So I am just 3 days post op and am still walking (quite slowly) to keep the air tummy pain at bay. When can I expect to feel good enough for a real exercise session?

I started back at the gym on day 4 slower increasing my time and incline on the treadmill. I was allowed to go back to swimming at 2 weeks.

At two weeks I was able to do my normal heavy weights workout (body builder workout). Crunches were the only thing that I couldn't do easily for about 3 weeks.

Your first week stick to walking and things like leg lifts (when standing) - low impact, non core exercises.

Yeah, i'm 2 wks post-op today and kinda still feeling my way through what I can do.

It still seems I can't do too much lifting without feeling it in my stomach, so I've mostly been walking. Have been able to do 2 miles one night and 3.5 a couple nights later at a pretty vigorous pace. Tonight I tried to implement running, but felt it in my stomach quite a bit, so I only did a few minutes and just walked the rest of the time.

I'm sure you'll start to be able to do a little more each day.

i was released from my doctor to do cardio only after the first week check up. i have a 10 pound weight lifting restriction that i keep until my first fill which will be 4 weeks post op. hopefully i'll be released to return to working with my trainer. although i admit i am PETRIFIED to do any ab work!

yeah, not lifting for 4wks post-op sounds like a good rule!

Well, I went out and walked the day I got home from hospital and within 2 weeks I'd done 40 minutes on an elliptical. I started running about three months later.

Just suck it and see - your body will let you know. You might have some minor discomfort from surgical sites, or whatever, that's OK but dont do anything that actually hurts. But everyone is different and it depends. that was me, obese with a BMI of 35 after lapband surgery, six months ago, I had a huge bowel resection, lost my rectum, had a stoma created and I was running within 10 days. I wasnt full speed, but it felt relatively good and my surgeon was happy as long as I wasnt silly about it (we all know how stubborn runners can be, lol,, and i'm no exception). So you can see, it depends a lot on the physical condition in which you go into the surgery. I was extremely fit and had a BMI of 20 the second time, so I was very quick to get back to vigorous stuff, not so fit and not so lean the first time and it took longer.