Fiddleman

Thanks, you have touched on it exactly. Sigh. So much to learn and get better at.

I second nominating Dr McMahon from the Swedish WLS Center. Overall, a really great experience from initial consult to post op 9 months next week. The whole staff is wonderful and really care about your success in a positive manner.

You can buy the Ostrim from GNC and online from Amazon.

Cross over Addiction is a very real and sometimes extremely private thing. I took too many pain killers after surgery because I enjoyed the effects ( at the time). It was my little secret until I shared with my wife. That was a very difficult thing to admit to. Sometimes I still think about them, but have gotten over that, for now. Everyone likes the physical process that occurs when the dopamine receptors receive the chemical dopamine from various external stimuli. Is addiction as I described here genetic? Not sure. However I do know I like the release of endorphins in my system so will stick to exercise related activities for now instead of substances, even if it is a little over the top. It is helping me achieve fitness goals, almost daily, which translate into other areas of my life. I am finally getting out there and living. Might I add that squats have been shown to release a lot of endorphins. Go low and get the warm and fuzzies.

MrsG - With all due respect: what is normal? Normalcy lies in the eye of the beholder. My pontification of the day. Lol. A simple example is a motorcycle that races past a bystander at a 100 mph will seem incredibly fast. If that same bystander were on a platform also moving 100 mph, the motorcycle would appear to not be moving. It all depends on your perception of things. Physics 101 stuff, but abstractly applies to my discussion about perception and point of view. And Laura, I know it is hard for you to keep coming back to that painful memory about your brother. It is very hard. I understand. Know that your story is helping someone. Maybe even a lot of someones. We are put through individual tribulation and to go through certain circumstances to heal those around us as difficult as that seems. Each one of us probably has a similar story to tell. Not of the same circumstances, but of the same depth of despair. Talking about it is part of the healing process.

Most doctors will say wait until week six when you are past risks from healing phase. Not completely past risks, but far enough. The caffeine may irritate your stomach or it may not. Good to ask your doctor. I started drinking coffee again at week 6, but my NUT said we never had to give it up. Oh well, better to be safe then sorry as they say.

I do not think that they do from my experience with it. The gelled seeds also provide a hidden cache of Water when you are working out.

OK yoga gurus. Question for you. I went to my power yoga ( "hot yoga") yesterday and starting last night my back is so sore, mostly in the midrange. Is this from lack of correct posture or perhaps lack of strength? I know my posture is far from perfect, but it is improving the more I do this. I am on my rest day today and am going to go heat it in the sauna for a while. Any other suggestions? It was a really hard yoga class, but I made it some how to the end. Without dying. Lol. I found out afterwards that the instructor for that class is known to be hard core in terms of physical activity during the session. What am I getting myself into? Lol. Next power yoga session will be easier I hope. I am so envious of all the other yoga students that are hardly sweating (not all, but most) and can do all these weird contortions of their bodies while resting on their hands alone. I am still learning all the basic moves. Maybe some day I will be able to do the hand stands. Such power they have!! I was surprised that many of them were making a lot of effort grunts and moans near the end, especially during the final 200 bike exercises (elbow to knee fast with abs burning on fire!!) Going to get in some more Yin and Hatha before next power yoga torture session. Lol. For me, power yoga is harder then running a fast 10 k and dare I say cross fit (close tie)! But the after effects are so worth it!

I guess we guys have a little codification as well in our clothing. "casual" and "Big and Tall" mean extra large for us. Could be 2x - 6 x. "Long" and "Wide" are also for larger men usually applied to button dress shirts and shoes, respectively. By the way, the only place I have seen sizes greater then 4 x have been at Hilo Hatie in Kauai, HI. 1x is still deemed socially normal for men. Lol. Not fair right? You will find 1x and maybe even 2x in almost any store as these are socially still regular sizes for men. Not sure I agree with this regular size treatment of 1x and 2x size any longer. I am now getting an appreciation for the regular men's size of S-L. Maybe my mindset is shifting and I am on the other side now. That being said, I do have empathy for those that struggle with weight when I see them in public. I try not to treat them any differently and often go out of my way to brighten their day with a smile.

Addiction, obsession, food control issues, binge eating, over eating, etc are all pretty much the same when applied to food. All I know is I had this problem before and do not have it now. I have made so many changes physically and mentally post op that it is really difficult to say what was the turning point for me to feel free from food bondage. I will be the first to admit feeling out of control around food left me feeling depressed, powerless and out of balance in so many ways. I do encourage you to take control of your relationship with food. Here are a few suggestions that worked well for me : 1. Eat food that will regulate the insulin response. Stop eating high carb or high fat food that messes with your mental balance. 2. Take an anti depressant if depression is causing you to eat. See a therapist to work on understanding a toxic relationship with food and the impact it is having on other areas in your life. 3. Reduce the PH levels of the body (e.g. reduce inflammation) with green drinks or other supplementation. Fiber will help here. 4. Exercise to release those good endorphins. Really push yourself so you can see and feel the results rapidly. HIIT and lifting harder and faster is a good way to get the post gym pump n glow. 5. Eat protein all the time, at least every 3 hours. Eating protein does help abolish hunger. 6. Take on new activities. Try new things. Meet people. Stay busy to not get bored which may lead to eating. For example, I am just starting cross fit and yoga. Totally new to me, but fun because I am expanding my social sphere. Now that summer is around the corner, I am looking into going on hiking meet ups not just for physical activities, but to do a common activity with others. Still working on socializing, but think I am getting better at it by practicing and not letting fear of the unknown stop me. There is nothing like having a positive outlook in life and of people to replace psychological issues with food.

Just as an FYI: my doctor wanted us on Prilosec for 9 months post op. I take 1!a day and on occasion, take 2 a day. If I miss a daily doze I will notice burning in the throat. You can buy OTC Prilosec, but cheaper to get a prescription for it.

Interesting! Thanks for sharing!!

Apparently, I had to ask my wife about this. Lol. So, women's=plus and regular=misses or petite if I have interpreted the smoke signals correctly. I found this codification to be a tad unnessary. But I guess that is from a male perspective.

My resting heart rate is 48. In the hospital during recovery from VSG, my resting heart rate would go to 30 causing alarms to go off even though I was still clearly obese at the time and blood pressure was previously way high at 158 / 105 ( was on meds for it). Do not remember shat my bp was in hospital. I think it was more normal because of the effects of anesthesia on me. Now that I am physically fit ( for the most part), resting heart rate is 48 and blood pressure is 100 / 70. Running every other day for months now really helped with this. Just hope this does not lead to heart issues that is sometimes associated with runners or formerly obese people. No idea. Just a thought.

Should we stop using the word addiction then for our food issues? I do not think any of us had the common traits of drug addiction as applied to food. That is, to lie, steal, commit felonies etc for food. No, I cannot really associate it in this way. The reason may be that we had a psychological or mental issue with food whereas drug addiction is more of a physical addiction. Now that I put it this way, I agree with bean that perhaps it is an obsession instead of an addiction. Oh Dr Laura? Please straighten this out for us. Lol.

My daily water is massive. I go through 1/2 dozen 32 ounce containers a day, maybe more. Drinking water is A ok with me at my current distance from DOS. I do not think I can be dehydrated. I have been dehydrated before while post op and have not felt like that for a long time. Something else...

Yes, but Fiber One original has a fair amount of carbs right? And not high in omegas like chia seeds.