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Exercising on small amounts of food post-surgery?

Right now if I eat a very small amount of food and then try to exercise I get lightheaded, weak, tired, and feel like passing out. Does that change after the surgery? I see lots of posts about people exercising 1-2 hours a day... how do you do that on so few calories without feeling like passing out?

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Pre-surgery, I've never felt like that during a workout. Post-surgery, I've only felt like I was going to pass out when I was walking in the Texas heat! I started adding a banana to my diet and that made a big difference in post-walking recovery. I think its less about how many calories I'm eating and more about the amount of nutrition I'm getting from food.

U may be trying to do too much too soon.

Keep it simple...walking is always a good starter.

Even hand weights could be too much until you heal inside and out!

Good luck

I go to they gym after I have had my morning Protein shake/tea. I have just recently started strength training and I feel pretty good and am able to get thru itit all and still do 30 mins on treadmill.

I usually wait about 40 mins then go, that way I can drink my Water while I am there too!!

I am on the pre-op liquid diet currently and exercised for 2 hours last night (water aerobics) and felt totally fine. I am sure post surgery I will not be doing an aerobics class though. I'll probably just be walking or water-walking at most. My suggestion would be to have a shake 30 minutes before working out? And make sure you drink water while working out and listen to your body. You don't want to jump in with 2 hours of walking/working out as soon as you're cleared for exercise. That's the kind of thing you work up to!

Can't tell you why but I've never had a problem with it post op. I do 3-5 mile runs easily on very few calories. If I am going longer than that or am racing I will add some extra carbs--fruit, dried fruit, oatmeal, flax or coconut flour pancakes. I always try and have a Protein shake within a half hour of finishing my run though.

One thing maybe is my exercise has increased as my weight has decreased so I am moving 130 pounds less around and it's not as tiring. My endurance has built up slowly as the weight dropped. So it's different post op that way.

@ Thank you for posting this- I have been wondering the same thing and have been slightly worried!!!

But I think @@jess9395 has a good point, though...maybe once we lose some weight, our bodies will not have to be working as hard to get our groove on therfore will not need as much energy (aka food).

But I have been worrying because if I don't eat very much...sometimes I get really clammy, hot, shaky and feel like I am going to pass out. I have had labs done and my doc didn't show any issues with my blood-work.

I wonder if the loss of ghrelin accounts for being able to work out with little food at all?

I guess we will find out, eh?!

My doc told me to cut back on exercise until I get closer to my protein and calorie goal I was walking 60-70 minutes a day and getting only 30-40 grams of protein. He said my body will start holding onto the weight. He also said I would start losing muscle instead of fat.. I was feeling great getting that much exercise but I've cut back because The doc knows what he's talking about. .

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