WLS and physical recovery!!!

Djrundle13

Hey folks, I'm scheduled for RYN surgery spring next year. Not sure if I got the acronym right! LOL

anyhow, I'm going for gastric by pass and I'm looking for some info on the physical recovery post surgery.
Will I be as active as I am pre-op? - I play ball and hockey
Will I lose lots of muscle strength?
Will I be able to build up my strength post-op? - considering the limited diet after surgery.

I guess I'm a bit concerned about the amount of strength and physical levels I may lose after surgery...

Anyone have any insight?

thanks
Dave!

rpyle111

Dave,

I am about 7 weeks out from a Sleeve Gastrectomy. I have always been an active, sports-loving big guy (playing and ocachong basketball, walking the golf course, softball in my yute, etc.)

One of the biggest concerns for me with the surgery was (and is) about the ability to play sports and otherwise be active. I am 6'5" and was very concerned that the limited calories in the first year of post-surgery would turn me into a walking zombie, unable to be as active as I want to be.

I was very successful in the pre-surgery plan, losing 100 pounds on my own. That really helped me to restart some of the sports I had had to give up due to my deteriorating joints. I decided to continue through the process and have the surgery to help with my last 80 pounds of weight loss and for help keeping it off in the future.

Immediately post-surgery, I was up and around almost immediately, with much less pain and discomfort than I expected. I attribute that to the good shape I went in with. Within a week or two, I was back to exercising lightly, and after three weeks, I got clearance to resume weight training, except for abdominal work. I am not sure if this is likely for RnY patients. I spent some of my time off work walking the golf course and that went well as well.

Energy-wise, I have not had a huge dropoff during the day. The main thing I see is that when I go to bed, I am out really quickly, so i am sure that the low calorie input is having an effect. I am back to coaching (haven't played with adults yet) and am doing great!

Many others here have become much more athletic post-surgery than they ever were pre-surgery, so while it is not a guarantee, it is very possible (and encouraged by almost all programs) to be active and athletic post-surgery.

Good luck!

Rob

janet0513

I have not had surgery yet and this is a big concern for me. I expect that I will lose some strength and muscle but am confident that I can get it back. I am working hard with weights and trying to build muscle and lose fat before the surgery. Like Rob, I believe that if you go into surgery having done some pre-surgery work, it will pay off. This story gave me a lot of hope because I was concerned about building muscle and being able to eat enough to build strength post surgery http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/male-transformation-adam-upton.htm

Djrundle13

That's comforting to hear. And I'm working ot losing some weight as well, before going in for surgery. I guess building up prior to surgery would help with what muscle loss may happen after. Guess I'll push a little harder at the gym!

thank you so much for your insight.

Puts a little ease to my apprehensions.

garber6th

Like Rob, I did a lot of work before surgery and lost 70 lbs. I was exercising pretty much daily and I was concerned too about getting back to the level of exercise I was at pre-surgery. I also was up and about almost immediately after surgery, and I made sure that every day I was moving. I was allowed to walk as much as I wanted until the 4th week, then I got clearance to go back to the gym and after 6 weeks I was cleared to use weights. Now, almost 14 months out, I am in better health and stronger than ever. I go to the gym every morning before work and do an hour on the elliptical, I have a personal trainer who is helping me work on strength and muscle building, which I do three times a week, I take spin classes at the gym, and I have hiked a bit, which I would like to do more of. I don't really feel like I had lost any strength or muscle because I really don't feel like I ever stopped exercising. I did have to wait several weeks to ramp it up, but I think one month off from strenuous workouts really won't set you back as much as you might think it will.

Dannadl

I had RNY in March of 2012, so I'm about 2.5 years out. I'm 47 years old and female. I started at 347.5lbs and I'm sitting at 175lbs today. So, I recovered from surgery quickly. I had surgery on a Friday, came home from the hospital on Sunday morning and never needed pain killers after that. It took about 3 weeks before I was cleared for exercise more vigorous than walking. That being said I didn't really exercise for about a year post op (I wouldn't recommend this, but it's what I did). I wasn't sedentary, I have small children and stay home with them but I surely wasn't working out. A year post op I decided to exercise. So, I've been exercising 5-6 days a week for about 18 months. I went from not being able to do a single push up to being able to do 100+ on my knees and 30+ on my toes (though I'll admit my form could use some work). I ran the Disneyland Avengers 1/2 marathon last Sunday and finished it. I have arm and shoulder muscles for the 1st time in my life and I lift more weight on a leg press machine than most of the body builder guys at my gym (though they KILL me on anything upper body related). I do a 45 min boot camp (crossfit like) class 4 mornings a week, I run for 60 min 3 mornings a week, I lift weights 3 days a week and I do some other form of cardio (bike, stairclimb, elliptical machine) for 60 min. 3 times a week. I'd like to drop another 40lbs so I'll need to start watching my intake a bit more now that I'm not training for the 1/2 marathon anymore. Between now and the end of the year I'm running 3 more 5K's, a 15K and a 5K obstacle run. So, will you be able to be active post op. Yes. Will you lose strength, perhaps some, but if you keep your protein intake up and exercise it shouldn't be too bad. According to the body composition analyzer at my surgeon's office I've lost a approx. 19lbs of muscle since surgery. The rest has been water and fat loss.

DJRonnieLINY

Add speed to your game becasue power will decrease. You can maintain strength by keeping your protein up but there will be limits to how much mass you will maintain. In my case "big guy" positions are now left to others and I get to play the speed positions. Did not think that could every be possible.

Djrundle13

Thanks for the replies!

I've been steadily working at losing weight and hitting the gym to prepare for the surgery.
Hearing your stories makes me want to do it even more!

DerekG79

Hi Dave. I had RNY Feb. 10 of this year. I will say that the surgery, low calories and healing process will probably zap you for about six weeks. For several weeks I was only eating 600 to 800 calories a day and I felt pretty puny. I think the malasorbant effect of the surgery also causes you to be a bit weaker.

Do what the doctor says, take your supplements and your stregnth will return. I am now almost 10 months out and feel pretty normal. Feel free to hit me up if you have any more questions.