Hello,

I am new here. A little background: I have struggled with my weight most of my life starting in adolescence. In my late 20s, i reached near 300#.I lost about 35 pounds doing Atkins in the 2003 (no exercise). I started working out and running and doing triathlons in 2005 and dropped down to 230. I regained again in 2010 to 255#. That's when I started doing crossfit. I dropped down to 215, but due to a cross-country move this year I am back up to 240#.

I have been unable to lose even 2-3 pounds since. I still do crossfit 4 times a week, plus at least one day of extra heavy lifting.

Despite my best efforts in eating well, it just seems like my body is not responding. (I am 38 years old.) For the first time, I am seriously considering WLS.

Does any one have any experience similar to mine? Crossfit is important to me, and I realize any surgery will keep me from it for a period of time. However, I am concerned about losing muscle mass and losing my level of fitness. I know it sounds weird to say I am afraid of having weight loss surgery because I am afraid it will make me less fit, but that's how I feel. Despite my age and weight, I do a fairly good job of keeping up with and sometimes beating out my much leaner and much younger crossfit comrades.

However, body weight exercises (runnning, gymnastics movements, pull ups, rope climbs, etc) are where I struggle performance-wise and I know it is because of my weight.

I've been battling this for so long.

Any words of advice or anyone with a similar experience who can chime in would be much appreciated!

Thanks!

@@cfmama, my mistake was focusing too much on that scale number and not enough on the lifestyle I wanted (which includes weights!). I just had a certain number stuck in my head. I don't think you'll have a problem as long as you begin lifting earlier than I have-- whatever your doc lets you do.

For those who have posted and are cross fitters or do cross fit like activities, what is your favorite WOD and what is it defined as? Sorry to hijack. Seems like a good place to ask since we have a good quorum here. Mine is filthy 50 and it is 50 reps of 12 different exercises from jumping pull-ups, to box jumps, to double unders, to back extensions to burpees.

Hmmmm.... I like ones that mix heavy lifts with something more body weight-ish. I liked this one from this year's Crossfit Open. It was week 3 (14.3). I got 106 reps.

Complete as many reps as possible in 8 minutes of:

(Women)
95-lb. deadlifts, 10 reps
15 box jumps, 20-inch
135-lb. deadlifts, 15 reps
15 box jumps, 20-inch
155-lb. deadlifts, 20 reps
15 box jumps, 20-inch
185-lb. deadlifts, 25 reps
15 box jumps, 20-inch
205-lb. deadlifts, 30 reps
15 box jumps, 20-inch
225-lb. deadlifts, 35 reps
15 box jumps, 20-inch

MEN - includes Masters Men up to 54 years old

Complete as many reps as possible in 8 minutes of:
135-lb. deadlifts, 10 reps
15 box jumps, 24-inch
185-lb. deadlifts, 15 reps
15 box jumps, 24-inch
225-lb. deadlifts, 20 reps
15 box jumps, 24-inch
275-lb. deadlifts, 25 reps
15 box jumps, 24-inch
315-lb. deadlifts, 30 reps
15 box jumps, 24-inch
365-lb. deadlifts, 35 reps
15 box jumps, 24-inch

I'm dying to do a CrossFit Total again. I was sick this week and missed it. I'm thinking about going in and doing it on my own, but my box is open limited hours. Maybe next week. After a week totally down from upper respiratory crud I did pistol work and a 5K row last night, and I'm plain afraid to go in for partner work this morning. The warmup yesterday was hard to do. So, I think partner would be ramping up too fast, and I have to sing two masses for Easter tomorrow.

I'm that weirdo who does CF but pretty much internally groans every time I see a workout. That said, I liked Fran and Cindy, from the standpoint of feeling really good about finishing them.

Is it just me, or when we start talking about this do we all just blah blah blah?

Cfmama, to your point…I think it is rare for someone who has been doing CF for a while to get WLS, but I also know there are plenty of us who come at this from different mindsets. Part of me thinks that if I had just been able to make a switch to adopting Paleo and limiting calories in the summer, the surgery would have been unnecessary. On the other hand, it was really helpful to me to "reset" with WLS and have to mindfully approach eating in a completely different way because I physically had to. I don't know if I could have lost 60 pounds without going through surgery, and in some ways it is pointless to wonder. The coaches in my box would have preferred that I didn't have surgery; one in particular has two family members with failed lap bands and was skeptical. But now, being almost 6 months out, they have remained supportive and are proud of the loss I've had. Now I just need to keep building strength and mobility! The best result for me is that while I have been this weight before, I have never been this weight before WHILE being physically active. For whatever reason, this combination is working and will (I hope) have good longterm results.