Fiddleman

Very nice! Thanks for posting your experiences. I totally agree with your opinions ^^^^^^^^^. I am sorry to hear about your gall bladder surgery. There seem to be quite a few VST women (not so many men) that have required it to be removed. It is great that your recovery went so fast. That is super impressive. They probably want you to still take it easy though. Right? Cross fit, as you are aware, is extremely intense and could damage incisions or something internal if not careful. Let us know how you are doing with regards to your recovery. I like what you said about cross fit warm up; it is so true. A cross fit warm up is usually as hard as a normal workout by a non cross fitter. There are planks, push ups, pull ups, dips, hip extensions, sit-ups, air squats, rows, runs, etc. it certainly lifts your heart rate and turns on the sweat in order to be in the right state to kill a WOD. I am still doing banded pull ups. My goal is also to do 10 real pull ups without any band or box to start on. Maybe in a few weeks. I am getting better though since starting. For others, AMRAP means as many reps as possible. It is an intense all out push through reps until you collapse. You can do AMRAP with 4 exercises or you can do fewer exercises or a shorter duration. For example, an AMRAP you can do is 2 minute air squat, rest 10 seconds, repeat for 20 minutes. Another is 2 minute style kettle ball swing, shoulder carry 25 meters, repeat for 25 minutes. your fore arms will be wailing after this one so be sure to properly stretch them out afterwards. Each exercise is definitely catered to your ability in terms of weight and/or excise modification. Speaking of AMRAP, the AMRAP refuel bars are my favorite post cross fit session recovery supplement. They are Paleo and have 300 calories, 14 g of Protein, 22 g of carb (17 g from raw honey) and 21 g fat (8 g saturated fat - is this bad?). Usually I buy these from Amazon, but they appear to be out of stock at the moment. Check back soon. As an aside, I have noticed more and more shortages of products I usually order from Amazon that are food based in the last month. Strange.

I do know what you mean about enjoying the taste and experience of energy drinks like 5 hour energy. It is sometimes an acquired taste that is enhanced over time. I like the occasional 5 hour energy as a post op, but do not drink these things nearly as much as pre op. be a little cautious about overdoing these though as your body can build tolerance towards them fairly quickly. Now I believe the best energy comes from a clean diet, a good old fashioned workout session and a restful 7-8 hours of sleep.

I am pretty good with planks( 2 min average, 5 min max with one leg up) and will continue with them. Killer ab and general core strengthener.

Would applied ice help more then applied heat in this case?

Not sure about shifting pain. Can I send it to my pinky? Lol. I will try meditating over my pain, but any other ideas? I am wondering when I can expect my back to get some relief so I can do sit ups again. For now, I need to avoid those but can do everything else.

Hi folks - I bruised a vertabrae in the middle of my back a few days ago after doing some large reps of sit ups on a concrete like surface. Did not realize it was a problem until after the damage was done. I will not do that again. Good news is that it has no real impact on any physical activity except if I am on my back. I can still run, lift, etc during my workout. Bad news is it is very sore on one vertebrae, right in middle of back. Neither Tylenol or ibuprofen help much even though I tried some high doses. Heat from a therm a care pad helps the most, but I can't wear that most of the day ( in Hawaii doing beach and pool things). I also tried one of those medicated OTC pads that had menthol in it. Did not really help much, just hot and cold sensations. Your thoughts? Do you know how long it takes for something like this to heal? Any other advise ?

Do others know if one banana a day is enough potassium? I would think so, but want to hear from others on it.

I will try and provide some anecdotal experience around cross fit to answer your question. In addition to this online approach to cross fit, there are usually 1-3 cross fit gyms in a local area. Usually these gyms will be open gym format and like to cater to military, police and fire departments. They are also open to anyone who is interested in a really challenging workout regimen. Most cross fit gyms require all members to take a foundation class with a group or a PT set of sessions to become familiar with the exercises and equipment before participating in a group setting. This can be waived of course if you demonstrate proficiency from previous cross fitting. Usually this will cost about 100. Typically, the cross fit routine involves a WOD (work out of the day) that is different every single day and is designed to push your individual athletic ability. You are side by side with a group of others doing the WOD going as hard and as fast as you can. It is intense and will challenge you because every time you personally strive to better your results. Usually a monthly membership will cost about 120. My gym dues are 150 a month. Some gyms also let you pay per session, but this is usually more expensive. When finished with a WOD you record it on the board and in a notebook so you can have a record of all your progressions. You are competing with yourself for more reps, faster time not with the others even though you will all be doing the same workout. You will be pushed to the extreme, heart rate soaring sweat flowing and sometimes a little blood (not seen myself). These workouts give you real results not to bulk up, but to become a high end athlete. A workout of the day might involve Olympic lifts, squats, burpies, rope climbs, handstand pushups, 1 mile sprints, pull ups, push ups, etc. I think there are probably 100s of different exercises that are available to build billions of different WOD combinations. For this reason, I wanted to become technically proficient with a PT before participating in an open gym with a group of others. That is just my decision because I am a relatively new lifter and want to prevent injury and also learn how to be successful in the WOD groups session. I paid for 18 PT sessions up front ( about 700) and it is entirely worth it. I am learning so much plus I have a PT who is really challenging me on technique and on becoming stronger. She is great. There are a few WOD I have posted here on VST. For example, 2 mile sprint followed by heavy squats for 2 minutes, repeat 4 x. Some guys are there 6 days a week. I think this is possible because most WOD are HIIT and not strictly lifting. However, I have seen some of these guys do a 1 rep of 500 lb Olympic lift and they are not body builders. Incredible! So I guess I am saying that the cross fit gym can be both for HIIT cardio and lifting outside of regular exercising. Again, you (anyone) will really enjoy the challenges and results of cross fit. I hope you (everyone) decide to join. You will have a number of friends on VST that will share in your successes. So far, I think I have counted about 10 that have said they cross fit with 2-3 really involved in it. I am sure there are many more that have not posted heir cross fit experiences and results. My results from cross fit are similar to Aarons, but not quite as far along. I hope to reach these types of results in about 4 months. You can be the judge at the end of the 4 months.

Agree with ^^^^^^° My list of supplements match. Other additional supplements I currently take are C4 as a pre workout drink and catalyst as a pretty workout amino acid boost. Love both for the powerful workouts. I like creatine because it really helps with measurable lean muscle growth. I take about 5g a day, sometimes 10 g. It depends on the type of training I am going to do. Fish oil helps fight all the inflammation in your body after hard workouts. I take 3g on days I lift or do cross fit because both are hard on the body. Invest in a high quality recovery Protein. You will see better gains if you use the high end stuff. It is also helpful if it has bcaa chains in it. There are so many powders to choose from, but make sure it is not loaded with sugar 3g or less) and packs at least 25 g whey per serving. Whey is fast acting protein and good to drink after a workout. Casein is slow acting protein and good to take at night around bed time. I drink 2-3 shakes a day because there is no way I can eat enough lean protein to keep up with my workouts. Eat as clean a diet as you can focusing on a proper balance of the macro nutrients. Diet of lean Proteins, good carbs and good fats is probably 80% of the effort to getting real gains. Lifting is 20%. The old saying is true, muscles are made in the kitchen. There are several really knowledgeable supplement guys here on VST so know you will be getting straight and legit answers. No bull.

By the time you are done walking the mall, I am sure you will make a pretty good dent in those extra calories. besides, you just did a 5 mile hike. Those calories bounced right off you into space.

At least it was not cold stone gotta have it founders at at least 2000 calories, extra caramel, extra chocolate sauce....in a butter finger chocolate dipped waffle bowl...mmmmmmmmm. ... I say you did quite all right compared to that. Look at it this way, tomorrow is a fresh day with another chance to make better choices. You can do it!!

Sure - anytime. Just trying to be helpful.

Nice Laura! You are becoming an exercise convert! Yay!!

Ha! Is there really a show about that? Do explain what you mean about your comment regarding chubby chasers, Laura and I. Now my interest is piqued.

It does take a while to advance your diet to the point of eating 1000 calories a day. Here is how it looked for me: Week 1-3: 100-300 calories Month 1-2: 300-600 calories Month 3-5: 600-900 calories Month 6-7: 900-1200 calories Month 8-9: 1200-1400 calories Month 10: 1400-1600 calories In the first few months, you are just focusing on protein and water first. It hurts to eat too much. For me, it was a struggle to eat more then 2-3 oz lean protein and was having a real hard time eating any vegetables. In the next few months, you are healed more and can eat more. It does not take so long to drink water. I started eating 3-5 oz of lean protein and an extra ounce or two of side vegetable. After month 6, you can eat almost anything requiring you to be disciplined about what and how much you are eating. You will be hungry more often. Also your fitness levels should really start to pick up if you have not already started a good plan. Working out more of course requires more calories in order to keep your body out of starvation. It is a gradual process and give yourself time to let all the pieces to fall into place at the right time. Fortunately the healing process of the sleeve forces you to advance slowly. It is definitely progressive, a bit like advancing through mathematics at school. You are not going to start out with vector calculus, linear programming, combinatorics, etc. you first need to learn about basic algebra, then trigonometry, then beginner calculus, then differential equations, etc. if you don't like my mathematics analogy, consider the progressive steps to learning how to play a musical instrument. I play the violin. You are not going to start out playing the bruch violin concert or even something like Bach unaccompanied solo partitas. You first need to learn the basic mechanics of playing the violin, advance onto scale structures, learn the notations, practice étude after étude, give recital after recital, etc before taking on the classics successfully. Otherwise, you will fail as it will be too much too early. The same principles of learning mathematics and mastering a musical instrument apply to advancing / progressing through the caloric needs of a post op. Give your self permission to go slow when moving from stage to stage. Take the first 6 months to master the basics before taking on the advanced calorie consumption needs of someone entering the vet stage.

You know, I just saw this show on Dr OZ not that long ago about diets for different body shapes. It was pretty interesting. I do not have much time to watch Dr OZ much at home, but like to catch up on an episode or two when visiting my folks. Here is a link to the body shape diet information: http://www.examiner.com/article/pear-shaped-apple-shaped-or-boxy-dr-oz-s-body-type-diets-speed-up-metabolism For pear shape, Dr OZ recommends high Fiber food like edamame, whole wheat Pasta and figs. I do not know how well whole wheat pasta is going to work for you (or any of us for that matter), but you should be able to do the edamame and figs. I think one should be careful about fig because it is high carb, but it may actually help you because of the pear body shape. Let me know what you think.

Thanks for the clarification of state regulations. I learned something (and clearly it makes sense). When you do pick a protein bar, do try and make sure it is around 180 calories and 3g of sugar or less. Some good example protein bars are think thin (smaller version), pure protein, nu go slim bars and the like. Same goes for the protein shake, aim for at least 23 G protein per serving and 3 g of sugar or less. Some good examples are Syntrax nectar or matrix powders, unjury powders, amplified Wheybolic 60 powder and many others.

I would say do not worry about calorie counts at all until it becomes clear you need to increase them when fitness increases. For now, just focus on getting in the required Protein (80 g or more) and drinking Water (64 oz or more). Add green leafy vegetables if you have room after protein, but do not struggle with it. If you cannot eat vegetables yet, do not stress. during month 2-5, you should get better at eating steamed vegetables. Take the necessary Vitamins, minerals and supplementation to ensure you are hitting levels that are needed by the body. I find it best to get protein from foods that take little to no effort to prepare like Protein shakes, 3 oz chicken sausages, 5 oz chicken patties, teriyaki meatballs, etc. you can get a freezer Pak to help keep these foods cold when you are at work as a hai dresser. I bought a lot of these protein options from costco and it really helped me with eating over the first 5 or 6 months. It is also really clean protein. You do not really need to be concerned about fat counts right now. You will find your calories around 300-600 for first couple months and then 600-900 for next few months as the stomach heals more and you can eat more. You can count carbs if you are known to indulge in foods that have higher carb counts; otherwise, it is not really worth paying attention to it at your current stage. Just stay away from carbs like bread, rice, junk food, etc and all will be fine. Fill up on protein first and your hunger will stabilize because your insulin levels stabilize. See - that simplifies things. Just focus on lean protein, water and vitamins for the first few months. After month 5 or 6, you can start to get into optimizing the macro nutrient ratios per increased fitness. Your caloric intake will increase to 1200 or More. You will be able to eat more raw vegetables at that time. You will eat to live. Most important is not to get distracted by simple carbs or junk food along the way to healthy weight loss. That is just my opinion and everyone is welcome to express their own opinion.

This is such good advice for everyone! Thanks for posting.

That is pretty exciting you are up there trying out the zipline experience. I am sorry to hear about the harness troubles, but soon you will be zip-zipping with the best of them! This is something I want to try also, but think I am going to wait 1 year until my wife can do it with me after she is far enough as a post op.

Try also increasing to two tbsp. I also want to add that 2 tbsp is my normal daily amount.

Consider adding a cap of miraLAX every day to your water in the morning. I have found that miraLAX combined with chia seeds is where the magic occurs. I have also found that ground chia seeds do not help with duty performance (ha!) as well as whole chia seeds. Make sure you are drinking lots and lots of water all day long.

Really great launch into the post op journey. Great job!

I have a box of apple fritters fed ex to you....