VSG Maintenance Group
Happy surgiversay to me!
Happy surgiversay to me!
I don't have any great words of wisdom. I'm a food addict. I love food. Always have and always will! I struggle with this daily, but my little sleevie helps out tremendously! I can eat a little more than I used to at say 6 months, but not much. My gauge has always been a chicken thigh. I know they aren't all the same, but I eat them often enough to know the difference. I can eat 1 chicken thigh without skin. If it's a little one I can eat a few bites of something else. It takes me about 45 minutes to eat a 3 ounce chicken breast or thigh and that hasn't changed.
I don't count calories, I just focus on getting in my protein and eating nutrient dense foods. I work out hard, so I try to get in around 100 grams of protein a day. I still drink two shakes a day because I just can't do it with food unless I want to eat meat all day - and I don't! I like my protein drinks and sometimes wish I could just drink them all day long! When I have tracked my calories, they usually fell between 1200 and 1500 a day.
I had my 2 year follow up on Tuesday and I weighed exactly the same as I did at 18 months. I guess I've figured out maintenance! I've lost 96% of my excess weight and have no desire to lose any more. I still think I look fat sometimes, but the rational side of me knows that I'm not because I wear size 4 pants and small tops. My weight fluctuates in a 4 pound range. Usually bouncing around the same 2, but I don't get worked up as long as I'm in the 4 lb range. Anything outside of that and I start looking at what I've been eating and try to cut back a little. I love cashews and eat A LOT of them, so it's easy to cut back on those if I need to.
I started running about 6 months after my surgery and still haven't decided if I like it. I guess I'll just keep going until I decide! I never would have pegged myself for a runner, but I think I am. I started running outside with a group of coworkers last December and it's really pushed things to the next level for me. I'm signed up for a half marathon on May 6th and don't anticipate having any problems running the whole thing. My goal is to finish the 13.1 miles in 2 hours and 10 minutes. Last week I ran 10.5 miles for the first time and felt amazing! If anyone decides to start running, I highly recommend doing it with other people! It makes it so much more fun and if you do it outside then you have to fini****here's no jumping off the treadmill and quitting because you always have to turn around and go home.
I also started doing Crossfit last December. I used to see my surgeon at the gym in the mornings(if that isn't a motivator to get your butt out of bed and go work out, then I don't know what is!) Anyway, one day he came up to me and told me he started doing Crossfit at a new gym down the street and went on to tell me about how amazing it is and how great the trainer was. I went to a free class and signed up a couple weeks later. I had a shaky start because I hurt my wrist after only going a few times, but after letting that heal I got back into it 100%. Crossfit is amazing! If you don't know what it is, google it! You don't have to sign up at a gym, but it does help to have a trainer there to help you through everything and show you how to scale things down so you can build up your strength.
I feel like I've fallen into two new great communities that support my new healthy lifestyle. My running group and my new friends at Crossfit are great and have really helped me keep my head in the game.
The Crossfit community supports the Paleo diet lifestyle and I participated in a challenge that started in the middle of January. The basics are to eat grass fed or free range meat, veggies, a little fruit, nuts and seeds. No dairy, no legumes (so no peanuts), no grains, nothing processed, no artificial sweeteners. I won't go into the why's because it can easily be looked up. Anyway, I was already eating a low carb diet, so I didn't think making the change would affect me that much, but I did see some changes. I immediately dropped four pounds and had to figure out how to get more calories back into my diet, which I achieved with various coconut products - I never knew how many there are or how much I love coconut! I no longer wake up with a stuffy nose every morning and attribute this to my new changes in diet. I believe these changes will help get me to my final goal of lowering my percent of body fat. I'm not perfect with my diet, but I continue to work on it everyday.
Sorry this was so long! I don't usually post, but I still lurk a lot. I think it's all part of keeping your head in the game. You've got to figure out what works for you personally, because what works for one person doesn't necessarily work for everyone.
Have a good one!
Jen
I don't have any great words of wisdom. I'm a food addict. I love food. Always have and always will! I struggle with this daily, but my little sleevie helps out tremendously! I can eat a little more than I used to at say 6 months, but not much. My gauge has always been a chicken thigh. I know they aren't all the same, but I eat them often enough to know the difference. I can eat 1 chicken thigh without skin. If it's a little one I can eat a few bites of something else. It takes me about 45 minutes to eat a 3 ounce chicken breast or thigh and that hasn't changed.
I don't count calories, I just focus on getting in my protein and eating nutrient dense foods. I work out hard, so I try to get in around 100 grams of protein a day. I still drink two shakes a day because I just can't do it with food unless I want to eat meat all day - and I don't! I like my protein drinks and sometimes wish I could just drink them all day long! When I have tracked my calories, they usually fell between 1200 and 1500 a day.
I had my 2 year follow up on Tuesday and I weighed exactly the same as I did at 18 months. I guess I've figured out maintenance! I've lost 96% of my excess weight and have no desire to lose any more. I still think I look fat sometimes, but the rational side of me knows that I'm not because I wear size 4 pants and small tops. My weight fluctuates in a 4 pound range. Usually bouncing around the same 2, but I don't get worked up as long as I'm in the 4 lb range. Anything outside of that and I start looking at what I've been eating and try to cut back a little. I love cashews and eat A LOT of them, so it's easy to cut back on those if I need to.
I started running about 6 months after my surgery and still haven't decided if I like it. I guess I'll just keep going until I decide! I never would have pegged myself for a runner, but I think I am. I started running outside with a group of coworkers last December and it's really pushed things to the next level for me. I'm signed up for a half marathon on May 6th and don't anticipate having any problems running the whole thing. My goal is to finish the 13.1 miles in 2 hours and 10 minutes. Last week I ran 10.5 miles for the first time and felt amazing! If anyone decides to start running, I highly recommend doing it with other people! It makes it so much more fun and if you do it outside then you have to fini****here's no jumping off the treadmill and quitting because you always have to turn around and go home.
I also started doing Crossfit last December. I used to see my surgeon at the gym in the mornings(if that isn't a motivator to get your butt out of bed and go work out, then I don't know what is!) Anyway, one day he came up to me and told me he started doing Crossfit at a new gym down the street and went on to tell me about how amazing it is and how great the trainer was. I went to a free class and signed up a couple weeks later. I had a shaky start because I hurt my wrist after only going a few times, but after letting that heal I got back into it 100%. Crossfit is amazing! If you don't know what it is, google it! You don't have to sign up at a gym, but it does help to have a trainer there to help you through everything and show you how to scale things down so you can build up your strength.
I feel like I've fallen into two new great communities that support my new healthy lifestyle. My running group and my new friends at Crossfit are great and have really helped me keep my head in the game.
The Crossfit community supports the Paleo diet lifestyle and I participated in a challenge that started in the middle of January. The basics are to eat grass fed or free range meat, veggies, a little fruit, nuts and seeds. No dairy, no legumes (so no peanuts), no grains, nothing processed, no artificial sweeteners. I won't go into the why's because it can easily be looked up. Anyway, I was already eating a low carb diet, so I didn't think making the change would affect me that much, but I did see some changes. I immediately dropped four pounds and had to figure out how to get more calories back into my diet, which I achieved with various coconut products - I never knew how many there are or how much I love coconut! I no longer wake up with a stuffy nose every morning and attribute this to my new changes in diet. I believe these changes will help get me to my final goal of lowering my percent of body fat. I'm not perfect with my diet, but I continue to work on it everyday.
Sorry this was so long! I don't usually post, but I still lurk a lot. I think it's all part of keeping your head in the game. You've got to figure out what works for you personally, because what works for one person doesn't necessarily work for everyone.
Have a good one!
Jen
Great post Jen. Congrats on your success. Your thoughts helped me get my brother to your same surgeon and he is doing so well.
I am atually back in Nebraska and have treated myselt to a couple of Runza's. Can only eat a half one but its a treat.
Will check out the crossfit stuff. gotta get moving. Glad you posted all the detail you did. We can all learn from your example. All the best!!
Diane
I am atually back in Nebraska and have treated myselt to a couple of Runza's. Can only eat a half one but its a treat.
Will check out the crossfit stuff. gotta get moving. Glad you posted all the detail you did. We can all learn from your example. All the best!!
Diane
Join US On The VSG Maintenance Group Forum!!
http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/VSGM/discussion/
Lora
Aw Jen, you are awesome. And I've SEEN those arms...only wish mine could look like that! Your exercise has paid off and even back when we met, you looked wonderful then. That has been about 8 months ago.
Congratulations on all of your accomplishments!
Congratulations on all of your accomplishments!
Wanda
Some people might not support my WLS decision.
Those people remind me of slinkys. Not good for much but it would would bring a smile to my face if someone pushed them down the stairs.
Ticker includes Pre-op weight loss 24 lb.
Some people might not support my WLS decision.
Those people remind me of slinkys. Not good for much but it would would bring a smile to my face if someone pushed them down the stairs.
Ticker includes Pre-op weight loss 24 lb.
Thanks everyone!
Lee, sometimes I feel like I've found my stride and others I struggle with the food addiction! Seems to go in spurts. Staying away from grains and sugar helps with a lot, but it's still hard.
Dianne - I hope you had a good visit with your brother. At least we had good weather while you were here! Well, good for NE anyway. I'm sure it doesn't come close to what you're used to in CA!
Wanda - I think I'll always struggle with body issues. The exercise helps, but I did too much damage to my body for too long for it to ever look the way I'd like it to. Doesn't seem fair that we put in all this hard work and still can't have the dream! I guess it's part of just learning to love who we are no matter what and I need a little more time to get there!
Thanks again!
Jen
Lee, sometimes I feel like I've found my stride and others I struggle with the food addiction! Seems to go in spurts. Staying away from grains and sugar helps with a lot, but it's still hard.
Dianne - I hope you had a good visit with your brother. At least we had good weather while you were here! Well, good for NE anyway. I'm sure it doesn't come close to what you're used to in CA!
Wanda - I think I'll always struggle with body issues. The exercise helps, but I did too much damage to my body for too long for it to ever look the way I'd like it to. Doesn't seem fair that we put in all this hard work and still can't have the dream! I guess it's part of just learning to love who we are no matter what and I need a little more time to get there!
Thanks again!
Jen
