If you are obese or morbidly obese, the best way to lose up to 80 percent of your excess weight involves a three-step plan. First is choosing the right bariatric surgery for you. Gastric bypass, duodenal switch, gastric sleeve, and so on.
After that, changing the way you eat with a healthier lifelong diet will help you lose weight and keep the weight off. A liquid diet for the first two weeks will help the body adapt to the upcoming changes in food intake. Your body will get used to eating less, you’ll feel fuller faster, and hunger pangs will diminish.
The final step is the post-surgery exercise. Along with the surgery and new diet, increased physical activity has been proven to be the most effective way to lose excess weight and keep it off long-term. In the first six months, gastric sleeve surgery patients can lose in excess of 60 pounds and continue to lose weight after that.
Building Muscle After Gastric Sleeve
As with any new exercise program, it’s important to start slow. If you haven’t been to the gym in a while – or ever – it can be a bit of a scary place. How to use the machines, what weights are right for you, or just knowing the common etiquette can be difficult.
Especially since you don’t “look” like everyone else. That’s natural. There’s nothing that says you have to go to the gym alone to begin weightlifting, though. Having a personal trainer show you around, explain the machines, and work on your form will go a long way to making you more comfortable.
In fact, you may not even use weights at the start. Weightlifting after bariatric surgery could be as simple as using your own body weight. Almost all weight lifting or strength training is a form of resistance training. This is when muscles need to contract to push or pull a certain amount of weight.
But no one says it has to be a free weight or a machine. Modified push-ups, pushing yourself up and out of a chair, or simple lunges are enough to get the blood flowing and produce a little sweat. As you begin to lose weight and improve your strength, you will introduce more resistance training to your repertoire.
This will help you build lean muscle as well as burn calories to help lose weight and keep it off. As important as it was to start slow, it’s just as important to stick with it. Remember, this is a life-long journey – you won’t just stop setting goals after you’ve reached your target weight goal.
This is your lifestyle now. You’ll feel better and will be able to do all of the things that you used to do. Or start doing things you never thought possible. Playing at the park with kids or grandkids, lifting a heavy bag of dog food into the cart, or bringing in wood for the fireplace without needing breaks.
Can You Lift Weights After Gastric Sleeve Surgery?
Any exercise program after weight loss surgery will involve building muscle mass. That is just one aspect when it comes to regular exercise a few weeks after surgery, however. Cardiovascular health and flexibility are other important parts of any exercise regimen. Especially if you’re obese or morbidly obese.
Just like with weightlifting, though, the key is to start slow and learn proper techniques. Learning how to breathe when you walk and how to hold certain stretches go a long way to preventing injuries and getting the most out of your exercise routine.
Aerobic exercise such as running, jogging, biking, etc. are designed to get your heart rate up and increase your stamina. At first, you’ll probably be limited to walks around your neighborhood. This has more to do with what you are physically able to do as opposed to the surgery.
Even before you start exercising, learning how to stretch is key to preventing injuries from happening or aggravating old injuries. Not only will this help with your flexibility, but will also keep your muscles loose for the upcoming physical activity. Even professional athletes stretch before practice or a game – so should you!
One Facility, One Plan
At WeightWise, we know what a big decision having bariatric surgery is. Scheduling the first consultation, having the surgery, and altering your lifestyle are all very big steps. So we wanted to make the process as easy as possible for you.
The surgery, diet planning, and personal training all happen under one roof at WeightWise. Instead of driving all over to town to meet with exercise physiologists or dietitians, we have it all here for you in one place. With everyone working together, it’s much easier to be on the same page.
Is it time you started seriously considering weight-loss surgery? Please watch our FREE online seminar to see how our program works and what makes it so successful. When you’re ready to make the call to meet with a surgeon, we’ll be here for you.