JJLESLIE

Any advice from self defense/martial arts/boxing people on training my core to be able to protect my lap band against a gut punch or kick? I work my abs 3 times a week at the weight room with the rest of my lifting program, and still have plenty of insulation around there. I am 10 months out of surgery, and maybe have one fill to go. Not that I am picking fights, or jumping into things. I'd just prefer the knowledge. Being big before surgery meant hits in those areas did not cause any problems. I am avoiding contact sparring and stuff like that as much as possible. Better yet, any defensive techniques to defer or block blows to the area?

Congratulations on the surgery. Good luck with your weight loss and new lease on health. Soreness is good. Some of the cuts did get more work done through them, so they will be sore longer. But, if your feeling good, that's awesome. Enjoy the healing time, and embrace it.

Brachioplasty. A yup... But, i would not even consider that until you've hit your weight loss goal. It can't hurt to investigate if your insurance will cover it. Your doing great with cardio - walking, and Wii is an awesome start. I'd encourage adding more, though, it's not for the purposes of losing the skin. The rubber band work is good basic resistance training for the muscles. I'd encourage working that until it gets easy, then consider finding a way to add some sort of body weight resistance program (basic yoga, for instance)... The muscles in the area under the arms - triceps in the arms, and laterals along your back (among others) can be developed with more intensive training, but, it's still not going to solve your skin issues...

I was a gym rat before (could never lose weight, but was strong as heck), and I did go a little buggy for the first month or so after the surgery. I'd agree that it's best to wait for the doc to give his blessing and for everything to heal. Walk in the meantime for cardio. Let your body heal and stretch. It's a blessing in disguise. You need to learn how to eat with the band first, before you learn how to provide your body with the necessary pre- post- and intra workout nutrition you are used to. So, get ready to back off the workout enough to handle a new eating paradigm. I am nearly a year out of being cleared from surgery, and I am knee deep in lifting weights, power lifting, and strongman. So, I understand that nutrition is a big deal. The short answer is that your old nutrition and pre-, during, and post- eating routines are GONE. It's not easy to work with the bariatric dietician to stay on program for weight loss, and still consume enough to allow a very active body to recover and build muscle. I've had a few arguments with them about it. I've hit a plateau in my weight loss, which coincided with what is my peak training time of the year in the gym. Fat was going away, but muscle was being built. Muscle building demands Protein and calories. Fat loss demands a restriction. I am still trying to figure out the balance (if there is one.) Now that I am off peak training, the weight loss has started again... The Water sipping process, over a course of a day, should leave you plenty hydrated for the gym. It will get easier to get more water down as you heal. So, just keep that bottle with you even in the workout. Your body will adjust and tell you what it can and can't do once you get to the gym. The goal is to prepare yourself to be willing to listen, and find where you can push to begin re developing. It will come. .

I love watching the sport, and played an evil human male wall to be knocked down. Some of you girls hit harder than some football players I used to play with... I am curious how you are dealing with gut hits with the band. I hit the gym hard after my surgery and rebuilt my core but, just because of my background, I am trying to learn how to take a hit, a body check, or a punch to that area safely. The closest I've found is a karate student that took Aikido classes to learn to deflect blows to that area entirely.

I agree. Just walk. Everyday. For as long as you have time. Your profile does not have a location, but I've lived in plenty of bad neighborhoods, and I stick out like a sore thumb. Take a bus out of it. Walk during the day when it's light out. Walk on your lunch hour. Walk when you get up in the morning and all the bad guys are asleep. Challenge yourself to walk somewhere when you usually drive or take the bus. Walk. Walk Walk.

I am not a fan of the general exercise bikes for everyday cardio because it does create havoc on my knees, and for certain people. Bike setup is really important, and most exercise bikes don't allow the type of adjustments (ie pushing the seat BACK as well as up). I find the Elliptical better for knee problems, but, actually, it bores the heck of of me. I am a fan of spinning classes PROVIDED that the instructor is well versed in getting the bike set up correctly. Those bikes can be adjusted in many more ways (at least, if they are relatively up-to-date). Also, it's a much more fun cardio experience. Side note: This is going to sound crazy, but I am actually in the middle of a study on getting people with bad knees to use, of all exercises, THE SQUAT with a barbell. Coached for correct technique, and given a lot of patience with the exercise, it actually does NOT tax the knees as much as you think, and the increase in muscle tone, strength, flexibility, and durability from the exercise in the legs and core are amazing. I did not expect that, and everyone involved is people with bad knees. Most injuries from the Squat are from bad technique, and too much weight too fast. When I started the study back in January 2011 (10 months ago), and my exercise program revolves around that exercise. When I started I could barely even squat to parallel with my own body weight, but with coaching, good technique, and consistent work it's improved my entire ability to move (and weight loss, and conditioning)... I can now balance on a surfboard in a moving wave. I have full feeling in my feet, and my once sore knees are mobile and much less painful. The cartilage and bone structure is still a bit of a mess but it's no longer getting worse. I do repeated reps, with actual weight, now. How much is not important.

Well, hey, at this point everything has bottom out. I think, with your body healing in other ways, getting a fill and getting 6 pounds off should not be a concern. Your body needs extra nutrients to heal. Give yourself a bit of a break to let yourself heal. Sadly, all the other procedures on your feet and your tailbone are probably what is keeping your insurance from clearing the fill... Check back monthly to see what sort of time frame it will be for the next procedure to be covered. I'd focus on good eating, though. Calcium for the bones, the good stuff like that. A fill can't fix that stuff. Are you in PT for your feet? Would swimming with earplugs be out of the question to help the positional vertigo? I taught classes for people with inner ear issues that created vertigo, and practicing moving body from horizontal to vertical in swimming seemed to help. Also, swimming is great, very subtle cardio.

I got back into lap swimming about 6 weeks out of surgery. But, my stomach around the band area gave me a very hollow/nausea feeling. I swam for about 20 minutes, and felt that was more than enough (and I am a distance swimmer)... I hit the gym to work on toning my abs, and redeveloping the muscles in my core (also added to weight loss), and found that after about a month of weights the feeling in the Water went away. Now (9 months after surgery) I do a combination of swimming and weight training to maintain core muscles.

Hi Everyone, Maybe I can be direct to some other posts on the topic. I have a tendency when I am tired, physically or mentally, to not chew my food enough. I seem to eat quickly in those states, and food gets stuck more often. I try and watch my food choices, and stick with softer, well cooked options, so I don't think it's so much food choice, as catching myself in those initial bites of food that are too fast. The stuck feels hits quick and hard, sometimes after only a couple small pieces of food. I wonder emotionally if being tired makes me more anxious (It does, often...) and therefore my stomach is a little less forgiving. I have read some advice in other posts about prepping the stomach with some hot tea, or a Protein shake, or some juice before eating. I will try those. I was just wondering if anyone had any other tips or tricks, especially in reminding yourself to chew when tired, distracted, or anxious. Thanks!

Great tips! It's hard... I call it the "New Eating Paradigm" and I am still working on it six months out from surgery, and one fill into the process. I have a tendency to lean towards getting out the blender for meats. I already love Protein shakes to no end, so, me and the blender are great friends. I just still feel weird when my wife and I try to cook and eat a meal together, and I want to enjoy the food whole rather than sit there and drink a weird looking, but good tasting blend... I've tried to cut things into smaller bits, and really don't have too many problems on good nights. Work has been tough lately, and I have been coming home feeling like a zombie, and there's where things get lost. I was thinking about trying to get home when I am like that, have a Protein shake, let that settle and take care of any emotional cravings, and then try to cook and eat a little. That's just a long process, especially when I get home later in the evening... I don't know... Just thinking... And trying.

Hello! Congrats on the progress!

Hello! Happy Towel Day! For those who have not read the Hitchhiker Guide to the Galaxy, or any of the great works of the late Douglas Adams, May 25th is the day people are trying to make an official holiday in remembering the author's inspiring work. So, Happy Towel Day. Read the book. Always know where your towel is. Greetings! I'm Jerome, call me JJ if you like. I had lap band surgery back in November 22, 2010 at Beth Israel Medical Center in Boston, MA. Six months out, I've lost 60lbs, with about 110 to go... I still have lots to learn. For me, the lap band is there to help me create new eating habits, and prevent overeating. It's doing it's job. But, I have a bunch of questions that maybe you guys can help me with. Personal specs: 7'0" tall Starting weight 425lbs Current weight 360lbs Goal weight 250lbs I've always been well into the world of Big & Tall since I was a little kid. I entered high school at 6'9" tall. When I graduated, I was voted "Most likely to break IKEA furniture." Though, I was not overly obese, a number of post college injuries and medical problems threw my body into a heavy tailspin of bad health. The lap band was my step towards fixing, not just treating symptoms. I am very physically active even with my big size, and when I was heavy. I am a competitive open Water swimmer, and I am a weight room nut that is experimenting with Strongman strength training. I also perform standup comedy at night, while being an IT guy during the day. Clearly, I have no focus. Greetings! Happy Towel Day!

Hello! Thanks! But, no, I am not single. Sorry. My wife is reading this right now... I had mine at Beth Israel with Dr. Jones as well! I had a good experience overall, and have no real complaints. None with anyone bariatric related. I was definitely in the hospital a day longer than I needed to be. I had surgery Monday morning, and really felt ready to go home Tuesday afternoon. They had me stay until Wednesday morning. Other then making sure all the anaesthesia was out of me, I don't think there was any real medical reason. I was cruising through the initial food stages, and walking like crazy. I took very little pain meds. So small an amount, the nurses were worried. I hate pain meds, anyway... Fogs my head instead of taking care the of the pain... And the pain was bearable... Mostly, I was held by something that cannot be controlled, namely the speed of the hospital workings... Staff rotations, slow order placement, and a lot of little inefficiencies added up to a lot of me sitting around bored, or walking around the hallways trying to prove I was ready to move forward. I worked my butt off pre surgery to be able to bounce back quick. But, that's sort of my normal operation mode. I drove the nurses nuts....