How to prevent muscle atrophy after weight loss surgery?

  Currently, most domestic weight loss surgeries are performed laparoscopically, which is a minimally invasive procedure. When doing the surgery, only a few 0.5-1cm incisions in the abdomen are needed and the healing is fast. However, due to the unique nature of weight loss surgery, the healing of the external wound does not mean that the body is fully recovered. Generally speaking, a recovery period of at least a few months is needed after the bariatric surgery for the body to return to its normal state.  Just after the surgery, the modified gastrointestinal sutures need time to anastomose, so there will be some restrictions on diet and exercise. This period is also the prime time for weight loss, which affects the specific weight loss results of the surgery.  During this time, patients lose weight at a faster rate, but patients should also be careful to prevent muscle atrophy, which can lead to a decrease in basal metabolic rate and affect the subsequent results of the weight loss surgery.  Patients should appropriately perform less intense exercises during this period, such as walking, simple gymnastics, and Tai Chi. These exercises are less strenuous and will not affect the recovery of the gastrointestinal tract too much, and they are better for preventing muscle atrophy and for physical recovery.  At the same time, patients should also try to achieve a balanced nutrition in their diet, not because the diet is restricted or want to have a better weight loss effect so that nutrition can not keep up. This is because after surgery, patients can give themselves energy through fat, but the need for nutrients is still there. For muscles and other tissues, if they do not get enough protein, they will not be able to repair the corresponding parts in time, making their function impaired and causing muscle atrophy and other conditions, which will also have an impact on the body’s recovery.