How Often Do I Have to Exercise to Lose Weight?

How and how often do we need to exercise? These are age-old questions that nobody seems to have a definitive answer to, as evidenced by the thousands of social media influencers that have their take. If you go online, you’ll find many so-called experts contradicting each other and even themselves. Unfortunately, the Internet is rife with misinformation, and we must extract the truth and use it to our advantage.

So, with that said, let’s dive into how often you should exercise.

The short answer is that it will depend on your abilities and willingness to perform these activities.

Myth: You Can Hit Your Goals With Diet Alone

To be sure, we see plenty of patients who only diet after bariatric surgery and perform minimal exercise. While they lose lots of weight early on, they rarely get the body shape they expect – a phenomenon where body weight might be average, but there’s still significant fat accumulation. Why? The patient may have lost plenty of weight, but a lot of that is muscle weight. This is not ideal from a health and longevity standpoint, especially for those at risk of developing osteoporosis. So, let’s discuss the best way forward.

Don’t Forget Base-Level Conditioning

Even the very top athletes prioritize base-level conditioning. This can be achieved with long, steady walks, known as Zone-2 training. They also often work on their breath or go for a vigorous swim as a great non-impact total body workout. Similarly, every patient should exercise each day. This could mean going to the gym, working out at home, working on chores around the house, playing team sports, or just walking with friends. How you get the exercise, at least early on after bariatric surgery, is less important than ensuring you get it in the first place.

Next Level Exercise

Of course, eventually, more than base-level exercise is needed. Patients will need to find a combination of strength training and cardiovascular activity to boost their weight loss. As the name suggests, cardio is excellent for the heart but burns calories in the moment with lower long-term muscle mass development. Strength training builds muscle and helps burn fat. It also sets you up for higher caloric burn in the future, even at rest, as patients with more lean muscle burn more calories than those with the same weight in fat.

But What Are Some of the Considerations of Your Exercise Routine?

First, when you start building muscle through strength training, you will likely find that you are gaining weight. This is because the muscle mass you’re putting on is heavier than the fat you burn. It might also be from water retention after your work outs. Eventually, this will balance out, and you will see your weight come down, so don’t be discouraged in the early days. A better way to measure your progress is using a tape measure. See if your waist is narrowing and your muscles are building. It will give you tangible evidence that the program is working.

On the other hand, cardio activities like running on a treadmill, elliptical, or bike will build muscle more slowly but burn calories. They will also increase your heart rate and stamina and keep your body healthy for longer. However, you can’t rely on this alone for long-term weight maintenance. As we mentioned before, muscle mass burns calories even at rest.

How Often Should I Be at the Gym?

The best exercise routine is one that you can maintain over the long term. As such, we encourage patients to go to the gym and experiment with different exercises within their abilities. As they develop a routine, it’s important not to overdo it. Going to the gym too often or working out too hard without rest can lead to injury and being sidelined for weeks or even months, which can be devastating for the post-operative weight loss plan.

The Bottom Line 

Speaking to us about your exercises and gym program during one of your follow-up appointments is essential. Dr. Chang is an avid gym goer and can help you develop a plan that best suits your needs while protecting your body.