Losing Weight Post Pacemaker?
Hi all. I'm a 40 yo female, five-foot-even in height, with a weight of 180 pounds. I am 1 month post-pacemaker implantation after about 5 episodes (in one day) of passing out, my heart pausing for up to 15 seconds, and my heart rate dropping to 19 beats per minute.
Along with the stress of being in the cardiac ICU, it was a punch in the (admittedly well-padded) gut to see "Obesity" listed as one of my diagnoses on my discharge papers. I want to lose weight. I need to lose weight. I don't want the shame of nurses having to call for extra hands to lift me onto an operating table.
But I don't know how to start with a pacemaker. I know this subreddit isn't a substitute for consulting with my doctor, but advice from anyone who has/has had heart issues in the past would be helpful. I lead a sedentary lifestyle with a very sedentary job, which needs to change, but I don't know if I need to start slow because of this computer in my chest or if I can jump in with both feet.
Posted Dec 1, 2017, 12:49 AM UTC
No exercise or weight loss yet until your doc clears you, and that is usually around the 12th week post-op for the exercise. Maybe sooner for the weight loss. Ask your doc.. Right now, your nutritional intake is helping you to heal. We don't want to add stress to the body too soon.
So, I agree with your first instinct -- control the empty calories by keeping sugar down where you can. But, do not try to lose weight. Do try to maintain 180, though. Don't let your inactivity right now cause you to gain weight. Make healthy food choices -- stuff from the produce sections, not a lot of stuff made in factories or deep-fried in oil.
How to get started losing weight: https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/wiki/quick_start_guide
Do this, but don't set it to lose 1 pound per week (in week 2) until your doctor says it's okay to do so. Keep MFP at Maintain My Current Weight and get used to logging in the tool and this will help you keep your weight from growing and it will show you what foods make this the most hard (due to high calories, which MFP will reveal to you).
When your doctor gives you the all clear for losing weight and exercising, you'll have some skills that are all ready for the task.
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