Fiddleman

I've been using Intelliskin for the last year or so. One of the better post op purchases I have made (in fact, I have 2). However, I have used it so much that it needs to be replaced soon, starting to get frayed.

Stop carb loading.

Why would I want to stop?

Hi globe - welcome back! Good point about relation between clean eating and carb loading. Caffeine does it to me too, but that is expected because of it being a stimulant.

What about sugar levels? Curious because I have never had any issue with sugar levels. This usually only happens after heavy carbs(good carbs, mind you).

I usually carb up with steel oats and some Fiber one a couple hours before working out. A strange thing happens though. I start to sweat, a lot, for about 2-3 min. It is like I had been running for 10 minutes after starting from cold. Maybe it is a Vegas nerve thing. I notice some ringing in the ears is a bit more pronounced than usual (I have a constant tinnitus) Anyone else experience this? Not really a problem, but strange to see how worked up my body gets over the carbs. Maybe it is converting them into energy really fast. Ha!

I do my workouts first thing on the morning...the only reason being that I can get it done then without impacting work time or time with family after work. after all, if I get up at 5am and get to work/gym by 6am the rest of the family is sleeping anyway and don't even miss me .

I have gotten into the habit over the last year of going to my office at 6am and working for an hour or so before working out. Helps me plan my day and knock out my project list. Helps that the gym is right downstairs from my office.

You gave a good thing going! Congratulations.

I am a bit of a zombie when I rise at 5:30am and the only thought on my mind if caffeine before starting work at 6 am.

I have found that a morning 5 k around 9:30 am is really helpful in prepping the body and mind for the remainder of the work day. Then my regular workout is from 4 pm-5pm. Two a day is working out and I have found it pretty easy to lose a few lbs and tone up in days by doing this.

There are times on monday when I look at my body and think, you are going soft, especially if I ate too many calories over the weekend or had a drink. So push I do and usually by wed or Thur, I am happy with body.

It has becomes fairly standard to manipulate the body comp in just a few days. One of the benefits of being at goal.

Been maintaining since Feb 2013...and still going strong. I am not deprived, I don't even care about bread etc but when I keep it in the house it can be a trigger. So for me I enjoy it at restaurants but don't keep it in the house generally. My son is home now and we do have bread and cold cereal in the house for him... and I just have to give myself boundaries around it. So far, so good.

Olive garden, right? Those bread sticks...

Seriously, I think bread before the main course is definitely a way to fill up fast. I just say no to bread before main course, but do like my fiber one and steel oats daily before working out.

I would say that the machine that has the best hr sensor wins. Those without heart rate sensors are only as good as the standard calorie calculator that is configurable with age and weight. Not accurate at all for the individual, but acceptable for the average. We are not average people!

Just thought I would share an interesting observation from this last week.

Usually, I am not a machine user (excluding treadmill for sprinting on) and prefer body weight workouts. However, I was a tad bit mentally fatigued and wanted to do about an hour of elliptical and not have to think too hard. A good focused workout usually requires the mind to be focused and a good response from the CNS. My philosophy that day was I would rather do something then nothing.

So I put in my age and weight and do a hill program with some tough resistance. I did my hour and it says 1200 calories. I worked it pretty well and had puddles of sweat to prove it. I also wore my fancy heart rate monitor, including the chest strap making sure everything was calibrated before starting.

After reading 1200, I look down at my watch and it says 640 calories. Man, that is a really large error margin. And it is a commercial precor model, albeit a pretty old model (90s I think). I trust my polar heart rate monitor much more than the machine since I have started using it, but was still a little put off by the discrepancy. Maybe I am in much better shape in terms of heart rate and max vox2 than the machine thought I was with respect to the programming in it given age and height; remember, it does not have a hr sensor.

No wonder I had trouble losing weight in the past when using this elliptical machine at home with a not so clean diet (many years ago, before VSG). I had always thought I was burning twice as many calories as I really did. I do not have a problem with diet today (thanks to VSG post op), but I did back then and always tried to burn a lot of calories to offset the calories from my junky diet.

Maybe this story and information will help someone.

I used to have 1-2 drinks a month following 6 months. Then I just lost interest in it. The buzz is over fast and I do not really like the taste, so why bother? However, I have recently discovered angry orchard. Still only 1-2 a month, but taste is at least good. Too bad they are 200 calories a bottle. Sometimes I like a cold frosty one on a hot summer day.

I did a round of p90 x and enjoyed it. However, I like body weight workouts even more and, in my opinion, produce better results if you stick with it and keep good form. Check out "you are your own gym" or "efx" with mark Lauren. Good stuff. Or there is always cross fit!

Are there any real differences between the following cardio and weight training scenarios:

1. Cardio before Breakfast, weight training after dinner (typically does not fit my schedule)

2. Cardio mid morning, weight training mid afternoon (at least 4 hour separation, usually 5-6 hours)

3. Cardio after weight training mid afternoon (5-10 min separation).

Personally, I have found that cardio mid morning and weight training mid afternoon with light cardio after weight training works the best for me. If I try to do intense cardio after training, I sometimes get cramps in the legs or lack the energy to complete it.

What have you found works for you if wanting to do both cardio and training on same day?

I like using the under armour and nike brands. I have a couple med shirts and underwear that I purchased from sports authority 6-8 months back. They help you "feel lighter" when working out with less movement of skin, etc.

What are your favorite aspects of running?

For me, I enjoy:

1. The heat that radiates from core and chest after about 10 minutes. Like sitting in a Sauna.

2. How good my body feels after training. After glow usually lasts about 2 hours for me.

3. Some aches and pains get fixed, especially in my back. This happens if I am relaxed in bother upper and lower body when running, but keeping a strong core and arms at side, as if on rails. It is like a massage and hardly feels like running. Nothing kills a run faster (distracting) than tight traps or tight calves/quads.

4. Breaking a new 5 k or 10 k personal time.

5. Get to listen to my running tunes pumping!

Running is a really good form of cardio that doesn't tax the nervous system too much and cause mental burnout. It is fairly easy to do and not complex, but burns a lot of calories (average 100-200 every 10 min depending on intensity).

How do you like to train for your running?

For me, there are several ways that I like to train on my running days (non strength days, 3-4 days a week):

1. 5 k or 10 k for time. Ran a 45 min 10 k last night and kept my hr between 148 and 152. I typically do not run for more than an hour because of training pace.

2. Tiered sprints. I like to do 6.5 for a min, 7.5 for a min and 8.5 for a min, rinse, repeat until tired. I typically can do this for between 20-30 min. Hr between 140-160.

3. Sprinting on level - 30 s @ 12.5 mph, rest 30 s, repeat for 10 minutes. Hr > 160 (drop to 150 during rest). I like this training because it is uber effective and very short.

4. Sprinting on incline - 30 s @ 9.5 mph on 6%, rest 30, repeat for 10 m. Hr > 160. I like this training because it is uber effective and very short.

5. Max vo2 training - 1 min max @ 160 hr, 3 rounds of 5 min @ 80%, 6 rounds of 3 min @ 100% / 1 min rest, rest 2 min, 5 rounds of 2 min @ 100% / 1 min rest. This is a hard running workout for me to complete without running out of steam.50% of the time I have struggled to finish last segment. Massive caloric burn on this one. And because it is such a shock on the muscles, it continues the gift of burning calories for a long time.

Typically before running, I will do a 10 min 6 mph warmup jog and then 5 min dynamic stretches.

Typically after running, I will do 20 - 30 min of elliptical at moderate intensity (135-145 hr) and then 10 min stretching.

Please share info about your running passion.

@@Fiddleman I can soooooo relate!!! What r u doing to address it? I run and bike and do yoga and have my first appt with a personal trainer this week. I've been seeing a chiropractor and doing the exercises he gave me and it's helping some, but it's still a struggle! Anything more I could be doing?

I do a lot of body weight exercises, which forces good posture in the back. Yoga helps. t squats work really well to correct the upper back scapula issues, shoulders and connecting muscles. Taking the kinks out of the spine with a foam rollar feels really good. Also stretching backwards over a chair or couch helps. It is not easy. 2 years since I have reached goal and I am still working on the back muscle inflammation resulting from serious spine issues in a way where it is not constantly uncomfortable. However, I am happy to say I have made lots of improvement where my back is starting to have the natural muscular curvature of a healthy male. There are so many small supporting muscles in the back the require strengthening for all the muscular systems in the back to balance out. Another trick I discovered: This may sound a little quirky, but it also like to stand in a stairway with two rales, stretch my arms out in a y above my head and lean into the stairwell, letting gravity collapse my spine downward. This stretches and cracks everything in my back from gravity. Oh, but it works so well. My problems may be worse than yours because I have two sections of my spine that have degenerated, causing discs to mingle and mangle. Even though I am 38 my dr said I have a spine of a 60 year old. For a while, was hoping these issues would heal, but it looks like that is not going to happen. I have a lot of inflammation daily that I try and manage. I try and self treat when ever I can to relieve the discomfort doing some kind of stretch or another throughout the day. Anyone know of a perm way to fix this type of degeneration in the spine? My PCP said essentially he can help manage symptoms, but wasn't mentioning anything about surgery except last ditch effort. I found NSAIDs do not really help as much as I had hoped they would so stopped taking them a few months back; it is better to just self adjust and get rid of the misalignment that causes pain. I am pretty resourceful in this way.

The hardest part for me has not been with eating at all, but in dealing with body posture issues after losing the weight. Being obese for a good part of your life creates nuances in body posturing that are hard to correct. It gets better over time though, the more you work on it.

The real question is when can you buy it off Amazon now that it is legal here in WA. Everything can be found on Amazon so why not? All those prime memberships will go into overdrive.

Fiddleman, What Is the name of the shirt you wear that helps correct your posture? My mom has scoliosis so bad that she's pretty much bent over at the waist. I've ben looking into braces for her but your"shirt" sounds amazing. Thanks for any information that you can provide. Pjb

sure, the shirt is made by Intelliskin and about $100. Amazing shirt. I have two, It has worked well and I don't need them any longer for correcting posture. However, I still like using them during workouts because it makes for good compression and keeps reminding me to depress the scapula, relax the traps and more. While my posture is pretty good now and my upper back relaxed, the residual spinal degeneration is still there at the apex points. Not much I can do about that (or is there?), but having a good posture makes it more tolerable without pain meds (it has been months since my last NSAID). I hope the shirt helps your mom.

coffee does it every morning for me. I also try and eat high fiber when I can. They don't call coffee a stimulant for nothing, but sometimes it takes 2-3 cups.

I think all, or most of us, reach a place where sometimes you just get "tired" of the continuing effort to lose or maintain. I'm four years out, lost 100 pounds, regained about 27 pounds in year 3 and used 5:2 intermittent fasting to relose that weight. It can be done and just knowing that others are there WITH YOU is a great tool to use! You CAN do this! Just start today, one day at a time, and go back to your basics and regain your equilibrium. I guarantee you will start to lose the excess. You may have to WORK at it but it's so worth that feeling of accomplishment. Even more than the initial weight loss. Good luck and stay in touch!

That is a very true statement about losing the focus during the third year. It has been happening to me a bit lately. While I try and eat as I have during year 2 (very clean), a lot of carb Snacks are sneaking in. And I am not talking about uber bad carbs, but like some extra Fiber one here, some bare naked granola there and a ritz cracker over there. Pita chips are getting to me also. I really like those Stacy pita chips and can munch them on and off during the day if not careful. No dessert type stuff though or candy. No weight gain because I exercise every day, but don't like at how I am gravitating towards snacking without a second thought. It is almost impulse and automatic and seems to pick up when I am under a lot of work stress (which has been more often than I like recently). I need to double down on my commitment towards a healthy diet to support optimal exercise before this snacking gets the best of me. I just do not say no to temptation as well as I used to before year 3. Maybe I am getting tired of it...

Try also to get a 4-1 carb to Protein ratio after the workout. Your body needs these carbs to assimilate the protein properly.

No worries - your body is just adjusting to new found muscle building exercises and is retaining some Water at the same time. You are also losing fat. So even though it looks like a wash on the scale, know that your body is undergoing some amazing changes to support the new stressors placed on it. It is natural for a persons weight to climb a little when first working out with resistance training before dropping. Be patient! I am sure you will love the overall results.

That's what I call an amazing success story. Thanks for that. If you check back in and see this, would you please describe how your (loose) skin responded to the weight loss and the subsequent months of strength-building? (Also, how old are you?)

Hi - I am 38 and been obese for most of my life. I carried my weight mostly in stomach region so it is of no surprise that is where I have some lose skin. Not a lot. It is about 1/4 inch and not a big deal, but does separate me mentally from achieving complete success. I have done a lot of strength related things since post op 7 months from cross fit to p90 x to body weight workouts at home. I have a good definition in my arms and legs from working out, not lose skin there at all. No lose skin on my back or chest either, but I have done a lot of push-up and pull-up variations over time. That probably helped a lot. I drink a lot of Water and go overboard on Protein every day. The former helps with encouraging skin elasticity and the latter encourages muscle growth (after I thoroughly beat them up). I eat a lot of carbs that are usually in the form of quinoa, steel oats, Fiber one and bananas. Carbs are needed for the body to effectively synthesize protein. Building muscle really helps in filling out any loose skin with definition. Mentally, I am more about strength, fitness and health then I am about body building, but that is just me. One step at a time. I too have been through the new op struggles, but am here to say that it gets easier after 6 months, after one year and so on. I could not successfully eat a lot of vegetable types until after reaching goal. They just would not process right. However, being two years out now, I can eat any vegetable without uncomfortable consequence. Keep at it everyone!

The 50-60% statistic is just that, a statistic. It is also a way for the medical industry to separate itself from liability by under promising. Standard good practice in business. It is the personal decision of each individual whether they want to be a stat or not. I did not. I just followed the standard rules about post op eating, drinking and exercise. Maybe I ate a little more low carb then most or made a decision to go above and beyond the basics as soon as I was able to whether that be Water, Protein, exercise, sleep, etc. Didn't go crazy, but did a little extra. With doing these simple things, I lost over 100% of excess weight in 7 months. Started at 380# (5'11") and ended at 172# after 7 months. A little low for me and my muscles and strength were MIA . I spent the next 16 month working on building a new body with weight stabilized between 180-185. It takes a disciplined approach to diet, exercise and lifestyle to maintain, but totally worth it. I love being able to push myself athletically now almost daily. I set new goals all the time for myself. Moral of story - choose not to be a stat and you can achieve anything.

As for what event I am training for : America Ninja Warrior. It is one of my favorite shows to watch and want to be doing the course one day, maybe a few years down the road. They are amazing athletes. There isn't anything that says we cannot do it also!