Arcael

I think you should take your fathers advice. What if your employer finds out you lied, how professional would you look then. People are pretty understanding.

My doctor found out I had a Hiatal Hernia by scoping me. The fix the damage and sometimes net the top of your stomach so it can't pouch out. I'm not sure how exactly they would do it with a lap band patient though.

9/23 Worked out with my p-trainer for an hour. mostly upperbody with some leg curls. sitting row: 140lbs mid row: 150 lateral pulldown: 150 shoulders: 110 leg curls: 208.5 leg press: 255 abdominal: 128.5 calves: 220 9/24 day off 9/25 upper body/machines 40 minutes at the rec center. walked around campus all day (hilly terrain) 9/26 25 miles on a cycle, heart rate constant ~160, roughly 85 rpm average walk around campus 9/27 legs/abdominal, 40 minutes at the rec center walk around campus 9/28 more cardio later tonight after I get my economics homework done.

yeah I know, most nights I'm working on homework or going to the gym. 3 hours of aerobics would be hell though. 38 pounds from goal :confused: the % fat is a better guide then going off of beginning weight, its all relative to the person. I might have started out at 334 but I'll be average/fit at 220 due to the amount of lean mass I started out with. This is not the same for small framed people and/or women. I don't find the reasoning to be that I started at a higher weight, but that I'm a young large framed male that is pretty active. *edit I had the doctor messure my lean mass on my tuesday checkup and I'm around 170-175 still, which is a tad higher than I started out with.

I do some of the things listed, but 2-3 hours of workout a day :psyduck: thats crazy where do you find the time? I can get in an hour max. I am almost down 80 pounds in 3 months though so what I'm doing can't be bad *edit* No carbs, I do weight resistance 3 times a week, cardio 2 times a week, I eat 4-6 small meals a day, and I take iso-Protein cassine with Breakfast every morning. I also take chewable supplements daily. I'm interested in the thermogenics, are you sure it's not just a snake-oil supplement because I heard that hydroxycut was.

Schools going good so far, I think I'm around a 3.5 or better GPA this semester so that is awesome. I'm aiming for the big 100 before christmas NSV yesterday, I saw a friend from highscool while walking around campus. He said I was barely recognizable.

Hey everyone, just posting to say I'm alive and well Whats up? I hope everyone is doing well.

taken from: http://www.teeccino.com/weightloss.aspx The following characteristics of coffee have an adverse effect on weight loss: Coffee Elevates Stress HormonesCaffeine in coffee elevates the stress hormones cortisol, epinephrine (also known as adrenaline) and norepinephrine.^{8, 9, 10, 11} These hormones are responsible for increased heart rate and blood pressure, and a sense of "emergency alert". Circulation of oxygen to the brain and extremities is decreased and the immune system is suppressed. The purpose of this "fight or flight" response is to provide the body with a temporary energy boost for intense physical activity. With today’s sedentary lifestyle, the continual state of increased stress resulting from caffeine consumption can negatively affect weight control through disruptions in normal metabolism. [*]Increased Cortisol Levels Lead to Abdominal Obesity Chronically elevated blood cortisol levels that are caused by frequent stress or regular caffeine or coffee intake lead to an increased buildup of fat in the abdominal area; this type of weight gain further stimulates the release of additional stress hormones.¹² [*]Increased Stress Leads to Overeating This chronic state of increased stress caused by caffeine is associated with a markedly increased tendency to overeat. CNS stimulants stimulate anxiety and caffeine consumption increases the tendency of people to overeat or binge-eat and abuse laxatives and diet pills.^{13, 14} Coffee drinking increases physiological measurements of stress, and although this effect is greater with increased caffeine levels, decaffeinated coffee may also influence stress as factors other than caffeine in coffee are associated with stress.¹⁵ Elevation of stress hormones leads to fat cravings.¹⁶ Elevated levels of cortisol increase appetite.¹⁷ [*]Caffeine Exacerbates Insulin Resistance Syndrome Caffine ingestion contributes to insulin resistance and impairs glucose and insulin homeostasis as part of the stress response.^{18, 19} Even moderate amounts of coffee can have this effect.²⁰ Obesity, high blood pressure, impaired glucose metabolism and elevated LDL and lowered HDL blood lipids cluster to generate insulin resistance syndrome. Stress and the release of corticosteroids contribute to the pathogenesis of this syndrome. When people with this syndrome drink coffee as a weight-loss aid, it negatively affects all the conditions associated with this syndrome. ^{21, 22} Drinking coffee can cause insomnia and sleep deprivation, both of which have been found to increase insulin resistance.²³ People who are deprived of adequate deep sleep, and are in situations of sleep debt have lower levels of glucose tolerance, greater insulin resistance, increased concentrations of blood cortisol and stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system.^{24, 25} [*]Caffeine Stimulates Appetite Although caffeine is included as an ingredient in many weight-loss aids, it actually stimulates appetite, and organizations including the Mayo Clinic²⁶ discourage the use of caffeine as a weight-loss aid. Initially, caffeine may decrease appetite through its central nervous system response. However, subsequently caffeine increases cortisol levels, and higher levels of cortisol stimulate appetite.^{27, 28} Caffeine triggers hypoglycemia through the activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the adrenal glands, causing an immediate and sustained constriction of blood vessels, decreased circulation to the brain and a heightened feeling of low blood sugar.²⁹ The body’s reaction to hypoglycemia results in food cravings and increased appetite. People often crave higher fat foods resulting in increased caloric intake, further interfering with the body’s ability to maintain a healthy weight.^{30, 31} [*]Coffee Increases Serum Cholesterol Levels Lipid metabolism is an important factor in weight loss, and drinking cofee is linked to higher levels of serum cholesterol, with particularly high levels noted in people who drink boiled coffee or coffee processed at high temperatures (which includes espress and espresso drinks).^{32, 33} Other forms of coffee including decaffeinated coffee have also been shown to increase serum cholesterol levels.^{34, 35} Coffee drinking also demonstrably raises blood levels of low density lipoproteins in one lipid research study³⁶, although results in other studies are inconclusive. [*]Caffeine Interferes with GABA Metabolism GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid) is a neurotransmitter naturally produced in the brain and nervous system as well as the heart. It plays an important role in mood and stress management and influences a persons sense of well-being. Caffeine has been found to interfere with binding of GABA to GABA receptors, preventing it from performing its calming function.³⁷ GABA’s role in stress management is compromised in the presence of caffeine, and increased physiological and psychological stress lead to overeating as well as difficulties losing weight.

I got mine at the end of July, I'm down ~77 pounds today. Just stick with the diet mentioned above, exercise 3 or more times a week, and everything should work out great.

I'd try to go with the best of both worlds, high protein and low calorie (kind of an oxymoron, but most of your calories should come from protein/fat and like none from carbohydrates)

I try to get somewhere between 800-1000 calories a day, 1200 max. But that's me.

Yeah over here in eastern washington its pouring I love it when it rains

Just look at what you've accomplished 85 pounds is insane, and I'm sure I could name a bunch of other qualities if I knew more about you. Try trying on some new clothes, go out clubbing with some friends, talk to some old friends/family, or go to a local lap-band support group and give others confidence to succeed (It's great to have people luck to you for advice and admire what you have done). Hell, if you want my msn is chris_sjoblom@msn.com (this goes for anyone else that just wants to chat or something) I always try to answer when people PM me and I'm usually online Oh it doesn't really have much to do with the dating world at all, it just has to do with understanding who you are and why you take a certain approach to certain things. I know from reading that NTP's are quite independent. A lot of people wonder who they are, and while the system isn't perfect it can help people understand themselves. Also the post wasn't really directed towards just you it was to anyone wondering . Also, I didn't know if you had low self-esteem or not what I said did not come out correctly I apologize.

careful, did you check to see if you had both kidneys after surgery?

Depends on the type of work you do, if its physically demanding, I would give it atleast two weeks. If its a cushy deskjob then you should be fine after 5 or so days, just don't push yourself too hard.

Hah I remember chatting with you about this yesterday

I eat somewhere between 800-1200 a day, I count everything from sodium to carbs.

New Update: 75 Pounds Down:

I used to gag on my Optifast drinks, but then I started getting the unmixed stuff (a lot less sweeter) and blending it into a smoothy with some beneprotein and Fiber. It tastes dericious.

My personal trainer was trying to convince me not to for a few weeks before my surgery, I still did it and now she is really impressed with my results. Hell, I have RNY people at the support group asking me how the hell I'm losing so fast. It's the people that think the lap-band will make them skinny without any effort that should avoid surgery until they understand that it is only a tool and there is much more to it.

The question is if it is really an issue. I've dated a little bit, from junior high all the way until after my first year in college. It's all about confidence and esteem. If you don't love yourself, then you should be working on that before you try to get yourself into any serious relationship. At the moment for me being single is the logical choice, as I'm going a lot through changes and may not come out the same person I was. Another thing it could be is your personality, I've been tested to be INTP/ENTP (50/50 on I and E) which shows that I'm a pretty reclusive type of person some of the time. If you take a MBTI personality test , this should give you a good result: http://similarminds.com/embj.html after you finish it should give you a four letter code, like ENTP or ISFJ or some combination of any of those 8 letters. just type in that code in google and it will pull up some descriptions about the different personality types Personally, I consider myself INTP.

I hit 75 last week, it is a small goal, 100 will be huge.

My doctor had me wait 3 weeks, I think the usual is between 3-4 weeks depending on how you feel. My exercise was for anaerobic though, so I dunno about aerobic. I'd wait 3 or so weeks though, you don't want to tear any of those sutures.

nice stephanie, I broke my "I'm with the band" band :eek:, you're looking pretty awesome. Just got back from the gym, I'm sore

I got fat right around puberty.