Tips to not gain fat after surgery?

go52182
go52182 Posts: 133 Member
edited November 26 in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Long story short I am going to have back surgery in a few weeks. The timing, which I know is my choice, isn't the best. I am in the middle of transforming my body. I've been seeing changes and I like what I see! The Dr. says I will need to take it easy for 4-6 weeks and won't be healed from the surgery for 3-6 months.

The obvious answer is what I eat. I am thinking I am going to shoot for 1,200 a day vs the almost 1,600 I am eating now while I am training. What I wonder is if anyone has tips? Perhaps like lower my carbs and up my protein?

I plan to walk as much as I can, as soon as the Dr. gives me the green light, to get as much light activity as I can. I just don't want to lose my progress.

Replies

  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    Your body needs more nutrients to heal from surgery. Go with your maintenance amount.
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,744 Member
    Hope the surgery and recovery goes well! While recovering, as I'm sure you know, it's a matter of balancing calorie intake with energy expenditure. Definitely take it easy and give your body enough calories to heal properly.

    Dropping to 1200 is probably too low. I'd stay at 1500 - 1600 for a few weeks and the assess from there.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    The most important thing is obviously to take care of yourself and heal. But exercise (and food) help with that. After surgery my father had a lot of aerobic exercises he did on the couch. He did leg and hold lifts. He did a lot of exhausting exercises using just his arms. I am sure your physical therapist can work with you on this so you do no harm.

    There are whole books on how to do tai chi from a chair. They will keep your heart and body in good shape while it does that hard work of healing. You can't gain that much in a month.
  • go52182
    go52182 Posts: 133 Member
    nxd10 wrote: »
    The most important thing is obviously to take care of yourself and heal. But exercise (and food) help with that. After surgery my father had a lot of aerobic exercises he did on the couch. He did leg and hold lifts. He did a lot of exhausting exercises using just his arms. I am sure your physical therapist can work with you on this so you do no harm.

    There are whole books on how to do tai chi from a chair. They will keep your heart and body in good shape while it does that hard work of healing. You can't gain that much in a month.

    Thank you for the advice! I think I will look into the tai chi, that sounds like something I could get into!
  • aupston
    aupston Posts: 44 Member
    Your doctor should schedule you some appointments with the physical therapist. They can be a good source of information as to what you can and can’t do. Let them know your goals and what you want to avoid. Be frank and upfront with them.
    That will let them know that you’re motivated and they may invest more in your recovery. A good stretching program before surgery will keep you moving better after surgery. As a nurse, I have seen the best results with people who get into as good a shape as they can before surgery. It’s better to have a slow and steady Recovery than to Hit a stumbling block because you do too much.
    Being realistic in your expectations will help as well. You likely will not lose weight until well into the recovery. You may be on pain medicines, IV fluids and things that may slow down your system or add weight. And is everybody said before nutrition is important for recovering
    Good luck
  • go52182
    go52182 Posts: 133 Member
    aupston wrote: »
    Your doctor should schedule you some appointments with the physical therapist. They can be a good source of information as to what you can and can’t do. Let them know your goals and what you want to avoid. Be frank and upfront with them.
    That will let them know that you’re motivated and they may invest more in your recovery. A good stretching program before surgery will keep you moving better after surgery. As a nurse, I have seen the best results with people who get into as good a shape as they can before surgery. It’s better to have a slow and steady Recovery than to Hit a stumbling block because you do too much.
    Being realistic in your expectations will help as well. You likely will not lose weight until well into the recovery. You may be on pain medicines, IV fluids and things that may slow down your system or add weight. And is everybody said before nutrition is important for recovering
    Good luck

    Yeah, I agree. I really am trying to be realistic. I'm just nervous because I've never had surgery and I'm so motivated with my healthy, active lifestyle right now. I'm building muscle and getting leaner. I think muscle loss is going to be inevitable and is concerning to me and with that I'm afraid of losing the progress I've made in my appearance. I don't mean to come off vain but I've been working very hard and I don't want to slide backward because I decided to do this thing to finally improve the quality of my life. I've been dealing with back pain for almost 10 years now and I'm so ready do this! I just don't want it to derail me.

    Thank you for the advice. Since this is my first surgery I didn't think about seeing a physical therapist afterward. This person should be very helpful!
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    You won't gain fat eating at maintenance for the first few weeks and your body needs the fuel to heal.

    Also, you will likely see a spike on the scale after surgery due to water retention & inflammation. This can take a few weeks to resolve, so don't freak out. :)
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    Don't think of it in terms of you taking a break from working on your fitness -- you're very actively healing, and you need to give your body the building blocks it needs in order to do that. Plus, the best case scenario is that you heal quickly and completely, and can jump back into training soon. The other side of that coin is that you restrict your calories, slow down your recovery, and delay the point at which you can get back to training.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    There are ups and downs and twists and turn in life. It's not a straight path forward. None of us wants to lose progress, but sometimes we have to readjust our expectations. You need the surgery and that is its own forward progress especially if it helps your pain. Reality is that sometimes our fitness or physical appearance plateaus or takes a step back. It can be rebuilt and exceeded again. We just have to give ourselves permission. It will be OK and in the long run you'll forget about the blip.
  • go52182
    go52182 Posts: 133 Member
    Yes, you guys are all right. I really appreciate the encouragement. The important thing is that I will be improving the quality of my life for my future! I will do my best to stay at maintenance and not binge ;) and hopefully will heal up nicely to get back to it and be better than ever! :)
  • HoneyBadger302
    HoneyBadger302 Posts: 2,085 Member
    My last injury and surgeries - the first two months, I actually had to force myself to eat. Increase your protein, your body is going to need it. I lost weight rapidly the first couple months despite eating calorie dense foods most of the time, but I just wasn't hungry.

    It was the months following that which became the issue for me. My appetite came, back, but my activity level couldn't. I chose not to worry about food (had bigger things to worry about) and am back to losing the weigh I put on.

    If you're able, after the first several weeks, get back on a more strict eating plan, but give your body a few weeks to heal before you worry about it too much.
  • go52182
    go52182 Posts: 133 Member
    HoneyBadger155 wrote: »
    My last injury and surgeries - the first two months, I actually had to force myself to eat. Increase your protein, your body is going to need it. I lost weight rapidly the first couple months despite eating calorie dense foods most of the time, but I just wasn't hungry.

    It was the months following that which became the issue for me. My appetite came, back, but my activity level couldn't. I chose not to worry about food (had bigger things to worry about) and am back to losing the weigh I put on.

    If you're able, after the first several weeks, get back on a more strict eating plan, but give your body a few weeks to heal before you worry about it too much.

    I've been reading a lot and yes for recovery after a surgery it's suggested to eat a lot of protein. Perhaps the medication is what kept your appetite so low... hmm.

    I appreciate the tips and the real-life experience to share! I'm glad to hear you're back up and in action again :smiley:
  • jo_nz
    jo_nz Posts: 548 Member
    No magic tips, but just a hopefully encouraging anecdote - I had surgery just under 3 months ago, and although I had to stop exercise completely for a few weeks (basically just sit on the couch all day), it has been a GREAT thing for my overall progress.

    I did put on a few kgs (I tried to be good, but slipped into a little boredom eating. It was VERY boring!), but back on track now and able to do so much more than before - it's been worth that little backwards step to move forwards now.

    I'm only a few months on from it now, but already that little break is just a blip in my history and not a big deal at all. In the big picture, it's not really significant.

    Try not to worry too much and follow whatever the surgeon's/doctor's advice is.

    And when you get back to exercise, start slowly - I found several short bursts during the day more manageable than one bigger workout at first. You will probably have to take a step back from the level you are working at now, but it doesn't take as long to build it back up, in my experience.

    Best wishes for a straightforward surgery and recovery!
    x
  • go52182
    go52182 Posts: 133 Member
    jo_nz wrote: »
    No magic tips, but just a hopefully encouraging anecdote - I had surgery just under 3 months ago, and although I had to stop exercise completely for a few weeks (basically just sit on the couch all day), it has been a GREAT thing for my overall progress.

    I did put on a few kgs (I tried to be good, but slipped into a little boredom eating. It was VERY boring!), but back on track now and able to do so much more than before - it's been worth that little backwards step to move forwards now.

    I'm only a few months on from it now, but already that little break is just a blip in my history and not a big deal at all. In the big picture, it's not really significant.

    Try not to worry too much and follow whatever the surgeon's/doctor's advice is.

    And when you get back to exercise, start slowly - I found several short bursts during the day more manageable than one bigger workout at first. You will probably have to take a step back from the level you are working at now, but it doesn't take as long to build it back up, in my experience.

    Best wishes for a straightforward surgery and recovery!
    x

    Thank you for this! I am still waiting to have this surgery, insurance is jerking me around and having jump through hoops... But I've been trying to keep that in mind. Even though it's a backslide, it will help me go further than ever before! :)

    I am happy for you and glad you're doing better and feeling great. :):)
  • mkculs
    mkculs Posts: 316 Member
    I've had major surgery 3 times and as someone else already said, it is better to be patient and "lose" two months of progress while gaining some weight, than to push too early and mess up everything so that you don't get back to pre-surgery status for a year. It seems counterintuitive to push before surgery when you *know* you'll lose some of that progress after surgery, but folks who do NOT get into their best possible shape will likely suffer more post-surgical complications. You have done the pre-surgery part; keep doing it right up until they put you under. Then wait patiently for the go-ahead from the doc, while making the most of PT that you can. Listen to the professionals and have faith that you will be better off for having been patient. Good luck!
  • sue_01
    sue_01 Posts: 3,107 Member
    I had surgery at the end of March, and was taking steroids for swelling I could of ate house, I only had healthy foods and then I made I logged everything I ate, it helped a lot . A lot of walking. Be patient. Good luck!
  • peaceout_aly
    peaceout_aly Posts: 2,018 Member
    go52182 wrote: »
    Long story short I am going to have back surgery in a few weeks. The timing, which I know is my choice, isn't the best. I am in the middle of transforming my body. I've been seeing changes and I like what I see! The Dr. says I will need to take it easy for 4-6 weeks and won't be healed from the surgery for 3-6 months.

    The obvious answer is what I eat. I am thinking I am going to shoot for 1,200 a day vs the almost 1,600 I am eating now while I am training. What I wonder is if anyone has tips? Perhaps like lower my carbs and up my protein?

    I plan to walk as much as I can, as soon as the Dr. gives me the green light, to get as much light activity as I can. I just don't want to lose my progress.

    I had a similar situation happen...twice. I got my first surgery (reconstruction of my foot) in July 2013 and was in the very early stages of my weight lifting lifestyle, transitioning from just tracking macros + cardio. I ended up gaining, but only 3-5 lbs. and was able to lose it quite quickly. Flash forward to November 2017 - my boyfriend accidentally stomped on said reconstructed foot while dancing at a wedding, causing a re-collapse and damage to hardware - full fledged in powerlifting mode, actively competing, my biggest concern was not gaining fat, but also not losing muscle. I ate at maintenance and did upper body work as much as possible. When I came back, I had lost a lot of strength but thanks to muscle memory was back where I started in 1.5 - 2 months (I was out of training for longer than expected due to a major infection) and am now better than ever. I took it as an opportunity to readjust my form and reevaluate my program. I spent my recovery time doing a lot of research on proper programs, supplements, etc. When fitness and nutrition is a lifestyle, you're going to be faced with short-term periods where you are forced to not train, but the beautiful thing about muscle is that is comes back quite easily after obtained and maintained.

    I would say up the protein, focus on eating at maintenance (1,200 seems too low, remember your body is going to be healing still and you don't want to lose muscle). Realize that long term, this surgery is going to be crucially o your transformation and will inevitably help you train better. It's going to be tough both mentally and physically, but this community is awesome for support and advice.
  • go52182
    go52182 Posts: 133 Member
    You guys are awesome :) thank you so much for the encouraging words, advice and sharing your stories. :) We all have ups and downs don’t we!
  • clsumrall1
    clsumrall1 Posts: 491 Member
    Also up your Amino acids collagen. Bone broths with at least 8 gram protein to 1 cup there are powder ones that you can add to anything. Coffee, soup, shakes ect. The more collagen the faster the body heals after surgery. Good luck.
  • go52182
    go52182 Posts: 133 Member
    clsumrall1 wrote: »
    Also up your Amino acids collagen. Bone broths with at least 8 gram protein to 1 cup there are powder ones that you can add to anything. Coffee, soup, shakes ect. The more collagen the faster the body heals after surgery. Good luck.

    Heyyyy that definitely sounds right! I've seen those at the stores. I always assumed they tasted like beef bullion or something brothy like that :D If you're able to add it to anything it must not have a bad flavor. Thanks for the tip!
  • Johnd2000
    Johnd2000 Posts: 198 Member
    My advice would to not rush back into training. I’ve had two operations to remove splintered fragments of disk. I am convinced the 2nd injury was caused by the physio I did after the 1st operation. My surgeon obviously felt the same, without admitting it, as he was quite insistent that I didn’t do anything other than gentle walking for 12 weeks, 2nd time around.

    Food-wise, I had no special instructions. The above advice seems logical, but for me, my weight was the last thing on my mind.

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