Fiddleman

Starting to feel myself today. Thanks for the kind thoughts everyone.

A supplement that helps with DOMS is called beta-alanine. It reduces muscle inflammation as an anti-oxidant and buffers against high levels of lactic acid after that heavy lifting or HIIT session. It is best to take beta-alanine directly instead of carnosine (an aggregate of beta-alanine and histinine) because carnosine must be broken down into its parts during digestion and loss of beta-alanine will occur. Beta-alanine takes 3-4 weeks to build up to where it is useful to prevent DOMS and also boost athletic performance; specifically anaerobic high Intensity interval training activity. Jump higher, sprint faster, lift heavier and most importantly, avoid DOMS. It is very cheap and can be found at most vitamin stores or online at Amazon. For reference, I order mine from NOW and am still working through the same container I bought last year. One container lasts a very long time. I never get DOMS since using this supplement a year ago, even when doing some very heavy lifting or pushing myself through cross fit bursts of exercise. I find myself able to exercise (functional cardio and lifting or isolation lifting) 6-7 days a week. It it good to cycle beta-alanine, like any supplement, after 3 months or so to prevent tolerance. This is one of the few supplements that actually works well for most people (creatine is another).

I played fiddle a lot during my college years (helped pay tuition, books and food). For a short while, I even was part of a Celtic band and we played a few pro venues (read: paid), including show box in Seattle. One of my favorite busking places was on capital hill because people were so giving and colorful. Now that I am "grown up with responsibilities", I have not fiddled so much in the last 10 years because of family, work and other time commitments, but I would love to get the bug again to do it. I used to play all over the Seattle area at this jam session and that jam session, hopping from tavern to bookstore to eatery, usually given Guinness for our tunes. So that is where my user name comes from.

Respiratory issues are gone, but really tired all the time and body aches. I just want to sleep all the time. Threw up a couple times yesterday and still can't hold food that well today without getting nausea.

It was a little terrifying at the time. Kind of like an episode of grays anatomy with all the people surrounding my bed, needles being jabbed in my arms and hands, equipment beeping frantically. I heard one of the ER guys say I was "pretty bad" in the middle of all the action when my wife asked. They gave me a script for anti nausea medication, but that is it. Strange how I did not get an antiviral script. I think my body is still fighting the virus because I had another fever last night and then went on to drench the sheets when it broke. Liver and/or kidneys must still be problematic because urine is still wrong color even though I am drinking Water (or I am still dehydrated). Some ache on lower left back. Breathing is ok today, but still kind of shallow. Circulation is still poor on hands and toes (they are cold). Since I arrived home after ER, I've been in bed feeling like an invalid and eating very little. This is a turn from my usual 1800 calories a day. Also being on the BRAT diet is weird for me because I have been all about high Protein and complex carbs for so long. Since my calories are so low (think it is around 500 a day), I am dropping weight because not hungry and abdominal region still does not feel right (sort of an achy feeling). Not as planned, but I will take the weight loss as long as it doesn't drop too much. I am already at around mid bmi weight and do not want to lose muscle (worked hard for a long time - many months - building it up).

Happens to me Georgia. I get hungry 2 hours later after last meal. I just eat again, keeping meal calories small enough so I hit my daily calorie quota and not go over. If I am "hungry"again for something immediately after eating I will wait it out because it may not be real hunger.

The symptoms do certainly match, and it was my thought too, but I think they would have told me considering the current risk patterns in the news. The doctor essentially said I had "something" ( to give her credit, she also said it was a virus), but did not know what it was. We did blood work, EKG, X-rays of abdominal area and chest area as well as monitor the vitals. Forgot to mention that my BP shot up to 200 / 110 when they took it on my arrival where it is normally 110 /70. It dropped to 135 / 65 by the time I left, but that is still pretty high for me (when looking at the last year).

I might have mischaracterized my restriction above. It is still present, but different from, say, post op 3 months, 6 months and even one year. At 3 months, I could not eat more than 2 ounces, at 6 months more than 3-4 ounces and at one year more than 5 ounces of chicken. It also depends on speed of eating and moisture content. Today, 5 ounces of chicken is all I can do before being full. However, I can eat a huge salad as in 3-4 cups. Big difference. I make a point of always eating low fat dense protein first before a green. Rarely do I eat carbs unless it is intentionally planned (breakfast or after working out). Let me say protein bars are sometimes a trigger (read: problem) for me. They do not cause restriction and, in my earlier post op life, I ate a lot of them at once (a binge). So I have since decided not to have them around because I know they will be a problem. Just always remember dense protein first and you should be fine long term.

Thanks proud Grammy. You have stated some pragmatic suggestions, and for that, I am pleased. I think what helps me is to pull my belly button towards my spine, pull my shoulders back, relax the traps and relax the rhomboids. I do lots of yoga stretches. I mean alot! I focus on squaring up my shoulders and eliminating tightness from between shoulder blades. My lower back is naturally concave, but I will be darned if that is helping or hurting. Superman's, bananas and boats are helping to strengthen core. I think I have so many issues with my upper back because my core is not strong enough, not providing the right type of support. So the little muscles in the upper back work way to hard and get really stressed and tight. I do try and stand like a marine (tall, chest puffed out), if you know what I mean.

I do not know how long these muscle balance issues will last. I am almost of the opinion they will not fix themselves and we must work on re-training the mind/body psychosomatic connections. I did physical therapy for months and it did not really help. That being said, I am starting to feel what it means to have a more relaxed back. I still have a lot of muscle imbalances to work on. I have found exercises that force good ligament alignments are helping with some very tight muscles. It will take time for new muscle configurations to develop and become natural. I still have to think about my upper back and shoulders constantly or they get seriously tight and very uncomfortable.

For me, long term success is definitely weighted on the side of healthy habits. It has to be. From a macro perspective, I believe this is how WLS is designed to work. It gives an individual 6 months of help where healthy habits can be formed. After 6 months, not so much. It becomes easier to eat larger portions, even those that are focused on the so called dense proteins. If you figure out the good habits over the first 6 months, then it will not matter when restriction lessens or, in worse case, goes away completely.

As for just having one, I am not so sure. Pop tarts are one of those slider foods plus it tastes really good. Could be a trigger food for certain people. However, if none of these hold true, by all means, have a pop tart and relish the sweet toasty goodness.

Hi CGJ- I am interested in your thoughts on this weighty subject. Feel free to repost if you have the time and inclination.

It is a bit unfortunate when the thought of needing "to be vigilant for the rest of our lives" sinks in. Being almost two years post op, these thoughts are starting to permeate my thoughts. Sure I can say no to certain food now and make every attempt to exercise daily, but, man, it is going to be a lot of work, a futile rat race that can never be won. If you want to metaphorically talk about this, it feels like doing laundry or cleaning dishes every day. It is not something that is particularly enjoyable forever (unless you get a kick out of doing these chores; I do not), when repeated over and over again. Does it really need to be this way? I know we are stuck with our individual genes, have certain metabolisms and have a set number of fat and muscle cells. Just as one cannot turn Water into gold (well, earthquakes can but you get my drift),we can not turn fats cells into muscle cells. Or can we? My google research indicates we cannot, but I would love to be told otherwise. I guess we struggled with being overweight before because we have more fat cells than muscle cells and those fat cells are just waiting " on call " to be refilled. I think CGJ mentioned that we can remove fat cells through plastics, but not all of us can afford plastics nor want to go through with the surgery. Carb blockers, fat blockers, magic pills? I jest a little, but deep down I wish there was a way to finish the proverbial load of Laundry and be done with it. Forever. I am in a good place today in terms of bmi weight, low bf %, etc, but I kid you not: it is a lot of mental and physical work. Daily. Some times I just want to have that bar cookie or brownie, dammit, but I do not want the few days it takes to steer my body back in the right direction. The few minutes of sweet endorphin pleasure is not worth the days of course correction. Also, I want to be able to eat a nice dessert without thinking that the body is going to puff up or rage after being deprived for a while. My body is just not nice to me in terms of giving me free passes on pleasure food (read: sugar). I have to be vigilant. Sigh, no easy answers. Let me know your thoughts if you have been through this mental stage as a vet or maintainer. I know it is just a phase, but it bothers me nonetheless.

Typically during the week I work out at 4 pm because it is a good time to break from work (16 hour days as a software developer) and aligns fairly well with daily eating patterns. I start work at 5:30 am so do not have any time before work. On weekends and when on vacation (now), I like to work out at 9 am to align with 2 hours after eating and also " to take care of it" as I have a habit of talking myself out of it if in the afternoon or evening (only applies on non working days). Average workout session is about an hour, but sometimes 30 m and sometimes 90 min depending on what I am doing. For example, cross fit type workouts are mega intense and only require 20-30 minutes where a p90x weight workout requires on average 60 minutes where a good yoga session is 90 minutes. Variety is key not only for your own interest, but also to avoid plateaus.

I believe the only member I read that had c diff is Kindle (required a fecal transplant). Do a search under this member and you can read all about their experience.

Wow - great story. I like premier protein, especially strawberry, for breakfast. Chilled is best. I have never found them to be clumpy, but usually give them a quick shake before opening. I get mine from Costco. Now that you have a connection with the company, do let them know butterscotch and chocolate mint would be awesome...

5 months - epic fail: slimes, threw up 7 months: ok in moderation 1 year+: fine. At almost 2 years, I love a good salad. A big portion too. My favorite salad is greens and chicken slices with goat cheese, candied walnuts or pecans, sliced strawberries and raspberry vinaigrette.

This is turning into a very well researched, but scary thread.

While we are on the topic of supplementation, I have 2 questions: 1. Is it absolutely necessary to eat carbs (simple) with Protein for proper transport to muscles or would a combination of peptides and BCAA be enough. I have been trying to do 2:1 to 4:1 when consuming carbs and protein post workout, but it would be better if I didn't have to try so hard to find enough carbs when eating 25 G protein. And I am wondering if the carbs really makes a difference in my Quest to build more muscle (while not gaining "fat" weight). It is a slow slow process... 2. Am I doomed to deficiency if my daily servings of veggies and fruit does not meet the FDA guidelines? I have probably 2-3 servings of veggies a day and 1-2 servings of fruit. Sometimes I have less than this. However, I do take a high potency multi and try and take a green drink daily when I remember. I generally feel fine, but am wondering...

Yup, my b12 is always high off the charts at 1500+. I think it is because b12 is in a lot of different food items (eg shakes) I consume and I normally do not go out of my way to take a subliminal tab.

How many active post op folks at or close to goal have found fitness actually helps tighten loose skin? Being about 2 years out, I am quite active, eat clean, hydrate well, take supplements (eg multi and fish oil), yet still deal with some abdominal loose skin (1/8 inch if pinch with fingers) as well as a little upper thigh loose skin. It is not terrible, yet annoying. I was hoping that putting on muscle would help. While I have a 32 " waist as well as visible definition in arms, chest, shoulder, legs and back, the 6 pack abs eludes me no matter how much lifting, cardio and ab work I do. I understand that ab work will not take care of the fat layer and I do purposefully burn mad calories whenever I can to reduce fat. Body fat % is not single digit yet, but is low to mid teens. Has anyone achieved their skin goals without cosmetic surgery? Please share your experiences and stories. As an aside, here is a good article from Tom V. on weight loss and extra skin: http://www.burnthefat.com/loose_skin.html Not specifically about WLS, but I feel the information can apply to us.

A DEXA scan is accurate enough to determine if a person is deficient or not in calcium, right? Is there another test people can use? As for b12, I have been wondering if this is something that one should take daily or just when extra energy is needed. I personally haven't noticed a change from taking it versus not taking it, but have gotten to the point where I am inconsistent with taking a dedicated daily b12 supplement. However, I do know a lot of the Protein powders (as well as a lot of food in general) are fortified with it and my multi has some 200% b12 RDA in it. I know that a lot of the b12 energy-based supplements have b12 in it (5 hour energy has more than 8000% RDA). My labs always show b12 levels at surplus (out of range actually), but do realize this could change the further out one gets. Would you think a vet be wise to "stay on top of" the b12 by taking a supplement daily or just when they feel they need the energy boost? Just curious.

I will notice the throat burn if I forget to take a daily PPI by evening. Might be able to " put up with it" but I don't see a problem with taking 20 mg daily as long as it works and I have a prescription. It is kind of expensive OTC so I make sure I get plenty of refills. Who knows how long we need to take a PPI. No plans to stop.

Good idea on the use of sauna. Fortunately I have access to an infrared sauna so will try this. I do dink about 32 oz during each workout, usually with xtend bcaa mixed in.