Hello asktrp. I'm posting here for advice regarding self improvement and keeping a positive self image after surgery.

First, the background. I used to work out religiously, getting up from 190lbs to 200 lbs since last october, with most of my progress during april-june and second half of july-september. (I went to a festival in july, which turned out to be a minor setback). I would lift 5 times a week and supplement that with swimming, sprints (a recent addition) or basketball 2-4 times a week.

But, on october 3rd I had abdominal surgery to fix my intestinal malrotation (The Ladd procedure, if anyone is familiar with it). This has left me unable to work out for at least 2 more weeks. I've already lost over 15lbs of muscle and it's really affecting my mood and confidence. Even after i recover, chances are I wont be able to work out intensely for quite a while (couple of months).

Now, my questions are these: Does anyone have experience with exercising after recovering from a surgery?

Is there any other activity I could look into to make me feel like a man? The inability to lift has left me feeling weak and unfulfilled.

I apologize for my bad formatting and language.

TL;DR: Lost muscle after surgery, unable to lift. Looking for advice on recovery and a suitable masculine activity as a replacement for lifting.