Question:
Is there anyone who does not exercise?
I was wondering if any of you don't exercise and how your weight loss has been? How much had you lost at 4-6 months? I have to admit that I have never really exercised. For the first two months I walked faithfully but since then I have not done anything. I started on my treadmill this week hoping to step up my loss and Monday I have an appointment to join the gym. I so desperatly want to make 100 pounds by my 6 month anniversary January 1st. Right now I am down 62 pounds. I know I only have my own laziness to blame for the slow loss. Is there still hope? — Stacie B. (posted on October 24, 2003)
October 24, 2003
I am two years post op and have been at my current weight (130) for a year
now. I can honestly say that I religiously did yoga for about two weeks of
that two years. I'm not proud to admit that, as exercise is important, but
I didn't do it.
— RebeccaP
October 24, 2003
I used to HATE to exercise. It was torture. However, when I decided to have
surgery, I wanted to get completely healthy. For me, healthy was not just
about losing the weight. I wanted my heart, lungs etc to be healthy too,
and the only way to do that is with exercise. I've seen far too many
"skinny" people drop from a heart attack or stroke. Plus, when I
exercise I don't feel like putting anything unhealthy into my mouth so I
tend to eat more healthy foods. Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now! Barb
4/07/03 235/151/130
— Barbara C.
October 24, 2003
Question. If you've gone through this much trouble, pre op testing,
surgery, hospitalization, recovery, totally re-worked internal organs to
lose weight and get healthy, knowing that exercise would expedite the
process, increase the amount you are able to lose and help tone your skin
once you begin to lose the fat, why would you NOT exercise??? I promise,
the hardest part is just showing up. I began my exercise program at 8
weeks post op (and I had a serious complication which required a 2nd
surgery), have lost 118 lbs. and 57", and now have a flat tummy,
virtually no sagging skin, and can see real definition in my muscles. I so
much wanted to totally maximize this opportunity, I was willing to jump
through fire. What's a little sweat at this point? It's SO worth it.
Congratulations on joining the gym. While you're there, take the time to
meet w/ a trainer to create a program (at least 4x per week) for you which
involves weight training. This balanced with cardio is where you'll see
the most results. All the best.
— Kimberly L. A.
October 24, 2003
I have never exercised. Just my daily housework and running with the
grandkids. I have lost 90lbs at 8 months out. I started as a lightweight
so to speak weighing 228 to start. my best friend is 11 months out goes to
the gym three times a week. Started at 258 and has now lost only 80 lbs.
Go figure. I have watched on the message board and i seem to have been
doing as well as some of the fitness grur's.(sp) BTW I am 10 lbs from goal
and it is a lite goal at that. I am comfortable where i am and look and
feel so much better.
— Delores S.
October 24, 2003
Me. I never exercised on a consistent basis. Busy, busy, busy with yard,
hobbies, running, but not a regular thing. Have done gyms twice &
enjoyed it, but have not stayed with it. I HAVE to do it all nutritionally,
cuz the exercise factor is not there for me.
— vitalady
October 24, 2003
I'm sure there's still hope! Definitely! I think your timing is good; you
will have a really good exercise program rolling along by the end of the
so-called "honeymoon" period (six months out), when many people
can eat more, get some persistent head hunger, and see their weight loss
slow, because the pouch is healing up so well by then that our own changed
habits have to pick up the slack to keep the weight loss going. Good for
you that you're taking this moment to add exercise to the mix to try to
defend against some of those things.<P> I exercise. I do it because
I figured I wouldn't get to goal without it (being 45 years old, I thought
my metabolism wasn't getting any younger or faster), and because I like
food too much to cut back enough to make up for no exercise. I'm sure it's
what keeps me at goal despite my far-from-perfect eating habits at 17
months post-op. To me, exercise is another tool in the toolbox, like my
pouch, or eating protein first.<P>Weights and cardio didn't keep me
from getting saggy skin, but hey, que sera sera, and now I can run four
miles where before, walking four blocks was just agony on my feet. Good
luck!!
— Suzy C.
October 24, 2003
Hi
I am a little over 4 months out and all I do is walk. I am unable to do
anytype of arm exercise. My lose is going great I am down 82+# and have
gone from a size 24 to a 12. And luckly no sagging skin(I was worried).If
you have fallen off your wagon just dust off and get back on. And please
always remember everyone loses at a different rate.
— Autumn
October 24, 2003
I really hate to admit this, but I have never exercised since my surgery on
1-28-04. I would occassionally walk here and there, but never anything
regular. I hit 100 pounds lost on July 8, which was less than 6 months
out. I am now almost 9 months out and am down 137 pounds.
— Kim DeHart
October 24, 2003
First of all, congrats on your loss. :) Personally, I haven't done
anything more than walk at the park a couple of times a week. In response
to the question of why you'd go through all of this and not exercise, some
of us don't have time. There are days when I have to call my boyfriend to
run errands for me because I don't have time. With work and school and my
daughter and her activities and my activities, I meet myself coming and
going. I think the most important thing is to not be a couch potato.
While I don't go to a gym (as if I could afford it) regularly, I'm always
on the go. Just keep plugging!! (4 1/2 months out, down 84lbs and
counting.)
— ladyphy
October 25, 2003
I know that many people here exercise a lot. Me? Not so much. I have never
done more than walking since surgery and I have lost 116 pounds in 9
months. I do have a much more active lifestyle and rarely sit down anymore
unless it is to do this. Don't be too hard on yourself. My surgeon does not
even recommend exercise until you are 2-3 months out and then only very
moderately.
— Carol S.
October 25, 2003
My forms of <i>exercise</i> are cleaning my house, which I can
now do without dying from sweating and exhaustion and shopping, running
errands and playing with the dog. I do no formal exercises. Not something
I'm proud of, but it's a fact and the odds are highly against me ever
joining a group/club/etc and doing so. I hate exercising to videos and
well, frankly I just HATE EXERCISE in general. I know my heart would be
better for it and I do do some strange things to get an arobic work-out.
For example you know those swiffer pads they sell for dusting the floor?
Well I step on two of them and kind of skate all over my house for 30
minutes - making sure my heartrate is accelerated. I do this at least 2
times a week and it's FUN! Plus the kids and dog get a cheap thrill :>)
I also time myself doing other things. I get a mental list of chores
that need doing and do them vigorously from one to the next for 30 minutes.
So that every day I do at minimum 1 30 minute session of high-level
activity. I know that this is probably far from the recommended arobic
exercises, but at least I'm moving my butt...oh and I've lost a smidge over
200 pounds in 15 months. Now if I just had some muscle tone (sigh)....
— [Deactivated Member]
October 25, 2003
Stacie,
I am 7 months post-op down 125lbs and five pounds from my maximum goal (BMI
of 24) and I have NEVER exercised, although, I have four children and am
very busy. I have had complications which I believe have contributed to my
rapid weight loss and I just wanted to say that although the scales are
moving down, my lean body mass (muscle) is also moving down. In other
words, I should be losing weight and gaining muscle but I'm losing my
muscle mass as I'm losing my weight and that is attributed to not
exercising. So....congrats on getting motivated and just know that you are
doing it for more reasons than just the numbers on the scales. Good luck!
Denise
3/20/03-125lbs
— denisel
October 25, 2003
If I liked and could sustain an exercise regimine, I probably never would
have weighed 500 pounds. My weight loss has been fairly constant (over 120
pounds the first two months and over 250 pounds the first year) and I feel
comfortable that I am at a size that I can sustain for life. Like everyone
else who posted, I am have been more active since surgery--- and have been
able to run after my little girls, do more yardwork and generally spend
less time on the couch. Certainly, I would like to try some sort of
exercise to build a little muscle mass, but for now, I would much rather be
more cautious about food choices rather than have to worry about getting to
the gym every day. Good luck.
— SteveColarossi
October 25, 2003
Your question: is there still any hope? I am assuming you mean is there
still hope to lose more weight. Of course. But don't exercise to lose
weight. Exercise to live longer. Every minute you evercise adds a minute
to your life.
— mrsmyranow
October 25, 2003
Exercise will provide many benefits to your life besides helping your
weight loss. Getting your body really oxygenated is good for your tissues,
brain etc. Getting really tired from a good workout helps us sleep better
at night and get quality sleep. It helps build muscle which will serve you
long term in maintaining your weight. Weight bearing exercise helps build
strong healthy bones, which becomes a huge concern for us after RNY WLS.
Exercise will help tone our bodies so we look better in clothes and naked
and feel better about our bodies.
<p>The important thing is to find something you enjoy doing so it's
not a chore 98% of the time. Sometimes it will really take kicking
yourself in the butt to go do your workout but most of the time it should
not. It is so much easier for me to walk now that I do not see it as I
have to, I want to. I enjoy it. I enjoy it when I am able to advance the
distance or speed. I also do weight training 3 times a week and enjoy
seeing the progress I make in advancing the weights, the positive results
as more and more muscle gets built under my skin (even if it is loose skin)
etc. I took a deep water aerobics class the other night and that was fun
and a tough workout. I made the mistake of taking it though after I had
already walked for 30 minutes and did weight training for 30 minutes. The
hour of water aerobics on top of that was too much for my body, so I would
not pile them all up again, but I would not mind taking some more classes
on other days. How about biking - stationary or on the street? Do a
combination of stair stepper, treadmil and air bike. 10 minutes each adds
up to 30 minutes. I personally believe weight training is a key piece of
the puzzle. I have lost weight quite fast and have tones up as well as one
can expect in my situation. I feel because I went back to weight training
as soon as I could (9 weeks) it helped increase my metabolism and keep it
up there. I was not able to get much walking going for a long time as I
hurt a lot. I would do what I could but if I did 10 minutes I was lucky.
It took me until past 6 months PO to be able to walk 1 mile. Yet 6 weeks
later I was able to do the 3 mile Walk from Obesity. It was like once I
got below 300 lbs I was able to cross a major line of being able to get
much more mobile. My body would finally move faster and flow better. But
it took 142 lbs lost to get there. It just continues to get better. I
still have severe low back pain at times but most times it is tolerable and
does not prevent me from doing something at the time. I usually pay for it
afterwards, but that is just something I have to live with. I'm hoping the
abdominoplasty removing a big chunk of skin from the front will give me
some relief in that area. There's plenty pulling on it right now.
<p>Try to figure out what you would like to try. Do not overdo at
first. Start with 10 minutes total. Do not get down on yourself if you
don;t really feel like going one day and figure you blew it why bother.
That's the old dieting mentality and that will get you into trouble in many
ways. Each day is a new day and a new opportunity to make different
choices that day. May sure to get a good comfy pair of athletic shoes so
you have good support for your feet and body in whatever you choose to do.
Do not be afraid to go to a public pool. At 257 lbs the other night I was
not the largest person in the pool. I actually might have weighed the
most, but because of my muscle mass I did not look quite as large. Even if
I looked huge, the bottom line is I was there to improve myself and get
healthier and that's all that matters. Do your best to not end up working
out in a meat market as that can discourage you with all the women in their
tiny little thongs. Choose a family Y or a Curves or a private studio that
can help you get started. I went through our new Y last Sunday and they
set up a separate area for newbies. A place where there is some cardio and
weight equipment separated from the big workout room so that a person can
become comfortable with the equipment before moving into the big room or if
they care to stay working in there that's fine too.
<p>Just go about it at a reasonable pace and allow your body to
adjust. Overdoing it will just make you hurt and give you and excuse not
to work out. Go for it! You can do it and will ultimately feel better for
it!
— zoedogcbr
October 25, 2003
There is exercise...then there's housework. I do NOT exercise. I am 3
pounds underweight, lost 122#, 20 months out and 50 years old. I DO rake
leaves, mow the grass, scrub the floor,I put down tile in the kitchen,
painted the kitchen, refinished the wood floors,cleaned out the gutters,
hosed down the siding, today hauled hay for the dogs ..I also keep busy
and at work,I don't just sit (RN). Tonight for fun, I'm going dancing and I
usually dance every dance. I also do not have saggy skin (except the the
skin where my boobs used to be). I consider myself "lucky".
— Connie M.
October 25, 2003
I haven't excercised once and I lost my weight. I hate exercise. I hate
to sweat. Realistically, I knew I wouldn't exercise. I do walk a lot
more. I do take the stairs instead of the elevator... but that's about it.
— Goldilauxx B.
October 27, 2003
Hi, I do not excercise. I tried but everytime I would do anything I would
get woozy and pass out...I am told this is due to the lack of carbs that I
ingest. I made it to goal in 6 or 7 months. check out my profile. 265#s
pre-op
128#s now size 6
— hooterzgirl75
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