Hysterectomy Monday.

I'm very sorry that you have to have this surgery but congratulations on working so hard to become more fit prior! You have a great attitude! You do have valid concerns about gaining weight, because not only will you be less active while you recuperate, the procedure also produces "medically-induced menopause" which means your metabolism will also slow down. Double-whammy! As a suggestion, you may want to update your profile settings so that your lifestyle is sedentary, and your age is 7-10 years older than it really is, to get a basic recommendation on your daily caloric intake. As for foods, I would suggest keeping it as healthy and whole as possible. Focus on veggies, lean poultry, some whole grains....NO processed foods, juices, limited sugar.

Good luck and best wishes for a speedy recovery! (and no weight gain!!!!) :flowerforyou:

I'm sorry to hear of your upcoming surgery. Hugs to you.

To answer your question though, be sure to drink plenty of water and eat filling foods, high fiber, high protein. Chicken, beans, fruits/veg. I think you will find that you're not as hungry (therefore don't eat much) when you don't workout....AND recovering from surgery. Your appetite will decrease a bit. BUT, be sure you eat nutritious foods not only to keep from gaining weight, but to feed your body as it heals. Ask your doctor if low impact non strenuous walks are ok. At least it will keep you moving around, ya know?

15-20 restriction - does that mean the doc doesn't want you to lose anymore than that between now and September?

I had my hysterectomy in Nov 2008, after having 3 C-sections it was a piece of cake. Hopefully the fact that you were already very active and fit will mean a faster and better recovery.. walking is a MUST after any surgery, the sooner you can get up and walk after surgery the better (don't over do it but every trip to the bathroom adds up). Also, healing requires a Lot of calories so eating healthy with plenty of protein (for healing) and I bet you won't gain an ounce. My thoughts and prayers are with you and I will just let you know that after the healing is over ~ it is AWESOME!! So many things not to worry about anymore!

First, I wish you much luck post-op. This can be a difficult time for a woman and I hope the best for you.

My mother had this done in the mid-90s and I hope the techniques are different now. I'd imagine it'll be more laproscopic than a large cut. Eitherway, for a bit afterwards you won't really be able to do much. I'd be very careful with what you eat as far as possible bloat/gas and any heavy duty bowel activity (pain meds can make that train slow down or stop, btw) because that can push on the surgery area. I'd want to make sure things stay as easy as possible on that part of my body, so non-gassy fiber/veggie type stuff. And hydration! But that is only for a little while at the beginning. And you'll get through it.

After the main recovery phase, exercise is very important, but the biggest factor in how your body is comes from what you eat. As long as you stick to your healthy regimen, although it'll be less food since you won't be as active, I wouldn't think you'll have an issue of gaining. And you may even lose some initially to have a little buffer too. As your body allows (and your doctor!) work on the movement. Since you've been so active going into this, I really think you've set yourself up for a great and quicker recovery. Remember that most people aren't active and eating healthfully. (Another quick story, my grandfather had a heart attack at about age 70, doc said short walks thinking old man won't go far. But my grandfather walked ALL the time, long distances of 5+miles. His constant activity helped him recover faster and probably is partly why he made it through the heart attack)

I think you're going to do great through this!

Best of luck! I had a hysterectomy a little over a year ago. Give yourself 6 weeks to recover. I was walking on the treadmill after 2 weeks and you'll lose weight initially as you won't be in the mood to eat. You might want to consider using progesterone cream to avert night sweats and hot flashes. The good news is that you will have the opportunity to be the fittest person you can be following the procedure--no more taking days off due to pain or heavy bleeding. To be free from chronic pain is the best gift anyone can receive. You'll do great!

Best wishes for a speedy recovery! I have to admit, I am just a little envious. I have no need for my uterus anymore, and I wouldn't miss it one bit! However, I'm not envious of the surgery itself. I understand being nervous about gaining some weight back, but I predict you'll do just fine. Your body will probably retain some water from the shock of surgery. Don't let that stress you out too much. Just take good care of yourself during recovery. And, heck, even if you do gain a couple of pounds, you know how to lose it! :bigsmile:

Forgot to mention, good luck and speedy recovery

oops...........welcome back and GREAT JOB!!