Fiddleman

Try increasing magnesium, as mentioned by others, to improve sleep and many other ailments triggered by magnesium deficiency. I found this a good read (not academic, but still is based on some studies) http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/peak32.htm The article targets magnesium deficiencies as it applies to athletes, but there is also general information for everyone. From the article: Eating Habits Associated With Low Magnesium Intake You tend to eat white flour products instead of wholemeal You have a low intake of green leafy vegetables You don't eat much in the way of nuts and seeds or Beans and lentils You regularly consume sugar or sugary products You drink alcohol regularly You follow a calorie-restricted or high-Protein, low-carbohydrate diet Possible Symptoms Of Sub-Optimal Magnesium Intake Muscle cramps, twitches or tremors Regular or excessive fatigue Feelings of irritability and/or lethargy Frequent mood swings, including depression Pre-menstrual bloating Restless legs at night We generally have an issue with the last eating habit by nature of being a VSG post op. We eat low calorie diets, high protein and low carb diets. My daily protein consumption tends to be above average to support athletic activities. I identify with item 2, 3 and 6 from the eating habit list. The magnesium supplement I am trying is called Natural Calm: http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Vitality-Calm-Raspberry-Lemon/dp/B00BPUY3W0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382710890&sr=8-1&keywords=natural+calm The recommendation is to take 2 tsp (325 mg) daily. Others have mentioned they take 1 tsp in the morning and 1 tsp in the evening. This is consistent with the the body being able to absorb 100-150 mg most efficiently in a single dose. Took it last night for the first time and noticed I woke at 6:30 am, feeling refreshed, after going to bed at 10:30pm. I still use the melatonin to fall asleep, but the increase in magnesium ions in the body will promote a restful sleep. After all this research I have done (sleep is important to me for many reasons!!), it is now clear why I started having sleep issues when increasing protein and working out hard month 5 (now month 15). You can look into increasing magnesium if you like, but as for me, It certainly makes sense. Really helps with constipation if you struggle with that. There are so many ailments that are fixed when the magnesium levels are sufficient in the body. I will let you know how this goes in 1 month.

I think you should take more then 4 days off for recovery. I took 3 weeks off because it took that long to feel normal enough to work most of the day. Minimum would probably be 2 weeks if you can. Sorry for the thread hijack. Now back to normal programming, confessions ....

No, not al all. In fact, losing a little might improve surgery and the recovery process. Both my wife and I started dieting (not liquid diet tho') before surgery date. I lost 30 during the 6 weeks proceeding and she lost about 15 one month before. Glad to hear you are going to follow to a T. I am blown away by some of the cheat stories on this thread.

At two weeks post op, it is best to keep walking. Think about increasing distance and speed. You want to give yourself up to 6 weeks to heal properly before taking on the rigors of the gym.

Mobility and stretching are very important, if not more important, then working out in the journey to good fitness. Two books I highly recommend: 1. The genius of flexibility by Bob Cooley http://www.amazon.com/The-Genius-Flexibility-Stretch-Strengthen/dp/0743270878/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382630726&sr=8-1&keywords=genius+of+flexibility 2. Supple leopard by Kelley Starrett http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382630649&sr=8-1&keywords=supple+leopard You will thank me for these. Trust me. Both are excellent and part of my daily "study." You can find both on Amazon. Good flexibility and mobility improves the overall quality of life and also makes fitness easier, more enjoyable and joyful. Definitely look into them as an augmentation to your fitness goals. Cheers!

To follow up on my last thread, the following are two good tools for mobility: A roller: I like rumble roller and the grid Roller. I like to use them on shoulders, upper back, it bands and quads. The grid Roller has some good DVDs to help use it and strengthen core. Rumble roller: http://www.roguefitness.com/rumble-roller.php The grid http://www.roguefitness.com/the-grid-2-0-orange.php Lacrosse balls: I like to use them for mashing and flossing the shoulder, upper back, lower back, it bands and gluts. For me, my tight area is left side hip region. The lacrosse ball really helps there. You can find them on amazon or at a place like Sports Authority and Big 5.

I want to turn on all my good DNA. Lol!

Way to go!!! A lot of VST folks work towards running a 5 k by using the c25k program. It is a progressive strategy that introduces distance slowly until you can run a 5 k at the end of the program. Check out the super long c25k thread in this forum (fitness) for anecdotes, strategies and encouragement. As an aside, my wife is also interested in doing a 5 k. Perhaps you two could pair up. Her VST handle is phoenix79. She just started in the running process so is about where you are at.

I think you guys are correct in stating the merit behind weighing every day *and* not assigning a value judgement to it. That is, to be objective about it. Neutral. It is easy to feel elation when the scale goes down and doubts when the scales goes up, even as vets. Personally I weigh on average about once a week and the distance between weigh-ins increases as more time passes. I think it is because of being content with appearance. I measure myself in other ways. For example, am I improving my max lift weights, are my workouts getting faster, can I do more pull-ups and finally, how well are those jeans fitting. On that last one, the slim 32 are getting too loose by a couple inches so need to go get a new pair. I do like to track body fat % on the ww scale, but even for that, I have stopped checking daily. I guess all this rambling essentially means the scale number does not really mean anything. It is just a number. For new post ops that have not reached goal, then yes, the scale number is a valuable tool for making adjustments if the number is not dropping. Still - it is advised to weigh only as often as you can do it without it controlling your state of emotional well being.

Do you think vets should still weigh daily? I am thinking 2 x a month would be ok, to keep an eye on fluctuations. A mirror and sense of body contours with and without clothes on seems to be a good daily sniff test.

I got in +3.5 km for warmup and + 10 k for workout run. Too hot to run outside (92 f) so I did the sport training 10 k on the life fitness machine. Those programs are cool! It simulates a real 10 k race with hilly terrain. I put in level 5 and it adjusted up to 3.5 %. Pace was 8:35 for the 10 k. I do have to say the hills made it interesting. It was a good run and my tank felt nearly full afterwards. Loved it. I liked the energy I had post run. This is definitely different and easier) then, say, 8 months ago, when I was running 10 k regularly. The metabolic conditioning from cross fit really helped the endurance running. I was able to hold a conversation with my wife while running, which means I probably should have been pushing harder. Hey, throw me a bone. I am on vacation.

First off, congratulations! Second, I am so envious. I love to cave and have done it a few times. Sounds like you had a blast.

You are killing it, daily! Thanks for posting. I am on vacation and miss my prescribed daily cross fit workout. yes it is an addiction. it is going to be 95 f out almost every day, so am thinking about running inside on treadmill rather than outside in the heat. Does anyone know if running 10 k would work in 95 f temp? That seems like a recipe for overheating to me. There is a nice gym here in the community we are staying at, but it is mostly cardio machines and resistance machines. No free 45 lb bars. There is a bar attached to a cage, but i have no idea how to use it. In my mind, It feels weird to uses resistance machine as have been doing Olympic lifts for with just me, some plates and a 45 lb bar for many months now. There are some dumbbells and some weighted balls in the gym, so think I will form a timed workout around those (cleans, man makers, etc) along with push-ups, pull-ups, jumping lunges, etc. I also brought my "be your own gym" DVD, so am planning to do that also this week.

I wear compression shirt and shorts almost every workout because they really do help with speed when running, lifting, jumping, rowing and other gymnastic type stuff like wall climbs, push-ups, pull-ups, handstands, etc. they are really, really, really helpful for running. Running fast. That being said, I am thinking about going down a size. Currently top is large and bottom is medium, but I think medium for top would work better now that I am smaller since buying the large top a few months ago.

Oh that caremel coffee does look good. I think my favorite non guilty pleasure food is my double chocolate casein protein shake. Nope, don't feel guilty about that one. Other then that, anything my wife makes for dinner that is savory like cordon blue chicken casserole. Yum!

Had to go consult the Wikipedia on Oreo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oreo There are so many flavors and shapes now. I did not know there was so much evolution from the original design. I am also a purist and want to keep my oreo memories innocent. However, the banana split Oreo sounds interesting. Knowing the direction of our country and the recent passing of pot laws in a couple states, they will probable make pot laced Oreos in the near future. That will be the day. Lol.

Have you tried the pure protein bars? Not as tasty (in my opinion), but also not as addicting. 20 G protein and 180 calories. They make a 32 g version also, but add 100 calories. Protein bars have their place, but eventually, you may realize they are not the most nutritional choice and it is easy to eat more then one, as you can attest to. Perhaps you might try 1 a day and then every couple days until they become the exception rather then then the rule.

^^^^^ good advice!! Do what you can to work that sleeve in the first six months because losing gets exponentially harder the more time that goes by after that.

I read today that an ample amount of magnesium is required in the blood stream to promote lean muscle and reduce body fat. This is especially true for those that consume large quantities of Protein. Did not know this. I seem to have a somewhat difficult time building muscle and real strength despite eating large amount of protein and consistent training week after week. The recommendation dose of magnesium is 900 mg daily, perhaps spread out in 3 doses of 300 mg to minimize diarrhea triggered by taking recommended dose all at once. The muscle growth comes from the ionization or breakdown of magnesium in the blood stream. Sorry I do not have more information nor do I have any online references to back up this statement (read it In a muscle magazine today). There are many other benefits to getting an adequate supply of magnesium: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=75

Speaking of candy that was hard to eat pre-sleeve, if we can discuss that topic, include: candy corn (way too sweet), sour patch, nerds, twizzler, mike & ike, jolly rancher, etc. All had some taste or another that did not suit me. I guess I was not a candy person, but a cookie, cake and donut person. Oreos, however, were yummy. I used to eat a whole row at once. Omg! Those were the days. Oatmeal raison. mmm. That and donuts. Mmm. Apple fritters and old fashion were my favorites. Maple bar, not so much.