AnA92212

So, I am nine weeks pregnant with our 2nd baby. I had my first before surgery. I am now a little over 2 years post-op. I have been below my goal weight for over a year. Before I got pregnant I was running 5 to 10 miles 4 days a week, zumba one day a week, and weight lifting 2 days a week. I had some spotting at 7 weeks and my doctor banned me from running at least until 2nd trimester. I also cannot lift heavy weights. I literally ran a half marathon at my best pace every 4 days before I found out I was pregnant. I have been walking and using light weights, but it is so hard for me to "rest". I have not gained any weight yet but my NUT wants me to gain at least 30 pounds. I feel like the past 2 years of my life have been dedicated to losing weight and exercising. Now, all I am told is to eat and rest. LOL. I am doing exactly what my doctor says because we already love this baby so much. Has anyone else had issues with not being able to be as active?

2 + years out, been under goal weight for over a year. Eat about 1400 to 1600 calories a day at least 120 g of carbs a day 60-70 g protein This is per my NUT. I am a long distance runner and need the carbs. All my labs and levels are perfect and have been for over a year. I work out 6 days a week.

Started 294, weight on date of surgery 255, goal weight give to me by doctor: 145. I had surgery on April 27, 2015. Met goal weight of 145 in January of 2016. Been WELL below that for over a year.

I am 2+ years out from surgery. My daily caloric intake now is 1400 to 1600 a day, but I work out 6 days a week (even now that I am pregnant). AT 3 months I was struggling to get 600 calories a day. I stayed at 600 to 800 calories a day until about 1 year. Then I progressed to 1000 to 1200 around a year. At 18 months it upped again due to the amount of exercise. There are days I seem to be able to eat more. Then days I can only take a few bites. As far as the chicken wings go, I cannot do the fried ones. BUT, my hubby makes some in our oven. I can eat about 1 or 1.5. We usually have some sort of veggie to go with them.

Our doctor said no soda EVER. Basically, carbonation is not your friend. Soda is just empty calories. There are no nutritional benefits. The diet ones are actually worse because they cause insulin reactions, but there is no sugar so you just have all this insulin around. It is just not good.

Are you drinking enough water? Many times we think we are hungry, but our body is just dehydrated.

This is AWESOME! Way to go! Make your dreams happen!

I am 39 years old and wear a size 2 or 4 now (pre surgery was 26/28 and 3XL). It is actually difficult for me to find clothes that fit. I have had great luck with ThredUP.com and Swap.com. I like the clothes from Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, and J Crew. They just fit really well.

I have run 4 half marathons. It will be an amazing experience. I still cry everytime I cross a finish line.

I love, love, love ZUMBA. I am one of the most uncoordinated people in the world, but we just have so much fun it's not like exercise at all. I also do a class called Body Pump. It is like synchronized weight lifting. It's not really fun, but LOVE the results. I started walking after surgery. A 70+ year old lady in my body pump class did a marathon. I decided to try to run a half marathon. At first, it REALLY sucked. I mean SUCKED. BUT, I had told everyone in the world that I was running a half marathon. So, I did it. I actually ran one before the original one. I have now ran 4. I am planning on a triathlon next year and then a full marathon in January of 2019. I had to stop running for a bit because I am pregnant with baby # 2. Once he/she is here will start training again. Sometimes you just have to keep at something for awhile. I want to try a BARRE class. I do some yoga as well. If you can find a workout buddy that helps too.

I think the good thing is that you know you have gained and that you realize you still have an unhealthy relationship with food. I don't know what this means for you. For me, I used to eat when I was happy, sad, excited, anxious, you name it. Food was my emotional crutch. I am now over 2 years out from surgery, been under goal weight for over a year. I am now pregnant which I do have a small concern of gaining weight, but I am working with my NUT to help with diet. Your question is how to heal the mental part. Well, I will tell you that it is easier to control the physical part, at least at first. Go back to basics...log EVERYTHING, portion control everything, make sure to get protein and water, etc. You know the drill. Also, find something you really like to do. After I got to goal weight I started running. I have run 4 half marathons in the past 6 months. Have to stop right now due to growing a baby, but I still walk everyday, go to zumba class, and do weight training. As for the head part. Find a good friend, therapist...someone you can really talk to. I have found that food no longer holds the temptation it once did. I still get excited for food, but when I am full, I am just done. I spend my time enjoying life not having life pass me by. I found a love of sewing, crafting, soap making, and spending time with family.

As an update, I am almost 9 weeks pregnant! My numbers are amazing this time around and our little peanut is growing each visit. Due date December 28

My reproductive endocrinologist was the first to tell me that weight loss is only about 60 to 70% percent "calories in vs. calories out". The rest is hormones, body content, genetics, etc. So, if you eat way more than you put out, yes, you will gain weight. That's how most of us got in the shape we were in. I had a test done to see how many calories my body needs to operate. My body needs at least 1350 calories to breathe, operate, and function. (I had this test done a year and a half after surgery). Due to my activities, I can eat up to 2050 a day and not gain weight. If I ate that many calories everyday, however, I would put on weight. That's just how it is. I eat about 1400 to 1700 on any given day. This Saturday, I am running a half marathon, and will probably end up eating close to the 2000 mark. Exercise and food go hand in hand. You cannot out-exercise a horrible diet, and you cannot just eat so little without exercise. Well, you could, but you would have no muscle and would kill your metabolism. Everyone's bodies are different. Often, it is the types of food we choose to eat and the exercise one chooses. You have to do what is best for your body. For me, I do a mix of cardio and weight training. The cardio helps burn fat, but the weights help trim and tone.

Yay for a happy day! Well, today is Friday so that is always good. Also, my hubby and I are trying to have baby #2. When I was 290 pounds trying for baby #1, my Reproductive endocrinologist said that IF I got pregnant I had a higher risk or miscarriage, diabetes, C-section, etc. The same doctor said that he was reviewing my treatment from last time and could not believe the difference metabolically. Said that I was literally a new person and WHEN (not IF) I got pregnant, the pregnancy and delivery will be completely different. Said that I am healthier than women 10 years younger. Said that my risks for all the above were just the same as a woman in her 20s. Considering I am 39 years old that is awesome.

I was cleared for anything 3 weeks after surgery. I started Water aerobics, walking, weight training, and zumba then. I didn't start running until much later. I was about 9 months out. A 72 year old lady in my zumba class ran a marathon. She had bariatric surgery 8 years ago. I decided that in 2016 I would run a half marathon. The first one I found was in November of 2016. I signed up and then started the couch to 5K app. I hated it at first. But, I had told everyone that I was going to run a half so I kept at it. About 5 months in, I actually started to enjoy it. I saw a half marathon that was offered in September for $1 so I signed up. I upped my training a bit and was able to run it. I was slow: 2:41:52. I did better on my 2nd one in November: 2:27:34. I will run my 3rd half marathon in 2 weeks. My husband and I try to run some sort of race every month. We do anywhere from a 5K to a half marathon. I eventually want to train for a marathon.

Love this! I am almost two years out and want to ensure that I keep up my healthy habits. I've seen other bariatric patients that are 3, 4, 5, and even 10 years out that have not gained, but I've also known some that have gained. My husband and I are committed to our healthy lifestyle. We also have found a love of running. We try to enter a race at least once a month to keep us motivated to training. We also both do weight training. It is great to have someone to encourage you.

I get this quite often, "are you still losing weight?". I was the same weight for over 6 months. In that 6 months, I lost went from a size 6 to a size 2. What can I say, weight training makes you smaller??? I stopped taking the pill so we can try to have another baby and lost 10 pounds in two weeks. I wasn't trying at all. You can be as open or even sarcastic as you wish. It is an invasive question. I read an article on here once that said people have known you at your heavier weight so that is the norm for them. They see the drastic weight loss and assume that you are where you should be. This may or may not be the case. That is for you and your doctor to decide.

I am 5'4" and at five months out from surgery I weighed around 165 or 170. I was eating 600-800 calories then. I was walking, doing zumba, and body pump then. Around 8 or 9 months I started eating 800 to 1000 a day. A year out I was eating 800 to 1200. Now, I am almost 2 years out. My base metabolic rate is 1350 calories. (I had a test done). I typically consume 1400 to 1600 calories a day. Some days more, some days less. I run 4 to 5 days a week, do weight training 2 hours a week, zumba for 1 hour a week, and yoga for 1 hour a week. My weight fluctuates between 116 and 119 depending on the time of the month. Due to my activity level I could consumer up to 2050 calories a day. My nutritionist suggests I only do that on heavy training or race days.

Weight before: 294 Weight when surgery was scheduled: 265 Weight on day of surgery: 255 Weight one year out: 135 Current weight (almost 2 years out): 116

Did everything right from the beginning. Hit top end of my goal last January. Hit bottom end of it last April (1 year from surgery). I am well below that now. I was like JamieLogical. 3 weeks after surgery I was doing zumba, water aerobics, body pump, and walking. Now, I run, do zumba, body pump, and yoga. Again, I agree with JamieLogical, it's about making wise choices 80 to 80% of the time.

I've been completely upfront about having the surgery. I tell people I had surgery and then say that I have been eating right and exercising since surgery. More people than I could ever imagined have had the surgery themselves.

You look great. Sorry you had issues in the beginning. Hope the rest of the journey is smooth sailing!

So, my very first Mother's Day (that I got to Celebrate as a mom) was 2 weeks after surgery. (I had surgery 6 weeks after giving birth to my daughter). The men took all the ladies out to eat. There was NOTHING on the menu I could eat...not even Soup. I sat and held my baby (while crying) and drank my Water when everyone else enjoyed their meal. Then a few weeks later I went out to lunch with some co-workers. I still couldn't eat anything on the menu, but it was less awkward. I didn't cry or even feel bad. I just enjoyed the company. Now, food really doesn't hold the appeal it once did. I still get excited over a good meal, but I am NEVER tempted to overeat. I ate one bite too much once and it was awful. I am almost 2 years out, been below goal for over a year. I eat pretty much what I want and never feel guilty. There will be items you should stay away from, but don't postpone a vacation over it. This is something you will deal with for the rest of your life. Our families used to feel awkward because my hubby and I eat so little now. We actually eat a healthy normal (I get 1400 to 1600 cals a day and my hubby about 1600 to 1800), but overweight folks eat so much they don't realize how many calories they are getting.

In the very beginning do not focus on calories. Focus on Protein and Water intake.

I feel the same way!! Way to go!