Hi all, the ONE biggest mistake I made post op was not joining a gym and going hard core into gym life. I have regained a solid portion of my initial weight loss. I am struggling. New surgeon put me on Contrave for a few weeks to kick me in the butt. As part of this process, he also asked me to focus on eating 6-8 times a day, with dinner being the only 'meal' and all others being protein focused mini-meals such as a shake, a hunk of cheese, and a deviled egg, a quest bar, a few meatballs, etc.

At the same time, I joined the local community center and had a trainer set up a program for me to get started. My ultimate goal is to get fiercely strong, buff and hopefully have enough muscle ratio that my metabolic burn will stay consistent and I can eat like a lifter. A little piece of my brain has a HUGE dream that someday, I'll be fit and buff enough to compete in a fitness competition....But for now, this is just a simple program to get my metabolism going.

I'm a bit nervous that I could potentially drop my blood sugar while lifting and get that horrible hypoglycemic feeling. I've dropped before during times of great stress. I THINK if I eat half a quest before I lift, and half WHILE I lift that would help.

I don't really have any access to somebody who can guide my process. The trainer at my gym is solely trained in basic exercise science. The NUT at my doc's office is looking at ONLY a bariatric approach. I really would love to find a trainer who could expertly design an eating plan AND a workout plan for me.

I'd love input from those gym life folks who can recommend to me WHO to see, what to eat pre workout, intra workout and post workout, and any suggestions for getting myself going in the right direction, once and for all.

1 hour ago, mi75 said:

I really would love to find a trainer who could expertly design an eating plan AND a workout plan for me.

What about a dietitian that has a line of contact to your personal trainer or gym trainer and you.

I envisage a valid three-way exchange.

Do you test your blood sugar or are you basing your assumptions about blood sugar dropping on how you feel? I guess I'm basically asking because if you feel your blood sugar is low, that's fairly significant, but if you know your readings, you can take steps before you get to that point.

As a clinician I would suggest a referral to an endocrinologist if you have a history of hypos during intense workout. Maybe he/she can work out peak times of your insulin levels and possibly have you work out during those times.

In reply to above, I'm a NP and have never had history of hypos during workouts. My feeling of hypo post VSG comes with typical symptoms of shakiness, foggy brain, slowed speech, etc. All very typical.

I will definitely consider this option. thanks!

Until 2013 I competed in powerlifting. I am now back at the gym doing 30 minutes of weights and 1 hour of cardio 4xs per week. I am 6 months post op. I'm not sure I want to go back to powerlifting but I see the difference in the mirror. Ive definitely got my muscle back. I'm not as strong as before because I'm smaller, but I am still strong for my size. Of course I have muscle memory working in my favor. I'm also diabetic. I work out in the afternoon after I've had a chance to eat a few meals. I eat a high protein meal just before I workout and immediately afterwards. Could you qualify for a continuous glucose monitor. With that you would know what your blood sugar is at while you work out.

10 hours ago, Zadruga said:

Until 2013 I competed in powerlifting.

Competive powerlifter?! Here on this forum?! WTF?!! How have we not crossed paths before?

At 6 month post op your stamina is going to be low as will your strength. Building new muscle will take patience and dedication. I would love to talk more about the main lifts (squat, deadlift, & OHP) if you decide to go back that route. I am not making the progress I want and I do not know if it is the diet holding me back or the lifetime of injuries that prevent me from making gains.

Before I get ahead of myself though, I need you to prove your "worth". High bar or low bar squats?

On 9/17/2017 at 0:43 PM, mi75 said:

Hi all, the ONE biggest mistake I made post op was not joining a gym and going hard core into gym life. I have regained a solid portion of my initial weight loss. I am struggling. New surgeon put me on Contrave for a few weeks to kick me in the butt. As part of this process, he also asked me to focus on eating 6-8 times a day, with dinner being the only 'meal' and all others being Protein focused mini-meals such as a shake, a hunk of cheese, and a deviled egg, a Quest bar, a few meatballs, etc.

At the same time, I joined the local community center and had a trainer set up a program for me to get started. My ultimate goal is to get fiercely strong, buff and hopefully have enough muscle ratio that my metabolic burn will stay consistent and I can eat like a lifter. But for now, this is just a simple program to get my metabolism going.

I'm a bit nervous that I could potentially drop my blood sugar while lifting and get that horrible hypoglycemic feeling. I've dropped before during times of great stress. I THINK if I eat half a quest before I lift, and half WHILE I lift that would help.

I don't really have any access to somebody who can guide my process. The trainer at my gym is solely trained in basic exercise science. The NUT at my doc's office is looking at ONLY a bariatric approach. I really would love to find a trainer who could expertly design an eating plan AND a workout plan for me.

I'd love input from those gym life folks who can recommend to me WHO to see, what to eat pre workout, intra workout and post workout, and any suggestions for getting myself going in the right direction, once and for all.

Give yourself credit for getting back on the horse and putting the focus on your health!

We all start out with a basic lifting plan and progress. Weight loss and muscle gains do not happen overnight.

Your goal right now is weight loss....right? Did your dietician give you a calorie and protein goal to hit?

You will still eat according to your dieticians high protein plan. Weight lifters eat a diet to shred (lose weight to expose muscle) You can't eat a weightlifters bulking diet to gain muscle and expect weight loss.

Get fit in the gym lose weight in the kitchen. One pound of muscle burns 50 calories. You are still going to gain strength and build muscle with time.

Hypoglycemia is manageable.

Get diagnosed and prescribed glucose testing kit. Keep track of your low blood sugars. You will sit down with your dietician and make adjustments to keep your glucose levels in check (I am three years out. I'm a type one diabetic. I have reactive hypoglycemia after surgery)

I lift and distance run. I eat protein before and after the gym. I keep healthy snacks in my gym bag. I only eat them if my blood sugar drops below 70,

You can reach your dream!!!! Build into a fitness bad ass!

10 hours ago, BigViffer said:

Before I get ahead of myself though, I need you to prove your "worth". High bar or low bar squats?

In Australia, this is referred to as a "p1551ng contest between alpha males". <GRIN>

Bad back don't do squats. Though back is doing better since weight loss surgery might have to give them a try. I don't have a lifting partner so kind of hate to do them if I don't have someone to help me with my form. I haven't benched either as I don't have a spotter and grabbing someone off the floor to spot me is frustrating nobody knows how to spot correctly. I miss benching.

I'll agree with you that no one knows how to spot correctly. I had one guy offer to spot me even though I was in the power rack and had the safties set. That guy must have got a pretty good work out doing rows because he never let go of the bar and I barely had to work. All the while he was yelling, "It's all you bro!"

Ugh... meatheads.

I only do bench press because it's in my training program. It is by far my least favorite of the primary lifts. I much prefer the overhead press. As for my back, the entire reason I had surgery was to lose weight for back surgery. As I lost the weight, my back got so much better it was incredible. I never did have that surgery. It's not gone away, but I may have pushed off the necessity of it for another 10 years. Deadlifts have been the best thing I have done for my back. I have a love/hate relationship with deadlifts. I dread them all the way until I am done. Then I love them!

If you do get back into barbell training, I truly hope that you will get on here and detail your progress. I would dearly love to have someone with a similar background health wise to compare notes with.