aroundhky

16 minutes ago, paddyski said:

As some one who has just found this thread and getting ready to move forward this is all great information that you are sharing! thanks

Wish you the best... you got this!

10 hours ago, AchieveGoals said:

@aroundhky& @7carol3Have you guys had any major complications? How would you deem your experience so far? I mean issues that some articles talk about regarding GERD, or hair fall, Vitamin deficiencies, things you can't tolerate? Have you guys noticed an increase in food? Can you give an example of a portion of food you were able to eat 1st year to now 7th year? Any other relevant thing would be appreciated

Achieve..... I've had no unexpected complications. The only issues I've had are the typical ones where I learned the hard, despite knowing before surgery. Such as not chewing slow enough. Early after my sleeve, I often fell into old habits....eating big bites and not chewing enough. I tried some carbonated drinks a few times and even though I just sipped them....I still had a stomach that did not like that. In regards to the ones you've mentioned, I've not had issues with them....of course I was bald well before I had surgery, but I have heard of some people having hair loss...especially the ladies.

I was able to eat bigger portions after a year or two and that did plateau for me and I'm eating about the same size portions now as I did two years post op. From year 2 post up until now... I'd say I can eat a whole medium sized chicken breast with a half cup of broccoli. That's now a typical portion size for me, but the first two years were maybe half that size. I'm timing my meals better now, not eating after about 7:30 at night and eating better foods than I was around 4-5 years post op.

The only other thing I would say is we still have to do the work, be aware of how to eat well, be mindful of the rules/guidelines we're given pre op, but the sleeve does still help several years post op. It's a tool, it's up to us to utilize it and maximize it for our benefit. Just my 2 cents......

Excellent and good to hear from you again stranger!

Back on this site after no being on it in a year or two. It will be 7 years this Nov since my sleeve. Was well over 300 pounds, got down to 220s or so after my sleeve, back to up 260s after being undisciplined for a year or two and now back to around upper 240s. Sleeve helps, but isn't a free pass. Still have to be sensible. Hope to start being active here some again.

Hope everyone is doing well with their sleeve and if in the sleeve considering stage, I'd advise to be informed and know that it will take work..but worth it in most cases....it sure was/is for me!

Just getting started back with weight training.

It's a bit dicey since I have a torn rotator cuff in my right shoulder and a failed abdominal hernia repair.

Anyway.....excuses notwithstanding......here is a pic taken today:

This pic taken one day before my sleeve surgery in October 2015:

Getting there.....in spite of not being able to really blow it out like I want to.

I hear ya on that rotator cuff man. Hang in there. Is nearly completely torn? I've been struggling with my workouts the past year due to lots of shoulder weakness, pain and range of motion issues. Found out my labrum was torn, went in for surgery on that and when I came to after surgery, the Dr said my rotator cuff was hanging on my a thread, so he repaired that as well. This was the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, so I'm slightly over 3 months shoulder post op. Good news is, I started back lifting two weeks ago and as of now, I'm 90% on my shoulder, which is already way better and more use out of it than I was getting the past year. Hopefully therapy can fix it for you, but if it's a big tear, I'm not sure if therapy would be enough. Anyway, just be careful with the ballistic movements and overhead lifts. Wish you the best!

Hey, I just saw this. Sorry, I don't visit much. It's a good topic, so I hope this thread can be helpful and if I can help with anything I'll be glad to. 4 year sleeve veteran here that lifts a lot.

Did weightlifting help with batwings?

Hello Georgeo! I didn't really have a problem with bat wings, but I think like many other small extra skin problem areas, resistance training can help. Tricep work and even some bicep work can help SOME in that area. Maybe some dips, tricep push down and even bicep curls that help isolate some of the arm muscles. Also, pullups, which mostly work lats, but work arms indirectly may be beneficial.

Hey, I just saw this. Sorry, I don't visit much. It's a good topic, so I hope this thread can be helpful and if I can help with anything I'll be glad to. 4 year sleeve veteran here that lifts a lot.

@@aroundhky Great post!

And you seemed to have conquered the attack of loose skin. Did you simply become a gym rat after surgery, work out with a personal trainer, or are you just very diligent with a personalized program? Also, do you concentrate on MACROS at all?

I have a fear of having loose skin after my upcoming surgery and its mostly because I have really bad arthritis after two knee surgeries and two degenerative discs. While I'm hoping the anticipated weight loss will give great relief on the joints, the discs limit my activity with weight training. Any suggestions?

Thank you. I was a bit of a gym rat before, as I've always enjoyed lifting and exercising. I like to think I'm more of an informed gym rat now, and my time away from the gym (dinner table), has improved and I eat better now to support that lifting. I don't use a personal trainer, but I've acted as an unofficial trainer for others a few times helping them with what I know, which is I'm sure less than a real trainer.

I think there is only so much we can do for loose skin as there are so many variables out there such as total amount of weight loss, how long overweight, age, etc. But I do know that lifting and adding muscle can only help with loose skin and can't hurt. I don't want to give medical advice, but I would urge you to use less weight in regards to your injuries and pain issues, and maybe increase volume (total reps and time under tension). But before any of that, please check with your Dr.

That was great! How have I never heard of this guy? I love his writing style!

I really look forward to new material on his blog. He seems to use a lot of "guy type" language, or maybe just some every day language with a bit sarcastic comic relief, yet still makes some very valid and serious points and makes me think outside the box a bit. I'll have to get that book he's planning to publish. Anyway, I thought it was quite relevant to this page and a lot of us may need to read it.

I read Mark Manson's blog a lot, ran across this one he just posted and it made me think of posts I've read here and of myself as well. So I felt I should share this as it may help some of us deal with a few of the obstacles that come with post-op bariatric surgery.

http://markmanson.net/be-patient

ImageUploadedByBariatricPal1436368371.974431.jpg

here's my before and after! down 83 pounds. just recently wore my first bikini EVER to the beach and it felt great!

Wow! Congrats!

Just a couple of thoughts from an old grizzled "veteran".............

1-Please, please do not put stock in what a machine says in regards to how many calories you've burned. There are studies out there that prove not only are nearly all of them wrong, they are VERY wrong and way off. Though it seems we're crazy tired and have nothing left while doing exercise sometimes, we're usually over-estimating how many calories we've burn, and in turn think we have more to work with on nutrition.

2-Carbs can be good or bad......depending on what kind we eat and when. I TRY to stay away from simple carbs (sugars, flour based foods). Good carbs like broccoli, oats and even some brown rice can be beneficial if used in moderation. The first meal after a hard workout, you need those complex carbs along with lean Protein to help your body recover and even grow muscles if you've engaged in a lot of resistance training.

3-In regards to my last sentence in #2.....any carbs more than what our bodies need to operate and maintain organ function, will usually result in gain of body mass. Simple sugars, especially at night, more than likely will be fat gain, or for those a few months post op, slowed fat loss. Complex carbs after a taxing workout, will help build muscle (along with the protein). For me, I'm ok with that kind of mass gain, but we need very few carbs to do this and usually the meal, or maybe 1-2 meals after a hard workout.

4-To simplify, exercise and eat reasonably and try to eat to support your fitness goals, if you have any. I try to look at food as fuel for my body and for exercise. I don't want too much or too little, but I also don't want to let the number of calories control my life, which is one of the reasons I got the sleeve to begin with.

5-Try to determine which numbers are more important to you. The numbers on the scale? The number on your body composition (body fat%)? The numbers in running a 5k? The number of pounds lifting at the gym? For me, I don't worry about the number on a scale since I like ti lift. The number on the body composition is where I focus. In other words, weight is not my issue, fat is my issue and concern, so I like to keep it low.

All of this.....is just my opinion, which is based on my experience and the research I've done. With that said..... we are all so different and our bodies react so differently, especially to carbs, so somtimes it's a personal trial and error with your individual physiology.

Yes, something to think about. Though if I had to weigh 280, I'd rather have it with mostly muscle and less fat, than with little muscle and mostly fat.

I'm just going to leave this right here.......

Why Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson is "obese".

https://www.yahoo.com/health/why-dwayne-the-rock-johnson-is-technically-obese-117180855078.html

Easy Andrew..... slow that roll just a bit.

It's true that alcohol is empty calories, but I think the amount and frequency is the determining factor. If one indulges in a glass or two of wine every other week, not sure that's really going to make a difference. If someone is drinking say.....every other day or a few times a week, there's probably going to be problem with extra cals. You're lumping everyone together it seems. And by the way, my Dr AND Nut said that an occasional drink after a few months will not hurt. I can't speak for others on here, but the message you and I received may certainly differ from other messages from other bariatric teams. So if someone is complying with what they were told, it's hard to throw them under the bus.....even if it differs from what you've been told.

With that said.....for those who may be alcoholics or recovering, it's probably best to not partake again.

So truthful! I couldn't have said it better Cowgirl! Wish you the best getting back into it!

Great point B52! In the end, it's really about what numbers are more important. The number on a scale? Or the number on your body composition? For the first several months after my sleeve, my WEIGHT numbers were dropping rather slowly compared to many other sleevers the first few months because I was lifting with quite a bit of frequency and intensity. But more long range....it helped me get a lot leaner, more muscle vs less body fat, and it also helped with saggy skin issues, which I have none of. I wish trainers and Dr's made it a little more known that the scale may not fall as fast while lifting, or even go up some, but to me, it's well worth it!

Anyone tried working out with a weight vest? Was thinking about trying one as the pounds come off.

I use a weighted vest for training dips and pull ups. Once I got to where I was doing a dozen or so of each, I started adding a training vest since my reps were getting too high, and nice to say, they were getting too easy. This took me months to be able to do though. Even about 3-4 months after surgery, I could only do 6-8 pull ups at a time and maybe 10 dips at a time. So I just trained with my body weight for a few months after that until I could do a dozen a set, then started training with the weighted vest. My the vest I use, I can add just 5 pounds, or up to 35 pounds of added weight.

Some amazing pictures there, congrats!!

@@aroundhky - I use myfitnesspal & mapmyrun apps. They are helpful to track activity and calories in, but I doubt I burn as many calories as it shows. I use mapmyrun more as a journal with my PR's, ME's and time for Crossfit. It's helpful to look back on it. I also like it for the GPS when I do go running (When it's not 7 degrees outside), I find its very accurate which is great. Im on the fence about buying into a FitBit type of device though. Would love to see more feedback and experience on these items.

Oh yes...the GPS! I have an app with that on my phone and I do like it tracking my walks, jogs! I do like knowing how far I'v traveled, which since it's based on GPS, is probably fairly accurate.

I agree on whatever one needs to do to get themselves motivated to exercise. Just know that some of the calories burned counters often are not just inaccurate, but way off.

I think where some people get in trouble with these things would be when they are counting "cals in" and "cals out/burned". This type of equipment tells them cals out/burned is so high, maybe 600 more than they really burned. So they'll maybe eat 300 more and think the 300 deficit will help them lose. Multiply this by say 5 times a week, and they are taking in way more cals than they burned and they're gaining weight. It's really hard counting cals......true cals.....almost impossible to get it accurate. So instead of this type equipment helping people lose weight, it most often sabotages them and makes them gain....if they put stock in to what the "cals burned" is telling them.

Been saying it for years. Exercise has many benefits and I'll keep doing it as long as I am allowed and able, but the calorie burn, at least to me, isn't what it's about. When I hear things like...."I burned 650 calories in 30 minutes".......my BS detector goes off. Not that the person stating that is lying or knows it's not true, it's just the equipment tells them that, and of course we want to believe it. Heck, I used to believe it.

http://www.salon.com/2015/01/27/your_exercise_equipment_is_lying_to_you_partner/

Lift weights up, put weights down. Lift weights up, put weights down. I think the important thing is to educate yourself on the types of lifts/movements, lift to failure (with proper form), eat to support the lifting, and #1....be motivated (set goals) or find a way to really motivate yourself to stick with it. The "what kind of lifts" and "when to lift" will then fall into place. Wish you the best!

Jersey.....it looks like you have a great foundation for muscle from what I can see. I was fairly similar. Had lifted for years and I had lots of strength/muscle from those years of lifting. But I was overweight and unhealthy, had a lot of additional fat with the muscle. With hard work and just the right nutrition, you'll get back to your original strength/muscle levels after your initial rapid weight and muscle loss. That's my guess anyway since we're so similar.

Ex:.... I was deadlifting 475 for a single rep and 405 for 5 reps before surgery. About oh.....maybe 7-8 months after my sleeve, I was back to those levels....minus the fat. In total from highest weight to lowest, I lost around 80-90 pounds. I have most, if not all of my original muscle, but with the fat loss, I'm just more cut now....or as I like to say....."ripped". Well at least in my own mind anyway.

It's a long process and you'll probably be like me....discouraged the first 1-4 months post op and really missing the strength. Just hang in there, keep lifting during the weight loss phase, and you'll eventually get back the strength months down the road. Lifting during losing is really important. You cant really build muscle while losing a lot of weight, but you can certainly maintain it or lessen the rate of muscle loss by lifting. It signals to your body that you need the muscle.....and more of your weight loss will be fat and not as much muscle loss. With that said, ease into lifting again as your body needs to adjust and you don't want to injure yourself and have a set back. Listen to your Dr to release you. I would urge you to stay the course....I think you'll be happy you did. Wish you the best man!