Edit: Thinking about this challenge some more, it should be opened to everyone. I originally thought about it being tackled only after weight loss because it would not seem good to have such a transformation challenge interfere with weight loss. However, now I think anyone should be able to do it even to help with weight loss, as long as you are able to physically and mentally rise to the challenge. I will let you define what this criteria means to you, but I would think it excludes those that are less then 2 months post op. I would probably not attempt it until 5 months post op, but that is just my opinion.

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Transformation is something that may interest some veterans who are done with the weight loss phase of VSG. Losing weight is the beginning of the transformation process to become a beacon of health and radiant energy for yourself and those around you.

I am really a big fan of both transformation programs that the Phillip brothers have spearheaded.

In 1999, bill Phillip created the much revered Body-for-life program that is 12 weeks of intense transformation. Some have trouble extending their success of the 12 week program to the rest of their life, possibly because they jumped in too fast or did not have the mental and physical strength to continue after 12 weeks.

That is where his brother Shawn Phillips came along more recently and created the Strength-for-life program. This program focuses more on developing habits of strength in all areas of physical and mental health. The results gained from exiting the 12 week strength-for-life will be foundational for the rest of your life.

The strength-for-life program includes a base camp phase that is 12 days long. It is important to do this base camp phase before starting the 12 week program in order to set your body up for success. During this time, you focus on rebooting your body.

Essentially,

1. Eat lean, clean and green

2. Drink Water in abundance (no alcohol, sugary drinks, energy drinks, etc, just water)

3. sleep at least 7-8 hours of restful sleep a night

4. Have an attitude of gratitude

5. Recharge with the base camp training plan

As VSG post op, we know how to eat and how to drink water. Try and keep the Protein as lean as possible. Drink as much water as you can, but do not drink the energy or sports drinks ( too much sugar). sleeping restfully will lower the cortisol levels and help the body detox.

The base camp training plan is essentially Training 3 days a week with body weight movements. Do 3 sets of 3 different exercises, pausing for 30 seconds between each set.

Monday: 15-20 reps of push-ups. 3 sets.

Wednesday: 15-20 air squats or lunges. 3 sets.

Friday: 12-15 ab crunches. 3 sets.

If you slip on any of the 5 principles listed above, start over. It is important to get thought the 12 days successfully before moving onto the 12 week transformation. You may see some weight loss and or lean muscle gain during this short reboot. However, the real change will occur over the next 12 weeks.

Here is where I would like to propose a transformation challenge. The challenge will be 12 weeks long and success is defined by achieving a set of clearly defined goals. Make sure the goals are as personal as possible and link them to your feelings.

Create 2 physical goals and one inner strength goal.

For me, I am :

37 years old

5'11"

188 lbs pre transformation (as of yesterday)

Married with no children, a dog, 3 cats and currently provide a place for my brother.

Physical goals:

I will lose 15 pounds of fat, gain 5 pounds of lean muscle and lose 2 inches around my waist by September 1st. I have high energy and soaring confidence.

Mental/emotional goal:

I will have positive energy to share with my wife and brother. We enjoy 1 family activity a week that is not centered around the tv. I will read 2 leadership books and hire a business coach to strengthen my career by September 1st.

Be sure to measure along the way:

Weight

Body fat percentage

Resting heart rate

Blood pressure

Cholesterol

Other

Take weekly photos : front, back and from each profile. Shoot the photos in the same position and location, wearing the same clothes. At the end of the 12 weeks, you will literally be able to see the transformation from week to week.

During the transformation, consider the following eating guidelines:

1. Shoot for macronutrient balance, eating lean protein first.

2. Eat 5-6 x a day, keeping each meal small.

3. Avoid sugar and alcohol

4. Eat your Omega 3s. These really help with inflammation.

5. Get more Vitamin d either as a supplement or being in the sun

6. Eat organically

During the transformation, consider the following strength training guidelines:

1. Monday - Upper body push (chest, shoulders, triceps and biceps)

2. Tuesday- HIIT and abs

3. Wednesday- lower body / legs ( quads, hamstrings and calves)

4. Thursday - upper body pull (back, rear delts, triceps, biceps)

5. Friday - HIIT and abs

6.saturday - circuit (strength, stamina, stretch)

7. Day off - recover and rejuvenate

Train strong and not long.

1. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday should last 33 minutes to 44 minutes

2. Tuesday and Thursday HIIT would be 20 minutes

3. Saturday circuit should be 20 minutes followed by 8-12 minutes of stretching

The strength workouts should be no longer then 4 sets:

Set 1: 12 reps

Set 2: 10 reps

Set 3: 8 reps

Set 4: 8+ reps

For example,

I will be using a pair of dumbbells at home to complete the strength training

Try and be very focused during the strength training. It is the focus that is going to help the most with achieving the transformation. Be progressive and increase the weight from week to week. Make every rep count. Make them super high quality.

HIIT training is far more effective then long cardio training at steady state.

1. Start with 3 minute warm up

2. First interval is 60 seconds at high intensity

3. Second interval is 60 seconds at lower intensity (catch your breath)

4. Repeat 2) and 3) for 18 minutes. No more.

5. Cool down for 2 minutes

For example,

I will be using cross fit training with a PT to complete the HIIT workouts.

On the 7th day, it is a rest day both nutritionally and physically. If you want to eat more calories or have that treat, this is the day to do it before diving into the next week. Each week should be programmatically the same, but should also increase in intensity.

It is important to keep a diary of your training during this 12 week challenge. This will help you with keeping on the program and motivation.

After the 12 week transformation challenge, you will be in a position of strength to set new goals and achieve them.

Good luck everyone!

Also, what are air squats and lunges?

Squat: stand shoulder with the part (in other words, your feet should be aligned with your shoulders, if not slightly wider) with your toes pointed slightly outward. "Squat" down into a standing sitting position. Your back will naturally angle itself forward, just make sure to keep it straight. Most of your weight is transferred to your heels and you should not go into a sitting position that is less than a 90 degree angle. Once you get into your standing sitting position, stand right back up and repeat 10-15 times to complete 1 set. Rest and repeat the set two more times--again, resting in between each set. Make sure to complete each squat slowly, keeping to good form. Do not use momentum so that you can utilize your muscles more. This exercise primarily works your quads (front of your thighs) and your gluteus (your arse!); secondary, your hamstrings (back of your thighs). To tighten your arse muscles a little bit more, give them a good squeeze when you rise back up into your original standing position (this might be a horrible analogy, but what the heck: pretend that you have a $1 million dollars bill between your cheeks and you have to squeeze them real tight so that you won't lose it!).

If you google "how to do a squat" you will find plenty of images and videos to help you.

Lunge: start in a standing position with both feet together. Then step forward and drop your knee (the one that did not step forward) towards the ground (without your knee touching the ground). The knee that steped forward should be bent at a 90 degree angle (do NOT allow your knee to surpass your toes! Bad for knee/joint health). Stand back into your original standing position and repeat movement with the other leg. This works out the same muscles as the squat. To target you abductors and adductors (inner and outer thighs), then step out in an outward angle.

Google "how to do a lounge" for a better visual.

Hope this helps!

Swizzley, sounds like you are ready to do this! Excellent to have another challenger. Coffee should be ok, just do not overdo it. Cheers!

THIS IS AWESOME....weighed in at 193 this morning!!! Lost 1.5 last week. This weekend I managed to eat well despite a big family get together and make time for exercise. Still doing the Jillian Michaels Body Revolution - Still on Phase 1: Monday workout 1, Tuesday workout 2, Wednesday cardio, Thursday workout 1, Friday workout 2, Saturday - cardio, Sunday rest day from Jillian but went for a walk with my family. ALSO, I purchased a fitness monitor (a Polar FT7) that calculates calories burned based on your heart rate and weight. It's wonderful to know what you are actually burning through exercise to be able to track it. The worst part about this whole thing is just getting started, after that, easy easy (and pretty fun!)

Oh man. I can't do a push-up yet. I"ll keep trying!

Congratulations Hoosier! I gained 3 pounds but that's ok, I'm not going to give up! And I'm not going to step on that scale for a while, just measure. I haven't really worked out since I was sleeved 6 months ago and I've got major flab going on!

Nicole- great first week and keep at it! Results may take some time (see my description of the phases above), but are going to be worth it many times over.

The key to success on this 12 week program is always to be hitting peaks in your weight sets or your HIIT cardio with laser like focus. Never settle for repetition or boredom. Push yourself with each rep. Challenge yourself. Make the mind body connection at the peak of each rep. It will be hard, but rewarding. This requires each week to be a step up from the previous week as you get stronger both physically and mentally. Workouts will generally be much shorter then what you are used to or have seen others do, but much more effective.

Just a repeat of what you probably already know: gaining weight when first working out with weights is quite natural as muscle weighs more then fat and muscles need an ample supply of Water to support growth. Your size will be smaller though as your stored fat is converted to glycogen for those muscles. Be sure to drink enough water to support muscle growth and removal of waste.

Oh man. I can't do a push-up yet. I"ll keep trying!

YET! You keep trying and you will be able to! A few weeks ago, I could barely finish the workout....now I am able to do the whole thing! You don't have to be perfect, just a little better than yesterday (new mantra...smile)!

Congratulations Hoosier! I gained 3 pounds but that's ok, I'm not going to give up! And I'm not going to step on that scale for a while, just measure. I haven't really worked out since I was sleeved 6 months ago and I've got major flab going on!

Your attitude will get you thru...what is it they say 'weight loss is mathematical, not magical'....you keep it up and it will come off. This is super fun to share all this with you guys!

THIS IS AWESOME....weighed in at 193 this morning!!! Lost 1.5 last week. This weekend I managed to eat well despite a big family get together and make time for exercise. Still doing the Jillian Michaels Body Revolution - Still on Phase 1: Monday workout 1' date=' Tuesday workout 2, Wednesday cardio, Thursday workout 1, Friday workout 2, Saturday - cardio, Sunday rest day from Jillian but went for a walk with my family. ALSO, I purchased a fitness monitor (a Polar FT7) that calculates calories burned based on your heart rate and weight. It's wonderful to know what you are actually burning through exercise to be able to track it. The worst part about this whole thing is just getting started, after that, easy easy (and pretty fun!)[/quote']

Wtg! That's inspiring! Congrats.

I'm on day two and I feel like shizat. I have the classic diet blues. Detoxing from crap is not my friend. I know it will get better. I'm thankful to everyone that is posting about their experiences. It keeps me motivated! Thank u all.

Congratulations Hoosier! I gained 3 pounds but that's ok' date=' I'm not going to give up! And I'm not going to step on that scale for a while, just measure. I haven't really worked out since I was sleeved 6 months ago and I've got major flab going on![/quote']

Love ur positivity!! Thank u for posting. Ur post is inspiring. I'm not going to give up either!

Wtg! That's inspiring! Congrats.

I'm on day two and I feel like shizat. I have the classic diet blues. Detoxing from crap is not my friend. I know it will get better. I'm thankful to everyone that is posting about their experiences. It keeps me motivated! Thank u all.

Oh yeah...the worst part is getting started! Hope you are feeling better tomorrow. Getting off the crap food is no fun. Day 3 is usually better.

Oh yeah...the worst part is getting started! Hope you are feeling better tomorrow. Getting off the crap food is no fun. Day 3 is usually better.

Thanks for the encouragement. I've been doing well with staying on my eating plan, but today I STRUGGLED through my morning run. I felt dizzy and slow. I'm sticking with it tho. I decided that I'd give myself two weeks. Day 3 out of 14 is done! Woot! Woot! Btw- I noticed that I was actually hot today. This is super weird because I'm always cold. I think my body is trying to adjust.

I hope that u and everyone else is doing well with the 12 week challenge.

Thanks for the encouragement. I've been doing well with staying on my eating plan' date=' but today I STRUGGLED through my morning run. I felt dizzy and slow. I'm sticking with it tho. I decided that I'd give myself two weeks. Day 3 out of 14 is done! Woot! Woot! Btw- I noticed that I was actually hot today. This is super weird because I'm always cold. I think my body is trying to adjust.

I hope that u and everyone else is doing well with the 12 week challenge.[/quote']

You are a winner; I know you are from all your running victory medals. You are a champion!!

if you are getting dizzy, you could trying eating more good carb food that is healthy like bananas / Peanut Butter or those energy squares from nuts.com. Those work REALLY well for giving me sustained energy through both running and strength training. I am not sure what you were eating before your running, before starting this 12 week challenge. Try to ramp up the good carbs and fats. You probably are very well aware of this suggestion being such a long term vet. Slap me with a wet noodle if you feel I am just stating the obvious. Of course, you want to be drinking a ton of Water and only water, all the time (except while sleeping that is). Flush all the toxic stuff out of your body. Giving up sugar will be hard, but I know you can do it. Just stick with it and know the pains are short lived where the gains are going to be very long lived.

These 12 weeks will be hard! Don't give up, push though it. Everyone will have their own version of the program modeled after the guidelines above, but I know if you make it through 12 weeks, you will be strong both mentally and physically. The real mind blowing success will become very apparent in the last phase when you will constantly be "in the zone" and every physical exercise will seem easier and enjoyable. You will love it!

We are all in this together and will find strength in the success of each other.

I had to take the day off from exercise. I hurt my hip and if I move my thigh up it hurts. Any suggestions on fast healing? I hope it's better by tomorrow. I should be getting my yoga dvd in the mail tomorrow, so hopefully I can at least do that!

I had to take the day off from exercise. I hurt my hip and if I move my thigh up it hurts. Any suggestions on fast healing? I hope it's better by tomorrow. I should be getting my yoga dvd in the mail tomorrow' date=' so hopefully I can at least do that![/quote']

I used to hurt my left hip / butt muscles all the time from running. Still do sometimes.

Yoga stretching helped a lot:

http://www.google.com/search?q=hip+stretches+yoga&hl=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=VUacUfj5IKGFyQGB3YHQAw&ved=0CEYQsAQ&biw=768&bih=929

Specifically try the seated hip stretch:

http://yoga.about.com/od/yogasequences/ss/seatedhips.htm

I found pushing down on the inside of the legs while holding this pose really gives the how inner thigh and hip flexors a good stretch. Releases some endorphins too! Mmmmmm.

You might also try the yoga stretches where the models are on their back, grabbing their opposite knee and pulling it to stretch the hip flexor that is injured or tight. I have found a few of these to be quite helpful to perform before and after a run, even if the running is only part of a warm up.

Spending some time on a roller will help open up the hip flexors and give you some relief. This really helps me whoever I get tight in my hip flexors from running. There are several really good rollers on the market. Both the rumble roller and PTTherapy roller stand out as good contenders. I own the PTTherapy roller and absolutely love it for helping me stay nimble all over, but especially in IT bands, hip and back. It is helping to straighten my back posture which is so much more comfortable then the curvature I used to have from 25 years of desk work (including schooling and career).

Finally think about application of heat and cold. Start with a Hot bath with epson salt to help loosen up the muscles. Therms are heat pads always help my back feel better when it starts acting up. Not sure if you can get a thermacare for around your hip, but maybe you can reposition a back one at mid level. I am always putting the lower back ones around my shoulder blade area where it really helps with achiness.

Also consider RICE technique as it is usually good for recovering from injuries over a few days. Rest, Ice, Compress and Elevate.

One or more of these suggestions should help you. I am no expert so just take it as a set of suggestions from one VST member to another. They work for me.

Hope you feel better soon!