randoval

Guys, Does anyone here have full tattoo sleeves or tattoos in general? If so how do they look after wls? I do not have an incredible amount of fat in my arms. I work out quite a bit and just always had quite a bit of muscle under this mess. I am just curious how tattos cosmetically look after a dramatic weight loss

Is it being fake or is that they are just attracted to to a thinner, healthier individual? Because they didnt notice you or hit on you when you were big that makes them "fake"? If I am not attracted to someone, I do not send signals that I am. Now if a man or woman made it known to you that they were not attracted to you or you because of your size than you would definitely have a reason to feel that way you do, but again, if they are not attracted to a overweight individual that is their own right and most people are not. Even if it is a co-worker they have the right to be attracted to whatever they are attracted to. As long as they showed you respect and acknowledge you when you were big, you can't really be mad at them for being attracted to a more thinner, fitter you. We might not like it so much, but should we really be mad at them for them not having an attraction to us a unhealthy size if that is not what they are not attracted to? Most people you get hit on, will not even know you were big before surgery till you tell them and that should not fault those individuals either. Now if these people called you disgusting, fat, ugly or every name in the book and then all of a sudden found you attractive after wls...well then Id tell em to eat sh*t

I agree with your post totally. Well said. I may be the weird one, but I am actually worried that after I get the surgery that I'll be so high from the compliments, etc that I may actually be tempted. I don't want that to happen. We are not married, but we've been together for eight years. Rather than him worrying, I am actually a little worried. I hear of so many people breaking up after WLS. When someone starts paying more attention to you and you start getting more looks and smiles it is contagious. Your confidence goes through the roof and your mind begins to wonder. You might hate the fact that it took a dramatic weight loss for these people to notice, but the high will be so great, those feeling might get pushed aside and your curiosity will begin to grow. Before you know it, you're flirting with this guy/gal, taking lunch time walks together and BOOM...you find yourself in a situation where you're wanting to see how it feels to be single or with another man/woman. If you are worried about it, I would say you do not see yourself spending the rest of your life with this person. That is an entire different discussion @@vixen1978 (nice name )

I am going to comment from a man's point of view. This can go for both men and women. We all can be insecure. I think what it comes down to is that once all that weight comes off all sorts of compliments will come with it. With compliments comes confidence. Being thinner and confident will attract other men or women. Yes people can and will love us at our current weight, but let's not bulls*&t here, we all know damn well if we were thinner and more confident more men/women would hit on us or be more attracted to us. That's is true fact. Regardless if you are married or not, you ALWAYS want to feel attractive. We all like that little glance from across the room or that smile from someone you pass by. Even if you are married and would never act on it, you like it. Regardless if this pisses us off, your other half knows that is around the corner and he is scared some stud might come swoop you off your feet. You say that will never happen, but you do not know because, again, majority of us never experienced it being a lighter more confident person. I guarantee there are plenty of men or women who left their husband or wife after WLS for these exact reasons. He has a legit reason to feel a bit insecure. Now, I have never dated a woman that went through wls or needed it but I have dated women that have been hit on when we go out and I can honestly say that it personally does not bother me. I take it as a complement and I feel confident enough to know she is mine and is coming home with me. When the day comes when I'm wrong, eh I'll deal with it then. I guess what I am trying to say is that its okay for him to feel that way at first. If that insecurity does not go away, well that is another story and the dude needs help. Just be patient with him. I'm sure he has been patient with you during your emotional battles with weight. We all put our wife, husband, boyfriend or girlfriend through some crap regarding our weight.

@@boccob81 you already have a thread started on this specific topic. I replied in there. Stay away from the steroids. More so if you have no clue what your doing. Will not worth it and will not be beneficial to you

@@jenn1 that is a great source of dextrose. You can also go to the diabetic section at your pharmacy and pick up some glucose tablets http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/walgreens-glucose-dietary-supplement-tablets-grape/ID=prod6181253-product I still prefer the cheap 2/$1 packs of gummy bears. Pop a few of these in after workout and during if needed

You feel that way because you should eat after a workout. You need to refuel and your body is telling the brain you need to. You really should be getting in some carbs and protein pre and post workout. Carbs, pre workout gives you the energy to work harder, longer, heavier. Carbs post workout replenish glycogen stores in muscle(main source of energy). If you are weight training you will want to have a high glycemic(fast digesting) carb like gummy bears(my favorite) or some dextrose or any form of high glycemic, fast digesting carbs within that 2 hour anabolic window after working out. Add some protein in to help in protein synthesis. We are on a lower carb lifestyle, but we still need our carbs at some point, so I make it my point to get most of my carbs in at these two important times, pre and post workout. If you want to avoid the carbs the rest of the day like I do, that works great. If you do not like having carbs post workout, more so fast digesting carbs(might make some of us feel yucky), incorporate some BCAA's(10-15g) to insure maximal protein synthesis and that insulin spike needed to replenish glycogen stores. No reason for us to feel hungry, weak, exhausted after a workout....refuel

You are welcome @BryBro63. This is a process and takes patients. Be consistant, safe and determined and I guarantee you will see and feel the results.

I am confused. Are you trying to find out your 1RM(1 rep max) or are you just trying to do a basic 10-12 rep set? If you want to find your 1RM go here http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/other7.htm for great info on how to figure out your 1RM. To be honest, you should not be focused on finding your 1RM. This is more for the bodybuilders or the gym rats. From your question, I am guessing you are fairly new to weight lifting? If so I recommend doing sets with a weight that will allow you to comfortably get through an entire 3-5 set session. This way your muscles get used to it and you learn better technique and form. Once you are comfortable and feel stronger throw on another 5lbs. If you get through that set okay, then add another 5lbs. Continue this and you will see your starting weight and ending weight increase over time. Once you are comfortable with your technicque and weight lifting in general, you can begin to start to lift till failure. This really where the muscles grow. When I say fail, that means when you can no longer do another rep. Do 3-4 sets with your first set at a weight that you can knock out 12-15 reps. For set 2, up the weight, so that you fail at 10-12 reps. Set 3, so you fail at 8-10 reps and so on. Make those muscles work and watch them grow. Do this only when you are very comfortable in the weight room and feel physically capable of putting your body through this

From someone who used them in my younger days, I will have to say calorie intake would need to be at very high levels to truly take advantage of using AS(3000+ calories). Not possible with a WLS patient, so not worth the risk of taking AS. As I just mentioned there are risks with using AS. It's not just as easy as sticking a needle in your arm. You will need to CONSTANTLY monitor your cholesterol, hemoglobin levels, kidney function, estrogen level, thyroid function, etc. You got this surgery to become healthy, why risk that with AS

I'm sure you're doing just fine. All he has to do is not come to this site if that is how he feels

hahaha...I am sure he has deleted his account

Great post. Hopefully Steve will use it

You attacked the op because YOUR doctor told YOU not to lift weights. You came in here with comments, suggesting everyone do what YOUR doctor wants for YOU. I never said add "lots" of carbs. There is nothing wrong with having carbs pre-workout(if tollerable as I did mention). Nobody is going against their doctors orders, Your bent out of shape because they are not following YOUR doctors orders for YOU. Good luck

Steve, you need to educate yourself better before you make stupid a$$ comments. It is a shame you erased your comments because you could have gone back and looked at how dumb they were. Or maybe you just erased them because you knew you sounded like a jerk because you have no idea of what your attempting to speak of. You come back in here, after I am sure with little research and drop the whole more reps, less weight crap on us, please.(erase the last one you put up too because that is even more bs) Your doctor is not the doctor to every single person who has had wls. STOP trying to tell them to do what YOUR doctor is recommending for YOU. Nobody here is IGNORING their doctor and nobody ever suggested to IGNORE their doctor. Do not put words into peoples mouths. Good luck, Bruce Lee

It is possible to build muscle while losing fat(cutting). Your body will rely on its glycogen stores for energy. Once the glycogen stores have deen depleted(ketosis), your body will use fat and muscle as energy. Fat will be the primary source after glycogen stores are depleted, but you will also lose small amounts of muscle. Lucky for us we have pretty good amount of fat stores, but you will still want to keep your Protein up to replace any muscle that did get used as energy. As you lose more and more fat the body will have less fat to use as a source of energy, so you will want to up your protein intake up even more to prevent muscle loss from your body using muscle as a energy source.

Asked myself that after I wrote it...oh well

Big words, Ron Jeremy We simply responded to your lame comments with the same Sh**ty attitude you had towards the og poster about wanting to incorporate weight lifting into his routine. Dont dish it out if you cannot take it. Cardio is used for burning calories and improving and keeping your cardio vascular system running top notch. It does nothing else for you. Too intense of cardio and your body will start to use muscle as energy. Do you want that? That is why runners and athletes consume VERY high amounts of calories to prevent that. It is fact and ANY doctor will tell you that weight lifting is beneficail in keeping or adding lean body mass which in return will allow your body to burn more calories throughout the day and even at rest, making more benefical than cardio alone. If you do not want to lift weight so be it, but do not come attack the people who do want to incorporate weight training along with cardio into their routine. They will be more healthier all around for it. Also, do not say that weight training is bad advice and going against doctors orders. I bet 90% of men who have had weight loss surgery do some type of weight training and probably 100% of the doctors recommend some type of resistance training once they feel the patient is healed enough to do so and physically able to do so. Lifting weight does not mean you have to be HUGE. We simply want a higher percent of muscle to fat. Id rather be 225 and 10% body fat than 225 and 20% body fat. Same weight, but the lower body fat % is going to look much better and be even healthier. There is nothing at all wrong with adding weight training along with cardio to your routine. You will still lose fat and gain lean mass

@@Stevehud, you need to educate yourself before you speak so negeative. You sound so rediculous and ignorant. You come across like the guy who not has one athletic bone in his body or who was teased by the jocks in high school and cannot let it go. Educate yourself by asking your own doctor what the benefits of resistance training. I bet you will not do it because you will be scared that his answer will prove you wrong and you will feel just as stupid as your comments. Your "team" is not the gold standard in WLS. All doctors are different and all people react to WLS different. Your doctor might tell you to wait 8-12 months before weight lifting can be added to your routine, but my doctor might say its okay after 4 months. Then again maybe your doctor sees that your physical ability is not the best and why he has asked you to wait 8-12 months. Being picked last in gym class doesnt feel good does it? Muscle does not turn into fat. A football player(mostly linemen) might get fat after football because their caloric expenditure has decreased dramatically and their calorie intake has remained high. Infact the human body will use muscle as a source of energy once glucose(carbs) as a source of energy had been depleted if cardio is intense. This is the reason WLS patients have to keep their Protein intake up. If you did not keep your protein intake up, you will be come that very unhealthy SKINNY FAT person. In fact I would reccommend(ask your doctor if okay) 1g protein per pound of lean body mass. I would find a place with a body pod and find out what your lean body mass is. Get a source of carbs(if tollerable) in pre and post workout(blend some raw oats with protein powder) to avoid your body from using muscle as an energy source. Yes, this is my first post and I registered just to reply to your rediculous comments @@Stevehud