gerbies Member

One other point to consider when it comes to group benefits or employer-based insurance (particularly large companies). Generally, with these plans, insurance companies are not able to decline a person. That is, the employer buys a "group benefit" to make available to any/all employees. In the last several years, in order…

From an insurance company perspective, smoking a cigar once a week would not meet the criteria of a regular "smoker". You and your buddies are safe to puff away :).

I have worked in the insurance industry for almost 20 years. Insurance (of any type) is based upon risk factors and the "probability" of a claim or payment. In general, data shows that "active" smokers have more long-term illnesses and are susceptible to ongoing illnesses more often (e.g., flu, bronchitis); in addition,…

I love the feeling of being an athlete. I love being able to see what I can do that defies what people expect (being a woman who weights way over 200 lbs doing "real" push-ups on my toes). I love competing with myself. Working out is the easy part for me...it's the eating, that's the tough piece to tackle :).

There are two teams on MFP where you might some good posts. One is the "Eat More 2 Lose Weight" group and the other is "In Place of a RoadMap 2.0". Both focus on eating more...hope that helps!

There's an IPORM (acronym for In Place of a Road Map) group/team on here...you'll find some success stories. Dan (who put together this approach), also has a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/In-Place-of-a-Road-Map-MFP/342385002516919?fref=ts

I use food...for everything. For celebration, for stress-relieving, for sadness, when I'm angry. I also have times when I want "to be like everyone else" and then eat what I knw isn't healthy anyway. I've been able to work through a lot of the stuff that leads to my using food the wrong way, but I still have my occassional…

Such an amazing job...regardless of having some physical limitations. You look fabulous! And don't worry about the "imperfect" food intake (no one is perfect)...we all have to take some "sabbaticals" from being super stringent...it allows for flexibility. Great job!

Ironically, the individuals I know who have had surgery span 4 different states, and multiple different cities. We agree on the point that many folks go into surgery thinking it's the "solve" versus an advantage to take a chunk of weight off, build confidence, ability to move, etc., so when it becomes challenging (you…

You clearly are focused on the larger picture. I applaud you for the hard work that you are putting in...that's fantastic. Sadly, not everyone who has had surgery has this same drive and focus. My perspective on WLS is based on my own research and the dozen or so individuals I know who have had the surgery. I realize that…

I think it's a bit irresponsible to compare weight issues and weight loss surgery to cancer and the various cancer treatments. I would see weight issues more akin to someone who is a smoker. Like eating in excess, smoking is a BEHAVIOR, that leads to a poor habit and can lead to health concerns. With smoking, conditions…

Two mini-successes... 1) Being able to do over 30 push-ups...on my toes...even at over 200 lbs. 2) Attending my 20-year high school reunion looking the same as I did at my 10-year reunion. I've lost 50 lbs and have another 70 lbs to go. My next "mini-success" will be my halfway point...

I have all three programs and love them all. As someone who is also over 200 lbs and has good stamina, I personally think it's good to start with Turbo Jam, then move on to Chalean Extreme and then finally Turbo Fire (this could be like a year of workouts). Turbo Fire is mostly cardio, but has some resistance, Chalean…

TurboJam is not as hard as TurboFire. Once you learn the basic moves, it's a great workout! So fun and a great workout!

I suppose we would need to define success. I define success as being and staying within 5% of goal...I do not believe WLS has a 80-85% success rate of making goal and maintaining. The "traditional" eat less, move more approach also does not have a high hit/goal success, but it's not much lower/higher than WLS (based on my…

I agree with all of you, particularly when someone has 30 lbs or less to lose...inches/body composition matters much, much more. But when someone has 100 lbs to lose, isn't it more healthy to lose weight at a quicker pace (e.g., 2 lbs a week) for the first chunk, then focus on muscle retention when you're a bit closer to a…

^^^^^ This...if it were me, if I have to lose a chunk of weight before being able to have surgery, why wouldn't I just continue with that discipline and skip going under the knife? I have met two people who actually did that; they found that they could lose weight without permanently changing their bodies through surgery…

I've been a HUGE fan of Chalene's for over 10 years. When I lived in So California, I took her "TurboKick" classes at my local gym and about a year after moving to CT, her Turbo Jam program came out. I have all of the Turbo Jam videos, her Chalene Extreme (weight based) and Turbo Fire. I love them all! In terms of being…

There definitely is a level of righteousness felt and shared on these boards from individuals who have lost weight the "traditional way" versus weight loss surgery. I think there are a number of reasons for that, but, at the end of the day, I think it comes down to a philosophical difference. Those that lose weight by…

I read this earlier today, through a blog I follow. I have been incorporating mostly whole food-based foods into my diet over the last couple months. I've tried to add more and more low fat whole food, vegan recipes. I found that I have felt a million times better and weight loss has been easier and more of a byproduct of…

For pure cardio, there's walking and jogging...even doing intervals with both. For cardio/strength training, build circuits that incorporate body weight-based strength training alternating with cardio bursts. For weight-based exercises: Push-ups - (shoulder width, wide, narrow/tricep push-ups...on knees, toes, holding one…

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! For the last year, I've been going to a local yoga studio. After years of taking some yoga classes here and there (gym, community center), I decided to go to a studio that focuses on yoga. I definitely felt the difference in instruction and challenge. It can be a great workout, but is a great part of a…

Like the previous poster, it depends on what type of workouts you're doing. I had similar experiences when I was working out 6 days a week, doing very high-intensity workouts. I still workout 6 days a week, but have brought the intensity back a bit. I think it's commendable that you're working out every day, but because…

I know 7 people personally (friends, co-workers, extended family) who have had various types of weight loss surgery (predominantly gastric bypass and a few with lap band). Every single one of them NEVER reached their ultimate goal weight. ALL of them have gained some weight back since their lowest. My most successful…

Don't beat yourself up too much. Success is not always a linear incline. Sometimes we have to take "breaks" (whether planned or not) to learn lessons about ourselves and to learn and grow. You did an amazing job with JMBR and had solid success. Some of your weight gain is inevitably water weight. When you're ready, start…

For those of you who got results, did you just do one level at a time for 10 days at a time? Did you do 2 levels at a time? Did you add any additional workouts? Thanks~

^^^ This...a really healthy (and non-obsessive) approach... It's about what works for you. It's about listening to our bodies and figuring out what it needs. Starting with parameters is good, but eventually, you should be able to listen to your body signals of when and what to eat. Ultimately, you need to figure out works…

I know it's hard, but I wouldn't compare yourself to others. Everyone comes to the table with a different starting point, age, history, body mass/body fat, height and people are eating different calorie amounts, eating or not eating back calories and are exercising at different rates, amounts and intensity. With all of…

Wow...your transformation is amazing! I, too, hope to have such a great success story to share. The MFP community, truly, is the key differentiator between MFP and other sites. So grateful for having found MFP!

Bump-itty Bump!