Fiddleman

Second day was a toughie for me, still in ICU. Did not try to eat or drink anything by mouth until day 3. Sipping on Water was ok, but only up to 8 ounces a day. I still could not sip my Protein shake without severe, and I mean very severe, pain from my stomach up to my tonsils. And my left shoulder really hurt every times drank from the gas. Things got better by day 5 where I could finish 8 ounces of water without pain and they let me go home. Increasing to 64 ounces of water a day comes with time, not during the first week. If you can hit 64 ounces a day by week 3 you are doing pretty decent. Hang in there and know every day things improve just a little bit more until before long you will be making leaps and bounds in your post op recovery. Soon you will be looking back at he tribulations of being a new post op as a distant memory. The benefits and accomplishments will far outweigh the speed bumps along the way. Do try your best at drinking every day. Dehydration can catch up to you and before you know it, you have a real problem on your hand that requires medical attention. One strategy that may help you is to split up the drinking into increments like 2 ounces per hour when you are not drinking shake. Try and drink 1 ounce shake per hour. Doing little 1 ounce and 2 ounce goals keeps your progress moving forward, puts you on a schedule and you can make good protein and water numbers this way.

Soy milk is easy to drink. I had trouble with NF milk after surgery from some lactose issue so switched to light vanilla soy. It is low calorie and has a lot of Protein. Plus it is yummy. I mixed it with Protein shakes for many months as a post op, but do not drink it any longer by choice. Nor do I drink milk. My wife still drinks it and prefers it over milk when eating Cereal. I think you can start drinking it immediately after surgery. Now soy vegetables like edamame you may want to wait a few months on. These are a little difficult to manage until your sleeve can handle raw vegetables.

Look for a low carb / low sugar protein bar like think thin, nu go, pure protein and Atkins. There should be 2g or 3g of sugar or less as well as 20 G protein or more. The calories should be around 200, give or take 10 or 20. Do treat these as an exception rather then the rule because they are not the best survey of nutrients. No more then 1 a day. Maybe less if you are not physically active yet. They are good if you find yourself in a bind for a snack with no real alternatives. The problem with protein bars is they trigger you to eat more and their bioavailability is higher in the body, causing you to not be full for very long. That is why a dense protein is usually always a better choice if you have it available.

I take 3-6 g molecularly distilled Omega 3 daily. It is made from sardines and avocados. The only downfall is it is very pricy. The kind I take is super omega 3 from super, faster, healthier: http://www.sfh.com/products/omega_3-oil I have experienced the benefits of decreased inflammation in the body over the last 2 months: Smaller waist ( targets that Abdominal fat) Minimal soreness from training Good performance during training Increased cognitive processes Clear and radiant skin It is not too hard to swallow, but they make it in several flavors if that helps you. You can also mix the liquid in with something else like a shake or food. Highly recommend everyone take a high quality omega 3, not just the standard fish oil capsule from the grocery store or costco. Make sure you are getting at least 1 g of EPA and DHA daily whether it be this product or something like it. I still eat salmon when it is available or add some avocado slices to salad.

Do you feel comfortable with sharing what lead to total regain for the benefit of others?

I started my first cross fit session in February 2013, after I had finished my weight loss phase of 180 lb. I wanted to get into strength building because my upper body severely atrophied (lost muscle) from low carb, low fat and low calorie dieting for the past 7 months. Running almost daily for the last 2 months (jan, feb 2013) of it also leaned me out substantially pushing me from 230 lb to 178 lb. The results so far from about 3 months of cross fit 2 x a week have really been impressive. I have also cut down my running to 2-3 miles a day (1 before training and 2 after training) to eliminate the catabolic effect that constant running had on my muscles. My mile times have increased to about 5:50 since first starting to run in December 2012, given the proper warm up and stretching. I cannot sustain this very well for a 10 k, but can almost sustain it for a 5 k. It is not too difficult to bust out a single mile or even 2 miles at this speed. I think cross fit has helped me achieve these faster times. As stated above, cross fit scales very easily to people of different fitness levels and different goals. My PT said she takes people who are still very over weight because anyone can do it. And anyone can succeed with progressive results. With consistency, you will get better and better over time and be able to do more reps, heavier weights, faster. I am still fairly new at it and am very much a beginner. Do not feel afraid to hook up with a PT to help you get proficient at the exercise technical movements if you feel more comfortable doing it this way. I like using a PT for the one-on-one experience and she will not let me ease up. We do a WOD that is just for me. In due time, I will be doing open gym with the others. I say do it!!! One thing I have learned as a post op is to embrace change and dynamics of life. Say yes rather then no to new opportunities and see where it takes you. It makes for a much more compelling and interesting lifestyle. Each day is exciting and worthwhile.

Do you think the DR Floras products would be helpful for post ops? http://www.drfloras.com/ I have heard stories of some impressive results using these products. However, one would wonder if they are more hype then effectiveness. Regardless, take a look at the detox and bowel regulator products. They are kind of pricey.

Very nice! Thanks for posting your experiences. I totally agree with your opinions ^^^^^^^^^. I am sorry to hear about your gall bladder surgery. There seem to be quite a few VST women (not so many men) that have required it to be removed. It is great that your recovery went so fast. That is super impressive. They probably want you to still take it easy though. Right? Cross fit, as you are aware, is extremely intense and could damage incisions or something internal if not careful. Let us know how you are doing with regards to your recovery. I like what you said about cross fit warm up; it is so true. A cross fit warm up is usually as hard as a normal workout by a non cross fitter. There are planks, push ups, pull ups, dips, hip extensions, sit-ups, air squats, rows, runs, etc. it certainly lifts your heart rate and turns on the sweat in order to be in the right state to kill a WOD. I am still doing banded pull ups. My goal is also to do 10 real pull ups without any band or box to start on. Maybe in a few weeks. I am getting better though since starting. For others, AMRAP means as many reps as possible. It is an intense all out push through reps until you collapse. You can do AMRAP with 4 exercises or you can do fewer exercises or a shorter duration. For example, an AMRAP you can do is 2 minute air squat, rest 10 seconds, repeat for 20 minutes. Another is 2 minute style kettle ball swing, shoulder carry 25 meters, repeat for 25 minutes. your fore arms will be wailing after this one so be sure to properly stretch them out afterwards. Each exercise is definitely catered to your ability in terms of weight and/or excise modification. Speaking of AMRAP, the AMRAP refuel bars are my favorite post cross fit session recovery supplement. They are Paleo and have 300 calories, 14 g of Protein, 22 g of carb (17 g from raw honey) and 21 g fat (8 g saturated fat - is this bad?). Usually I buy these from Amazon, but they appear to be out of stock at the moment. Check back soon. As an aside, I have noticed more and more shortages of products I usually order from Amazon that are food based in the last month. Strange.

I do know what you mean about enjoying the taste and experience of energy drinks like 5 hour energy. It is sometimes an acquired taste that is enhanced over time. I like the occasional 5 hour energy as a post op, but do not drink these things nearly as much as pre op. be a little cautious about overdoing these though as your body can build tolerance towards them fairly quickly. Now I believe the best energy comes from a clean diet, a good old fashioned workout session and a restful 7-8 hours of sleep.

I am pretty good with planks( 2 min average, 5 min max with one leg up) and will continue with them. Killer ab and general core strengthener.

Would applied ice help more then applied heat in this case?

Not sure about shifting pain. Can I send it to my pinky? Lol. I will try meditating over my pain, but any other ideas? I am wondering when I can expect my back to get some relief so I can do sit ups again. For now, I need to avoid those but can do everything else.

Do others know if one banana a day is enough potassium? I would think so, but want to hear from others on it.

I will try and provide some anecdotal experience around cross fit to answer your question. In addition to this online approach to cross fit, there are usually 1-3 cross fit gyms in a local area. Usually these gyms will be open gym format and like to cater to military, police and fire departments. They are also open to anyone who is interested in a really challenging workout regimen. Most cross fit gyms require all members to take a foundation class with a group or a PT set of sessions to become familiar with the exercises and equipment before participating in a group setting. This can be waived of course if you demonstrate proficiency from previous cross fitting. Usually this will cost about 100. Typically, the cross fit routine involves a WOD (work out of the day) that is different every single day and is designed to push your individual athletic ability. You are side by side with a group of others doing the WOD going as hard and as fast as you can. It is intense and will challenge you because every time you personally strive to better your results. Usually a monthly membership will cost about 120. My gym dues are 150 a month. Some gyms also let you pay per session, but this is usually more expensive. When finished with a WOD you record it on the board and in a notebook so you can have a record of all your progressions. You are competing with yourself for more reps, faster time not with the others even though you will all be doing the same workout. You will be pushed to the extreme, heart rate soaring sweat flowing and sometimes a little blood (not seen myself). These workouts give you real results not to bulk up, but to become a high end athlete. A workout of the day might involve Olympic lifts, squats, burpies, rope climbs, handstand pushups, 1 mile sprints, pull ups, push ups, etc. I think there are probably 100s of different exercises that are available to build billions of different WOD combinations. For this reason, I wanted to become technically proficient with a PT before participating in an open gym with a group of others. That is just my decision because I am a relatively new lifter and want to prevent injury and also learn how to be successful in the WOD groups session. I paid for 18 PT sessions up front ( about 700) and it is entirely worth it. I am learning so much plus I have a PT who is really challenging me on technique and on becoming stronger. She is great. There are a few WOD I have posted here on VST. For example, 2 mile sprint followed by heavy squats for 2 minutes, repeat 4 x. Some guys are there 6 days a week. I think this is possible because most WOD are HIIT and not strictly lifting. However, I have seen some of these guys do a 1 rep of 500 lb Olympic lift and they are not body builders. Incredible! So I guess I am saying that the cross fit gym can be both for HIIT cardio and lifting outside of regular exercising. Again, you (anyone) will really enjoy the challenges and results of cross fit. I hope you (everyone) decide to join. You will have a number of friends on VST that will share in your successes. So far, I think I have counted about 10 that have said they cross fit with 2-3 really involved in it. I am sure there are many more that have not posted heir cross fit experiences and results. My results from cross fit are similar to Aarons, but not quite as far along. I hope to reach these types of results in about 4 months. You can be the judge at the end of the 4 months.

Agree with ^^^^^^° My list of supplements match. Other additional supplements I currently take are C4 as a pre workout drink and catalyst as a pretty workout amino acid boost. Love both for the powerful workouts. I like creatine because it really helps with measurable lean muscle growth. I take about 5g a day, sometimes 10 g. It depends on the type of training I am going to do. Fish oil helps fight all the inflammation in your body after hard workouts. I take 3g on days I lift or do cross fit because both are hard on the body. Invest in a high quality recovery Protein. You will see better gains if you use the high end stuff. It is also helpful if it has bcaa chains in it. There are so many powders to choose from, but make sure it is not loaded with sugar 3g or less) and packs at least 25 g whey per serving. Whey is fast acting protein and good to drink after a workout. Casein is slow acting protein and good to take at night around bed time. I drink 2-3 shakes a day because there is no way I can eat enough lean protein to keep up with my workouts. Eat as clean a diet as you can focusing on a proper balance of the macro nutrients. Diet of lean Proteins, good carbs and good fats is probably 80% of the effort to getting real gains. Lifting is 20%. The old saying is true, muscles are made in the kitchen. There are several really knowledgeable supplement guys here on VST so know you will be getting straight and legit answers. No bull.

By the time you are done walking the mall, I am sure you will make a pretty good dent in those extra calories. besides, you just did a 5 mile hike. Those calories bounced right off you into space.

At least it was not cold stone gotta have it founders at at least 2000 calories, extra caramel, extra chocolate sauce....in a butter finger chocolate dipped waffle bowl...mmmmmmmmm. ... I say you did quite all right compared to that. Look at it this way, tomorrow is a fresh day with another chance to make better choices. You can do it!!

Sure - anytime. Just trying to be helpful.

Nice Laura! You are becoming an exercise convert! Yay!!

Ha! Is there really a show about that? Do explain what you mean about your comment regarding chubby chasers, Laura and I. Now my interest is piqued.