AirKuhl

I'm not a big soda fan but I do drink beer pretty much every weekend. It's fine with my Doc, just don't forget to account for the extra calories. There is no "standard procedure". Every doc is different. My theory is that you need to follow the advice of the person you will turn to if you have a problem, as in your doctor. If you think your doc is full of crap, find another one. Reading the forums you will see that there is a WIDE range of doctor's opinions. My doc is at one end of the spectrum, I had no pre-band diet, no comments on smoking, solids after one week, I can eat or drink anything I want (just less than before), no limitations on caffeine, alcohol, carbonation, etc. He does "fill holidays" where he'll unfill you before a vacation and fill you back up afterwards for the price of one fill. His attitude is you still need to live life to the fullest. Your doc may be different. I chose mine carefully after talking to a few docs because he made sense to me. As long as you listen to your doc and don't cheat with sliders, you will lose weight. I hit 100% of my goal in about a year and now at 1.5 years I'm 10 lbs under. No complications and no stress, scale watching or calorie counting. I'm not on a diet, I have permanently changed my behavior. This is what works for me. YMMV.

It's not possible to gain 5lbs of muscle in a week (I wish it was!). You may have been a bit dehydrated before starting and got better hydrated over time. Different scales weigh differently and you weigh different amounts throughout the day. Ultimately the number on the scale is meaningless. It's how you look and feel that counts.

I went from losing 10lbs a week to 10lbs a month to 10lbs a year (projected). Although I'm below my goal and no longer "overweight" per the BMI charts, I think I can still lose 10 more lbs. It's hard. My belief is that your body adjusts to exercise and calorie levels, and that you need to shock it every once in a while. If you focus on cardio, try weight training for a week or so. If you are on a 1,000 calorie level, try 1,500 for a week and then go to 800 for a week. Your metabolism is fighting against you during weight loss because it's a built-in survival instinct to store energy (fat). And we're all great survivors, lol.

I always drink a Protein shake after working out. Your body needs the protein and the liquids so it's a good combo. After finishing the shake I usually drink a bottle of Water or some other zero calorie drink. Occasionally I find myself craving some fruit as well so I'll eat an apple,orange or banana. I usually am not hungry for "normal" food for at least 2 hours after a good workout though.

Actually, your blood sugar bouncing around is what will slow your weight loss. A small snack when needed will speed up your weight loss, not slow it down.

Hmm, can't say I have that. But as an experiment, see if drinking something hot right before eating helps. Maybe you have some post nasal drip or excess stomach fluids that build up, so you clog up, PB once to get rid of it and you're fine.

Very true about going into lower weight classes, but remember that a band with a mild fill is an excellent way to maintain existing weight if you struggle a lot, as opposed to losing a lot of weight.

Yes there are, although he didn't specify whether it was UFC or some other MMA organization. My doc didn't share their names and I didn't ask. I wouldn't want him to share my name either.

A bit over a year now Peak 268 Start 262 Goal 170 Current 168 New goal ~160 Starting pant size 44x29 Current pant size 32x32

All you need to do is look in the mirror and be honest. You'll know if the weight gain is mostly muscle or fat. As far as what you told your doc, what you REALLY meant was that you would not gain back any fat. The number on the scale isn't very important. He can look at you or check your body fat % (not BMI) and know what happened. As far as your 20 lbs+ go, based on your lifting advances I would guess maybe at most 10lbs of muscle, plus some Water weight if you're better hydrated now and maybe a bit of fat.

Being overweight triggers hormonal changes that lower male libido. Having high blood pressure may cause erectile dysfunction. BP meds definitely can cause erectile dysfunction. All of the above can cause psychological stress that dramatically lowers libido. All of this stuff gets worse with age. Put this all together and it's probably pretty clear what's going on. He needs to drop some weight and he'll be an animal again. :-)

Some people will judge you, whether you are at the gym, at work, the store, or wherever. Who cares? Now that I'm thin and a regular at the gym I talk to some of the other regulars and most of them think it's cool to see a fat person working out. If I hear someone say something I tell them, "Hey, where else do you want to see them, the donut shop?" and they always say that's a good point. Sure, there might be one or two a-holes that think they are being funny, but, you need to realize, people are already doing that to you elsewhere. Don't let it bother you, it's their problem, not yours. In general the gym is as supportive a place as you can be. If you still feel uncomfortable, definitely do the Wii Fit or EA Active thing for a while. I did that for a few months to get prepared to exercise in public and it gave me a lot of confidence.

I've got kids I rough-house, ride motorcycles, work out a lot, no problems. My doc has done a couple of Oakland Raiders and pro MMA guys, no problems reported.

I have a shaker of half Splenda, half cinnamon that I use. Also, sugar free jello powder.

I have the same problem, here's a few tricks that work for me. Make it a goal to eat nothing for at least 2 hours before going to bed. If you must snack, force something small and healthy before that cutoff. Alternative: Zero carbs 2 hours before bed. If you must snack, make sure it's zero carbs, a cheese stick or something similar. TV watching: You're not hungry, it's a habit. Find something that takes a long time to eat or has very low calories. Celery, carrots, sunflower seeds and turkey Jerky work for me. Brush your teeth. Amazing how that taste in your mouth breaks head hunger sometimes. Drink more Water. Or if you like it (I do), unsweetened hot tea. Eat more Protein and less carbs at dinner. Get up and do something. Anything, a hobby, clean up, a video game, anything that keeps you and your hands busy.