LOTS of pain after exercise

With my dr's help, I'm trying to lose weight. For the past few weeks, I've walked some at a brisk pace. One time, I walked/jogged in place while watching TV. This past Monday, my husband and I went walking/jogging together. I guess I over did it because the next day my abdomen hurt all day long. I figured it would go away and I'd exercise again that afternoon or the next. Well now, 2 full days later, my abdomen is just killing me. Last night I could hardly sleep my tummy hurt so badly and I just couldn't get comfortable. It's been 9 weeks since my surgery and i've had no complications at all, so this is very weird. I'm getting ready to take several Aleve (my dr. told me I could at 6 weeks when I was still having sharp pains occasinally) and try to get some rest.

Is this at all normal or to be expected? I desparately need to lose weight (for both health and self-esteem reasons), and I enjoy walking/jogging, but this is just sooo painful. My dr. told me when I walk, it should be brisk enough that it's hard to talk, so that's why I've been pushing myself.

Any comments or suggestions? I have an appt. next week for a 4 week follow-up on my weight loss. Should I just wait it out or should I call if I'm still hurting tomorrow?

Thanks!

I think you should ask your doctor, if only for your own peace of mind. I know the struggle to work out. I was back at the Y working out in the third week after my TAH, but I went very slowly: half an hour walking on the treadmill at the most. Now I'm up to 2-hour workout 3Xs a week but they are definitely not easy and I hurt after them much more than before the surgery. At 9 weeks out I can't imagine running or jogging. It's hard to wait on working out when you want to drop pounds (and I desperately do) but it sounds like maybe you need to go a little more slowly. I started my mega-workout about 2 1/2 months after my TAH so maybe around that time you will be able to make more demands on your body.

From time to time I have pain after exercising, I am also 9 wks post op. I have been doing Zumba classes, which is high impact dancing for 1 hr. I love them, but am thinking I should slow it down. I can still do it, just at a slower pace. I see my Dr. on Friday, so I will be asking if I am doing too much. He told me at 4 wks that I could start, to take it slow, and stop if it hurts. I know how hard it is when trying to lose weight! I would definetly take it slow until you can ask your Dr. next week.

Good Luck with your journey!
Frostbite

I agree to check with your Dr. as it is possible that the jogging "jarred" something. It would give you peace of mind and either the go-ahead with the pace you are or the warning to slow down a bit.

I know all to well the desire to lose weight - I have been working at it for the past 2 years and have lost over 70 lbs now. I go to Weight Watchers and go to an indoor pool to walk in the water. I have joint problems so the water walking is less impact, but still a workout in chest deep water. I did have to wait until my Dr approved me going back in the pool after my hyster.
I also had to have rotator cuff surgery in Dec., so have been going to physical therapy twice a week. A few weeks ago I asked to start some leg PT to help build leg muscles (to make future knee replacement easier), so do those after my regular shoulder workout.

It is worth it to go slow and gradually build up, maybe speed walking would be better than jogging for now.

Best of success with losing - I am interested in how you are doing with it. Maybe we can offer each other support!

s on the

Wow, Debbie! 70 pounds is awesome! Congratulations, that takes a lot of hard work!

I need to loose weight, but have not been doing well since surgery. I am 9 weeks tomorrow and back at the gym since 6 weeks. I however am much more tired then pre-op and having to build my work out very slowly. Right now I do only fast walking, biking or eliptical trainer but with no incline. I think the bouncing would hurt which is why I made these choices.

I think it is fine to call the doctor if you have questions. I think the most important thing is to try and be patient and take it slow. This is a major insult to the body and I think the 6th month time frame to feel 100% is probably accurate. The good news is that each day is a tiny bit better Good luck!

Well, I've so incredibly busy that I'm just now checking back in, but I do appreciate all the responses. Perhaps I did overdo it. It's probably too late in the afternoon to call the dr. at this point. I don't think he's in on Friday afternoons.

He wanted me to lose 6 lbs. before I go back in next week. As of last week, I'd only lost 2.5 lbs., so I guess I wanted to push a little harder and shouldn't have. It does make me feel better knowing that others are also having to slow their exercise down for the time being.

70 lbs., Debbie? You go, girl!!!!!! That's pretty impressive.

I want to eventually lose at least 80 lbs., more if possible, but that seems like such an insurmountable goal right now. So the baby steps are better------6 lbs. for now.

Thanks for the encouragement, ladies.

You'll get to your goal, "supportneeded". It takes a long time to lose weight, but if you can do it gradually, you really start to see the weight coming off!

Just be careful you don't push yourself too hard. Your body is not only just out of recovery from a majory surgery, but you are now exercising which is something new for your body, too. Our bodies take time to adjust to new things, and so you have to take it gradually. It is so hard to be patient. I'm sure you just want to start going as hard as you can and just start running and forget the walking part. :-) But, if you push too hard and cause your body to do more than it is ready for, you could result in injury.

I cannot at all speak for how long it takes to get back into exercise after a hyster because I'm only 18 days post-op, but I do know someone at my gym who is an strong runner and she had a hyster last year. She said for her, who was fit to begin with, and her body was used to exercise and pushing hard, it took her 8 weeks post-op just to do a light jog. And, a light jog for her is nothing compared to what she was doing pre-surgery. she said it was 12 weeks post-op when she was fully running again like she was pre-surgery.

So, I KNOW everyone is different, so I'm not comparing here, but just the fact that it took her 8 weeks post-op to even do a light jog shows that at least for her, it takes a while for your body to get used to exercise after a major surgery, even if you are used to exercise.

You'll do great!! I have several friends who have lost lots of weight, and it's so empowering. I'm really proud of you and 6 lbs. is a LOT, I think!! That is 6 less pounds you need to lose as of now!!

Just keep in tabs with your doctor, and IF you are able, maybe look into a personal trainer who'd fit your needs.... that way you can have someone right there with you who is certified in exercise/fitness to help you.

Take care! You're doing great!

Hi there - Supportneeded, I am at 6 weeks now, was cleared to start gym at 2 weeks but actually started at the 3 week mark with 30 minutes of elliptical training - I tried the treadmill but found I was way too sore with that so I stuck with the elliptical trainer and am now 3 weeks later really starting to be able to push it - you get the same cardio effect with a lot less jarring, I have also re-introduced the treadmill and am slowly increasing time and speed on that - saving my "cardio-speed" for the elliptical. I also just started a modified strength program - preop I had gotten to a point withweights that I was lifting with a few of my guy friends (fyi. guys get really annoyed when fat girls out lift them ) Now I can barely lift a 10lb weight so I am taking it slowly...I find the incision sites from the laprocopic trocars get very tender....my surgeon reassured me this was ok and that I would most likely feel that for up to six months (yuck!). Congrats for this step - I too have about 80 (+) pounds to lose... one question - what is your doc doing to help you...I've not considered working with mine...is it helpful? I have lost about 12 since surgery and feel very committed to doing it right! let your doc know about your discomfort and maybe you can find out if there is something going on or whether this is you body's "exercise protest"

Trish

Hi, Trish,

It sounds like I really tried too hard to push myself. I've limited myself to brisk walking the rest of the week, AFTER my tummy stopped screaming at me!!!!

At my 6 week post-op, my dr. asked me if I wanted help w/my weight since I'd actually gained 3 lbs. since pre-op. I said, "YES!" So he started out by putting me a pretty restrictive diet (which is NO fun! and hard to stick to) and started weaning me off my anti-depressant med's so he can put me on an appetite suppressant. So I'm not sure how much it's really helping yet because I won't go back for the 4 week follow-up until next week. I do know that it helps me mentally to know that someone is going to be CHECKING UP on me and EXPECTING me to have lost the required # of lbs. I do know that I haven't had a Dr. Pepper in 3 weeks and have had VERY few sweets (an occasional small piece of chocolate) and have eaten a LOT more fruit and vegetables instead. I just got discouraged when I'd only lost 2.5 lbs. after 2 weeks and knew I had 3.5 to go in the next 2 weeks.

So maybe I need to join the weight-loss group here and get encouragement there, cuz this is NO fun and I just want to snap my fingers and be a healthy size again. And I'm SO TIRED of wearing my fat pants!!!!! (overweight to start w/ and SWELLY belly combo......not so pretty!)

Thanks for telling me about your experience......it helps!