gmanbat

Exercise and activity after weight-loss surgery Activity soon after surgery Being active soon after surgery will help you recover more quickly. During the first week: Start walking short distances in your house -- shower, use the stairs, and do simple tasks. If it hurts when you do something, stop doing that activity. After the first week If you have laparoscopic surgery, you should be able to do most of your regular activities in 2 - 4 weeks. It may take up to 12 weeks if you have open surgery. Before this time, do NOT: Lift anything heavier than 10 - 15 pounds until your doctor tells you it is okay. Do any activity that involves pushing or pulling. Push yourself too hard -- slowly increase how much you exercise. Drive or use machinery if you are taking narcotic pain medicine. These medicines will make you drowsy. Driving and using machinery is not safe while you are taking them. Do: Take short walks and go up and down stairs. Try getting up and moving around if you are having pain in your belly. It may help ease the pain. Make sure your home is set up safely for your recovery. See also: Preventing falls Bathroom safety - adults Starting an exercise program If your doctor says it is okay, you may start an exercise program 2 - 4 weeks after surgery. You do not need to join a gym to exercise. If you have not exercised or been active in a long time, be sure to start off slowly to prevent injuries. Taking a 5- to 10-minute walk every day is a good start. Increase this amount until you are walking 15 minutes twice a day. If they appeal to you, over time try joining a dance, swim, or low-impact aerobics class. You could also join a softball or bowling team, or even a mall-walking group. The social aspects of these groups can be rewarding and motivating. A type of exercise called resistance training can help build up your muscles and also help you burn calories. Resistance training uses weights, weight machines, or resistance bands. Start with light weights, such as 2 - 5 pounds, and repeat each exercise up to 10 times. The most important thing is that you do exercises that you enjoy so that you keep doing them. Your doctor can suggest ideas or refer you to a physical therapist if you need help finding exercises you enjoy. Build physical activity into your regular routine Simple lifestyle changes can make a big difference over time. At work, try taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking down the hall to talk with a co-worker instead of sending an e-mail, or adding 10- to 20-minute walk during lunch. When you are running errands, try parking at the far end of the parking lot, or even down the street. Even better, try walking to the store. At home, try taking on common chores such as vacuuming, washing a car, gardening, raking leaves, or shoveling snow. If you ride the bus, get off the bus 1 stop before your usual stop and walk the rest of the way.

http://tbh.adam.com/content.aspx?productId=67&pid=67&gid=000050 Preventing blood clots after weight-loss surgery Description Because you will be sitting or lying down for long periods of time during and after your surgery, your blood will move more slowly through your veins. General anesthesia also causes you blood to move more slowly through your veins. This increases the chance of blood clots forming in your leg veins (this is called deep vein thrombosis, or DVT). Patients that have had a prior blood clot are at a higher risk to develop another blood clot. Blood clots in the legs (deep vein thrombosis) Call your doctor right away if you have any of these symptoms. They are signs of a blood clot in your leg: Red or blue skin color Calf pain in your leg. It may hurt to place all of your weight on this leg when you stand or move your ankle up and down. Calf tenderness in your leg Swelling (edema) in your leg Blood clots in the lungs (pulmonary embolus) Blood clots that form in your legs can travel to your lungs. These clots can cause serious problems with your breathing. This condition is called a pulmonary embolism. Symptoms of a pulmonary embolism are: Sharp chest pain Difficult or fast breathing Coughing blood Fainting Sweating Confusion A blood clot that travels to your lungs is an emergency. Seek medical help right away if you have any of the above symptoms. Preventing blood clots from forming Before and after surgery, these things will help prevent blood clots from forming: "Compression" stockings. You may be asked to wear these on your legs for a couple of weeks after surgery. They gently squeeze your legs to improve blood flow, and this helps prevent clots from forming. Not smoking or using any other tobacco products. Tobacco restricts blood flow and can make a blood clot more likely to form. Birth control pills. Women should talk with their surgeon if they use birth control pills, since they can make blood clots more likely to form. Moving your ankles up and down. Your doctor or nurse may show you how to do this to prevent clots from forming. Getting up and moving around. See also: Exercise and activity after weight-loss surgery You may also need to take blood thinners for 3 - 4 weeks after your surgery to lower your risk of blood clots. Your doctor may prescribe one or both of these: Shots under the skin that your doctor or nurse will teach you to give yourself. Pills that help prevent blood clots. See also: Taking warfarin (Coumadin)

Tell some jokes if you can. The nurses will laugh at them whether they are funny or not. The insurance pays for it.

http://www.fitday.co...eight-loss.html Slow weight loss/stalls can be beneficial. The biggest reason is that it is easier on your body. Healthier is more important than lighter. Slow down and live:

I predict you will make it to your goal. Why? Because of the honesty in that post and the intelligence. You see what is happening and you are dealing with it. You know what you have to do. You are actually ahead of where I was at 6 months with a similar weight to lose. On top of that, they say men lose easier because of the muscle mass. Sorry to hear about your break up. That is always tough. You already know the trap that food presents as a drug to forget. Reality must be conquered not escaped. You must see through the illusions. You will do it!

Praying now for you both!

Praying right now for you and all who are getting sleeved today!!!

Praying for you!

I was the same way. That little pill cup full of water looked like a gallon to me. This from a guy who used to down 2 pitchers, shots, and supper in one sitting. Lots of swelling yet. Don't worry about getting it all down. Do the best you can. It will get better. I still restrict my drinking and eating at a year out but it is nothing like it was at first.

Welcome!!! Don't be afraid to ask questions. We were all newcomers once. Sleeving is a big move we are all here to help each other.

Sleeve eating takes concentration. I like the Micheal Jordon approach. Visualize it before you do it. He saw his free throw before he did it. Sometimes he closed his eyes and threw it in. Pause before you eat. Think about what you have to do. Put that fork down between bites. If you are talking during your meals or watching TV or at the movies you must break concentration on them for a bit and concentrate on your eating. The sleeve only provides discomfort. Starting smoking was unpleasant as well. Millions of people overcame the discomfort and became addicted. People overcome the unpleasant feeling of over eating or eating too fast and neutralize the effectiveness of the sleeve. You have come to far to wreck your tool. Don't let it happen to you. (The preceeding was self-talk that Gman gives himself)

I could not run pre-sleeve, even walking up the stairs to my bedroom had me puffing like I was in the thin air of Mt. Everest. There is a steep uphill grade down the block from me. When I first got in this neighborhood it was tough to walk to the top. Today as part of the High Intensity Interval Training phase of my exercise program I ran full speed up the hill for 30 seconds with 5 pound weights in each hand, walked back down, and did it again...9 times! My daughter ran up with me...every other time without weights. When I get up to 10 times I will increase the weight of the hand weights. Always bump it up....bammm! I am 64 and feel like I'm in my 20's when I do it. The aches and pains that set in later remind me that the tick-tocks have added up.

I took your advice, Soocalchic. I think you were right. I am separating my greens and dairy now. Thanks! I have new combination which I call "Extreme Green". I mix the green powder with cold green tea which I made from Organo Gold green tea bags plus some green tea extract, (nasty tasting stuff on it's own), and a bit of raw, unfiltered honey. I heat some Water and pour out a bit into a small glass with the extract and the green grass powder and mix it.(The extract does not dissolve well in cold water and clumps of it are vile!) Then it goes into the cold tea glass and add the honey. It's quite a boost early in the morning.

I felt kind of out of this conversation until your comment about being older so you don't surround yourself with shallow people. Through our lives we were stuck being around folks who were jerkoids due to work and family ties but when we get older we tend to move away and get away from annoyances. I don't have much time for brainless flies buzzing my ears. If you think you're like that at 40 wait until you're in your 60's.

I think one reason stalls never bothered me is how I measured myself. I took the weight lost and divided it by the number of days since surgery. That gave me an average loss per day. It was 1/2 pound or more at first and then went down to 1/3 pound per day and so one. That gave me overall look and I didn't fret when the train stopped to let Mr. Fats off and Mr. Muscle on. Just knowing that my train was still moving on average comforted me that we would eventually reach the destination; Goal City. And we did, good ol' train.

(The following is an article that I thought would be helpful to those fighting stalls. It wasn't written for WLS folks but the principles apply. Of course, it depends on where you are on your journey and if you can get in the foods they talk about while getting Protein first. You may need to adjust things and lean more on supplements) Your basal metabolic rate — the energy your body expends at rest — is generally determined by your genetics, but new research shows you can trick your body into burning calories more efficiently. HEALTH magazine contributor Samantha Heller offers seven tips that can help boost your metabolism and lead to a stronger, healthier, leaner body. Here are the best metabolism boosters: Stoke your system with B Vitamins and magnesium B vitamins: B vitamins are key players in DNA synthesis, the central nervous system, metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and protein and energy production. Inadequate amounts of B6, B12, folate, thiamin and niacin can leave you feeling depressed and fatigued, slow the body’s metabolism and increase your risk for chronic diseases. Get the bulk of your B’s from food, where they pair up with other vitamins and minerals for a complete synergy of action. Foods high in the B’s include: spinach, asparagus, Beans (navy, soy, black beans), melon, broccoli, fish, poultry and eggs. Magnesium: Magnesium is a mineral needed by every cell in your body and is used in more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body, including proper muscle, nerve and heart function, protein synthesis and energy metabolism. The National Institutes of Health reports that most Americans are not getting enough magnesium in their diets for optimal health. Boost your intake of high magnesium foods to give your metabolism a boost. Go green with your vegetables. Green vegetables such as spinach provide magnesium because the center of the chlorophyll molecule contains magnesium. Other excellent sources of magnesium include: halibut, nuts such as almonds, cashews and peanuts, soybeans (edamame), whole-grain cereals, oatmeal, and legumes such as black-eyed peas and lentils. Snack right Snacking can help ignite your energy by giving your body a fuel boost. Eating healthy Snacks, in snack-size portions, can help you avoid the overhungry-overeating syndrome that often leads to overweight and can leave you feeling lethargic. Be sure to include healthy carbs and protein in each snack such as: Peanut Butter and banana, trail mix, hummus and baby carrots, or an apple with low-fat Cheddar cheese. The protein/carbohydrate combination help regulate blood sugar, energy levels and feelings of satiety. Start your day smart Want to increase your metabolism? Eat Breakfast. Studies indicate that eating breakfast may increase resting metabolism by 10 percent and reduce the risk of obesity and diabetes. Make sure it’s a healthy morning with whole-grain Cereal and fruit, whole-wheat toast and peanut butter or fat-free yogurt and a handful of granola. Speed play and strength train Speed play (aka Fartlek) — Fartlek, commonly known in the U.S. as interval training, is the Swedish word for "speed play." Interval training or speed play is a great way to pump up your metabolism and make your workouts more fun. Interval training alternates short bursts of intense activity with lower intensity activity. For example; alternating sprints with a slow jog, or powering up a hill followed by an easy downhill lope. Interval training teaches the heart and muscles to use oxygen more efficiently. A few studies have found that interval training alters the mitochondria (the engine like organelles that produce energy in cells) to burn more fat. You will likely burn more calories, increase your metabolic rate and your level of fitness at a faster rate than with your old familiar workout. Strength training — As we get older we tend to lose muscle, gain fat and our metabolism slows down as a result. One way to combat this metabolic slowdown is with regular strength or resistance training. Resistance training stimulates muscles to become stronger and healthier, providing your body with beneficial improvements in strength and function. Resistance training also reduces fat mass and increases muscle mass. Research suggests that resistance training may even increase life expectancy. Stop slashing calories, (within reason with the sleeve, up the calories a bit) Depriving your body of fuel is a surefire way to slow it down. Food stimulates energy metabolism needed for digestion in a process called "dietary induced thermogenesis." When you slash calories, the calories burned by eating are greatly diminished and so is your metabolic rate. Restricting calories also signals the body that there is no food available, so it tries to conserve stores of carbohydrate and fat by slowing down its metabolism. The best way to keep your metabolism revved is to eat regular meals with snacks when necessary to give your body a constant supply of healthy fuel.

Very sad. RIP Fred. Gary

I got that, too. Once from a nurse in the hospital! "You don't look like you need it." Ok, I'm over 100 pounds overweight, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, diabetes, no energy,belly like I swallowed a beach ball...ya I'm doing fine. Now I have no sleep apnea, high blood pressure, diabetes, low energy and I deflated the beach ball.

You, too? This is me before my daughter was born:

One needs to come to Florida, drive on I-4 in Orlando or I-275/75 in Tampa at 5:00 P.M.. The most important people; my wife, daughter and granddaughters, are already here. There are enough people in the world.

We had a recent thread about lying about the surgery. I don't like lying but I do like being a wise guy. Here are some not-to-be-believed answers for the question: How did you lose the weight?..... I went swimming in a river in Borneo and contracted a rare fat-eating bacteria. I only eat foods that begin with Z, I am getting sick of Zucchini ! I am on the Werewolf diet. Where did you say you live? It is psychological bulimia. After I eat, I think of a catastrophe that leaves you and me as the only survivors in the world. The food comes up pretty quickly. I eat from a plate made with a picture of my mother-in-law's face on it. The more I eat, the more I see. It's Water loss. I urinated yesterday and couldn't stop. I am oppositional defiant. I have my wife command me not to over eat. I am still overweight. I am wearing a partial cloaking device. I have gone through an inter-dimensional switch. Fortunately, the alternate reality me was thinner.

What an interesting post! "Stop, bring a chicken?" Sounds like something a hippy would do to protest the superficiality of the junior prom. Edit: Oh, stop being a chicken. I finally figured out what you meant. No chicken protests are in the making. Good, they just get you expelled anyway.

Yup, this gum has been chewed enough.

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/squelching-myths-about-weight-loss-surgery.html I like this web page. A lot of good thoughts on it.