BigViffer

@@JodiT140 - @@OutsideMatchInside pretty much got it right. According to the makers of GENEPRO, they have reduced the size of the Protein molecule ala "Honey I Shrunk The Kids" magic. Then they say that what they really did was make a protein that absorbs so fast that it is "like" eating 30 grams of protein. Which again is horseshit. Another problem I have is that there is no verified independent study of the stuff. There are people on this board that swear by it because their blood test came back good after their 6 month or whatever. However unless you are talking more than a year, that could be from breaking down their own muscle tissue or the fact that they are getting the minimum needed from their diet to be in the normal range. Genepro is pretty much just BCAA's (amino acids that build proteins). That would leave protein markers in the bloodstream. But lets just say for a moment that it did exactly as it advertised. It gave you 30 grams of magical protein with only 90 calories. If you are trying to build muscle, believe it or not you are going to need the calories. You can't build new muscle tissue if you don't have enough raw material to prevent atrophy. Genepro would be of no use to anyone wanting to build muscle because it doesn't contribute to a caloric surplus.

No hair loss for me either. Sent from my phone. Please forgive brevity and spelling.

GENEPRO is crap. You want to have Protein traces in your blood for the check ups, that's fine. You want to maintain or build muscle, use whey. Sent from my phone. Please forgive brevity and spelling.

I had the same thing, people commented that it looked fuller, thicker, longer... but what I finally deduced was the fact that my hair follicles are just closer together now than they were when my face was puffy. Same thing with my legs, arms, back, stomach... getting the idea? I feel hairy as sh!t now.

I had a FitBit something HR. It was pretty decent, but I bought a Garmin Vivosmart HR around April of this year. It is not as forgiving as the Fitbit I can tell you that! I was routinely hitting my 10K steps a day with the FitBit, but my Garmin shows about half of that. I much prefer the Garmin. lol... One time while on the motorcycle, my fitbit said that I climbed 200 flight of stairs and had some insane amount steps. There was no way to correct it either. That was the reason I decided to try something else. I personally still like the Fitbit software UI better, but the hardware is better on the Garmin. Whichever route you go, remember that it's not so much about the steps as it is the heart rate. And while the hear rate may not be accurate for any wrist monitor, as long as you are only using it to track changes it's great. If your monitor says 60 is your resting HR and you workout and get it up in the 130's, all that is important is that you know you elevated it and by how much approximately. Who cares if your HR was really 63 and it ended up at 127 bpm?! You are moving and burning fat. The device will just be able to show you when you are being active and when you are being lazy. I say get one!

I know I am a little late to the conversation, hell you probably already had the surgery! I did want to address this point though for posterity (or is that posterior? ) I intend no insult nor am I trying to mock you, but squats are a very strenuous lift/movement. The only exercise that competes with it is the Deadlift. Don't get me wrong! The properly performed squat is a wonderful lift that works the entire posterior chain, loads the skeletal system and stresses the central nervous system to it's limit. It improves strength as well as balance. It does so much more than develop your glutes; but make no mistake, it will give you better glutes. If you have never done a proper squat, I do not recommend just jumping in and doing them. Backward lunges and ball squats are a good way to get started. You may find that you never need to do low back back squats with the ball squat: http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/exercises/how-to-do-ball-squats.html I'll be doing those today and I can squat 200lbs, so don't feel that those are the equivalent of a "girl push-up". You have a butt now? Awesome. You want to keep that butt? Even better. I am all about women keeping their curves! I have had the quintessential no-butt-itis all my life. Since I started squats though, my jeans are finally (for the first time ever) no longer sagging in the back. Best of luck to you on your exercises.

I don't think you understand me. It's not just heavy lifting. You will need a caloric surplus. That is the exact opposite of where you are now. It is surprising how many calories truly uses. This is a problem that I am dealing with right now. I cannot see, to make any gains on all my lifts. But if I focus on just one chain of movement I can do it. And I am getting about 2000-2500 calories a day and 150-200 grams of Protein a day. If you are having trouble getting a heavy load up to the top of stairs, I would be focusing on that chain. If you are using a hand truck or just carrying boxes up the stairs, I would recommend deadlifts. If you are two man lifting, squats. Those are two that would be the most beneficial. There are many supplemental lifts you could do, but you would be burning too many calories. As men, we tend to let our ego or our sense of competition be our guide in the weight room. I know it is difficult, but take it slow and steady. Don't try and do too much too soon.

Low weight / high rep will not result in strengthening, but it will train for stamina. The only way to add strength is through muscular overload AND caloric surplus. You are not going to be able to do that yet. Take your time and focus on the weight loss and establishing good habits. You've got the rest of your life to do this! Sent from my phone. Please forgive brevity and spelling.

Well... sorta. Pretty mush all of the same muscles are involved, it is just to what degree they are working the hardest. With the chin-up, the biceps, forearms, and latissimus are the muscles that are doing the most work. With the pull-up the trapezius and the deltoids are working the hardest. But all of those muscles are needed to do either movement. It is amazing the difference pronation vs supination of the hand makes!

Pull up is with the palms facing away and chin ups are with palms toward you. That was my goal at the beginning of this year. I had never done one in my entire life, but I am proud to say that I can do 15 chin-ups now!

Woah, that is really bad. No matter how little thirst you have, you must force yourself to drink. Dehydration is no laughing matter and can put you in the hospital. And when they have to give you a bad of IV fluids, they'll have to dig for a vein with that big needle since you will be dehydrated. Sip, sip, sip!

Are you losing strength or are you running out of energy? Sometimes it is confusing. You just had surgery in August, it is very unlikely you are going to be able to gain any muscle mass on your reduced caloric intake. Even though you are getting up to 120 grams of Protein, if you have no calorie surplus to burn during exercise or work, you have to burn the protein for fuel. I am going to go against the grain here and recommend you maintain your protein intake for now, but increase your carb intake. I know, calm down... I don't mean eat a twinkee or anything! Have some oats for Breakfast, or maybe some shredded wheat. These good carbs also have Fiber which will help keep you regular. Right now you are in the peak weight loss mode. I know it is difficult to accept, but you are going to lose some muscle mass. But if your persevere you will be able to get it back. Keep getting in good quality protein, healthy fats and complex carbs. That will help with the energy levels.

Since you like certain outdoor activites, when not look into exercises that compliment or supplement those activities? If kayaking is something you like and want to get better at, what physical attributes improve that performance? Weighted rows, lat pulls, cardio conditioning... Maybe the key for you is to find a goal not associated with a weight but at improving performance?

There are some real meat heads at my gym as well. I used to try and talk to some of them, but we are coming from very different directions, I don't even bother trying to clue them in on what they are doing wrong. Sometimes people have to fail before they want to learn. I know that was my problem when I was younger.

It's excellent to hear that you are going to a gym and also that you are doing it with a plan. Too many people say that they are going to join a gym and just walk a treadmill. They'll buy sporty looking outfits and trendy shaker bottles that match their new bluetooth headphones and that means they are getting in shape. Well... not really. I don't really call them out on it because at least they are getting up and moving. That is more than many do! I can empathize with the way you felt about the light weights. Years ago before my injuries, I did serious weight lifting. So when I started going back to the gym and I was using just the barbell or 10 lb dumbells, I was ashamed. Didn't care about anyone else, I just knew what I was capable of before. However! Starting off with very low weights gives us the opportunity to learn proper technique. Done properly, the squat & the deadlift are the two most beneficial exercises a person can do. The entire body is used in those two exercises. Every major muscle works, the central nervous system is taxed, and the skeletal system is stressed. Done improperly, there is nothing worse for the body. Every major joint and muscle +connective tissue is at risk! So if your trainer is worth anything, he will definitely be taking it easy on you. He should also not be telling you to do circuit type training since you are going to have so little reserves at this point post op. One thing to talk to him about if you haven't already, is he familiar with physical therapy exercises? Those are ones that you should mastering. Very safe and vitally important whether or not you have an injury.

This was me as well. It is not uncommon either. I found that eating while standing and walking around afterwards helped tremendously. I still will get up and walk around right after eating at almost 2 years out. Your surgeon is telling the truth, slow methodical chewing is the best thing to do. You may be eating faster than you realize.

I am betting @@Anna Nim nailed it. Since I had surgery, I was taken off my BP meds. A short time later, I was told I needed to start adding salt into my diet! My BP was getting low. So you may be craving salt to help retain water and maintain your BP.

emphasis mine Well said @@LittleBill! As gastric patients, it is a good idea to limit caffeine, especially in the beginning. I believe that the surgeons say things like caffeine dehydrates you because people hear that all the time and it is just easier to tell patients something they think they already know. Basically reaffirming their beliefs because they don't feel like educating their patients. While it is true that caffeine does pull Water from your system, it would have to be a caffeine pill and not a beverage. The amount of Fluid in just about any caffeinated drink is enough to offset the amount of water it pull out of our bodies. The real reason that we should limit or eliminate caffeine in the beginning is because caffeine attaches to the same receptors that absorb Vitamin D and calcium; and those two are vitally important the first year! Now, it is also common for caffeine to irritate the bowels in some people. And as a gastric patient, whether you have a sleeve or a pouch, you no longer have a reservoir to hold the coffee in before it seeps into the intestines. Now you get a full dose pretty much right off the bat.

Damn, that is a beautiful smile! 16K steps a day?! Incredible! I was winded walking from my couch to the bathroom one month out from my surgery. You are going to be a superstar success of you follow the rules eating and keep walking like that. I'll be watching you to see how brightly you shine. Sent from my phone. Please forgive brevity and spelling.

@@chilet071 wow... you are beautiful! Congratulations on all of your success.

No picture with Dean?! WTH?! Chuck is cool, but my daughters & I just can't stand Sam's constant whining. You look good though!

I think I remember you saying you were a early morning workout person. Hell, I am luck to make it to work 10 minutes early much less hours early for a workout.

@@Micoxv - dude, that's awesome! I have to admit that I have not focused on my chest as much as I perhaps should have. I have just been so focused on my squats and deads. You are beating my flat barbell bench by 35lbs. With a Starting Strength routine, I can get a clean 165 3x5. But I am struggling that last rep. Body weight is my goal on all the major lifts, so that keeps me focused on my weight too! If I gain too much weight, that's just that much more I have to lift and it's already hard as hell! Oh, don't know if I mentioned it before, but I got my deadlift up to 240 and my squat to 200! I've been taking video for my form check, but no pictures.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery! Sent from my phone. Please forgive brevity and spelling.