Fiddleman

I read recently there is about 1000 calorie difference between feeling satisfied versus feeling full for the average person. Even though it is not the same delta for post op people like us, imagine how many calories you can save if you stop eating when satisfied versus full. It is huge, depending of course on what you are eating. Think about it.

Really simple observation, but would the TP Roller helps with this type of pain? The reason I ask is that is what they advertise it for, myofascial release, and it is much cheaper long term then seeing a TP therapist. It is the best roller I have ever used and it is almost a miracle worker. It has paid itself off many times over in massage therapy and chiropractic work.

It is a shock to the pancreatic system which releases a deluge of insulin while sleeping and jump starts the metabolism. It works if you do this at most once a week after eating all week at a very low deficit. It is like jump starting your car battery when it stalls on the side of the road...

Welcome back Danielle! Glad to have you back on the wagon as we travel west into unexplored territory.

Good job Laura. Walking is great exercise! Plus you can catch on some missed episodes from your favorite tv shows or watch a movie.

Yes, great suggestion in fact. I do believe my local library in Snohomish has free Internet. Will look into that. No coffee though inside the library.

Yes, I agree with that statement on comfier chairs and scorched beans. The reality is, though, sometimes a star bucks is right there close by (within 15 minute drive) and has free Internet access. I do have my favorite local barista, but they are a drive through and, unfortunately, no Internet. I do live a bit out in the sticks and there are certainly more drive through options available for the commuters then there are sit downs.

The good burn that you feel the next day from lactic acid soreness is a sign of progression. Great job on hitting a personal goal of 50 lb lost! What a feeling of success that brings.

I read a good strength training book over the weekend by Mark Lauren called "You are your own gym": http://www.amazon.com/You-Are-Your-Own-Gym/dp/0345528581/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370266234&sr=8-1&keywords=you+are+your+own+gym It is an awesome approach to building elite fitness. Mark Lauren shares his years of training elite SpecOp military forces with the rest of us. I really enjoy these exercises because they can be done anywhere at anytime with just your body and some common household items like phone books and broom handles. His approach is not a very long program -about 6 weeks- and is designed to get SpecOps ready for the battle field as quickly as possible. After 9/11, there was a need to ramp up special forces in the shortest amount of time to get them into the field quickly,ready for any physical challenge. Each exercise is fully explained and has a few different variations depending on your fitness level. I plan on using these exercises as a way to ramp up fitness in order to compete in cross fit regionals next year. There is also a DVD by Mark Lauren with the same title I am thinking of ordering. It will help form ritual-based motivation for these types of exercises. Right now I do not have it in me yet to set up my own programs based on the book alone. http://www.amazon.com/You-Are-Your-Own-Gym/dp/B00AM7EQYC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1370265769&sr=8-2&keywords=you+are+your+own+gym These are more geared towards men, but women can do the exercises also and achieve the same type of results. There is another book called "Body by You" which is also by Mark Lauren http://www.amazon.com/Body-You-Guide-Womens-Fitness/dp/0345528972/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1370266049&sr=8-3&keywords=you+are+your+own+gym This one is focused on exercises for women to get into elite shape.

My wife and I bought some medicine balls of 6, 8 and 12 over the weekend as an alternative exercise we can do together. Short of just playing catch, what are some good exercises that you have done with the medicine ball involving 2 people? These 2 person exercises do not need to be challenging, but more on the fun side. I will do the challenging exercises individually with the 12 lb ball, but would not mind some suggestions there also.

It definitely will!! However, do realize the scale may go up initially because of more water in the muscle and muscle weighs more than fat. Do not be discouraged though!! It will pay off.

Perhaps during the day you can take cortisol or something OTC or prescription that is similar to that.

In addition to standard squats (air or weights), I have found that sumo squats are really effective at giving you a nice toned small round butt. Very tight. Doing these with a 45 or 50 lb dumbbell really works many muscle group around the lower core.

I would think some Benadryl would help with the itching.

Good job and great body around the stomach. Your sleeve has given you a toned stomach with no extra skin. Super jealous of the good toning around your core. What a wonderful outcome!

It is a bit like Christmas morning! You will be giving yourself such a nice Christmas gift that you can enjoy for the rest of your life. I wish the best for you on surgery day. Be sure to try and sleep tonight with all the excitement coming up tomorrow. Maybe take a helper sleeping pill to be fully rested in the morning.

I think it would be acceptable if you can stomache the taste and it is a high quality protein shot. Usually those shots are made with the cheaper collagen protein. If you want some protein shake suggestions, let us know. There are many good ones, some that are better then others depending on when you consume it (morning, post workout or evening).

When I was earlier post op, I would use a Packit bag for keeping my shakes and Protein meats in a cold and safe state for many hour. Here is a search result from Amazon of many different Packit styles: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_10?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=packit+cooler&sprefix=Packit+coo%2Caps%2C392 Just throw it in your freezer and it becomes a longer lasting frozen lunch bag overnight. It worked really well for me when taking protein Snacks to the theatre or a shake to the monthly support meeting. I do not use it so much any longer because now I always know how to find protein food snack or meal when I am out.

If you want my opinion over your doctors, which I do not recommend, I would say wait 6 weeks if you absolutely must have a very small amount. Otherwise, wait 6 months until you have a reasonable amount like 1/2 a glass or more. Alcohol may slow down your weight loss so it is best to not start drinking until after you have lost a lot of weight. And even then, it is still good to drink in light moderation because you will get tipsy much faster and the calories are not helping you. At least make sure you are drinking something you really enjoy or is high quality to offset any negative effects from the extra calories. I started at 6 months and finished weight loss at 7 months. I have 1-2 drinks a month and am 11 months post op.