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Help with exercise plan



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Just found out yesterday that I should be having my surgery in a litte over 3 weeks. I'm supposed to go ahead and start exercising now too. Doing muscle building type exercise was recommended over cardio, specifically using resistance bands. But not specific exercises! I'm so out of shape and having so much back, neck and shoulder pain and I'm just not sure what to do or where to get info. If you go to a gym or a trainer they want to kill you right off even though it's obvious I'm out of shape as hell. Any suggestions? Thanks.

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I'd actually disagree with that recommendation - cardio is usually the easiest and most effective for people to be starting off, it will kick start weight loss, and what's the point of starting any strength training now, for 3 measly weeks when you're going to have to take a few weeks off that after the surgery? You may as well wait - whereas you can walk a day after the surgery! Also, with neck, shoulder and back pain, no matter what, starting exercising is going to make you hurt, and I wouldnt go aggravating that just now. If you're really out of shape, I'd make a commitment to walk as many days as possible between now and your surgery. In even as little as 3 weeks, you might bring your blood pressure down a little, might improve your blood chemistry and get your heart a bit stronger - all important things that will minimise the risk of an anaesthetic.

What's more, you can build a little fitness and if you can get out a day or two after your surgery, and build up over the following week or two, you might even retain that extra fitness you've built!

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I don't think it would hurt to get started now, but you need to take it easy. Do you currently have a gym membership, or access to exercise machines? If you have a lot of joint pain, you might want to try using an exercise bike, which is kind on your knees. If you don't have access to machines, I'd suggest starting with walks- try walking near your home for 20 minutes. If even that is too painful for you, I'd look up chair exercises that you can do while seated at home. http://www.livewellagewell.info/study/2007/12-ChairExercisesUGA113006.pdf

I agree that there's no point to avoid cardio. I think if you tried to start working with weights now you'd just hurt yourself.

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I highly recommend this DVD and band set:

http://www.amazon.com/Gaiam-Pilates-BodyBand-Workout-Kit/dp/B000O1J5U6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1309111289&sr=8-1

It's a gentle way to get started and the instructor (Ana Caban) discusses ways to customize them. Also, it includes a couple of bands with different resistance levels.

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    • Doughgurl

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      · 2 replies
      1. Selina333

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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