Yeah, I know many of you have physical limitations.  But come on you people that can, yesterday was national bike to work day...Some of you, get going!!  Ask someone to help fix that old piece of junk and enjoy the springtime!!

Two Mile Touring

This time of year, I usually find myself in conversation with someone who is curious about my bike habit. Often they feel like they could never do it themselves.  So I usually give some simple starting advice.

Because pretty much anyone can ride a bicycle for two miles- for fun, to run an errand, to get dinner with a friend, to explore their neighborhood. Maybe after that they’ll ride two more miles… and then two more…then two more.

Nuts to you!!  No, not that...Different nuts...Mix in some dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, etc) and you're good to go with both jogging and hiking.  Brian  PS  Know the signs of dehydration...It's the # 1 reason WLS patients reenter the hospital...As it gets warmer out there.

Just a reminder for those who don't know.  If you like bike riding you can go to Google Maps and look up local bike routes in your city.  It's just a drop down bar on the left (where you put the street name or city.  The bike routes are in green.  Brian

Disregard if you have seen this before.  But for you new people who hit a stall for several weeks and feel frustrated that the scale is not moving the copy and paste below may help you...Brian  

Below is a copy and paste from DX...very knowledgeable man.  It might help.  

Still staying on-track calorie-wise? And the scale shows you stopping? Or Even Gaining?!?!? ----------------------------Re-Post Unsolicitedadvice/info… -------------------------------------- Pull back from your ‘daily’ charting, and look at a weekly or even monthly. There are up and down spikes each day, But if you ‘graph’ the highest to the lowest, I’d bet there is still A downward slope over the course of the month. There’s an 8 to 10lb. volume of "wiggle room" due to water alone. And it comes into play a lot. This has to do with our bodies using glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, But it is stored in our muscles for quick energy – One pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs of water to keep it soluble, And the average glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs. So, when you are not getting in enough food, (Like when you drop down to your calorie intake) Your body turns first to stored glycogen, Which is easy to break down for energy. And when you use up 2 lbs of glycogen, You also lose 8 lbs of water that was used to store it Voila -- the "easy" 10 lbs that most people lose in the first week of any diet. As you stay in caloric deficit, however, Your body starts to ‘realize’ that this is not a short term problem. You start mobilizing fat from your adipose tissue And burning fat for energy. But your body also ‘realizes’---- (by way of your liver releasing hormones signaling low Cal intake) ---That fat can't be used for short bursts of energy – Like, to outrun a saber-tooth tiger. So, it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, And rebuilding the glycogen stores. And as it puts back the 2 lbs of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though you might still be LOSING energy content to your body, (Thus showing negative Calorie load overall) Your weight will not go down or you might even GAIN for a while As you retain water to dissolve the glycogen that is being reformed and stored. Yes? The whole ‘weight-loss’ process is not a straight "Slide" down the scale. More like "Stair-Steps," (Down then forward, then down, then forward, etc... As your body cycles fat out of "deep storage" and through the Liver Into the muscles as Glycogen. The muscles and Liver can hold about a 3 weeks supply. This is why many people find that their "Stall" or "Plateau" Breaks when adding a bit of exercise And upping their water intake, or in the case of an "extreme exerciser," The total Calorie or Protein Intake, To signal the liver to let go of more Glycogen. Fear not, many people who are now enjoying life at a normal BMI Once had a few weeks or so of thinking- "...my weight loss has been awfully slow, has it stopped..."? Hope this helps some. You are doing Great! Keep it Up! Best Wishes- Dx

What many or most of the people here on OH use to start a running program is Couch to 5K.  Everyone is trying to take credit for that program...You may want to download the app or there are free ones on line.  Some people like the app because it beeps on when to walk and when to jog.  If you are having problems with one week (you find it hard to do), just repeat that week...No worries.  I will tell you one thing.  When you cross the finish line of your first 5K you will be crying.  You can bet on it...  Now go take on the world!!

It looks like fun.  Below is a link...Don't know if it will work. 

http://insaneinflatable5k.com/

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&cad=rja&uact=8&sqi=2&ved=0CCcQjBAwBA&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsaneinflatable5k.com%2Fobstacles%2F&ei=b1buVJ3JCZG5ogTA1YD4BA&usg=AFQjCNG0A2q-1l0gMnMyoT-dyrcHa1merg&sig2=nQZvFbb90WgYaF-bWrbW-A

Lift more for a smaller waist | Weight training vs. running to shrink abdominal fat

In the battle of the belly, you’d better bring some iron.

That’s the lesson from a new study out of Harvard that found that over the long haul, 20 minutes of daily weight training does more to reduce abdominal fat than the same amount of time doing aerobic workouts.

For the best results, though, combine them. Weight training combined with hitting the treadmill or running yields the best results, researchers say.

“This study underscores the importance of weight training in reducing abdominal obesity,” says Harvard professor Frank Hu, senior author of the study. “To maintain a healthy weight and waistline, it is critical to incorporate weight training with aerobic exercise.”

The study was recently published in the medical journal Obesity.

Researchers examined the physical activity, waist circumference and body weight of 10,500 healthy U.S. men ages 40 and older.

Analysis included a comparison of changes in activity levels over a 12-year period to see which activities had the most effect on the men’s waistlines.

Those who raised the amount of time spent in weight training by 20 minutes a day saw 68 percent less gain in their waistlines than those who upped their workouts by about 20 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise.

Confirming the obvious, those who spent more time couch surfing, instead of exercising more, got the biggest bulges.

“Because aging is associated with sarcopenia, the loss of skeletal muscle mass, relying on body weight alone is insufficient for the study of healthy aging,” says Rania Mekary, a nutrition expert at Harvard’s School of Public Health who helped lead the research.

“Engaging in resistance training or, ideally, combining it with aerobic exercise could help older adults lessen abdominal fat while increasing or preserving muscle mass,” she says.

I use to post this on Thanksgiving over the years on this board.  I stopped a few years back.  Maybe now is a good time for you new people to see where WLS can take you.

I would like to clarify the story below, so there is no misunderstanding.  I read this story on OH about a year and a half ago.  I decided to save it and repost it.  I have never met Lola and would have liked to have received her permission before I posted it.  She has restricted access to her OH account, so I couldn't e-mail her and ask her permission to post this.  I am not a stalker...Just kept this post because it touched me so.  Thought I would share it for Thanksgiving.  Brian

Post Date: 5/27/09 12:04 am
Last Edit: 5/27/09 12:26 am
My day started at 4:30 am I was wide awake and ready to go. I have been training for 33 weeks so why would I be nervous right? LOL! I wasn’t really nervous but full of emotions. We left our room at 5:30 am and walked to the elevator. The first elevator opened and it was jammed packed with runners. We decided to wait for another, the next one opened and it was full of runners. This time we squeezed ourselves in and to the lobby we went. There were runners everywhere and we had not even left the lobby of the hotel. We left the hotel and started our walk to the APLA meeting area.

There were people everywhere and it was a bit overwhelming. Once we got to a certain area only runners were allowed in and all these photographers were there stopping us to take our pictures. It was surreal, I felt like a celebrity. At about 6:45 am we made our way to the starting line. There were so many people all lined up waiting for the horn.

Finally, at 7:30ish the horn went off and the fast paced walked began to the starting line. The tears were falling down my face. It took me about 4 minutes to get to the starting line and off I went.

The first five miles I ran for one minute and walked for three. I took it nice and easy and took in the crowd, the cheering and the nice morning breeze. It all felt so unreal, as if I was dreaming. I was reflecting on the past 10 ½ months and how far I have come. I held back the tears a lot and tried to focus on my run.

At mile 5, I picked up my pace. I was doing really well; I was 3 minutes ahead of my pace and switched to a 1:2 pace. I was feeling really good and energized. There was so much to take in, all the people sitting outside their homes cheering us on, the generosity of strangers and all the runners by my side.

I was still feeling really strong and at mile 10 we approached our first and biggest hill. I hate hills and was not looking forward to what was ahead. My watch beeped and I began to run. For the first time I began to question what I was doing and began doubting myself, this hill was kicking my a$$. One of my running mates looked at me and said, “Lena, you can do this! You are amazing keep going.” Little did she know that her words gave me strength and I conquered the hill with ease.

Miles 13 to 18 were relatively smooth; however I was beginning to slow down. We were now five minutes behind pace and the sun was starting to beat down on us. My mom was really beginning to struggle at this point so I slowed down and stayed close to her. I was determined to get both of us to the finish line. I was really excited to get to mile 19 because Kirsten was waiting to join us to help us finish our marathon.

We were greeted at mile 19 with hugs and smiles from Kirsten (who turned out to be our saving grace). She came in with encouragement and distraction. Her words of encouragement carried us when we were struggling. Somehow we managed to get back onto pace and we again were 3 minutes ahead of pace.

Miles 20 to 22 were a bit of a blur. I started to feel light headed and felt like giving up. I was hot, than I was cold. I had the chills one minute and I was sweating the next. Mentally I was drained. The one minute runs were getting longer and longer and the two minute walks were getting shorter and shorter. We took a few extra walk breaks to rest our bodies.

At mile 23, I began to feel better and the finish line was just around the corner. While running, I go somewhere mentally, I couldn’t tell you where my mind goes, but it disconnects from my body and I get a crazy surge of energy.

I don’t remember passing mile 24 and all of a sudden I could see mile 25 in the horizon.

Mile 25 brought on a wave of emotions. I was overcome with happiness, sadness and relief. It was a moment I had dreamed of for over 15 years. My mom grabbed my hand and looked intently into my eyes and said to me, “Lena you go on! You go and under no circunstances do you look back!”

So, off I went! I was in my zone. I got my strength from a strange place. It came from all those in my life that doubted me, that teased me, that called me names or ignored me because I was fat. It came from those that believed in me and encouraged me to go after my dreams. The tears fell down my face for the last mile and .2. LOL! I could see the banner for Mile 26 and I tried to find any ounce of energy in my body. I looked back; I needed to know my mom was still behind me. She was and I could still see her. I powered on.

I passed under the Mile 26 banner. The last .2 was the longest part of the entire race. People were cheering. I was crying and before I knew it I crossed the finish line. 7 hours and 18 minutes after I started the most amazing race of my life. They put the medal around my neck and I headed back to the finish line to see my mom cross the finish line. She finished two minutes after me.

May 25, 2009 is a day that I will never forget. Less than 11 months ago I weighed 330 pounds and I couldn’t walk a mile without feeling completely exhausted. I had made a decision to take control of my life and give up my addiction to food. I made the best choice for myself and for my son and I had gastric bypass surgery. It saved my life! I am so thankful everyday and I never imagined that in 11 months I would say I just completed a MARATHON! It is so unbelievable.

I would like to thank all of you for your support and words of encouragement. It has meant the world to me.

Scott—you are truly amazing. Thank you for your dedication and coaching. I couldn’t have done this without you and your family. You are my inspiration and my mentor. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Kirsten—Double squeezes for you! Thank you for all your support, your friendship and for getting us to the finish line. It takes a very special person to take time to meet two runners at mile 19 and finish the race with them. I will forever be grateful to you! Your friendship means a lot to me.

Kevin—The same goes to you!

Janine--- you lady are incredible. Your ongoing support, unconditional love, and selflessness is refreshing and unique. You inspire me and remind me that this tool works. Your belief in me has kept me going over the past 33 weeks. You are truly one of a kind!

Barb--- My special pal. Thank you for your love and support.

Michelle W--- Thanks for believing in me and for cheering me on.

Liz—Thanks for the late night chats on FB and for believing in me.

To all my fellow runners—Keep running.

To everyone else---- Reach for the stars! Challenge yourself in ways that you never imagined. If I can do it you can do it.



Good night OH!

Mahbod Mark Paya, M. D.RNY (07/17/08) Member Since: 04/17/08
[Latest Posts]

Lola A.
So. Cal, CA

I'll try to be as honest as I can about this.  First, wondering how many miles a day you will be riding in the June fundraiser?  Most doctors want 4-6 weeks of healing (with words like "no lifting of anything over 20 pounds").  I think you may need to forego the trip this year...These are just my ideas (for what they are worth).  Say if you had the surgery in March or so you will still be healing from the surgery.  When I had my surgery (a male at age 51 at the time), I decided to exercise hard when allowed to.  I was losing up to 10 pounds a week...Great for the weight loss, but the energy that it takes out of you comes with a cost.  I (and others) would try and grab for the energy, but it just wasn't there, because of the rapid weight loss.  Before I could grab a Snickers Bar or something...Not post RNY (if you are getting RNY).  Also dehydration is the # 1 reason WLS people reenter the hospital post op.  Many of the exercisers here on these boards allowed the healing and weight loss process to take place...Regain their strength, and proceed to rebuild muscle mass.  You will probably lose some muscle mass with the weight loss.  It will come back but it can take months!!  Just trying to be realistic in my assessment.  When I do longer bike rides I carry banana chips, Cheerios, nuts, a piece of a protein bar (whey protein isolate), and raisins (if you can handle the sugar).  Also you don't know how you will handle sugar and dumping.  Would hate to have a dumping issue in the middle of nowhere.  Good luck...My 2 cents...Brian in Turlock. 

If you can physically walk or ride your bike (trike) to do errands...Do it.  If the weather is bad outside...Put on some good music and move (walk, dance, exercise) around the house.  Hard physical work helps with weight loss and builds muscles.  Clean windows, clean the fridge, clean out the car, walk the dog, wash the dog, gardening (prune those bushes yourself).  If you don't know how to prune, look online and take them on.  Walk away from the TV, internet, phone!!  Turn them off and move...Just move... 

Ditto on the lifting and walking.  I thought I would (post op) go into things like tennis, racquetball, golf, basketball...Things like that post op.  I went from sport to sport till I found my niche.  I have back problems so I could not handle the pounding of most sport.  I finally decided on walking and the bicycle.  Those for me personally were the best...Others may vary.  Many people who have found the new weight loss want to take on a 5K.  There are apps and online programs (Couch to 5K) that are popular to train for one.  On the 5K's, if you can't run the whole thing, don't sweat it.  You are not a failure if you can only run some of it or have to walk the whole thing. Just getting out and competing is the main thing...try and better your efforts.  You are doing this for your health...Pushing yourself for a better body and longer life...Not in a race with others.

2 other things on the weight loss.  Men and younger women tend to loose the weight faster...In general (don't flame me on that one).  If you get the RNY or DS surgery you may loose some muscle mass.  Not a lot, but it probably will happen.  You will be losing the weight so fast that along with the fat will come some muscle.  When you are in rapid weight loss you will get into an issue with your energy level dropping.  You may try and grab for it, but it just won't be there.  The energy level does comes back after many months, and when you have stabilized on your weight.  But during the rapid weight loss you are using fat cells (really glycogen), cycled from your liver.  You may find your energy lacking as you exercise...Again, don't worry...The energy level comes back.  One last thing...Know the signs of dehydration.  Dehydration is the # 1 reason WLS patients return to the hospital.  If you are exercising hard and start to show the signs (which you will look up after reading this), you can be aware and take it easy if necessary.  So, "patience grasshopper" concerning the healing process...Then "go get'em tiger" when you are released for full exercise.  Brian  PS  Working the core (core exercises) are important too...But that is a whole 'nother issue...  

Rode the bike and walked.  My wife and I grabbed  the 2 neighbor dogs and went for a walk.  They are getting old (who isn't).  We did 1 block by ourselves and 1 with the dogs.  I do my 5-15 miles on the bicycle each day...Some days more, some days less.  It keeps me below 200 pounds (197 today)...Penance for my eating choices...