32 days post op....I have no Energy....ZERO

[Tim C 335]

I am mentally ready to start exercising but just gassed right now. My surgeon said I could get back in the gym at 5 weeks which will be this week, I thought 5 weeks would never get here.Now I am not sure how much I will actually be able to do as I have no energy.Getting to the gym several times a week is critical in my mind to be as successful as I can be. Maybe a result of low caloric intake? I am not sure if there is a supplement I am not getting or that I need to add. I am taking B12. I called the dietitian and left a message. Any suggestions??

Edited March 29, 2021 by Tim C

[catwoman7 10,846]

you're probably right about the low calorie intake being the culprit (or a big one, anyway). I think it was closer to eight weeks before my energy level was back.

[Tim C 335]

5 minutes ago, catwoman7 said:

you're probably right about the low calorie intake being the culprit (or a big one, anyway). I think it was closer to eight weeks before my energy level was back.

Thanks Cat. You have been on here awhile...is this little or no energy common for a while?

5 minutes ago, catwoman7 said:

you're probably right about the low calorie intake being the culprit (or a big one, anyway). I think it was closer to eight weeks before my energy level was back.

[catwoman7 10,846]

1 hour ago, Tim C said:

Thanks Cat. You have been on here awhile...is this little or no energy common for a while?

yes. I'm pretty sure I felt like that for the first couple of months, anyway..

[Creekimp13 5,838]

I felt starvingly ravenous and completely exhausted until I was eating about 1200 calories a day. Luckily, on my plan, I hit that around 3-4 weeks out. For me...I need carbs to feel energized and alive. I don't eat refined carbs anymore, but when my diet lacks fruit and whole grains and beans....yeesh, I feel like I have bricks tied to my feet.

I hope you feel better soon. Talking to the dietician is a good move.

[Tim C 335]

1 hour ago, Creekimp13 said:

I felt starvingly ravenous and completely exhausted until I was eating about 1200 calories a day. Luckily, on my plan, I hit that around 3-4 weeks out. For me...I need carbs to feel energized and alive. I don't eat refined carbs anymore, but when my diet lacks fruit and whole grains and beans....yeesh, I feel like I have bricks tied to my feet.

I hope you feel better soon. Talking to the dietician is a good move.

Thanks for sharing. Bricks on the feet is accurate LOL

[Arabesque 6,447]

We’re all different. Some get their energy back quickly. Some don’t . I didn’t. No energy for ages. Low blood pressure & sugar drops. Even going to do my grocery shopping was exhausting. I’d start off fine & then 5 /10 minutes later I’d hit a wall: jelly legs, cold sweats, light headedness, narrowed vision. Would have to sit down, sip an electrolyte drink or a cup of tea before I could think about moving again. It got better. How long it takes you will depend on your body.

Good luck.

[ms.sss 14,637]

If I remember correctly, I think I was pretty tired the fist week or so...but I was basically eating nothing...i was below 350 for the entire first week...and I know for sure I was dehydrated cuz sipping my Water was as much of a chore as eating was. I remember needing to take a serious rest, or even a nap, after doing just a couple very slow laps around my kitchen island.

I think around the end of week 2 something switched on and I was Energizer Bunny-like (lost of factors may have contributed to this: more food, more water, less pain, less headaches, got a good poop, off my blood pressure meds, got out of the house to socialize, motivations from seeing the scale drop, able to take all my Vitamins, etc...)

Have you checked your B12 levels?

[Tim C 335]

4 minutes ago, ms.sss said:

If I remember correctly, I think I was pretty tired the fist week or so...but I was basically eating nothing...i was below 350 for the entire first week...and I know for sure I was dehydrated cuz sipping my Water was as much of a chore as eating was. I remember needing to take a serious rest, or even a nap, after doing just a couple very slow laps around my kitchen island.

I think around the end of week 2 something switched on and I was Energizer Bunny-like (lost of factors may have contributed to this: more food, more Water, less pain, less headaches, got a good poop, off my blood pressure meds, got out of the house to socialize, motivations from seeing the scale drop, able to take all my Vitamins, etc...)

Have you checked your B12 levels?

The nutritionist thinks it may be my low Iron. I am calling the docs office.

[RickM 1,747]

Quite possibly more than calories, is what those calories are (what is your average calorie count these days?) Since you are already taking B12, that's not likely it (B12 is more of an RNY thing than a VSG thing, but some can be intrinsically low it irrespective, or just diet is low in it for now, though most Multivitamins have enough to do the job.) Overly low carbohydrates are frequently a cause of low energy in the absence of other anemia indicators, as that is where our quick energy comes from. It is what helps us chase down that antelope for dinner, or quickly climb a tree to avoid being a lion's dinner (hoping it's not a leopard chasing us!)

We typically burn off our glycogen reserves (basically stored carb, held mostly in the muscle tissues) and the Water that keeps it in solution first,, usually in the first couple of weeks or so, and then pause while we start to access our fat reserves to rebuild the glycogen back to a functional level - hence the typical rapid weight loss followed by the "three week stall". You may well still be trying to rebuild your glycogen stores to get you that everyday energy that you are expecting. I have seen some programs that specifically want their patients to do a bit of lightweight "carb loading" after surgery to counter this problem - things like oatmeal, cream of wheat, sloppy mashed potatoes, unsweetened apple sauce, watered down fruit juice, etc.

I never had consistent energy problems as you describe, though I did run out of gas more quickly for a while - afternoon naps in the first 2-3 weeks were common and my bedtime shifted an hour or so earlier (my circadian rhythm has stayed shifted by an hour or so ever since - about an hour earlier to bed and hour earlier to get up,) but even within the first week I was outpacing my wife on our walks (granted, not a real high bar, but still....) I was back at the gym within the first 2-3 weeks, mostly to keep my wife in the habit, I basically just walked on the treadmill or did some gentle bike or elliptical work to explore range of motion, but moderate energy was there. I was up into the 900-1000 calorie range within the first couple of weeks, and the doc was adding more veg to the diet as my Protein was satisfactory at 90+. I wasn't specifically carb loading, but neither was I avoiding them - just eating as healthy as possible within the limitations. Later, however, after about four months I was running into an energy wall after about an hour in the pool, and after consulting with the RD on it and added some complex carb ahead of my gym time, I found that a simple piece of toast made all the difference in breaking through that wall. So simple things can make a difference.

[Tim C 335]

2 minutes ago, RickM said:

Quite possibly more than calories, is what those calories are (what is your average calorie count these days?) Since you are already taking B12, that's not likely it (B12 is more of an RNY thing than a VSG thing, but some can be intrinsically low it irrespective, or just diet is low in it for now, though most Multivitamins have enough to do the job.) Overly low carbohydrates are frequently a cause of low energy in the absence of other anemia indicators, as that is where our quick energy comes from. It is what helps us chase down that antelope for dinner, or quickly climb a tree to avoid being a lion's dinner (hoping it's not a leopard chasing us!)

We typically burn off our glycogen reserves (basically stored carb, held mostly in the muscle tissues) and the Water that keeps it in solution first,, usually in the first couple of weeks or so, and then pause while we start to access our fat reserves to rebuild the glycogen back to a functional level - hence the typical rapid weight loss followed by the "three week stall". You may well still be trying to rebuild your glycogen stores to get you that everyday energy that you are expecting. I have seen some programs that specifically want their patients to do a bit of lightweight "carb loading" after surgery to counter this problem - things like oatmeal, cream of wheat, sloppy mashed potatoes, unsweetened apple sauce, watered down fruit juice, etc.

I never had consistent energy problems as you describe, though I did run out of gas more quickly for a while - afternoon naps in the first 2-3 weeks were common and my bedtime shifted an hour or so earlier (my circadian rhythm has stayed shifted by an hour or so ever since - about an hour earlier to bed and hour earlier to get up,) but even within the first week I was outpacing my wife on our walks (granted, not a real high bar, but still....) I was back at the gym within the first 2-3 weeks, mostly to keep my wife in the habit, I basically just walked on the treadmill or did some gentle bike or elliptical work to explore range of motion, but moderate energy was there. I was up into the 900-1000 calorie range within the first couple of weeks, and the doc was adding more veg to the diet as my Protein was satisfactory at 90+. I wasn't specifically carb loading, but neither was I avoiding them - just eating as healthy as possible within the limitations. Later, however, after about four months I was running into an energy wall after about an hour in the pool, and after consulting with the RD on it and added some complex carb ahead of my gym time, I found that a simple piece of toast made all the difference in breaking through that wall. So simple things can make a difference.

Thanks for the info. 800-1000 cals a day. Getting all fluids and Protein in. I am getting no carbs right now or very few. NUT thought it might be an Iron issue