Exercise, Nutrition, WLS, and Cooking Q & A - 2/10/2014

I always say this process is a marathon and not a sprint. We are not just trying to get the fat off but we want a long term way of keeping it off. If you rush into cardio (especially pre-op) you quickly reduce your resting metabolic rate which means you burn fewer calories at rest. More muscle mass burns more calories over the long term. Going into surgery until you can return to getting enough protein to maintain muscle mass takes quite a while and during that time you lose a lot of muscle. So any muscle she can build before surger is that much more she will have AFTER surgery. After surgery is when it counts the most.

So while you are physically correct in what you are saying. My position is a strategy. If you doubt it, take a look at any body builder who works out for about an hour a day and physically burns less than 500 calories during their workout yet they eat 4000-6000 calories per day and do not gain body fat. Its because during the rest of their time their muscles are burning far more calories because of their size. I am familiar with the afterburn, it is the basis of the Orange Theory classes I take, but I am at 20% body fat and a few pounds away from my goal. I have gotten to where I need to be and if I had to go back and make some changes to how I got here, the focus on building muscle would have been the way I would have gone.

We are absolutely going to have to agree to disagree. Your information is anecdotal; it is based on your experience and yours alone. Find me a study that says that a morbidly obese person does a disservice to him/herself by doing any type if exercise?? You speak of body builders as your evidence. The vast majority of  people on this site are not body builders. 

I think that it's great that you motivate people but your information is not 100 percent accurate. 

And of course it's a marathon! You need to increase your cardio to run said marathon! I jest. 

But we really will just have to agree to disagree 

Hi Keith,

I'm just getting started with my exercise routine (late at 10 weeks post-op).  If I don't exercise first thing in the morning, it doesn't happen.  I'm concerned about getting food/energy in before heading out, but it almost makes me sick to my stomach if I eat before exercising.  Do I HAVE to eat before exercising so early in the morning?  Any suggestions?

Also, at what point do you need to worry about getting enough food/energy for your exercise program, in addition to your daily intake?

Thanks!
angie

The only exercise I ever recommend doing on an empty stomach (or at least without having had food prior) is walking. Otherwise your body will catabolize your muscles. It sounds like the problem you may have is that you are eating too close to exercise. I have a standing 6am workout class. I get up at 5am make a protein shake, drink it down, and lay back down until I have to get up. That give my stomach time to process the protein shake and I have had some fuel for my workout.

The liquid goes through much quicker than a solid that might have to spend some time in your stomach. I also take my antacid at that same time and that seemed to eliminate any nausea I was getting.

If you don't eat before make sure you eat immediately after. I do both. I eat before and after my workout which provides your body with the best source of fuel for recovery, muscle building and repair, and the energy you need to not want to go right to sleep when you are done.

When you get close to your goal weight you can start to evaluate your actual food intake needs, right now you have a lot to burn, so push your body to burn fat for fuel. That means keep your carbs low, your protein high and believe it or not your healthy fat intake higher.

Thanks, Keith - so very happy you are here to help guide us newbies!!  I'll see if I can get up a little earlier (ugh) and get a shake in before leaving the house.

It does suck at first but honestly now I can't see it any other way. I'll let you in on a little secret. I take a caffeine tablet with my protein shake. Makes for a lot more sweaty workout and that time when you lay back down until you get ready for your workout is a great time to meditate and visualize what you will look like, how your workout will go, how your day will go, whatever you need to focus on. Its a GREAT way to start the day.

I'm new here on OH, and am just starting this new journey. Tomorrow I'll have my second of six nutritional visits with my doctor to satisfy insurance requirements. My surgeon recommends VSG for me. I've been working with a personal trainer and tracking my food for more than two years.  Right now  I work out 3-5 X/week.  Cardio and strength. I'm wondering, after surgery, and the healing period, how will I be able to eat enough calories to ge the workouts in than I'm used to?

My question to you is what is wrong with your program that is stopping you from losing weight without surgery? If I worked out that much before surgery and had the discipline to exercise and track my food I would not have needed it. So I am wondering what it is you are doing wrong that a few small changes to your diet wouldn't solve your problem. Even a moderate workout 3 times per week should be enough to keep your metabolism up. You can look at your food history and see what you should not be eating. 

Keep in mind that surgery only means you can eat less. It doesn't force you to eat right. It doesn't stop you from eating sugar. It doesn't fix anything other than the physical amount of food you can eat at one time. It does resolve some hunger issues for about a year but it does nothing for head hunger. For me it did trigger a fitness craze and force me to research nutrition and exercise as well as a more healthy lifestyle.  So keep all of that in mind before you go getting all cut up. 

To directly answer your question you are trying to burn the calories you already have stored in your body so you WONT eat enough calories to sustain your workout, you will condition your body to use body fat to fuel your workouts. Most people think they burn a lot more calories during a workout than they actually do. A typical workout is good for about 300-500 calories. I just had my pre-workout breakfast which was about 200 calories. My workout will bee 500-600 calories. I know this because I wear a heart rate monitor. My post-workout meal will be another 200-300 calories. So workout covered. If you are going extreme crazy and actually getting a 1000 calorie workout, again I would ask why you need surgery, but after surgery you would have an intra-workout shake and keep going. Even when I workout twice a day I do not out workout my meals. Only twice have come close and still had about 100+ calories. I mean I netted out negative for the day as I do most days with rest but the more you lose the lower your resting metabolic rate becomes so my net negative right now is about 100-300 calories per day where it used to be 1500 or more. So let me re-frame your thinking in that you do not want to eat enough calories to get your workout. You want to keep or increase your intensity and eat less. 

I would be very interested in hearing more of your story to see if with your dedication we couldn't get you down without surgery. PM me if you would like to discuss it more.