Man, did I ever **** off some women on the lap band page!

Even smart people are very confused on this subject.  At my first post-op appointment I asked my surgeon (who is an awesome surgeon and well reputed, BTW) how soon I could start lifting heavy.  He wanted me to wait at least six months.  I asked why, and he said he was afraid heavy weight training could interfere with my weight loss. I just stared dumbfounded at the floor for about 2 minutes.  I have respectfully ignored him on this subject. According to my body fat scale, I've lost 103 pounds so far and 110 of that was fat (slight muscle gain, mostly water gain).  I suppose if I hadn't worked out and ate 20 grams of protein a day, it's theoretically possible I might have lost more total weight in this time thanks to all the muscle I'd have lost, but somehow I'll get over it.

you need to watch your self over there and if I were you I would sick to the locker room for awhile!!!

yeah, seems to me they would be the ones who know that extra protein can also cause weight loss. it works both ways. use it lose or gain. i suppose i would weigh less as well if i cut out the protein use, swam more, lifted less and stopped the creatine. however, i have a very specific plan for my bod. i use high intensity routines with all supersets and i do abs in between sets instead of rest. so it's a hard fast split routine. then i either run 3 miles or swim 2 miles. this routine gives me mass but the aerobic work keeps me lean with definition. i would rather have vascularity and definition. this still requires 150 grams of protein a day with creatine which as you mentioned, keeps my weight up higher than if i did not take these suppliments. but i also push the weights higher every chance i get for mass. but again, to the whole point of this thread, there's no way i'll have 20" arms and be a mass monster! i don't have the skill, genetics and time to work out to have that type of body.

don't blame your doc for not knowing better. i find hardly any of them understand the lifting life style. it's a science unto itself. just one more case to make that even your doc thinks you'll turn into the hulk if you lift! wi**** was that easy.....carbonblob

Well, in fairness to my doc, I think it depends on whether you're looking at the short, medium, or long term. Short term (first six months), just doing aerobics and eating nothing right after surgery probably will get the fastest weight loss.  Unfortunately, as studies posted here have shown, as much as half of that loss can be muscle, particularly torso muscle no longer necessary for stabilization of your big rear/stomach. Medium term (1-3 years), there's no doubt in my mind heavy lifting from very early on will maintain muscle, which will push the weight loss further out after the so-called "honeymoon" period and result in a much better composition at whatever weight you end up at.  Plus, it's simple math that a more muscular body will burn more calories, so even if cutting muscle generates more loss, it's inevitable that within a couple years you'll be gaining some back compared to the lifter if you eat the same number of calories (as we've seen happens repeatedly).  (Or, as I told my doc, "Look, I'm a man trying to be healthy and fit at whatever weight that requires, and I could be equally happy at 170 and 215.  I'm not one of your female patients who absolutely must get to128 pounds, if only for a day, because that's what they weighed when they graduated from high school, and don't care how healthy or toned they are when they get there.") Long term (5-20 years down the line) I think the answer is more ambiguous.  How many patients will actually still be lifting weights 10 years after surgery?  If we assume not many, then I suppose there is a risk the lifters will get used to eating more calories (because they can while lifting) but then quit lifting and gain weight.  Sort of the college football player syndrome.  The non-lifters might never be exposed to that high-calorie world post-op and consequently might have an easier time maintaining low calorie intakes long term.  But while I'm motivated, I'd rather get as fit as I can, and I'll do my best to keep my head on straight about food consumption now and later.

good post. you hit it right on the head. i didn't start lifting for months after the surgery and then i took a couple more months easing into it. as for down the road, i'm not sure if i'll be lifting 10 years from now. i just know i'll be doing some type of exercise health permitting. it's part of my lifestyle now to always exercise. this is where i failed last time. you correctly mentioned that we need to cut our calories if we do stop. this is where all those good habits we tried to adapt comes into play. i try so hard to stop eating when i'm actually full. this is going to be my saving grace. if i can just stop stuffing myself in a few moments i feel full and don't need to eat more.

as for now i can eat just about as many calories as i like but i don't. it seems like i don't gain weight no matter what i do or eat but that's a trap that will likely get me at some point. if i cut back on the weights i'll stop eating the extra calories. you also make a good point that an ounce of muscle burns more calories that an ounce of fat. so just keeping in shape i burn more calories just feeding my muscles. for some reason this time around my body is more efficient at burning calories, like my metabolism is turned up. this never happened before. it's great. now i don't lift to look like a body builder but the lifting i do generates a lot of calorie burning throughout the day. so like you i'll stay as fit as i can and keep my head and ass wired together.....carbonblob

I pissed them off more than you did, believe me.  I misread the title of the forum and thought it said 'lap dance.'  So I took off my virtual clothes and jumped in feet first and took a chair and asked for takers.  There were women pinging my web address and death threats.  Geez, it's not like I wanted anything, just a dance.  LOL