Kat410

Hi!
Happy to be posting here and connected to the group of 18+ months post-op.
I hope to learn and continue to improve my health and fitness with discipline, smart choices and living the best life possible.

Loving this thread.

I definately gained muscle on a pretty intense calorie deficit - it's without question possible. However, I am not sure how much I could have gained or can gain.
I am still (somewhat unexpectedly) losing weight and after the holidays am going to shift my nutrition focus.
I am also focusing alot on other aspects of fitness which decline with age (its not just lean muscle!) but in my case balance.
I cannot do a single leg dumbell deadlift without toppling over. I just need to retrain that in myself and I know it will come with time but it's been one of the more frustrating aspects of my fitness journey. However, I consider it one of the most critical given this morning I almost took a tumble down the subway stairs due to an off-balance misstep.
I also like to create games - my next objective is to be able to do a full ab wheel roll out (e.g., arms full out, body just hovering over the floor). Been practicing and ugggh my abs hurt like a beast!

@FishOn - I corrected that for our perspective!

The hunched over posture is also connected to working a desk job. My massage therapist said at the beginning that alot of the muscles in my upper back were hyperextended. All exercises that work your back side from shoulders down to ass will help with this. I also find that alot of my poor posture is connected to inflexibility in my hips and I have to routinely practice sitting straight when i am at work.

I don't know if it's typical.
I started at 335, am 5'8" and a year later I think I was at about 210.
I am 19 months later and am at 163.
I am what you would call on the far end of the bell curve in terms of response to the sleeve.

I don't know if it's typical.
I started at 335, am 5'8" and a year later I think I was at about 210.
I am 19 months later and am at 163.
I am what you would call on the far end of the bell curve in terms of response to the sleeve.

I don't know if it's typical.
I started at 335, am 5'8" and a year later I think I was at about 210.
I am 19 months later and am at 163.
I am what you would call on the far end of the bell curve in terms of response to the sleeve.

I don't know if it's typical.
I started at 335, am 5'8" and a year later I think I was at about 210.
I am 19 months later and am at 163.
I am what you would call on the far end of the bell curve in terms of response to the sleeve.

I don't know if it's typical.
I started at 335, am 5'8" and a year later I think I was at about 210.
I am 19 months later and am at 163.
I am what you would call on the far end of the bell curve in terms of response to the sleeve.

My fitness goals are simple.
Be as freaking strong as I can. Have kick ass endurance so I take no prisoners in life. And be agile and flexible so I have good tricks in the sack and make my lovers beg for mercy.

I did read the book! and seriously it did change my life!
I do not currently do any kind of programming. I am going to read Starting Strength and Practical Programming most likely over the holidays. While I am building strength and progressing, I am not doing any kind of programming. My trainer is now working with me on tempo which is a whole new world of hurt.
And seriously, I am glad you can now be acknowledged for the contribution that post almost a year and a half ago was.
What a privilege to have this shot at a new life. Thank you.

I did read the book! and seriously it did change my life!
I do not currently do any kind of programming. I am going to read Starting Strength and Practical Programming most likely over the holidays. While I am building strength and progressing, I am not doing any kind of programming. My trainer is now working with me on tempo which is a whole new world of hurt.
And seriously, I am glad you can now be acknowledged for the contribution that post almost a year and a half ago was.
What a privilege to have this shot at a new life. Thank you.

I almost got emotional reading this. My little grinch heart swelled, You actually read the book! I was fortunate enough to meet and get the authors autograph when I attended his lecture while promoting that book. When someone says that a book is life changing, I usually scoff. But that book is amazing in it's ability to present massive amounts of information easily.
As for the Viffer, wish I could say it was an entendre, but alas I cannot. It's my motorcycle. VFR1200. VFR's were normally 800cc, but mine is the big one at 1200cc's:

@Kat410
I love how you put this " if I had just lost the weight and stayed mushy, squishy and weak I really don't think I would have been as satisfied with the new life I have"

Agreed. Right now I am almost 18 months post op. I am at goal. Fitness is my primary concern now. And by fitness I mean functional strength, mobility, balance, flexibility, stamina, endurance and overall health.
@BigViffer recommended a book when I first came on whining about my gym anxiety (The Barbell Prescription) which I read along with other things. That book and the science behind building strength changed my view of what I was doing with this opportunity I had at the age of 50 having had VSG.
I have lost over 170 lbs. My deadlifts are strong, my upper body work is strong, I work my core like a beast (ab roll outs, stability ball walk outs, hanging leg raises, all sorts of planks, pikes, inverted sit ups, V-this and that are about half my gym time) and have gotten enough joint strength and mobility in my knees to start doing weighted squats (that one took real patience). And this is just the beginning. I am healthier and stronger than I was when I was a teenager - and I played lacrosse, tennis, field hockey, swam etc. and did it reasonably well.
Loosing weight is just the opportunity to actually create real health. People are shocked at how I look - they literally say they haven't seen someone lose this much weight and actually *look healthy*. Yes I have lose skin, yes it bothers me. But I'll either do something about it or I won't and that's undecided now. And I don't have so much lose skin that it impacts my health, wellness or mobility. Just impacts my comfort with my body in the sack.
People ask me all the time how I feel after losing so much weight and it's difficult to explain that the real miracle for me has been fitness - yes, that could not have happened without losing weight, however if I had just lost the weight and stayed mushy, squishy and weak I really don't think I would have been as satisfied with the new life I have.
And by the way, haven't seen it asked or answered - but @BigViffer, what is the Viffer?
Inquiring minds.

Agreed. Right now I am almost 18 months post op. I am at goal. Fitness is my primary concern now. And by fitness I mean functional strength, mobility, balance, flexibility, stamina, endurance and overall health.
@BigViffer recommended a book when I first came on whining about my gym anxiety (The Barbell Prescription) which I read along with other things. That book and the science behind building strength changed my view of what I was doing with this opportunity I had at the age of 50 having had VSG.
I have lost over 170 lbs. My deadlifts are strong, my upper body work is strong, I work my core like a beast (ab roll outs, stability ball walk outs, hanging leg raises, all sorts of planks, pikes, inverted sit ups, V-this and that are about half my gym time) and have gotten enough joint strength and mobility in my knees to start doing weighted squats (that one took real patience). And this is just the beginning. I am healthier and stronger than I was when I was a teenager - and I played lacrosse, tennis, field hockey, swam etc. and did it reasonably well.
Loosing weight is just the opportunity to actually create real health. People are shocked at how I look - they literally say they haven't seen someone lose this much weight and actually *look healthy*. Yes I have lose skin, yes it bothers me. But I'll either do something about it or I won't and that's undecided now. And I don't have so much lose skin that it impacts my health, wellness or mobility. Just impacts my comfort with my body in the sack.
People ask me all the time how I feel after losing so much weight and it's difficult to explain that the real miracle for me has been fitness - yes, that could not have happened without losing weight, however if I had just lost the weight and stayed mushy, squishy and weak I really don't think I would have been as satisfied with the new life I have.
And by the way, haven't seen it asked or answered - but @BigViffer, what is the Viffer?
Inquiring minds.

Ok, but this may be a bit of a long post. We all want to be stronger. Not necessarily huge muscle strong, but make-everyday-life-easier stronger. The elderly might want to open jars unaided or be able to squat down and get back up from the toilet without grab rails. Middle aged people like myself need it to do all the things that are necessary with older parents and evidently slug-like teenage daughters who cannot move anything under their own power. The young want it to p!ss off those of us 40 and up by showing off.
The one thing that all of these type of people have in common is that strength is the ability to exert force on an external object via the leverage and power of our bodies. In the simplest example I can think of, you have a rock and a seesaw. To move the rock, you push down on the opposite side of the seesaw. If more or larger rocks are added the more force it takes to move them, but the plank of the seesaw will also start to bend. If the person is strong enough to continuously lift the rock, eventually the plank will break. In our case, that doesn't mean a bone will break, but there will be a chance for injury.
Muscles can get stronger faster than bone, but bones can definitely get stronger. NASA includes resistance training in space for this exact reason. Bones are in a constant stage of breaking down and building up. Just like muscle tissue that tears and repairs stronger, bones breakdown and are built back up stronger via osteoblasts. Remember that Vitamin D and Calcium we were told to take religiously post op? This is exactly why.
There is a lot more to getting stronger than just getting bigger muscles. You can have larger muscles, but a weak nervous system. That could be just the way a person is or because of some injury, but the strength of the signal telling the muscle to contract and pull bones together is what makes lifting everything possible. This is one reason that warm up sets are so important. Train the neural pathways of the movement so that that pathway stays strong as long as possible.
Heavy weights exert stress onto the skeletal system and that system response to that stress by getting stronger. It gets stronger by becoming more dense. It is an evolutionary response that all animals with bones have. It just takes time and measured training to accomplish it safely. Hope this little blurb helps.

Not going to lie, @BigViffer I love reading your posts. As someone who wanted to make sure my recovery included a heavy amount of exercise (I refused to be one of those people who viewed exercise as optional since the "surgery will make me lose weight anyways.") I have made it my goal to research as much as I could. Your fitness posts have always been helpful!

I didn't start working out until I had my weight at a range where I felt comfortable working out (which was 50 lbs post surgery - so that was about 6-7 weeks.)
I started initially with alot of functional strength/mobility/bodyweight work.
Now, 17 months later I am doing full body workouts with an emphasis on strength training, but I do cardio and yoga to support with my flexibility and mobility.
Today I did my best deadlift weight for a full set of 5 reps after being stuck for a couple of weeks! YASSSSSSS!

What is the most reliable way to assess body fat?
Based on an online calculator (which asks for wrist, forearm, waist and hip measurements + height and weight) my body fat is 26%.
My BMI is 26 which is overweight, but according to body fat scales I am at an acceptable body fat level.I am not stressed about the stats - but I am curious.
Maybe it's my uneven top/bottom distribution. On my top half it's like every freaking bone sticks out, including my ribs! The bottom half still has lots of cushion.
One half built for speed, the other half built for pleasure 🙂

What is the most reliable way to assess body fat?
Based on an online calculator (which asks for wrist, forearm, waist and hip measurements + height and weight) my body fat is 26%.
My BMI is 26 which is overweight, but according to body fat scales I am at an acceptable body fat level.I am not stressed about the stats - but I am curious.
Maybe it's my uneven top/bottom distribution. On my top half it's like every freaking bone sticks out, including my ribs! The bottom half still has lots of cushion.
One half built for speed, the other half built for pleasure 🙂

I just had an NSV that I didn’t think I’d ever have. Apparently I don’t have thigh chafing anymore. No cub rub. No more shorts under skirts and dresses.

I have had that since puberty and was convinced half the problem was being over weight and half the problem was the way my thighs were built.

But omg. My thighs don’t rub together anymore. It is kinda freaking me out!

congratulations on your amazing progress!
I am with you - on this journey the biggest transformation has been in the domain of fitness.
I have become much more oriented around maximizing the abilities of my body rather than being thin, a healthy weight or the right BMI.
I weigh 175 and wear at medium (8/10). I get a little smaller each week however my attention is on strength training progressions, flexibility and balance improvements and resolving joint issues.
It is so much more fun and rewarding to create goals that actually light me up rather than try/hope to adhere to some standard that I am "supposed to be."
Keep kicking ass and taking names!

congratulations on your amazing progress!
I am with you - on this journey the biggest transformation has been in the domain of fitness.
I have become much more oriented around maximizing the abilities of my body rather than being thin, a healthy weight or the right BMI.
I weigh 175 and wear at medium (8/10). I get a little smaller each week however my attention is on strength training progressions, flexibility and balance improvements and resolving joint issues.
It is so much more fun and rewarding to create goals that actually light me up rather than try/hope to adhere to some standard that I am "supposed to be."
Keep kicking ass and taking names!

IMG_0001.mp4I'm meeting with a sports registered dietician who understands bariatric patients next week about just this. I'm down about 140 pounds and I've taken my body fat from about 50% to 30% (which is pretty good for a 57 year old mother of two). However, what I'm learning from working with two personal trainers is that to really build muscle mass and replace fat, you need to add carbs (I know - it goes against everything we think) but as I understand the metabolics of it, if you do not have enough carbs in your diet your body cannibalizes muscle for energy rather than the fat. But I have been frustrated with finding the right balance of carbs to make this happen without going down the slippery slope because they are crack to me.
Timing of Protein and carbs around your workout is important as well. You should have some kind of protein within an hour after a workout (usually I go for one of those Muscle Milk kind of things at about 30 grams and 200 calories) and Fiber rich carbs an hour or so before and starchy carbs and hour or two after.
I say this from the standpoint of someone who is 5'3" and now 152. I am a nationally ranked foil fencer in my age group (started fencing after surgery) and I fence 6-7 hours a week and am in the gym doing a crossfit-type class with olympic lifting 3 hours a week, Pilates 1 hour a week and agility/speed/other strength at least one other hour a week.
I spoke with my bariatric nutrition team (all really great RDs) and no one there had experience with feeding a post-bariatric athlete. It took a lot of phone calls, but I found someone who is in my health plan so I can have her visits covered. You may want to speak with your team.
DO NOT EAT ALL OF WHAT YOU BURN! Some of what you burn yes - but not all.
Here's a video of me doing a clean and split jerk from about a week ago. Weight is low (55 pounds) but I'm still learning technique. Did I ever thing I'd be able to do this? Nope. ( Back Squat 215, Deadlift 195, Front Squat 165 - current body weight 152).
IMG_0001.mp4