Questions for Post-ops

Hi! I'm new here, currently bickering with Aetna until they cover me Just a few quick questions for you post-ops- Did anyone here have a lot of muscle before? Did it affect your skin shrinking back? I was a high level athlete, and it is all still underneath the fat- I lift weights a lot... Wondering if it ups my odds of shrinking How's the post-op energy level? Do you find it difficult to be active everyday? After the surgery I'll mostly be going to school and working part-time, and working out everyday... is this hard for you guys? How long after surgery were you able to really workout- lifting weights, more intense cardio than walking... I have gotten too big to run now, and I can't wait to be able to again! I'll just post these since there's a theme, and save the other questions for later... don't want to bog you guys down! Thanks in advance for educating me Valarie

Hi Valarie. Pretty name by the way. I'm a new post-op myself, so I don't know all the answers... Yet! =) 1) No, I did not have a lot of muscle pre-op. I still don't now, and I probably never will! LOL But as far as skin sagging/shrinking... I think that having a muscular build will help things. Skin issues are different for everyone. The faster you lose, the more your skin sags. The more you have to lose, the more your skin sags, etc. 2) I am 5 weeks post-op. I just came back from my walk, and besides the burning lungs, I feel great! I had an open surgery, so it's still hard for me to do things like bend over for long periods of time. I'm going to work on Monday. (Full-Time) I haven't started back at school yet... Haven't gone since Fall of 2002. I am going back though, but I'm going to wait a year, because then my new job will cover my school costs! (How cool is that?!) 3) So far, I am only cleared for walking. The doc told me that for 2 months, lift nothing, push nothing, nor pull anything over 8 pounds. I still am not allowed to take baths, swim, or submerge myself in water! =( But, when I can, I'm going to take it slow. I've read of people who started to work out, and did too much, too soon, and popped a hernia. Hernias can happen at any time, but you are more prone to them for the first year or so after surgery. Don't be worried about bogging us down with questions! I for one, could talk all day long about the things I've been experiencing. No one around home wants to listen anymore! =( *sniffles* Good luck to you, Amanda

Hey Valarie, I was also an athlete at one point in my life, but I was always a heavy athlete. I played ice hockey and lacrosse and basketball. I had a lot of muscle and kept it over the years, but it hasn't done anything to help with the loose skin. It does make me seem smaller to people than my actual weight would indicate. People always give me the line...there is no way you weigh that much, but I do I believe working out and drinking water can help the skin issue, but not that much in my case...everyone is different though. And lean muscle is great because as you know it speeds the metabolism. I posted before that I use the analogy of blowing up a balloon...if it stays blown up for a while and then you let the air out it never goes back to the original balloon shape. I hope that helps to answer your question Hugs, Sara

from what my doctor said, weight lifting and regular exercise after surgery is the key to keeping yourself toned. with rapid weight loss you WILL loose muscle mass, there's no getting around that. the body goes for the quickest source of energy (rich muscle tissue) and uses the hardest to burn energy last (fat). so, light weight lifting and exercise can put BACK much of that muscle tone which fills out the looser skin. it doesn't really absorb the excess skin, per say, it just helps keep it from flapping all around as much. hope that helps!