I'm Pooped...

Ok, so I'm heading into week 2 and I've noticed something over the last 2 days - I'm tired as all get out. At first I was tired just from recovering from the surgery, but I was really energetic there for a few days. All of a sudden I feel like you'd have to peel me off the couch to get me to do anything. If I get up and try to be active, I'm worn out. Not sleepy tired, just physically tired and kinda weak sometimes.

Do you think I'm not getting enough protein or calories? My surgeon's nurse told me not to worry about the calories or protein so much for the first two weeks, just make sure I'm getting at least 64oz of fluids. I've been trying to get as much protein as I can in there anyway though. I'm averaging about 50g of protein a day, but I'm not really sure what the calorie count is. The really crazy part is that I'm not sleeping that much. I get maybe about 6 hours of sleep and then I'm wide awake.

Anybody else have stuff like this?

 

Definitely felt very similar to you. 

I was really up and down mentally and physically the first 6-8 weeks post-op.  Some days I felt great, others I was really tired.  I tried to figure out the pattern - calories, food, exercise but there did not seem to be any real identifiable one.  Surgery, anesthesia and the change in diet are definitely shocking to the body so I attributed (as do many on this site) my physical tiredness to a combination of these factors.   I definitely did (do) feel better the days I walked.  As for sleeping, I have had the popping awake at 4-6 am problem for years now.  It has not really gotten any better with the weight loss unfortunately.  I've also seen this questioned and commented on frequently without any real answers.

Be sure to ask all of these questions at your next post-op appointment. 

I don't think I felt close to 100% until at least a month out of surgery. I did stuff ..but was always tired doing it.

It took me a little over a month to get back to 100%.  I remember at 3 weeks out, I decided to go for a mountain hike.  It was spring, sunny, and I thought I felt well enough.  Well, one hour out, at the furthest point from my car, I bottomed out.  I thought I was going to die on the way back.  My body was telling me that it wasn't ready for such strenuous activity and that I was trying way too much way too soon.  So, I just rested the next couple of weeks.

Remember that your body just had a major restructuring.  While you feel like a do-nothing slug, your body is working it's ass off trying to heal and deal with all of the changes.  So just relax and give it some time; save any energy you may have for your body to heal itself.

Believe me, at a certain point, some get there before others, you'll have so much energy that you won't know what to do with it.  You have the rest of your life to do all of the things you never thought youcould do.  So just give your body these few weeks.  And don't worry.  It's completely normal.

Cheers,

Chris

What Chris said. 

One thing I noticed was that it took me about 6 weeks to be able to feel "slightly tired" or "mostly tired" again.  I would go from being rested and ready to go to exhausted very, very abruptly.

At two weeks out I was doing 20 minute walks 2 times a day, making sure my walk would bring me back to my car or apartment at exactly the 20 minute point.  That wall would hit just a few minutes before, but I'd be close enough to base where I didn't hurt myself.

gurl.... take it easy!!!    Your body went through a major reorg.
The tiredness will probably go on for about a month.  I went back to work after 3 weeks and I was suffering from a chinese disease (Dragon Ass)
I felt like a truck hit me.
You'll get your energy back after the first month.
just make sure you're getting your walking in...it really helps with the tiredness

Are you doing B-50 Complex?   I would start taking one a day if you aren't.  They really help with the energy. (along with the B-12)

Keep it up!!

Tony

I don't think I felt quite myself until about 10 weeks post surgery.  The body can take a while to heal up.  It was also the change of diet to soft foods, no solids.  There was only so much my body could do with 500 calories a day but I did enjoy the rapid weightloss of those first 5 weeks.  Now the weightloss is slower but I feel much better.  I think you will look back and hardly remember this time in a few months.  Just take it easy on yourself and continue to do the next right thing.

Congratulations on making it past the surgery!