aroundhky

Great job "bigcountry"! Feels good doesn't it??? Keep up the good work!!

"Butterbean"..............I like that shirt!!! I need to get myself one of those!!!

I second that.............

I'm 18+ months post-op. I have 5-6 small scars that have already faded to pretty much nothing and not really able to see them..........even if they weren't covered with hair.

I used it some during the mushy post-op stage and still use it now (along with couscous), especially on days I lift. They are both a good complex carb that also has protein. As for liquid, I'm not sure, it is a grain, but I did use it during the mushy or pureed stage.

Looks fun, you should do it! I did the Warrior Dash last year and it was a blast! Have it coming up again this Saturday and can't wait! More mud than paint, but similar with people dressing crazy and good for you.

Great progress...keep up the good work!! Congrats!!

That's cool! I say go for whatever gets you hooked. If so, you'll stay very motivated and not just go through the motions......you'll do great with any kind of exercise you love and look forward to. So bike your little heart out and enjoy, you'll be glad you did.....good luck!!

"Amytug"........is there anything in particular that you enjoy about the gym? I know the working out from home thing works for a lot of people and is very convenient, but sometimes getting out to a gym or a busy (with other people) place to walk can be more fun. How about walking around the mall? Just wonder if it would be more interesting/fun to get away from the house to do your exercise...other than the walking close to your house? Just grasping at a few things here. How about a workout partner, do you have one? Maybe the socializing (in moderation ) will give you the motivation to look forward to the exercise? Good luck and try to be as creative as you can!

Oh ok, I was under the impression that you were wanting to focus on building muscle mass. Yeah, really have to limit the cardio to only once or twice a week and each needs to be short sessions or it will compromise muscle. That's why sometimes I'll run about 15 minutes worth of sprints instead of doing hour long cardio.

I'm able to eat a good bit more than most sleevers and really need extra Protein and I still can't get close to that number. Even on days I lift and really need the extra protein, I usually only get 120-130 and that's really trying all day on getting in extra protein. Not sure a sleever can get 171....

Peeping "Tomasina's"!

"Jeff", I'm 6-3 and I know the taller you are, the longer you have to go.... assuming your arms are proportional to the rest of your body. Lifting for taller guys is a little tougher and you being 6-6.....wow......that's a long way to go to get your face up to the pullup bar! But hang in there, keep at it and you'll be fine!

I've read that BCAA's are good for recovery and to help retain muscle during times of stress (caloric deficit, high intensity exercise, etc). But most protein shakes/powders already have the Branched Chain Amino Acids of leucine, isoleucine and valine in them. I don't know for sure, but I'm guessing Isopure already has these amino acids. If so, they'll list all of the amino acids on the label and these 3 aminos will probably be on there. If the BCAA's are already in your protein shake, you can just keep taking the protein shake. Unless you just want these 3 amino acids without all of the others.....that's when you'd take just BCAAs.

Before my sleeve, I could get maybe 2, but never really concentrated on improving them before surgery. I don't do chin ups (palms facing you) because that seems to incorporate more biceps than I prefer and I want to concentrate on my upper back and lats. So what works best for me on my upper back and lats are the pullups (palms facing away from you) with medium to wide grip. But it's all a matter of preference. If someone is limited and can only workout once or twice a week, chin ups may be best since it uses more muscles. If wanting to concentrate on your upper back and lats to do pullups, just think of the hands and arms as attachments only and focus on the upper back and lats doing the pulling. It takes some practice to be able to do this if you've not performed many pullups in the past. As for building up, just be patient and not afraid to use the assisted pullup machine for a while. It's a long progression, but it's one that I have noted and kept track of since being sleeved as it was a big goal of mine in the weightroom after surgery. I do them twice a week and I am listing out my progression over the past 17-18 months since I've been sleeved. Not saying this will be everyone's time frame, just saying that it can eventually be improved. I went from doing maybe two with just my body weight and now do my body weight 18/19 reps at a time. -Just prior to my sleeve..........able to do 1 or 2 reps with body weight -2 months after my sleeve......able to do 2 reps with body weight Started using the assisted pullup machine and did 6-10 reps for 4 sets about twice a week and tested myself about once every other week on how many I could do with my body weight. -4 months post-op...................able to do 5-6 reps with body weight Once I got to where I could do 5-6 reps without assistance, I just used my body weight to train twice a week, 5-6 reps for about 4 sets each session -6 months post-op....................able to do 6-10 reps with body weight At this point, I still did pullups twice a week, but wanted to stay in the 6-10 rep range. So my first set, I put a 10 pound weight in my backpack, strapped it on and did 4-6 pullups with the backpack on. (You can also use a chain around the waist or hold a dumbbell with your feet but that one is difficult and can cause you to lose focus) -12 months post op...................able to do 10-14 reps with body weight Still doing pullups twice a week, but using additional weight (10-25 pounds) when doing workout sets. -Currently..................................I did 19 reps the other day, but 17/18 is about my average. Still doing pullups twice a week (at least 4 sets each time) and usually train with a 25 pound plate strapped around my waist. *I rarely train with the lat pull down machine, it's similar motion, but still a bit of a different lift since you're pulling something down instead of pulling yourself up. It's probably a good way to work up to doing a pullup. But once you can do a few, I would stick with just training with pullups or assisted pullups. Please don't get discouraged if you can't do any at the beginning or if you are worried about what the people in the gym might think. I think that's why a lot of people don't try to do them. Who cares what anyone else thinks, if you want to do pullups, do them, be persistent, work hard and keep the end goal in mind. I'm thinking about taking it to another level (3 times a week) and attaching a pullup bar in my garage.

Ya know what they say about the size of a man's thumb..................

I was told the banana thing as well on my pre-op appts. But since surgery, I've been able to eat more than most sleevers. I think mine is more like the size of at least 2 bananas put together.....maybe 3.

"It's all new"........how are the lifting sessions going?

Whatever gets you to the gym I guess. I enjoy my gym sessions, but they are a little easier to enjoy than wiping my ass....because it's slightly less messy, but takes nearly as long.

Welcome to the site! The people on here are very informative, offer great insight and a true asset to our WLS journey!

I know Marbear stated differently, but motivation works for me and has for quite a while. I wouldn't really decide against a method just because someone else says it or it's not what THEY use. Whatever it is that makes or causes you to do the right thing, do it. If approaching it like a job is what gets you to exercise, by all means......do that. If it's purely just the goals you have and the motivation to achieve those goals that leads you to decide to exercise......do it. If it's just the feeling you like when you workout......do that. Or use a combination of these and/or other things to get where you want to be and where you know you need to be. I'm guessing if you took a poll as to what people use as the deciding factor to exercise, you'd probably get several different answers.....and they would all be CORRECT answers for that individual. To me, there's no wrong way to approach exercise as long as it works for you and is not hurting others. Just my 2 cents.......

4 kids here that are in sports and scouts. I also work out of town. But I have no chickens, horses or a pear tree. So that's why I usually workout Mon-Fri on my lunch break and anything I do on weekends is an added plus. So yes, try and make it a priority, at least during that hour or so each day to set aside a time to do it. Good luck!

"NuLife"............for me, it's about getting and staying motivated. What motivates you? What are your goals as far as fitness, physique, athletic performance, etc? There are really no wrong answers, it's a personal thing that we all are entitled to. Clearly defined goals and staying motivated can help tremendously. It's not always easy and there's no magic potion, but as with almost everything, motivation is usually the key. What motivates me: -The feeling I get from getting away from this desk and moving, if only for an hour -The tired, yet refreshed feeling and rush of hormones that I get afterwards -The feeling that something is missing or it's just not a complete day if I don't exercise Goals: -Being strong and lifting/moving heavy things -Health -Physique or not looking as gross as I once did.