first time poster... exercise question

Hi all! I'm still pre-op but I have a question I just thought I'd throw out there... how long after you eat do you begin to exercise? Or do you not exercise after meals??? Because I always find myself full of energy within 10 minutes of a meal and ready to workout, but I'm afraid this could be a problem post-op???? Anyone with experience on this topic???

First you need the truth.....exercise is a poor way to loose weight.  It can make you healthy, but as a weight loss tool it only accounts for 10-20% of weight loss, if that much.  I want you to know this because I don't want you thinking that jumping into an major exercise program after surgery is going to be any kind of saving grace.  Weight loss comes from controlling your food choices.

You're going to have about 4 weeks after surgery before any real exercise is allowed.  If you aren't particularly active now, generally you just start with walking and increase the duration each day.  There's no real prohibition against doing this right after you drop the fork on a meal.  As you progress, you'll feel okay with mixing in other activities.

When you are at a point where you're putting in a serious workout, whatever that ends up being, you're probably gonna need to plan for an hour between the meal and the workout.  Going into a workout having just eaten is not a good idea.

I'm actually really active. lol. So I'm all too aware of exercise's inability to drop pounds. I exercise because I actually enjoy it. Usually its a fast paced walk or a jog. I am going to go crazy not being able to do that for a period of time. But I'm sure I'll enjoy the rest too.

I dislike working out with food in my stomach, so I exercise before I eat anything most of the time. (I do have a protein shake pre-workout some days, depending on my schedule.) 

One evening I do have Bhangra, so I eat a yogurt about an hour before. That seems to work well for me!

Its the strangest thing because that 10-60 minute period after a meal is the time when I have the MOST energy out of the whole day. I know eating makes a lot of people tired. It actually wakes me up.

I like to work out on a totally or mostly empty stomach, so I make sure to plan around it.  But everyone is different, and I don't think you should have much of an issue post-surgery working out closely to a meal.  I will say that weighing/measuring food is really important early out.  There have been a couple times I haven't, ate maybe an ounce more than I should have, and it knocks me out for the next hour or so.  Just a very full, lethargic kind of feeling, so watch out for that.  

I think the only thing you are supposed to avoid for an hour after eating is swimming. 

Unless you are an Olympic or professional athlete in training, it truly doesn't matter.  The best time to exercise is when YOU want to do it and feel motivated and good about it.  For you, that sounds like it's right after you eat something.  So go for it! 

Personally I do a very light and brief workout in the morning on an empty stomach and then in the afternoon I make sure to have a snack at least 60 minutes before I do my big workout.  

I don't do any strenuous exercise yet as I haven't been cleared, but I really like a brisk (or slow!) walk after eating. It helps settle my tiny stomach. With one exception, I have walked 60 minutes a day since the day after I got home from the hospital.