2big4U

I am not a doctor, but I watch How I met your Mother and Dougie Howser sells deodorant now.... sooo . I take 200ml liquid advil with my morning Water. My thinking is that the gel passes quickly through my pouch and into my "low stomach" for absorbing. The liquid disolves as soon as the gel melts so it does not sit and erode the band. I don't take more than 200ml a day and not more than 4x a week. I do not have any fill yet. I will re-examine the advil when I have some restriction. Friday AM Eliptical 1.75 miles - 30 minutes - 165 BPM

Right now it is all on an eliptical. with lots of fish oil and anti-inflamitories. todays AM- eliptical - level 1 week 1 - 2.56 miles - max HR 164 - 438 cal

I have just completed week 1 of the podrunner series. Plan is to run a 5k in the new year. Great series.

Sure, all the time. Sometimes Lucy left hand joins in the fun. Usually it is just Rebecca Right hand. :redface::tongue2: We haven't but we have discussed it quite a bit. Our former neighbors were very open swingers with a standing invitation to come over for a :w00t:dip:wub: in thier hot tub. If we were to do it, the neighbors are too close. It would have to be in Vegas or similar as previous posters have said. The anominity would be freeing.

Our local chain "family" restaurants kids menu has a pepperoni pizza, macaroni and cheese, burger, a hot dog, and chicken fingers. You get fries or steamed veg (a brocoli, a couple of baby carrots and a bean or a cauliflower piece that are all overcooked). They all come with a drink and dessert. The food on a kids menu SUCKS. It is the bottom of the nutritional scale and full of fillers salt and sugar so it appeals to kids. I got to be this size from eating the above things. I would much rather eat off af a menu with greater selection and having different preperation methods for my food. I eat out with my kids 2-3 times a month and that has allways been our complaint as a family. To the point that they order off of t "grown up" menu and take home what is leftover, just like daddy does now LOL

Madison. Alberta is a big place... There are folks from all over on here. There is a Calgary get together tonight at Chili's North Hill @ 5:30. It will be my first time eating in a restaurant since I was banded, hope the soup is good. Dan

Scott. Glad to hear it went well. I left before you got back from the clinic. We spent a day in San Diego, saw Old Town and the Beach, went to the tall ship festival and flew home. When are you planning on a fill?

I was wondering If you were back. Missed you at the hotel when you got back. We left a day early and went up to San Diego. Hope all went well.

Ummm not really... Tone means that there is less tissue covering the mucle layer. Tone makes you look better on the beach. Bulk makes your stronger. Look at any and all successful body builder, olympic weight lifter, powerlifter or other strength atlete and they will all follow a bulk / cut cycle. you need to build the muscles in order to have a base to cut to. If you cut without a solid base of muscle under it, you get to look like Madonna or Angelina Jolie, they are both VERY cut. Not a great look for a guy IMO. . I have been a Scottish Games competitor for several years and the off season always starts with a 12-16 week pure strength, bulking cycle. about March April I begin to taper off on my heavy lifting and focus on a higher volume lower weight work out. This has increased my lifts steadily for the last 5 years without fail. I focus my lifting on 3 basic movements. The Squat and it's variations. The Deadlift and pressing movements. Squats are huge whole body movements that involve all of your muscle groups. The deadlift is your pulls, generally from the ground or blocks. Presses are just that, moving a weight away from you, whether it is flyes, overhead, seated or standing. I would not use machines or "equipment" becasue it moves on a specific track and range of motion, this limits your helper muscle groups and will eventually lead to injuries. Use a bar and plates. If you feel like you are not using enough weight focus on your form and control. BASIC IS BEST!! wow that was a rambling rant of a post.

YUP.. I'm a proud Canadian, with government funded universal health care. In Alberta your surgery and aftercare are completely funded and covered. This year the program is taking 25 new patients in the Calgary Health region, a population of over 1,000,000. Because it is "medically necessary" it can not be done privately in Alberta. There are some great docs who are trying to remedy this and open a self pay clinic but so far no luck... so..... I am going to Mexico on Monday to get my band.:thumbup:

I just read a thread about the things we are/do miss after weight loss. It was good lots of chuckles that I can relate to, Airplane seats, Lawn chairs and the like, But as a guy it was little estrogen filled for me. This is an article I have read and reread over the past few years, it is from a weightlifting site and is a serious/tongue-in-cheek article about why it is GREAT to be BIG FAT AND BLOATED. "Why do you guys want to be big?" I was so excited about this one that I had to write a whole article in response to it. Listed below are some of the reasons why I feel we all like to get big. 27 Reasons to Be Big 1. I like having to think, "Is this really worth getting up for?" before doing anything. 2. I like having to roll off the bench press instead of sitting up. 3. I like the feeling of having my head filling with pressure, turning bright red and not being able to breathe. And this is just from tying my shoes. I find it best to take a big breath of air, drop as fast as I can and speed tie. I can usually get the job done in four to five reps. 4. I like the feeling of my belly on my upper thighs when I take a dump. 5. I like feeling hot and sweaty when sitting in an air conditioned room with my shirt off and a fan blowing on me. This is how I spend most days at work! 6. I like taking an extra few minutes in my car to catch my breath from walking across the parking lot. 7. I like having to put my belt through my belt loops before I put on my pants. I remember how mad my friend Jim was one time at the airport when he was asked to remove his belt before going through the metal detector. He knew he had two choices. He could either go the rest of the day without his belt, or head to the restroom to take his pants back off and re-loop the belt. He waited until the next time he had to take a dump as it would just be too much of a pain to remove his pants for no reason. 8. I like waking up in the middle of the night with my hands numb. Gives me a chance to eat more food. 9. I like being asked things like: "Do you lift weights?" No, I look this way for no other reason. "Are you a wrestler?" Yeah, like I have the mobility. 10 and 11 deleted for obvious reasons. 12. I like the lower back workout I get from walking across the room. 13. Cell phones are also a treat when you're big. You're sure to cut all conversations very short because you know your arm will get tired within the first two minutes. This is where the headsets are great, but these Shrek-like fingers make it hard to get the damn plug in the phone. 14. On that same note, I like having to retype just about every third word because my damn fingers keep hitting the wrong keys. 15. I like buying a new recliner every year because they all break down. 16. I like the feeling of jeans either smashing my nuts or falling off. 17. I like coming up with excuses to avoid places like the zoo, amusement parks, fairs or any other place that involves a shitload of walking in hot weather. Yeah, let's all go to Disney World! 18. I love speed squat workouts where the only thing that's moving fast is my heart rate. 19. I love leaving work and finding that when I get to my car I forgot something and realize it isn't worth the 20 yards to walk back and get it. The only exception to this rule is when I forget my car keys and then have to stand there pissed at myself for a half hour before I walk back in and get them. I usually try using my cell phone to call in and have someone bring them out to me. 20. I love swimming and finding myself in the deep end where I can’t touch. 21. I always like it when I'm the passenger in a compact car. First you have a hell of a time getting into the car as it feels like you're doing a one-leg squat down to a shoe box. Then when you reach your destination you find you're curbside parked. You go to open the door and you hear the oh-so-familiar scratch of the car door on the curb. This sound runs down your spine like fingernails on a chalkboard. You then look out the door and see that you're required to do the deepest one-leg squat in history to get out. The only way you'll be able to do this is to arch your back and press your feet into the floor as hard as you can to begin to lift yourself up in the seat as you would on a hack squat machine. If done correctly, you can gain up to six inches before you take the side lunge from hell to get out. Once you're in the proper position you should be able to take the leap of faith to get out. If this wasn't bad enough, you always know that it's not over after the first step. You know there's a very good chance you'll end up losing your balance as you get out and end up taking a few awkward backward steps once you clear the door. The worst thing of all is knowing once you get out you'll have to find a way to get back in. 22. I love feeling like I'm getting more jacked and ripped at the same time, yet every picture I see of myself shows a fat bloated pig. I guess it's true that a picture can add two rolls and twenty pounds of fat. Okay, thirty. 23. I like knowing that when I go to take a dump I have a very good chance of getting a lat cramp when I go to wipe. This will always lead to the "quick" wipe and a dirty ass. Jim has always suggested the use of baby wipes to finish the job, but let’s face it, do you really want to risk the lat cramp again? I'd much rather hit the shower to finish the job. Hint: You'll need to get one of those detachable showerheads so you can get the direct line of fire. If all else fails, you can ask your sweetheart to help finish the job. To do this you need to lie on your back and lift your legs up and back as far as you can. This will give her a perfect view to get the job done. Okay, I know I crossed the line with that one. 24. I love having to have someone else button my top shirt button and put my tie on because I can't reach it. 25. I also like going out to eat and finding I'm in a restaurant that has two choices: 1) the booth you have to squeeze your ass into, knowing that your belly will be smashed the entire meal and 2) those tall tables with the extra high barstools. Not able to lean back and set your feet on the floor is counterproductive to one of the most important activities of getting big—eating. I suggest leaving and finding somewhere else to eat. 26. I like all the crazy sexual positions I can conform to. 27. Going to the airport provides several great reasons why you should all strive to get big. First up, you have to get all your crap out of the car and to the check-in. In my case I'm usually looking at a duffle bag of clothes for the weekend trip. You also need a bigger bag because all your crap is size XXX, plus you need a few extra shirts as you're bound to sweat through most of them and will need to change often. I also have my briefcase with laptop, planner and all the other crap I need while away. So I'm faced with how to get four bags to the check-in terminal. Yes, you can get a roller cart, but this will require walking to the terminal to get the thing, then walking back, loading up and walking to the terminal again. This is way too many trips for a big guy to take. If you're lucky, you'll make it to the terminal with only four or five drops. If you're following me here you know what happens when one bag falls off your shoulder. You try to recover and the next thing you know all your bags are on the floor. It takes several attempts to get all the bags back up and on your way. Let me tell you this before I go on: don't try and kick a few bags as you go. This may seem like good idea but a travel bag doesn't kick as smoothly as you think it would, and it'll take much more energy kicking the bags than it would hiking them back on your shoulders. Okay, so you make it to the check-in terminal. You take your place in line and set your crap down. This is when the "bag kick" comes in handy. You don't want to have to pick up your bags every five minutes when the line moves up. At this point you'll be starving from all the work you had to do to get here and you can see the fast food places around the corner. As each person moves up you get more and more hungry to the point that your hunger turns into "stupid people aggression." Most of you will know what I mean with this. You're in line and what should take a max of five to ten seconds to do, takes some of these morons ten minutes. All you can think of doing is kicking the #$*hole in front of you in the back as he fumbles for his ID that he should've had out ten minutes ago. Hell, I've been holding mine in my mouth for the last half hour to the point that the ends are now all chewed up. You finally make it to the metal detector. We already discussed the belt issue, but it's important to point out that you should never wear laced shoes as you'll have to take them off, and we all know how hard they are to get back on. You don't have to worry about taking anything out of your pockets because if you had something in there, there's no way you'd ever get it out anyhow. This is also why big guys will always tip all the change they receive into the tip jar, because let's face it, where are you going to put it? In your front pocket? Yeah right! And how will you get it out? The only way you'd ever see the change again is when you take your pants off later that day. At this point it'll fall on the floor and you'll have to call in your kids to have them pick it up for you. So you kick your shoes off and think you'll fly past the metal detector archway. This is true as long as you don't bump the sides. Since you're huge, your shoulders are bound to hit, plus you have a shaved head and goatee and are automatically targeted as a threat. So you find yourself being directed to the two big footprints on the floor and told to stand here. Then they ask you to raise your arms. This is no time for small talk as your shoulders are messed up and it's killing you to hold your arms up. Finally, you get a chance to drop a few hundred bucks on a handful of eats that should hold you over for the trip. Now is your time to take a seat and recover from the demanding trip so far. This is a great time to checkout all the normal folks to remind yourself how great it is to be huge. Soon you'll be boarding the plane. It's best to wait until last to get on. Why rush to just go sit again and have to get up if someone else comes? If you've planned your trip well you know you should have an isle seat so it doesn't matter when you get on. So relax and enjoy watching everyone else rush to the plane. Now, you know the seat will be a tight fit and you'll have your balls crushed for the next hour or so. Find your seat but keep on the lookout for any seats that may be open with an empty seat next to them. Since you should be the last one on the plane, dive into whatever looks like the best place to be. This is your right because you are huge. As you can see, being big is a great thing. If I can’t convince you in 3000 words then there's just no hope for you. I hope you thought this was as good as I did.... The guy who wrote this was 310+ at the time, he is now 205. Dan (Mods, feel free to delete if it is unacceptable.)

As a husband, That is something I never want to hear.:tt2::thumbup:

I expect to lose it all!!! Ba dum dum (rimshot):wink2:

Yeah... The August long We are usually at the cabin this weekend but My wife is working tonight so we decided to stay home and get some yard stuff done. I see you are in Okatoks, Where are you having the surgery done? I am Seeing Dr. Ortiz on the 19th.

I had posted above that mine had lasted for a year plus and were working fine. Wellll Yesterday morning my wife was making smoothies for the kids and after the second one it stopped working. The motor works fine the cups are still great and the blade unit spins like a top. The part that wore out is where the base and the blade unit meet. THe teeht just gave way after all of the "Pulse" blending. They wave wornm down to a point that they just dont mesh with the blade unit anymore. I checked my other one and the gears are made of a different material, A little harder plastic, almost a bake-a-lite tpye of material. They show no signs of wear. We bought another one at costco (Canada) for $59.00 on the weekend. Anybody want some cups?

I have 2 (one @ home, one @ work) I have used them both almost everyday for the last 2 years with no problem. I have not found anything that they can not handle, Ice nuts, coffee Beans, chocolate, hard candy. If I had one complaint it would be that sometimes it goes to "Liquify" too quickly. ( I am not banded yet) But that won't be a problem too much longer. Clean up is as easy as putting it in the dishwasher. My base got sauced once when I didn't tighten the lid enough and I just wiped it out and it has had no ill effects. The multiple cups means that I can make multiple meals and just screw on the lids and take it with me instead of tranfering to another container. I bought both of mine at London Drugs (Canada) for around $40.00 each on sale. I have gotten replacement cups and gaskets from Ebay. They work fine too.

Have just started my journey. I don't think I can bash anyone. I am dealing with LBSC in TO right now. So I am a ways off from needing to have a local doc. Just want my ducks in a row before I start. Dan

I have my first phone consultation tomorrow afternoon with my center and I would like to know the right questions to ask without wasting time... so If you could do your first consultation over what questions would you ask, and what information would you have liked to be provided if it wasn't. My partial question list so far. Support groups in my city (surgery is in TO, I am in Calgary) Spousal support, is there any? clinics for fills in my city resonable healing and recovery times what to expect 3,4,5, months and several years post-op definite diet restrictions? calorie managment (training burns 1500+ a day for me) airport security? I have a small umbilical hernia. and last but not least BOOZE...:cursing: I would love to hear from some others on this as it is a HUGE step and I am following after many who have gone before...

Tyler I am in a similar boat. Hoping to get banded inTO and I am in Calgary. My biggest concern is the post-op care and support in C-town. I jusr got news last week that my GP is closing and going to a new "FOR PROFIT" clinic so I am kind of stressed. Dan

I used to belong to a "Health club" and I fried several of their treadmills before I quit and bought my own equipment for home. Now I have my eliptical and a squat rack with several bars and 950lbs of plates (I compete in Highland games and powerlifting) a bench and assorted kettlebells, medicine balls. chains, bands. I can do my thing and not have people staring at me and when I sweat on the bench it is not a big deal. The entire set up cost less than 6 months membership at my old club. After the surgery it will be the second best investment of my life.

I am 370 and have been using my eliptical for the past 18 months with no issues. I bought it used from a co-worker who weights 300+ and he used it for 6 months before I got it. I use it 20 minutes every morning and another 30 minutes every second evening @ 45-60RPM. You would think that withthe ammount of time I spend on the thing I would know it's name brand.... but I don't... Will find out tonight.