What does surgery do to metabolism?
Hi,
Does one's metabolism slow down a lot after surgery? I have wondered about that as I feel like my metabolism is already pretty slow. If it does slow down a lot, wouldn't that make it a lot harder to maintain weight loss? I thought the surgery was a tool to help with weight loss.
Hope this makes sense.
Lynn
Does one's metabolism slow down a lot after surgery? I have wondered about that as I feel like my metabolism is already pretty slow. If it does slow down a lot, wouldn't that make it a lot harder to maintain weight loss? I thought the surgery was a tool to help with weight loss.
Hope this makes sense.
Lynn
Lynn, I can't answer you but I always felt I also had a slow metabolism, turns out that I was wrong. Was tested pre-op and was higher than normal, much higher.
I do know that as we lose weight, we need less to keep us going. Just being fat takes up some of that energy.
Liz
I do know that as we lose weight, we need less to keep us going. Just being fat takes up some of that energy.
Liz
Duodenal Switch (Lap) 01-24-11 | Surgeon: Stephen Boyce | High weight: 250 in 2002 | Surgery weight: 203 | Lowest weight: 121 | Current weight: 135 | Goal weight: 135
Medically, I don't know the answer to that.
In speaking for myself, my metablism has remained in tack, and strong. I base that on stomach hunger and weight loss. I have a sleeve and lots of sleeve patients say that they don't have any hunger. I do! I had hoped not to but I had a hunger issue pre-op and it has lessened since surgery.
I am aware of the difference between head hunger and stomach hunger and I am referring only to the stomach hunger. Head hunger continues to trouble me at times but I have managed to control it with this new tool.
If you find out the medical answer to this please post it.
Thanks!
In speaking for myself, my metablism has remained in tack, and strong. I base that on stomach hunger and weight loss. I have a sleeve and lots of sleeve patients say that they don't have any hunger. I do! I had hoped not to but I had a hunger issue pre-op and it has lessened since surgery.
I am aware of the difference between head hunger and stomach hunger and I am referring only to the stomach hunger. Head hunger continues to trouble me at times but I have managed to control it with this new tool.
If you find out the medical answer to this please post it.
Thanks!
I think the answer to this is multi-faceted. Weight loss does eventually slow down, because we need less calories to maintain our body weight. Think about it. If someone weighs 250 lbs, he/she would need at least that amount of calories to maintain that weight. As we become smaller, our caloric needs decrease, based upon our sex, age, height, and activity level. This is part of the reason that weight loss slows down.
Exercise, especially weight training, is necessary to maintain muscle mass. It is our lean muscle mass that contributes to keeping our metabolism going. If we lose all of our lean muscle mass through an extremely low calorie diet i.e. WLS people, and we do not perform weight training or any type of exercise at all, our metabolism slows down. Muscle burns more calories than fat, and if we have more fat, our metabolism slows down.
Very low calorie diets result in a lot of lean muscle mass being lost through the weight loss process. Think about the flat butt syndrome and butt flaps that most WLS people end up with. It is due to loss of gluteal muscle mass, as well as excess skin.
If the muscle mass isn't replaced through exercise and weight training, yes, our metabolism will slow down and we will regain weight, if we eat in excess of our resting metabolic rate.
Yes, we have a tool to help us lose weight, but we also have to exercise diligently to be successful in the long run. What I am finding, is that the further out I get from surgery, it is more about making healthy choices, weight training, exercise, and tracking my food than it is about the surgery. All of these things are the tools for success. ANY surgery can be eaten around.
Gail
Exercise, especially weight training, is necessary to maintain muscle mass. It is our lean muscle mass that contributes to keeping our metabolism going. If we lose all of our lean muscle mass through an extremely low calorie diet i.e. WLS people, and we do not perform weight training or any type of exercise at all, our metabolism slows down. Muscle burns more calories than fat, and if we have more fat, our metabolism slows down.
Very low calorie diets result in a lot of lean muscle mass being lost through the weight loss process. Think about the flat butt syndrome and butt flaps that most WLS people end up with. It is due to loss of gluteal muscle mass, as well as excess skin.
If the muscle mass isn't replaced through exercise and weight training, yes, our metabolism will slow down and we will regain weight, if we eat in excess of our resting metabolic rate.
Yes, we have a tool to help us lose weight, but we also have to exercise diligently to be successful in the long run. What I am finding, is that the further out I get from surgery, it is more about making healthy choices, weight training, exercise, and tracking my food than it is about the surgery. All of these things are the tools for success. ANY surgery can be eaten around.
Gail
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