 weeks. I found it easier to deal with as long as I knew it would go away. The best way to combat this is to take your Vitamins and get your Protein in each day. I am also a bit of a control freak and always want to "pull my own weight". That being said, you really need to let Hubs continue to care for you right now. If your in pain, take the stronger stuff and rest. The more you keep the pain at bay and rest now, the quicker you will heal and be back in commission for your husband and girls. Trust me, I know this is so hard to do. Finally, right now, I suggest embracing your struggles with food. Journal. Think about it. Read books about it. Do whatever necessary to get to the bottom of your reliance on food for comfort. This will help you so much in the future. I chose to enlist the help of a therapist to do this and highly recommend this avenue if you continue to struggle. Most important of all, know that everything will be okay and this difficult time will eventually be a distant memory. Hugs! Amanda

Absolutely! You are not alone. I think they're are a few things you need to keep in mind. 1. This wasn't a slip. You gave yourself permission to enjoy the day. Don't ruin it with self-incriminations now. 2. Ask yourself what the calorie count would gave been pre-surgery. Rather than focus on 2500, think about what it could've been in your old life. 4000? 5000? When you look at it that way, today was a win. 3. One day will not ruin your sleeve. Even multiple days won't take you back to your former stomach size. 4. Higher calorie days will happen occasionally, what defines these moments is how you recover. So, get your game plan and get back on track. Hugs! Amanda

Thank you for your thoughts! As to my weight/size ratio: I am a bit of a freak of nature. I am tall at 5'10" and I am pretty muscular. I am training for a half-marathon and regularly run 20 miles a week in addition to weight training. In the heart of full- disclosure, I am not wearing 12s in everything I buy. Amanda PS my photo is about five pounds ago when I was still firmly in 14s.

Hi Friends- I have been hanging out at 207 for about a month now. Last week after my cruise I dropped to 205 (BTW how's cool is that? Vacation AND lose weight! ). Anyway, I am at that point where onederland beckons in the not so far off distance but feels damn near unattainable. However, I've noticed that I haven't been the most well-behaved sleever this past month or so. I have had moments where I chastised myself but I've been mostly okay with treats and not following the "rules". I've thought quiet a bit about why I seem to be okay with this. Tonight, I think I realized that I am scared of Onederland for some reason. To put this in perspective, I have not been under 200 since I was about 17. For years, my thought process has been "it's okay you're a little heavy; you're smart". I basically convinced myself that it had to be a trade off. I know this sounds really dumb but I am having a bit of an identity crisis with getting under 200! It's like I think I can't have the whole package. WTH is the matter with me? Being that it is the holidays, I am giving myself permission to coast (but NOT gain) for the next couple of weeks as I work this out mentally. To add to this, I have dropped to a size 12 and this is evidently the moment when everyone and their mother is noticing that 110 pounds have disappeared from my frame. Their wonderful and positive comments are actually making me more conscious and nervous about onederland. I know I am a basket case, but I'd appreciate any feedback especially from those who were as uncomfortable giving up the fat cloak as I appear to be. UGH! Thanks for listening. Amanda

At six days post op, I was back at work. However work was where I could sit and move slowly. I'm not sure that he'll have many opportunities to sit during the three hours you'll be running... You may want to research that. That being said, how exciting!

Depending on the type of class/video yoga can offer relaxation, stretching, core and even muscle toning. I am pretty new to it but I am finding it extremely beneficial. As a runner, it really helps stretch and lengthen those muscles that get tight. I used to do yoga when I was heavier and I've always appreciated that most poses can be modified for beginners. Good luck!

Anything. Literally. I now know post-VSG that I can do anything I want. In the past week alone I have completed a 10 mile run, an hour long feisty yoga class, run a few intense business meetings and gone on vacation feeling NORMAL. I feel a little invincible these days and I'm not even at goal yet.

How awesome! And, under 30 minutes? Ridiculously awesome! I am training for a 1/2 marathon in January so I am deep into my running love affair. I just completed my first ten miler. Whoop! Fair warning: It's starts with a 5K and the next thing you know you're contemplating a marathon! If you are social and like running, look for a running club in your area. It is so fun to run with others! Amanda

This is the FUNNIEST line I've read in a long time! BTW that area improved tremendously for me somewhere around 60-70 lbs. lost.

Hi Friends, Next week, I will go on my first full-fledge vacation since being sleeved. My best girlfriend and I are going on a four-day cruise sans spouses and kids. Woo hoo! We actually depart on the day of my nine month sleeversary. I have no struggles with not being able to eat certain foods, etc. but I want to enjoy my cruise without killing my weightloss. To add to this, I am in the midst of my very first stall. I haven't lost in about two weeks. I understand the nature of stalls and I am grateful I've made it so long before the scale stopped, but I am concerned about going on this cruise where they throw food at you and being stalled. Ugh. Any advice to help me stay focused, make best choices, etc.? I've cruised before, but in the past my focus was on eating as many calories as possible not avoiding them. Thanks in advance! Amanda

Wonderful advice ladies. Thanks so much. Now, if this stall would just die a horrible death.

Whether you realize it at a conscious level, or not, your world just tilted. I would venture to guess that you're struggling to feel in control of the situation. When we feel out of control, we generally aren't very nice. I am a bit of a "control freak" and work in a high pressure, high stress job. I struggled after surgery with my emotions because I felt unable to control my life (which I find completely ironic since my eating had been what was really out of control). I became bossy and difficult until Hubs had a "come to Jesus" meeting with me. Know that you are not odd or alone. Work to face and deal with your emotions and this will get better with time. Amanda

My daughter was three when I had surgery. She weighed 35 lbs. at the time and my doctor said I could pick her up on a limited basis after my twoweek post op visit. He also had small children and seemed to understand that struggle. I was released from all lifting restrictions at six weeks. As for how I felt and interacting with her- I pretty much sat out the first two weeks post op of her care. My husband was a hero. She and I would sit together, read stories and snuggle but not much more. My the end of week four I was back in full-time mommy mode. I should mention that I returned to work only six days post op. Doing that really zapped a lot of my energy and is why I took longer to take back my role as mother. Good luck! Amanda

In addition to B-12 be sure you are taking your multi-vitamin and an Iron supplement. The iron and B-12 both can zap energy when low. All that being said, when you are at a large calorie deficit and dropping pounds quickly you are going to be tired especially as you recovery from surgery. I think I had daily naps for the first month post-op. Take care! Amanda

Rainsong- Your story parallels my story and so many other posters on this site. From the tone of your post, it sounds like you are in a good place mentally and prepared for this adventure. I wish you all the best and look forward to supporting you in your journey. Best of luck! Amanda

You weightloss rate doesn't seem slow to me. I've lost 96 lbs. since surgery on March 15th. I had a three week head start on you and weighed more than you to start. I also eat more than most on the board and have since the beginning. At three months I ate about 1000 calories a day, I now eat about 1500 but can go up to 1800 on intense running days ( I am training for a 1/2 marathon and run a lot of long distances). Heck, yesterday I did 10 miles and was FAMISHED. By the end of the day I had eaten 2200 calories. However, my run alone burned 1800 so I definitely ended up with a deficit. Are you working out? That is one of the best ways to get your metabolism going. Also, for hunger, I often find that I am actually thirsty rather than hungry. Try drinking a large glass of Water followed by a hot beverage like tea or low cal hot cocoa. That may take the edge off your hunger in the evening at let you sleep. Best of luck! Amanda

My mental imagery is of you sliding into home plate on a baseball field. It's a home run! Love it and congrats! Amanda

I also love these pics and cannot wait to take my own. You look fantastic! BTW I'm really digging the hair color and length- it looks great on you! Amanda

You still have plenty of time. See your family doctor on Monday, let them know you have a procedure scheduled and see if they can prescribe you something (if it's that kind of cold). No stress. Amanda

Call your surgeon's after hours number and get his/her opinion. It's better to be safe than sorry. Mine oozed a bit like that and I learned it was slightly infected and had to take antibiotics. Best of luck! Amanda

I'm really curious as to your results! How much does LTF charge for this? I am a member as well and may be interested in do this. Amanda