Healthy Living in Connecticut Blog
Strength Training After My Tummy Tuck... Feel Like A Beginner!
It's been a few weeks since I updated about my abdominoplasty. It is now 6 weeks post op and I am feeling great! I feel back to normal and back to working out. However, it feels as if I'm a beginner, despite making significant gains for months.
I know I will rebuild the muscle, but I feel like I lost so much by not working out. I have the sagginess in my arms again so I need to build up. My goal is to get back to where I was pre-surgery by January.
I'm still trying not to overdo it. Last week, I didn't workout at all, despite being back at the gym a week before that. I just thought it was important to give my body time to heal. But it felt great to be back at the gym today. I did an upper back workout and 25 minutes on the treadmill.
I seem to have no limitations but I won't do any ab exercises yet. I think it's much too soon to do any kind of sit ups or crunches. I also notice I can't reach very far over my head. My doctor says that will go away over time. This is common after abdominoplasties. So I can't do any overhead tricep extensions. I will need to do modified versions. I will continue to stretch and eventually my arms should have their full range of motion.
Of course, I have been eating super clean the whole time. I think this attributes to my quick healing. My doctor was so impressed with the way I was healing when I saw him the other day, he said I don't need to go back for another month! The only problem is the swelling, and there's nothing that can be done about that until the body figures out how to drain the fluid on it's own. It can take like 3 months after surgery for this to happen.
The nurse at the doctor's office was very impressed with my "No Meat No Problem" sleeveless shirt I was wearing underneath the binder I have to wear. She is dabbling with the idea of going vegan although she isn't there yet. I have to advertise my plant based eating even at the doctor's office, I guess! HAHA!
On the train after the appointment yesterday, I had a salad I bought at a local restaurant in New York City. The guy next to me on the train couldn't get over the size of the salad! Besides the salads I eat everyday, I've also been making smoothies a few times a week. I know I get more than enough protein, but they also say protein will help with the healing. I add pea protein powder with veggies and a banana as I figures a plant baed protein couldn't hurt as I continue to heal.
Here's a recent picture of my belly. I know it's still swollen, but I notice improvements everyday! I also think the incision looks awesome, and I notice that getting better too!
About the author
Richard Hubbard was once over 350 pounds. After a doctor's physical and finding out he was pre-hypertensive, he decided to make changes and avoid medication. Over the course of a year, Rich lost the first 120 pounds of his incredible 150 pound weight loss. He ate healthy foods based on Dr. Joel Fuhrman's book "Eat To Live". He was mostly plant based, but switched to completely plant based in September of 2016. He also became a vegan in the process as his compassion for animals increased. He credits bodybuilder Robert Cheeke for influencing his decision of going vegan. Rich aspires to be a vegan bodybuilder and is planning his first half marathon this year.