aroundhky

Wish you the best... you got this!

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.

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.

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.

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!

Yes, the more you run, the easier it gets. Not really easier each day, but if you do it consistantly, it will eventually get easier to do as the weeks and months go by. I'm not saying running on the treadmill is bad for you, but it isn't all that functional in regards to improving your regular street/track running. It burns cals, especially on an incline, but physiologically, it's quite a bit different that plain running. I'm not a huge fan of running either. Not that I hate it, but too much of it works against my strength/muscle goals. I still do cardio 1-2 times a week and run a mud run once a year, but that's about it for me. It all comes down to your goals. If you want to run a marathon or 1/2 marathon one day, by all means run and run A LOT, while limiting resistance training. What are your goals or what is it you aim to achieve from running?

Today is my 3 year sleeve anniversary. I feel somewhat obligated to share an update, for those curious about the sleeve's effectiveness a little more down the road. I was what most would call a "slow loser" during the initial post-sleeve weight loss stage, mostly due to being somewhat of a low BMI'er to begin with as I was around a 38 or so BMI before the sleeve. My restriction was very noticeable the first several months and then I was able to slowly eat more and more as the months have gone by and then it has mostly plateaued the past year and a half to 2 years. At the 3 year mark, I am able to eat a good bit more than I could the first few months post-op, but still significantly less than pre-sleeve. I feel I can easily add on another 20-30 pounds if I don't watch what I eat. Though I give the sleeve a lot of credit for the weight/fat loss I've had (especially initially), I think the fact that I've been able to keep it in check now is mostly due to a combination of restriction, and also just being better informed and eating to support my goals and less for pleasure....eating smart and exericise. I'm still very happy that I've had this done and would do it all over again as it has been a true blessing. Is it an easy fix or easy way out? No. Is it a great tool for eating better? Absolutely. Will it help me keep the weight off for good if I still want to eat whatever I want? Not a chance. This is just my experience as I realize others at the same time frame post op may have differing experiences, and those further out than myself can probably be a much better gauge as to the long term effectiveness of the sleeve. But I still like to come on here and give any feedback that I have and coming back here helps to keep me motivated due to receiving positive feedback, reading other's trials/errors and seeing their benefits as well. I guess that's all for now and I will try to check back in at 4 or 5 years, or if something else comes up. Wish everyone the best!

Asheville is a really cool town! Lots of things to do, pretty area, artsy (if you're into that) and there's always the Biltmore. I live a little over an hour from there and get there as often as I can. Hope your trip went well!

I keep my carbs fairly low other than my first two meals after a work out. I keep my Protein faily high all time, but my first 2 meals after a work out, I'll cut the fats a little and increase the carbs in the form of oats, lots of veggies, Beans, quinoa, brown rice, etc. These 2 higher complex carb meals are usually lunch and dinner for me since I work out at noon. Then back to low carb snack at night and for Breakfast.....and low carb on Sundays as well since that's a rest day for this old man.

Holy smokes! Congrats!

It happens, try not to panic like I did. Strength/muscle loss is inevitable during the rapid weight loss phase. But the loss can be reduced by getting in plenty of Protein and lifting during this phase. The first few months after the sleeve I lifted and tried to get in plenty of protein, but I still lost muscle and strength, but no where near the amount I would've lost had I not lifted. It is basically impossible to lose weight that fast and not lose strength, but if you keep lifting during this phase, it signals to your body that you need some muscle. So a higher ratio of the weight loss will be fat and less muscle loss. I got back to my original strength (deadlift and squat max) about 7+ months after my sleeve and I know there is no way I would've gotten back to it that fast, if at all, if I hadn't lifted the first few months after my surgery.

It felt awkward to me at first and I probably just plain didn't know what to say. The comments to me are almost always positive, so now I'll just smile and say thanks. I'm appreciative, since there's a lot worse things people could say to me.

"hmk"....sounds like a great plan to decide to do this, educate yourself and learn good form before diving in. Get motivated, form a plan with goals in mind and stick to your plan, ease into it and you'll be glad you took this step. I wish you the best! Also, "failure" in the gym is a good thing. When you get to the point where you pushing it more, muscle failure and time under tension is what will make your muscles respond, strengthen and grow. So don't be afraid of failure, get a little out of your comfort zone and do it.....you got this!