The New Me, miracles of modern science...

Moonbeamish and Tiggy, thank you so much for your support on that one. I mean, tbh, I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a different opinion of the surgery beforehand myself. My wife and Eldest daughter had it done about a year before me. Seeing the process, seeing the results, seeing the absolute change in life, made me a convert.

It is absolutely not for everyone. I thought long and hard about it. I mean, Activity? I have been working out consistenly for 2 1/2 years now. I have a bicycle that I bought back in 2002 that has 10's of thousands of miles on it over the years. I was always making an effort, but my efforts came up shy when it came to other aspects like self control, psychological triggers etc.

Those triggers still exist. They didn't entirely leave, although after retraining my brain to deal with my physiology, they are less likely to present an issue in the long term, assuming I keep being active. Its almost as if the surgery finally gave me the chance to actually productively and consistently do what I've been trying (with limited success), to do for the last 20 years.

I still feel like I put in a fulls day's work, I just see a better paycheck from it now...
 
I don't think anyone can doubt the amount of work you put in on a daily basis Cabbie - jeepers the miles you cycle!!

At the end of the day, ANY kind of surgery is risky and gastric bypass is never going to be an easy fix - unfortunately I think there are people out there that watch tv programs and think "yeah that will be an easy way to lose weight" and its just misinformed. The ramifications and considerations of having something like that done are huge and as you say, the recovery and changes in lifestyle.

However, well done to those that lose a heck of a lot of weight on just exercise and diet -they are very strong and determined people but in the minority I'm afraid - not everyone who needs to is able to do so.
 
It was not my intention to offend. I admitted right off the bat that I probably have a biased opinion, because, as was true in the case of my uncle's wife, she simply did not want to do the work.

I'm not suggesting that she puts forth no effort in her forever-changed lifestyle having undergone gastric bypass surgery, but she HASN'T dropped 150+ pounds in 2 years through diet and exercise. She hasn't. I pity her. She feels sickly all the time, her limitations are endless, she hopes to be a mother someday in the near future, and I imagine her having undergone the surgery will make it twice as difficult to carry and nourish a child.

This was not an attempt to be passive aggressive, or take a shot at your life. I don't feel I've tried to make an unfair assumption about those who have made your particular decision without first admitting my bias based on personal cases around me.

I am glad that the surgery has yielded such great results for yourself, and that in having it, you were able to gain, as you put it a "built-in self-control". Maybe you can learn to take such input as not a low-blow, but a different perspective.

The journey isn't any less difficult for a 21-year-old girl with no self-confidence and a derailing of any possible good living habits, who managed to balloon to almost 300 pounds by her 21st birthday.
I will call your journey different, but not more difficult.
 
I never took it as a low blow SoCo. I took it as simply a poor choice of wording on a somewhat contrary opinion to my own.. I mean at face value, referring to gastric bypass as a cop out in a diary written by a person who had gastric bypass is at best a faux pas, and at worse could be seen as slightly insulting.

Your opinion, I value as I do anyone with a contrary opinion. I truly do, because then I get to see another's perspective and perhaps they get to see a piece of mine as well.

I'm sorry your Aunt has not done that well with it. I often wonder if the health care industry does enough to truly teach people about their options. I also feel that there are surgeons who are less than forthcoming in the full disclosure aspect as well as some who are selling their product. I also fully agree that people should exercise all options before going towards surgery. I have dieted and yo yoed for over 20 years, sometimes losing as much as 90 lbs, then gaining it back and more.

It was a very personal decision that I weighed carefully in my life. I would like for everyone who looks into it to put a fair bit of effort into researching it before they make the decision.

Now, SoCo, back to you... I think we got off to the wrong foot at first here. Hi! I'm Karl, welcome in to my journal. Please come in and make yourself comfortable, and please, bring opinions and support and all else along the way, okay? BTW, I see your ticker and you are doing a kick ass job.
 
Hi Cabbie, I'm Kate :) I have seen you on a few journals i follow and thought i'd swing by :) interesting topic of discussion going on here, both interesting points of view.

Would like to congratulate you on your success so far, as someone who is hovering around the BMI of 40 mark, I see people who work hard like yourself as inspiration, and incentive, you prove that it is possible, and it happens to real people, not just infomercial models :)

Keep up the great work :)

Kate
 
I just reckon every person is different, and whatever works for you is what you should do. Kudos to anyone who's 'doing it'.

I have beaten a few addictions in my life so I completely understand it. Different situations require different solutions...

You're a true inspiration dude. A giver of hope.
 
Thanks all!

Quick work out posting:

seated leg press - 5x5x340 (+5) couldn't get at the squat rack due to one of the college sports teams working out, but at least I upped the weight here

bench press - 5x5x130

Inverted rows 3xF (8/7/6)

reverse crunches 3x25

Push ups - 3xF 10/9/8

Cardio, spinning 15.1 miles
 
Do you do any sort of warm up prior to lifting? Or is that when you do your spinning?

I've been terrible about lifting lately and am trying to get myself inspired and phyched up to start that 5x5 program you posted about a while back. Looking thru all the information you posted I found a picture of what I would LOVE to have for a body. It's Michelle Berger on buffmother.com - now I just have to get busy and work for it!
 
You mean like buff milf is more like it! Wow...

I work out in a college gym, so I typically walk around the indoor track for a couple of laps as a warm up. Then I do weights. I get them out of the way first because my thought is that if I spin first, I'll tire the muscles I'm trying to use to do big weights like squats, rack pulls and leg presses. I'm very much trying to push my max all the time, so I don't want to take away from it. I'll usually use the last 5-10 minutes for stretching, typical yoga based stuff, cat, cow, assorted hamstring stuff etc.
 
thecabbie said:
Now, SoCo, back to you... I think we got off to the wrong foot at first here. Hi! I'm Karl, welcome in to my journal. Please come in and make yourself comfortable, and please, bring opinions and support and all else along the way, okay? BTW, I see your ticker and you are doing a kick ass job.
Click to expand...

Thank you for trying to understand my position, and for dispelling rumors about gastric bypass, because if nobody bothered to, I would probably still feel one-sided about the issue.

Nice to meet you, Karl. I'm Alyssa :) (almost regretting my choice of username, as I now feel like a bit of a lush).
I will be sure to drop by your journal on occasion.

PS. Thank you!
 
Work out posting for today.

Squats - 5x5x200 (+5) yay! 200! last rep left me shaking but no stall on the way back up so all is well.

Overhead presses - 5x5x80 no issues with the final rep this time.

Rack pulls 2x5x295 (+10)

Lat pull downs 2xF (7/6/5) 190 lbs (+5)

Planks 3x50 sec

Cardio 15.9 miles spinning.

Increased resistance on 3 of 5 strength exercises on this workout. this makes me happy. specially the rack pulls and squats because sadly, I don't have much of an ass. Yes, I have occasionally been accused of being one, but never of having one...
 
Have some of mine (no jokes, people). I have the biggest butt EVER >.< Lost 30lbs and it just looks bigger than it did before :(

Great workout, lovely :)
 
Nice workout cabbie.

I think I might need to add some weights to my workouts.

Anyway I'm off for a few days, have a good week :)

Anna
 
Sunflower said:
Have some of mine (no jokes, people). I have the biggest butt EVER >.< Lost 30lbs and it just looks bigger than it did before :(

Great workout, lovely :)
Click to expand...

No jokes? what? no!!!!
Not even a little pervy comment?

Dammit...
anna.banana said:
Nice workout cabbie.

I think I might need to add some weights to my workouts.

Anyway I'm off for a few days, have a good week :)

Anna
Click to expand...
Have a good mini vacation!

I'm a proponent of weights for what they do when it comes to reshaping your body. Men and women can both seriously benefit from a decent weight routine.
 
thecabbie said:
this makes me happy. specially the rack pulls and squats because sadly, I don't have much of an ass. Yes, I have occasionally been accused of being one, but never of having one...
Click to expand...

So if we have plenty in the rear, does that mean we shouldn't do rack pulls and squats? Will that make it bigger??!?!?!?! :ack2:
 
Tigpuppy said:
So if we have plenty in the rear, does that mean we shouldn't do rack pulls and squats? Will that make it bigger??!?!?!?! :ack2:
Click to expand...

Ha ha! No, no no! It will tone what you got though! I'm trying to go big to give myself part of what nature didn't. If nature already blessed you with sumpin, then work it to tone it! BTW, from the pics I seen, you have great curves and no I'm not actually trying to be too pervy there, well, not for me anyhow... Seriously, you have the right shape, I 'm thinking you just want all the parts to tighten up. Go for a weight routine, you'l thank yourself for it. BTW, a friend of mine has a book called the New Rules of Weightlifting for Women. She likes it a lot. Might be another good source for some resistance training.
 
All caught up on your diary:) Interesting discussion about gastric surgery and unfortunately a lot of people think that it is a cop out for people that don't want to put in the work. I thought like that until I saw a documentary on it once and then realized how hard it can be. I now realize that it is a very brave decision to make and often people's last chance to get healthy.
You are inspiring me to get my arse back to the gym. I haven't been for months!!!!! I'm going to take it slow to get my health and strength back 100% and then there'll be no stopping me.:D
 
yes this guy is an inspiration to many. he can teach us all many things, as i have learned from all of you.

hey, one thing though if your not able to do weights (as i) pilates is a great body transformer as well. seriously.

now girls, if you really want to reshao your butts try the butt magic if you get the opportunity!! as i have been well endowed in that are as well the last two years i have shaped to almost J-Lo...giggles but true!
 
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