Question:
I am 18 months out of bypass surgery, why am I gaining weight?
I walk for an hour every day and I am watching what I eat very carefully. — teresawalton77 (posted on September 3, 2008)
September 3, 2008
I don't suppose it makes a difference what type of surgery you had but if
my personal trainer was talking with you, he would say, "you need to
change out or up, you exercise." Either, extend the length of your
walk, change the pace or the terrain. Your body is used to doing the same
old thing. You need to do something new, whether it be bicycling,
skipping, jumping rope, dancing, but as you can see, walking isn't getting
it.
Marti in San Jose
— Marti P.
September 3, 2008
When you watch what you eat, what do you see? :) What are your guidelines
for eating? What do you eat? Do you keep track of
calories/protein/fat/carbs?
The daily hour long walk is great, but in order to keep getting the same
benefit, you have to make it more challenging. When you walk on a regular
basis, your body gets into better shape... being in better shape means that
you don't have to extend as much energy as you did when you first started
out. Now that you are in better shape, its time to up the ante... If you
want to keep walking, here are some suggestions:
walk a longer distance
walk the same distance faster
alternate between walking and jogging (walk 5, jog 5, walk 5, jog 5)
walk in an area with hills and inclines
walk with arm or ankle weights or a backpack
add arm exercises to the walk
Other fun exercises:
swimming
biking
skating
free weights
weight machines
rowing
sports
Good luck!
— mrsidknee
September 3, 2008
hi,
I am almost 17 months out of bypass and I also have gained a few pounds. I
also have cut down on some of my exercise due to time restrain.
— Alvernlaw
September 3, 2008
18 months...The honeymoon is over...You need to look into what you are
eating. You might start journaling your food and calories (It's an awesome
way to stay honest with yourself) ...At this point (maintenance) it's
mostly now about what you put into your mouth! I can eat quite a bit so I
have to watch my calories and eat lean and low carb and keep below 1800
cals a day with my very active lifestyle. (I am a carpenter and
build/renovate old houses) So I am on my feet and very active all day
long. I took 6 months off to recover from vitamin deficiencies and rest my
body...I have been going non-stop and gained 3 lbs....I think some is
muscle rebuilding. That may be possible for you too...Plus I am retaining
water..I can feel it. So I know I need to make sure to up my water today
and see if that helps my body release the water it is storing...It could be
that simple for you too...But it's a good time to see where you are in
calories and portions...Start measuring out one serving of food...(Example,
cereal= 1/2C serving...Often people just pour in the bowl and eat 1 1/2
C...That's 3 servings! It makes a HUGE difference when you know you are
getting the right amount...Usually one serving is adequate for the
RNYer...I only take one serving and use my measuring cups...It helps me
stay on track. I weigh my meats too although after all this time I can eye
a 4-5-10 ounce piece of meat EASY! I can eat 6 ounces of meat too! But I
only eat 4 ounces (unless I am just a hungry monkey...and then I might take
one or two more ounces of meat and not a carb...or I'll take a veggie/
salad) Every once in a while I pull out my scale to make sure I still can
eyeball the correct serving! I never want to over eat til I am full...I
eat til I am not hungry...and I know I can eat more...I just DON'T! I know
better...I've gained 10 lbs before and it took me 4 months to get it off!
So you really have to watch it from here on out...Hope that helps you..
— .Anita R.
September 3, 2008
I am 23 months out from the DS and am still losing, although is has slowed
down a lot. Believe me, I'm not putting anyone's wls choice, but everyone I
know (including my self, I had a revision to the ds in Oct. '06) who had
the bypass has started to regain their weight after about 2 years.
— scaryreader
September 3, 2008
I meant to say "putting down anyone's choice."
— scaryreader
September 4, 2008
Hi i agree watch your caloric intake and make sure you are taking the
vitamins that are given by your doctor/ why not seek our a nutritionist
that can put you on the right track of your eating habits we all need help
especially when something that is very new to our habits and changes to our
bodies don't be discourage hang in there , i'll be there right with you but
check out and find a nutritionist i am sure they can refer to one. GOOD
LUCK !!!!!!!!!
— alicep1964
September 4, 2008
I too have gained a lot of wt back. But I have nght time hours 12 hours a
night at work on the weekend. I Have not watched what I eat and stopped
walking like I use to. I am going to get really back in to it next week.
— joehager
September 7, 2008
You have some good suggestions here and I'd say keep walking, but don't
stroll, power walk, consider some strap on wrist and ankle weights, while
you do. Do other exercizes too. Perhaps bowling in a league or two would
be a help. That's more exercise than you think. I'm including some tips I
found online which may help everyone:
1
Your body burns more calories digesting ice cold beverages and foods, but
before you give yourself an ice cream headache, there's more.
"The small difference in calories probably won't make a significant
dent in your diet," explains Madelyn Fernstrom, PhD, CNS, founder and
director of the UPMC Weight Management Center in Pittsburgh.
On the bright side, different studies have suggested that five or six ice
cold glasses of water could help you burn about 10 extra calories a day
equaling about 1 pound of nearly effortless weight loss each year.
Tip: Although the metabolism boosting effects are small, it can't hurt to
pour no cal drinks water, tea, coffee on the rocks to maximize your body's
calorie burning potential.
2
Drinking the right amount of water can help you burn more calories. All of
your body's chemical reactions, including your metabolism, depend on water.
If you are dehydrated, you may be burning up to 2% fewer calories,
according to researchers at the University of Utah who monitored the
metabolic rates of 10 adults as they drank varying amounts of water per
day. In the study, those who drank either eight or twelve 8 ounce glasses
of water a day had higher metabolic rates than those who had four.
Tip: If your urine is darker than light straw in color, you may not be
drinking enough fluid. Try sipping one glass before each meal and snack to
stay hydrated.
3
Dieting drops your resting metabolic rate, making it harder to keep weight
off. For every pound you lose, your resting metabolism drops by about 2 to
10 calories a day. Lose 10 pounds, and you now have to eat 20 to 100 fewer
calories to maintain your trimmer physique, not factoring in exercise.
However, you can prevent your metabolic rate from slipping while you get
slim.
One way is to lose fat but maintain muscle. You can do this by reducing
calories and increasing aerobic and resistance exercise, says Hickey. Crash
diets (fewer than 1,000 calories a day) may result in a higher percentage
of muscle loss.
Tip: Lose weight by cutting 250 calories a day and burning 250 calories per
day through exercise. That will help you retain or even gain muscle while
you lose a greater percentage of body fat.
4
Hot, spicy foods will fire up metabolism. Capsaicin, the bioactive
compound that makes chile peppers exude heat, can turn your metabolism up a
notch while also enhancing satiety and reducing hunger.
Studies show that eating about 1 tablespoon of chopped red or green chile
pepper which is equal to 30 mg of capsaicin resulted in up to a temporary
23% boost in metabolism.
In another study, 0.9 g of red pepper was given in capsule form or
naturally in tomato juice before each meal. The researchers noted that the
individuals reduced their total calorie intake by 10 or 16%, respectively,
for 2 days after and still reported being full.
Tip: Sprinkle red pepper flakes onto pasta dishes and into chilis and
stews; fresh chile peppers work well in salsas and add a fiery flavor to
many other dishes.
5
Eating more protein will rev up your metabolism True. Protein provides a
metabolic advantage compared with fat or carbohydrates because your body
uses more energy to process it. This is known as the thermic effect of food
(TEF). Studies show that you may burn up to twice as many calories
digesting protein as carbohydrates.
In a typical diet, 14% of calories come from protein. Double that (and
reduce carbs to make up for the extra calories), and you can burn an
additional 150 to 200 calories a day, explains Donald Layman, PhD, a
professor of nutrition at the University of Illinois.
Tip: To reap protein's rewards, strive for between 10 and 20 g at each of
your meals, says Hickey. Try an 8 ounce cup of low fat plain yogurt with
breakfast (about 13 g), a 1/2 cup serving of hummus with lunch (about 10
g), and a 3 ounce salmon fillet for dinner (about 17 g).
6
Eating a grapefruit before every meal speeds metabolism
Grapefruit won't work miracles for your metabolism, but it can help you
lose weight. Half a grapefruit before meals helped individuals lose about 4
pounds in 12 weeks, according to a study published in the Journal of
Medicinal Food. The reason: Its fiber and water fill you up on fewer
calories, so you eat less at your next meal.
Tip: Instead of soup or salad, try a juicy piece of fresh fruit half a
grapefruit, a tangerine before your main course.
7
Lifting weights boosts your metabolism more than a cardio workout. When you
strength train enough to add 3 pounds of muscle, you increase your calorie
burn by 6 to 8% meaning that you burn about 100 extra calories every day.
Aerobic exercise, on the other hand, doesn't significantly increase your
body's lean muscle mass. "The best way to gain muscle mass is to do
resistance training," notes Ryan D. Andrews, RD, a certified strength
training specialist in Colorado.
Tip: "You want to focus on exercises that recruit the largest muscles
and use two part movements, because they will help you build more lean
mass," Andrews says. His favorites include squats, push ups, and any
exercise that combines upper and lower body movements. For a metabolism
boosting strength training workout, visit prevention.com/burnfat.
8
Celery is a "negative calorie food" because digesting it uses up
more calories than it provides. The thermic effect of food does cause your
body to burn up calories as it processes meals, snacks, and beverages, but
this process accounts for anywhere from 0 to 30% of the calories you eat
(protein, for example, takes more calories to digest than fat or
carbohydrates. A medium size rib of celery has only about 6 calories; its
TEF is approximately half a calorie. In reality, "negative calorie
foods" are nothing more than wishful thinking.
Tip: Include celery as a low cal but filling addition to salads, stir
fries, and soups; you can't depend on it to magically melt away your
trouble spots. But it is healthful: Celery has phthalides, compounds that
can help reduce blood pressure.
9
Tea revs your natural calorie burn. Catechins found in green and oolong
teas can boost the body's fat burning fire.
One study of Japanese women compared the effects of drinking green tea,
oolong tea, or water on various days. Just one large cup of oolong tea
increased calorie burning by up to 10%, a boost that peaked 1 1/2 hours
later. Green tea raised metabolism by 4% for 1 1/2 hours. Other studies
show that drinking two to four cups of green or oolong daily (about 375 to
675 mg of catechins) may translate into an extra 50 calories burned each
day about 5 pounds' worth in a year.
Tip: Try a cup of green or oolong tea in place of your morning coffee for a
dose of caffeine that will wake up your metabolism as well. Instead of milk
or sweetener, add a squeeze of lemon, which may help your body absorb more
catechins.
10
PMS cravings are related to the boost in metabolism before your period. If
there is a silver lining to PMS, it's that our resting metabolic rate may
increase during the part of the menstrual cycle known as the luteal phase
(the day after ovulation to the first day of your period).
The metabolic boost we get from being "hormonal" can equal as
much as 300 calories a day which is why our appetite increases during this
phase.
Tip: Keep a journal of what you eat the week before and the weeks after
your period. Try to maintain your eating pattern over the course of the
month so that you can take advantage of this hormone driven calorie burn.
If you give in to cravings, make sure that you keep portions in check.
11
If you have limited time, exercise at a higher intensity for a metabolic
afterburn. People who exercise at very high intensities experience a
postexercise boost in resting metabolic rate that is larger and lasts
longer compared with those who work out at a low or moderate level. Up the
effort of your workout and you can expect to burn at least 10% of the total
calories used during the workout in the hour or so after exercising. So, if
you do a combo of walking and jogging for 4 miles (about 400 calories)
instead of just walking, you may burn an extra 40 calories in the next few
hours.
Tip: Infuse your workout with bursts of speed. Gradually work your way up
to 2 minute intervals, 3 days a week.
Always,
Dusty @};-
— Dusty Ray Vaughn
September 7, 2008
Sorry to say, but walking for an hour is only worth 300-400 calories. It
doesn't take much to eat 300-400 calories. You should probably write down
everything you eat and you will probably be surprised at how much more you
are taking in in calories. Paula B.
— paulajaneb
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