Surgery

MelissaGarcia4
MelissaGarcia4 Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I’m having surgery next Wednesday. I’m trying to lose weight but I will have to take time to recover. How do you stay on track after surgery?

Replies

  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 2,221 Member
    Eat at maintenance or slightly above. Your body needs nutrients to heal. Make sure you get your protein in!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,204 Member
    I second the idea of eating at maintenance (and getting good nutrition) during the acute phase of healing - probably the first few weeks. I didn't do that during weight loss after moderately minor surgery (laparoscopic gallbladder removal), and came to regret it. Fortunately, my body prioritized healing (thankfully), but I got weak and fatigued, which wasn't helpful.

    If you're used to being active (exercise-wise), your doctor will give guidance about what you can do and when. Usually they encourage walking fairly soon these days, unless the surgery inherently limits that.

    If you stick with calorie counting to track nutrition and maintenance calories, it should be fairly straightforward to ease your way back into a calorie deficit after you're past acute healing.

    Best wishes for a speedy recovery and a successful outcome!
  • jonathanmcsween152
    jonathanmcsween152 Posts: 1 Member
    Eat a high protein diet with a lot of whole foods! You will be more susceptible to healthy weight loss when your body is in a healed and able state!
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,941 Member
    Eat enough, don't diet during healing, and eat what your body tells you what it needs. I personally tend to feel miserable after surgery and my sense of taste is off for a week or two. I eat what tastes half ok, even if it's not super healthy. But eating is more important than getting x servings of fruit and veg per day.
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,437 Member
    edited January 17
    Don’t forget, you will “gain” water weight following surgery, sometimes many pounds, depending on how extensive the healing.

    You know how when you cut yourself, the wound oozes? That’s your body, directly fluids to the wounded area for healing.

    Multiply that many times over for surgery incisions.

    You gradually pee it out as healing occurs.

    Just want to mention it because people freak out and give up over “weight gain” following surgery.

    It’s simply water. Aren’t our bodies amazing? Imagine if we had to remember to say “body, send fluids there” like we have to say “self, don’t eat that”! 😂
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,437 Member
    edited January 17
    Ask your surgical team what you can and cannot do. Follow their advice.

    I didn’t, and I have extensive scarring as a result, since I burst my stitches. And all I was doing was simple stretches.

    And best results with your surgery. 😘
  • Corina1143
    Corina1143 Posts: 3,624 Member
    edited January 17
    ruqayyahsmum wrote: »

    Prioritize getting better over weight loss while in recovery


    I also think you may need to eat even a little more than maintenance.
    Good luck with your surgery.
    And after you've healed, good luck with your weight loss journey.
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,437 Member
    ruqayyahsmum wrote: »
    Try and eat at maintenance, make sure your body is getting protein and keep up the fluids

    I had surgery Monday and struggling to get in more than a couple hundred calories and I'm weak, dizzy and have a viral throat infection

    Prioritize getting better over weight loss while in recovery

    Good to see you! Seems like it’s been a while. Hope the surgery leftover and virus pack up and vamoose.
  • Adventurista
    Adventurista Posts: 1,778 Member
    Will you have someone there to help with things and meals?

    To make it easier we stocked up on frozen/steamable veggies to heat and eat, single serving yogurt, cheese sticks, pre-bagged salad, single fruits, and other foods that were easy to use.

    Our thought was it is kind of like adjusting food for sick days (instead of like having a long holiday food party) It helped.
  • ruqayyahsmum
    ruqayyahsmum Posts: 1,513 Member
    springlering62 wrote: »
    ruqayyahsmum wrote: »
    Try and eat at maintenance, make sure your body is getting protein and keep up the fluids

    I had surgery Monday and struggling to get in more than a couple hundred calories and I'm weak, dizzy and have a viral throat infection

    Prioritize getting better over weight loss while in recovery

    Good to see you! Seems like it’s been a while. Hope the surgery leftover and virus pack up and vamoose.

    Thank you Hun
    Yeah I've been in and out the last year due to infections that this surgery will hopefully put a halt to
  • Retroguy2000
    Retroguy2000 Posts: 1,847 Member
    edited January 17
    When people say eat at maintenance, I assume they mean eat to maintain current weight? What I mean is, maintenance calorie level is likely higher during recovery than before.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,204 Member
    Retroguy2000 wrote: »
    When people say eat at maintenance, I assume they mean eat to maintain current weight? What I mean is, maintenance calorie level is likely higher during recovery than before.

    I think that's possible. Certainly I've seen people here report that they found they needed extra calories while healing to maintain weight. I assume how much extra depends on how extreme the surgery is, and maybe on individual physiology to some extent.

    For many, I'd guess that starting on estimated maintenance calories would be OK, even if it turned out to be a tiny deficit. If it were me, I'd eat every calorie of it, not lowball the intake. I'm pretty sure that even the generic estimated maintenance would be better than keeping the regular weight loss deficit going!
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,941 Member
    edited January 17
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Retroguy2000 wrote: »
    When people say eat at maintenance, I assume they mean eat to maintain current weight? What I mean is, maintenance calorie level is likely higher during recovery than before.

    I think that's possible. Certainly I've seen people here report that they found they needed extra calories while healing to maintain weight. I assume how much extra depends on how extreme the surgery is, and maybe on individual physiology to some extent.

    For many, I'd guess that starting on estimated maintenance calories would be OK, even if it turned out to be a tiny deficit. If it were me, I'd eat every calorie of it, not lowball the intake. I'm pretty sure that even the generic estimated maintenance would be better than keeping the regular weight loss deficit going!

    Yeah. It really depends on the kind of surgery. When I broke my proximal humerus my calorie needs to not lose weight was nearly 1/3 higher for 4-6 weeks. Despite just sitting on the sofa and doing nothing. But that was a rather bad accident and complex surgery. I also tracked my gallbladder removal. My calorie needs to stay on weight didn't really change.
  • EliseTK1
    EliseTK1 Posts: 483 Member
    As far as staying on track after surgery- I agree with everyone about prioritizing healing and staying at or slightly above your normal maintenance for a short while depending how extensive the recovery is expected to be. Then when you’re feeling better and the doc gives the ok, you can start decreasing calories and moving more again.

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