I'm gaining muscle mass!!!

With all due respect, what a load of crap from the "exercise guru!" Are you sure he said this, Counselor?

"The study found that exercise did little to appreciably increase muscle mass or decrease body fat % during the first two years or so, post-op, supposedly b/c we WLSers are already in a "caloric deficit" mode with our bodies and therefore losing weight during our honeymoon period."

Losing body fat and increasing lean muscle mass is what WLS is about and it begins the day you go under the knife. I don't know what my body fat % was at 500 pounds but I do know I got it down to 7.5% by the end of year two post-WLS. Russ, Not-Dave, Buckeye John all seem to be fine examples of building muscle mass and I don't think that happend a couple years out. 

Anywho, just my thoughts. I would be interested in reading the "study."

Boner  

The study found that exercise did little to appreciably increase muscle mass or decrease body fat % during the first two years or so, post-op, supposedly b/c we WLSers are already in a "caloric deficit" mode with our bodies and therefore losing weight during our honeymoon period."

That's just plain stupid right there!!

I don't know but for me it sounds like it could be true. I read somewhere that in order to build muscle mass, we need to be taking in around 400-500 additional calories per day on top of what we need to maintain our weight and counting the calories we burn while working out.

If I eat 1200 calories per day, but with exercise am burning off close to 3000 calories, it makes total sense that my body wouldn't be doing a lot of increase in muscle mass. I have noticed that as the weeks go by, I've been getting "weaker" as far as how much weight I'm able to press. I get in plenty of protein, I break up my meals throughout the day and I take a B12 supplement in addition to the multi-vits and calcium and I still find myself unable to pump what I could 12 months ago or even just 3 months ago.

I'm just doing what I can and then I'm figuring once I reach my goal and am in the "maintenance" phase, I will be able to do something to add some lean muscle.

I will say that I have (over the course of the last 12 months) noticed my muscles are much more prominent (such as the biceps, abs, pecs, etc.). I'm guessing that just has to do with the shedding of the fat blanket I had wrapped around it.

 Yep, Bonedude ..  in fact, an article written by our amigo in sombrero re:  the study was even shown here on OH on one of their "news" pages for awhile ..    I don't know if it's still up, though .. 

Hey Counselor,

Suppose you could try to find the study? I'm extremely interested in the "research." Thanks in advance.

Boner

Congrats Gus, you inspire a lot of us on here. This motivates me to keep pressing on even though I get burned out at the gym about 3 out of the 5 days I go.

Have you ever considered posting a picture of yourself without a tshirt on? I have some pretty drastic before and "current" pictures of myself (I'm not quite "after" yet) that I'm planning to post. I'm still not completely comfortable in my skin yet but I will post them at some point to show the different stages of my weight loss and how my skin has also changed.

Just a thought...

Congrats nonetheless!

yeah my arms still look pathetic even with working out. So I've given myself 1 year, and then time for an arm reduction....well along witht he thighs. my PS wants to do them at the same time (can you say OUCH...lol).

Scott