DaisyMay

For me the answer is both yes and no. Some foods seem to taste different with so much chewing and effort and just aren't really worth it anymore. I had my fourth fill several weeks ago and am now experiencing true restriction for the first time. It's great because my hunger and cravings are virtually gone. I'm eating more for nutrition than for recreation (you know, the way it should be!). But yes, I do miss the recreational eating. I know it's a habit or an addiction or a compulsion or whatever you want to call it but I do have a sense of loss in that I can't just sit and eat and lose myself in the food anymore. I'm thankful for that but I'm also a little sad about it. I believe that over time I will adjust and am looking for other ways to deal with stress and other ways to comfort myself. It's a part of the process. The trouble comes when rather than dealing with that loss, people try to find ways to eat around the band and continue with old patterns. The band is not an easy journey but it's definitely a worthwhile one. I am down 3 or 4 sizes, I am off all medications, I am exercising between 30 and 90 minutes a day and I feel great! Mourning the loss of my ability to binge is very worth it.

I had my surgery on April 29 and I also have a 14 cc band. I have had four fills. Until my last fill I had no restriction. I had started to gain a little. At my last fill I received enough to be at 10.5 ccs and I finally have great restriction. Before that (at about 8.5 or less) I could eat virtually anything and everything. It took a little longer or I got full a little faster but not enough to really slow me down and my head hunger was raging so I couldn't seem to stop myself. After this last fill I finally understand what everybody is talking about! I have lost about 10 pounds in the last 2.5 weeks (yes, too much but probably mostly water and now it's slowing down to a healthier rate). I can eat a green salad and a half a chicken breast and be full for four hours or so. I rarely am hungry and when I am it's real physical hunger and not head hunger. I have no cravings whatsoever. The only thing I really can't eat is bread. Meat works as long as I'm careful. Fruits and vegetables go down pretty easily. I can't say it's all a bed of roses - I'm tight enough that there is some discomfort at many meals and I have to be really careful to chew thoroughly and eat slowly. Sometimes chicken works and sometimes it just doesn't. I've only had one serious stuck/pain/sliming episode and no pb or vomiting but I'm very careful - when I start to get the message that I might be getting full I stop immediately. That doesn't mean I'm perfect at all - it just means my band is tight enough right now that it means business and if I ignore the signals it hurts. I have eaten ice cream a few times and it does slide right down - but because my head hunger is gone (at least for now) and I'm not having any cravings I'm able to eat 3 or 4 spoonfuls and stop rather than eating an entire container. It sounds to me like you don't have proper restriction. It took me several months and four fills to get there but I'm finally there. Even with the pitfalls it is wonderful!! By the way, I also exercise quite a bit so that obviously helps - although it wasn't enough when I didn't have good restriction. Good luck.

My food issues are shifting as well. I'm almost 3 months post-op and head hunger is a huge issue but one that is changing as time goes on. Some days things go well and some days not so much. Rather than trying to stick to a strict diet and white knuckle it through I'm taking the path of working on my food issues and trying to figure out why I sometimes eat beyond my hunger and how to calm that inner voice that screams for food. Today I went to the gym, ate very healthfully and not very much and then had three small bites of a candy bar after dinner for dessert. Because that was all I wanted. Today is a good day. Tomorrow might be a binge. If it is, I'll try to figure out why. Unfortunately there aren't really any short cuts. But the band definitely makes it all easier. Good luck!

March 11 - Lapband seminar March 12 - Made decision to proceed - scheduled appt w/ surgeon March 18 - Consult w/ surgeon & begin pre-op diet March 31 - sleep study at hospital April 3 - Psych evaluation April 4 - Nutritionist evaluation April 18 - Diet progress evaluated by surgeon April 25 - Pre-op appointment w/ surgeon & hospital April 29 - Surgery My surgeon required that I lose 10% of my total body weight pre-surgery. I lost about 22 lbs. between March 18 and April 18. Because I lost so quickly, when I went in for my weight check appointment on April 18, he moved my surgery from May 13 to April 29 and didn't ultimately require that I lose the entire amount. I was excited to get to go two weeks early. I was self-pay so I didn't have the long delays that a lot of people experience. I scheduled all of my pre-op appointments as quickly as possible and pretty much just drank Protein shakes for a month (with the occasional treat every three or four days when I couldn't stand another liquid meal) to shed the weight. All in all, mine went pretty fast. Good luck!

My family doctor told me that unless I lost a significant amount of weight he didn't know how much he could do to keep me healthy. I did some research on various bariatric surgeries and then went to a lapband seminar. My husband was strongly in favor of the band because of the lower risks. I was initially more open to the RNY because of the fast initial weight loss but then learned more about the band and liked the lower risk profile and the fact that it's adjustable and doesn't reroute any internal organs. I met the band surgeon and liked him and made the decision and was ready to go. I went back to my family physician (required by the band surgeon) and he told me he favored the RNY bypass and that he would not recommend the band. I talked to the surgeon who gave me some additional information about the band and he said that a lot of doctors are simply not educated about the band. Anyway, there's more but the point is that I had to do the research and talk to my husband and decide what we were most comfortable with. Doctors know a lot but they don't know everything about every procedure. I finally went back to my family physician and told him that I was going with the band and I needed a letter from him stating that he would do my follow-up care and that I could go somewhere else if he couldn't do that. He said, "Well, it's not my body so you do whatever you want." He did agree to write the letter. I got the letter, sent it to my surgeon and then started shopping for a new family doctor who knew more about the band and would be more supportive of my decision. As for the pre-op diet, it's awful but it can be done. Personally, I stuck to liquid Protein shakes and exercised a lot because I wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible. The first several months of the band journey are pretty tough for everyone. We feel your pain - we really do. I think you'll hear from almost everyone on here that it's all worth it in the end. Good luck!

I don't think it depends on doctor or nurse - some have the touch and some don't whether it's injections or fills or whatever. My doctor does my fills and they hurt! And the first time he dug around in there forever with multiple sticks and I had tears in my eyes. Not good. Second fill was a better aim but still very painful. No numbing, no nothing. Just jams it in - hard. Definitely not a gentle touch. Maybe I should request his nurse do it instead - LOL!

We have virtually the same stats. I am 5'9" and will soon be 44. My highest weight ever was 295 lbs. I was at 285 when I started the pre-surgery diet. I have lost 40 lbs. since the end of March. The head hunger is a continuing struggle but much easier since the band. I had lots of health issues (high blood pressure, diabetes, GERD, back pain, etc. - all now resolved with no more medications) and I felt like I had to do something drastic. Now it doesn't seem all that drastic - just reasonable and workable. Good luck!

My experience with the lapband so far has been a little more difficult than I expected but it is definitely something I would do again. Even though I knew the lapband was just a tool, I have been struggling with head hunger issues and the compulsion to eat that I still have. But the band takes away enough of the hunger (I'm not yet at a really good level of restriction) to allow me to think through my choices and make progress. I'm really trying to focus on the emotional issues that surround my eating. That's the hard part. The physical part of the band - surgery, recovery, new way of eating, etc. - is frustrating at times but hasn't been too bad. Everybody needs to evaluate the various options for themselves. I suggest you gather information on the lapband, other bariatric surgeries, talk to your doctor, maybe a counselor, and those close to you and see what seems like the right choice for you. I was on medications for diabetes, high blood pressure, GERD and had chronic back pain and problems sleeping (although no apnea). I am now off all medications and my high blood pressure, diabetes and GERD are all under control with just diet and exercise. I have no back pain and my sleep problems have resolved. All this with only a third of my weight loss accomplished. I know I will only feel better as the rest of the weight comes off. Hope this helps. Good luck!

I have a 14 cc band. I was told I had no fill at all at surgery. My first fill was 4 ccs and the second fill was 2.5 ccs so I'm currently at 6.5 ccs. I have very little restriction. I can eat anything I want - including bread, pasta, steak, etc. My next fill (in four weeks) will be another 2.5 ccs. I'm hopeful that one (at a total of 9 ccs) will get me to a decent level of restriction.

My husband bought me a Townie 21 cruiser for Mother's Day two years ago and I love it. Go to e l e c t r a. It is REALLY comfortable. I started riding on a mountain bike (two different ones) and had lots of problems that I think were weight-related. My rear never adjusted to the seat and my back and arms ached constantly when we rode and for days after. I'm sure there are lots of people on here who do great with mountain bikes but the cruiser works MUCH better for me. You sit up much straighter and there is less pressure on the arms and the back - and no problems with the rear soreness after the first couple of rides in the spring. My husband (who is a very big guy - 320 lbs - but much higher proportion of muscle to fat than me) rides a nice big mountain bike and prefers that. I'll stick with the cruiser. I love my baby blue Townie!

Jorge, I have a very similar story at this point. I have had two fills and have absolutely no restriction. I think that my mind is panicking a little bit about getting to restriction and not being able to eat much so I'm binging in anticipation. I had lost weight when I went in for my first fill because I was still sore and swollen from surgery. When I went in for my second fill I had gained a half pound. I wasn't really worried about it because I knew I had probably gained a little and I knew I didn't have restriction. What I wasn't prepared for was my doctor was pretty cranky with me about it. I think he was surprised because up to that point I had pretty much been the model patient. I had lost my presurgery weight in record time and had been losing very rapidly. He started to lecture me about my half pound weight gain and I just sort of politely stopped him and said, "You know, this is a lifetime of habits I'm dealing with here. It was one bad week, that's all." He backed off a little after that but clearly was disappointed in me. When I left his office I was pretty discouraged and started thinking that I'd better get myself in gear and be sure I lose a ton of weight before my next appointment. That of course triggered a diet mentality and another binge. I then had to back up mentally and just realize that this journey is about me and not about my doctor or anybody else. I need to work on my food issues and my history with food and I need to take responsibility for my choices and the rest will take care of itself. I have stopped binging (which usually happens when I start to talk nicely to myself and quit pressuring myself to lose weight immediately) and I have started exercising again. My initial reaction was to be mad at the doctor and not want to go back. But that's not going to help me and it certainly isn't going to hurt him. It only hurts me. And he wasn't trying to be hurtful. He was trying to very firmly talk to me and motivate me to get back on track quickly before I spin completely out of control. My head just turned it into an attack and I responded with a binge. I think I heard my mother's voice in my head instead of my doctor's! When I could get some distance I was able to see that he was trying to talk to me about the importance of following the band rules, continuing to exercise and working on head hunger. I have committed to myself that I will exercise and I will try to eat only when physically hungry and only until satisfied. I have also committed to myself that if the binging and head hunger issues continue that I will go back into counseling. I will also always go to the doctor when I need to and try to listen to his advice without feeling attacked. I also remind myself that I will undoubtedly slip up from time to time. It's a process and an entirely new way of living. It's really hard because even though we all knew it was just a tool, most of us probably hoped for a magic bullet. I now know I did. Now I have to learn to work with the tool and not wait for the magic. Please go back to your doctor. Regardless of what he or she says, it's the only way to get to restriction and work the tool properly.

I agree with others - go get it checked if you are worried. But I am 10 weeks post op and still get random occasional shoulder pain and pain in the port area. Some folks have this procedure and never feel pain and never take meds. I took meds for four weeks and still get mild fatigue and abdominal pain late in the day - sometimes with shoulder pain and sometimes not. My doctor says it's just simply different for everyone based on age, weight, gender, pain threshold, etc.

I don't count calories. I just can't. I really respect people who can but, for me, it immediately throws me into the old "this is a diet and I am being punished" mentality. I work out a lot - I try to do a minimum of an hour a day five days a week - when I'm not too sore I do 90 minutes (treadmill, elliptical, biking, just starting to jog a little) total. I try to choose healthy foods and I try to substitute - today I had about a half cup of rice milk ice cream (dairy free) and it was good. I'm trying to focus on eating when I'm hungry and stopping when I'm not hungry anymore (as opposed to when I'm full). We'll see how it goes - this is obviously a long process of re-education when it comes to eating!

Yes, I had exactly the same thing. It drove me nuts! I would feel just fine in the morning and then around 3 pm every single afternoon I felt awful and had to take pain meds and go to bed for a few hours (when I could). Sorry to say but mine lasted very noticeably at least 3 weeks. It very gradually got better and now (a little over 4 weeks post-op) it is almost completely gone. I still get a few twinges and little aches in the afternoon but it is nothing like it was. I called my doctor's office and his nurse said that as long as it responded to pain meds (which it did) and as long as I had no fever, no nausea and no diarrhea (which I didn't) that I should treat it with ibuprofen, a heating pad and rest. The fever, nausea and diarrhea would indicate a possible infection so be sure to call your doctor if you have those symptoms or if you are concerned at all. I still have no idea why it hit every afternoon at the same time but it definitely did! Hope this helps but do call your doctor if you're worried. I felt better after I called.

Yes, they are getting better but I still have occasional cramps - sometimes on the right, sometimes on the back and sometimes in the middle. I've seen several people on here referring to cramps in various places in the abdomen. I would ask the doctor but wouldn't be too worried about it.

Normal blood pressure without meds. Normal blood sugars without meds. No more reflux - or meds. No more swollen legs and ankles. No more medications at all. Haven't had blood work done since I started this journey (will do that next month) but expect all values will have improved. I've had great improvements in health very quickly!

I agree - I think it's just going to be a little more of a learning curve for some of us. I have learned that certain foods just don't work at this point - like cottage cheese for me for some reason. I have also learned that I need to be VERY careful about eating too soon after drinking a protein shake. If I wait (after the shake) until I'm very hungry to eat real food then I'm fine. If I try to have even a nibble before I'm hungry then the pain hits. Not sure why. Pureed chicken or fish has sounded pretty disgusting to me but I may try some in a day or two just for some variety. Honestly, I know I need to work up to real food but it's so much easier to just drink the protein shakes (which I actually really like) that I tend to stick to those rather than trying to deal with food. The food has been so hit or miss and painful that I'm a little discouraged with it. The protein shakes are a sure thing. But, I'll keep trying - can't live on protein shakes for the rest of my life!

I was banded on 4/29 and I'm also struggling with adding soft/mushy foods. At times - not often - I can eat maybe 1/2 cup of something and then at other times even 2 teaspoons is not at option. I have had frequent pain in the last week since starting to try to add soft foods. At times one spoonful can cause problems for hours. I finally called my surgeon's office today and his nurse told me that this isn't all that uncommon. She said that everybody has a slightly different anatomy and everybody reacts differently and that some people have to really take it slow. Because I have no fever and no diarrhea she wasn't worried about infection. She told me to take ibuprofen regularly for a couple of days to try to reduce any swelling that might still be there. She also said to go back to liquids for about 48 hours to settle things down. Then she said to start again really, really slowly - literally taking one teaspoon of soft food and then waiting 30 minutes before doing more. It's frustrating but I guess I'm also sort of relieved to not be dealing with the extreme hunger and overeating that a lot of people deal with prior to their first fill. I get hungry but am completely satisfied after 4 to 6 oz. of protein shake and don't get hungry again for several hours. I have some head hunger but eating is just not an option right now so it goes away pretty quickly. I was very happy to see this thread and realize others are struggling with the same issue.

Hi all. I was banded a week ago today. I know everyone is different but I hope I can provide a positive story and alleviate some fears for those who are still waiting for their band. I lost 22 lbs on a mostly liquid diet for six weeks pre-surgery and I've lost 6 lbs in the week since my surgery for a total of 28 lbs lost since March 18. I went in at 7 am last Tuesday and my surgery was scheduled for 9:15. I was taken to a pre-surgery prep room to get into a gown and get my vitals, take a pregnancy test (required for all pre-menopausal women), etc. My husband was allowed to be with me during this part and my daughter (age 20) was able to come back after the first 20 minutes or so. They put compression garments on my legs to reduce the risk of blood clots. They started my IV and gave me relaxation medication which I was told would feel like drinking two glasses of wine really fast on an empty stomach - and it pretty much did! About 9 am I said goodbye to my husband and daughter and was taken into the OR. I got onto the operating table and the nurses and techs talked to me a bit as they got things organized and then a mask was put over my mouth and that's the last I remember of surgery. I was awakened in the recovery area where I dozed a little and talked a little here and there to nurses. I had a few ice chips. I don't know how long I was there. Seemed like a few minutes but was probably an hour or more. Then I was taken to a day surgery recovery room - just like a standard hospital bed - where my husband and daughter joined me. The nurses got me comfortable and had me drink sips of Water. I was talking and I remember talking and drinking water (my throat was sore and I was SO thirsty) but I don't really remember any specifics about conversation or anything like that. After about 30 minutes in bed I asked if I could go to the bathroom so the nurse took off my compression garments and unhooked my IV and helped me to the bathroom. You have to pass urine in order to leave the hospital and that went fine. I took a little walk around the nursing station and around the ward. Felt okay. No pain. A little unsteady and a little nauseous but overall pretty good. The weight loss surgery coordinator came in and talked to us for a little while. She's really nice and is inspirational. She has lost 130 lbs with her band and looks beautiful. Says it's absolutely the best decision she's ever made (other than the husband and kids of course!). I was definitely wanting to get into my own clothes and get home so I asked if I could leave around 1 pm or so. They had wanted me to stay until at least 4 pm. The nurse evaluated me a little more - had to walk more, etc. and then released me at around 2:30. The ride home was kind of rough - I was nauseous and kind of disoriented. When I got home, things were tougher still. The nausea from the anesthetic set in and I had trouble with my pain meds because of the nausea. I was pretty miserable the first day. I know I cried a couple of times. It was hard to get out of bed and hard to walk around much. Mostly I was just very very nauseous rather than in a lot of pain. My doctor says women usually have a tougher time with nausea from surgery than men. Because of all the anti-nausea medications they had given me I managed to get it through it without vomiting so that was a relief. Each day since the first has been better. I had pain in the left shoulder - pretty severe the first 4 or 5 days. That has now disappeared. I am now able to sleep on both sides - as well as my tummy - with no problems (the first night I was flat on my back and the second night I was able to sleep on the non-port side for a few hours at a time). I still have some discomfort just under the sternum and a little near the port area. Definitely manageable. I don't notice it too much unless I sit up in a chair for long periods of time or bend over to tie my shoes or something similar. I am walking a fair amount. Did about 2.5 miles yesterday and will probably do about the same today. Am only at half-speed or so from my pre-surgery speed but it's getting better. I would definitely recommend being careful about rushing the full liquids or even mushy foods (which I can't have for another two weeks). Sipping slowly is really important. Even on full liquids I find that if I drink too much of something too quickly I get pain in the shoulder and the sternum. I don't feel like I'm ready for anything more than liquids right now (it sounds good in my head but I can tell my stomach isn't there yet). I try to alternate Clear Liquids with thicker liquids. The clear liquids definitely feel better - although the thicker ones are better for hunger obviously. Yesterday was the first day since the surgery that I felt any hunger. Because I still have some discomfort/pain I wasn't tempted to try anything more than Soup or a Protein shake. I get pretty full after about a half cup of soup or shake. I know that there's still swelling and that the fullness will go away soon and I'll be hungrier. Today is my first day back at work. I worked in my office for about 4 hours this morning. I had to get up and walk around several times because of discomfort from sitting upright for too long. I know I'll be tired when I get home this evening. I may leave a little early depending on work flow. I know some people on this board said they went to work a day or two after surgery and I think that's really impressive. I definitely needed the whole week off to recuperate. This weekend my husband and I went and ran some errands and I was okay for a couple of hours and then I had to go home and lie in bed and rest for a while. I am almost completely off my pain meds. I started to reduce them on my third day and yesterday I took two separate half-doses. Today I have taken one-half of a dose. I may need another one later this afternoon. We'll see. My doctor told me to use them if I need them and not to try to get off of them too soon. He gave me two weeks worth of pain meds and said I'd probably be able to be off of them around the one week mark and that's been about right. My husband is much tougher than I am and I know he probably would have taken one dose and then just toughed it out but I'm kind of a baby about pain so I take them when I feel like I need them to be comfortable. So, that's my story. I've been on mostly liquids for 7 weeks and have lost 28 pounds. I'm already off of my high blood pressure medication and my diabetes medication and my acid reflux medication due to the weight I've lost. (My reflux completely disappeared the day of the surgery.) I feel really good. My energy is coming back and all of the headaches and other problems I had when I first went to liquids have disappeared. Another two weeks of liquids and then I can have pureed/mushy foods for three weeks and then I start solid foods. I'm excited to get back to a wider variety of foods but I also think this detox period has been good for me emotionally as well as physically. I still go out to lunch with my girlfriends just to socialize (I either bring Protein powder and order a glass of milk to mix it in or have soup depending on what kind they have). It hasn't been too hard. Whenever I have cravings I try really hard to focus on the long-term benefit to all of this and not the short-term temptations. That's definitely not to say I've been a saint because I haven't. I cheated on my pre-surgery diet here and there. There were definitely times I just couldn't stand another sweet shake. I ate a few bites of my husband's food from time and time and even had whole meals at other times. I was always careful to get back on the liquids for several days after a cheat but I had trouble going more than about 3 days without solid food. I'm going to try really hard not to cheat on my post-surgery diet because I want to give my insides a good chance to heal properly. My surgeon said it takes six weeks for the scar tissue to form properly and that it's important not to do anything that might cause slippage or other problems. Right now I know the pain and nausea I'd feel from eating real food would not be worth it. Plus, I paid a lot of money for this band and I'm just plain tired of being unhealthy and overweight and I don't want to jeopardize anything. Right now, my motivation is really high and my attitude is great. That doesn't mean that tomorrow I won't be fighting off ordering a pizza! Anyway, I just wanted to share my experience. I have great confidence in my surgeon and his team and I feel like I have a lot of support (I've had to do a little education of some friends and family members to get them there but overall they have all been wonderful). My husband and kids have been fabulous! I also appreciate the answers and support I have gotten on this website. I am feeling really hopeful about my future for the first time in a long time. Best of luck to each and every one of us in this challenging journey!!

I was banded April 29 so I'm two weeks and one day post op. I feel pretty good overall. I'm still having some mild pain in the afternoons and am still taking meds a little here and there when I feel really uncomfortable. I saw my doctor on Monday and he said it generally takes four weeks to be completely pain free post-surgery (some folks are luckier of course!). In general, I feel good though. I have lost 11 pounds post op for a total of 33 pounds gone. I'm starting to get hungry but it hasn't been too bad so far. I am scheduled for my first fill on June 9 and my doctor will give me a fill every three weeks thereafter until I hit the sweet spot! Look forward to hearing how everyone else is doing!

I agree with the others who said it's a very personal decision and one you need to make and be comfortable with. Personally, I have told everyone and haven't worried about what anybody thought about my decision (although so far all have voiced support). I just didn't want to have to keep track of who knew and who didn't! Good Luck!

I think it would be doable but might be difficult. Obviously everyone is different so there's no way for any of us to truly know. Personally, I am two weeks post op and I'm still struggling to get through the afternoons without needing to rest. I feel great in the morning and then I start to hurt and need to lie down for a couple of hours in the afternoon. I drove four hours yesterday and was very sore at the end of it. It would be possible for me to travel now but it wouldn't be very comfortable. Good luck!

To answer the question above, my doctor required that I lose 10% of my body weight prior to surgery - he requires that of all of his patients. For me, that was 28.5 lbs. I wanted to get the surgery as fast as possible so I did the most strict version of his pre-op diet in order to shed pounds fast and get my surgery scheduled. The options he gave me were to have three slim-fasts a day plus all the vegetables I wanted or to have an extremely strict diet of plain chicken or fish, vegetables, nonfat dairy and a fruit a day. Everybody is different but for me, it was easier to just not deal with food and to stick to the slim-fast diet (I ate a few vegetables but not many - I drank either three or four slim-fasts a day and then every three or four days I'd have a very small regular meal). My doctor told me that very quick weight loss - preferably from a mostly liquid diet - would get the liver to shed fat the fastest and make the surgery easier and safer. When I went in for a pre-surgery weight check, I had lost so much weight so quickly that he moved my surgery up two weeks. I hadn't quite lost all of the 10% of my total weight he had originally told me but he said since I'd lost it so quickly and stuck to mainly liquids that he'd go ahead and operate earlier. So that's why I had six weeks of liquids. For me - and everyone is different - it was too difficult to stick to the strict diet. It was easier for me to stick to the liquids. And I wanted to surgery to happen as quickly as possible. I'm self-pay so I didn't have to wait for insurance approval.

Hi all. I am two weeks post-op. I feel great in the morning - no problems whatsoever - can barely tell I've had surgery. Incisions look good. Around 2 or 3 pm every afternoon I start to get pain in the rib area on both sides. Almost feels like sore muscles rather than tummy pain. If I take pain meds, it goes away. It happens like clockwork every afternoon. Mild but annoying! Anybody else have this? Thanks.

I am two weeks post-op. My doctor said anything but contact sports (football, rugby, etc.) is okay. I have been walking between 1 and 4 miles a day depending on how I feel. I have a treadmill and use that sometimes and I also go for walks in my neighborhood. I haven't tried going to the gym yet but I have approval to do it whenever I want. I feel really good when I walk 3 or 4 miles a day. One day I pushed it when I knew I didn't feel very good and ended up having to call my husband from my cell to come get me. No problems other than that.