aroundhky

I'll wear mine on certain lifting days at the gym. I actually find that they help my muscles feel tighter, perhaps pressing on the tendons causing my joints to feel a bit more comfortable when working out. Not sure of the science behing it. At my age (and high mileage), I need whatever pain relief I can get.

I don't know if it doubles in size or not, but I know most sleevers (including myself) can eat more after a year than we could the first few months after surgery. But for me, it's still a lot less than I was eating before surgery, which tells me it's still a good bit smaller than it was pre-sleeve. I'll be two years post op in a couple of weeks.

I hear ya "Tokva"! I tried one closer to home temporarily about 2 months after my surgery. (I work about 40 minutes from my home and workout at a gym close to work). I was off work for about 2 weeks during the holidays and just wanted a gym to go to since I was just getting back into working out and didn't want to take 2 weeks off from lifting or drive 40 minutes one way just to workout. So I joined PF knowing it would be only a month membership and with some understanding that it's not a gym for serious, or semi-serious lifters. My first trip......2 lunk alarms. Second trip....same thing. I didn't make a third trip, just worked out at home on my punching bag and did push ups, sit ups, etc and never set foot in that gym again except to sign the paperwork to cancel my membership. Keep in mind, I'm going to PF just less than 2 months post-op......so I'm not lifting heavy at all and I've never been a "grunter/yeller" on my lifts like some competitive power lifters or bodybuilders. I simply didn't put up the weights with zero sound, so I got "lunk alarmed". Perhaps they need rubber or foam weights......just sayin'. I don't dislike PF personally and I think it's a good fit for someone who wants to do mostly cardio with occasional light resistance training and without emptying their wallet or purse. And any environment to get people to exercise that normally wouldn't at a regualr gym...... is a good thing. I do think calling themselves "judgment free" is a lie, but other than that, it could be a good fit for many people and obviously is quite popular. So "marfar7".......if you like PF and it fits what you are trying to accomplish.......by all means, continue. It doesn't really matter what others think, it's your money. Some of us burned or led astray by PF (myself included), are just sounding off with our personal opinions about PF, that's all and giving a heads up to people who may be expecting more from PF than they offer. I for one, am thrilled you're taking this step and I say go for it and I'm wishing you the best!

I can relate on the angry part. When I was making my late push to get to goal weight back over the summer....I was quite a foul person. Well.........more foul and irritable than normal anyway.

I don't do a pre-workout meal, unless you call my 6 am Breakfast before my noon workout a pre-workout meal. I prefer to exercise on an empty stomach and I have much better intensity and focus for my workout that way. But some people may not be able to do that. I would say not to eat any closer than an hour before your workout and generally, the larger the meal, the more time you need between the meal and the workout. If not, you may get sluggish and lethargic. I used to eat before my workouts and I often struggled with my exercise sessions then. I found out that insulin spike from the meal caused my workouts to suffer. If you do have a pre-workout meal, that oatmeal you mentioned or some other complex carb with a little Protein is a good idea. You definitely want to stay away from fatty or fried foods.

It's not too early. I'm helping a lady at the gym with similar PT kind of stuff and she started at about 5 weeks post op just going through the movements. She later added some weight to the lifts and making great progress. The lifting and exercise during weight loss (cal deficit) will help you retain muscle.....which is a good thing. Good luck!

Thanks for the article! I've done #3 and #27...........I still have a ways to go.

Pull ups, dips, crunches, push ups, squats, etc. May need some assistance with those first two exercises.

Yes, some of the best compound lifts in my humble opinion.

I'm kind of answering backwards I guess. I am close to 2 years out and now eating the same portions I did at about 8-10 months post-op. My first few months post-op it gradually increased each month and at that 8-10 month mark it leveled off for me. But maybe that's just me, I think we all kind of differ.

Thanks for sharing Fiddle. It sounds like you've taken a couple of steps towards getting better. Same here about sitting at a desk/computer all day. That's probably my #1 motivation for getting to the gym.....to get away from here for a bit and save my sanity. I've heard of some people/empoyers actually using stand up desks to improve spine issues, posture and overall health. My employer is not going to foot the bill for it, but if I knew it would help me, I would pay for it. My only other choice is to find a new job.....which I am looking a little. Thanks for the information and good luck with the recovery!

Oops.....I guess that was actually 3 questions....I got carried away. Just curious, I've had some mild neck stiffness and minor shoulder issues, but I've had it for years and it's mostly from my football days I think. Wondering if it's similar issues and seeking more specific symptoms of yours....

Fiddle, wishing you a speedy recovery and hope all goes well. One question.....what prompted you to check on this? Just some pain and wanted to get to the bottom of what was causing it? Did you have any neck stiffness?

Globe.....not sure if you're able to do these where you are, just a few of the many lifts you can do with that equipment...... -pushups and dips (shoulders, chest, triceps) -dumbbell/barbell deadlifts (core, legs, traps, almost a full body lift) -dumbbell military press (shoulders, chest) -pull ups (upper back, lats) *will need a bar somewhere -barbell bent over rows (upper back, rear delts, rhomboids, lats) -sit ups/crunches (abs, obliques) -dumbbell squats (quads, hamstrings, glutes) *can hold the bumbbell at your chest or for an even higher degree of difficulty, you can hold it over your head and squat, just don't drop it. Overhead squats along with deadlifts, are probably the ultimate full body lifts as they bring in all kinds of other muscles and stabilizers for balance. And like you mentioned...planks..... Also, if you have access to kettlebells in addition to the equipment you already have........you really wouldn't need anything else.

Those were my exact same thoughts before surgery. This looks like a post that I would've made two years ago. "BigD".....how tall are you?

Great job, congrats man!!

My goodness...............wow!!! Congrats!

Sorry "Globe".....I should've elaborated some. Yeah.....what "ItsMe" said. Also, if you don't have many days a week you can lift or can't spend a lot of time lifting, the compound lifts are also very efficient and help with time constraints. Basically, get a lot of muscle work, or more muscles worked in a shorter amount of time.

I bet HIS genie will pop out if he keeps rubbing it!

I'm taking some credit for that. Or blame....depends on how you look at the sudden turn.

Now I like where this is going!!

Come on Laura.....bring it in! Let's start this love fest!

I think we all need to partake in one big group hug....... Since this is a forum for pretty much any kind of topic related to food and the sleeve and exchange/sharing of ideas and/or opinions......a difference of those ideas and opinions is inevitable. Since one person cannot force another person to see it their way or force them to change their opinion (short of brain washing or another type of mind control, which is seemingly impossible online), perhaps we could just agree to disagree and move on once all of those opinions are shared and discussed. After all, we are all entitled to our own opinion. At some point, it seems this could turn into or has turned into a pi$$ing contest and pride could get in the way of productivity and honest objectivity. Wish we could all just respect each others opinion while giving honest thought to what the other has to say. If so, and we still disagree, maybe we should drop the subject. If only our government could be that way.....maybe we could read about something else in the news these days. Just my 2 cents.....I now digress.

Butter...we do sound about the same. It worried me at first, because at 6-7 months out, it seemed like a lot for me to eat. So I was thinking holy crap, I'll be back to my old portion size at this rate within a year or two. But it has pretty much stayed the same since that 6-7 months out thankfully.

2 years here and I can definitely eat more than most sleevers and have been able to since about the 6-7 month post-op mark. But since then, it's stayed about the same. Typical dinner at night......( I don't drink close to my meals, and still able to eat a good bit) -whole grilled large chicken breast -1/4 to 1/2 cup green Beans -a bite or two of fruit or a bite or two of a bread