Lifting weights and exercising

Once you’ve fully healed from J-pouch surgery you can certainly run and bike basically as much as you want, as long as you stay hydrated. There are differences of opinion about lifting, and those opinions often seem to be held overconfidently. That being said, here’s my (humble!) opinion about lifting: there have been a few instances of pouch injury with heavy lifting, which makes anyone who’s been close to those cases quite gun-shy. Even Bo Shen, who knows a lot about J-pouches, reportedly suggests absurd lifting limits like 35 pounds. I think that’s pretty disabling, and thus terrible advice, but I have shifted to lighter weight/more reps than I used to do (and not just because I’m older). Many folks here report doing plenty of serious weight lifting without problems, and that’s certainly much more common than pouch injury.

My takedown was 5 years ago. Today I squatted 300lb, deadlifted 350lb, and put a 225lb barrel over my head. 

Go slow in the beginning. Listen to your body. Bring a change of underwear just in case (I have never needed it). 

@sombrenote posted:

My takedown was 5 years ago. Today I squatted 300lb, deadlifted 350lb, and put a 225lb barrel over my head. 

Go slow in the beginning. Listen to your body. Bring a change of underwear just in case (I have never needed it). 

Thats awesome to hear. I hope i can still lift

You will.

Reasonable worst-case scenario is that squats make you shit yourself, but that is something that happens to normal people as well. It is going to take some time for you to get back in the swing of things. As the previous poster said, stay hydrated, consume iron-rich foods, maintain your electrolyte levels, etc. and enjoy yourself. Upper bodywork is no issue you all. Core will make you fart sometimes. It is good to always have a bathroom nearby so you can lose some gas if you are worried about it.

You're going to be fine.

@Jaydog posted:

My takedown surgery is in about a month and a half. I cant wait!!!! 

Ive been lifting weights my entire life and i havent touched a weight in almost a year and a half now due to my collitis and my 2 surgeries. After i heal from my takedown id very much like to get back in the gym. I read a lot of posts on here from people saying you cant lift weights with a jpouch? Is this true? Are there any of you who do lift weights without issues? How about running and biking? Im just curious as to how life will be once i heal up.

Another question is how long after takedown should i expect to be able to get active again? Im dying to work out.

Congratulations! Let us know how it goes! I would definitely not recommend to weight lift, if anything do light light weights. There are a lot of people on here that chance stuff and will continue to do so- some people are just set in their ways no matter what. In my personal opinion and given our situations, I do not like taking chances after everything we have been through.

I love running and biking, I never had a problem with my J-pouch doing those things. I would just recommend to keep your exercise sessions at least 30- 60minutes, anything over 60minutes might be too extensive. I have talked to many people on here personally that have done: extensive stuff, extensive exercises, and weightlifting- and they had to pay the consequences for it. I would hate for that to happen to you. There are many other exercises out there  besides weightlifting that I am sure you can find to make you happy. 

After takedown, I was exercising normally after two months I believe. 

After reading a lot of post on this website, I decided not to push my (core) limits in any exercise for 9 months after takedown, which was a totally personal decision I made for myself.  I decided to wait for a full year for lifting weights involving the core muscles.

I cannot say it was a fully informed decision. I wanted to be on the safe side. Soon after surgery, I stretched in bed after I woke up, and I felt something  snapped deep around my incision -I had open surgery. The surgical team didn't mention anything about not stretching, they had only mentioned don't lift weights. So I had no idea.  A deep and sharp pain there lasted for months. So, I was very scared and decided to wait longer than many.

You need to make a decision for yourself depending on your surgery type, your attitude towards risk-taking, and your patience for waiting to start lifting weights again. I understand your impatience to hit the gym, buy you won't lose much if you wait a couple more months after you feel fully recovered.

Also, support garments are supposed to prevent formation of hernias, so might want to get one to prevent hernias around the ex-stoma and incision sites.

@Former Member posted:

After reading a lot of post on this website, I decided not to push my (core) limits in any exercise for 9 months after takedown, which was a totally personal decision I made for myself.  I decided to wait for a full year for lifting weights involving the core muscles.

I cannot say it was a fully informed decision. I wanted to be on the safe side. Soon after surgery, I stretched in bed after I woke up, and I felt something  snapped deep around my incision -I had open surgery. The surgical team didn't mention anything about not stretching, they had only mentioned don't lift weights. So I had no idea.  A deep and sharp pain there lasted for months. So, I was very scared and decided to wait longer than many.

You need to make a decision for yourself depending on your surgery type, your attitude towards risk-taking, and your patience for waiting to start lifting weights again. I understand your impatience to hit the gym, buy you won't lose much if you wait a couple more months after you feel fully recovered.

Also, support garments are supposed to prevent formation of hernias, so might want to get one to prevent hernias around the ex-stoma and incision sites.

I personally would recommend not at all but if that is your choice, I respect it. Just be careful!

@Former Member

Hernias, according to research, are preventable with elastic garments. I plan to wear them even for pilates class out of caution. The issue with hernias is not only for weight training, but for any exercise that increases abdominal pressure.  As for the issues with anal anastomosis, I presume that abdominal pressure increases the "mesenteric tension" (google) temporarily during weight training. Putting on a lot of weight after surgery does that too, and pilates would as well.

There are ways to push body to limits without increasing abdominal pressure, which include weight training of arms, legs, chest etc. Weight training is not  risky for j-pouch, if you are only training your calves, isn't it?

There are many ways to exercise. I am currently 7 months post op, and I currently do training involving the abdominal muscles with auxiliary exercises, not as the target muscle group. It will stay like that forever. Once I start weight training, I plan to decrease weight and increase repetitions proportional to the abdominal pressure with any exercise involving the core.

My goal is not to build up ab muscles, but to be healthy. Resistance training is essential for that.

I do moderate weight lifting regularly and have never had a problem. In fact I’m not sure I understand why it would be bad for a j pouch.

I also run and mountain bike with no issues.

does anyone know the reason people say it could be bad for the pouch?

@Safado posted:

I do moderate weight lifting regularly and have never had a problem. In fact I’m not sure I understand why it would be bad for a j pouch.

I also run and mountain bike with no issues.

does anyone know the reason people say it could be bad for the pouch?

I think sometimes people's pouches aren't healed all the way, positioned improperly, or structured in such a way that it can't take the pressure of the pelvic organs pushing down on it when lifting.

I am sure people have heard of horror stories -- shit happens, but I suspect that the critical mass of fear/reticence of J-pouchers expressing excessive caution don't have a history of weightlifting. It just sounds like an extreme/bad idea to many people in general, and even worse when you have a pouch.

@Former Member posted:

@Former Member

Hernias, according to research, are preventable with elastic garments. I plan to wear them even for pilates class out of caution. The issue with hernias is not only for weight training, but for any exercise that increases abdominal pressure.  As for the issues with anal anastomosis, I presume that abdominal pressure increases the "mesenteric tension" (google) temporarily during weight training. Putting on a lot of weight after surgery does that too, and pilates would as well.

There are ways to push body to limits without increasing abdominal pressure, which include weight training of arms, legs, chest etc. Weight training is not  risky for j-pouch, if you are only training your calves, isn't it?

There are many ways to exercise. I am currently 7 months post op, and I currently do training involving the abdominal muscles with auxiliary exercises, not as the target muscle group. It will stay like that forever. Once I start weight training, I plan to decrease weight and increase repetitions proportional to the abdominal pressure with any exercise involving the core.

My goal is not to build up ab muscles, but to be healthy. Resistance training is essential for that.

I do not think that hernias garments are a fix all solution, in my opinion its more safer to just take it easy and not do stuff extensively period; I post on here a lot about ANY extensive exercises being too much for J-pouchers/ostomates. Weightlifiting/weight training is more of a risk factor. All I do is post and share info, people will make their own choices after I educate. Seems like you still want to go ahead with your plan, all I can say to that is be careful. 

@Safado posted:

I do moderate weight lifting regularly and have never had a problem. In fact I’m not sure I understand why it would be bad for a j pouch.

I also run and mountain bike with no issues.

does anyone know the reason people say it could be bad for the pouch?

Extensive exercises can cause: blockages, hernias, bowel twists, and other problems for us since we are more delicate. I have talked to many people on here that have suffered the consequences of doing stuff too extensively. Just because you never had problem does not mean it could not happen someday. If you still choose to do the same routine, all I can say is be careful . 

I lifted a lot, and probably too soon after my surgery too without any long term issues.  The last 3-4 years though Ive been taking antibiotics and have become increasingly fearful of tearing tendons so I'm lifting lighter and lighter and less and less.  I tore something in my knee doing squats a week or so after a course of cipro so I've been paranoid ever since....

@Former Member posted:

Extensive exercises can cause: blockages, hernias, bowel twists, and other problems for us since we are more delicate. I have talked to many people on here that have suffered the consequences of doing stuff too extensively. Just because you never had problem does not mean it could not happen someday. If you still choose to do the same routine, all I can say is be careful .

Well I have had a bowel twist so I’m glad you brought this up. Had no idea. Thanks!

@Safado posted:

 

Well I have had a bowel twist so I’m glad you brought this up. Had no idea. Thanks!

I’m not aware of *any* reliable information to support the notion that exercise is a cause of bowel twists or obstructions. I would welcome a link to a scientific article that we could all learn from, if such an article exists. The notion that we are vaguely “delicate” is, I think, both misleading and disabling.

When bad things happen we tend to attribute them to whatever we were doing before the event. Sometimes, of course, that’s exactly right. At other times, though, the preceding activity has nothing to do with it, and we are at risk of fooling ourselves.

Im just having a very hard time accepting that i have to give up weight training forever. The fact that i lifted weights my entire life is what helped me rehab from all this so fast to begin with. I've been reading lots of comments and it really seems irs different for everybody. Some people have no issues others do. I think im going to stay in the gym when i heal up but im definitely going to modify my routine. Much lighter weights for higher reps. Lots more cardio. I just have to stay in shape. Wish me luck

@Jaydog posted:

Im just having a very hard time accepting that i have to give up weight training forever. The fact that i lifted weights my entire life is what helped me rehab from all this so fast to begin with. I've been reading lots of comments and it really seems irs different for everybody. Some people have no issues others do. I think im going to stay in the gym when i heal up but im definitely going to modify my routine. Much lighter weights for higher reps. Lots more cardio. I just have to stay in shape. Wish me luck

Good luck! Exercise, including weight training is just as much for my mental health as it is for my physical so I will continue to do it in as safe a manner as I can. 

I agree with Scott that it would be great to see scientific evidence on the impact of weight training on J pouch. Personally, I can think of some other things that happened to me (Not weight training) that could have caused my bowel twist that had nothing to do with weight training. Also, my doc never has said anything to me about limiting weight training. 

Thanks everyone for your contributions on the site. It really does help!

My surgeons told me I could start running as soon as I felt recovered from surgeries.  I started with walking and added a little distance every day until I could walk 5 miles.  Then I mixed jogging and walking and so on until I was running again.  I ran with my first and second ostomy, though that was pretty uncomfortable.  If my pouch is not totally empty when I start running it will be within a few minutes...I prefer to run in the morning. 

I am a lifelong lifter who used to compete in powerlifting.  So I had a very strong core going into the surgeries, and I think that was very helpful.  In 2011 before I got UC I donated a kidney, so I'd already been through on major abdominal recovery.  I worked out with light weights with my first and second ostomy as well, and again after takedown.  I began with very high reps (30-50) with tiny weights and even no weights for lunges, step-ups etc.  I was even more cautious with core training, doing partial movements and slowly working towards full motions over weeks.  Stretching out those scars hurt!  After over 18 months from takedown I'm probably as recovered as I'll get.  I don't lift as much as before I got sick, but I weigh less too.  I 've never worn a belt again, and don't fully brace with my abdomen like I used to.   I'd say I'm about 85% of pre-surgery strength.  I only train each lift once a week, and allow full recovery between.   Of course I've been training in the basement, due to covid.  My local gym is gone for good.  We ordered a power rack the first day of lockdown.  

@Jaydog posted:

Im just having a very hard time accepting that i have to give up weight training forever. The fact that i lifted weights my entire life is what helped me rehab from all this so fast to begin with. I've been reading lots of comments and it really seems irs different for everybody. Some people have no issues others do. I think im going to stay in the gym when i heal up but im definitely going to modify my routine. Much lighter weights for higher reps. Lots more cardio. I just have to stay in shape. Wish me luck

Stretching is also good for rehab therapy, there are plenty of benefits to that. And I understand where you are coming from but maybe there are other things that you can find that you might enjoy more than weightlifting, there are plenty of stories like that. For instance, in my past- I loved meat to the core! It satisfied me like nothing else in the world! I have now been vegetarian for over 5 years and I am even more happier now then I was in the past, especially since I save lives. Something else might come along and might make you more happier than weightlifting.

Sometimes life is not fair. I try to focus on what I can do instead of what I cannot do. Its good to focus on things you can change rather than things you cannot change, its more peaceful.

If you still choose to weight lift, be careful and try to be open to starting new healthier chapters other than weightlifting. 

@Safado posted:

 

Well I have had a bowel twist so I’m glad you brought this up. Had no idea. Thanks!

Anytime! Not many gastros/doctors and people know about that info. Thank goodness for the internet

@Former Member posted:

Anytime! Not many gastros/doctors and people know about that info. Thank goodness for the internet

If NOT many doctors know it, but you think you know it because you have read it on the internet, then you better not believe it. There is a site, “google scholar”, if you find a study there which was published at a journal with a high impact factor, AND has been cited many times, then consider it reliable information -not ultimate truth written in stone. 

There is a concept called ‘science denialism”, which has been getting popular in academic circles recently as a subject of study. It refers to the fact that people are spreading all kinds of information on the internet that denies what scientist clearly state, which ironically is now a hot topic of scientific study. I believe it is relevant in this case.

If you find anything about bowel twist and exercise, or obstructions and exercise on google scholar, please let us know.

This is an interesting topic. I had always thought that, once you have properly healed from surgery, the worry with lifting weights (serious weights, not the little 4kg ones I use!) was pulling on or tearing an adhesion that had formed after the surgery. Ditto for very vigorous stretching involving the abdominal region.

Although now I realise that I have no evidence to cite for this, just the hideous pain I sometimes get when I sneeze or turn over in bed a certain way, which I suspect is an adhesion getting twanged at my old ileo site.

@Kushami posted:

This is an interesting topic. I had always thought that, once you have properly healed from surgery, the worry with lifting weights (serious weights, not the little 4kg ones I use!) was pulling on or tearing an adhesion that had formed after the surgery. Ditto for very vigorous stretching involving the abdominal region.

Although now I realise that I have no evidence to cite for this, just the hideous pain I sometimes get when I sneeze or turn over in bed a certain way, which I suspect is an adhesion getting twanged at my old ileo site.

Yeah a lot of people require evidence for everything nowadays. I just do not feel the need to post evidence on every single thing that I say since I do extensive research for everything I post, and plus people tend to not agree with the evidence too.

And yeah, I use to have that too in my early takedown days. I always had anxiety about sneezing or anything like that because it always hurt around that early takedown period lol.

But yeah, its recommended we do not go over 20 pounds when it comes to lifting but sometimes people are stuck in their ways and do not want to accept things and we just gotta respect it lol. And its recommended that we not do vigorous exercise too, I keep it 30minutes-1hr.

I've got a Kpouch and Not a J pouch so lit is slightly different. I've also had a couple dozen abdominal surgeries.

I know how important your sport is to you and to your feeling of 'returning to normal' or 'going back to where you were before'.

But facts are facts. You are/will be colonless and you have new plumbing.

I will not say that you can only lift this much or that much. I do not know what your body can or cannot do. But that isn't the question. The question is, what will it do to your pouch? Will lifting very heavy weight have a negative effect on your pouch or not? Will they injure you or not?

We are all so individual. Our biology as well as how healthy we are and what the disease took out of us and for how long...what meds we too (cortisone? Cipro?)

I was superwoman. I got my pouch in 79, internet did not exist and I pretty much winged it for years. I moved far away and had 0 advice.

The result is that I overdid it on a daily basis. Maybe that actually helped to keep me healthy or it contributed to all of the complications that I eventually had after the age of 40.

You choose...the only rule is that this is not a sprint but a marathon. Take things slowly, listen to your body. Do not push yourself if there is pain. Do not expect to erase time and go back to where you were prior to all of this. Take all necessary precautions.

Decide what is more important to you...but be careful.

Sharon

I just want to be healthy. I really don't see my self going back to lifting super heavy but we'll see. I really don't believe in blanket statements like "you can't lift over 20 pounds". We aren't all the same. I'm a 210 pound man who's been lifting since I was 12 years old. It's not reasonable to say that me and a 120 pound secretary have the exact same weight restrictions. We'll see how it goes. I will absolutely listen to my body and I really don't plan on over doing it. Hopefully it all works out.

@Jaydog posted:

I just want to be healthy. I really don't see my self going back to lifting super heavy but we'll see. I really don't believe in blanket statements like "you can't lift over 20 pounds". We aren't all the same. I'm a 210 pound man who's been lifting since I was 12 years old. It's not reasonable to say that me and a 120 pound secretary have the exact same weight restrictions. We'll see how it goes. I will absolutely listen to my body and I really don't plan on over doing it. Hopefully it all works out.

Well the 20 pound thing has been cited by doctors that know the J-pouch very well. A doctor that has over 20 years of experience with J-poouches have stated that. I know its hard to accept a new life-style but maybe your meant to do something else. I use to enjoy lots of things too but now I find that I am more happier dancing and stretching.

I have talked to quite a few people on here that wished they had not weight lifted due to dire consequences, but some people need to learn on their own and I respect that.

@Former Member posted:

Well the 20 pound thing has been cited by doctors that know the J-pouch very well. A doctor that has over 20 years of experience with J-poouches have stated that. I know its hard to accept a new life-style but maybe your meant to do something else. I use to enjoy lots of things too but now I find that I am more happier dancing and stretching.

I have talked to quite a few people on here that wished they had not weight lifted due to dire consequences, but some people need to learn on their own and I respect that.

I'm going to start with running and biking. Then I'll get into body weight excersises to see how I feel. I really do appreciate the info and I'll definitely keep it in mind.

@Jaydog posted:

I'm going to start with running and biking. Then I'll get into body weight excersises to see how I feel. I really do appreciate the info and I'll definitely keep it in mind.

I did both of those and I was fine

Biking was more better since its less pounding and more peaceful for me and it covers more ground quicker-which I love.

And you are welcome

@Former Member posted:

I did both of those and I was fine

Biking was more better since its less pounding and more peaceful for me and it covers more ground quicker-which I love.

And you are welcome

Ya before my second surgery this summer I was really getting into biking. I was getting around 100 miles a week in. I was really trying to make sure I was fit so I could have a quick recovery from my surgery.

@Jaydog posted:

Ya before my second surgery this summer I was really getting into biking. I was getting around 100 miles a week in. I was really trying to make sure I was fit so I could have a quick recovery from my surgery.

Dang!!! I was really fit before m surgery too and it caused me to have blockages because my stomach was really tight and I had thick muscular walls that caused me blockages- even had another surgery to open up the stoma and it did not work lol. So they just left a drain in my stoma to constantly have it drain out and that worked. Since your fit, do/did you have blockages with the ileostomy???

@Former Member posted:

Dang!!! I was really fit before m surgery too and it caused me to have blockages because my stomach was really tight and I had thick muscular walls that caused me blockages- even had another surgery to open up the stoma and it did not work lol. So they just left a drain in my stoma to constantly have it drain out and that worked. Since your fit, do/did you have blockages with the ileostomy???

No. I never had any problems with my end illeo. My loop was real hard to deal with for the first 5 weeks but I got it figured out now. My takedown is in a week and a half so I'm in cruise control now just trying to get there

@Jaydog posted:

No. I never had any problems with my end illeo. My loop was real hard to deal with for the first 5 weeks but I got it figured out now. My takedown is in a week and a half so I'm in cruise control now just trying to get there

Wow, no blockages at all with the loop? I had tooo many to count! They hurt like HELLL, you definitely do not want that, they put a tube down your nose and it HURTS!!! You are lucky!!!

I am excited for your takedown! I am glad you are getting it done before the holidays and the new year.

@Former Member posted:

Well the 20 pound thing has been cited by doctors that know the J-pouch very well. A doctor that has over 20 years of experience with J-poouches have stated that.

Did you know it is the law to stop at every stop sign for 3 seconds? Autopilot Teslas kept getting rear-ended because they were following traffic laws.

The point is being, that doctors and hospitals are under extreme pressure to avoid taking any responsiblity for a person's misfortune.  Malpractice lawsuits and the letigousness of patients has crippled doctor's ability to say realistic things.  I wouldn't be suprised if you get a doctor suggestion to wear a helment well rubbing one out.

I am not saying blow off doctors. I am saying understand that their hands are tied, and they know far less than we would hope.

@sombrenote posted:

Did you know it is the law to stop at every stop sign for 3 seconds? Autopilot Teslas kept getting rear-ended because they were following traffic laws.

The point is being, that doctors and hospitals are under extreme pressure to avoid taking any responsiblity for a person's misfortune.  Malpractice lawsuits and the letigousness of patients has crippled doctor's ability to say realistic things.  I wouldn't be suprised if you get a doctor suggestion to wear a helment well rubbing one out.

I am not saying blow off doctors. I am saying understand that their hands are tied, and they know far less than we would hope.

Driving right saves lives.

People on here have shared negative experiences about weight lifting and its on the internet about it having gastro consequences.

I respect what you were trying to do but I do not think it compares to the situations.  

I don’t think the controversy over lifting has much to do with malpractice or defensive medicine. There are some surgeons and gastroenterologists who apparently suggest lifelong abstention from significant lifting (the limit reported in other threads was 25 pounds). These doctors appear to have seen (or heard about) rare-but-devastating complications. Most physicians and surgeons do not, however, suggest such limitations. More significant than “can I engage in heavy weight-training?” are things like “can I pick up my child?” and “can I pick up a couple of grocery bags?” It is a mistake to conflate a minority report gleaned from the internet with any sort of absolute truth.

I suggest that people lift prudently, and pay attention to the signals your body provides. This appears to be the majority position. I’d offer exactly the same advice to people without J-pouches.

I have lifted on and off for the last 8 years while having a j pouch and haven't had any negative effects to my j-pouch because of it luckily. However, this is the first I've heard about potential dangers of lifting and I've even spoken with my surgeon about lifting weights and he's never cautioned me against it.

I am active and would hope to be able to stay that way so I'd be curious to know why weight lifting presents dangers to the j-pouch. All I've seen so far is that it is dangerous but can someone explain why?

Is it because of the surgeries we've had and it's more of a general caution for those that have had surgery or is it specifically something dangerous for the j-pouch?

As I look ahead at whether to keep playing basketball, lifting weights, etc. I'd really like to know if there is supportable information out there as to why weight lifting could be dangerous to my j-pouch. Any references the group has to legitimate sources would be really helpful so that I can make an informed decision. Thanks!

Safado, I can’t find any supportable information documenting lifting or activity limitations for J-pouchers. Several members here have reported that Bo Shen (a highly regarded gastroenterologist who specializes in pouchitis) has told them not to lift more than 25 pounds, but it’s not entirely clear who he intended that advice to apply to. Folks who’ve trained with him may be offering similar advice. I believe he may have had a *single* patient with a bad complication (perhaps pouch rupture or prolapse) that he attributes to lifting, though it seems to be so rare as to be more readily explained by bad luck or bad pouch construction. @Jan Dollar may be able to correct details here, and may have more direct information. I don’t think J-pouchers are fragile, and neither did my surgeon.

@Safado posted:

I have lifted on and off for the last 8 years while having a j pouch and haven't had any negative effects to my j-pouch because of it luckily. However, this is the first I've heard about potential dangers of lifting and I've even spoken with my surgeon about lifting weights and he's never cautioned me against it.

I am active and would hope to be able to stay that way so I'd be curious to know why weight lifting presents dangers to the j-pouch. All I've seen so far is that it is dangerous but can someone explain why?

Is it because of the surgeries we've had and it's more of a general caution for those that have had surgery or is it specifically something dangerous for the j-pouch?

As I look ahead at whether to keep playing basketball, lifting weights, etc. I'd really like to know if there is supportable information out there as to why weight lifting could be dangerous to my j-pouch. Any references the group has to legitimate sources would be really helpful so that I can make an informed decision. Thanks!

Extensive exercises: whether it be weight-lifting or exercising for long periods of times can cause: blockages, hernias, bowel twists, and other problems for us since we are more delicate/fragile. There was a J-pouch patient that did weight-lifting and his staples came out of his pouch and it required surgery to fix it. I have talked to many people on here that have suffered the consequences of doing stuff too extensively. Just because you never had problem does not mean it could not happen someday. If you still choose to do the same routine, all I can say is be careful.

If my memory is correct SAFADO, you had a bowel twist in the past and you lifted a lot- obviously the info is true.

Colon folks that weight-lift get the problems that I mentioned above, We "no colon" folks are more fragile/delicate; we have to be extra careful. There are many things in the world we can do physically other than weight-lifting.

@Jaydog posted:

I just want to be healthy. I really don't see my self going back to lifting super heavy but we'll see. I really don't believe in blanket statements like "you can't lift over 20 pounds". We aren't all the same. I'm a 210 pound man who's been lifting since I was 12 years old. It's not reasonable to say that me and a 120 pound secretary have the exact same weight restrictions. We'll see how it goes. I will absolutely listen to my body and I really don't plan on over doing it. Hopefully it all works out.

For what it’s worth, I didn’t start lifting regularly until after surgery. Lifting with my crappy colon (pun intended?) caused more pain, discomfort and potential accidents than I have now lifting with a J-pouch. I’m in the best shape of my life now that I can workout regularly without being sidelined with flare-ups.

That being said, I also eased into it after about 3 years, mostly due to two back-to-back pregnancies right after takedown. So I’m not sure what a “normal” timeline would look like for easing back into lifting. Be encouraged but also be patient with your recovery. I think you will get back to it but I would be extra cautious for a while.