A new month and no one has started a new thread for this month, so here it is.

Dec. 1st Exercise-

Elliptical: 7.84 mi., 90 min.

Treadmill: 2.81 mi., 30 min.

Good Luck to everyone this month on reaching whatever fitness goals they have made.:biggrin1:

JM - I totally understand. That's why I don't let myself take a break...because I might not re-start. So I go the other extreme and work out obsessively. But you recognize it and are wanting to get back on track, and that is the biggest step. The holidays are tough with crazy schedules and so much to do, but make it a priority and you won't miss a workout.

About the amount of work you do...I don't know. You and your trainer know best in that area. If you decide to step it up, just remember not to work the same body part two days in a row EVER. You are defeating all your hard work if you do. All that being said, you are likely doing the right things since you have a trainer leading you.

About the fill, again only you know your body. Can you eat a cup of food (primarily Protein, then veggies) and be satisfied until the next meal? If not, you may want to discuss it with your doc or NP and get their opinion. Also, if you never have PB issues, you certainly won't be going overboard to get a fill. That is a sure-fire indicator for me.

About the amount of calories/food you are consuming. I think most bandsters go on the cup method of eating and not counting calories, but I count calories and food content. What guidelines did your doc give you? I only ask because that amount of calories is on the top end of the spectrum for a normal persons diet and seems very excessive for a bandster. All this is being said in love...I heart you and want you and eveyone else to go by their docs instructions once the doc is informed about your regular eating and excercing habits. Make sure you tell them if you are taking any supplements, also! (I just carry my big bag 'o pills in with me so I won't forget any!) I'm an extremist, consuming between 500 and 800 calories a day. Then you can deduct my workouts from there...when I usually end up in the negative. My weight is dropping, but very slowly. That is because, according to my body fat test, I have gained as much lean muscle while I lost even more fat...so it appears (falsely!) that I am a slow loser right now. Not true! I dropped my body fat by 6% in one month, and that is the true indicator of progress...not the scale. All in all, with the calorie count so high, you may want to revamp the diet, clean it up a lot. Eating a very clean diet will make you feel tons better, too.

It all starts with protein: as an example, you now weigh 150# (I have no clue what you really weigh), so you should be consuming a minimum of 150 grams of protein every day to get the most out of your workouts. (MORE if you work out hard and often) whey protein is one of the best during the day because it is rapidly assimilated into your muscles and is used immediately, usually within two hours. This makes whey protein the absolute best for before and after Protein shakes or bars. This is also what makes it terrible before bed. A major muscle building hormone, GH, hits its peak in the middle of the night, when canabalism of your hard earned muscles can begin to take place while you sleep! Casein Protein, however is a better choice (A MUST FOR ME!) before bedtime. Your best bet is to look for a protein that contains some micellar casein. This form of casein is undenatured and will form micella, or globules,when rehydrated with Fluid. They will clump together in your stomach like a gel and slow down its digestion. This allows the protein to provide a slow trickle of amino acids to the body for up to seven hours. All you have to do is mix 40-50 grams of casien Protein powder in skim milk or Water and drink it right before bed. You may also want to consume an equal amount of carbs to stock up your liver lycogen, because when those levels drop during sleep, it signals your muscle burning processes to rev up, and you don't want that.

There's more to this, but I don't know how you feel about taking supplements. I think I need to start a blog with all this info I am gathering from all my reading. If you saw what what in my gym bag, you'd freak out. Of course towels and water bottles and gum, but mostly gallon zip lock bags full of the supplements I'm taking along with a schedule of what and how many and what time. The oh-so-kind folks at the gym call my bag "THE PHARMACY". All of it has been reserched that they do not negatively impact one another, and many enhance the performance of others...also confirmed my the doc, who gave me the green light.

Anyhow...I really got carried away, but the only subject I feel I could give an opinion on is your diet. If it were me, I would cut it back significantly using more whole foods/clean foods. You might find that you can eat just as much and the calories are significantly slashed. At that point, if you are still hungry between meals, I would talk to doc about a possible fill. Your call on that one. I'm back to debating whether or not I need one myself.

Well, this was a huge post! YIKES! Oh well, it's late...the Ambien kicked in long ago and I'm rambling. Love y'all! Be good and have a great Tuesday!

Oh! Sissy workout today! No partner today as I needed to be on a different schedule. I did 180 crunches, six sets of twelve calf raises, and six set of concentration curls...MOVED UP TO 20 POUND DUMBELLS! It hurt, but it hurt GOOD! There are a lot of guys who come into the free weight room and can't/won't do more than 10 or 15 pounds! GO ME! :whoo:

WOW That is one HUGE post! Yikes! :omg:

Blame the drugs! Good night, y'all!

December 10th, Monday

Strength training on bowflex

30 crunches on exercise ball

About the amount of calories/food you are consuming. I think most bandsters go on the cup method of eating and not counting calories, but I count calories and food content. What guidelines did your doc give you? I only ask because that amount of calories is on the top end of the spectrum for a normal persons diet and seems very excessive for a bandster. All this is being said in love...I heart you and want you and eveyone else to go by their docs instructions once the doc is informed about your regular eating and excercing habits. Make sure you tell them if you are taking any supplements, also! (I just carry my big bag 'o pills in with me so I won't forget any!) I'm an extremist, consuming between 500 and 800 calories a day. Then you can deduct my workouts from there...when I usually end up in the negative. My weight is dropping, but very slowly. That is because, according to my body fat test, I have gained as much lean muscle while I lost even more fat...so it appears (falsely!) that I am a slow loser right now. Not true! I dropped my body fat by 6% in one month, and that is the true indicator of progress...not the scale. All in all, with the calorie count so high, you may want to revamp the diet, clean it up a lot. Eating a very clean diet will make you feel tons better, too.

I take it all with love, trust me. I am really looking for the answer for myself. I see people on here that were banded the same time as me, and have more than doubled my weight loss, and they started at the same weight as me. I'm soooo proud for them, yet at the same time I'm kicking myself because its not me.

I feel like as of now, yes, I can eat a dinner of 1 chicken breast, I usually can eat about 3/4 of it, with some veggies and be satisfied. But it takes me sooooo long to eat. And I have to dose it with bbq sauce because otherwise I can't eat it. (I mean like a 1/2 cup of sauce). Same goes for all meats. Thats where a lot of the calorie intake is coming in. I don't necessarily have PB issues, but I get that stuck feeling at just about every meal now. I can't really eat a good Breakfast, so I usually have a coffee early in the morning, then around 10 I'll have a cup of oatmeal. I need something in between the oatmeal and lunch, which is usually around 1230. If I don't eat a snack, then I'm eating lunch at 1130 and having 2 Snacks before dinner. My snacks include the 100 calorie popcorn, pudding, atkins granola bar, atkins shake, or string cheese. Dinner is usually not chicken and veggies, its just what I had last night. I make a lot of homemade chilis and stews, which I can eat a cup and a half of. Now I'm not eating super clean, you know that, I had a snickers right after a workout the other night, and that's not the first time. So I know if I cut out the candy, that would definately help, but I'm still taking in a lot of calories from other places. I'm taking my daily Vitamins and a Calcium supplement. I was taking a Protein supplement, but they don't fill me up, I've tried several, so what would happen is I would take a protein supplement and eat. Not good.

As far as the exercise, I'm working it baby! The past month has been bad, I'll admit, but normally I'm working 5 times a week, spinning, running, and circuit training with the trainer. All workouts are an hr+. Well, at least I think thats good...

As far as my doc goes, she'd like me to eat 1200 calories. My trainer, 2500. My nutritionist, 1600. I'd like to get down to at least 1500. And burn 1000+ workin it. I'm not sure how I'm going to get there though. I'm afraid if I get any tighter, I'll have some major PB issues, which I'd rather not deal with.

Thanks sooo much for your post.

About the amount of work you do...I don't know. You and your trainer know best in that area. If you decide to step it up, just remember not to work the same body part two days in a row EVER. You are defeating all your hard work if you do. All that being said, you are likely doing the right things since you have a trainer leading you.

Is this true for Abs as well? I knew this for the rest of your body, but sometimes my trainer will do back to back abs. I've asked her about it and she says as long as I'm not super sore its ok. I always thought you weren't supposed to train back to back also!

No exercise for me this morning, I woke up with a head cold, you know the sore throat, stuffy nose and the "cotton-head" feeling. I'm scared to death that this won't be gone before my surgery next week. I decided that I needed to slow-down the exercise and take care of myself today. I'm getting some Zicam as soon as I get to the store today and try to get rid of this a.s.a.p. I feel very guilty not going to the gym today. I plan on making it to the gym tomorrow cause I can't afford to miss 2 days in a row. Say a few prayers for me that I can get rid of this before the 20th!

:help:

No exercise for me this morning, I woke up with a head cold, you know the sore throat, stuffy nose and the "cotton-head" feeling. I'm scared to death that this won't be gone before my surgery next week. I decided that I needed to slow-down the exercise and take care of myself today. I'm getting some Zicam as soon as I get to the store today and try to get rid of this a.s.a.p. I feel very guilty not going to the gym today. I plan on making it to the gym tomorrow cause I can't afford to miss 2 days in a row. Say a few prayers for me that I can get rid of this before the 20th!

:help:

Feel Better! I'll be thinking about you for sure! Take care of yourself, even if it means sitting on the sidelines for a few days.

Is this true for Abs as well? I knew this for the rest of your body, but sometimes my trainer will do back to back abs. I've asked her about it and she says as long as I'm not super sore its ok. I always thought you weren't supposed to train back to back also!

No, not true for abs. Your trainer is right...I should have mentioned that! I work my abs every day. I don't know why it is different for abs, but I guess it just is. (I'm glad!)

So glad you took my response with love. Boy, that sleeping pill I took had me on a roll! SORRY! LOL From what you are saying, I'd be afraid of a fill at this point, too. I "thought" I was possibly needing one there for a day or two, but no...I do not. Definitely don't push it if you are getting stuck...you don't want to be utterly miserable. I wish I knew some answers for you regarding the meat. I think you are right in that a lot of your calories are coming from sauces and such. I eat a ton of fish. Salmon, specifically. Do you like fish? That is usually well tolerated because of the moisture content.

I'm not really a fish eater, but I do have some flounder in the freezer that I have no idea what to do with. I should try just baking it in the oven.

And I'm sold, I'm working my abs tonight after spin. Oh yeah, I'm back on track with the whole gym tonight. I'm going to spin. That's right!!!!!

ANGEL - Prayers in progress here! Hope you knock that cold out quick!

Boy...we are ALL getting sick! "Tis The Season"!

Angel ZICAM ZICAM ZICAm , exactly what i was thinking. My cold develped into a sinus/chest infection but i know zicam always seems to head it off if i take it early.

Praying for you!

HI Steff! (Lurking)

Hi, WHOS! You aren't the typical lurker...what's up with THAT?!?!?

Hey, saw the pics MM posted! She's lookin' HOT, huh?

sure is! very hot! i cant leave her alone!

Hi guys! I'm back

I did spin class tonight..finally. Ankle felt a bit better although not 100%. I really needed that. Also did my 100 crunches before hand.

Steph your an inspiration. I too am doing alot of researching right now. Questions about your supplements. Do you take fish oil at all? I have the pills but I can't get them down. They are huge. Wondering if you found any smaller ones? Also about Protein. I have heard now that your body can only absorb about 25 grams of protein at a time. Have you heard that at all? I have my Isopure protein mix at 50 grams a shake so kind of silly if I'm not getting all of that.

I've also been doing alot of reasearch on nutrition. I have a book on the glycemic index. Anyone hear about this? I'm finding it facinating and making alot of logical sense to me. The basic idea is figuring out how fast food is absorbed and stored as fat into your body. Pretty much the softer the food..the easier its absorbed and the higher the glycemic index load. Basically its how high your blood sugar goes with each food. It's the diet that most diabetics are on. Anyways I'm rambling too..and I know this thread is about exercise not nutrition. I'm just excited!