12 week Transformation challenge for vets

[Nicolanz 1,484]

Yea emergency. I had pain for 5 1/2 hrs and they said it caused acute pancreatitis.

Thanks Fiddle, I think I'm good. No pain just bummed. But hopefully I'll get to go home in the morning. Maybe I can walk during my recovery time. I'll talk to the surgeon in the morning.

[No game 14,437]

Yea emergency. I had pain for 5 1/2 hrs and they said it caused acute pancreatitis.

Thanks Fiddle' date=' I think I'm good. No pain just bummed. But hopefully I'll get to go home in the morning. Maybe I can walk during my recovery time. I'll talk to the surgeon in the morning.[/quote']

Sorry Nicole well now at least you don't have to suffer another attack.

[Nicolanz 1,484]

By the way' date=' how do you know if you (not you specifically, but a VSG person) are going to have a problem with the gallbladder? I have seen so many have kidney or gall bladder issues during my time on VST, I often wonder will I be next? I hope not, but do not know what are the precursors before an attack requiring hospitalization.[/quote']

I just saw this, sorry. I first felt nauseous, then pain in upper gastric area. It was like no pain I've ever felt. It took me about 2 hours to realize it was probably the gallbladder. This happened 3 more times within a month. Wednesday, it lasted so long and Vicodin did not make it go away. I figured it was probably emergency time.

When you have an attack, you'll know! It's horrible pain. Like something is twisting your organs! I think it's more common with women though so maybe you're safe!

[Globetrotter 1,340]

No, not small potatoes at all. I am just trying to offer any advice that might help you break through your wall you are up against and have been fighting for a while. I hope other vets chime in because they have good advice, especially if they are long term vets like you. Thanks for being an inspiration to all us us newer vets - fighting the good fight every day. I do wish you success in your progress and will try and help if I can. So we know how often to send care packages to you, how long is your current deployment to?

Thank you, I know you and others are offering the best advice you can, it just gets so ... disheartening. I'm now doing some diet *brokenhearted sigh* I heard another sleever mention, a fasting diet - normal day/fast day/normal day/fast day etc. On fast days you eat less than 600 cals, on either day carbs are still a minimum. We'll see.

This deployment may last a year.

[Globetrotter 1,340]

Fiddle - could you give me some suggestions as to what kind of lifting set to do? Right now I do several machines: one where I sit, grip 2 handles and push away from my chest. That one I do 40 pounds, 3 sets of 12. Another I sit and instead of pushing the handles away, I push them up. That one I do 24 pounds, 3 sets of 12. Another I sit, thread my shins under a pad and thrust upward, that one is 50 pounds, 3 sets of 12. I also take a 15 lb weight, hold it in both hands behind my head, and lift, 3 sets of 20, to work the triceps. All of this I do in a single session and by the next night I'm pretty sore. I also do calf raises, 3 sets of 20, in that session. These weights are so heavy for me, that by the final 3 reps I'm grunting and struggling not to break form.

What can I be doing differently?

[danyelleb 386]

Well guys and gals' date=' I'm out! I'm currently laying in a hospital bed. Just got my gallbladder removed this SUCKS! I'll be back though![/quote']

Oh no! I wish u a speedy recovery. Was this a sudden thing? Well, at least it's over and done with. It seems like a lot of people end up having their gall bladder removed after vsg. Mine was removed during the surgery. Take care!

[danyelleb 386]

Yea emergency. I had pain for 5 1/2 hrs and they said it caused acute pancreatitis.

Thanks Fiddle' date=' I think I'm good. No pain just bummed. But hopefully I'll get to go home in the morning. Maybe I can walk during my recovery time. I'll talk to the surgeon in the morning.[/quote']

Oops! Should've read the entire thread

[Fiddleman 4,376]

Globetrotter- I am out most of the day (at a support meeting currently here in Seattle for Swedish), but will write down my thoughts tonight.

[Nicolanz 1,484]

You're lucky Danyelle! My doc told me it needed to go but I didn't listen to her. I've learned my lesson haha!

[Fiddleman 4,376]

Globetrotter- let me first state that I am in an active state of finding out what works for effective strength training. There are a lot of very experienced lifters on this site that have years and years of working experience, where some used to be professional body builders or trainers. For this reason, I hope they will stand up and offer some good leadership around effective strength training for all of us who are fairly new to it all.

As stated in the original thread above, I have 3 days a week where I am strength training. I never use machines. First reason is I do not own any at home and do not have a gym membership. however, I do take personal training at a cross fit gym. Second, and more importantly, machines takes away the balance, focus and strength required for effective strength training, I use dumbbells and body weight exercise. Currently, my strength training at home is done using Bowflex adjustable dumbbells and strength training / HIIT cardio done at cross fit is a mixture of body weight exercises and barbell lifts in an intense circuit. A good WOD performance should take every bit of strength, breath and focus you have.

You asked about rotation so I will focus on my dumbbell-based strength training rather then my cross fit sessions. Cross fit tends to be completely random every session so cannot talk about rotation except when it comes to warmup of body weight exercises. My rotations for each day are fairly basic and can each be completed in 20-30 minutes. I do the same rotations from week to week, but increase the intensity by increasing the weight +5 lb and paying attention to maximum focus and proper form.

Push day

Dumbbell bench press

Dumbbell flys

Dumbbell side raises

Dumbbell triceps kickbacks

Dumbbell biceps curls

Pull day

One arm dumbbell rows

Dumbbell pullovers

Reverse dumbbell flys

Lying dumbbell triceps extensions

Dumbbell biceps curls

Leg day

Dumbbell squats

Dumbbell step lunges

Dumbbell straight leg dead lifts

Dumbbell sumo squats

Dumbbell single leg calf raises

My sets look like 12-10-8-8+ for each exercise in a rotation where there might be 1-2 additional drop sets. I keep track of rest between sets, planned weight / reps, target intensity level, actual weight / reps and actual intensity level. Tracking this information helps with measurable progress and helps me make changes as they are needed.

The intensity and focus of each set builds as the set reps drop and set weight increases. Intensity must come from your focus and not just from heavier weights delivered from a machine. That is why dumbbells are much more effective then machines when seeking true intensity, but dumbbell exercises do tend to not map onto functional movements very well. Body weight exercises are much more effective then dumbbells because they do map onto functional movements and, hence, tend to be safer with less prone to joint injury.

Hope this helps.

[Fiddleman 4,376]

You're lucky Danyelle! My doc told me it needed to go but I didn't listen to her. I've learned my lesson haha!

Nicole - how are you doing tonight? Hope you are starting to feel better.

[Ms skinniness 3,003]

At least the GB is gone now thank goodness. It will get better very soon.

[Nicolanz 1,484]

Thanks guys! I think my nerves have awoken and I'm in pain! But I am happy the gallbladder is gone and over with. I'm going to do some walking today to get rid of this gas stuck in my shoulder! I hope I feel better by Tuesday because I'm signed up for a CPR class. I have so much to do because I'm starting nursing school in August.

You know it's funny, all I've wanted for the past few months was a break. Time to sleep, a break from motherhood, and to be able to relax. Now my kids are in Austin with my mom and I'm forced to relax. I suck at relaxing and I miss my babies terribly! Haha!

[HoosierGirl 780]

Nicolanz - hope you are doing better! Had my gall bladder out several years ago and life without it has been a GOOD thing! Hope it is for you too!

[HoosierGirl 780]

Hey this is the start of my 4th week of this challenge! Wow! I am very impressed with myself that I have not quit by now! Ha! Never never have stayed with an exercise program - this long...especially something as difficult as this Jillian Michaels Body Revolution program is! (I am starting to sweat just typing the name!)

My diet has been very clean and I feel fantastic. It might be my imagination, but I appear have toned and defined arms! (As always, the butt is lagging behind...pun intended!)

Have only lost 4.6 lbs over these weeks, but I feel more toned and I think I look smaller. Frankly, if the scale never moved again, but I could wear smaller clothes, that would be fine with me. (Desperately trying to focus on how great I feel vs. the little weight I am losing for how hard I am working out!)

Also trying to slowly increase my calories and increase Protein. This whole thing is a fun mental game.