Running out of steam

[Pkump 46]

I have lost 42 lbs, but still have no stamina. Today I went out to pick up trash with a group and had to quit after 1 1/2 hours. This was after several rest stops. Will this get better with time? I am doing most weights at the gym, will doing more cardio help? Any suggestions on what has worked for you? Thank you.

[Hop_Scotch 1,625]

Taking your supplements? Drinking plenty of fluids? You may be focussing more on Protein intake right now, but do you know an estimate on how many calories you are consuming daily?

[Pkump 46]

500-650 calories. More than enough Water. All supplements taken.

[DaisyAndSunshine 301]

Why already at the gym?! I have read and told Gyms and heavy duty work out should be kept 6 months post op!

My program mostly has me on walking for 6 months more or less - Gradually increasing the time and intensity in those months, but nothing more than that!

I mean you're running on limited calories and for weights and heavy work out your body needs stamina/extra calories which your body can't get in the first few months of the surgery!

At least that's the logic I'll be going with - And incorporating gyms and weights 6 months post-op!

[RickM 1,747]

Assuming that you are not anemic - Iron and B12 levels OK - then another thing to consider is your basic diet and compatibility with your activities. When I was about four months out, I was routinely hitting a wall after about an hour in the pool. Working with my RD, we rejiggered my diet to provide a meal/snack ahead of the workout that was relatively high in complex carbohydrates, moderate in Protein and low to moderate in fats (this is a fairly common pre-exercise suggestion.) For me, that worked out to be a small meat and cheese sandwich on whole grain bread. That made all the difference, and I never had a problem with that again.

My diet before was not specifically low carb (was never into the fad diet game,) but with the small amount that we are eating during this phase, we will by default be low carb and low fat. But timing the intake appropriately, concentrating on what the body needs when, can make a difference when our activity levels are variable through the day.

Check with your surgeon or dietician for other possible suggestions.

[BigSue 1,320]

So, you did an hour and a half of manual labor? You were probably in better shape before surgery than I was, but that's not bad, especially considering how little you're eating!

I would say that cardio will probably help your stamina, as will continuing to lose weight. I didn't get much exercise before my surgery, but I've been doing 30-50 minutes of cardio every day for months and I'm in the best shape of my adult life. I've also lost over 180 pounds, and it's a heck of a lot easier to get around when I'm not carrying around a whole extra person. Last week, I had to walk up 12 flights of stairs. If I had tried to do that before surgery, I would have had to stop and rest a few times and I would have been out of breath and sweaty by the time I got to the top, but I was shocked by how easy it was this time! I just kept going and going.

But I will also say that there are times I feel a little weak and run down, probably just because of my low calorie intake (I'm at ~700 calories per day now), so I guess it's a bit of a mixed bag.

[LaoDaBeirut 158]

That's an extremely low calorie count for that amount of exercise. Does your doctor know what you're doing?

[qianmij 31]

This happens to me every time I expend more energy than usual. I take a break to go eat something. That helps. I’ve even had to take a nap - usually not conducive to the activity. I learned this is simply energy out = energy in. Your body is telling you it needs more energy.

[Pkump 46]

Thank you everybody for the comments. I think I am pushing myself to hard and need to pace myself. Next time I will approach it differently, and have my Water and Protein lose by so I can take periodic rest periods.