Lindsay

AWESOME post Lisa!!!!! =D> And perfectly put.

ekkks! tomorrow i leave for mexico! we're driving to buffalo in the earrrrrly morning, to catch our flight around noon. sigh/ i'm getting butterflies in my tummy .. i'm getting so excited! I was down 5.5lbs this morn - that's just over a lb a day. i'm not going to get to 11lbs by tuesday, but realistically, that's fairly impossible - unless I stopped drinking liquid and didn't eat. I've always held more water .. boo.

People generally don't really understand what they're ingesting. That's the most frightening part. Especially with the recent release by the FDA letting everyone know that a lot of products are being mis-advertised, and not labeled correctly - ingredients MISSING from the list, etc. Scary stuff. 'Trainers' that advocated fat burners? HA. No comment. Overall, as nasty as I may sound, I'm just letting everyone know what I wish I knew before- they're not worth the money .. and not worth putting in your system.

I'd just pop a caffeine pill. It's A LOT cheaper, and cal free - unlike the Celsius Don't fall for fancy advertising, honeybee!

Losing fat and gaining muscle-People who are new to resistance training or are coming back from a long layoff can often lose fat and gain muscle simultaneously (meaning sameday or week), but only for a certain period of time. After that, it's generally most effective to focus on one goal at a time - either fat loss or muscle gain. We call these "bulking" and "cutting" cycles, and they are referred to frequently in this community. People often refer to losing fat and gaining muscle simultaneously as "toning", but some people think of that word as having a different meaning. It should be noted that the word "tone" doesn't have any relevance to reshaping your body. There are no exercises to "tone", there are no diets to "tone", you can only lose fat and/or gain muscle. And of course, you can gain fat and lose muscle. Losing fat-Unless you are new to lifting weights, coming back from a long layoff, or are on drugs, you can only lose fat by consistently eating fewer calories than you burn. To lose fat and maintain muscle effectively you have to eat fewer calories than you burn and have a good weight training program. Partitioning can be improved greatly by the specifics of one's diet and training program. Muscle loss on a diet is more and more likely the lower your bodyfat percentage is. (There are other factors as well) Gaining muscle-Unless if you are new to lifting weights, coming back from a long layoff, or are on drugs, you can only gain a significant amount of muscle mass by eating extra calories and weight lifting and/or cutting back from daily activity while still weight lifting. By doing this most people will gain some muscle and gain some fat. Again, partitioning can be improved greatly by the specifics of one's diet and training program. Losing fat from specific areas = "spot reduction"-A frequently asked question is to how to target and remove fat from certain areas of your body via exercise. This is called "spot reducing" and is generally impossible. When you diet, fat leaves your body in genetically predetermined patterns. When you eat excess calories you will gain fat in genetically predetermined patterns. No amount of crunches will burn stomach fat, and no amount of leg lifts will burn leg fat - exercising the muscle has no direct effect on the specific fat covering that muscle. Sad but true! How to schedule cardio and weight workouts Many people ask which to do first, or if they should schedule them on different days, or what. The answer depends on your own personal schedule and what's doable for you, but there's one thing that's pretty definite - if you do a long and/or intense cardio session and then try to lift weights, you won't get the most out of your weight workout. You may even be more likely to injure yourself. Other than a warmup (5-15 minutes low-to-moderate intensity) doing cardio right before weights isn't a good plan. You can schedule weights and cardio on separate days, or do one in the morning and one in the afternoon or evening. Or if it's absolutely necessary you can do weights first and then your cardio. But please, don't do a major cardio session and then expect to lift well. This advice is intended mainly for those who are training for strength sports or for general fitness, and your needs may vary depending on your goals and priorities. If your "cardio" is actually training for a sport such as running or cycling, and that's what's most important to you, then splitting workouts would be ideal. However, if you need to do both you might consider putting the sport-specific training first. If you have questions about how to arrange workouts for other sports or activities, please go ahead and post your specific questions, and/or consult a community that's geared specifically to that activity. And lastly to clear up a common misconception, fat cannot turn into muscle and muscle cannot turn into fat. Additionally, here are some very relevant and very helpful links that might answer your questions better than I can. http://www.stumptuous.com/cms/index.php The site is made for women but much of the advice is just as applicable to men (especially her wonderful descriptions of squat and deadlift form.) http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/ The website of author and trainer Lyle McDonald, with information on fat loss, muscle gain, and nutrition. >>I'm personally a huge fan of Lyle, and was a dedicated cyclical ketogenic dieter for almost 2 years .. http://www.exrx.net A helpful site for exercise instruction and selection http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/ for information on the composition of common foods. http://www.fitday.com also has information on the composition of common foods. (Note - the estimations for caloric expenditure on this site are usually very wrong.) http://www.hypertrophy-specific.com/hst_index.html "HST" - A weight lifting program for muscle gain or fat loss. http://www.deepsquatter.com/strength/archives/index.htm and http://www.weighttrainersunited.com/routines.html great resources on training for strength, power, and more. The Soft Science of Dietary Fat http://www.timinvermont.com/fitness/fat.htm

I just reviewed the ingredients. There's NOTHING in there that would even slightly promote fat loss, except for taurine, guarana & caffeine - There is a bunch of fancy fills (ginger root) green tea root, etc. I couldn't find the nutritional breakdown of this product. nada, nothing! just a brief explanation of what's in it. HA. That's ODD. And rather scary. Also.. It's an 'investment' opportunity. LOL. Red flag, maybe?! uhhuh! WASTe. OF. MONEYYY! Like i mentioned before, if you can't read the ingredients with understand, don't even touch the stuff. You can lose weight without this crap. it's such a pit, waiting for suckers with some bit of hope to take the bate. -- Ok, i re-read this thread, and it really scares me, to think that you guys actually believe that these are 'fat burners'. Please don't fall for it!!! They don't work miracles. Hell, they barely do anything! They won't get rid of your tummy. They won't give you hard as rock thighs. They won't increase your metabolism to a level you'd even notice! They're selling you a wonderful idea of fat loss, and many of you are believing it. You can't spot reduce. i wish a pill would do it for us! it's not going to help with your 'stomach', or special 'fat holding' spots. LOL. diet is 90% of your weight loss success. the other 10% is exercise. sucks, but it's the truth. when i was bodybuilding, i was on a few of these products, just for energy (b/c my bodyfat was so low, it was hard to get going in the mornings ..) which then developed into a chemical dependency. Yep. All of these products contain chemicals. Green tea or not. I just updated my thread of fitness and nutrition. Along with a huge lists of myths, I typed up years ago when I was training.

fat burners don't' really 'burn fat' but I'm guessing we all already know that! They're just stimulants. they only increase your internal body temperature. and increase your heart rate, which in terms, increases your metabolism. SLIGHTLY. you can get the same effect by adding caffeine to your diet. You can buy caffeine pills at walmart for $3.00. That's what's giving you the 'energy' or jitters that most fat burners are a side effect of. i would not waste your money on any of the OTC crap. you have no idea what's in them, and with all of the media attention of 'hidden' ingredients, reading the label no longer does us justice. If you don't understand what's in the pills you're taking, don't put it in your mouth. You should be able to understand every single ingredient on the bottle. Quite honestly, no bodybuilder of figure girl would touch that crap. it doesn't work, and it's not worth the money. If these fat burners really worked, i wouldn't be here. For your reading: http://www.ironmagazine.com/article334.html http://www.nutrition.com.sg/ho/hofatburner.asp

ugh. detoxing. Advocates recommend many methods to help you detox. These range from the mild and pleasurable like saunas, massages and body brushing to the extreme and unpleasant such as colonic irrigation, bowel enemas and fasting. Herbal supplements like milk thistle, detox drinks and ‘liver’ tonics are often recommended. And making dietary changes, is of course, a bit part of most detox plans. The foods allowed and banned can vary widely amongst different detox diets, but generally fruit, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, herbal teas and massive amounts of water are allowed. In contrast, wheat, dairy, meat, fish, eggs, caffeine, alcohol, salt, sugar and processed foods – in fact, most of the foods that many of us love – are banned. What do the experts say? HOWEVER, There’s simply no scientific evidence to suggest that our bodies need help to get rid of waste products if we are healthy and there’s little proof to support the claims that detox diets work. Quite rightly, most nutritionists, dietitians and doctors believe that our bodies are completely capable of excreting waste without the aid of ‘detoxing’ – that’s what our liver, lungs, kidneys and skin are designed to do, after all. Most experts also say that strict detox diets followed in the long term, can lead to nutrient deficiencies and health problems associated with this. For example, by eliminating dairy products from your diet, it’s very hard to meet nutrition needs for calcium, a mineral that’s needed for strong bones and teeth. And in the long term, a deficiency of calcium can lead to osteoporosis or brittle bone disease in later life. Experts also say that any benefits that are seen can be easily explained. Fewer headaches, for example, are probably the result of being fully hydrated due to drinking so much water and better skin may be due to eating more antioxidant-packed fruit and veg. Cellulite may well improve if you pay more attention to your thighs and bottom by body brushing these areas and less bloating is probably due to the fact that you feel ‘empty’ much of the time! Just sayin'. More info: http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/d/detox_diet.htm http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/humanbody/truthabo...ung/detox.shtml http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18595886/ http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art...rticlekey=64306 and i could go on and on -- but basically, they're all saying the same thing. There is no proof there is any benefit. I would stay away from it, as you're taking in such a limited amount of calories as is -- why you'd want to limit yourself even more it beyond me. I can't imagine being able to maintain any level of energy, especially while working out, living on lemon and water. I'd be concerned about the decrease of lean muscle mass, while you're starving your body ...

whoohoo! Great news! Keep us posted on your progress!!! =D>

No probs! :-h

Unfortunately the band is only a tool. It will not assist with emotional/psychological issues behind your weight gain/issue. I'm a HUGE emotional eater too -- And my biggest fear, was getting the band, without dealing with the REAL reason I'm overweight. I've been in therapy for just over a year now ... It's the ONLY thing that's helped me. I tried to deal with it on my own, but that was a total loss. I highly recommend you start investing the time and find a therapist before you get dragged further and further ... cognitive therapy works. It just takes while for things to 'click'. I wish you all the luck .. just don't give up. And don't think you're destined to live that way. I know EXACTLY how you feel. It's now time to deal with the inner issue, before trying to attempt with the outer one. xo.

What is your diet like? Can you give us an example of a day for you? What fitness/exercises are you involved with?

You're so cute! You look like a little smurf with your little blue booties on! what a great memory for you! thank you so much for sharing

You should be aiming for no more than 225 cal's per meal - which is around 50-55g/protein per serving/meal. this is what i keep in mind: * 1 gram of carbohydrate = 4 calories * 1 gram of protein = 4 calories * 1 gram of fat = 9 calories * 1 gram of alcohol = 7 calories I find it far more handy to know how many grams you should be aiming for than calories. A calories is a calorie, but when you're on a restricted diet, it's really the QUALITY of the calories you're looking at. It's something you'll find very handy as you go on ... just a little fyi

I think you're right - most hotels work this way. Tell them what you want, and they'll provide -- same with bedding (i have a feather allergy, so I request non-feather pillows).

It's so interesting you bring this up. When I was training, and dieting, i lost ALL of my 'old' friends. I could no longer go out drinking & eating after work. My social life completely changed, as did my priorities. Instead of hanging out after work, going to the nearest hangout i was out at 5pm and heading to the gym. I got tired of explaining why i couldn't order off the menu, or why I was only drinking a diet coke. And it was far more simple to just say 'sorry, I'm training' ... 'sorry, i'm dieting, it's really difficult for me to sit and watch you eat french fries'... And honestly, most of the time, when i was honest, they'd respond with, 'wow! i wish i had your self control!!' .. or "okay! i completely understand' with time, i grew farther and farther from those 'friends'. However, at the same time, I quickly developed NEW friendships - with people I played squash with, and the people at the gym i'd see every single day after work. I had something in common with those people - they kept me focused and motivated. And they where passionate about being healthy - just like me. It sounds horrible, but maybe it's time to find friends with like-minded priorities. Just sayin'

I'm staying at the Marriott .. I'll be arriving Monday afternoon. WHOOHOO!!!

My first official day of my pre-op diet started yesterday. i've had some stomach issues in the past, when i've been dieting, due to the lack of substance in my tummy - and the medication I'm on. Just a bad bad mix! I was experiencing some of these symptoms yesterday. I was throwing up constantly last night, every 30 minutes or so. But because i have nothing in my tummy, it was more gagging, to release the air that seems to be in there. I'd always feel better, but only for 30 minutes or so. UGH. I didn't eat much yesterday. The protein shake I had for lunch didn't stay down. I have such a delicate constitution! This morning, i had 2 eggs, which basically has the same nutritional value as 1 pro shake. And it felt far more substantial. And I was satisfied. Thank goodness I can have 2tbsp of cream in my morning coffee - i verified that with the nutritionist Yesterday: 20 min HIIT cardio. and a few little walkies with the boys (my dogs - i have a 14 mth old doberman & 8 yr old boston terrier) Diet: 1 pro shake, that didn't stay down. 1 Weight Watchers frozen meal - turkey/mashed potatoes .. and a side salad of leaf lettuce and 2 squirts of some artificial low cal dressing i was told i could use. 2 kosher pickles as a snack. I"ve decided to start blogging here, as I haven't felt 'safe' in my usual blog. I think most of my online friends are used to a lindsay with a positive, healthy attitude about life and nutrition. Over the past year, my priorities, and my physical/fitness goals have gone to shit.

aww! thank you everyone, for you kind and very supportive words. i've been feeling extremely isolated lately, and i don't have many people I can talk to about this. it's a rather personal experience and thing to do, and the one time I DID bring it up in my usual blog, i all of a sudden got flamed by people i didn't even know. i hate it when people respond to the lap band, without even knowing anything about it. especially when it comes to traveling to mexico. i believe this forum has a blog feature, so maybe i'll start a new blog there. i just need others who know exactly what i'm talking about to comment and follow ... does anyone else here have a blog i should know about?! and thank you again. you have no idea what a sigh of relief i just had! xo.

i went from one thing to another .. didn't i?! but you nailed it. i've always struggled with my weight - up and down, up and down. but my recent weight has reached a whopping 229lbs. and i'm getting banded on tuesday -- hence why i've just started poking around on here. i'm not selling anything. lol. ...maybe my first post sounded like a bit of an advert, eh?! lol

Hey everyone! I've noticed there's no real focus on exercise/fitness in this forum -- and because it's always been my first love, I thought I'd share some of my knowledge. I have a background in fitness and nutrition, and 2 years ago, competed in my first figure show - I've been in involved in bodybuilding for almost 4 years now. These are my current cert's - just so you know I'm legit i'd be more than happy to answer any questions you may have. America College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Certified Health/Fitness Instructor American Council on Exercise (ACE) Certified Personal Trainer Stott International Pilates Method Certified Mat Level 1 I think the key to physical fitness is finding something you love doing. For me, it was lifting weights, and watching my once very mushy female body, turn into muscle. It's amazing how the body works. It's just as amazing how the mind works -- for me, over eating, and years of BP'ing has taken a toll on my mental state. Over the past 365 days, I've gained so much weight. In the past year, I've gained over 55lbs. I stopped working out, after I brought home a new doberman puppy, and my mind was no longer on myself, but my new 'baby'. 5 years ago, I went through my first 'transformation' and through monitored dieting (I hired a nutritionist - who i ended up dating later on ... my life was bodybuilding and dieting. Which left room for very little else. I went from 230lbs, to a solid 145lb - I love seeing before & after pictures - i find them extremely telling, and of course, motivating! I had my 'oh my god' moment, when I saw this photo of myself - I'm the one on the left. I knew I had a serious weight problem, and need to take control. BEFORE: AFTER: I did all through constant dieting, and i never skipped or missed a cardio or workout session. My life was then based around my workouts. The more I concentrated on it, the more results I saw. Anyone can do this. Anyone can set a goal - physical, mental, emotional. You can accomplish your weight goal. Just remember. Weight is only a number on a scale. It doesn't define you. I am getting the band to help with my ongoing struggle to control my BP'ing, which is something I've finally figured out mentally. I'm excited to get banded on Tuesday! I'm also excited to see YOUR before/after pictures. What was your 'oh no' moment? Lindsay//

The American Heart Association (AHA) stated in 2001 "Individuals who follow these (high protein) diets are risk for potential cardiac, renal, bone and liver abnormalities overall." This sweeping statement must cause concern and in turn deter many people from following an Atkins type high protein diet plan which incorporates a reduction in carbohydrate intake. The justification of such a statement is unclear as there is no scientific evidence that high protein intake has adverse effects on liver function. Relative to renel function there is no scientific ducumentation to support the theory that healthy kidneys are damaged by the increased demands of protein consumed at 2 - 3 times the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA). A study by Portman Dellalieux investigated bodybuilders and other highly trained athletes with medium to high protein intakes. The athletes underwent a 7 day nutrition record analisys as well as blood sample and urine collection to determine the potential consequences of such a diet. The subsequent data showed despite higher uric acid and calcium the athletes had renal clearances of creatinine, urea and albumin which were al considered to be within a normal range. This admittedly short study was done with protein ingestation of up to 2.8gr/kg of bodyweight, 3.5 times as much as the recommended daily allowance. In contrast to the theory that a high protein diet promotes osteoporosis, there has been some epidemiological studies showing a positive effect of protein intake and bone mineral density, further to that recent studies suggest over a short period the RDA of 0.8gr/kg of protein does not support calcium homeostasis. Finally a negative relationship has been found between protein intake and blood pressure in several epidemiological surveys(Honolulu Heart Study 6406 cases studied, Chinese Study 2672 cases and MRFIT Study with 11342 adult males studied), all these factors show there is little if any hard and fast scientific evidence to support the above AHA statement. For healthy individuals with normal renal function the risks of a high protein diet are minimal.

Although I have a background in fitness and nutrition, I'm shocked at the number of posts that include many diet myths ... including 'cutting out carbs' will help you lose weight. if anything, you'll be dropping water. The reason why Atkins has been so successful is because with participants eating so much (more) protein and fat, they actually consume LESS CALORIES than if they were eating 'regularly'. That's why they lose weight. While there will always be debate on ketosis, and it's result, it's recently been proven with scientific results, this as false. Ketosis is NOT the result of weight loss during the Atkins program. Eating healthy doesn't have to be a DIET. A rule of thumb: "If you can’t kill it, grow it, or pick it, you probably shouldn’t be eating it!" Lean Cuisines, ect are handy, but full of artificial preservatives, and I won't get into the salt content. Same applies for many protein/whey powders. Learning how to prepare small meals that are full of nutrients REQUIRED to fuel your body is crucial during your weight loss period. With the amount of exercise you'll be doing, your body need food for FUEL. You are now eating for ENERGY. There are many reasons that weight loss may stall, but none of them are trivial. Unless you have a medical condition (thyroid issues, etc) there is no reason you can't figure out how to kick start it ... Manipulation of your protein and fat intake will also play a key role. By exploiting your body’s insulin levels via cycling your daily carbohydrate intake, you can maximize its anabolic (muscle building) and anticatabolic (muscle sparing) effects while minimizing its ability to store fat and maximizing your body’s ability to burn fat. by exploiting your body’s insulin levels via cycling your daily carbohydrate intake, you can maximize its anabolic (muscle building) and anticatabolic (muscle sparing) effects while minimizing its ability to store fat and maximizing your body’s ability to burn fat. Anyways. I'm obviously new here, but again, I'm shocked at the lack of knowledge floating around in this forum.

This is an interesting 'theory' but it's not carbs that are making you hold weight. what sort of carbohydrates are you taking in? cut oats, white rice, ect? what are you nutiritonal ratios? protein/fat/carbs) what is your fitness/exercise looking like? i find it interesting that people that have had this surgery are still following a very unstable diet - with very little nutritional information on what they're really eating, and WHY they need to take in carbs/fat/proteins.