A tale of two gastric sleeve patients

[PWMDMD 58]

My wife and I both had gastric sleeve last year (Sept 2018 and Nov 2018) - my surgery was ~3 months before hers - it's been unbelievably successful for both of us as far as weight loss. That said, our post-op course has been very different.

I went into surgery having been an avid (albeit morbidly obese) weight lifter for 5+ years while my wife dabbled on and off but was not consistent with exercise. Post-op I got back into lifting as soon as I could while my wife was diagnosed with a non-invasive ductile cell carcinoma of the breast which turned into lumpectomy/breast reduction - she's totally fine but it has resulted in her being in recovery for a significantly greater part of the past 6 months. She is just now finally cleared for lifting.

She looks great but even she is itching to get to the gym because she can't ignore the difference between the two of us. I look and feel better at 40 than I did when she met me at 19. My energy levels are high, my physical abilities are high (we "hiked" a mountain this week and I basically ran up the mountain) and she couldn't keep up. She looks great but she has clearly lost significant lean mass, strength and endurance. She's interested in weight lifting because she's watching my transformation and while it hasn't been her thing in the past she clearly sees the change with me. Time will tell if she sticks with it but I've come to believe strength training, in some form, should be a central focus for those of us who can tolerate it. Not saying everyone will be squatting body weight, but some form of resistance exercise is important IMO.

[New&Improved 1,780]

Yes I agree I lost about 90lbs in 2012 99% of that on exercise bike.

Yes I got to a good weight but I was just skin and bones no muscle definition or tone at all.

I now know this time with surgery and weight loss to include some form of weights machines..

[Healthy_life2 8,324]

If your wife finds what she enjoys for workouts, she will stick with it. There are a few couples at my gym that should not lift together. Others handle it much better.

I took a strength training class for women. It was a game changer. Weightlifting is absolutely transforming. At 125ibs, I had burnt muscle from rapid weight loss. Personally, I looked unhealthy. It took time for me to build muscle back.