From the Office of Dr. Kirshenbaum - Obesity Weight Loss Surgeon

Exercise is one of the cornerstones of weight reduction with the LAP-BAND.  In previous blogs, we have written that the function of the Band is to control your hunger so you can become satisfied with less intake. That in conjunction with changing your overall approach to food (food to satisfy physical hunger not emotional hunger), in other words, behavioral modification plus making good dietary choices (high protein and low carbohydrate diet) plus exercise is the way to lose weight. 

Weight loss will occur when the expenditure of calories exceeds the intake. Exercise is part of the expenditure of calories.

The type of exercise required in this program is walking. It is not necessary to run or perform exercise so vigorously that you break into a sweat. Exercise designed for cardiovascular health requires a sustained 30-minute effort so that you build up your heart rate and maintain an elevated heart rate for at least 20 minutes. 

For some patients, walking is a real effort because of orthopedic problems such as pain in the knees or hips or feet. In these situations, walking in water can be of much benefit.  Water will tend to buoy you up and take pressure off the lower extremities. Also, walking in water is walking against the resistance of the water itself — making this form of exercise somewhat more strenuous than just walking on land.

Walking can be done in your neighborhood, at a mall if the weather is inclement, or on a treadmill or stair stepper. An elliptical machine is especially good because it avoids pounding on your joints with every step unlike a treadmill.

Thirty minutes of exercise five times a week is the absolute minimum. The 30 minutes can be broken up unlike cardiovascular training. Ten minutes before you go to work and 20 minutes later works well.  Significantly, patients who exercise more, lose more weight more quickly than patients who follow the high protein, low carbohydrate diet alone. We see this correlation again and again.   

Stay tuned — in future blogs we will discuss the role of computer programs to track caloric intake in conjunction with exercise (expenditure) and devices to track caloric consumption. For more in-depth information on the LAP-BAND procedure and follow-up program, please contact Dr. Jerry Kirshenbaum at Lap Band Rockies to set up a personalized consultation.

— Lindsey Kesel, Bariatric Consultant