Butterthebean

Fiddleman, I am enjoying running so much....I never thought I'd say that. I'm honestly having trouble taking days off between runs. I honestly don't think my body is conditioned to be running long runs every day so I'm trying to build up gradually, but my mind is eager to start running half marathons (or at least a 10K). I've been doing a ton of reading on barefoot running and I've been doing almost all of my running in my Vibram Five Fingers the last couple of weeks. I must say, I'm taking to these shoes like a fish to water. It's not the shoes per se...it's the form you adopt while using them. My knee pains have totally gone away and I'm not huffing and puffing. I don't believe everyone should suddenly go barefoot, but I do believe the barefoot running form is highly beneficial for preventing injuries and allowing one to run pain free.

I didn't start using them until 3 or 4 months after surgery because I didn't really know about them. My sleeve could have handled them much sooner. But as to the question of when, I would ask your surgeon or better yet your NUT. They are tiny, and when you let them soak and turn to a gel they get extremely soft so they are easy to digest.

Walk and sip more than you want to. I mean MAKE yourself do it, like you're in training for the Olympics. The walking and sipping Olympics. Forget about what the scale says for at least 3 weeks. Weird things will be happening that have nothing to do with fat loss. Take measurements and "before" photos right now. And prepare to be skinny.

I had problems for a long time. I was constipated. After I started taking chia seeds regularly the problem went away, but I still went way less than before. I went from 3 times a day to once every 3 days. Now I'm 7 months post op and I'm back to almost once per day, but it's way less volume, and no discomfort anymore unless I go a couple of days without chia seeds. The only other thing that helped me besides chia seeds was miralax but I would rather have the seeds. I let them gel in my protein shakes for about 1/2 hour before drinking. That seems to make them most effective.

Onderland. That's awesome. You're looking good. Yep, at this point in the journey new clothes do not get old, they just outgrow us.

You look great.

For all of you recommending more cushioning and arch support check out the book "Tread Lightly." It basically shatters the myth that motion control and supportive shoes do anything to prevent pain or injuries. There have never been any studies proving they work, only shoe company marketing campaigns making unverified claims. I have been wearing and running in vibram five fingers and my feet have never felt better. Orthotics may help alleviate the pain but it's just a bandaid. Increasing the strength and flexibility of the foot and lower leg will eliminate the problem.

Just tongue in cheek mate.

Congrats. You should be very proud.

Damn you piss me off. I've been running for several months and I'm just now getting to that distance, and no where near that fast. I quit. I'm taking my ball and going home.

Good read. There is no doubt that resistance training can benefit nearly everyone...especially post op VSG'ers.

It's basically dehydrated peanuts. It's Peanut Butter in powder form. You mix it with Water and you have instant peanut butter. It has about 1/4 the calories of regular peanut butter, and a much better nutritional ratio than low fat peanut butter. For me, the best part is you have to mix it up. A regular jar of peanut butter is too tempting for me and too easy to just grab a spoon and have at it.

Congratulations.

They are also good in pudding/yogurt, especially if you like tapioca. I really like them crunchy in my protein shakes, but to get the full effect of constipation relief I think it's best to let the shake sit in the fridge for 20-30 minutes and let them gel. The shake gets real thick, it's more filling, and the seeds work their magic better.

Thanks Alley-Gator. I don't mind answering questions. I've certainly asked plenty in my life.

Why do you think you are constipated? You haven't eaten any solid food in how long? There is nothing there. Yes you probably have gas, but very little if any solid waste. At least, that's normally the case.

If you were dehydrated, which it sounds like you were, then your body is going to hold onto water where ever it can. But water weight is not a problem. Fat loss is your goal and I think you know that there is no way you gained 3 pounds of fat. That would be 10,500 additional calories on top of what you burned just being alive. You know you didn't take in that amount of calories so you need not worry about this little hiccup. The scale can be a finicky mistress.

You may feel great, you may feel like crap. I wouldn't make any plans you can't get out of. Just plan on going wi the flow. I started to feel decent by day 3. By week 3 I was chainsawing wood in the back yard. Good luck with the upcoming surgery.

Unless she is an exercise fanatic, cutting down on the exercise is not going to make as big of an impact as increasing calories. It's the same (but opposite) as losing weight. It's 80% diet, 20% exercise. Calories can always be increased by eating more healthy fats. Avocados, nut butters, whole fat milk and cheese just to name a few. If it was real serious, I might consider adding in more starches because they definitely pack the weight on...sweet potatoes and corn are 2 healthy examples. Finally, if its dire desperation you could break rule number one and start drinking with your meals to allow yourself to eat more. More than one member here that I've talked to in the past has done this in order to train and compete in long distance sporting events. It's not dangerous once you're that far post op, just sip easy, gradually increasing the amount of liquid you drink. All it will do is allow you to eat again sooner. It's a rare and unusual problem to have, but I can see how it can be scary to someone who has struggled all their life on the weight roller coaster as most of us have. PS...another alternative is the weight gainers Protein drinks. These things are specially designed for body builders and they have huge amounts of calories in a small volume shake. Any GNC type store will have them.

I think we all feel this way to varying degrees. Our way of eating is largely responsible for what got most of us here. I'll tell you what worked for me and you can take it as you like. I don't want to come off sounding like a food eating saint, but I pretty much made up my mind that I was going to reinvent myself nutritionally speaking. For me, hoping the sleeve would taper my old eating habits was never going to work. I needed a whole new plan. I educated myself on nutrition, reading many books and websites. I started exercising regularly and my outlook on food changed drastically. Now I look at food as fuel for my active life. I eat what I need, and I choose food based on what will help my body get through my workouts and recover. I know nobody here wants to feel like they are on a diet, me neither. But I also don't look to food as any kind of reward or treat. Nor do I plan events or entertainment around food any longer. This can be tricky because most of the world still does. But I decided that eating food was like shaving and bathing, it's a necessity but not something I dread or look forward to. After 7 months I very rarely crave bad foods. I usually have no trouble being tempted, but I also actively stay out of situations where I know I might be. On rare occasion (like Thanksgiving) where I know it's unavoidable, I gave myself permission to have a piece of pecan pie. It was very good, but I didn't "need" it and I haven't wanted anymore since. I'm just not good at doing anything in moderation so I felt this was the best solution for me. The interesting part is it has not taken a big effort of will power, sacrifice or deprivation. While I was educating myself on nutrition (thanks to my nut) my eyes were opened to all the havoc and devastation that certain foods reap on our bodies. Once those facts became evident, I didn't want them anymore. It was kinda like taking a tour of a dirty meat packing plant...total turn-off. Anyway, that's my story. Sorry if it was long.

BTW, did anyone else read the book "Born To Run"? In it the writer discovers the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico who are known for running 100 miles or more at a time on a concoction called Pinole made with ground corn and chia seeds. Here's a link to the recipe. I think I'm gonna make some and try it out. It's supposed to be a super high energy mixture. http://www.nomeatathlete.com/tarahumara-pinole-chia-recipes/

They are looking for Water (moisture) to absorb and thus gel. If they don't get it before you drink them, they'll find some in your body. I've found that letting them gel beforehand does help "regularity" more than not letting them gel. Makes sense because if they soak up everything in your digestive track, I can see how that would cause constipation. They are also more filling after they've been gelled. Letting them gel in water makes for an awful concoction which I just couldn't stand. But letting them gel in my Protein shakes (which are either water or half water half milk) tastes fine and makes the shake very thick and filling. But I do like the crunchy texture of ungelled seeds. Fiddleman, you could try that...half water half milk.

I would like to think I'm number 1 but yesterday I had a small bite of fudge at Cabelas.