ouroborous

So, I REALLY want to stick with yoga, despite my struggles with it. Now that I've read numerous studies confirming that you don't have to lift heavy to get strong and toned (and even bulk up -- see my other post this morning), I'm more convinced than ever that the kind of core strengthening and balance work in yoga could be really good for me, especially as I get older. But, I get really frustrated with it! The two things that I notice are that my lower body and core seem to be really (relatively) weak. I'm all upper body/chest/arm strength, and very little in my midsection/legs/core/stabilizers. I've also noticed that I have real problems with balance... when I'm supposed to be perched in some pose on one arm and one leg, I really wobble and tend to fall over. I get frustrated and self-conscious about it! I wonder if the two issues are related; is it possible that my balance issues are due to weak core/lower body/stabilizer muscles? Also, I wonder -- hope -- that these things will improve over time; any yogis care to comment -- did anyone out there graduate from klutz to graceful with enough yoga practice? I just want to know that there's some light at the end of the tunnel -- if I stick with it, I *will* see improvement... right? Or am I just doomed to be wobbling and falling over forever?

Thanks for the encouragement. I'm signed up for an "absolute beginner's" class for a few weeks. I wish I could find individual instruction, at least until I start making progress!

So, I'd like to be one of the 67% who don't need to have their g.b.'s removed post-op. I've been doing a little research on things that seem to protect the g.b. during rapid weight loss, and here's the list I've come up with: Omega 3 fatty acids seem to help. Not sure what I can consume that has these; I don't like sea food and I'm not sure if/when I'm allowed to have nuts. In the solid phase? Fiber: according to my nut., ground flaxseed is a really good choice for fiber for sleevers. Downside, it has a fishy taste. Upside, it apparently has some Omega 3's and Omega 6's! Fruits and vegetables: check, I'll consume as much as my sleeve allows, although learning which ones I can tolerate will be a journey in itself. Ursadiol: well, apparently this is hepatotoxic and insanely expensive, so this is probably out. Low sugar: yeah, I'm going to be avoiding sugar for obvious reasons, so this might help. Alcohol: interestingly, 1-2 drinks a day seems to *protect* the gall bladder. But I can't have any alcohol on my healing sleeve, and besides, 1-2 drinks a day is bad for me in other ways, so... no. Coffee: apparently coffee is good for the gall bladder. Not caffeine, COFFEE. I wonder if I should drink decaf for a while just to get this benefit? Plus, it used to help me to remain regular (BM-wise), so that sounds like a recommendation. Any of the medical types know any other advice? Edit: source is http://www.umm.edu/patiented/articles/how_can_gallstones_gallbladder_disease_be_prevented_000010_5.htm

So, I think that in most respects, I'm aging pretty gracefully. I'd like to think that despite being 41 (going on 42), I could pass for a man in my mid-to-early 30's except for ONE thing: the stupid crease between my brows. I'll attach a picture so you can see, but I'm curious if people know of anything that can be done about that. Botox? Makeup? I'm only... sort of kidding. I know that getting older happens, and you can only hold it off for so long. But now that my body is FINALLY starting to look GOOD, I'd like to keep my face looking good for a few more years, at least, so that I can enjoy it!

Thanks! Maybe I need a cosmetic/plastic surgery buddy just like some people have sleeve buddies! Oh, and I peeked at your photos -- you already look great, so... you're gonna look great in that bathing suit

My ASS we get better looking with age! All I see is how my face is getting all sideshow mirror and collapsing in on itself! It is true that women are much kinder to a "middle aged" man than men are to a "middle aged" woman, however!

Thanks again!

Thanks for the replies. I'm not sure I'm really ready to get a shot of poison into my forehead every 90 days just to look a teensy bit younger. Maybe I'll just try to keep my skin tone up and stay healthy and frown less/smile more! As an aside, anybody know who I'd go to see to get a, uh, "male makeover?" Like maybe see about dermabrasion or whatever to improve the quality of the skin on my face, and/or grooming my crazy eyebrows, and so on? I really don't even know what sort of terminology to use a straight male (I'm sure if I were female, or gay, I'd know exactly what to do and who to see) -- I just want to "take care of myself" in appearance as well as weight/body composition, ya know? Too bad I'm not in my 20's still, when beauty apparently just comes effortlessly!

Serious complications are extremely rare. If you have a competent care team and follow their instructions to the letter, the odds of anything going wrong are very slim. I know it's easy to be nervous about the unknown, but for those of us who've "been there, done that," we can definitely say that the first couple of weeks to a month are the hardest. After that, you just need to learn how to eat to please your new, smaller stomach, and enjoy all the "free" weight loss!

The 12-step folks have a saying: "compare and despair." While I don't hold with all of their sayings, I think this one is a good one. Holding ourselves up to any yardstick except our own goals is a game that you are pretty much guaranteed to lose. And it will make you crazy. Please understand that losing nearly 40 lbs. in ten weeks is incredibly good progress. That would be 4 lbs. per week; they say that for "regular" people losing weight, the most you should ever expect to lose, even if you are dieting like a monk and exercising until you puke every day, is 3.5 lbs. per week (not counting Water weight here). You've beat that by 14%, and you're not done yet! Cut yourself some slack, give yourself some credit, and quit comparing yourself to anyone else. I'm sure that advice isn't exactly rocket science, but sometimes I think we all just need to be reminded of "common sense."

The point about obesity-related comorbidities is very good! Very fat people tend to be very sick -- fat-acceptance aside, obesity is really a disease state, on so many levels. That being said, here are the biggest "real" risks of the sleeve: Patient non-compliance. The doctor said only slushy food until 3 weeks out, but you knew that didn't matter; your cousin had the sleeve and she was eating a whole pizza at 3 weeks, so you know better than your stuffy old doctor. Next stop: the emergency room! Facilities! I hate to say it, but you are at more risk from the cleaning staff than the surgical staff; if you get a hospital-acquired infection, you're in trouble. And even if there ARE complications during surgery, it's more likely to be anesthesia-related than surgery-related. Plain old bad luck: you're one of those higher risk patients, or you just have a common anatomic abnormality. It's a roll of the dice -- sure, a doctor with more sleeves performed will see more of the common abnormalities, but nobody's seen and dealt with them all. You just can't protect against those three, and they are by far the greatest risks to you during and immediately following your sleeve surgery.

GasX helps a lot, but it DOES go away after time. Or at least, it gets easier. Also hot foods really helped me a lot after the surgery. It does something with relaxing your stomach muscles, I guess... but it helps!