exercize oddity

Okay - this is odd. I was exercizing about four times a week, cardio and strength. Usually for at least 1 1/2 hour each time. I was losing a steady 2 pounds a week. I hurt my knee and pulled a muscle, my doc told me to take three weeks off. Now get this, the last three weeks I haven't excercized and I've lost 12.5 pounds! That's at least 4 pounds a week - what's up with this? I thought we lost more with exercize than without. Candy 266/181/1?? -85

Fluid retention due to muscle fatigue? Wish that had happened to me. When I was exercising 5 days per week, similar pattern as you, I would lose 3 lbs per month. Of late, I've been doing yard work (like riding the tractor to cut the grass) instead of manning the gym equipment. This last month, I lost 1-1/2 lbs. Sue O.

Hi Sue, Muscle fatigue - does that mean I was working out too much? I'm sorry you are having such a hard time lately losing. I hope it gets better for you! I went through that for two months when I was about 1 1/2 months out. I thought I was going to go crazy, but I lost a ton of inches. Thanks, Candy

You really shouldn't get discouraged when you look like you are losing more weight not exercising than when you are able to exercise. It's a fact that muscle weighs almost 2X the amount that fat weighs. When you exercise as much as you sounded like you were exercising you are simply building up muscle mass. Muscle is a good thing as it helps to burn fat easier. In the long run you will see the results both on the scale and by toning your body. Don't get down on yourself by stopping your exercising just because you seem to lose more weight that way. Exercising, both cardio and weight training, is an integral part of the post-op and maintenance process and you are only helping your own cause by continuing with it. I good way to test this theory is to try and find a scale or a doctor with a muscle mass indictator built in. Not something that measures your percentage of body fat as that isn't good enough. You need something that will actually tell you how much of your weight is made of muscle. If you are able to compare before and after, say every month or two, and you continue to exercise and weight train, I think you'll be very surprised at what you see. I was able to _gain_ 20 lbs of just muscle in only a month, from April to May, while still losing 17 lbs on the scale. So you can see that sometimes the scale isn't the best way to judge how you are doing. Stay on track... sounds to me like you are doing everything right. BigDog Brad RNY Dec. 15th, 2004 EBW -- 45%

BigDog Brad, Thanks for all the information. I know I need to get back to the gym. I've decided to start back Saturday morning while my daughter is at swim practice. I will see if my doctors office has one of those scales that measures muscle mass. I'll check with my gym also. Thanks! Candy 266/181/1?? -85

Candy, I sure wish that would happen to me. I've been off for the last week and a half due to moving and other stuff going on and have been stalled. If I don't exercise, I just plain don't lose. I got started back today so hopefully it will start moving again. Take care of that knee. Loni