jess9395

another thing I found super helpful was dress clips (muffin clips are a good substitute). You can use them to cinch in a blouse or top or dress to fit better when it's getting to big!

That's mine too!

I'm another daily weigher and not ashamed to admit it LOL! I also track food (used to every day, then went to 2-3 days a week, now back to almost daily to figure out how to stop losing). It never made me crazy though all the fluctuations. As everyone has said, everyone is different and whatever works for you!

Yes! All this ????

I'm adding more snacks per day--nuts, fruit, etc. I still stay away from bread, pasta and rice as they don't agree with me, but have added some high fiber tortillas, oatmeal, quinoa, etc

I use it it place of sour cream... Mix it with hidden valley ranch powder to make dip or dressing if I thin it out with milk. Put it on top of chili, on a quesadilla with a low carb tortilla, etc. Haven't tried it with tuna...I figure I am eating so little I just use real mayo with that.

They definitely are expensive! Every now and then GNC's buy three get one free becomes buy two get one free and I try to stock up then! The BOGO counts for the boxes too so I get three boxes for $50 which is $1.38 a bar and that's the best I've found so far. Luckily I do have a few flavors I like well enough to buy a box... And honestly when I stock up I get six boxes and they last me months so even the ones I only like once in a while I buy a box of and they get eaten over those few months.

That's pretty much the standard price everywhere--Quest website, GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, etc

I went from a 42 or 44G ish (I probably wasn't wearing the right size) to a 32DD. Dropped about a band size and half a cup size per month.

Running and yoga!

Honestly I found that I felt better if I always had at least one outfit that fit well. I shopped goodwill (amazing steals on high end stuff) ross TJ Maxx etc. I didn't need a lot, but something that fit.

1. In a heartbeat 2. Hmmm many surprises over the last 13 months. Maybe the most surprising is my tastes have literally changed and I crave things I was never keen on and have aversions to things I used to love. Also being grossed out by what/how much/how fast those around me eat sometimes. Oh and the fact that I had an inner athlete! Who knew? I had very little pain (much better than my c section) and a comfortable recovery and no throwing up or anything, though there were some foods that gave my stomach issues early on and a few (rice notably) that still do.

Thanks for sharing!

Thanks! I will PM you. Wow that's a long time w/o running guess plastics will wait till after my marathon in mAy!

Sorry of course it's due to the risk of injury but I wondered if there were other factors than your age that your PT thought put you at greater risk for injury. Knees, hips and shins seem to be the most common injuries and overuse problems I have seen among the people I run with...IT band issues. Not so much hamstrings but it's of course possible. So maybe it's related to your hip issues I don't know.

No intrusion at all! I've been very lucky to have a supportive medical staff. I have an Ortho for a shoulder issue and he looked at my knees and said they were in great shape for my age, 45, and go for it! I say it's because I never ran and wore them out when I was young LoL. I am not one to recommend going against medical advice, but does your PT have any basis for that advice other than your age? I mean many adults take up running at later ages... Women actually have better endurance (albeit less speed) in our 40's than when we were younger overall.

See getting it all done at once and the twilight sedation are two of the things that appeal to me too! DH wants me to talk to someone who's been there/done that in person. Would you mind if I PM'd you? How long before you could run again? I'm slightly afraid if I stop I won't start again!!

Just a thought--would you consider another surgeon? Many will bill the insurance for the hiatal hernia and then you pay the difference which can be small, like a couple thousand or even less. You could probably call a few offices and check.

@@livvsmum do you find that's enough to fuel your running? You're training for a marathon aren't you? Would love to get your input over on the Marathon Training thread! Ok to the OP, I guess I am officially a vet now, 13.5 months out and below goal. I don't know if my routine is helpful, because I am in the enviable (until you are in it) spot of trying to NOT continue to lose weight. So I am currently upping my calories weekly to try new levels to balance things out. 5:15am (DH leaves for work EARLY) I am adding a snack here in the early am these days---TB Peanut Butter or a Greek yogert or a Special K Nourish oat/quinoa Cereal. Mostly Protein. coffee and Water after (I sue vanilla protein shake as coffee creamer) I take my Vitamins (multi, bcomplex, Biotin, d3) now too except for calcium which I take in the evening. 7am with the kids Either an egg scrambled with cheese or a quesadilla on a low carb tortilla or PB on two graham cracker squares, turkey and cheese roll ups or something like that. Protein and fat with maybe some carb. More coffee (w "creamer") and water after. I also then make a protein shake (BSN Syntha 6 or Syntrax Matrix typically) which I sip through the late morning. An hour before I run, usually mid morning or early afternoon so this changes time wise, I eat some complex carbs---banana with peanut butter, dare balls (I make them--dates, dried fruit and nuts), a kind bar or some of the things from my early am snack above. Then after my run I do at least half a protein shake. I run four days a week. lunch is similar to breakfast above. Usually 1pm ish. Afternoon snack 2-4pm is usually a Quest bar or a snack from Graze or NatureBox or beef Jerky. dinner is modified version (lower carb) of the family dinner---chicken, fish, meat sauce from the Pasta, Etc. I do eat some of the carbs like sweet potatoes or whole grain tortillas. I often have an evening snack these days... Protein hot chocolate or a Greek yogert or another Graze/Naturebox/quest bar. As I said, I run four days a week (occasionally 5) typically averaging 20 miles a week (which will be solidly increasing as I ramp up to the marathon in May I am training for) and do 1-1.5 hours of yoga 3-4 times a week. That's in addition to a family bike ride or hike on most weekends. I don't know if that's helpful at all bc as I said, I am trying to NOT lose right now. I've dropped to 135 and 17% body fat and don't want to go below that, mostly bc it will decrease my endurance for the distance events (and DH keeps telling me a need to gain back 10 pounds or so!). My current goal is 1800 calories a day and it is so hard to do! I lost last week at my 1600 calorie goal.

You'll get there if you set your mind to it!! I am constantly amazed at what my body is capable of... I didn't even run in high school PE, I was one of those girls walking and chatting at the back of the pack! What an awesome company benefit! I wish more companies would do that!

Yeah the proper shoes make such a difference!!! I am shoe junkie now, but once you are fitted you can get great deals on the good shoes online at places like 6pm and Active Gear Up and even Amazon. The big brands clear out their last years models for like half price. I've gotten my $120 Mizuno's for $64 and my $160 trail shoes for $80. Runners Warehouse website also has great sales and clearances and I got my Hokas for $60 there.

Ah yes Dr S is on my research list for sure...DH isn't keen on the whole going to Mexico thing, may need to convince him. How was your recovery? Did you have all that at once? So weird sometimes how the loss comes in stops and starts! Congrats on the 15lbs!

Oh I would def like that...I eat a banana dipped in peanut butter before running quite frequently, LOL! Yeah I don't typically fuel during running unless I go over about 7-8 miles as well. Jealous!!! I want to have plastics...starting to research, but scared of the cost! Can I ask where you had yours done? I know what you mean about the face looking older! I looked younger for so much of the weight loss journey, but now it's definitely starting to show as older in my face. One of the reasons I am trying hard now to stop losing!

Yay! Congrats on your success!!! I am learning as I go on this and have no way near figured it out! I read a lot of places you should eat back 30-50% of the calories you burn to keep your metabolism and energy up. I never did, I just rushed on the weight loss express, but I find more energy and faster run times now that I fuel better! Or maybe it's the 136 lb loss, who knows! If you are still losing and have energy, I think you have found your balance, truly. My pattern is to eat more carbohydrates with a little bit of protein before my runs (an hour typically) and more protein after, it's supposed to help with recovery. So I do a banana/peanut butter or an oatmeal/quinoa hot Cereal blend or one of the ricotta/flaxseed pancakes from EggFace's blog with some peanut butter before I run...something along those lines. Then I do a Protein Shake as soon after as I can stomach it (I use BSN Syntha-6 or Syntrax Matrix usually).

Yeah they're pretty much straight sugar! I am working on alternatives... I make date balls---cup of dried fruit cup of nuts cup of dates tsp vanilla in food processor then roll into balls. Gonna try those next long run. Been looking at the bonk bars do you like em? I HATE gu's but they do the job for me-- the Beans are my favorite, the ones by jelly belly I am down to my "running weight" and 17% body fat, seriously don't want to drop more. At 45 and 5'6" with some of that weight extra skin to remove...135 is plenty low