4.5 year update w/pics and im running the boston marathon!

[NY Lou 204]

its now been 4.5 years since I was sleeved. my high weight was 323 lbs. my goal weight was low 180's. I did reach goal weight but over the years I realized that my desired goal weight was too low for me. now for the last 2 years ive steadily maintained a weight in the mid 190's and that appears to be where im supposed to be and im happy with that weight. today 10/1/17 I weight 195 lbs. I exercise 3-4 times a week and my choice of exercise is running. I will also be running the 2018 boston marathon and im so excited about being able to run this historic race! im running it for the jimmy v foundation for cancer research and ive committed to raising $6000 which is no easy task. if any of you have ever been affected by this terrible illness feel free to click the link after this post and make a 100% tax deductible donation to the jimmy v foundation for cancer research. every dollar donated goes to research. you will be supporting my run and a cause that affects everyone as everyone knows someone that has been affected by cancer. as far as my eating, I still have to be very mindful of what I put in my mouth. I can eat much more today than I could 2 years ago but still no where near what I could eat before having the surgery. hope everyone on their journey is doing well and feel free to ask any questions. im also attaching my before pic and a few current pics taken last week. have a great day! heres my donation link for anyone willing to support this wonderful cause: http://jimmyv.convio.net/site/TR/Endurance/General?px=1409952&pg=personal&fr_id=1370

[Sara Adam 9]

I am 3 years post op. I was 254 lbs .. i went down to 154 lbs in a 15 months..but my goal is 135..i never reached goal and am now struggling i sometimes go to 158 then i cut out sweets for couple of days and go back to 154 but never less..
Now am afraid that time pass by and i would be able to eat more.
At the same time i still have the dream to reach goal ..
How do u maintain ur weight other than running?
What do u advise me to do?

Sent from my SM-G950F using BariatricPal mobile app

[NY Lou 204]

hi sara. first let me say that we are always so hard on ourselves regarding weight loss. you should definitely see the positive side that I see and that is youre still about 85 lbs less now that you were before. I always look at my old pics just to remind myself that ive come a long way and should be appreciative of what ive already lost. now as far as what you can do now, you have to get back to being more disciplined regarding what you put in your mouth. that really is the only answer. its easy to start getting back old habits and making bad food choices. that is probably 99% of why people gain weight. you have to go back and start thinking about when you was at your heaviest and use that as motivation to try and change how youre eating again now. I get the impression that youre not making the best food choices and if im right that is something that you need to change if you want to lose more weight. also, I don't know if you exercise but exercising is another crucial element in losing weight. it not only burns calories and speeds up your metabolism but you can actually eat a little extra because youre exercising. its never easy to exercise but that's just another way to make a big difference in your ability to lose weight. the last thing I will say is that some of us are genetically programmed to be at a certain weight. or example even though I reached my goal weight of low 180's it wasn't a weight my body was comfortable at. I had to struggle to get there and couldn't stay there. now ive been around mid 190's for the last 2 years and that seems to be the weight my body is comfortable staying at. maybe your body is programmed to be in the 150's/160's range? good luck and I hope you can continue to be successful in the future with your weight.

[Berry78 4,261]

Amazing transformation! Thank you for running for such a worthy cause.

[NY Lou 204]

Thank you Berry78 for your kind words. The transformation has been hard but it’s a lifelong battle to make sure I stay healthy. As far as running for cancer research, I have a father and sister that have both been affected by cancer and I also know so many other people as well. It makes me feel good to run for a cause such as cancer research and I hope that in the future our younger generations won’t have to face such a terrible illness. If cancer has affected your life in anyway, feel free to click the link and make a donation in support of my run and cancer research. 100% of money donated goes towards research and even if it’s just a few dollars it makes a difference. Thank you again for your kind words and have a great day!

Edited October 2, 2017 by NY Lou

[Macy Gray 50]

you look amazing!

[NY Lou 204]

thank you macy gray, your kind words are appreciated and I wish you success on your weight loss journey. just take it one day at a time and stay positive and you too will be successful.