Advice for hubby

Hi all,

Writing to you from Sydney, Australia. Hubby is having VSG in 4 weeks' time.

He is an unusual build in that he would be classed as a 'lightweight' for VSG and I haven't found any gents his height - he is 220lb and 5'2 - so would be classed as 'short and stocky'. BMI of 40 which is classed as obese however as the doctor said in actual fact the bulk of his weight is from very muscular biceps and quads. He is having the surgery due to comorbidities such as sleep apnoea and joint pain.

Ultimately he wants to get down to 175lb so I understand this is quite a small weight loss compared to what many people can expect from VSG.

I guess we are just trying to find out (he does not use internet much hence my asking for him) how can we ensure he does not get too much lower than 175lb and is there any way he can avoid losing his biceps and quads definition (he is muscular there but all the weight is concentrated around the tummy and throat area, which are two of the most dangerous places to carry fat)

Looking forward to learning from you all here.

Thanks!

Sleever's Wife in Oz

Sleever's Wife in Oz,

Since VSG is not a malabsorptive surgery, weight loss is due to volume restriction.  So, he will need to really focus on a protein-rich diet and continue with his strength training regiment (once cleared by his surgeon) to maintain his muscle mass or at least minimize the loss.  This will be a real challenge especially during the first 6 weeks post-op.  He will need to supplement with Whey protein to ensure he has sufficient amino acids and protein for muscle recovery and growth.

Rule of thumb for daily protein intake is 0.8 to 1.5 gms protein per kg muscle mass depending on activity.  So, a very active man with 160 lbs (73 kg) muscle mass would need 1.5 x 73 = 109 g protein per day.  This is a lot post-op even when drinking protein shakes.  So, he will probably lose some muscle mass until he can get this amount of protein intake.

Good luck!

Mike