Ava324

I created a page to help the family of my brother's girlfriend. She's 19 years old, devastated for her family and country, and unsure of her own future. Please visit and share the page wherever you can (like posting www.gofundme.com/familyqrecovery on social media or hanging up the attached flyer in break rooms). We deeply appreciate your kindness during this time! http://www.gofundme.com/familyqrecovery Sainju Family Page.pdf

145 again this week. Thanks, Susan!

145 yesterday. Thanks!

CW 147 GW 139

I had persistent painful stomach spasms even 10 months after surgery. A barium swallow showed that my sleeve curved similarly. During my EGD they also saw acid in my esophagus and that my pylorus was super tight. They dilated my sleeve to straighten the bend and dilated my pylorus too. I've felt very mild spasms a handful of times since, but not nearly bad enough to grab my stomach and vocalize, which used to be daily. I hope they're able to resolve your pains as well!!

April 20, 2013 I attended my cousin's Catholic wedding. This meant kneeling. I knelt for maybe 15 minutes, and it was excruciating. 2 weeks later I was still in pain and had to see a doctor and get x-rays. Turns out I had a floating patella, and me knee-cap was off its track. The podiatrist said I needed physical therapy, and if that didn't resolve the issue, possibly surgery. At 25 years old! My body and joints were starting to fail under my weight. I had high blood pressure, Polycistic Ovarian Syndrome, and was prediabeitc. I felt trapped on a terrible unhealthy track, and now surgery was in my immanent future. Something had to derail me, and if surgery was in my future, I decided on one that addressed my underlying problems. My co-morbidities are all resolved, I exercise 5 days a week, I've reached my goal, and I'm looking ahead to a vibrant future.

I hit my goal Thursday of last week, which was also the day after my one-year surgiversary. !!! The waiting was worth it! Sunday, I got my first tattoo for the occasion. I'd eyed the design for years. The outline is white ink, so the pinkness will dissipate once healed. Love love love it.

I'm pretty sure it's a bad-ish thing, as it certainly doesn't feel good. Not painful though. The tingling is mostly at the back of my head, and it's also sometimes accompanied with a cold feeling through my body. I feel a little faint, but nowhere close to actually fainting. I brought it up to my personal trainer a few weeks ago, and he didn't know what it was and jokingly said it was endorphins pumping. Yesterday I started the day with a 3 mi. interval (1:1) jog and walk. I had a pre-workout snack an hour before PT (5pm), but I still went into it with under 400 calories for the day. I had a head tingling spell during my session (very intense circuit with cross-jacks, power squats, stance-jacks, suicides, kettle ball swings, etc.). I didn't have to take a break to sit down at any point, and my heart-rate recovery was pretty good. I stay hydrated with ease.. I had a 20 minute break before my bootcamp class.. I brought up the tingling with my bootcamp instructor and he said it was a sign of over-exertion and that it's potentially dangerous. Fainting and coma dangerous. He had a football teammate who had frequent episodes of it and would sometimes faint. The internet is scary and there are all sorts of neurological causes, but mostly I find it on forums for people with MS and such, not just during a workout.. So I don't think those causes apply to me. My breathing and heart seem fine during the workout, so is it just fatigue? Do I just need to up the calories a bit? Or cut back on how hard I'm pushing myself? Has anyone experienced this before?

Awww! Thanks, Kate! I've pretty much been beaming for the past few days. And I even applied for a job in the obesity prevention and policy field.. I've been saying I "couldn't be happier", but I might actually explode if I get it! The person over hiring is out on vacation for the rest of year. Waiting is killer, but at least I can be excitedly hopeful through the holidays! Check out this fanciness! The dress was $3.something from Goodwill. Why ever buy retail??

Congrats to you too!!! I know you had been stuck just outside of onederland for a while. And now check out that progress!! You're kicking butt. Did you faithfully maintain the same plan or did you make major adjustments? Whatever you're doing, it's working!

I'm a year and two days out today, and this morning I officially hit (or "tapped", because I'm sure it'll fluctuate for a little bit) my ultimate goal. I've logged consistently and have been around 700 - 1,000 calories a day, under 50 carbs a day, under 60 grams of fat a day, and 50 - 70 grams of Protein a day. Tomorrow will be the very first day without waking up and hoping the scale has gone lower, so I know I'm not really the type you're looking for responses from.. My clinic's dietitian recommends bumping calories up by 100 for a week or two at a time until we stop losing - then that's our equilibrium point. I have a feeling that will be under 1,700 calories a day for me, because of my PCOS (polycistic ovarian syndrome). I really don't want that switching back to the "on position", as my doc calls it.

139 this morning .... ....... Gooooaal!!! My mind is freaking blown. Wednesday was my one-year surgiversary, and I couldn't have asked for a better week. Ending it with the office Christmas party today, and I'm feeling fancy. The real test will be coming out of this challenge still at goal. I'm sure I'll fluctuate for a bit above goal, since there's no way I lost 7 lbs of fat in one week. But oh my goodness, I'm there. Wishing everyone the very best!!

2 mile fun run this Saturday evening. I'm definitely going to push for speed in this one. I've yet to really push myself and don't know how fast I'm capable of going per mile.. The run is going to be in New Orleans' City Park, and afterwards Celebration in the Oaks (light display gardens & park) will open early and exclusively for runners. Then hubby and I will head to the lakefront to watch the Christmas boat parade. I'm contemplating a 9K January 4th. My longest ever race was 4 miles, so that'd be a biggy for me.

It's been an amazing year. I'm in genuine awe over how this process has affected every aspect of my life. The biggest impact is of course that my life expectancy has dramatically improved. My polycistic ovarian syndrome, insulin resistance, and depression were spiraling out of control. I was 25 years old and on a fast track to knee surgeries, diabetes, and other co-morbidities. I honestly don't think I would have made it much past 50. These days I'm active, healthy, confident, and happy. I had my one-year follow-up appointment Monday, and my lab work was all perfect. They don't need to see me for a year, so now every doctor is on an annual basis. That blows my freaking mind. I've made many new good friends: with members and trainers at my gym, with support group peers, people here on bariatic pal, and with fellow Obesity Action Coalition convention attendees. I traveled to Orlando for the convention in September and learned so much much more about our disease, and I will be at the 2015 convention in San Antonio. I'm even putting feelers out for a possible career in obesity prevention and treatment. I've attached a few before and after comparisons. My husband hasn't had surgery, but he's lost about 65 pounds of his own. He joins me three times a week for boot camp and is 100% supportive of keeping foods out of the house and our vocabulary. I couldn't ask for a better partner! I also attached a comparison of photos I took with my cat... The Oct. 2013 photo is profound to me, because it epitomizes the cloud of depression and shame I was living in. I was literally hiding myself behind my kitten. I've come so so far. My highest ever documented weight was 289 lbs. Start of process, I was 268, and day of surgery I was at 254. This morning, I weighed 142.4 lbs, only two pounds from goal. It would have sounded good to meet my goal at my one-year anniversary, but this morning I was my lowest ever, which I'm more than happy with. In total I've lost 147 lbs (at least) and weigh less than half of what I did. My body's set-point is forever 289+, and I'll always have to manage my obesity. Today I'm happy and proud as hell, and I'm confident that I'll maintain this new healthy and fulfilling life.

Thank y'all for the words of support and compliments! Seriously fills me with warm fuzzies. Can't say enough how great it's been to have bariatricpal this process. I was on here for 6 months before surgery learning from others, and it means the world to me that I can share some of my experiences with others too. @Inner Surfer Girl and @Kindle: I hadn't thought about how she got fluffier and I de-fluffied. Lol! Those two pics couldn't be more different. Oh! And this morning, I "hit" my ultimate goal. Or tapped it? I think it might have been a dehydrated blip, but I'm there.

Tomorrow will mark my one year surgiversary (!!!!). I'm doing a lot of reflecting during this time, and a pattern became apparent. I came down with a cold two weeks after surgery, but other than that one occasion, I have not been sick since. If you exclude that cold, because it was so close out, I haven't gotten sick since having surgery. No bug of any kind, cold or stomach related. Has anyone else noticed a positive change in immunity? Surgery has led to a complete lifestyle change for me, and I can't point to one thing that changed my immune system. I think various things are helping: Shrunken fat cells which can't hold or produce as much inflammatory hormones. Religiously taking my Vitamins. a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar a day. Increased prebiotic and probiotic foods and supplements Exercise, exercise, exercise! 45+ minutes 5 days a week. HIIT, strength training with a PT, and jogging. "Bouncing" exercises in particular that pump lymphatic system. I don't do it the rebounding way with a little trampoline, but I'm doing various types of jumping jacks, jump roping, burpies, etc. Here's a random source about the benefits: http://www.chrisbeatcancer.com/rebounding/ Regular dry brushing, which helps move lymphatic Fluid too: http://naturalhealthtechniques.com/healingtechniquesdry_brushing_technique.htm I'm curious. If you're dramatically sick less often, what do you think is contributing for you? Or are you doing new healthy things, but there's no difference?

Pahaha! I love your description! I'd probably be singing a different tune too if I was inundated in kid cooties..

So awesome to hear about your improvements!! And super freaking cool that you have the empirical measure! The act of losing weight (mobilizing and shrinking fat cells) is amazingly powerful. I was diagnosed with polycistic ovarian syndrome back in 2005 (but I'd say symptomatic since 2001). The condition was in full swing while my weight steadily increased. I had it even when I weighed well under 200. By my 3-month follow-up appointment after surgery, my numbers were completely normal. Even though I weighed 207, it was the losing 47 that made the difference. @@Robert Christopherson - Here's a piece about the benefits: http://www.collective-evolution.com/2014/06/02/12-reasons-why-apple-cider-vinegar-will-revolutionize-your-health/, and the excerpt re. immunity: 3. Prevent Candida and Normalize Intestinal Bacteria ACV is full of beneficial acids which are believed to help improve the make up of your intestinal flora. These include acetic acid and malic acid, which have antibacterial, antimicrobial and anti-fungal properties and can help control the spread of the candida fungus in your intestines, a common debhilitating problem with many people’s high sugar diets. 4. Strengthen Your Immune System Your intestinal flora are a big part of your body’s immune system. It makes sense then that improving the conditions for the growth of friendly bacteria with apple cider vinegar can help improve your overall immunity. The malic acid in ACV is also a strong antiviral, perhaps one of the reasons people often say they experience fewer colds when they take apple cider vinegar in Water daily. Additionally, raw and unfiltered apple cider vinegar is said to benefit your lymphatic system by helping to cleanse lymph nodes and break up mucus in the body. Over time this can relieve sinus congestion, reduce colds and alleviate allergies.

Congrats!! We share the same anniversary date and have lost almost the same total weight (147 for me). Logging and kicking exercise butt here as well. Yay - motivation and commitment!! And go us!!

Sorry, I fell behind on reporting... Easy to do when the scale goes the wrong direction, and after you were feeling confident and bumped your target! 11/28: 146 12/5: 145