LilMissDiva Irene

Vacaville is perfect for me anytime (almost)! One of these times we can all meet up at the Six Flags... whoohooo!!!

WELCOME:welcome: to the rest of your life!! You've taken that step to get healthy, fit and FABULOUS!! Well that calls for getting up off that couch :behindsofa: and GET MOVING!! :target: So what is your plan for today? What is your workout plan for tomorrow? Next week? C'mon get it going!! Anything is good and having a plan is the first step. Most health and fitness message boards have "Gym Rats". We do not, UNTIL NOW!!!:grouphug: Like the header says, take a number but don't you DARE take a seat. Since I started the group I am Gym Rat #1. So... who's #2??? :tea: Note: You do not have to have a membership to a gym to be a Gym Rat. You just need to be motivated and have a plan of action. I personally have never been signed up at a real gym, yet I always seem to get my sweat on. Get real!!!

I have some thongs and they really aren't that difficult to get used to. I say if you like them and they make you feel sexy... get them!! As far as sizes go, I fit a size 6 or M and I wear pant size 8-10's right now. I can also get into Size 5's but are just a little bit too tight for my taste. If it helps at all, check out the package panties (yep I love these fruit of the looms... hee!) and they have sizing charts on the back. They are right on with the sizing. They also show the S, M, L, XL sizing too as well as the numbering. GOOD LUCK!! I'm sure Hubby won't argue!

I would like to kindly remind everyone to keep opinions of Other individuals to ourselves. Please stay on topic, as this is something that can really help others to make a final decision if this surgery is right for themselves. This is NOT a decision to be made lightly. Everyone's experiences will be different from another's and if someone regrets having their surgery then that is their own personal right. I myself had buyers remorse, I believe even up to the first whole month. However today I feel completely different. I'm exactly where I'd hoped to be at the end of my journey, though I don't make THAT decision, my body does. Anyway even if I ended up right here, that's fine because right here is where I want to be. Thus, at nearly 10 months out... I have absolutely, positively ZERO REGRET!!

Haaa!!! You certainly never read any of MY posts pre surgery! I did not have an easy breezy go of it immediately post op. In fact one of my friends had to text me to make sure I was still alive!! LOL I too was in a lot of pain, couldn't pee on my own so I had to have a catheter "installed" while awake, had severe pain every time I swallowed, major fatigue for minimum first six weeks, walking dead I tell ya! It started to feel like I was going to feel that way forever. I also felt very snowed because I'd asked an array of questions and everyone kept saying how easy the surgery was and how much energy they had... mmhmmm yeah right... Anyway, the truth is it really REALLY gets better over time. The first few months out of surgery are VERY TOUGH for the majority of us. We don't jump straight off the operating table and sign up for the Boston Marathon. Majority of us go through a normal post surgical healing period. This one puts us through misery especially because we simply CAN'T EAT!! We are weakened because we aren't getting any kind of proper nourishment. As some will say too, they can't tolerate the Protein shakes. I could, thank goodness but a few sips every hour really isn't anything to be so rah-rah about either. I think newbie sleevers, just take a step back and really look at the big picture here. Realize what you put your body through, register it and never forget. Your first and main focus SHOULD BE to get all your fluids in or as close as you absolutely positively can. Next, get some protein in, in any form you can stand and which doesn't make you physically sick. Get PLENTY of rest!!! Don't get up and try to get chores done or anything in your healing period. If need be, have a little bell next to your bed so someone can take care of you! Also, do your very best to try to get up and around every few hours. Even walking a little bit around the house, such as from your bed to your resting chair, to the bathroom, then back to bed. All of that counts! And most importantly, have patience in yourself. Healing takes some time... Wishing you all well!!

Hmmm... well - here it goes... I guess I'm just mentally drained where hard core weight loss is concerned quite frankly. Before I continue let me be clear I may still lose some weight... however as far as really working my butt off and continued food restraint... I think I really am done. Period. Yes I'll continue to do my early morning running, I'll still do my workouts (this will be always and forever) and I'm probably going to add in some muscle toning exercises. I bulk up really easily so this is actually going to slow down the losses a bit. However, I'm NOT going to actively push more workouts to post higher losses anymore. I'm also NOT going to do low carbs anymore, in fact I'm going to add in more per meal. Slowing down the routine will probably get me about 3-5 Lbs lost per month. I do believe I am very much ok with this. Physically I am very satisfied with how I look. I am wearing sizes 8-10 in pants right now and I just bought a bunch of size Small shirts and they are all fitting. I even bought size XS at Old Navy (my first time there ever!) and those even fit. Crazy huh? Well... this got me to thinking, how small do I really want to get??? I weigh 185 Lbs. So what??? This is how GOD made me, and I accept this. I've lost nearly 150 Lbs from my heaviest weight!!! Why am I torturing myself just because of a stupid made up BMI scale??? Its just insanity I tell you!!! I know we tend to continue losing with the sleeve even once we have decided we are at "goal". I imagine this will be true for me too. I have picked up really good habits so it's inevitable I will still continue to lose from here, I just don't want to try as hard anymore. If I want a tortilla with my dinner, guess what... I'm gonna have a freakin tortilla with my dinner. If I want a slice of bread, I'm going to have a slice of bread. If I want to some white rice one night, that's what I'll have. I can only eat one or two bites anyway!! If I want a few potato chips with my lunch... you get the idea. I just wanted to put it out there that *I* Irene am calling myself nearly done. If I lose a little more, great. If not... OH WELL!!! I'm HAPPY with ME right now and that is ALL THAT MATTERS!!! It is possible that at some point I may change my mind. Well, guess what I'm a woman so that's my right. LOL!! None the less, I just feel happy and very much ready to let go of the diet mentality. I'm ready to just live my life and enjoy the new me... get used to the new person I've become. I can seriously actually look at myself in the mirror now and be ok with how I look. I decided to put this in the Success threads because this is a huge success to me... saying goodbye to diets and hello to "maintenance"... whatever that entails (which usually for sleevers is still a little more losing but not breaking our necks for it). Well, I'm here!!! Say hello to the new and improved me. Again, if I continue to lose a few more here and there I'm ok with that. If I don't, well take me or leave me. I'm happy and content. Blessings!!! Source: As I near the end of my Weight Loss Journey...

I usually suggest folks taking in the last 4-6 weeks average weight loss per week and making that your goal, give or take a few pounds. Men typically lose MUCH faster than us ladies - so I think if you upped your goal a little bit you'd do just fine. Good luck!!

Hi Curveball 21, WOW you have done fabulous so far!! Thank you so much for sharing your story! It's nice to see that even those with higher BMI's can still do well with the Sleeve and not feel like their only choice is the Bypass. The sleeve is a very viable choice!! Re: exercise, I do agree with Smokey in that doing Pool exercises is excellent for those who need to go easy on the joints. You're simply doing too much if you're injuring yourself during your workout. All that does is set you back and might even turn some off to even wanting to do it. No one likes to be in pain!! Hang in there and keep checking in with us to let us know how your journey is moving along. All the best to you!

Hi Jen! Maybe some antibiotics from your Dr. might help? Sometimes when I get stuck with a persistent cough my Doc will prescribe me some antibiotics and it clears the cough right up. I hope you feel better very soon and you can schedule your big day!!

Haaa!! Actually what I'm really hoping will happen is I can have some padding redistribute to my top and tone up more on my bottom. I really don't want to lose anymore of my booty and dang it, my chest looks like Skeletor... LOL!! Hi SS!!! Miss you around here! I know I can easily go up and down on the scale a few pounds at a time, especially around TOM. But then I start losing again and it's always a big drop. Well, I'd like to muffle that big drop to but a few Lbs. This is a really nice place to be, I won't lie!! I'll really need to learn how to balance my workouts so I'm not still losing too much too fast. I honestly do really love running and calorie burn via cardio. I've heard a million times our bodies will stop losing when it is good and ready, and I totally accept that. But, maybe I can convince my body we are VERY close and it is in our best interest to keep the curviliciousness. Hahaa!! I do think that is what scares me the most... regain. I think in all of this, that is the main factor in me *not* totally giving in. I just need to coast to a landing really - I'm just not ready to totally stop. However as long as I don't gain, I believe I can be very happy here.

The Sugar is a demon! Once you have some all you think about for days and days is MORE MORE MORE!!! LOL I say get that stuff out of the house if it's still there and maybe push VERY low carbs for a few days (<20) until the cravings die down. It's hard!! I know that's true. I get really physically ill when eating junk food, so thankfully I have that working for me. Though I know I *can* eat a LOT of popcorn. I have to only eat it no more than when I'm at the movies. Here's the good thing about breaking up the monotony though, when you do get back on program your body responds beautifully by having huge drops once you get yourself back into ketosis. Much <3!!!

That is GREAT!!!

Hey Kim! Of course I'll still post!!! You all are like a second family!!!

Thank you and yes, great bone density runs in my family from my Mom's side. We are all built very strong and and we are all heavy too. My size 6 cousin is 160+ Lbs, and though I'd still weigh more than her when I wear that size!! That said, she's also 2 inches taller than me too... LOL... I'm sure a lot is some extra skin I have too. It's not bad but make no mistake it IS there!!!

Thanks so much everyone! It really is a huge relief and weight off my shoulders to finally come to terms that I'm much closer to done than I had originally thought. I wanted to start the slow down now, because as Tiffykins you mentioned it still seems to come off a little bit once you even make this decision. I totally believe that it continued to melt off even though you never tried!! I went through a month where I absolutely never once tried and still lost 5-6 Lbs that month... That was May, then I tried again for last month and I believe I lost about 9-10 Lbs... something like that. My body is not used to sugar or fatty food at all and I think I may have to retrain it as much as I can back in. It's used to eating nothing but baked chicken or fish / eggs / and green veggies!!! Anything else and for more than one meal and my Sleeve Momma starts to rebel... LOL I can't explain the feeling you get once you decide to "let go" of dieting. I mean I will probably still need to do some short bursts of it if I notice my scale doesn't do its downward trend as it's very normal for it to have any ups. No biggie, I don't think it would ever take me more than 2 weeks to get it back off. Whoohooo!!! I think the biggest friend I'll have now is to make sure I'm still weighing myself to watch out for gaining. Whoohoo!!!

Well I think what I'll do for awhile is still participate in the Weight Loss challenges. I have changed my goals to lose about 2-4 Lbs per month. That's plenty right now and it will also give me a chance to really realize if it's a good place to really stop actively losing. In this time I'm hoping to be able to re-learn a new relationship with ALL foods where I don't beat myself up for eating certain things. It's a really tough decision to make. I'm knowing I'll battle with it for awhile. Hugs to you and wishing you well !!!

I'm changing my goal... ____________________________________________ SN..............Starting Wt........Current.......Goal.......Lbs to Goal LilMissDiva.....185.8................185.8.........179.............6.8

And you know I am really REALLY smiling right now. That's what it's all about folks! Getting to a place where we can feel good about ourselves and know our health has improved so much, mentally and physically. Lucille, my pleasure. I so believe in this tool!! It really really REALLY is the BEST thing I've ever done to take my life back. *hugs* I'm telling you though I am still going to join in on the challenges. I do intend to change my goals however to but a few pounds per month, very small goals. I just want to ensure that I'm gathering myself into maintenance without just going berserk either. *Cheers!!*

Yeah right Meggie! I'm just joking of course! Yes, let's try this again in about a month or so. Hopefully we can get more who can make it. We are going to Vacaville on Friday at Gold's Gym to hit the Bod Pod and would probably be for a very busy weekend if I had to go out to Hayward the very next day. I'll leave it to whoever wants to coordinate the Bay Area get together. Hugs all!!

LOL Exactly my point! I'm an anomaly in every sense. I'm 5'6... and I weigh 185 Lbs. No my scale is NOT broken (I've heard that one a million times). I go to my Dr.s office and they have a Detecto Balance Scale and it always weighs me exactly what my Taylor scale says at home. In fact, it's so funny, the tech will always start with putting the big slider at 50 Lbs less than I know I will turn out to be... haaa!! I just don't know why I weigh so much. I'm just going to have to accept it at this point. For goodness sakes I have my Skinny cousin commenting on how skinny *I* am... and one of my Aunties even made a comment that I'm smaller than her. Only on top of course, she's a size 6 which I'm only about 5-10 Lbs away from as I fit into many pairs but are just still too tight to wear comfortably. I wanted to continue on to lose around 20 more Lbs... but really - I just didn't do this to get super skinny. I like the sizes I am right now. Also, if I did lose 20 more, will I even be able to fit any shirts at all??

That's right!! AMEN!! Enjoy yours as well! *hugs* I think I like to call it Semi-Maintenance mode... heehee

I just posted this new thread in the Success Stories threads: