Hi, I am ready to begin working out with a personal trainer. I would like to know if I should tell my trainer about my Gastric Sleeve surgery or not??

I'm asking because they will put together a nutrition plan ; yet I don't eat much as it is.

You don’t need the nutrition plan but you should let them know you have had abdominal surgery so that they don’t give you exercises that could cause issues before you are fully healed

You probably don't need their recommended nutrition plan, but you might want to tell them about your surgery because there are weight restrictions for about 6 weeks post-op and you don't want to do anything too strenuous.

Yes! Please do. I made the mistake several years ago of not telling my personal trainer I'd had a recent laproscopic surgery because it was fertility related and I didn't want to discuss it.

The belly button incision seemed to be sensitive for months longer than the other spots. Turned out I had an umbilical hernia from lifting too heavy and using my abs too soon.

4 years later, I finally had it repaired when I had my gastric bypass. Brutal recovery. You can bet I've been very careful since and I always wear my weight belt. ?

Just my opinion....I agree you need to be careful to insure you do not cause any damage from lifting too heavy. Talk to your surgeon and let him/her know your plans. Follow his/her guidelines. If something doesn't feel right don't do it.

I didn't tell my trainer about my surgery. I didn't want any unsolicited opinions or judgement. Trust me, most are super helpful but trainers can be judgy. I also am pretty sure if you tell your trainer, every trainer in the gym will be informed. It's a close knit community. Since I don't tell everyone about my surgery I wasn't going to share this info. A lot are young and think they have every aspect of fitness figured out! If you talk to ten trainers you might get ten different answers. I found a great one that helped me so much.....but I still didn't tell her I had surgery. She did however know I lost a considerable amount of weight. She was fabulous about taking my age and previous condition into consideration. She pushed me hard during the times I needed to be pushed. I've seen great results with her!

They provided some nutrition advice and/or guidelines. I politely smiled while nodding my head and then followed my surgeon's plan. Most likely they will assume you are following their nutrition plan because you will see results, no need to tell them otherwise.

Anyway, just some things to take into consideration.

Hiding your surgery from your trainer because you're afraid of how they my judge you is a really bad decision. Your trainer needs to know about your physical condition---and what surgeries, injuries, physical issues you have had that may effect his or her decisions about how best to approach your training. If the trainer makes a stupid comment or acts less than 100% professional, get a different trainer. We can't hide our surgery from everyone for fear of judgment--if they don't like it, f--k them. I don't work with a personal trainer, but the trainers in my gym know about my surgery and they have been very supportive of my decision. I have had one tell me not to take her abs class yet because it was too soon after surgery and she suggested how long I should wait (which ended being around the same amount of time as my doctor suggested I would be ready). If they have been in the profession for a while, they have probably worked with bariatric patients in the past--but you won't know that until you talk to them.

Yes, tell your trainer

Yes, tell your trainer

From my own experience, yes—you should absolutely tell your trainer about your surgery.

I had a knee injury a little over two years ago, and at first I didn’t realize how important it was to explain everything to the trainers I worked with. I bounced around between a few trainers because some didn’t really understand my limitations, or they’d push me into movements that made my knee feel worse instead of better. That was frustrating, and it made me hesitant to keep going.

Eventually, I connected with an in-home personal trainer (from Leading Edge Personal Trainers) here in NYC who really took the time to listen and adapt workouts around my condition. We focused on rebuilding strength without putting too much stress on my knee, and over time I was able to make progress without constant setbacks.

Being upfront about your surgery helps your trainer create a plan that works for you. It might take a little trial and error to find someone who really gets it, but once you do, the difference is huge.