mark!

Jeez I just popped in to check things out and this new format blows. When did all of this crap happen?

I think I met my capacity at around 6 months out. I can eat up to about 2000 calories on a heavy lifting day, I usually keep it around 1600-1800 calories however, getting at least 150g Protein in every day. If I drop my calories down to about 1200 or so, I drop weight fast but that's always scared me, I don't want to lose weight that fast since I'm doing everything I can to keep my quality mass, which so far hasn't been an issue at all.

This was worth coming back for.

I guess I'm obnoxious. I park my jacked up, loud, stinky, beast truck across 2 parking spots in the back of the lot. Then again, I don't go to the gym and eye everyone else and notice what they're doing, I'm usually too busy busting my ass. 1st world problems.

If your levels are off, you may want to get your estrogen levels checked out. Low T doesn't play much in the role of gynocomastia, or gyno, but elevated estrogen levels are a major component. Get the levels checked, and if the doc won't give you anything for the low t, or high E, fire the doctor.

Fiddle, I'm with most on here. I haven't taken any thermogenics in a long time, but I was on the old ephedrine Lipo 6 a good while back and even though it did great things for me, the side effects started sucking after a while. If you want to get up and go from the thermo, just drink a cup of coffee, or take a caffeine pill (200mg) before working out, (it's close to a cup of coffee). There are a lot of filler junk ingredients in those pills people take, most of it will do more bad than good. Veins do look good though bro, I'm finally enjoying chest and bicep veins. Just be careful. Keep pushing yourself to the brink, but listen to your body and know when to back off.

That's a big thing for me. I know we could pull more guys in here if they knew women wouldn't post or hover over everything we post. And like cubbies said, every time a guy posts, the next 3 posts are by women.

I think ultimately, that's the best choice to make. To me, this is a hobby. Yeah I can load up on anabolics and what not, but the risk of losing my life, or having major medical issues down the road just isn't worth it at all. Keep working hard and busting ass, you'll get what you deserve.

I use Centrum's 1 a day with prostate support (cancer has all but erased the men in my family) B12 is liquid, I think spring valley, I also do the drops. Vit D is also spring valley Fish Oil is whatever is on sell I don't take calcium, I'm against kidney stones when supplementing with D. Doesn't happen to everyone, but it can, and has led to kidney stones with using D and Calcium at the same time.

To anyone thinking Fiddle is being mean/whatever, would you take any advice from a Doctor who weighed 400 pounds and was telling you to lose weight? Same concept. I'm not going to take a recommended supplement for strength from some GNC kid who's calves are the size of my forearms. Our local Vitamin shoppe is run by a local strength trainer and natty body builder. Dude is legit and cool as hell to talk to. GNC uses product targeting to push their crap. They have a list of things to recommend for each goal, and their based on a sales number, not what works. I wouldn't go to GNC to buy a bottle of Water, that's for damn sure. If you're looking for supplements, google them, review them, research them, and then you'll likely find the best price online somewhere. But, beware of the 15 year olds reviewing products on bodybuilding.com. Supplements are so sketchy these days since they don't have any regulations put on them until they kill someone, then they're taken off the market. I.E. ephedrine. A great product got dropped.

Fid, all I'm going to say is if you're going to go that route, get a damn good doctor. Don't listen to what anyone says unless they've taken that road. Most people think they know something because of what the government or someone told them somewhere at some point in time. Get a great doctor who will work with you for what you want, they're out there you just have to look hard, and pay a lot. Genetics are brutal, someone said you can work through them, well, ya can't. You just can't. What you're naturally given, is what you've got.

At least you work them in every once in a while. My trainer used to have me do them with 135 on my back in the parking lot, luckily I haven't seen them in a few months, but now that I've posted this, I'm sure things will change.

This is VST, not facebook. We don't need to know your every thought. Carry on.

Crossfit is a beast, I'd join the gym I do crossfit at every now and then if I had more time for it and it was a goal of mine to get ripped and shredded, but I've got so much invested in powerlifting. I know a lot of powerlfiters though who use crossfit for cardio days and such, I do like to do some crossfit inspired stuff on rest or cardio days, it's a blast and a great workout.

You'll be tweaking things for the rest of your lifting career man. I log every single work out, going back in my log and looking at changes I've made, I tweak things probably about once a month. I'll either drop a movement or add one to my overall sets depending on how I'm feeling, what's working, what isn't working, etc. To me, my biceps and lower back suck, so every day I do something for biceps and lower back, high reps low weight, every day I'm in the gym, even if just enough to get blood pumping through and some minor fiber tears to get repaired, work is work. I love the science of building up a body part and hitting it hard, then watching it grow. If you're anything like me, the more you develop something the harder you're going to work it. The future is awesome when it comes to just how far we can push our bodies.

Peanut butter is my staple, full fat baby! I take in protein, peanut butter, bcaa's, and then drink water through my workouts. I can't eat a full meal or anything heavy in carbs before a workout, especially if I'm in ketosis, I'll feel like crap and sluggish. I feel like I'm firing on all cylinders when my carbs are lower, less than 50g total for the day. I'm odd like that.

Awesome work Fid. Proud of you. Are you lifting with a belt? My lower back has always felt weak, anything after 405 and I have to go with a belt just for support and to keep everything tight in my stomach and back. Back extensions with either a 45lb plate, or if you wanna get crazy a barbell loaded with either 25lb plates, 35's, or 45's to do back extensions with will also help build up your lower back. Stiff leg deadlifts also helped me a ton develop back there. My lower back is still weak in my opinion, but that's my own fault for never pinpointing it. Put in some work to develop that lower back, and it'll make a world of difference man.

60% of your old capacity will go a long way in the end. After my surgery, the absolute only thing I struggled with, and still have a hard time with is steak. Fajitas I do good with, but if it's just a grilled steak, I have a hard time eating. I felt like I didn't have any real restrictions. I'd chug water, I sip water still while I eat,and I went through some periods where my weight wouldn't drop for the life of me. But, here I am, 5 months after surgery and I'm down 90 pounds since. Don't get so discouraged that you think it was all a waste of time, please just give it time, continue to work hard and do what you're supposed to do, and you'll see results.

Active recovery has been my best friend through all of my meet prep and such, but right now, no meet prep and just building, I rely on a good nights sleep, glutamine, melatonin and contrast showers.

Looking good bro, keep it up.

Maltitol is too high, so is the soy protein content. I'll stick with Quest.

So, saying that the way these folks are living and eating will lead them to failure? My diet, during the most weight I've lost phase wasn't on point at all. I ate whatever I wanted when I was reintroduced to solid foods. I've had ice cream, candy, etc in very small portions and have lost 115 pounds in October, 90 of that since Feb when I had my surgery. I do think commenting on how other people work their sleeve and saying they'll fail is a bit over board. Just like now, I cyclical keto diet, meaning I have 12 days of minimal carbs, and then 36 hours of 2 days I eat high GI carbs, which 90% of you on here would freak out and say I'm going to fail. I do what works for me, and that's all anyone can and should do. There's no cookie cutter program. I think over analyzing the diet aspect and freaking out over macro's leads to eventual failure, especially as a larger person who has struggled with weight loss all of their lives. The way I see if, there are 2 boats, both going to the same place. One is the strict, I only eat wholesome healthy foods, and the other is the I don't want to "diet" my entire life and I'm going to still enjoy food but on a much smaller scale. Now, every once in a while, some do jump over board and swim back to the shore which can and has lead to failure, sure it happens, but not everyone who enjoys food from time to time is going to fail on this journey. Many people had dealt with judgement their entire lives. And someone who's been sleeved coming in saying "I'm concerned" is the same as judgement to them, regardless of how you saw it or what you were trying to do. It could have gone either way. You could have been more sensitive to their diet and feelings, or they could have just understood that you're concerned for their general health and only want what's best for them, and they should know what works for them and let it slide. I know what I eat isn't always the cleanest most best thing for me out there, but no major stalls, bodyfat% has dropped every month (not BMI, but DEXA scanned), and each week when I step on the scale I see a lower number.

The BMI scale is a joke. The ONLY thing it's ever been good for is helping me get approved for surgery. BMI was around 42, bf% was 28% when I was 394 pounds. It's a crappy European system that's flawed. I always have people complaining about their BMI, I use the example of Ronnie Coleman or Jay Cutler. They're elite level bodybuilders, sitting around 300 pounds and at 5-7% bodyfat during competition season. Ronnie Coleman joked one day in the gym about how he can't get increased life insurance because they only look at BMI, and not anything else. Always thought that was funny.

Stunning.

I follow a cyclical keto diet and have had great luck with it again after surgery. I've used it quite a bit to prepare for powerlifting meets and such and started using it again, have had good luck so far.