2 Month Stall And Current Approaches

[Fiddleman 4,376]

This forum has been really helpful to read about the success of others and also the challenges that are discussed.

I started out at 335 lb and had weight loss surgery on July 2nd. I am in my second stall at 2 months ( 3 days now). My weight is currently at 255 lb and I know the stall will eventually end. 80 lb sown so far. Yay! However, I am looking for some advice for breaking this stall.

First, I would like to give some background on eating, exercising and Vitamins.< /p>

I have been exercising daily either walking my dog for between 2 and 4 miles, sometimes with hills. I have done some hiking a few weeks ago, but it just about sent me into the ER because of dehydration and the hike was rated hard even for athletes. I felt like almost passing out at the end ( 8 miles round trip). Part of the trail is 2000 feet in 1.2 miles and was brutal stair climbing, literally. I used to be such an avid hiker previously when I was in better shape ( also hiked most of my younger years), before gaining quite a bit of weight ( 100 lb) after losing 100 lb 5 years earlier (atkins eating and lots of cardio). I gained mostly due to life and work stresses, but before that kept it off for 5 years. I gave up on dieting because of yo-yoing and the downward effect it was having on my ability to have a stable and happy life. That is why it has been such a good decision to have the sleeve surgery. It was a little difficult the 1st week post op, but then got better. Incisions still hurt a little on occasion, but manageable.

Coming back to the stall, I am looking for advice of starting weight training program. I have never enjoyed weight lifting and have always preferred cardio like elliptical and treadmill. I have never been able to "get into" lifting or even basic training because i am not sure how to get started, even though i have a ton of books. Lol!

My post op food intake has been fairly rigorous. I usually eat a matrix/soy shake for Breakfast ( have been mixing in a low calorie veggie powder recently - a little weird but i got used to it after a few times), a greek yogurt for 9am snack, 3 oz chicken/ salmon for lunch, matrix/ Water for 3 pm snack, some Protein based dinner(3oz) and 3 oz matrix/water shake for 8 pm. I do not always have the 8 pm snack. I always get in the 80+ oz protein and usually have 100+ oz water/mio/crystal light a day. On weekends, i have been trying one or two meals at my favorite places to eat such as indian, red robin or olive garden. I mainly go to spend time with my family andy everyone is supportive and even help me find suitable choices. I am also very careful to eat 3-4 oz of something very high in protein. And yes, I really do like the matrix and nectar shakes, especially Cookies and creme or oreo. I do not have and trouble with eating wrong foods, being over hungry, or drinking alcohol. I just do not have the urge nor want to sabotage the successes so far. Besides i think any high sugar or high fat would just make me sick and uncomfortable. I just want to keep eating simple as i have enough other things going on in life with family and work.

I have not missed a day of taking vitamins. I take multi, calc chew, c, b50, B12, Omega3, d and a few others. Taking all these vitamins is starting to feel like work, but i have always taken vitamins over the last 10 years so more of the same.

Finally, i do journal every day with regards to weight, energy level, sleep hours, vitamins, prescriptions, food intake, liquid intake, exercise and general notes. It is helpful to have the notes and does put me in the right mindset for the day.

My biggest concern is having a gall bladder issue as i read about it so often on the posts. No issue yet, but i do feel minor acute jabs from time to time under right rib. Again no issue yet but am concerned.

Sorry this is so long winded, but i am looking for some long term advice to break stalls ( hopefully with regards to weightlifting) and get some comments on my approaches so far.

[Butterthebean 8,146]

Read "New Rules of Lifting". There is one for women and one for men. Each book has several workout plans designed for different goals such as fat loss.

Also, see the link in my sig. It has some good information about what causes stalls and some tips on breaking them.

It sounds like you are doing alot of things right. I wouldn't worry too much about it at this point. Stalls come and go on there own without you having to do anything. People put alot of effort into "breaking" stalls when they should just stay the course. Now if you were a year post op, then yeah you might need to change things up.

[Fiddleman 4,376]

Thanks for the response. Sorry about posting this question in the wrong section (should be in fitness rather than post-op, but oh well).

I went to Amazon.com and searched for "New Rules of Lifting." Surprisingly, there were a few different books with that name for men.

Should I get the one titled "The New Rules of Lifting: Six basic Moves for Maximum Muscle", "The new Rules of Lifting for Life: An all-new muscle-building, fat blasting plan for men and women who want to ace their midlife exams", "The New Rules of lifting for Abs: A myth-busting Fitness Plan for Men and Women who wat a Strong Core and a Paint-Free Back" or "The New Rules of Lifting Supercharged: Ten All-new Muscle-Building Programs for Men and Women." Looking for some advise on which book because I have quite a number of very good weight lifting books and don't want to buy many more. The ones I got are too advanced for a newbie.

Every time I start weight lifting on my own in the past (e.g. lifting dumbells), I usually get lazy and go back to Cardio (no problem challenging myself on the ellyptical or treadmill). I think it is a matter of enjoying the training and staying focused. All that said, I am looking for the best book / video on helping me achieve real results in 2-3 times a week without hurting myself. Also, money is tight so I am unable to join a gym. I have a bench, some dumbells (5 - 30 lb) and a giant ball at home.

[Butterthebean 8,146]

Ok, I just went and looked. The one I have is 6 basic moves for maximum muscle. It has several very detailed workout plans for different types of people, and info about how to choose which plan. My wife has "New rules of lifting for women" and likes it a lot. You don't need any fancy equipment because the moves are pretty basic. You could do the whole thing with some dumbells and a fitness ball. But if you have access to barbells, all the better.

The best part about this book to me is, it doesn't just tell you what exercises to do, it lays out a very detailed plan. How much weight, how many reps and sets, in what order, even how long to rest in between sets.