aroundhky

I would just recommend keep trying and see which works for you. Some of them taste ok to me, but my stomach doesn't like it so much. Or they'll taste like crap but don't effect my stomach. With me, I rarely need shakes now as I am able to get most of my protein from eating. Good luck!

Coming from someone that probably isn't going to hit goal weight, I can tell you that for me, the scale and goal weight is just a number. I really had difficulty putting a number on it, but the Dr wanted me to, so I threw out 215, I had no idea really what weight I wanted as far as weight goes. I'm 6-3 and I remember back at the beginning of college (18 yrs old) I was this height and weighed 220 and was really slim. I knew that I wanted to lose fat, keep muscle and above all be healthier and I'm now I am off all of my medications. So overall I'm still happy with where I am. Would I like to lose the extra 18 pounds or so to get to goal weight? Sure, but it's not the most important thing for me. I do know that I am as strong as when I was over 300 pounds and lifting a lot. Also, my body fat percentage went from 35% to 14-15%, which to me is a more important number. So what you might want to consider is why am I really having this surgery and let that guide your overall goal. Good luck with whatever that goal is and the people on this message board are always a good source to turn to and they've really helped me as well!

I've seen the conflicting studies like "Butter" mentioned as well. So I'm not really sure how much it dehydrates me personally. I probably have caffeine 2 or 3 times a week, mostly in the mornings. My Dr says it's ok as long as I don't get carried away with it, so I limit it and try to drink plenty of water just in case...can't hurt to constantly have water handy. Good luck with the runs! No pun intended.

People love to spring news on others and gossip. Silly people! You know you did what was best for you, so just go with that...haters are just going to be haters.

I'm getting close to 1 year and easily eating more now than I was 4 or even 6 months after surgery. Ex: I can eat a full boneless grilled chicken breast, a couple of ounces of green beans or broc and a few bites of a fruit. But it is still a good bit less than before surgery.

Curious.....has anyone tried the P28 high Protein bread/bagels? It has 14 grams of protein per slice, I think 12 carbs and is whole grain. www.highproteinbread.com I was thinking about trying it, but it's not really cheap. Just looking for a little feedback from people who have tried it before I take the plunge. Thanks! Mark

Oh yeah! You're right, that's a good amount of protein for bread

Way too expensive for me. Some of them now have less cals, so I'm sure they would be ok

If you feel ok doing all of that, I say go for it. I'm at the age where I need 1 or 2 days off to recover. If you get to feeling really weak or no energy and tired, maybe just take a couple of days off and get back to it. But if not, keep going at it!

I think it was 14 grams of protein per serving, which was 2 slices. And maybe 12 grams of carbs,,,

I don't really have any loose skin, but I haven't lost as much weight as most people that have had this surgery. Also, I think resistance training helps some.

Thanks for the feedback! So it's a little rubbery?

"HeyMo" if you do get it, let us know what you think about it.

For most of us, it's all about body composition. Which means it's not so much the scale, but muscle over fat. When I'm hitting the weights hard, I stall like crazy or even put on a couple of pounds. But at the same time, my belt and waist feel looser, so I know that added weight is muscle...and I'm ok with that and I think most (especially men) prefer that as well. Hang in there and keep at it....you'll like the progress in your physique if you stick with it.

My friend Scott asked me (after not having seen me in 2-3 months).... "Man! You are looking really trim! What have you been doing?" I just came right out and told him that I had surgery and still working my a$$ off in the gym. He seemed genuinely happy for me and actually came back later with questions from his mom who is considering the srugery. Not that it was a test or anything, but I knew he was a longtime friend and I fugured if he was still a friend, he'd be happy for me...which he is. All of my family knows and a co-worker. Other people I know and don't really care about....I really try to just avoid the whole conversation with them. Not that I don't want them to know, it's just a REALLY long story and I don't really like talking to them anyway.

I usually don't have a problem finding the motivation to workout. I know that when I lift weights, it triggers hormones that makes me feel really good even though I'm tired. Other than during & after s*x, there is nothing else that makes me feel "manly" like lifting. : P But with women I'm sure it's a lot different and doesn't involve as much resistance training. You just have to find what your goal is, have a clear one and try to stick with it. If you do for a while, a lot of times seeing results will keep you pushing toward goals. The rare time that I am sleepy or lethargic before I go to the gym, I'm not afraid of a little caffeine to get me going....and it also helps me focus during my workouts. But and don't do that but maybe once every 2-3 weeks though. That's just stuff what works for me, find what works for you and go for it! The music (ipod) idea can be good too! Good luck!!!

I'll low carb it if I don't workout for a few days, but I have found that my muscle and strength respond more favorably to some complex carbs (oats, brown rice, bananas) along with my protein for a few meals after I workout. I think it's key to know that every person has their own sensitivity to carbs and the optimum amount for an individual can vary a lot. We all are so different there's not one single correct amount for us all, so it's probably best to experiment a little and find out works best for each person. And as soon as we find it, stick to it and get in a routine, our bodies will probably change and have different requirements.

I'm close to 11 months out as well and also a good ways from goal. I'm not going to lie, I'd like to make goal, but I also realize it may not happen. I feel like I can eat a lot more than most, but I feel great, have really good strength in the gym and I'm off of my medicines.....so I've accomplished most of what I wanted already. As I've gone on the past few months and feel pretty good about things, even though I've not lost a ton of weight, I'm seeing that goal number as just that.....a number. You've really lost a lot more than I have and more than most. Just decide on how important that goal weight is and if it has to be accomplished, do what you need to do to get there. Wishing you the best!

Hickory, NC here. I am related to some of the Hughes' around the Murphy/Andrews area.

Wish you the best in finding a surgeon there! I really don't know any surgeons in Scotland, but had to comment given my highland games history and experience in wearing kilts. :ph34r: