Major abdominal surgery?

I should be having major abdominal surgery before the end of this year. I'll need to be off work six weeks, and won't be able to work out for at least 4-6 weeks either, so I will be going from very active to sedentary. Not sure if i should switch to maintenance during the recovery or not.

Replies

  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Yes you should to help your body repair
  • CoffeeNCardio
    CoffeeNCardio Posts: 1,847 Member
    Sued0nim wrote: »
    Yes you should to help your body repair

    This. A thousand thousand times this. You won't be losing weight healthily if you're popping stitches and not eating enough to fight infections will you?
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    After surgery, you will increase your calories to maintenance or above so that your body has enough calories to heal.
  • hereforthelolz
    hereforthelolz Posts: 51 Member
    Seems reasonable. Are people who have gastric bypass at higher risk for infections then, since they can barely eat anything? I'm not having gastric bypass, it just made me think.
  • ronjsteele1
    ronjsteele1 Posts: 1,064 Member
    When I had major leg and ankle surgery I actually lost 20#'s while still eating at maintenance calories. A nurse practitioner friend told me it's because when your body is going through major healing that it requires and burns a lot of calories. I literally sat on my butt, on a couch for 9 months, and lost 20#'s. Once I started walking with crutches my weight loss actually stopped. I'm sure it's because I continued to eat at maintenance and by that point, my body had already done a ton of healing. So anyways, yes, maintenance calories after surgery. Good luck with your surgery.
  • hereforthelolz
    hereforthelolz Posts: 51 Member
    When I had major leg and ankle surgery I actually lost 20#'s while still eating at maintenance calories. A nurse practitioner friend told me it's because when your body is going through major healing that it requires and burns a lot of calories. I literally sat on my butt, on a couch for 9 months, and lost 20#'s. Once I started walking with crutches my weight loss actually stopped. I'm sure it's because I continued to eat at maintenance and by that point, my body had already done a ton of healing. So anyways, yes, maintenance calories after surgery. Good luck with your surgery.

    Whoa! That's pretty interesting.
  • PinkPixiexox
    PinkPixiexox Posts: 4,142 Member
    In my opinion, switch to maintenance to allow yourself healing time.
    Good luck with your surgery :)