hadouni

That's totally incredible. What an amazing accomplishment - good for you!

I hit 178 before the holidays (WAY before) and had been stalled for probably three months. I actually got back up to 180 for a spell (cookies). I started running almost three weeks ago and this morning... 175! The scale is evil. It dropped down to 176 for a day a week ago or so. I need to stay off it and just keep up with myfitnesspal because it helps keep me motivated. 160. Here I come! (please...)

Definitely talk to the surgical group/surgeon you're working with. I have experienced chronic back problems since I was 17. I also have hip displaysia in my left hip that hasn't been corrected (my right hip has been fixed). I started out walking on the treadmill and finding ways to make me self walk more whenever I could. Every little but helps. Hopefully you can find some form of exercise that'll work for you, or that you can work out a good plan for you with your surgeon. Don't give up is the main thing.

Ok, week four, day one done! Brutal, but done and it's a big jump to run 16 minutes, isn't it? That last five was just ugly!

I didn't know what this was so I checked it out on amazon. This is really expensive! Do people find them that useful? I use my fitness pal to track things.

I've said the same for years (sub "gun" for your knife) and I've finished the third week of c25k... And even more surreal; I'm enjoying it!

I finished week three this morning with an extra 2 minutes of run at the end (I extend the cool down). It felt great. Music really helps me too. I like the Chili Peppers. Running a little slower than I probably should, but it's better than nothing! I'm running at 4.5 but on a 1.5% incline. Looking forward to Monday and week 4!

I've just started c25k (week three now) and have a speed question. For the first run of week three, I pushed myself to 5mph and got a little side stitch so I backed off the speed a little and did better. Last night, second night of week three, I did all the running at 4.5 mph at 1.5% incline (treadmill is my only option). I did much better at the slower speed- no stitch in my side. My question is; should I push harder on the speed, or build up the running time and work on upping speed later? Am I going to forever run slow if I don't push myself more now? I've never run before so I'm clueless about this! Thanks!

Oliver's Mom- you're awesome! Keep us posted on how a class goes! I just use an app on my phone. I did week three, night two last night and felt pretty good about it. I tacked on my extra 90 seconds of run at the end so I run a bit in the cool down cycle and walked past the 32 minute mark to cool down. There's an electric run planned in San Francisco the end of April. Depending on how this goes, I might try that out if I can get friends to go too.

I agree with the soup and mashed potato suggestions and might add refried Beans. I tend to order off the appetizer menus because one can often find the Protein part of a "meal" without the sides we don't have space to eat anyway. And the sides are things like fries, Pasta, rice that just take up space an offer almost no nutritional value. What about sharing an entree or ordering a few appetizers instead of dinner pates so it's not as obvious to anyone else that you're only eating a little and your companion is eating most of the food?

I hear you ladies, I wish I could just be taken in an inch or so at the seams. I've started running to see if that will help tighten up some loose skin. My mom and her husband joined a gym and if they stick with it, I might join as well so I could do some strength training and have access to a pool for my son. Have you tried Pilates? I used to train in a martial art and that firmed me up like nobody's business, but there's no one teaching it where I live now.

my guess is the fruit flavored versions would be a "no". The no fruit is probably part of a no sugar deal and the sugar in the fruit will mess with what you're trying to accomplish. Dairy contains sugar on it's own, so the fruit just ups the sugar content. just my thoughts.

Interesting. As a child, I was a food sneaker - mostly after school, before dinner. My mom kept treats in the freezer for my lunch and I can remember eating a couple and rearranging the box so it looked like none had been taken. I also remember standing in the freezer door eating ice cream out of the container (back when oreo cookies and cream first came out). My parents should have called me on that because they had to have known. Both were overweight... not that my weight problem is my parents' fault, but I didn't get a good foundation from them. As an adult, I'm a sugar/bad carb junkie and I use food to deal with anxiety/emotion. I've never been much of a protein eater so I tended to fill up on bad carbs because they are so easy to get, take almost no preparation, and taste good. I refer to myself as a junkie because I have recognized myself starting to physically relax after making the decision to get some food I'd been thinking about while stressed or upset. Anyone else drive home from work and pick up a cake on the way? Post sleeve, I'm still a sugar junkie and have to be careful. Fortunately, I can only eat a few bites of sweets or bad carbs at a time and I know I should just avoid them entirely. I at least make sure to get my protein & healthy food in before I eat any of that junk. I also log my food carefully using my fitness pal so I have to see every week what I've consumed. Fortunately, my son isn't a big starch eater. He does like sweets, but has a good internal "I'm full" mechanism so he eats a little and is done.

fantastic! it's amazing the things that change - I now wear colors instead of all black, brown & navy!

I made it through the first night of week 3 and even added my extra 1.5 minute run at the end. I did get a little stitch in my side during one of the runs (I was running at 5mph on a 1 or 1.5% incline) and slowed down a little for the last run and did ok. Running three minutes at a time is a challenge. But, I did it! I might end up doing week three for week four as well...

I'll let you know how it goes with week 3. running 1.5 minutes ok... running 3 minutes... not so sure about that... :/ if I can tack on the extra 1.5 at the end before warming down, I'll feel accomplished for sure.

I'd like to get my mom to do something like this. She's just about to pay for a crazy expensive trainer at the gym and I think she'd do just as well with something like this.

I was walking right away but I'm trying to think about Zumba and remember what my recovery was like (mine was a dream too). My dumb guess is probably 4-6 weeks to do high-impact cardio. Zumba can be pretty core intense (depending on how aggressive you are) and your abdomen will be sensitive and healing for a while. My surgeon was very "if it hurts, don't do it" with recovery but all I was doing was walking. Each surgeon has guidelines they like their patients to follow during recovery so check it out with their office and go with what they tell you! Good luck! You'll be back to Zumba in no time!

I wear two when I run. I have some of those infomercial genie bras my mom gave me that flatten me out pretty well and then I add a champion (two-pack from Costco) pull-over sports bra over it. I'm a saggy 38D and the combo works for me. I have a friend who has been trying to get me to do cross fit and my joke to him was always that I'd have to find someone to stand behind me to hold my boobs in pace with all that jumping around!

I started c25k recently and so far I'm pretty motivated with it. I've actually exercised every day since starting. Tonight will l be day 1 of week 3 for me. I've pushed a little and did an extra run cycle almost every night so far. I run on the treadmill so I run at 1.5-2% incline to try and compensate for the street vs. treadmill difference. I'm not a runner and my favorite saying has always been "if you see me running, call the cops cause someone has a gun", so I'm surprised I'm enjoying it so far. I think it's hit some weird competitive thing in me. I'd been totally stalled in exercise and weight loss since late summer and finally decided I needed to do something to try and tighten up my belly pooch. Lets see if the running helps. Tightening up is definitely my goal with the running.

I started c25k recently and tonight will be my first night of week 3 (of a 9 week program). I downloaded a free app for my iPhone and it's helpful because it prompts you to run or walk and tells you when you're half way there. I have NEVER been a runner so I'm still somewhat skeptical that I'll be able to ever run 5k, but so far so good. I've even tacked on an extra cycle of run at the end most times. I've been walking on days in between run days. I have a treadmill that inclines and before starting to run, I'd walk at 5-7% incline at about 3.5mph for 30 minutes. Earlier on, I walked at more like 3mph and 3-5% incline. The phone apps are good for me because it tells me what to do, when to do it and it's sort of a challenge to see if I can do it which is motivating me. And good shoes are a must if you're going to run. I did the first couple runs in my older shoes and the new shoes made a big difference. I went to a DSW and bought a pair of shoes on the clearance rack for $25 that were the exact same shoe I'd almost paid $60 for in the same store - I just bout white and orange instead of white and pink.

I do and I've had my year check up and all my Vitamin levels checked, and a yearly check-up with my PCP and I'm healthy. I notice it on my legs because my very large 4yr old son likes to jump on me.

just incredible what you've accomplished! fantastic & congrats!

I was on a prescription dose of omeprazole for two or maybe three months, then I dropped down to the costco OTC version which is half the dose. I try to only take it when I need it (I'm 13 months out) and do well that way, but for several months post-op it was an every day need. There's a chewable that does well for me too - Pepcid Complete. Its not cheap but they have it at my costco. That works better for me than tums or rolaids types chewables. I'd call the surgeon and ask them for something stronger or at least talk to them about it. Good luck! It'll get better!

After not loosing any weight since fall, I've finally broken the stall! I don't know who it was, but someone, somewhere on this board posted something about c25k and I got curious enough to download the app to my iPhone. I'd been back on my treadmill for a few weeks but started the c25k running last week and all of a sudden I'm down 2 lbs! It's silly how much better almost 175 looks than almost 180 on the scale!