Fiddleman

Maybe you can try tylonol 3 or Vicodin (500/5) until you are clear to take NSAIDs. I take them pretty regularly for back inflammation, but am not sure yet how much fire I am playing with as those doses are high. The doctor said I could take them post 6 months, but refused to prescribe me anything as it is at my own risk. Followed my doctor's orders and waited until post 6 months before taking any NSAID. As PdxMan said in his post, you need to do a cost / benefit analysis to determine if the pain relief outweighs the risks. For me the answer is clear. You are right in saying that Tylenol does not help with certain pain, especially if it is inflammation related.

Waited about 5 months before able to eat side salads. I still have trouble with raw veggies like red peppers if I do not chew them enough or leave enough space. You might want to give your some time to progress through the various food types. Beef was also a difficult one.

This is such a good resource. Thanks for sharing.

Very nice. You found a fountain of youth and are getting younger as the months advance! The difference is super noticeable.

Gman - how has the amazing Grass been working for you since we started taking it? I have not had to take a sleep aid since and feel pretty rested in the morning, even when rising about 30-45 minutes earlier now. It gives me a good perk and seems to help with overall focus and clear thinking throughout the day. My running times have also improved since taking, but I am not exactly sure it can be attributed to the green drink. I am going to keep taking this daily.

Sorry for the multiple posts folks. Sometimes the post hangs for a while so I cancel and press send again.

Thanks for your feedback everyone. I think I will go with long extending Protein shake for bed time and bar for my afternoon snack. The brand of extended protein I use is Syntax Matrix. Morning snack is either energy squares and recovery shake before and after run 3 days a week or eggs/turkey sausage on non running days. Morning breakfast (6am) is usually a protein shake and green veggie drink following an early morning dash on my treadmill. I try and do a vigorous 1 mile hill run full out (7 mph) every morning at 5:30am when I wake on an empty stomach to wake me up before work. It leaves me with sweat pouring off my face, but really helps. This is like a quick jolt to start my day out right irregardless if it is a running day or not.

Thanks for your feedback everyone. I think I will go with long extending Protein shake for bed time and bar for my afternoon snack. The brand of extended protein I use is Syntax Matrix. Morning snack is either energy squares and recovery shake before and after run 3 days a week or eggs/turkey sausage on non running days. Morning breakfast (6am) is usually a protein shake and green veggie drink following an early morning dash on my treadmill. I try and do a vigorous 1 mile hill run full out (7 mph) every morning at 5:30am when I wake on an empty stomach to wake me up before work. It leaves me with sweat pouring off my face, but really helps. This is like a quick jolt to start my day out right irregardless if it is a running day or not.

Thanks for your feedback everyone. I think I will go with long extending Protein shake for bed time and bar for my afternoon snack. The brand of extended protein I use is Syntax Matrix. Morning snack is either energy squares and recovery shake before and after run 3 days a week or eggs/turkey sausage on non running days. Morning breakfast (6am) is usually a protein shake and green veggie drink following an early morning dash on my treadmill. I try and do a vigorous 1 mile hill run full out (7 mph) every morning at 5:30am when I wake on an empty stomach to wake me up before work. It leaves me with sweat pouring off my face, but really helps. This is like a quick jolt to start my day out right irregardless if it is a running day or not.

Thanks for your feedback everyone. I think I will go with long extending Protein shake for bed time and bar for my afternoon snack. The brand of extended protein I use is Syntax Matrix. Morning snack is either energy squares and recovery shake before and after run 3 days a week or eggs/turkey sausage on non running days. Morning Breakfast (6am) is usually a Protein Shake and green veggie drink following an early morning dash on my treadmill. I try and do a vigorous 1 mile hill run full out (7 mph) every morning at 5:30am when I wake on an empty stomach to wake me up before work. It leaves me with sweat pouring off my face, but really helps. This is like a quick jolt to start my day out right irregardless if it is a running day or not.

Here is a good overview of ChiRunning: http://www.chirunning.com/what-is-chirunning/ From the page, I focus on the following principles when running. Relaxation Correct alignment and posture Landing with a midfoot strike Using a "gravity-assisted" forward lean Engaging core strength for propulsion Connecting the mind and body to prevent injury I did not even know there was this great online resource or workshops you can go to. I am not really familiar with holding butterflies, but I can see how my running style is like that. Nor do I really feel like I am "falling" when running. I do feel like gravity helps rather that inhibits running though. In the beginning, I really did try and connect my mind with the various body parts. You will read this in several of my earlier posts often comparing running to a finely tuned watch, perfectly mechanical and precise in movement. No movement is by accident. Fortunately this psychosomatic connection becomes automatic with enough practice. I have been doing it for several months so it all seems natural to me. All my experience comes out of reading his book a few years back and learning how to run with grace for the first time. I was never a runner before then especially because of being obese. I used to get injured all the time, especially in my lower legs. After starting ChiRunning, I can honestly say I have not had an injury that sidelined me once and always feel empowered afterwards in addition to getting high on the run. However, I did work through some hip flexor and minor knee issues a couple times that required me to really think about more stretching and warm up. They did not sideline me though and I was back at running on schedule once I addressed the missing psychosomatic connection to those parts of the body. I guess you could say ChiRunning involves a bit of a naturopathic perspective in order to really connect the mind with various parts of the body. I am not so much of a naturopathic follower to health and readily depend on the traditional medical field for physical and mental health, but you can see the naturopathic cross over to fixing the various body ailments caused by bad posture or tense muscles through a mind / body connection. Different topic for a different time. I think the power of ChiRunning comes from letting your core be the engine behind all the movements. Once our core is in charge, all the other body parts just follow with minimum effort. In the beginning you do have to pay close attention to relaxation and let go of tension that starts to form in legs, shoulders or back. With practice, it becomes second nature after awhile. The principles of ChiRunning are truly universal and can apply to other disciplines in your life as well. For example, recently I applied ChiRunning to my violin playing and it got so much easier and enjoyable. I was holding so much tension in my back and shoulders before, especially when obese. It is now so much more relaxing and enjoyable to bring the sound out of my violin. The strength and power comes from my core, not my back and definitely not my arms. The best way to describe it is it feels authentic and very organic. The ChiRunning principles are also applicable to cross fitness. I am very new to being a cross fitter, but already I can see all power comes from core strength and the ability to perform the basic squat movement very well. Once a person masters the squat and deriving power from the core, I honestly believe all the other movements are derivations and will follow from dead lift to wall throws. I have much to learn, but am psyched about building strength through cross fit. With all techniques, we have to start somewhere in order to progressively improve. Try it out. See what you think about it. Maybe just start with thinking about relaxation while running before adding more principles. Do keep at it and I promise you will enjoy the benefits that practicing ChiRunning will bring for you.

Yes, it was pleasant. I always find myself connecting with my authentic self when out in the woods on a hike.

Good point. I also run in the morning, usually at 9am every morning. My east cost colleagues are on lunch, so perfect time. I am naturally a morning person so I am at my best in the am. Not sure you have the luxury of a morning workout unless it is really early due to the 12 hour shift. I have tried to exercise in the evening, but never have the energy or motivation.

I wish promax would come out with a "thin" version of their bars. I used to absolutely love their cookies and creme bar after working out at the gym (many years ago). It has a ton of sugar in it though. Same is true about cliff bars. These are great to eat before a rigorous hike, but pack too much sugar to be eaten just as a snack. Hope the marketing guys are listening. We want low carb versions of these!

Lmao! I love your quirkiness (laugh a lot when reading your tongue in cheek responses to posts). I wonder if I am ever going to live this snake mishap down as it has so many innuendos behind it that are begging to be exploited beyond what has already been done in this thread!

Try layering up, even when inside. Wear gloves when outside. These things will help you not be so cold during the first 6-12 months post op. Eventually, your body will catch up with the rapid weight loss and you will not be as cold. Until then, more hot apple cider and coffee!

Wow, 3000 calories a day? That is pretty impressive!

Want to add that a lot of calcium chews have vitamin d in them. I have read that vitamin d is actually necessary for the processing of calcium by the body.