macman

5 miles on the bike yesterday, 6 miles today for a monthly total of 76 miles

Fiddleman, I am still pre op, hoping for a surgery date in December. Right now am trying to establish good habits that I can use after surgery. But you"re right about trying to take advantage of the opportunity. Nothing like getting a little religion because of the second chance.

I have been traveling this week so I have not posted. But I have been able to keep working on the bike, even with all day meetings. That is a new one for me. Before taking on this challenge I would never pack the gym shoes and plan on exercise. 28 miles so far this week. Brings the monthly total to 65 miles.

I am on the other side of this issue as I am just finishing my six months. Insurance required a 6 month managed plan. The Hospital intentionally spread appointments out for me so I could do something every month. The first two months were single appointments, had an intake physical and saw the psych counselor. Month three got serious when I saw the NUT and began my structured diet. I had monthly follow ups with the NUT and exercise physiologist. I had to show I could stick with a program and lose weight, although not a specific amount. I have just finished the required pre surgical classes and have an appointment to see the surgeon on Tuesday. I am hoping for a December date. At times the six months dragged on. I have felt ready for the surgery for about a month now. But I have learned a lot in the mean time. It is the first time in my life I have stuck with a regimented exercise program and have learned a lot about nutrition. I have also tried a lot of foods that hopefully I will be able to eat after the surgery. I also have learned and tried to put into place routines with eating and exercising that should help me after the surgery. Of course it also helps that I lost 35 pounds along the way. I will say this forum has helped me understand a lot of the issues, concerns and successes that people are having. In the end I could do with shortening the requirement by a month or two but it has been time well spent.

Great topic Guys, love the commentary! I started my journey six months ago and I am looking forward to "gettin on with it". I finished all the requirements and have an appointment with the surgeon on Tuesday. I hope we can set a date for December In my case the decision was easy. The older I get, the more difficult it is to lose weight and deal with the problems that come with it. The bad back, joint stiffness, shortness of breath and high blood pressure all add up to issues that will only get worse as the weight stays on The last six months have helped me understand proper nutrition, exercise and the commitment needed to follow through on my wls decision. Along the way I have lost 35 pounds and lowered my BMI rom 45.2 to 41. It gives me great hope for what is possible in the future

I, or should I say my wife has made a couple from the blog. Thanks, I did not realize it was you!

My Fitness Pal is what I am using. I have an Apple but I know it works well for Android as my wife is using it

I did 6 miles on the bike today, and 3 miles walking yesterday. Monthly total is 37 miles

Thanks for passing on the recipe!',Always looking for good ideas

I useUnjury protein powder for shakes. Chocolate splendor mixed with PB2 or banana, milk and ice make a great tasting shake. The Strawberry Sorbet flavor is also good. Many posters have talked about using unflavored protein powder and mixing with Torani flavored syrups for variety. For Ready to Drink. I use Premier Protein , which I get at Sam's Club.

Good advice!! I have been in a 6 month plan as well. For me, I had to measure, weigh and track my food intake so I could relearn about portion sizes and what I should be eating. Adding daily exercise has also been a big boost to my pre op weight loss. I am just finishing up my plan and have lost 35 pounds in the process. The 6 months were great for me, I learned a lot. I have an appointment with the surgeon next week.

Congratulations on hitting your goal! You look amazing! It is really great to see the results after what I am sure was a lot of effort.

Not sure if this will post, I can not get to the end of this thread on my IPad. It has been a couple days since I posted because of the site transition. I have been riding the recumbent bike daily and now have a monthly total of 42 miles.

Congratulations, you look great!

Getting closer. My final pre surgery skills class is tomorrow. Insurance submittal follows and the waiting game begins.

I am also a fan of Quest Bars. My favorites have been chocolate chip cookie dough, cashew and coconut and cinnamon roll. They do have a sampler pack that will give you a good range of different bars to try. I ordered them direct on the web.

6 miles today. Monthly total is 28

jdmama911 I have been doing the recumbent bike for the last 8 weeks. I started with 20 minutes a day , 3 days a week. The exercise physiologist recommended that I increase the time 10% a day, until I reached 30 minutes. Then increase the number of exercise days to 6 times a week. That is whee I am now. I plan to keep increasing the pace until my surgery date. I am impressed at the results so far and how I look forward to doing cardio exercise. Some strength training is next.

I did 4 miles on the recumbent bike this morning, then off to an early meeting. I never would have done that before this challenge. Monthly total 22 miles.

I found the site via yahoo search when looking at sleeve procedure

6 miles today. Brings the monthly total to 18

I am still pre op and taking chewable vitamins, so I can't help with that. I have taken fish oil for a long time. Currently I am using Barlean's Orange Cream 3-6-9. It is a combination Fish, Flax and Borage Oil. It comes in a single use packet and has the consistency of a thick liquid. It is flavored orange and has a slight fish after taste.

I am still pre op as well. My start weight was 362. I am now at 330. I still have a couple things to complete but hoping to have surgery in December. I have set a personal goal of 230 lbs. (I probably have not been at that weight for almost 30 years). But it is a very good question about setting expectations. At this time I would just like to make a great effort and end up at whatever the number is

6 more miles today for a total of 22 so far.

6 miles on the bike today, good way to start the month!