Hernias and weight loss

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dadsgirl747
dadsgirl747 Posts: 1
in Introduce Yourself
Hi.I am 45 years old,155 pounds and I would like to lose 35-40 pounds before having hernia repair surgery.I have been with MFP for about a week and a half.I have been dieting and exercising(as much as I can) for about 2 months and have lost 15 pounds.My stomach is the hardest to lose because that is where the hernias are.Any suggestions on how to lose belly fat with exercise restrictions?I not only want to lose weight for the surgery but because I want to look better and feel better about myself.

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  • belladiva47
    belladiva47 Posts: 44 Member
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    Please check with your doctor first. A hernia is a hole in your muscle and you don't want to do anything to strangulate it. I've had 4 hernia repairs and now have 3 layers of mesh. When I told my doctor that I was going to do sit ups he told me to not do exercises involving lower abdominals. But each case is different so it would be best if you check first. Good luck to you with your surgery.
  • iquiltoo
    iquiltoo Posts: 246 Member
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    I have a double hernia, and I totally know what you mean, though I have more to lose. VERY long story but to make it short, I had a hernia last year that went and strangled some bowel so I had emerg. surgery. Complications afterward (not too serious) caused me to not be able to wear the binder afterwards, and i wound up with another hernia, though double this time! I have lost 30 lbs since April, and it seems to me to be more pronounced. I swear any time now I am going to get asked about my pregnancy... Fortunately this time the hernias are bigger so there is far less chance of me having the same trouble, because the doc says I have to lose at least another 100 lbs before they'll do the surgery (unless of course I have problems.) Once you have lost the weight and have had the surgery then you can look at doing exercises to get the muscles there back in shape and it will, I am sure, be just fine, because you can't spot reduce, unfortunately.

    edited to add, what the lady above said - be sure to check with your doctor for what you can do!

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