F_it

@@JustWatchMe thank you so much for your heartfelt reassurance, i cant tell you how much that means to me. And I am so sorry to hear about the traumatic experience your mother had, which obviously had its impact on you too. You are absolutely right, we have all survived things and its wonderful to draw strength and learn from each others experiences. Thanks again :-)

Ellipticals are known to be low impact too but not sure if that would apply to someone healing from a medical situation

@@Bandista and @@gowalking ..im about to really hijack this post so i do apologize for that and before i start just wanna say (wow awesome inspiring transformations you are all flaunting on this thread, way to go!!) Ok, now for the hijack. CYMBALTA I got a knot in my throat just seeing your posts and HAD to say something. I was on cymbalta for fibromyalgia for two years. I cannot begin to describe what a horrific experience it was, and even worse was when I decided I had to stop. I know I am new here, and am just a stranger on the internet, but we are here to support each other in improving our lives.. Please, please please read about the side effects AND the withdrawal dangers associated with cymbalta. They are very real and very likely to affect you in ways you would have never imagined. I honestly am not dramatizing and dont want to scare anyone, but being on cymbalta is a memory I have tucked away for the incredible damage it caused. Before I get carried away with my emotions ill just state some of the things I suffered from in my own personal experience: disorientation and confusion (i would lose my way to work every few days, or have a hard time figuring out which house on the street was home) fatigue and drowsiness (would fall asleep at random times even with people talking near me) extreme sudden depressive states (and horrifying suicidal thoughts and nightmares) irrational thoughts (would consider driving through a red light out of curiosity to see if it would turn green, stupid dangerous things id never normally imagine) brain "zaps" that sound like electric shocks in your head/pain and sensitivity towards bright lights I had never experienced any such extreme effects before cymbalta, and after an extremely painful withdrawal period they soon disappeared. I understand that some people out there may have benefited from the drug, maybe some people never had any negative side effects. But please do your research on people who have used it before you continue, and if you decide to stop PLEASE do so with extreme care and constant supervision in the withdrawal period. Sorry for such a messy hijack, best wishes to everyone

That does suck that you are being told not to go after your fitness goals and tame your inner tiger when all it wants to do is roar. Being so close to completing your px90 only makes it more frustrating. But I agree that its better to think of this as a healing hiatus and mentally prepare yourself for the renewed energy once youre better, than to work against your healing and make things worse fir longer. Also, I empathize with your concerns about the steroids, they are a bummer and if you can have an alternative Id go for it. If not though, expect (and try to accept, for the sake of your own peace if mind) that it will most likely be unpleasant and make you feel puffy and bloated but with a LOT of hydration it WILL and DOES get better. Just hang in there :-)

Thanks for all the info, im going to be doing some reading and prepping to try this strategy out!

Love what you said about "eating like the french." Thats how I like to see my new eating lifestyle. I avoid fat free and sugar free products. Fat free foods are usually loaded with artificial yucky flavor substitutes that end up raising the calories, just so it can be labelled as fat free. So not worth it. And I totally avoid artificial sweeteners. As far as I know they can do more damage than good in the long run. Would totally prefer smaller quantities of high quality, natural ingredients and decadent flavors that I savor thoughtfully over flavorless FAKE food wrapped in "health hype" promises. Plus there are plenty studies out there that demonstrate how things like "good fats" and full fat dairy is actually more beneficial to long term weight maintenance. One thing i like about the band is that its not about deprivation but about training yourself to be aware with how to feed your body :-)

@@Ginger Snaps yea i can relate with the randomness, i did an hour on the elliptical last night and sure enough ive woken up to a new little collection of bruises, one above my ankle, on my wrist, arm, and behind a knee.. They dont hurt either they just want to be noticed lol.

Double post kill

Like i said reassurances AND freakouts welcomed so thanks for that haha :-D

@@lisacaron hehe thats sweet of you to clarify what doms to look for, i did head straight to webmd for that :-p Yea i get a little sore when i get into the zone and push myself but these bruises seem to be random (as in not in places obviously connected to soreness). I definitely dont mind pushing myself but like you say not to the extent of looking like im being pushed around by a bully lol :-)

Thank you so much for that explanation and advice! I really appreciate it, will read up on DOMS (sounds kinky lol.. Sorry couldnt resist) and will revise my supplements after the bloodwork. Definitely not getting discouraged.. I have pea-sized body builder bumps haha! :-D thanks again!

Love this article. I try to make sure that if I feel guilt, its in the form of acknowledging a mistake, rather than feeling ashamed. I think of the former as a step moving forward, while the latter keeps you trapped in the past. If I make a mistake, I make sure I keep it contextualized. Yes I caved in to a goowy brownie. No I am not an uncontrollable failure. And I let the guilt go so that I can actually enjoy the goowy brownie affair, move on and commit to an extra workout that week. When I catch myself having a staring contest with a potential mistake.. I try to ask myself, if I let this happen, how am I going to feel about it tomorrow? And in most cases, the brownie is first to blink and I walk away knowing I made a confident choice.

Hmmm the mystery continues! :-)

I was going to describe them exactly as "pea sized but smaller"! Ive been on blood thinners before after an emergency c section but not as regular medication, I also have experienced bleeding issues and subsequently low iron levels so im wondering if that is a connection there... But i guess my main worry is if it is a problem with blood clots/embolism or some other weirdness going on in blood vessels..i had severe bells palsy early this year so im a little apprehensive.. But intrigued to learn more for curiosity's sake too! Thanks so much for sharing, and i hope we discover more about the mysterious peas! Lol :-)

Thanks for the feedback bikrchk, yea sounds like some blood tests might be in order, just in case. I have been low on iron in the past so who knows.

Forgot to add, im 100% sure im not bumping into stuff clumsily or kickboxing in my sleep hehe.. Thanks

Has anyone tried the heart rate monitors that are built into watches/wristbands? I dont like chest straps, and want to monitor my heart rate to target the 65%-85% zone when i work out, i use an app on my iphone called Cardiio that can check your heart rate which is pretty cool, but i hate having to stop what im doing to fiddle with my phone. I like the idea of having a tracker that will keep me on my toes :-)

Im in a size 16 now that are getting pretty loose so im still doing plus size stores like torrid for jeans. But i have to admit i have been fantasizing wearing a pair of jeans from true religion. I think the biggest they have is a size 10-12 and part of me resents how exclusive and fashion-snobby that is to have such a limited size range.. But the other part of me is craving the day i can actually fit into a pair. I guess its less about fitting into them as much as it is about feeling "i fit in" the world of regular sized humanity lol. Anyway. Thats definitely going to be a reward to myself when i get there, a hot pair of overpriced skinny jeans from true religion lol. :-)

Hi sunshine :-) congrats on taking the first step towards getting back on track, and focusing on yourself again. I also had a fill after almost two years with an empty band. The first fill felt very tight, i was very careful and had only clear liquids for the first few days, sipping slowly. My advice is to take it very slow, go back to learning the band rules and start from square one. Your band might feel a little more comfortable after a few days, but if you find you cant move on to drinking comfortably, or having thicker fluids/mushy foods then you might be too tight. After my 3 days on clear liquids i was getting acid reflux and having trouble swallowing water comfortably so i quickly went back for a tiny unfill (.5) and now i feel great. Good luck!

Hi! This might be a crazy thought but when i read this i couldnt help thinking of babies formula dividers.. They are like little storage pots with divided sections on the inside so that you can have single portions of baby (or protein?!?! Lol) powder in them and easily pour into your water on the go :-)

I had my band in 3 years ago, was doing fine with gradual fills then i got pregnant with twins. My band doc gave me a partial unfill. I later miscarried one baby and the band doc decided i needed a complete unfill to regain my health to make it through a high risk pregnancy. I gained 15lbs and lost them within 6 weeks post delivery. I shouldve gone in for a fill then, but i didnt because i got bells palsy and became more preoccupied with my paralysis than my weight loss. With the strong steroid medications i had to take for that it was hard and i was getting the bloated side effects of steroids but i managed to maintain my weight loss and didnt gain but i was feeling defeated for not having made any progress for almost two years. I recently kicked that fear out, got my fills back in and am losing again. Point is, I empathize with how an unfill can lead to a phase of frustrations and defeated feelings, especially when theres a lack of support from a medical team that understands your unique situation and needs. IMO after having an unfill its such an important phase to stay connected to a support system to stay in a positive mindset. Like so many here have said, unfills can sometimes be vital to a healthy progress, and dont necessarily result in weight gain. I wish you all the best with your next procedure, good luck :-)

I play zumba fitness on the xbox kinect when i want a change its great, the routines are all different and fun to do, it scores you on your moves and keeps track of your progress and calories burnt. Great for a laugh with friends/family too :-)

Thats terrific! Its inspiring to see that kind of positivity and dedication! Music is SUCH an important motivator to me, I really feel the difference in my workouts when Ive got a great playlist set up for my mood of the day. Sometimes I go for lyrics that hit home for how I want to feel while working out, sometimes I go for a moody vibe with songs that help me zone out, and sometimes all i want is a deep, heart-thumping bass that keeps my momentum going :-)

My pleasure good luck! :-)

I tried scar away (for band surgery as well as c section), I think it does make a difference If you use it religiously and incorporate other skin healing treatments like dry body brushing, aloe vera gel, coconut/almond oil etc. honestly I lost interest in the scar away bandage thingies so I cant be sure how much credit they get in diminishing my barely visible scars. but I'd suggest trying Bio oil too which Ive seen a lot of good reviews about. And aloe vera, Im in love with the stuff and use it all the time. Its easy to care for as a plant too and you can just chop a piece off every morning and rub the goowy gel right into your skin!