Had weight-loss surgury, was working out, weight loss was 240+ pounds

[Pac_Man]

then the condom broke....yes ladies and gentlepeople, what they warned us about in 8th grade health class is true! Those nice little barriers of latex/sheepskin don't always work.

Long, confabulated story short, I knocked up the wrong girl. Now I am a single dad with sole legal custody of a 7 month old son. I have put on about 50-80 pounds of the weight I had lost back on and it sucks. My stress level was through the roof during the whole pregnancy, then after my son was born I did not pay any attention to what I was eating nor did I really care. Food can be a drug. I took a long hard look at myself about two weeks ago and got angry. I worked too hard to allow myself to go back to the depressed fat bastard I used to be. I didn't like myself then and I am fairly certain I wont like myself if I keep back sliding back to that.

Like the title says, I had weight-loss surgery about 3 years ago. Lap-Band surgery to be specific and it works for me I lost 248 pounds over the course of two years. I realize my choice may bring up strong feelings in people but I am not really interested in debating the pros and cons of weight loss surgery. If anyone has questions about my experience with the lap-band I would happily answer them of course but I am not here to "convert" anybody. I am here to get my health and life back on track. I discovered NerdFitness blog while researching minimalist fitness workouts because I live about 40 miles away from the nearest gym, I never liked gyms in the first place and I cannot afford fancy equipment aside from the odd free weight and jump-rope. Having a infant also puts a crimp in any kind of regular workout schedule but he is getting old enough now that I can set aside a hour or two a day to work on myself. My lap band is still in place of course but weight loss surgery is never a cure-all and is simply a tool in the journey. I need a good steady workout plan to assist me and Nerd Fitness seems to me after lurking and browsing for awhile, a good tool for me to utilize. I am starting my fitness goals over today. My goal is within 2 months to have lost 8-12 pounds of actual body fat and my long term goals are a pound of fat loss a week until I reach my goal of 220 pounds. I have no need to gain muscle except where it is needed to strengthen my body as a whole and to tone and develop what I have naturally. I have always been "blessed" with a large amount of natural muscle mass.

Well that is kinda my story, I look forward to getting to know you all better and learning from everybody.

[67alecto]

Congratulations on the weight loss and realizing that you need to halt and backtracking.

Long-term weight loss comes from changes in our habits - weight loss surgery is one way to force that change, but as you obviously know, it isn't a guaranteed long-term solution.

For me, I found success in counting calories, and I was able to lose 160lbs in one year. My advice, should you want to try counting calories, is to pick a calorie goal that will give you a deficit regardless of your activity level. Then, move more. Take your son on walks - pushing them in a stroller, pulling them in a wagon, carrying them on your shoulders. It will be good exercise and good bonding time.

While you state you have no need to gain muscle (which you can't do on a calorie deficit anyway), you absolutely do need to maintain your the muscle that you DO have. As you lose weight, you want your muscles to be there waiting for you.

To preserve the muscle, you'll need to add regular strength training. Bodyweight exercises, resistance bands, freeweights...any of these will get the job done. I had success with all three while I continued to walk each day (and hike on the weekends).

There are some good bodyweight circuits in the Nerd Fitness blog - No Gym, No Problem was a favorite of mine. http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/07/17/no-gym-no-problem-bodyweight-exercises-and-the-nerd-fitness-challenge/

[DaniCat]

I'm cheering for you! You had the balls to step up and do what's right for your baby, even if it's hard on you. From one single parent to another, go you! You give up so much, especially when they're young and if you get child support...well...money doesn't fix everything. But kids are amazing, even when unplanned. I'm in a similar situation. I want to get healthy to set a good example for my daughter.

I'm looking foreward to seeing more of your success and progress!

[Pac_Man]

Thank you for the welcome. Calorie counting is easy for me. When I follow the full lap-band restricted diet I eat 1500-1800 calories a day. It forces my body to use its "reserves" faster. Most of my calories come from a high protein/high leafy greens diet to provide my existing muscle mass with what they need to survive and not be used for energy. As I get closer to my goals I can have the band unfilled to increase my caloric intake to maintain/increase.

Is it healthy?...no, not really but it works for compulsive overeaters/binge eaters like me plus it is not permenent. I can adjust my band to help increse/decrease my intake as needed