How Many Ppl Exercised During Their Weight Loss Phase?

[cmf1267 27]

I know most ppl do some sort of cardio but I was wondering how many started weight lifting as soon as they were cleared to? I plan on hitting the weights and increasing the intensity of my workouts over time in order to decrease any stalls in my weight loss (I know I may see stalls anyway - but it's just a strategy I'm going to try). I also know from past experience that weight training is the only way to really change the shape of your body and you look slimmer with muscles - plus - muscle burns 2x the energy that fat does so your body will burn more calories.

I am starting my exercise regimen tonight - so I can get into as good a shape as possible before my surgery to help in my recovery & then plan to continue weight training as soon as I'm cleared.

Browsing these forums & YouTube it seems a lot of ppl don't start weight training until after they've lost all their weight or they are close to their goal weight & by then they have a lot of extra skin.

I was wondering how many ppl started lifting pretty much once they were cleared to do so? Do you think it helped with extra skin? Did anyone lift before surgery & do you think it helped with your recovery time?

Just curious. thanks for any responses.

Connie

[MJ's comingN2form 103]

I walk 30 min a day and will start doing Zumba and pilates at 6 weeks

[simply.torri 28]

Great topic and questions! I have the same plan as you. I am on my 6mo pre-op supervised diet and i decided to start strength training now, to start tightening my skin and be in good shape for after surgery as well (which isnt until Late January).

Sorry i am not answering the question lol but I am interested in the Post-Op peoples' responses, because this is something I am curious about as well!

[MinaT 669]

I started the minute I could actually do anything. I had to have a six month supervised diet and I couldn't barely walk up the stairs. I started by walking in place. I then started the Gazelle when I lost enough to fit back on it. I went 5 minutes, 10 minutes then 15 minutes, then I increased 2x's a day at 15 - then 2x's a day 1/2 hour then 1 hour 2x's a day. When I was capable of lifting, I added that to my routine, just biceps and triceps, shoulders.

I lost 70 pounds pre-surgery 10 pounds a month.

After surgery I kept to walking daily. I had a rough time after surgery, I was tired and took 2 naps a day for the first week or so and one nap the 2nd week. I made sure I walked 20 minutes in my house, in a pattern non-stop. Since I had a drain 9 days, walking outside was a bit rough on my body. I did go outside and walk in the yard a bit but I made sure it was timed that I walked 20 minutes and I did this 3 times a day to make sure I got an hour of walking in a day. At 4 weeks I was allowed in the pool and I started walking an hour in the pool a day.

Now I do the gazelle daily for an hour, I walk an hour in the pool and I swim an hour and I lift every other day, on top of walking.

It seems that since surgery I am losing slower than others that had surgery at the same time, and it could be that I am definitely gaining muscle mass. In the pool I do lunges and I do visualize my thighs and Buns and do a lot of isometric lung type things. My arms have definition as does my back, shoulders and though I am 49 years old, the skin isn't hanging too much, though I have a ways to go.

My only issue is stomach. I'm 9 weeks out and I have done the "TheFirm" with Sandahl Bergman and I couldn't keep up completely though I tried and though I went through a lot of the motions with stomach exercises, I am not ready for crunches etc. I had a hernia repair and sometimes if I try to do stomach exercises or if I try lifting (or pulling) something too heavy my stomach will bloat up and distend. I have to be very careful still with my stomach. I know my stomach will have some skin issues but so far, my arms and legs are starting to firm up nicely.

I think working on your food issues is imperative pre-op, working on not drinking with dinner, working on 64 ounces of Water, lowering carb intake, but I think it's also important to start working on the dreaded "exercise".

1 pound of Muscle is still a pound. 1 pound of Fat is still a pound but a pound of muscle takes up less space is more dense, and helps promote another pound of fat removal.

Good luck to you and I think working out now is very wise. I would like to suggest, less weights, and more repetition at first for sure though.

[mdefabio 73]

I have been walking 2 to 4 miles three times a week and weight training (All pre-op). Now I'm 4 weeks post - op and my surgeon wants me to keep walking and also eliptical. In two weeks I can start weight training again. I've lost 28 lbs so far, but did go into a stall after 2 weeks out. Hopefully I'm coming out of my stall because I saw 1 lb lose today.

[Lissa 2,631]

I started doing 10 reps of arm exercises with 2 pound weights a few days after surgery. I firmly believe in low weight, high reps to reshape my body. My arms, back and thighs look great and I'm getting good waist definition and my butt has definitely reshaped itself. Now I do half the weight machines at my gym every day, plus 30 minutes of cardio. I keep changing it up, but the core muscles ALWAYS get worked at least 3 days a week. I also walk stairs and do circuit training a few days a week.

So far, so good... and I'm not at my personal goal yet, although my WLS surgeon says that I've come as far as possible without surgery. I'm keeping my plastics consult later this month, but I'm also still working hard on sculpting and reshaping.

[TakeTwo 4]

pre op I worked out almost everyday at the gym. I did everything from spinning classes, total body (weights), kickboxing and elliptical. Post op - I started walking from day one. I am now 4 weeks post op and was clear to hit the gym earlier this week. I have already done spinning, elliptical and yesterday Total body weight training class. I was able to lift 5 and 8 pound weights with no problems.

[thesmilos 144]

I was cleared to exercise after week three and started doing weights (mostly chest and arms to start) and have been walking 2 miles a day since about day three.

[sil222 59]

I started exercising at 6 weeks, mostly cardio first because I enjoy that more, but I have been doing more and more strength training for same reasons u mentioned. I usually go the gym but yesterday I got my set of resistance bands in the mail !! So excited also got a copy of those insanity DVD!! I know I'm crazy, I never thought I would do any of those much less enjoy it.

[KristieAtkinson 588]

I started lifting & exercising 5 months before my surgery. I lost 50 pounds Pre op.

I exercised 5 days a week for about an hour & a half. 30-45 minutes on elliptical or treadmill & 45 minutes on weights. I do low weights with lots of repetition so I don't build bulk, just toning.

I bounced back quickly after surgery. Walked at the hospital every hour (when I woke up to pee) & kept walking when I got home. I struggled a week after I got home cuz I couldn't walk far without getting exhausted. After 6 weeks my doctor cleared me to go back to my regular exercise program.

I'm down 47 pounds since surgery. Date: 5-18-12. So, 97 pounds total. And down 6 sizes in clothes. :-)

[Butterthebean 8,146]

There is an awful lot of misconceptions about weightlifting in the fitness world, even among the so called experts. There is also alot of anectdotal evidence that gets passed around as fact. Just go ask any 3 trainers at a gym, they will all give different answers. I've done alot of weight training in my life and I've read many a bodybuilder mag from cover to cover. Two things seem to be universally believed amongst all bodybuilders....

1. You can't build muscle on a calorie deficient diet

2. You can't gain muscle without also gaining some fat unless you are a mathmatical wizard and happen to be eating the precise amount of calories you need to build muscle, and not one calorie more.

Typically, bodybuilders go through a bulking phase where they put on as much muscle as they can, but also fat. Then they diet like crazy for a show and lose as much fat as humanly possible. They lose some muscle too but they have so much, there is still plenty left by the time their bodyfat hits rock bottom.

Now, knowing what I know about not much of anything....I would never say never. I would certainly not say that the above statements are absolute truths and could never ever be contradicted by anyone, because every one is different. But I will say that these statements are believed by the majority of the bodybuilding culture, and I suspect they know a thing or two about building muscle.

Also, having said all of that, I certainly believe there are some benefits to weight training by VSG patients, and I'm doing so myself. But I don't expect to "bulk up" on muscle during my losing phase. I think that would be very difficult.k

[PdxMan 4,292]

So, here is what I know from my experience, FWIW.

It was suggested to me that better endurance translates to easier recovery from major surgery. I had a membership to the health club for years, but did not go religiously. However, one month prior to surgery, I started hitting it hard. To increase my endurance, I did elliptical and spinning classes almost daily. 45 minutes minimum. Started low, but after the month, I was able to go for 45 minutes at a pretty high level. I would go over to the weights occassionally when I had time and was able to increase my weights by the end of the month.

Day of surgery (I was outpatient in Vegas, baby!) after taking a nap back at the hotel, I walked around downtown Vegas for a couple miles and took the wife out to dinner. Next day, we were all over the strip walking at least 5 miles. Same thing the next day, maybe even more. I felt great. I knew that my cardio workouts played a large role in my being able to do this. At my appt with my surgeon before I left town, I told him all this and he just laughed saying how incredible it was to do what I was doing. He believed it was my preparation that was responsible for this.

Now, when I got home, things were definitely reduced that first month or so. As Butter says, you cannot build muscle on a calorie deficeit. For starters, muscle can only be built from Protein, which is just about impossible to meet quota for the first few weeks post-op. Your calorie intake is so low, it can be tough to muster up enough energy just to make it through the day let alone take on a serious workout. Napping took priority over working out.

Fast forward two months post-op and I add walking/jogging around the neighborhood to the workout regimen dropping elliptical in favor or high intenstity interval training. As you can see from my signature, I'm dropping weight like crazy during this time. Almost too fast, if truth be told as my excess skin is really starting to show up. I am sagging from places you just don't want to sag. I have definitely lost muscle mass, but I am lifting weights and taking in over 100 g of Protein daily. Buuuut ... still only getting about 900 calories a day. It is just difficult to get it all in.

6 months in I run my first 5K and actually do really well. Inspires me to try to be a runner. I basically only run and do HIIT and weight lift about twice a week. I cheat the rules of the sleeve to get extra calories in (drinking while eating) to be able to support my running efforts. I'm still dropping weight, but at this time, I feel pretty confident all of my weight loss is fat as I am able to increase my weights on the lifting side of things.

One year out and I've been at goal for several months. My exercise has been sidelined with knee issues, but I follow the sleeve rules pretty tight, so I am able to maintain. In my last 5 races, I have either won or come in 2nd in my division. I had never even ran a mile before in my life. Never had an interest in running, even hated it, to be honest. But, I don't think there are a lot of obese people who like running ... know what I mean?

What am I trying to say? This all started with cardio endurance training 1 month prior to my surgery. I know this was the basis for my recovery and transistion to a healthier lifestyle. Weight lifting ... yes, but only after I completed my cardio.

Good luck and keep us all posted on how you do.

[CoolBreeze 154]

My doc cleared me for exercise but because I am still having back troubles, he said start slow and work your way up. I am getting a resistance band (it worked for me in the past) and will start with that for now. I don't have a gym membership at the moment but maybe later on down the line. I do walk, about 30 - 40 min each day (part of it is my job) and that helps. Since the weather is so darn hot in DC I've taken to walking in the building where I work. Not only does my backgive me fits but my knees as well - arthuritis does not care who it hits or hurts - but I will push on.

[Lissa 2,631]

PDXMan, I think you may have inadvertently answered a question for me that I didn't know I had. I've changed up my workouts (again) in the last two weeks and been eating more than normal. I've been actually hungry and it has worried me. But, while I haven't dropped pounds, I'm shrinking again. I had, in passing, wondered if I was stalled, but now I think that I'm actually in a muscle building phase again and my body is needing the extra Protein for muscle building.

I think I need to raise my Protein goal for a bit. I have been concentrating super hard on abdominal exercises (along with the other stuff) because I have a plastic surgery consult this month and I'm trying to see what I can accomplish before then.

[Rootman 1,101]

Good for you! It will do nothing but make you better off and healthier.

For the FIRST time in my life I've been exercising too, I sweat so much pre-op it was dang near impossible, post-op the sweat just stopped.

I swim about 2 miles 4 days a week and bike about 10 miles the same 4 days. On Saturdays or Sundays I take a long bike ride, did 35 miles last weekend! I'm in better shape now than EVER.

Go back up this thread and read ButterTheBeans comments, he is exactly right! It's tough to put on any VISIBLE muscle without adding fat, and dang hard to keep it on a diet. I just aim for fitness and getting a cardio workout. If any bulk or muscle curves show up then good for me! Just try to get in shape and burn those calories.