A little of this, a little of that...

This is a multi-use post. There have been a couple of things on my mind the past couple days, so I was wondering if anyone here has any experience with the things I'm going through. 

First of all, I started Couch 2 5K on Saturday. I'm doing 2 5Ks on back to back weekends in April (am I crazy or what?). I've been a bit surprised at how it sucks, but not as much as I thought it would. I am pretty excited about this except for 2 things: 1. I've rubbed blisters on my toes. Ouch! But my aunt is a runner and made some awesome suggestions for that issue. 2. The muscles on the front of my calves (the anterior tibialis and/or the extensor digitorum longus) are VERY SORE. Does anyone have any advice on this issue? My brother said sometimes when people start running at first, they can have this problem that just keeps getting worse and worse (tighter and tighter****il they wind up with stress fractures. I'd prefer to not crack my bones!

In other news, I am still struggling to wrap my head around my weight loss. I very much feel like I haven't lost very much (especially since surgery). I had a before picture and I took an "in process" picture mostly to show myself the difference. I see it in my face, but I feel like there is very little difference in my body. I know this is silly, since counting the weight I lost pre-surgery, I've almost lost 80 lbs. but that number seems way different than my progress. I am starting to attribute this to other things like thinking that I was at this weight at these points in my life, and that was so recent/long ago/whatever my brain wants to torture me with, and I think about how dissatisfied I have been with this weight, so to be here and try to feel good about it feels wrong. A few years ago I had lost 93 lbs, and I wanted to have a 100 lb. party. I never could get past the stall I hit at 93 lbs. down, so I never got my party. Now, though, 100 lbs. lost would put me at 220 lbs. and I just don't feel like that is a celebratory weight. Maybe because my ideas of what I'm capable of have changed, I'm holding myself to a higher standard, but am I going to do damage to my self esteem being dissatisfied until I reach my goal? 

Finally, a weight loss challenge started today at work, and I joined. I'm excited to have another system to hold me accountable, and to track my progress. I weigh 79 lbs. less than when I started the company's challenge at the beginning of last year, which does feel way better (even if it doesn't feel good). There are prizes involved in this challenge, though, and one of the few coworkers that knows about my surgery said it isn't fair for me to participate. I told her that I could eat poorly just as much as anyone else could. We talked about Penny from My 600 lb. Life, and how I could not lose or even gain weight if I chose differently. We talked about how surgery is a tool, not a miracle fix, and how I still have to work very hard. We talked about tools others use to lose weight, and how weigh****chers is a tool some choose to use while others do not. And finally, we talked about how the company (who carries the rider on the insurance covering WLS) doesn't care HOW you choose to get healthier, as long as you do. She still thinks it's cheating. I even tried saying it's not any more cheating than having significantly more excess weight going into it than others do (because if you have more, you have more to lose). But no matter what, I'm a cheater to her. I don't know how else I can explain it to get across that this isn't cheating. I don't even care if I win (don't get me wrong, it would be awesome), I'm just excited about losing this weight. I don't feel like a cheater. Am I?

Speaking honestly, yes, I think that is cheating.  You had VSG in late November?  And you are down 80 lbs?  (I assume that includes some pre-op loss?).  No other person without WLS could achieve these numbers.  You have a tiny stomach.  I say go for the challenge, and participate fully!  But be clear to the organizers that you are only doing it to be part of the team, so you can't be a winner.  Regardless of how you feel, if even one person knows you had WLS, you will potentially lose friendships and credibility in the office.  So participate for fun but not a prize :)  

Great job on your weight loss btw.  I absolutely am starting at a high weight (351 day of surgery on 12/16/13) and I will celebrate being under 300 in a week or two, and then I will celebrate 100 lbs when I hit 251 and then I will celebrate Onederland.  Celebrate all of your successes!

I lost 41.2 pounds from the start of my journey up to surgery. I lost 24 pounds in month 1. Month 2 I only lost 11.4 pounds. And 10 years ago I lost 40 lbs. in six weeks. No surgery. I'm not saying I don't have an advantage, but since my company provides coverage for the surgery, anyone who qualifies could have it too. And part of the contest is an essay about the ways the company has helped you achieve success in weight loss/management and overall health.

Sorry, I was a little short earlier - my phone was dying and I am a stubborn hot-headed mule, so I wanted to make my point. Great job on getting to almost under 300. It feels good. One thing that was a big deal to me was weighing in for this and being so far from my weigh-ins last year. It was hard to weigh in at over 300 lbs.

You are going a great job on your weight loss but I think it would be cheating to enter the weight loss challenge. Yes the sleeve is just a tool but it still gives you an unfair advantage. 

I agree with the others....it is cheating.   You have had weight loss surgery ....meaning you are utilizing a tool that not every other competitor is able to access during the competition.  Now, if they had a specific category for WLS competitors and grouped all those participants together to compete against each other in the challenge, then I could see it not being a problem. 

Our work place is conducting a "Biggest Loser" contest.  Those who participate that have had any type of WLS are placed in a separate group and compete among themselves.  "Normies" compete against "Normies" only.  Keeps everything on the up and up. 

My mom works for the same company I do. She said today as she was signing up for the challenge, she was reading the webpage for the challenge which mentioned all the "tools" the company provides to aid in weight loss. It mentioned discounts at weigh****chers and bariatric surgery as options for employees to take advantage of to achieve success in weight loss and maintenance. 

Maybe I'm just wrong when it comes to this, but I see it differently. This isn't easy, and in some ways it's harder. 

Well, Miss Annie, I agree with you. I have just spent the better part of the last week chained to my elliptical to see that scale go down 2 lbs. I am 3 months out and there are rules I have to follow to get that damned scale to move. Yes, I have been sleeved, but I have worked my sleeve to the best of my ability and not gonna lie, drinking a crap ton of water and being held prisoner in my bathroom voiding is work LOL Going to restaurants and picking over the menu for high protein low carb options is work. Shunning carbs like the plague takes discipline and work. Remembering to take all these vitamins and supplements is work, too. All worthwhile but most likely not something a non-sleeved person has to do.  

Your call on the challenge. Challenges are good, I say go for it but let your weight loss speak for itself during this challenge and let someone else take home the prize. That seems to be a fairly good compromise. 

Keep up the good work, ignore the haters. Soon they'll be saying crap like "you're too skinny, have a sammich". Ignore that, too. Becoming a healthier you is the best revenge..er..reward LOL

I agree with you conceptually with how the sleeve works, but participation in a weight loss contest is about the same as using steroids in sports.  It does give you (us) an unfair advantage, especially with prizes involved.

I agree with the majority here that it does give an advantage and I think the steroids analogy is a good one. You can't JUST take steroids and build a lot of muscle - you still have to work out to do it, BUT when you do work out... you are at an advantage and able to build the muscle faster and bigger. Same thing here. We all know that you still have to eat right and move more... but when you do eat right (lean, dense protein) you do have the advantage that the surgery provides.

I mean, it seems like you made up your mind, which is fine. I think the frustrating part is that your co-worker probably isn't just implying that it's "cheating" for the contest, but it seems like maybe she's making you also feel like you don't have to try in general (contest or not) - and that's an irritating mindset that a lot of people have and most of the time we aren't going to be successful in changing it!