What are the effect of Banding on Muscle Mass?

CMF · July 30, 2008

Can you build, or at least maintain, your current muscle mass on a lap band diet? Are there bandsters out there that pump some serious Iron? ?

Thanks,

Charles

Edited July 30, 2008 by CMF

areellady · July 30, 2008

I have a lot of muscle since banding. Muscle that I haven't had in years.

aubrie · July 31, 2008

I was a committed couch potato before banding. I was so weak I had trouble moving and going up stairs. I started exercising and I now have all kinds of muscle. Even muscle definition that I never had when thinner. I have just broken through a three month plateau with no weight loss what so ever. BUT, I lost an entire dress size. Muscle weighs more than fat, so I lost without seeing it on the scale. YES, you can develop muscle with the band!! It works better that way. Higher metabolism.

Jachut · July 31, 2008

This has been argued quite a lot on here, it particularly arises when people make comments like "my ideal body weight is 140lb but I have 190lb of muscle right now, so I dont need to go that low".

Wrong. As you lose weight, you WILL lose muscle, no matter what you do. Even if you pump Iron. Your body simply will not need as much to carry you around. You can be much more muscular at the end of your journey but still not have 190lb of muscle left.

What you want to end up with is a good lean body ratio at the end of it. And to do that you need to protect your muscle with exercise.

But there's also a lot of guff out there about how cardio wastes muscle away and how you have to scoff Protein all day every day. I can tell you I eat a carb based diet and run for exercise and I'm more toned and muscular than I've ever had in my life, and a totally different shaped body to boot. My legs are like Iron, and my stomach muscles are so strong, heck, even my upper body has nice definition now but I can guarantee there's physically less muscle there than there was when I had to haul 245lb around every day.

So eat well, be active, that's all it takes. Pumping iron will obviously give you even more muscle, and its great for you, so if you enjoy it, do it!

Even though you will lose muscle as you lose weight (you never lose just fat) its the ratio of muscle to fat on your body that's important and there's no reason why you cant improve that with weight loss. So even with less actual weight of muscle on you 100lb from now, you can be MORE muscular and have a better body composition.

Does that make sense? It sounds confusing to me and I know what I mean!

Edited July 31, 2008 by Jachut

CMF · August 1, 2008

I asked the question after looking at the pic gallery in a low carb forum and then looking at the pic gallery in this forum. It struck me that there are many serious hard body low carbers, not so much in the gallery for this forum.

I mentioned this to my wife and she pointed out that while all bandsters started out as obese, there are many low carbers that just wanted to loose a few pound. Ergo, comparing the pics from the two groups was not reasonable.

Charles

Eat2Live · August 1, 2008

Obviously, your body will feed off its own muscle during different stages of a diet if you simply reduce your diet to calories based on carbs. Couple of things to remember:

First and foremost, weight training doesn't mean, you're a grunting goon in a gym surrounded by meatheads beating their chest. A simple circuit 6-8 of nautilus exercises at a weight that fatigues your muscle at 8-12 reps (couldn't do the last rep=fatigue) will improve muscle mass. This work-out takes less than 20 minutes per session if you move briskly in the circuit.

Increased muscle mass translates to increased metabolism.

Eating the correct amount of Protein will provide a source of protien to your body in place of your current muscle.

Weight training provides caloric burn much longer than cardio.

Saggy skin is often remedied by placing muscle under that skin.

Lactic acid produced during muscle breakdown creates soreness. Simply doing cardio can cause this while incorporating weight training to disapate lactic acid as a remedy and vice versa (ever wondered why picthers do enormous amounts of running after pitching a game...theres your answer).

Different Proteins are absorbed at different rates by the body. Consuming the correct Protein before, during, and after a workout is important.

Being a football player in HS, I've lifted weight before but I didn't understand the nutrition side. I have a very close friend who was a Navy Seal and since surgery, I've spent countless hours learning from him. My workout is extremely simple and covers cardio and weights in less than an hour/4 times a week. I've been banded for 4 months and begun exercising 3 months ago. Every lift type on the circuits I do (upper and lower body) have increased in weight by at least 15% most to 20%+. I've lost 91lbs since March 28 with over half of it coming prior to being able to weight training. That drastic loss was because my body was feeding on its own muscle and very little of my diet came from protein during the mushy phase. Once I was able to weight train, my weight loss (per the scale) has slowed but my body composition has changed drastically.

Before weight training post surgery, weight loss = loss in current muscle + loss in fat

After being allowed to start weight training, weight loss = loss in fat + loss in muscle - gain in muscle...therfore, loss and gain in muscle theortically offset yeilding weight loss = loss in fat.

I have no doubt that very little of that loss was muscle once I was able to start weight training couple with proper diet and correct protein consumption.

I'll be at goal weight (with 139lbs lost) within 7 months of surgery and I'll tell anyone, the key is protein over carb and weight training. JMHO

kagoscuba · August 1, 2008

I've maintained pretty well. My cardio affects my muscles more than my eating.

luluc · August 1, 2008

i weight train twice a wk with my trainer & get in an additional 3 days of cardio & yoga. he actually wants me to start picking up my cardio & that's my current goal. i'm not a runner per se' - i probably clock 5-7 miles a wk, for me i have to mix things up with cardio (stairmaster/bike/ellitical), so to not get bored - a problem for me:)

my diet had to change when i started weight training - carbs HAD to be infused. i was one of those who started out "low carb - or barely none" and it did not sustain me. i am all about balance now with my food (grains/fruits/veggies/meats & wine..LOL) and with most things in my life. i have had the habit of going to extremes..., but the band got me to focus long term for the first time in a while, and i'm extremely pleased with the results so far.

Miltrez · August 1, 2008

Fantastic write-up. I stand to lose 115 pounds after banding. I would always go in and work-out (lift weights) which only allowed me to carry more weight. My Lean muscle was comp'd at 74% with body fat at 26%...all in my stomach area...figures.

I have started cardio training 3 times a week, hour and 15 minutes each session (treadmill, recumbent, and stairs/elliptical). I feel fantastic and my metbolism has finally woken up and I have lost 7 pounds just in the last two weeks.

After banding, they have told me i can not do weight training for awhile. How did you manage to get cleared so fast for it?

kagoscuba · August 1, 2008

I don't know what you were told, but my doc had me on the elliptical the Monday after a Thursday surgery, lifting less than 25 pounds that Monday, and doing ab work after two weeks. Full weights were allowed after one month.

Miltrez · August 1, 2008

I don't know what you were told, but my doc had me on the elliptical the Monday after a Thursday surgery, lifting less than 25 pounds that Monday, and doing ab work after two weeks. Full weights were allowed after one month.

My surgeon waqws concerned over the possibility of slippage, but i didn't want to go back to the extrenuous style of lifting I was doing before. I think I will be resilient enough to at least get started within a month or so...that is what I am hoping for. I have had enough :scared2: of this weight crap...Ready to get caught up to you :cursing:

Jachut · August 1, 2008

The thing about high Protein diets that worries me is that it may eventually be proven that its the most effective way to lose fat.

that doesnt mean that its the best for your overall health. I think its important not to lose sight of that. No point being superbly conditioned if you're dying of bowel cancer, or you have kidney stones.

Balance is the key I think. Enough Protein but not too much.

And I dont know about anything else but I cant run a half marathon without carbs.

I eat carbs, I run. I'm not fat anymore. Its all the proof I need.

Edited August 1, 2008 by Jachut