Gastric Bypass and Hiking?

[amiaghost 0]

I have a meeting coming up about getting gastric bypass in the near future, but I wanted to see if anyone out there has had gastric bypass done who is also a hiker?

My wife and I like to hike frequently during hiking season, but my concern is that since so many calories are burned on longer elevation gain hikes is that it could possibly be hard to eat enough to keep my calorie intake at the correct level. I am also concerned about drinking Water while on the trail, I have read that drinking too much water can cause diarrhea, and on being on the trail that sounds like a less than fun time! Currently I can drink 3 litres of water on a day hike easy, but since I have to take it slower it seems after gastric bypass, I worry about dehydration. (Granted I might drink more than usual right now because I am overweight which causes me to exert myself and sweat more.)

Hiking is the first outdoor activity I found that I actually love doing, in addition to that its something that my wife and I love doing together. The last thing I want to do is jeopardize one of our favorite shared activities together. Does anyone out there have any experience with this?

[Berry78 4,261]

First off, congrats on making the decision to change your life.

I also love to hike and am 3 months post-sleeve. You absolutely will be able to resume hiking (barring complications).

Plan on getting surgery when you won't mind it taking several months to resume. I am just now well enough to resume hiking at about 14 weeks postop... and I had an easy recovery. You don't want to get out on the trail and run out of steam.

Sipping Water all day, and having a lot of small Snacks is great for hiking and postop eating.

Do you backpack and camp or mainly do day hikes?

[amiaghost 0]

Mostly we do day hikes, normally in the 10 mile or so range, and mostly in the High Sierras! We have gone on one hike and camp excursion so far but we do plan on doing more in the future, but only hike to camp and back out the next day, nothing crazy like doing the Pacific Crest or Appalachian Trail.

I suppose if I make a conscious effort I can reduce how much Water I drink at once, I would imagine that barring specialty Snacks, taking things that are high in Protein is the way to go, just stretch out the amount of time its consumed?

[Berry78 4,261]

You don't need to change anything now. After you get surgery, you will go through training for the first 2-3 months that will teach you what your tummy can and can't do. By time you are ready to venture out on your first hike, the surgery will be old news, and you'll know what you need to do to meet your requirements.

Since you are really climbing at elevation, you'll definitely want to abide by the "wait several months" mantra. I'll assume your hiking season is from May until October. If this is the case, then aim for surgery in November, so you have plenty of time to be ready, come the next May.

[jess9395 5,449]

It takes a bit, but eventually you can consume a normal amount of Water. You just need to be careful of "gulping" too much at once.

I am four years out and at goal and i am a runner. I run half and full marathons (some trail ones) and have never had any trouble saying hydrated or consuming enough calories. You may have to do a bit of experimenting to find what works for you, but there are plenty of us "bari-athletes" that make it work just fine!