southernsoul

I did this last month with GG, and while I definitely saw improvement, I never got beyond about 95 seconds. However...to go from barely holding 20 secs to 95 secs in about 3 weeks was still a great achievement, at least in my opinion. I'm doing a different ab challenge this month, but will continue to plank in solidarity with y'all. Plank on, you sexy plankers!!

Good luck!

You & I have very similar numbers & we're both about 5 months out. Your transformation so far is really impressive & you look great!

We have 2 Thanksgiving dinners to go to, one at 1:00 & one at 5:00, with a lot of driving all day. I've made the same acorn squash dish for both meals, so I know there's a side item that's OK for me. I plan to have turkey & my squash & a green veg. After that, if I manage a bite of dessert or bread, I will...but that has to come after the stuff I need.

I agree, Tink. I think part of the issue is that we used to automatically be able to see the chat window & the convo going on, so a lot of folks probably jumped in when they saw a topic being discussed that interested them. Now you have to actually 'enter' the chat room to see who's there & what's being discussed. I think the old way generated more activity in chat. However, I think they may still be tweaking the chat function, so perhaps they will take that into account. I will try to do better about joining in, since I know I haven't been as present lately.

I think it's more than just OK. Of my 3 goals, I have achieved 1 (adding 10 lbs to my weights), but I missed going to the gym 3 times this week...I went only twice. And as far as planking, I have made it to 100 seconds but not beyond that. I am continuing to plank most days, but just can't achieve the time frames listed on the challenge. However, I still think I have a win this month. For the first time in my life, I set fitness goals & seriously applied myself to meeting them. I can do more now than I could at the beginning of the month....and the month isn't over yet. Plus, I have already identified my challenge for next month & that is not something the old me would have done. We are changing our mindsets & that's a huge win that deserves to be celebrated!

Congrats!!

I just donated 7 big garbage bags of clothes to the thrift store run by our local battered women's shelter & it felt really good to get rid of that stuff. I wish I had thought to take pix for the tax report, though! I have so much more stuff I need to bag up. My feet have shrunk, so a lot of my shoes are too big now. That bums me out way more than the clothes! I should probably also donate my wedding dress. It was my 2nd wedding, so the dress is a nice beige evening gown with dark metallic allover beading.

I think certain times of ebb and flow are pretty normal & that's true no matter what we weigh. Maybe this is just a temporary ebb period for you? I would go in for a check-up, just to make sure nothing physiological is going on. Good luck!

Last weekend I took 7 big garbage bags of clothes to the thrift store run by our local battered women's shelter. I still have a lot of summer clothes to get rid of, but I wanted to get all of my too-big winter stuff to them since it is needed now. It felt good to free up some space, both in my closet & in my mind. It's time to look forward.

I was required to walk for 30 minutes every day from the beginning, but had lifting restrictions for a month, at least. I was cleared for all exercise at 8 weeks. I started with yoga to get me used to an exercise routine & then we joined a gym when I was about 12 weeks out. The return to work thing will be up to your surgeon, especially if you are required to lift a lot.

I didn't have a liquid only preop diet, and my doc doesn't require Protein shakes postop (they're allowed, just not required). I started making them during my 2 weeks of full liquids, but didn't want to add banana or something like that, since I wasn't allowed those on fulls. Instead of Peanut Butter I bought some PB2, which is powdered peanut butter. Much lower in fat than regular PB, too. I would mix that with skim milk & chocolate Protein Powder. My favorite combo (& the one I still have almost every day for breakfast) is an espresso shake. I dissolve about a tbsp of instant espresso powder in a bit of warm Water in my Blender Bottle, add about 1/2 cup of nonfat plain Greek yogurt, 1 scoop of either chocolate or vanilla protein powder, and about a cup of skim milk.

Yay & congrats!! It will be here before you know it!

That's a great question, katt, and I would say no, they will not expect you to have figured out all the answers. I think they're looking more for you to have accepted that you need to make changes, you've given some serious thought to what those changes are & how you are going to approach them, you have identified some areas where you might be particularly challenged, and you've created some support around you. Gaining awareness is a big part of solving a problem, so if you go in & show that you understand that you don't yet have it all figured out & that you will need to keep working on it postop, then I think that shows a very realistic and grounded perspective.

The 19th was my 5 month anniversary, too! You look absolutely gorgeous, but I know what you mean about not being able to see the difference. The side by side pix help with that a lot. Congratulations on your progress so far! Here's my 5 month shot:

I think everybody's different & I agree with kattastic...it's important to know yourself. I also think it's important to accept that you might change over time. Right now, I'm an eat in moderation person for the most part, but I'm only 5 months out. I enjoy the high-Protein, low carb way of eating & I don't particularly miss refined carbs. However, I try to stay mindful that what works for me now might not still be working in 6 or 12 or 24 more months. So, I'm trying to eat in a way that feels healthy and satisfying, but keep in mind that I may need to tweak as I get farther out.

Congrats & welcome! There's a ton of info here...most good, some not...and some really great people who are very inspiring examples of success. Enjoy learning your way around!

Haha...it's Fleming, but yes Sherri, it's me!

Yes...not the kind you buy at the convenience store, but a refillable, rechargeable one. You buy the nicotine liquid in your preferred strength & fill the vaporizer. There are lots of places to buy them from. A friend of my husband's has a store in Atlanta & he also sells them online: https://www.vaperite.com/. He's great about answering questions, too. I loved the Chaibacco flavor & I would also blend together the Kona Creme and Hazelnut Tobacco.

I am the exact same way! I started using only my little salad plates instead of dinner plates & I still put too much stuff on it. It's been really hard to get past the "clean your plate" mentality, too. I find I have the weirdest leftovers in my fridge, like one thin pork cutlet or half of a sausage link. In the past I would never have kept such a small amount of something, but now it's enough to make a whole other meal for me. For a long time, I could see the difference in my body in pictures (and of course I knew that my clothes size was going down), but I couldn't see the difference in the mirror. Somewhere around 70 pounds that started to change, but I still can't see the difference in my face. It really is very weird how that goes.

I'm sorry you're having such a tough time. Like you, I started making changes in my life before my surgery. Some things, like quitting smoking, were required and some of the changes were just things I thought it would be smart to get used to, like cutting out caffeine & lowering my carb intake. Some people wait until right before the preop diet to do all that stuff & I just thought that would be too much to handle. i used Chantix & a nicotine vape to quit smoking 3 months before my surgery. I took the vape to show my surgeon & he gave it the thumbs up. I only used the vape if my cravings got really bad & those times got farther & farther apart over about a 6 week period. It's REALLY hard to make so many changes all at once. I didn't have the migraine issue & that sounds really rough. If you have some time before surgery, just try to focus on giving up one thing at a time. Hang in there & good luck to you!

Hooray!! Good for you!

Ugh, I know!! I'm doing everything I can to minimize the loss, but it still seems like so much is coming out! I guess there's nothing to do but ride it out.

Today I walked into Old Navy & bought a size XL sweater, which felt great. I'm just starting to transition into "regular" sizes, but I find myself sticking to what I know. I've ordered from Old Navy online (the plus stuff is only online), so I kind of know what to expect. I re-ordered some of my favorite pieces in size M & size L from my favorite plus size retailer like a mad woman before my frequent shopper club membership expired last week. I knew I wouldn't need to shop there anymore, but their stuff is familiar to me, so I bought replacements for some of my go-to basic pieces. I haven't been brave enough yet to go beyond Old Navy, but I'm looking forward to it!

WOOOO HOOOOOO!! Girl, you are one hot overweight chick!! My "next" goal was actually reached today. After losing 80 lbs, I finally weigh what my drivers license says I weigh. The next one is in 20 more pounds when I hit 220. That will be 100 lbs gone!!