Fiddleman

You will do absolutely great! You are such a good contribution to this site as well.

Frank-I want to let you know that this surgery truly does wonders. It really does work. I started out 360 pre op at my heaviest and 6 months later blood pressure has dropped from 154 / 110 to 100 / 70, my blood work is great, I stopped using the cpap shortly after surgery, food no longer controls me, I have dropped to my goal weight and can run for an hour and still have energy. And the list goes on. Who would have thought this would be possible? I would recommend this surgery to anyone.

Frank-I was so inspired after reading your story. You are gong to do great!

Oh so close. 1 lb!!! I think that is close enough to say you made it. After all, maybe the scale was having a bad day.

Yeah, not sure why fiber gummies do not help that much. I have experienced the same thing. Congrats on finding something that works for you. I know it can be a challenge. FiberOne is a good choice. Do you get it in the Cereal or the bars?

I am in WA state near Everett in a small community called Lake Stevens. We have a Team Fitness very close and another another gym not much further ( both less than 10 min away). If I drive about 15-20 min, I can find LA fitness and 24 hour fitness. I have been a member of both in the past. I like LA fitness because of sheer size, number of machines, pool, sauna, etc, but the dues tend to be high and I usually always only see the gym rats there. No normal folks like myself. The 24 hour clubs tend to smell like locker rooms and are over crowded. For some reason, they tend not to maintain their machines as well. The Team fitness is nice because it is small, has a good set of high quality machines and typically has the normal people in it. However, they have a high enrollment fee and high month dues. I like that they interview everyone and keep the membership low. I have not joined any gym yet since surgery because I have two good Precor machines in my house to use. They are older ( off Craigslist), but have served me well. Both are commercial quality. treadmill is from 12 years ago and elliptical is from 15-20 years ago. They both do the basics very well, but tend not to have the bells and whistles you see on newer machines. Besides, i enjoy working out at home because it gives me less of an excuse to miss my workout. i have dumbbells of 2, 3, 5 10, 15, 20, 30, 50 lbs and use them occasionally, but have not committed to a program that leads to results. I think I like running too much and give less attention to the strength training. I have Bob Harper Inside and Out, but I think his easy workout is too easy and can only make it 20 minutes into his hour long workout. It is very challenging. Maybe I should just keep Bob as my trainer and keep at it. For some reason, I think that having a personal trainer (in person)would help me focus better and would not allow me to push stop on the DVD. I need to get to a point in my strength training where I am progressing from week to week, much like my running has progressed. For some reason, I have no problem kicking my own butt when running. It comes naturally.

Thanks for the info about certs. I never would have thought to "interview" the trainer in this way. I'll look around the link you sent today and see what I can find. I don't mind paying a little dough for a few months to finally get real about strength training.

Laura I think you will be just fine after a single mint, at least it wasn't 6, a whole row ( guilty of eating that many at once) or a whole box. They must put something magical in those Cookies because they sure are good! This weekend was "hard" for me because of a v-day party on Saturday ( we hosted) and a b-day party on Sunday. I did pretty good at the v-day party, but did have a small lemon drop rosemary drink my wife made. Didn't hit me, I was surprised after my last wine experience. Not too bad at the b-day party. My wife put a small fork of cake (a pinch) in front of my mouth so I decided to try it it was ok, but didn't feel like I wanted any. Let me tell you, it is hard to be a good eater when married to a generous woman Ike my wife that likes to host many social events with family! I manage to say no most of the time though. Hosting parties is part of her personality and I would not ask her to stop for a moment.

I want to say how proud and happy of my wife ( phoenix79) making the decision to do VSG. All the benefits that come after being sleeved are worth it! Please Give her a warm welcome. We think the surgery will be in June, but have not set any date yet. Just starting out the pre op stuff.

Oh fun.

What is a tough mudder? Sounds interesting by the name alone. I would like to: 1. Run a marathon 2. Learn how to cave ( my secret active passion) 3. Hike the entire PCT ( had this goal since 12 or 13). I have done parts of it in WA state. I am sure I will think of more. Do these have to be active based? Or can the list contain any bucket list item?

I have always been good at cardio, but always do weight training 1/2 a**. I have decide enough of this; it is time to reach out to a professional to help me build a solid foundation. In a sense, I need to learn how to fish properly so I can fish on my own. I have all the knowledge from books and DVDs, but not a real progressive plan. I wish someone would design a couch to body builder program lol. The question, my VST friends, is how to go about finding a trainer? I have a couple local gyms about 10 minutes away and was thinking about dropping in to see if there is a bulletin board with available trainers. I want one that will work for me and help me meet and beat goals progressively. Right now, I do not have the focus or discipline to sculpt my body now that I have lost the weight from cardio, cardio and cardio.

Oh, that stuff is truly nasty to take. Only use it as a last ditch effort. Suppositories help immediately and don't leave your mouth feeling like an outhouse.

Sorry to hear about that. Hope every day is a little brighter for you. We are here to support you.

It is definitely getting easier the more HIIT I do. I feel like it is my lungs holding me back more then anything . Running HIIT once a week helps to increase my lung capacity and efficiency. I like to start at 6.0 mph, average 6.5 mph and peak my HIIT at 7.5 mph every 5 minutes before dropping down to 6.0 mph.

I usually get the ol' Vagus nerve response when I eat too quickly ( which I STILL do). Although this is while still seated. He gets the "trip" only after standing up which could be an inner ear imbalance issue too.

Not a distance run, but I did a PB on a 5 k today. Finished in 24.5 min and did not feel at all tired at the end. Nothing like power chords, a driving beat and a personal desire to break personal barriers. My goal in a few months is to break 20 minutes.

Unfortunately, I need to get up at 5:30am every morning for working on east coast time. Works out pretty well. I go to sleep about 9:30pm on average. some late nights if I have a work deadline or out doing something.