Globetrotter

I know that working out brings energy and self confidence and positive happy endorphins and cannibinoids, but does anyone know if there are any sex related chemicals that are released when one exercises intensely? After I lift weights I get a total rush and I know I'm swaggering and if my man is in my path ... watch out!

I started out as a ... I think I was a 46G? And (after I lose a little regain here) I will be a 34 DD. The problem though is that although the volume is gone, the mass isn't. So I can pack and fold all of the empty boob skin into a smaller bra, but it's still there. Plus there is what used to be side bulges that are now empty but again, the skin remains. So yes, I would very much like to have a shaping done, Maybe concurrent with a total body contouring, wherein the fat taken from the rest of my body is purified and put into my newly reduced and shaped breasts. Once at goal I would like to be a 32 or 34 full C.

What I find disturbing is that I have kept a "changes" album, documenting my journey in photographs from my highest weight until my lowest (to date), I recreated that album here in a short version and the photo of me at my heaviest? I don't think I look any different now. I know *I know* that I do, obviously I could not have begun to pour myself into a size 16 back then, my 24s were tight, but I look at *her* and feel that that is me, currently. Go look for yourself in my photo album ... A frustration also for me is that because I am so short, with all of my weight in my curves (hips, breasts, belly) I am STILL in plus sizes. Even when I was super fit a year ago before my recent regain (I got down to 164) my size 10 Levis were sausage casing tight. If I were wearing something that was truly comfortable it still would have been a 14! I'm currently losing weight again and the size 16s that were creating unsightly lower gut biforcation are now hanging nicely, but I know if I even attempted to put on one size smaller it would be sausageville. I have one pair of pants, cords from J Crew, that are a regular size 12. I wore them from 190 to 164 and at 164 they still fit perfectly fine, even a tad snug! I'm currently 189 and I know those dang pants are going to be wearable for another 50 pounds! GRR!!

*mental note: run into aroundhky after lunch* Did you read my bit about the pleasure-flooding of the body and synapsis after lifting? I'm really not exaggerating, it's amazing! Now I just need a trainer

Do we know which hormones exactly? Is it just testosterone or are there others? T gets all the credit but I know there are other major chemicals at play..

since starting this thread I have concentrated on weights; I do a short (10 min) fast cardio warm up then do upper body weights rotations, followed by lower body (squats, pilates crunches, etc.) followed by several sun salutes (downdog). I finish it off with my favorite part of the day, mashing out the muscle fibers with a tennis ball, OMFG this is amazing! It is so freakin pleasurable I can't even describe it, only that it hurts so good! Fiddleman, when and how should one take the creatine?

Red marks. If something is too tight it will leave impressions on your skin. Because of my weight distribution I have been tempted to buy those pregnancy jeans with the regular sized legs and stretchy waistband, with my chubby lower belly and extra skin, my legs get lost in pants that fit my waist.

I am still eating like a post-op, btw KaliMomo3, that diet doesn't need a special name, that's justhow we are all supposed to be eating, period lolol. I lost 5, paused, went up 2, paused, went down 3, and am currently (hopefully) on a losing swing. My chemistry is just unfortunately super efficient, during famine my people survive, so I need fewer calories to maintain and way fewer cals to lose. I'm averaging about 750 a day, trying to keep carbs low around 30 but it is difficult.

http://www.psyneuen-journal.com/article/S0306-4530(11)00287-3/abstract Endorphins got all the credit back in the 80's, now we know it is really the endocannibinoids that release that "runner's high", which I personally get from lifting, not running.

Right? But genuine exercise addicts will exercise until they break their legs (true story). I can honestly say that the flood of pleasure after lifting is unlike anything else.

Yeah, their pretty ... noteworthy

From what I have read, this particular kind of euphoria is rare, everyone feels good after exercise but this is different. I could count myself lucky to feel such mind bending pleasure from strenuous activity *cough*, but I also think it has something to do with a genetic predisposition toward addiction, basically our brains are overly sensitive to pleasure, we feel pleasure more intensely than normal people. So, some addicts abuse this gift with heroin, others with alcohol. Me, I hit the cheeseburgers. And people can legitimately become addicted to exercise, I'm sure I'm a looong way from that, but I get it.

Last night I ellipticaled for 15 minutes fast, then did five upper body weights machines, 3 sets of 12 @ highest weight I could handle, then did calves, squats, crunches and elbow knee cross bodies, plus sets of yoga sun salutes. I was supposed to focus on lower body yesterday but couldn't help it, the weights feel sooo gooood. I will post in exercise an article I found linking endocannibinoids and exercise and addictions.

Green drinks would be awesome ... if I could get some sent to me here, in Afghanistan, where I'm deployed.

That's why we ate, we were subsuming our actual desire to BONE *rotflmao*. My bf was *ahem* quite a bit younger than myself and lean and well, young enough that it was never a question of his being able ready and willing ... aaaanywayyy, I matched him! On another note, Does anyone know if there are any studies out there linking the chemicals that are released by intense exercise and libido? When I was training crossfit and running I became an absolute tigress and had. my. WAY.

I looked back over my online food tracker at my weight loss; by the time I set up my tracker I had already lost 24 lbs since surgery 5 weeks prior (20 of those lbs were in the first 2 weeks post-op btw), but I just now decided to look back at the bulk (ha ha) of my weight loss and calculate on average, how much weight I lost during my steadiest era of loss. in 13 weeks I lost 50 lbs which averages out to about 3.8 lbs a week, that was from the end of month 2 post-op to the start of month 6. It seems no matter what the F*** I do, no matter how morbidly obese, no matter how faithful and perfect a patient I am, I am one SLOW A$$ EFFING LOSER. -.- *cough* sorry about that, little peeved ... Even when I still weighed in the high 200's (260s), and was eating 600 calories a day with only 20g carbs, I STILL, was only losing a pound every couple of days. So, has anyone else done calculations like these? How much did you lose, which period post-op, and how much were you eating?

Yeah, um, that 3.8 pounds per week loss was, if you read my post fully, was during the height of the honeymoon period, I haven't seen loss like that since and comparatively speaking, it's pretty slow for a VSG honeymoon, where people typically lose 50 lbs in the first 3 months not nearly 6. MichiganChic, it wouldn't let me click on your stats, could you just tell me?

Are you prone or upright when this is happening? I started having the same issue when I got lazy and started eating in a reclined position. Also, if I eat to close to bedtime and take any medication, I will wake up in the middle with what I thought was a burp that turns out to be a barf :/

Dang this is good stuff!! I am deployed atm, so my options are limited. I have access to a treadmill, elliptical, bike, and stairmaster. For weights there are a few nautilus style machines but it's mostly the kind of set ups where you have to put the big weight donut on either side of the bar and go from there. That would be fine except that the weights room is super male dominated and testosterone charged and ... being undressed by 100 pairs of eyes is not as fun as it sounds :/ I LOVE the flood of chemicals I get during/after a lift. I don't do drugs but I imagine this is what it must feel like, it's like I can actually feel a liquid rush of pleasure flooding my brain, I actually smile while I'm lifting! Yesterday was all upper body lifting - 3 sets of 12 at heaviest I can manage, back of the arms pushing and overhead behind the head drop, pecs, and lats, plus push ups. I only did enough cardio to warm up (5 min bike, 5 min elliptical). Today will be yoga, 10x sun salutes, a 5 minute brisk walk, and lower body weights. But I'm open to suggestions? What I'm hearing from everybody is that weights are key. Interesting that nobody talked about callesthenics or aerobics, crunches, jump rope, etc.

Still, this reassures me a lot, thanks Feed! I was 189 a week ago, then 3 days later went up to 191 and have now been there for 3 days ... I didn't add any salt to my lunch today, had some caffeine in my coffee, and will drink a lot of water today. any other reasons why this might have occurred?

Effing awesome nannie!! The analyst part of me (professional hazard, sorry) is fascinated though that, to Celebrate your success in abstaining from old behaviors, you indulged in 3 donuts. This is not a judgement of you by any means, I am fascinated because I would have done the SAME thing. Why is this ... if we look at it in terms like alcoholics, why would we celebrate our sobriety by having a drink? Yet, we do ... man this is one complex journey. We are the only group of addicts on the planet that are required to partake of our addiction in order to live! Booze or drugs are not necessary for survival but nutrition is, so this requires even more delicate navigation imo, than substance abuse. I have stayed low cal/low carb/ high exercise for 2 weeks now, first 5 days I lost 5 lbs, then went up 2 lbs and have stayed there. Any ideas what is going on? Trying to cut out the salt but man alive I'm craving it! Trying to drink more Water.

That. is. FU##ED. UP. Our health insurance situation is criminal and an embarrassment. They are effing crooks, treating humans like meat puppets.

Fiddle, what was your average caloric/carb intake and exercise expenditure during your loss phase?

Fiddle, what was your average caloric/carb intake and exercise expenditure during your loss phase?

Fiddle, what was your average caloric/carb intake and exercise expenditure during your loss phase?