Well today I stepped on the scale, waiting for the dial to stop I was surprised by the new number I saw as a reflection of my hard work. I weighed 298 lbs... All I could do was rub my eyes.. (it was 6am and I just got up) step off the scale and step on it again.. Yep! 298! Hmm... maybe its not that and I need to wake up. So I took my shower and when I was all done shaving and brushing the teeth, I tried it again... 298. Again! So it was possible for me to get under 300 lbs. This is the first time I have been under 300 lbs since 1995. 14 years my body has been struggling with excess weight. 14 years my joints have been pounded by needless pressure from my self neglect. 14 years I have hated who I had become because I just couldn't stop myself from eating that last doughnut or cookie.
Not again! In 14 years I will step on the scale and be as happy about who I am and how I am seen as I am now. In 14 years I will not be the guy little kids point at and say "mom, he is fat!" In 14 years I will look back at the day I started P90X and realize that was the day I said to myself, Not again!
Time for legs, back and ab ripper...
Have you told yourself, Not again! lately?
Maybe it's time to Decide to live up to Not Again!
Maybe it's time to Commit to yourself and follow through with Not Again!
Maybe it's time to Succed when you say to yourself, Not Again!
Is it your Not Again! time?
Friday, August 21, 2009
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Leptin and Ghrelin and Diet Sodas....
Leptin
Leptin (Greek leptos meaning thin) is a protein hormone that plays a key role in regulating energy intake and energy expenditure, including appetite and metabolism. Leptin is one of the most important adipose derived hormones. Leptin binds to NPY(Neuropeptide Y) neurons in the arculate nucleus, in such a way that decreases the activity of these neurons. Leptin signals to the brain that the body has had enough to eat, or satiety.
Although leptin is a circulating signal that reduces appetite, in general, obese people have an unusually high circulating concentration of leptin. These people are said to be resistant to the effects of leptin, in much the same way that people with type 2 diabetes are resistant to the effects of insulin. The high sustained concentrations of leptin from the enlarged adipose stores result in leptin desensitization.
Signs that your body has too much leptin and you may have become resistant to it.
1. Constant hunger
2. Diabetes
3. Elevated thyroid hormones
4. Heart disease
5. High blood pressure
6. Higher cholesterol
7. Increased inflammation
8. Obesity
Ghrelin
Ghrelin is a hormone produced mainly by P/D1 cells lining the fundus of the human stomach and epsilon cells of the pancreas that stimulates hunger. Ghrelin levels increase before meals and decrease after meals. It is considered the counterpart of the hormone leptin, produced by adipose tissue, which induces satiation when present at higher levels. Ghrelin has emerged as the first circulating hunger hormone. Ghrelin and synthetic ghrelin mimetics (the growth hormone secretagogues) increase food intake and increase fat mass by an action exerted at the level of the hypothalamus.
Tying the two together.
The fluctuation of leptin and ghrelin hormone levels results in the motivation of an organism to consume food. When an organism eats, adipocytes trigger the release of leptin into the body. Increasing levels of leptin results in a reduction of one's motivation to eat. After hours of non-consumption, leptin levels drop significantly. These low levels of leptin cause the release of secondary hormone, ghrelin, which in turn reinitiates the feeling of hunger.
There is the hunger cycle in a nutshell. Leptin stops the hunger essentially, while ghrelin starts the hunger. So how does this interpret to thin or fat/obese?
Two guys we will call one Joe and one Mike (these are totally made up names and have no reflection on anyone in any study or people I know). Joe is ave height and weight let's use 5'10" and 170lbs. Mike is also 5'10" and 260lbs.
First we need to know their BMI (Body Mass Index). Using the US formula (non metric) for calculating BMI: BMI = lb * 703 / in2. Joe is 170lbs and 70in tall, his BMI will be 170 * 703 / 4900 (in2) for a total of 24.4 BMI. Now Mike is 260lbs and 70in tall, so his BMI will be 260 * 703 / 4900 for a total of 37.3 BMI. For reference let's list the BMI scale for comparison:
BMI Classification
< 18.5 underweight
18.5–24.9 normal weight
25.0–29.9 overweight
30.0–34.9 class I obesity
35.0–39.9 class II obesity
> 40.0 class III obesity (sever obesity)
40.0-49.9 morbid obesity
> 50 super obese
Joe is on the high side of normal weight with 24.4 BMI, while Mike is in the class II obesity range with 37.3 BMI. So what does this mean in terms of Leptin and Ghrelin? People who are obese have been found to have higher levels of leptin in the bloodstream. Really? Yes, really. They become leptin resistant the same way a diabetic becomes insulin resistant. They do not get the full satiety effect that a person who is not obese would. Neuropeptide Y is never shut off in the brain and you still have hunger. This in turn keeps the ghrelin levels high since it is released in the stomach after emptying and not by the amount of leptin in the bloodstream. So the net affect is high blood levels of leptin due to leptin resistance, neuropeptide y stays active creating hunger and you eat then the stomach empties and produces gherlin causing more neuropeptide y to be relased, and guess what you are still hungry.
People who are not obese are usually not leptin resistant. They eat, leptin receptors are triggered and they fill full and satisified. Neuropeptide Y is shut off and the hunger is gone. Once the stomach empties, ghrelin is released causing the build up of neuropeptide y again and you get hungry and you eat. The cycle continues but on a normal and healthy scale.
Ok, so now we know the basic endocrinology of leptin and ghrelin for the purposes of this discussion. Again, this is put into a level of basic understanding and slanted for the use of this discussion. Both leptin and ghrelin offer a bit more than just this, but these two hormones are key to the hunger/satiety cycle for all of us. How is this hunger/satiety cycle affected by diet soda? Let's start slow and work our way up the big stuff.
Most people who drink a diet soda are concerned with calories. It's true of all of us. We like the taste of soda but we don't want the empty calories. Diet Coke became the king of diet sodas in the mid 80's and never stopped. The problem with this is even though there are no calories there is a sweet taste. So how can something that tastes sweet but isn't be bad? Easy. Your brain! The human brain acts like a computer. Each sense we have whether it be touch, sight, hearing, smell and yes taste is essentially an input for the brain (our personal computer) to analyze. You feel cold because your brain tells you this. You see blue because your brain tells you something is blue. You taste sweet because your brain tells you it's sweet.
Now the artifical-sweeteners can trick the sugar receptors in your body and your brain can tell you its sweet, but the brain also can tell the difference between it and real sugar. It knows whether you can tell by taste or not. It also knows that since it is not real sugar and has no calories to account for, that it does not need to release leptin to feel satisfied and therefore you continue to try to satisfy your hunger.
So sweet taste with no calories to account for causes the body to search for those calories and if they are not there guess what (yeah you guessed it) the body will crave more. Ghrelin will increase and you are hungry again. Now you gain weight and leptin (released from fat cells) is released and continues to rise even more with each pound you put on. Ghrelin continues to be released as you are eating more and becoming leptin resistant. 10 years pass and you are 100 lbs overweight. Diet sodas and all foods containing artificial-sweeteners compound this cycle.
When will it stop?
When will you change?
Eat clean, don't drink diet sodas including diet sports drinks and exercise regularly to take back your health from the brink of obesity.
Sources: Wikipedia, Master Your Metabolism by Jillian Michaels and other online sources.
Leptin (Greek leptos meaning thin) is a protein hormone that plays a key role in regulating energy intake and energy expenditure, including appetite and metabolism. Leptin is one of the most important adipose derived hormones. Leptin binds to NPY(Neuropeptide Y) neurons in the arculate nucleus, in such a way that decreases the activity of these neurons. Leptin signals to the brain that the body has had enough to eat, or satiety.
Although leptin is a circulating signal that reduces appetite, in general, obese people have an unusually high circulating concentration of leptin. These people are said to be resistant to the effects of leptin, in much the same way that people with type 2 diabetes are resistant to the effects of insulin. The high sustained concentrations of leptin from the enlarged adipose stores result in leptin desensitization.
Signs that your body has too much leptin and you may have become resistant to it.
1. Constant hunger
2. Diabetes
3. Elevated thyroid hormones
4. Heart disease
5. High blood pressure
6. Higher cholesterol
7. Increased inflammation
8. Obesity
Ghrelin
Ghrelin is a hormone produced mainly by P/D1 cells lining the fundus of the human stomach and epsilon cells of the pancreas that stimulates hunger. Ghrelin levels increase before meals and decrease after meals. It is considered the counterpart of the hormone leptin, produced by adipose tissue, which induces satiation when present at higher levels. Ghrelin has emerged as the first circulating hunger hormone. Ghrelin and synthetic ghrelin mimetics (the growth hormone secretagogues) increase food intake and increase fat mass by an action exerted at the level of the hypothalamus.
Tying the two together.
The fluctuation of leptin and ghrelin hormone levels results in the motivation of an organism to consume food. When an organism eats, adipocytes trigger the release of leptin into the body. Increasing levels of leptin results in a reduction of one's motivation to eat. After hours of non-consumption, leptin levels drop significantly. These low levels of leptin cause the release of secondary hormone, ghrelin, which in turn reinitiates the feeling of hunger.
There is the hunger cycle in a nutshell. Leptin stops the hunger essentially, while ghrelin starts the hunger. So how does this interpret to thin or fat/obese?
Two guys we will call one Joe and one Mike (these are totally made up names and have no reflection on anyone in any study or people I know). Joe is ave height and weight let's use 5'10" and 170lbs. Mike is also 5'10" and 260lbs.
First we need to know their BMI (Body Mass Index). Using the US formula (non metric) for calculating BMI: BMI = lb * 703 / in2. Joe is 170lbs and 70in tall, his BMI will be 170 * 703 / 4900 (in2) for a total of 24.4 BMI. Now Mike is 260lbs and 70in tall, so his BMI will be 260 * 703 / 4900 for a total of 37.3 BMI. For reference let's list the BMI scale for comparison:
BMI Classification
< 18.5 underweight
18.5–24.9 normal weight
25.0–29.9 overweight
30.0–34.9 class I obesity
35.0–39.9 class II obesity
> 40.0 class III obesity (sever obesity)
40.0-49.9 morbid obesity
> 50 super obese
Joe is on the high side of normal weight with 24.4 BMI, while Mike is in the class II obesity range with 37.3 BMI. So what does this mean in terms of Leptin and Ghrelin? People who are obese have been found to have higher levels of leptin in the bloodstream. Really? Yes, really. They become leptin resistant the same way a diabetic becomes insulin resistant. They do not get the full satiety effect that a person who is not obese would. Neuropeptide Y is never shut off in the brain and you still have hunger. This in turn keeps the ghrelin levels high since it is released in the stomach after emptying and not by the amount of leptin in the bloodstream. So the net affect is high blood levels of leptin due to leptin resistance, neuropeptide y stays active creating hunger and you eat then the stomach empties and produces gherlin causing more neuropeptide y to be relased, and guess what you are still hungry.
People who are not obese are usually not leptin resistant. They eat, leptin receptors are triggered and they fill full and satisified. Neuropeptide Y is shut off and the hunger is gone. Once the stomach empties, ghrelin is released causing the build up of neuropeptide y again and you get hungry and you eat. The cycle continues but on a normal and healthy scale.
Ok, so now we know the basic endocrinology of leptin and ghrelin for the purposes of this discussion. Again, this is put into a level of basic understanding and slanted for the use of this discussion. Both leptin and ghrelin offer a bit more than just this, but these two hormones are key to the hunger/satiety cycle for all of us. How is this hunger/satiety cycle affected by diet soda? Let's start slow and work our way up the big stuff.
Most people who drink a diet soda are concerned with calories. It's true of all of us. We like the taste of soda but we don't want the empty calories. Diet Coke became the king of diet sodas in the mid 80's and never stopped. The problem with this is even though there are no calories there is a sweet taste. So how can something that tastes sweet but isn't be bad? Easy. Your brain! The human brain acts like a computer. Each sense we have whether it be touch, sight, hearing, smell and yes taste is essentially an input for the brain (our personal computer) to analyze. You feel cold because your brain tells you this. You see blue because your brain tells you something is blue. You taste sweet because your brain tells you it's sweet.
Now the artifical-sweeteners can trick the sugar receptors in your body and your brain can tell you its sweet, but the brain also can tell the difference between it and real sugar. It knows whether you can tell by taste or not. It also knows that since it is not real sugar and has no calories to account for, that it does not need to release leptin to feel satisfied and therefore you continue to try to satisfy your hunger.
So sweet taste with no calories to account for causes the body to search for those calories and if they are not there guess what (yeah you guessed it) the body will crave more. Ghrelin will increase and you are hungry again. Now you gain weight and leptin (released from fat cells) is released and continues to rise even more with each pound you put on. Ghrelin continues to be released as you are eating more and becoming leptin resistant. 10 years pass and you are 100 lbs overweight. Diet sodas and all foods containing artificial-sweeteners compound this cycle.
When will it stop?
When will you change?
Eat clean, don't drink diet sodas including diet sports drinks and exercise regularly to take back your health from the brink of obesity.
Sources: Wikipedia, Master Your Metabolism by Jillian Michaels and other online sources.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Eat-Clean Principles....
Eat Clean! I have been hearing that a lot lately. Eat clean or I ate clean today. Any variation of that is posted a lot on the Beachbody msg boards. How do you eat clean? Wash the food? Wash your hands and face? No. Eating clean means to eat foods that are not processed, refined, hydrogenated, artificially sweetened, dyed or anything similar to that.
Processed foods, convenience foods, fast foods and basically anything that didn't have a momma or grow naturally in the ground should be avoided. Now as a general rule this will work, but I will list some principles from the book The Eat-Clean Diet For Men that you can use as a guide. We all have slip ups. We all cheat from time to time. If you make a concerted effort to follow these principles, you can have success within your own nutritional battle. Doing this one day at a time and not focusing on any day but today, you can win the daily battle. One day at a time, then a week passes. Three weeks pass, 21 days, and you create a habit. To create the habit of eating clean could be the best habit you have and one you wont want to kick.
Eat-Clean Principles
1. Eat 5 or 6 small meals a day.
2. Eat every 2 to 3 hours.
3. Combine lean protein and complex carbohydrates at every meal.
4. Drink at least 2 liters, or 8 cups, of water per day, more if you are active.
5. Never miss a meal, especially breakfast.
6. Carry a cooler loaded with Clean-Eating foods to get through the day.
7. Avoid all over-processed, refined foods, especially flour and sugar.
8. Avoid artificial sugars.
9. Avoid all preservatives, colors and other chemicals.
10. Avoid all saturated and trans fats.
11. Avoid sugar-loaded colas and juices.
12. Consume adequate good fats (EFAs) each day.
13. Avoid alcohol - another form of sugar.
14. Avoid all calorie-dense foods containing no nutritional value.
15. Depend on fresh fruits and vegetables for fiber, vitamins and enzymes.
16. Stick to proper portion sizes - give up the super sizing!
I know... not always some of the more popular ideas there, especially for us who have been on the opposite side of the nutritional spectrum. Commit to it, and you will see good things happen.
Processed foods, convenience foods, fast foods and basically anything that didn't have a momma or grow naturally in the ground should be avoided. Now as a general rule this will work, but I will list some principles from the book The Eat-Clean Diet For Men that you can use as a guide. We all have slip ups. We all cheat from time to time. If you make a concerted effort to follow these principles, you can have success within your own nutritional battle. Doing this one day at a time and not focusing on any day but today, you can win the daily battle. One day at a time, then a week passes. Three weeks pass, 21 days, and you create a habit. To create the habit of eating clean could be the best habit you have and one you wont want to kick.
Eat-Clean Principles
1. Eat 5 or 6 small meals a day.
2. Eat every 2 to 3 hours.
3. Combine lean protein and complex carbohydrates at every meal.
4. Drink at least 2 liters, or 8 cups, of water per day, more if you are active.
5. Never miss a meal, especially breakfast.
6. Carry a cooler loaded with Clean-Eating foods to get through the day.
7. Avoid all over-processed, refined foods, especially flour and sugar.
8. Avoid artificial sugars.
9. Avoid all preservatives, colors and other chemicals.
10. Avoid all saturated and trans fats.
11. Avoid sugar-loaded colas and juices.
12. Consume adequate good fats (EFAs) each day.
13. Avoid alcohol - another form of sugar.
14. Avoid all calorie-dense foods containing no nutritional value.
15. Depend on fresh fruits and vegetables for fiber, vitamins and enzymes.
16. Stick to proper portion sizes - give up the super sizing!
I know... not always some of the more popular ideas there, especially for us who have been on the opposite side of the nutritional spectrum. Commit to it, and you will see good things happen.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Gastric Bypass vs P90X: What works for me.
If you are obese or morbidly obese.. (BMI over 39) then you may have thought about gastric bypass or gastric banding. Now for the record the information regarding all the bariatric surgeries, there are so many more than the 2 listed but those are the most common and most popular, can be found on obesityhelp.com. It is a good source of information and connection with people both pre and post op in all forms of surgery.
I was thinking about this surgery after talking to someone who had it done. I knew a couple of others that had it done and, as a nurse, I had seen others that had it done. Now the ones I saw in the hospital setting, well lets just say they had problems. Complications do arise with this procedure.
Risks:
*Death within 30 days post op.. but on a 5 year time line.. much less risk of death vs being morbidly obese.
*Blood clots in the legs.
*Leaking at one of the staple lines in the stomach.
*Incision hernia.
*note* all of the previous risks are with any abdominal surgery and not specific to gastric bypass
*Narrowing of the opening between the stomach and small intestine.
*Dumping syndrome. This is a condition where stomach contents move too quickly through the small intestine, causing nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness and sweating. It's frequently experienced after eating sweets or high-fat foods.
* Vitamin and mineral deficiency (iron deficiency anemia, vitamin B-12 deficiency and vitamin D deficiency)
*Dehydration
*Gallstones
*Bleeding stomach ulcer
*Intolerance to certain foods
*Kidney stones
*Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) related to excessive insulin production
*Excess skin resulting in skin infections
Benifits:
*Dramatic weight loss of 50 to 60 percent of excess weight over the first 2 years post op
Improvement of...
* Type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes
* High blood pressure
* High blood cholesterol
* Obstructive sleep apnea
* Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
The cost of this procedure is well over what most people can afford, however, if proven necessary due to bmi and comorbidity issues... insurance will most likely pay but I cant speak for all insurance companies or coverages. You would need to check on that with your current provider. You will have to also change everything you eat on your diet. Dumping syndrome is a common occurrence and from what I have been told not very pleasant.
Your diet will be considerably different for the REST OF YOUR LIFE... not for 1 or 2 years while you lose weight.. but for the rest of your life.. you will have to deal with the common problems of malabsorption issues, vitamin and mineral deficiencies... and dumping syndrome... FOR LIFE!
You can gain weight back. If you continue to overeat you will stretch that pouch that starts about the size of a golf ball to the size of a football. This will keep you from having the restrictive diet and without proper exercise and diet regulation, weight will come back and this does happen more than you might think.
Once the surgery is done, its done.. and you can not change that. Gastric Bypass surgeries can be reversed, but become more problematic than the original surgery and the risks increase with that.
You will not be able to resume normal activity for at least 4 to 6 weeks after surgery to allow the healing process to be complete.
You will have to go through a rigorous screening process to make sure you are both mentally and physically ready for the surgery and life after. You will also have to see a nutritionist. You will have to (usually required by most surgeons) lose some initial weight based on the nutritionists recommendations with your new diet plan prior to surgery.
If you stick with the diet restrictions and exercise you will lose the weight and should keep it off... its pretty much up to you. Attitude is everything. (remember this for later)
P90X
Risks:
*Muscle soreness
*Tendinitis (pick a joint)
*Back soreness (sometimes related to a prior injury)
*Fatigue from intense workouts
*Increase in laundry due to more clothing dirty from Xtreme workouts
*Increase in heart rate related to intense cardio workouts... (consult your physician prior to engaging in any exercise)
Benifits:
*Weight loss (ranges from 0 to 60 to 70lbs during the first 90 days depending on their need to lose and commitment to the program)
*Increase in lean muscle mass
*Decrease in BMI and body fat percentage
Improvement of...
* Type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes
* High blood pressure
* High blood cholesterol
* Obstructive sleep apnea
all of the above directly related to the weight loss and increase in exercise.
The cost of P90X is around 139.99 + tax and shipping. This can be broken into 3 payments when you order online and use a credit/debit card. You will also need to either purchase bands or some dumbells and a pullup bar. You can do some variation where you get one or both or all 3 as long as you have weights or bands for arms and shoulders and bands or pullup bar for back days.
If you use the msg boards provided by Beachbody while using P90X, you will have the opportunity to connect online with others that are in the same situation you are no matter if you are pretty healthy and in shape just trying to get those last 5 lbs off or you are morbidly obese, have a bmi over 40 and are trying to completely change your life. The msg boards have all kinds of people from all walks of life. Some have started where you are and achieved their goals.
You will have a complete nutrition guide for you while working out with 3 different plans and 3 different levels on each plan with 3 different phases for each plan and level. That is a lot of information and as always if you utilize the Beachbody website, you can also be a Beachbody Club member and gain more nutritional information as well. You will also be assigned your own personal coach on the website and they should be a good resource for you when you have questions or problems.
You will never need a gym membership ever again. You can have one if you want, but if you workout at home, why go to a gym?
I personally am familiar with a lot of this information on both levels. I was 385lbs and my doc had me start the preop for gastric bypass. I saw the surgeon. I had the extreme work up and blood work done. I found out I am borderline diabetic. I found out I had obstructive sleep apnea. I found out I was out of control with food(which i already knew) but between the psychiatrist and nutritionist came to grips with some of my food issues.
I was merely weeks away from have a surgery date. If it were not for a foul up in the doctors office, I might be sitting a few months post operative wondering if I did the right thing.
I didnt have the surgery. I found P90X. I found myself. I found a way to lose the weight, increase my self confidence and self esteem without going under the knife and having a life altering surgery. I found my fountain of youth.
If you stick with the diet restrictions and exercise you will lose the weight and should keep it off... its pretty much up to you. Attitude is everything. (sound familiar) You have to do almost the exact same thing to stay healthy and fit with both P90X and gastric bypass surgery. The workouts with P90X will obviously more extreme and more intense, but the results are just as amazing and more long lasting. You can lose weight with both gastric bypass or P90X. You can regain the weight. You can fail.
For me the benefits vs risks for P90X out weigh those for gastric bypass surgery and you dont have go through the hell of surgery, dumping syndrome and malabsorption. I could not bring myself to go to the medical extreme. I chose the fitness extreme and now at 303 lbs down from 385lbs... I know that 250lbs is very reachable and will not be the end. I will see my goal weight and I will be in the best shape of my life. I dont think I could have said that with gastric bypass surgery.
Any questions feel free to get in touch with me.
xchicken@hotmail.com
http://xcxtreme.blogspot.com/
http://beachbodycoach.com/000xchicken/
I was thinking about this surgery after talking to someone who had it done. I knew a couple of others that had it done and, as a nurse, I had seen others that had it done. Now the ones I saw in the hospital setting, well lets just say they had problems. Complications do arise with this procedure.
Risks:
*Death within 30 days post op.. but on a 5 year time line.. much less risk of death vs being morbidly obese.
*Blood clots in the legs.
*Leaking at one of the staple lines in the stomach.
*Incision hernia.
*note* all of the previous risks are with any abdominal surgery and not specific to gastric bypass
*Narrowing of the opening between the stomach and small intestine.
*Dumping syndrome. This is a condition where stomach contents move too quickly through the small intestine, causing nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness and sweating. It's frequently experienced after eating sweets or high-fat foods.
* Vitamin and mineral deficiency (iron deficiency anemia, vitamin B-12 deficiency and vitamin D deficiency)
*Dehydration
*Gallstones
*Bleeding stomach ulcer
*Intolerance to certain foods
*Kidney stones
*Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) related to excessive insulin production
*Excess skin resulting in skin infections
Benifits:
*Dramatic weight loss of 50 to 60 percent of excess weight over the first 2 years post op
Improvement of...
* Type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes
* High blood pressure
* High blood cholesterol
* Obstructive sleep apnea
* Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
The cost of this procedure is well over what most people can afford, however, if proven necessary due to bmi and comorbidity issues... insurance will most likely pay but I cant speak for all insurance companies or coverages. You would need to check on that with your current provider. You will have to also change everything you eat on your diet. Dumping syndrome is a common occurrence and from what I have been told not very pleasant.
Your diet will be considerably different for the REST OF YOUR LIFE... not for 1 or 2 years while you lose weight.. but for the rest of your life.. you will have to deal with the common problems of malabsorption issues, vitamin and mineral deficiencies... and dumping syndrome... FOR LIFE!
You can gain weight back. If you continue to overeat you will stretch that pouch that starts about the size of a golf ball to the size of a football. This will keep you from having the restrictive diet and without proper exercise and diet regulation, weight will come back and this does happen more than you might think.
Once the surgery is done, its done.. and you can not change that. Gastric Bypass surgeries can be reversed, but become more problematic than the original surgery and the risks increase with that.
You will not be able to resume normal activity for at least 4 to 6 weeks after surgery to allow the healing process to be complete.
You will have to go through a rigorous screening process to make sure you are both mentally and physically ready for the surgery and life after. You will also have to see a nutritionist. You will have to (usually required by most surgeons) lose some initial weight based on the nutritionists recommendations with your new diet plan prior to surgery.
If you stick with the diet restrictions and exercise you will lose the weight and should keep it off... its pretty much up to you. Attitude is everything. (remember this for later)
P90X
Risks:
*Muscle soreness
*Tendinitis (pick a joint)
*Back soreness (sometimes related to a prior injury)
*Fatigue from intense workouts
*Increase in laundry due to more clothing dirty from Xtreme workouts
*Increase in heart rate related to intense cardio workouts... (consult your physician prior to engaging in any exercise)
Benifits:
*Weight loss (ranges from 0 to 60 to 70lbs during the first 90 days depending on their need to lose and commitment to the program)
*Increase in lean muscle mass
*Decrease in BMI and body fat percentage
Improvement of...
* Type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes
* High blood pressure
* High blood cholesterol
* Obstructive sleep apnea
all of the above directly related to the weight loss and increase in exercise.
The cost of P90X is around 139.99 + tax and shipping. This can be broken into 3 payments when you order online and use a credit/debit card. You will also need to either purchase bands or some dumbells and a pullup bar. You can do some variation where you get one or both or all 3 as long as you have weights or bands for arms and shoulders and bands or pullup bar for back days.
If you use the msg boards provided by Beachbody while using P90X, you will have the opportunity to connect online with others that are in the same situation you are no matter if you are pretty healthy and in shape just trying to get those last 5 lbs off or you are morbidly obese, have a bmi over 40 and are trying to completely change your life. The msg boards have all kinds of people from all walks of life. Some have started where you are and achieved their goals.
You will have a complete nutrition guide for you while working out with 3 different plans and 3 different levels on each plan with 3 different phases for each plan and level. That is a lot of information and as always if you utilize the Beachbody website, you can also be a Beachbody Club member and gain more nutritional information as well. You will also be assigned your own personal coach on the website and they should be a good resource for you when you have questions or problems.
You will never need a gym membership ever again. You can have one if you want, but if you workout at home, why go to a gym?
I personally am familiar with a lot of this information on both levels. I was 385lbs and my doc had me start the preop for gastric bypass. I saw the surgeon. I had the extreme work up and blood work done. I found out I am borderline diabetic. I found out I had obstructive sleep apnea. I found out I was out of control with food(which i already knew) but between the psychiatrist and nutritionist came to grips with some of my food issues.
I was merely weeks away from have a surgery date. If it were not for a foul up in the doctors office, I might be sitting a few months post operative wondering if I did the right thing.
I didnt have the surgery. I found P90X. I found myself. I found a way to lose the weight, increase my self confidence and self esteem without going under the knife and having a life altering surgery. I found my fountain of youth.
If you stick with the diet restrictions and exercise you will lose the weight and should keep it off... its pretty much up to you. Attitude is everything. (sound familiar) You have to do almost the exact same thing to stay healthy and fit with both P90X and gastric bypass surgery. The workouts with P90X will obviously more extreme and more intense, but the results are just as amazing and more long lasting. You can lose weight with both gastric bypass or P90X. You can regain the weight. You can fail.
For me the benefits vs risks for P90X out weigh those for gastric bypass surgery and you dont have go through the hell of surgery, dumping syndrome and malabsorption. I could not bring myself to go to the medical extreme. I chose the fitness extreme and now at 303 lbs down from 385lbs... I know that 250lbs is very reachable and will not be the end. I will see my goal weight and I will be in the best shape of my life. I dont think I could have said that with gastric bypass surgery.
Any questions feel free to get in touch with me.
xchicken@hotmail.com
http://xcxtreme.blogspot.com/
http://beachbodycoach.com/000xchicken/
Monday, August 3, 2009
Round 2 Recovery week...
Well the first 3 weeks are in the books on round 2. Recovery week started today with Yoga X. I have to admit, I did not like yoga when I first started doing P90X. Now I love it. I feel so much better after doing it as hard as the venyasas may be and how tiring it is in some of the positions while Tony talks a little longer than I would like.
I would encourage everyone to stick with it at least through the first 45 mins or so to the balance postures. That would be the entire sequence of venyasas and in my opinion the toughest part of Yoga X. Then each time you do it, increase the amount you do. Build up your Yoga X stamina.
Good luck with Yoga X.
XC
I would encourage everyone to stick with it at least through the first 45 mins or so to the balance postures. That would be the entire sequence of venyasas and in my opinion the toughest part of Yoga X. Then each time you do it, increase the amount you do. Build up your Yoga X stamina.
Good luck with Yoga X.
XC
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Dedication
When I think about what dedication means to me, so much comes to mind. There are a few definitions of the word, but the one that hit home with me was "selfless devotion". To be selflessly devoted to something or someone is the ultimate act of giving it your all. Whether it be a hobby, a marriage or a lifestyle, you know with selfless devotion that you will do whatever it takes to make it the best it can be.
I challenge everyone to be selflessly devoted (dedicated) to something. Something good obviously, but something. I am choosing to be dedicated to my P90X workouts. Find what you need to do, change or make better within you and take that challenge.
With any challenge there should be some form of accountability. I started this blog, but failed to be dedicated to posting on it with my workouts daily for the entire 90 days. In fact, I started the blog and never posted again. That will change. What will you change? How will you make the necessary adjustments in your life to see that the changes will be effective and thus make you successful in your daily dedication to whatever you are doing?
See ya tomorrow!!
I challenge everyone to be selflessly devoted (dedicated) to something. Something good obviously, but something. I am choosing to be dedicated to my P90X workouts. Find what you need to do, change or make better within you and take that challenge.
With any challenge there should be some form of accountability. I started this blog, but failed to be dedicated to posting on it with my workouts daily for the entire 90 days. In fact, I started the blog and never posted again. That will change. What will you change? How will you make the necessary adjustments in your life to see that the changes will be effective and thus make you successful in your daily dedication to whatever you are doing?
See ya tomorrow!!
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