Fiddleman

Hmmm, no regrets here. However, I am a fairly good water chugger at 14 months. I wish sometimes I could eat a bit more (healthy) food like broccoli, asparagus and Brussels sprouts. It would be nice to eat to being full of lean dense protein without being punished with slimes.

you are welcome - always.

I do not know if a typical gym (24 hour, LA fitness and Golds to name a few) is for everyone. Every time I go to a regular gym, even if a small athletic club, I get overwhelmed by all the machines and the openness of the environment. By openness, I mean unless you are well disciplined and have a solid plan every time you go in, there are just too many different options among among a rack of dumbbells or a set of resistance machines. It is easy to "just go through the motions" and effectively waste an hour. And despite the existence of a few working out around you, it feels like a very solitary experience. People are in their own world. No one talks to each other. I cannot be alone in these thoughts. For these reasons, I find a good DVD program at home or a well structured workout program (cross fit) works best for me. Left to my own devices to execute on a workout plan every day in an unstructured environment and I would most likely give up due to lack of interest. At home there are several good programs on DVD from pdx90 to insanity to "you are your own gym" to Jillian michael's "ripped" to bob harper's "Inside out." I like cross fit because there is a strong sense of community and we are all friends. The workouts are also prescribed every day and are different, making it interesting and a continual challenge.

You might consider either standing lunges, walking lunges, or if you can, jumping lunges. Start at a small number and work your way up to, 25, 50, 100. As you get better at them and your legs get stronger, you can add dumbbells (increase weight over time). This should help create some nice quads, thighs, etc. Running is also excellent for toning up the legs. Wall sits will help. Sit against the wall as if you are sitting in a chair and hold for as long as you can. Start with 30 seconds and work up to 3-5 minutes. This is real easy to do and can be done anywhere you have a wall space. Next consider squats. Start out with air squats. Do 10 and work your way up to 25 and 50 at a time. You can also add dumbbells or a medicine ball as you wish to increase the challenge. If you have access to a barbell and plates, advance to back squats. Start out with a reasonable amount of weight, say 55 lbs (5 on each side with 45 lb bar) and work up to 95 (25 on each side), 180 and so on. If using a barbell, be careful and use a spotter if you are doing back squats near your 1 rep max. Squats are going to really help the conditioning of many muscle groupie below the waist. I know there are quite a number of suggestions here. Do what you are comfortable with.

I am thinking about just running today. A nice long slower run on the treadmill not for time. My initial thought is 10 miles, but perhaps I should try for longer? In other words, keep running until 3 hours or something like that. Typically the most I run is 10 k (around an hour), but have done long 3-4 hour runs in the past (pre sleeve) where pace was about 12:00-15:00. Today will be my last chance on vacation to get in some decent miles before returning to the fast paced excitement of cross fit (defn missing it) in a couple days at home. I've done two 10 k so far this week with some shorter 5k and 1-2 mile warmup runs combined with other metabolic conditioning workouts I put together for myself in the athletic center they have here. Would doing a long endurance run be too hard on my body or somehow detract from my overall cross fit conditioning? Sorry for all the questions. This is new territory for me. Thoughts?

That is a strong motivator for me to have it done. Thanks for posting that. Would you say that one has to take 6 weeks off from work for the type of procedure you had? Another interesting question: if a person never explained away VSG to work folks, how would one explain away doing this? It is a long time off work and there is no way to really explain why you had the procedure without also talking about the whole WLS thing to them. I rarely see my office mates (remote worker in WA and they are in CT), but questions would be flying.. I am not overly secret about it, but want to keep professional life separate from personal life. During the first 6 months or so, I did tell many about my surgery, just not work folks. Retrospectively, I do not have a strong compelling reason to be private about it. I just do not want to complicate the work environment on my team. Thoughts?

Ok - add med rare steak to the list wow, not a good week for eating dense protein on vacation at my folks. Not only got the slimes last night, but threw up too about 30 min after dinner. Sleeve definitely rejected that one. Got the severe gagging in the back of my throat and just knew it was going to be trouble. Last time food has caused throwing up i think was month 3, over a year ago. It was about 5-6 oz of sliced steak which I chewed thoroughly. However, it was undercooked. There was a little fat that I ate with it (maybe about a tbsp worth). Maybe that was it. I had my usual delicious casein shake around around 9 pm, but here is the odd part: I woke up at 12:30 am really really hungry. First time that has happened since being sleeved and ate a quest bar. Feeling a little guilty about the midnight snack, but the hunger was not going away. Could not will it away. Hopefully you folks had a better day with eating then I yesterday. Sheesh. I will be returning home tomorrow back to my wife's wonderful cooking, so hopefully these issues are short lived. No offense to my mother, but my sleeve has been challenged a little this week with her cooking.

Up + 4 miles today. 2 were a run and 2 were a sprint (800 m at a time). Did a lot of other stuff, but in turning a new page on this thread, It won't be posted here. I am not sure what my total is at for the month; stopped counting a week or two ago. I am guessing around 190.

Cheri,I share some of those same concerns with you, to a T. I want to someday take care of this skin around the stomach area, but do not know if I could push myself to knowingly go through the pain, drains, bent over state, time out of work, etc. it is a mental block for me to take the step.

I found a new food today my post sleeve body does not like. Chili peppers. It was strange actually. We stopped at this spices store near tubak, AZ and there was a table with about 1 dozen different chili sauces from mild to hot. I am a daring type person so decided to try a little of each on a couple tortilla chips. I used to be big into hot and spicy. Still am a little. Tasted good. All was fine. About 20 minutes later, my veins in my left hand and arm started to go through pretty severe vasodilation. I mean: it was a bit on the painful side, especially right at the crick of my elbow. Usually you need NO or a precursor of NO (in pre workout drinks) to get the pump (lesser, though). My veins were huge and throbbing. It was a bit fascinating to see the pump. however, It was a slightly bizarre and slightly painful condition. It happened about 4 times over the next 10 minutes and then quieted down. Made me feel a little like the hulk when he goes through metamorphosis. Lol. On the way home I had to do some research as part of my due diligence and, sure enough, chili peppers and vasodilation is a well known medical condition. Never knew. I will be careful about that in the future.

Laura- that is really great for you. I hope this week has been better for you in all ways.

Sounds fun. Be sure to carry a sack of presents too.

Well said! Thanks for the motivation. I also am a strong believer in realizing your body is truly capable of great things. It is your mind that acts as a speed bump when not properly aligned with goals. It is also the attachment of emotion to those goals that will elevate your achievements. All things are possible.

This whole notion of taking biotin to prevent hair loss. Does it actually work? It is constantly recommended here on VST and the product is advertised and marketed for strong healthy hair, yet we lose our hair anyways. I did not take the biotin, but there are so many others who have, especially women. If it is not going to work, it would be best to communicate it that way in order for folks to save money. Agree?

Two days in a row of good sleep using Natural Calm. I feel quietedly alert when waking. Well rested. You never know how truly uninspiring your sleep is until you have nights of good sleep. Drinking like a horse every day still wakes me up at night, but I am able to quickly fall asleep again after returning to bed. If you have not read the need to balance out calcium and magnesium levels, you might want to do a little research. Our diets can lead to an imbalance for the many reasons listed above.

Good advice from everyone. I do find it a little random of when dense chicken (dry) is going to lead to blocked feeling and slimes. Random, I tell you. I have to pay closer attention. It is not just about under eating the sleeve (good advice though). sometimes I can eat 5 oz and sometimes only 2 oz, depending on the exact density and moist level. It is hard to tell in advance. My wife generally always gets the chicken right. However, eating chicken made by others is a game of Russian roulette.

I did not know whether I was going to make it there. It was so easy just to skip it today. We had come back from a busy day on vacation, lots of driving and tourist stuff in 95 f weather. Sorry, I came from 55 degree weather a few days ago in Seattle and it is consistently 95 f here in AZ this week. I melt when standing in the sun for hour. anyways, I felt like wanting to be a slug when i got back. Ever have that feeling and needing to talk yourself into getting your butt to the gym? Lol:) Anyways, I went... Warmup : 2 miles running 3 rounds of 10 push-ups, lunges and air squats 25 burpees WOD 1: 3 rounds for time - 20 man makers @ 20 # (a single rep of man maker is a combination of deadlift, burpee, push-up and left/right dumbell rows) 15 jumping lunges 10 air squats holding 20 # medicine ball WOD 2: 10 k run (about 55 min - on hill program) I reaffirmed something about myself today. I need the structure of a prescribed workout in a structured environment to be the best I can be. When working out alone, left to my own devices, motivation and focus wanes; it is easy just to stop rather then pushing to completion, past the point of comfort. Who is able to have a really focused workout when alone? Hints? Maybe someday it will be easier to push self without a nagging voice that says "stop, rest, stop, stop..." Good day today in the gym with the man makers and 10 k run, but I do struggle with motivation from time to time. That is why I need a coach that is motivating me when at cross fit workout at my box. Yelling at me. motivating me to finish. Forgive my ramblings. I just wanted to put these comments out there.

What's wrong with a little day dreaming and fantasizing?