SKCUNNINGHAM

You look amazing and in just a year! You are doing fantastic. I look forward to seeing your posts on your continuing progress. If you don't mind, I would like to ask you some questions - feel free to tell me MYOB. :-) What have been your biggest challenges during your journey so far? What types of exercise have you incorporated into your lifestyle? What behavioral changes are you most proud of? I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your mother in law. She sounds like a special lady. Sharon Cunningham

You are such an inspiration to me. I am so nervous and scared as I approach my maintenance. It is so reassuring to see people being succesfull in maintenance and in living a "new normal" life. Best of luck to you. Sharon

Sleeve4me - you are in my thoughts and prayers! I have never been a lover of exercise - but the following ones are my favorites. 2012 is the year of exercise for me too. lap swimming - I used to consistently get the most delightful endorphin rush every time after I lap swam for around 20 minutes. It would hit after I showered and was getting dressed. That rush made the swimming worth it. I wish I had a pool close now. "spinning" on a bicycle - This was tough to be able to make a whole class, and I had to wear padded shorts and use a gel seat - BUT - it is the only exercise class that puts my butt back in the Zip code it used to be in. A great cardio workout. I bought a real spinning bike and have the DVD's I work out to. working on a rowing machine - For some reason, I love to do this. I can turn my mind to other things and just do it, and not have to worrry that I am going to trip, fall or otherwise hurt myself. It works both the arms and legs and is a great cardio workout working on an elliptical - I love this, too. I put on music with a beat that is good to move to - I swear you can almost dance on the thing. Or I listen to a new book on my ipod. The 30 minutes goes by pretty quick. Zumba classes - The only "dance" class I have ever liked (sorry to all my previou aerobics instructors). It is really good to whittle the waist and hip area - not that you need to be smaller in those areas - you are beautifully tiny. And, I had a personal trainer to teach me how to use the machines at the gym, and got to where I enjoyed that. I used to enjoy boxing drills with him, too. I may look into that again. It is harder than I ever thought it would be. Good Luck to you.

When you get there, focus first on getting the cake set up and the balloons. Don't be responsible for serving the cake - delegate that to someone else - unless serving it wouldn't bother you. If it wouldn't, being cooped up behind the cake (sitting) would allow you to see everyone and not have to visit with your in-laws much. Make nice with your sister-in-law and wish her a happy birthday. Visit with those you like (with your "drink" in hand - whatever you figure out to bring), pay your respects to your in-laws, and when you feel yourself getting tired or when the environment is starting to get to you - go home. If this means taking separate cars - do that. If it means catching a cab - do that. If it means having your husband drive you home and he comes back by himself - do that. You don't want to screw up your recovery. Good Luck.

I have had to fight anemia since being sleeved. I have always been borderline anemic, but pre-sleeve, could easily correct it. With the reduced calorie intake after being sleeved, it is harder to correct with food alone. Multi vitamins with iron weren't enough for me - I was still anemic. I take two of the bariatric advantage chewable iron tablets before I go to bed, along with two chewable vitamin C tablets. The iron is absorbed better along with Vitamin C. It doesn't upset my stomach at all.

PNW - your tenacity is incredible. Congratulations on winning the battle - twice! It took me a year to jump through all the hoops and get my approval. It only makes the success sweeter somehow. Good luck with your sleeve! With the focus you have shown on getting your approval, I know you will ROCK your sleeve once you get it.

You look beautiful in your picture. Congratulations on a successful 1st year. You are AMAZING!

Costco sells a ready to drink chocolate shake that is reasonably priced and tastes almost exactly like the EAS chocolate.

I am still sitting at 10 pounds away from my goal. The goal was kind of arbitrary on my part. I may stop when I lose another 5. I haven't lost any for a month - with the holidays, a 3 day trip to a family funeral out of state, and now a really bad cold/respiratory infection - I haven't been my most diligent. My goal is really the same as you. I want to wear 10/12's and medium tops. I am 5'4" and that bone size test said I had small bones. My bone structure isn't really small - like some members of the family - but it is on the smallish side I guess. I am broad shouldered, not very buxom (a C cup) am pretty straight up and down from the waist to the hips, and have a flat butt. I said I wanted to weigh 135 dressed on the doctor's scale - right now I would weigh right around 145 on his scale. If I don't lose any more before my annual date (2/22) and I have been diligent with my food and exercising six days a week, I may come to the conclusion I need to stop where I am. I know I would lose the 5-10 pounds I want to lose if I could get rid of the excess skin around my waist, belly and bat-wings. Are you considering plastic surgery at all?

I had some of the same goals already listed - fit into an airplane seat when I traveled - be able to shop for nicer looking clothes. Here are some that were mine that haven't been listed yet: - Weigh less than my husband - DONE - Wear my wedding rings again - DONE - they are now loose! - Be smaller than my husband's ex wife the next time I had to see her at an extended family gathering. - DONE - Be able to select from a wide variety of positions to put my body in with ease and grace - I'm really enjoying this one - Not be the "Fat" sister at the Christmas celebration - DONE - Have formal portraits taken with my husband, son, daughter in law and two grandkids - DONE - Not have anything in my closet that is too little to wear - Almost there - still have a few to go - Get rid of any clothes that don't look terrific on me - I am no longer settling for "it fits, it's OK" - this is a continuous process during the weight loss phase for me. I need to do another sweep of my closet and get rid of more things. I want to live in two closets - one in season, one out of season. No more clothes of every size squirrelled away all over the place.

Joiebean - you are doing wonderful! And what a great thing to be able to do with your father - he sounds like an award-winning dad. Good luck as you move through the pureed stage. I did really soft chicken salad and tuna salads, thick soups, yogurts, cottage cheese and applesauce and protein smoothies. "Real" food is right around the corner for you!

Ouroborous, I am proud of you, and happy for you. You have made an impressive journey - I'm glad you are enjoying yourself now. You have to tell that critic that lives inside your head to take a hike - or he needs to learn a new line of chatter - the old stuff doesn't work any more. I hope you enjoy all of the female attention and are lucky to find a woman that deserves you.

Five weeks was way too early for me to eat beef - I waited until 3 months. I tried it about the time you did, and had the same result. After 3 months, I loved a pot roast cooked in the crock pot. Mindless eating (even the "right" foods) is a trap I still have to avoid at 11 months. It is my life-long solace - my "crutch". I have to be vigilent to keep from slipping into that trap.

I agree that the emotional part of this journey is as hard as any other part of it. It is sad to see relationships change just because we are now smaller than we were. I can see a friendship changing if it was only based on going out to eat mass quantitities of food together - but a well rounded friendship SHOULDN'T change - it's just sad to find out the basis of the friendship wasn't as rock-solid as you thought.

I, too, am always cold. I have invested in sweaters, hoodies, long underwear, camisoles, and warm houseshoes. No more walking around my house barefoot!

I bought several bottles of different flavored protein drinks - most of which I thought tasted nasty. I passed my unopned ones on to a friend who was having surgery. I did the same with a tub of protein and all of the chicken soup protein packets that I had ordered. I should have ordered one of those sample packets before I ordered anything in quantity. The other thing I would do different is do more work on my head in addition to making my food choices. The food stuff was easy for me early on. But now that I am normal and eating mostly how I will eat from now on, I realize the psychological stuff that led me to have a bad relationship with food is still there. I don't do the bad behaviors (mostly) but it's like an alcoholic taking it one day at a time. I wish I had started working on this stuff 6-10 months ago.

My challenge to myself is Zumba six days a week (Monday - Saturday) and use my elliptical six days a week. So far last week I did the elliptical 5 days and each morning this week. I have Zumba'd Saturday, Monday and Tuesday so far. The exercise is helping me towards getting these last 10 pounds to go, and is firming ups the jiggles and sags. It is also helping relieve the stress of looking for a job!

These past two weeks, I have really been focusing on exercise. I have an elliptical and have worked up to 23 minutes continuously in the mornings. I really had "jelly legs" starting out when I would hit the 5 minute mark. Once I get to 30 minutes continuously, then I am going to start doing the challenging programs on it, rather than a continuous level of resistence. I am also doing ZUMBA in the evenings and Saturday mornings. I have gone Saturday, Monday and Tuesday so far this week (6 X per week is available). I am currently doing a job search - so the exercise helps me in two ways. It is getting me closer to my goal (those last 10 pounds) and it is helping me with my nerves / mood swings due to looking for work. Coops, I wish I had a boxing gym close - I used to do a boxing routine with a trainer and loved it. Sounds like you are a fierce competitor with boxing! Way to go!

Bellabr - I couldn't eat beef or pork until at least 3 months after surgery - and it has to be cooked moistly (think crock pot) or ground meat cooked with mositure (meat loaf). I could do chicken, cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt and SEAFOOD. Shrimp and scallops and tuna and salmon are my saviors.

Soon you will begin your pre-op diet (I assume). You have probably said goodby to everything by now, right? Plot out a schedule between then and the start of your pre-surgery diet - after this day no more fried food, after this day no more complex carbs. It will give you something to focus on and will make it seem like you are already starting your new life. Good Luck. My surgery was on 2/22 last year. Best day of the entire year for me.

Pych yourself up! THIS IS HARD, BECAUSE THE BENEFITS YOU WILL RECEIVE ARE SO GREAT! You need to have a very clear vision of the you you want to be when you get to your goal. What are you going to look like? What will you wear? What will you be able to do then that you can't do now? Make the "future you" so real to yourself that it is all you can think about. To get to that person is going to take some serious, hard work. If you want that "future you" bad enough, the hard work will seem easier and you will get through it. Weight loss surgery is not for the feint of heart or the weak-willed. It is not (contrary to what some non-WLS people say) the EASY way to become a smaller, healthier you. Good Luck. Sharon

I agree with Forensikchic - don't put a paid for surgery off on the possibility of having kids with your mythical perhaps next husband. We obese people have put our lives on hold so often, waiting for that perfect future. Well, there is no guarantee that tomorrow will come - perfect or not. Make today as wonderful as you can. Carpe Diem! Good Luck with the marriage and with your decision.