Update, and questions

[scarecrow 4]

I had my surgery November 26 2007, I was 315 at the time of surgery. I started a very strict workout and diet along with the surgery, as I was very determined to get the weight off.

I now weigh 194lbs, and I'm still steadily losing. My goal is 175, and I'm working hard for it. I've never had a fill and don't feel the band but still get full after eating a good meal. I can eat bread, Pasta, etc, anything. Even carbinated drinks if I wanted to ( I drink nothing but sugarfree koolaid though).

Breakfast 7:30

Protein Shake (24g Protein, 120 cal, 3 carb)

rice cake (50 cal, 9 carb)

Brunch 10:00

half sandwich - varied meat and light wheat bread

(12g protein, 125 cal, 9 carb)

After workout lunch 1:30

Protein shake (30g protein, 145 cal, 4 carb)

snack 4:00

half sandwich - meat and light wheat bread

(12g protein, 125 cal, 9 carb)

snack 2 7:00

Protein shake (24g protein, 120 cal, 3 carb)

dinner 9:00

normally a mix of fish (28g protein, 200 cal, 0 carb)

For a daily total of 130g protein, 885 cal, 37 carbs - 8 of which are from sugar.

I do 10 minutes on the treadmill as soon as a I roll out of bed, and do an hour of weight lifting at lunch every day.

Here's some pics:

me at 315

me at 230 (shirts are all way too big : P )

Me at 200

So my questions are these... First, I am thrilled that I've lost so much weight. It has changed a lot for me - one thing I wish I didn't lose though was the muscle. I've lost nearly half my max on all lifting, and at least a quarter of my rep weight on all exercises - even with the protein intake. Does anyone have any suggestions for changes in diet that would help me continue to drop weight steadily while gaining - or at least maintaining - muscle?

And secondly, I'm wondering about skin-surgery. I've lost weight kinda in weird ways. My stomach has gotten much smaller, while my love handles are the same size - which is odd. I work my abs and obliques HARD in a captains chair 3 times a week, but it doesn't seem to change anything. Also my skin is stretchy all over the place. So I'm wondering, should I consider cosmetic surgery, or is it too soon? I'm 26 years old. I'm starting to be shaped really odd because some areas are skinny... and some never got smaller : (. Kinda weird. Any advice would be appreciated - thanks guys.

[Foofy 0]

Scarecrow,

Wow. What an impressive loss! Plus, very admirable that you can stick to such a low calorie diet. I am afraid I have no first-hand answers to your questions. I would assume the answer for both is related to how fast you lost the weight. I suspect it's easier to retain muscle when losing weight slowly and eating more calories. I've been lifting for years and my lift weights have not decreased since surgery - but I am a turtle in the losing department.

Also, to lose that much weight (even though you are young) you are bound to have some skin issues. I'd post a skin question on the plastic surgery forum. There are some guys over there (OUsooner, for one) who have faced the same thing. Also, Dr. Schulman is a plastic surgeon who answers questions over there and seems to be a reasonable fellow.

No matter what, nothing is ever perfect, but you are to be congratulated for your acheivements. Also, good for you for doing it so young. That's so much better than waiting until you hit middle age. Bravo!

[lindata 1]

Scarecrow - my jaw dropped when I saw how much you lost! Way to go! And you are such a hottie - look at those blue eyes - they totally pop out at you now!

As for your questions, I am no doctor, but some things I'm wondering are:

What kind of meat are you having in your sandwiches? Are they processed deli meat, or like real meat straight off a chicken/cow kind of thing? I'd get rid of anything processed - it's got lots of artificial crap, as well as a lot of sodium which will make you retain Water. You could probably get Protein in other ways too aside from meat - like eggs, nuts, hmmm, drawing a blank here as to more but I'm sure there are (tofu?)

You may actually be eating too little in the way of calories if you're exercising as hard as you are, and being a young guy and all that. Maybe you need to add more calories.

The skin thing - I'm thinking since you are young, it will come back in time.

The weightloss in weird areas thing - I've noticed on the Biggest Loser the same thing happens to guys - they look a bit misshapen at first, but then when they come in at the finale everything is where it's supposed to be. There's always places that seem to stay fat till the end (it sounds like yours are your love handles - mine's my thighs!). But in the end the fat does come off these areas too. I've heard that you can't exercise one particular area for fat loss - it will come off you as it comes off.

Again, I am soooo not an expert, but these are just gut feelings to what you've described.

Congratulations again!!!

[lindata 1]

Another thing to consider, you might want to try different workouts, like mountain biking, hiking, etc, where you are using different muscles than what your body is used to. I can't remember the name of it, but there's a really good type of exercise for muscle tone and weightloss - it's where you do weights alternating with cardio. I started doing this at home. It keeps your heart rate up to burn fat as well as adding muscle. I'll do a set and then 30 seconds of running on the spot as hard as I can - or you could do jump rope or the treadmill, etc.

[Momto1plus1 0]

Scarecrow way to go!!! One of the things that I have read about plastic surgery, was that you should wait for about a year after you get to your goal to have surgery. I read this several years ago. The article said that after weightloss your body needs time to adjust. I just think that makes sense. I know other have had surgery sooner, but I plan to wait.

[scarecrow 4]

Also, to lose that much weight (even though you are young) you are bound to have some skin issues. I'd post a skin question on the plastic surgery forum. There are some guys over there (OUsooner, for one) who have faced the same thing. Also, Dr. Schulman is a plastic surgeon who answers questions over there and seems to be a reasonable fellow.

Thank you Foofy, I'll post over there for the skin question and see what kinda results I get. The idea is really scary to me to be honest, the huge scars, etc. But I would at least like to get as much info on it as possible.

No matter what, nothing is ever perfect, but you are to be congratulated for your acheivements. Also, good for you for doing it so young. That's so much better than waiting until you hit middle age. Bravo!

Thanks Foofy, I honestly don't know that I could lose the weight if I was middle aged, I've watched my older siblings struggle with weight and they've had a much more difficult time as they age. I believe it would probably take more willpower and determination than I have, so I have a lot of respect for those older than I accomplishing this.

Scarecrow - my jaw dropped when I saw how much you lost! Way to go! And you are such a hottie - look at those blue eyes - they totally pop out at you now! :blushing:

Awww, thank you Lindata, that's so sweet.

What kind of meat are you having in your sandwiches? Are they processed deli meat, or like real meat straight off a chicken/cow kind of thing?

I guess everything I eat meat wise is processed actually. Not sure. I buy the "Deli Sliced Turkey" from kroger mostly, it's Kroger brandname and comes in typical sandwich meat style. It's cheap and fast, but probably isn't as good for you.

The weightloss in weird areas thing - I've noticed on the Biggest Loser the same thing happens to guys - they look a bit misshapen at first, but then when they come in at the finale everything is where it's supposed to be. There's always places that seem to stay fat till the end (it sounds like yours are your love handles - mine's my thighs!).

Yes, but thighs are supposed to be thick, love handles aren't : P. I have noticed other guys who are losing weight look the same, I'm just afraid it'll stick. As far as not losing weight in an area just because you work out there, you're 100% correct. That is like the myth that won't die. But for some reason I still work those areas out the most hoping it will make a difference : P.

I can't remember the name of it, but there's a really good type of exercise for muscle tone and weightloss - it's where you do weights alternating with cardio.

I will absolutely try this if I can find a plan for it. I love trying new cardio, repetition gets me unmotived quick, and as much as I love lifting, I hate cardio. I'll see what I can find on it.

Thanks again guys

[Foofy 0]

Sacrecrow,

I see this infomerical a lot when I am in hotel rooms. It looks very interesting, but has always seemed too hard for me. I bet YOU would be able to do it. They mix weights (which I love) with cardio (hate), yoga (love) plyometrics, martial arts, and core work. It might be just what you need. You can be our guinea pig and let us know how you do. Money back guarantee. I suspect you could be in one of their ads when you finished the 90 days!

For some reason I can't get the link to paste, but if you google "P90X" you'll see their stuff.

[cindyg1212 0]

Congrats, Scarecrow! You look great!! Those love handles may very well disappear when you get to goal. Keep working out and they should go away. As for surgery, I didn't know we should wait a year after hitting goal but it makes sense. I'm planning on a Tummy Tuck but getting a whole body overhaul sounds too scary. Wait until you get to goal and get a consultation with a reputable surgeon. Then decide what bothers you the most. Either way, you will still look awesome!

[Foofy 0]

I'm already saving for my TT. After looking pregnant for 25 years, there is no WAY this skin is snapping back. Sadly, I live in a state where the number of plastic surgeons is veeery small - especially those with bariatric experience. I think I may have to travel for mine. Bother.

[steph_co 9]

Scarecrow - I had some questions come to mind when I read your post. First off, have you considered talking to a personal trainer and nutritionist? They might be able to help more than anybody. That aside, I did come up with some questions for you to think about.

Are you working different muscle groups when you're lifting "every day?" If you continue to work the same muscles every day, you never give them a chance to build up again and get stronger.

Did you do this kind of workout before you got the band and it was effective?

Do you think you're eating enough CALORIES to fuel your muscles? I understand that the calories could come from burning fat as well, but not enough to support your work-out routine long term. Your body needs fuel, and I don't think it's getting it, even if you ARE giving it tons of Protein. It needs calories to subsist. This article can explain it a lot better than me: Very Low Calorie Diet Doesn't Work For Fat Loss, Says Tom Venuto (Try to ignore the sale's pitch at the end of the article - that's not the part that matters...just read what low calorie does to your body/hormones.)

But to get your diet going in a more positive direction, I really, really think you should talk to a nutritionist. Then talk to a personal trainer so you can get your lifting weight back up.

Edited September 4, 2008 by steph_co

[lindata 1]

Are you working different muscle groups when you're lifting "every day?" If you continue to work the same muscles every day, you never give them a chance to build up again and get stronger.

.

I was just reading about this last night on a weightlifting site. The guy on there said if you don't rest your muscle groups then your muscles can either stay the same or even get smaller! It's when they're resting that they get bigger. Interesting! I've always heard that you need to rest at least a day when weightlifting. So arms one day, legs the next kind of thing.

[scarecrow 4]

Sorry for not responding for a month or so, been very busy : P.

Yes, I work out one muscle group per day:

biceps and stomach on monday

chest and neck stabilizers on tuesdays

legs and stomach on wednesday

back on thursday

shoulders, tri's, and stomach on friday.

On the weekends I do only light cardio, I try to let everything rest then.

I'm 190 now - I've only lost 4 lbs in the last two months, which I'm actually ok with because my lifting has shot back up. I started mixing half a glass of grape juice with my pre-workout (glutamine, 3g creatine) and post-workout (Protein, glutamine) shakes.

The extra 40 grams of PURE SUGAR carbs scared the hell out of me at first, but under the advice of a trainer buddy of mine I've tried it and have been thrilled with the results. He gave me a long list of reasons why the "G.I. Carbs" were necessary when lifting, but I don't remember any of them : P.

I tried P90X in the past Foofy, and it is a KILLER. It's extremely effective if you stick with it, but it's also very hard on your back. If your back is in good shape - you'll love it. Mine's all messed up : P.

Thank you very much Cindy, appreciate it. The full body lift sounds absolutely awful - I can't imagine the pain. If the Tummy Tuck tucks in sides though, I could see doing that : P.

These are some newer pics

[/url]

very blurry. Taking pictures of yourself in a mirror is actually alot harder than it looks.

I look sad but I'm just irritated at the camera

You can't tell too much of a difference from the ones at 200lbs (first post), I can tell quite a bit with my shirt off.

Thanks for the posts!

[Skinny_Jill 36]

Scarecrow, you look amazing. Congrats!

I work out with a trainer 1 - 2 days per week. Be sure you are eating enough. If not, your body will struggle to build muscle. It will start to burn the muscle along with the fat if you don't provide the nutrition your body needs. At least that is what my trainer preaches. That is interesting about the grape juice. I hope that works for you.

Keep up the good work. You are so lucky to have done this while you are young.

[Foofy 0]

Yay! You are doing great Scarecrow. The fact that you can lift more even though your weight loss has stalled is a sign that you are building mescle and sculpting your body. You should be very proud. Keep up the good work.

[steph_co 9]

I can tell a difference from 200, Scarecrow! LOL You look fantastic. Keep up the good work!