That time of the year - Post Op and Dieting

[mslendzion]

Any thoughts &/or recommendations on getting back in shape after surgery?  More than the PT  but also to start getting your entire health back.  I've been pretty inactive recently (still pre-op) and the holidays have added a few un wanted pounds.  My goal is to lose 10 - 15 pounds.  Surgery is scheduled for the 9th.  Any feedback regarding loosing weight and getting back into shape after the surgery or is it too agressive to try to lose pounds while recovering?  Your tips, thougths, and feedback is appreciated.

[Aerial]

I found that I actually lost weight after surgery.  The first several days there was weight gain because of the swelling but then I was down about 5 pounds which I suspect is your body just being thrown through a loop due to surgery.  I also initially had a problem with the pain meds causing nausea.  It took me a good week to get an appetite back.  I knew I was ready to eat again when I told my husband to stop and bring Five Guys home (best hamburger and fries ever)!  I personally wouldn't deny your body quality nutrients when recovering and trying to grow new bone into the implant (don't eat Five Guys food only!).  If you have been inactive due to pain you might naturally lose weight with all the walking you will find you are now able to do.  Good luck with your big day!

[Dannywayoflife]

Hi mate,
            I'm in a similar position to yourself. I was a super fit sports person until my diagnosis with fai and grade 4 oa.
Hearing this news and the thought that I may never be able to train again I spiralled into a mild depression. I dont drink or take drugs so I turned to food. Fastforward to today and I'm 7 weeks 1 day post op and I'm starting to make progress. But as a result of my 18 month down period ive ballooned from a 185pound fit as he'll guy to a 220 fatty!
I'm now addressing my diet and gradually reintroducing fitness.
The key to weight loss is a combination of both diet and exercise. During periods of inactivity the diet part becomes even more important! Be aware of what you eat.
Danny

[Dan L]

I started the weight loss stuff about 6 months prior, in addition to trying to keep very active (as much as I could with the OA pain), I finally made really good progress by eliminating the bad foods I should not have been eating anyways, (salt, fat, sugar, red meat, etc), eating much more whole grains, vegetables and fruit, and by eating smaller portions when I did eat.  I changed from full dinners to just a sandwich or soup etc, just downsized eating in the evening etc.  I was also very, very busy doing things in the yards etc that I knew I would not be able to do easily after the surgery for the first year, so I was probably way more active that in the past.  I lost @25 lbs (11%) prior to the operation, based on surgeon's recommendation to lose weight early on, to a weight I have not seen since my teens.  It helped for the surgery, and blood pressure and cholesterol as well, and was not as difficult as I would have expected.

Prior to surgery we made some large pots of home made vegetable beef soup, very lean, no added salt, fat skimmed, etc, and froze that in individual containers for use during the recovery period.  It was really nice to have that for a quick, healthy, small meal after surgery, and it lasted almost the entire 6 weeks I was at home.

After the surgery I did not have much of an appetite for a few weeks, and would typically just eat yogurt, fruit, the home made soup and whole wheat toast, and a small meal in the evening.  After about the 2nd week I got these powerful red meat cravings, (maybe to restore iron, dunno-- Pat reported something similar in her HR story) and had my wife drive me to a local place for some red meat, but thankfully that went away by the 4th week or so.

The holidays have resulted in a few extra pounds, so I bought a scale to monitor it so I do not wear out my implant, and keep my weight down.

One other thing to know: my BHR implant is about 1.2 lbs per my doc; and the bone removed is very small amount, so be sure to calculate the net gain of the device on your weight tracking.

[jon]

I started the weight loss stuff about 6 months prior, in addition to trying to keep very active (as much as I could with the OA pain), I finally made really good progress by eliminating the bad foods I should not have been eating anyways, (salt, fat, sugar, red meat, etc), eating much more whole grains, vegetables and fruit, and by eating smaller portions when I did eat.  I changed from full dinners to just a sandwich or soup etc, just downsized eating in the evening etc.  I was also very, very busy doing things in the yards etc that I knew I would not be able to do easily after the surgery for the first year, so I was probably way more active that in the past.  I lost @25 lbs (11%) prior to the operation, based on surgeon's recommendation to lose weight early on, to a weight I have not seen since my teens.  It helped for the surgery, and blood pressure and cholesterol as well, and was not as difficult as I would have expected.

Prior to surgery we made some large pots of home made vegetable beef soup, very lean, no added salt, fat skimmed, etc, and froze that in individual containers for use during the recovery period.  It was really nice to have that for a quick, healthy, small meal after surgery, and it lasted almost the entire 6 weeks I was at home.

After the surgery I did not have much of an appetite for a few weeks, and would typically just eat yogurt, fruit, the home made soup and whole wheat toast, and a small meal in the evening.  After about the 2nd week I got these powerful red meat cravings, (maybe to restore iron, dunno-- Pat reported something similar in her HR story) and had my wife drive me to a local place for some red meat, but thankfully that went away by the 4th week or so.

The holidays have resulted in a few extra pounds, so I bought a scale to monitor it so I do not wear out my implant, and keep my weight down.

One other thing to know: my BHR implant is about 1.2 lbs per my doc; and the bone removed is very small amount, so be sure to calculate the net gain of the device on your weight tracking.

Wow, Dan.  What great run-up to your surgery.  Really simple diet changes as well that produced awesome results.  We tend to complicate diet and exercise, but not you it seems...you went right to the heart of the matter.

You have any guess (or doctor input) on the range of post-op/rehab benefits?

Jon

[mountaingoat]

I decided that I needed to lose all of my remaining  baby weight (about 10lbs) before my surgery just to give myself the best possible chance of a great recovery and also because I knew it would make me feel better mentally. I'm normally about 135lbs and 5'8 but up until November I was about 142lbs and just couldn't get rid of that last bit of pregnancy weight.

I hate dieting - seriously, its miserable and it doesn't work. But I spent about 4 weeks just eating vegetables and some fruits and drinking a ton of water, green tea and no alchohol (my weakness for sure). I lost the last 7 or so pounds of baby weight and it has amazingly stayed off. I think that's partially because I'm at my natural weight now so I just needed a little push to get there. I didn't really fast or anything - just ate all vegetables and vegetable soups and purees for 3 weeks. A typical day would be green smoothie for breakfast and lunch, berry juices for snacks and dinner of steamed kale and butternut squash. I felt really good!

This isn't a diet that is meant for long-term because you need protein but if you want to quickly drop 10 or so pounds before surgery than try a vegetable diet for a few weeks. You don't even feel hungry if you drink lots of green juices and eat veggies all day long.

Good luck.

[Aerial]

Really the BHR implant is over a pound?  I had no idea.    Anyone know the weight of the biomet that Dr. Gross uses?

[OtterDriver]

Aerial-

It's about 2.3 pounds...unless you requested the Helium Infused Model!   ~8^)

[Luanna]

What!!! The implants weight over 2 pounds? I had no idea......by the time I have both done ....yikes...almost 5 pounds. Dang....

I lost weight after surgery and I age a lot of food. It was wonderful. I still at 17 weeks am not gaining and I'm eating more than usual. I think my body is metabolizing food to help it heal and I'll not worry about weight until later.

Eating a good healthy diet to promote healing is very important. Lots of vegetables, protein, yogurt (per Tin Soldier), and some fruit. Avoid processed sugars and carbs when possible.

Luanna

[Aerial]

Aerial-

It's about 2.3 pounds...unless you requested the Helium Infused Model!   ~8^)

  Holy cow, 2.3 pounds!!! Is that enough to throw your balance off (like in yoga for example)? At least it is internal and won't change the way your pants fit! 

[Dannywayoflife]

I dont think that a bhr weights a kilo. I held one a while ago and while it was heavy it didnt weigh 2.3 pounds.

[jon]

I dont think that a bhr weights a kilo. I held one a while ago and while it was heavy it didnt weigh 2.3 pounds.

I have just hunted through all of the info I am aware of and cannot find the answer.  Now I'm really curious...

And as an aside, DanL says his conventional BHR device is 1.2 pounds (per Dr. Brooks).  OtterDriver says the biomet is 2.3 pounds.

[Two4One]

I LOVE this post, mslendzion! I'll get back to you to read all the tips here and share a few from a  slimming to a healthy weight veteran.

It's a series of small skirmishes, and you achieve peace with your body for a good long while, and then, 'and then' ,  you have to practice mindfulness *new age word alert* (end facetious font).

[Two4One]

I just saw your earlier post about sleeping, mslendzion, and I was up last night 'til 1:30 am and back up at 5am....

Here's what helps me not to be scared:  some really cool meditations I can share if you want, but last night I listened to 3 of 'em before I hit the big winner: *irony alert* "I Can Make You Thin" Hypnosis CD I put on my MP3 by Paul McKenna.  The sexy voiced Brit knocked me out where the yogini's failed for under 10 Bucks!

http://www.amazon.com/Can-Make-You-Thin-Revolutionary/dp/B0041T4SK4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325343188&sr=8-1

My Mr. McKenna *growl* has a free "I Can Make You Confident" You can check out on his website too.  I love his voice; it's incredible. 

http://www.paulmckenna.com/

Happy New Year and Cheers!

'One

[Dan L]

My favorite pre and post op snack was fresh berries (strawberries, black or blue berries) in a small cup of low fat yogurt, maybe with a bit of granola.  Roadside stands here in western NY abounded in the summer months, and produced incredibly large and scrumptuous blackberries.  Tasty, sweet, healthy and satisfying, even for a person like me who ate poorly for many, many years.  Right after surgery with the digestive side effects and hoover-dam like colonic blockages from more than a week of heavy narcotic meds, these really helped move things along as well. 

This time of year the berries are hard to come by and expensive unfortunately.

[Dan L]

I started the weight loss stuff about 6 months prior, in addition to trying to keep very active (as much as I could with the OA pain), I finally made really good progress by eliminating the bad foods I should not have been eating anyways, (salt, fat, sugar, red meat, etc), eating much more whole grains, vegetables and fruit, and by eating smaller portions when I did eat.  I changed from full dinners to just a sandwich or soup etc, just downsized eating in the evening etc.  I was also very, very busy doing things in the yards etc that I knew I would not be able to do easily after the surgery for the first year, so I was probably way more active that in the past.  I lost @25 lbs (11%) prior to the operation, based on surgeon's recommendation to lose weight early on, to a weight I have not seen since my teens.  It helped for the surgery, and blood pressure and cholesterol as well, and was not as difficult as I would have expected.

Prior to surgery we made some large pots of home made vegetable beef soup, very lean, no added salt, fat skimmed, etc, and froze that in individual containers for use during the recovery period.  It was really nice to have that for a quick, healthy, small meal after surgery, and it lasted almost the entire 6 weeks I was at home.

After the surgery I did not have much of an appetite for a few weeks, and would typically just eat yogurt, fruit, the home made soup and whole wheat toast, and a small meal in the evening.  After about the 2nd week I got these powerful red meat cravings, (maybe to restore iron, dunno-- Pat reported something similar in her HR story) and had my wife drive me to a local place for some red meat, but thankfully that went away by the 4th week or so.

The holidays have resulted in a few extra pounds, so I bought a scale to monitor it so I do not wear out my implant, and keep my weight down.

One other thing to know: my BHR implant is about 1.2 lbs per my doc; and the bone removed is very small amount, so be sure to calculate the net gain of the device on your weight tracking.

Wow, Dan.  What great run-up to your surgery.  Really simple diet changes as well that produced awesome results.  We tend to complicate diet and exercise, but not you it seems...you went right to the heart of the matter.

You have any guess (or doctor input) on the range of post-op/rehab benefits?

Jon

[Dan L]

Jon

The first thing my doc said, when he saw my plain films prior to the consult, was to lose weight.  I did notice less pain as the weight came off prior to the surgery, but just a bit.  I also needed to do it for borderline BP issues.  My annual physical prior to the surgery was much better than prior years, at age 50, aside from the initiation to the prostate exam club .  My GP was pleased with the progress.

Afterward I can tell you that moving around on crutches with 25 lbs less weight on one leg had to have been easier, particularly stairs.

The surgeon was very suportive of the loss of weight for long term wear advantages on the implant.

Dan

[jon]

I think that the dividends you have and will receive are manifold.  Your doctor must have been impressed.  Good stuff...

[Two4One]

Beautifully said, Jon.

Ditto.

[Two4One]

165.5 lbs this Morning!  I have lost 11 lbs since 12.23.11, Friday, when I came home from the surgery weighing 176.5 lbs.

I decided I was going to eat whatever I wanted in the interim between my Schmitt appointment, 11.23.11, and my bilateral hip resurfacing; comfort food exists for a reason.  A box of Ice cream Drumsticks a day was my hands down favorite.  I also decided that, starting 12.20.11, the day of my surgery, was the beginning date of my journey back to my best self.

With my 2 failed arthroscopic surgeries 2 yrs ago, each time I gained in the hospital 10+ lbs of water weight. I had the same pattern with my recent resurfacing; my pre op resurfacing weight was 163 lbs and my hospital exit weight was 176.5 lbs.  You should expect that from the saline drip and water they literally pump into you during your hospital stay.  I couldn't tell I had knees I was so puffy .

My suggestions for rapid healthy weight loss post op:

Pick one meal of 3/Day to be the same, so you're on auto pilot.  I do the same breakfast - 1/2 cup dry oats, 1/2 cup water to cook it to desired consistency.  Dash of cinnamon to taste and stir in.  1/2 chopped banana, 3 walnuts chopped, 1/4 c. blueberries, washed down by a cup of skim milk over ice.

Try drinking excessive amounts of water constantly throughout every day; that forces you to get out of bed quite frequently, helps flush out your system, and build strength all at once.

Lunch and Dinner a very small piece of meat: grilled fresh fish, chicken, steak, pork, sausage, etc. with a cup of favorite veggies.

A little butter for your broccoli is fine.  Making your veggie side dish yummy is even better, for example -

cauliflower, easy on the cheddar cheese, bread crumbs, bacon bits

oven roasted butternut squash, real maple syrup, pecans, onions, sweet yellow, orange, red bell peppers

oven roasted asparagus with a smidge of olive oil, thyme and rosemary

Snack whenever you are hungry between meals with juicy grapefruit that's cut up and ready to eat in the fridge every day, a few high end crackers with less than a 1/4 cup of wine, roasted butternut squash or sweet potato that tastes like desert, etc., a tiny amount of leftovers

To stay satisfied, One small decadent treat a day is essential:  a Hershey bar & milk, a handful of Poppycock, (not my favorite), a piece of Toffee, just try to keep that treat under 300 calories or so.

That adds up to me eating 3 times a day, one desert treat, juicy grapefruit as a snack every day, and sometimes some plain popcorn with a little real butter & salt in the evening with Hubs.

Hubs is preparing all of the above food that I most enthusiastically and gratefully consume.

2yrs ago prior to my hips blowing out: 145 lbs,   Pre op: 163 lbs,   1st day home from Hospital: 176.5 lbs,   today's weight: 165.5 lbs,   and my Fit weight: 130 lbs *Goal*

Female, 50, 5'9"