Post gastric sleeve cancer suffer needs to bulk up

buccanbiker
buccanbiker Posts: 3 Member
edited November 27 in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
Hi
Im approximately 2 years out from gastric sleeve surgery and was diagnosed in April with terminal cancer.
So far i am on top of the cancer but need to eat 4000 cal per day to recover from surgery and maintain health. I find weight varies alot but am inclined to get flabby rather than develop muscle. I walk, row and swim nearly daily but find i still get flab rather than muscle. Muscle does develop just very slowly. Any ideas would be a big help thanks swifty

Replies

  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
    Just wanted to stop by and bump your thread up to show you some support!
  • richln
    richln Posts: 809 Member
    Are you lifting weights? Sounds like you have the cardio down, but those activities you listed are not the best choices for gaining muscle. You have to provide enough resistance training stimulus to encourage muscle growth, or your surplus calories will be stored mostly as body fat. You also have to be realistic about your potential for muscle growth. In your late forties, you will probably not be able to gain 0.5 lb of muscle a week like the twenty year old new lifters. You can minimize fat gains during the process by making sure you have a small surplus of calories around TDEE +250, but your calorie goals are something you should clear with your doctors first.
  • amyk0202
    amyk0202 Posts: 666 Member
    Wow. 4000 calories is a lot to try to get in a day. I would have a serious discussion with a nutritionist and see if they could recommend any high calorie/high protein meal replacement supplements for you. Volume-wise, I can only fit about 1 cup of food in my stomach at a time. If I go over, I get major heartburn. I see lots & lots of small meals in your future. If you are trying to put on muscle, maybe cut your cardio to a just a couple times a week for cardiovascular health & concentrate on lifting instead. That way you're not burning calories that you don't have to. There are a bunch of threads about recomposition that you should search for & read if you are interested in putting on more muscle.
  • TrailNurse
    TrailNurse Posts: 359 Member
    edited December 2015
    I would look into a Ketogenic diet for both cancer treatment efficacy and also to prevent muscle loss. Message me if you want.
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
    Could he drink protein powder made with milk?
  • Scout515
    Scout515 Posts: 4 Member
    Is your issue getting the calories or how you're putting on the weight? My hubby has brain cancer. He's on a long term chemo and was getting into trouble with losing weight very quickly during the first few months. But his weight has
    been stable for months now. Finding high calorie easy to eat foods was key.
    It's expensive, but he's had lots of luck with Ensure plus. Lots of calories, quick, and easy to digest. Also, have you tried any appetite stimants?
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