Okay, so I have not made a secret about the fact that I have struggled since surgery to make exercise a part of my life. I can make lots of excuses, but the truth is I wasn't motivated/ready to go there yet. Well, even if I'm not ready my heart and body and mental health need it, not to mention it really would be nice to get some muscle tone going. So today, I did toning with resistance bands and weights on my arms and then did half of the taebo AMPED workout. Now half may seem wimpy but I feel empowered and inspired and tommorow I think I will brave the Hip Hop Abs. My oh my!!!! This feels so good.

Thanks all for the inspiration. I often think about Macmadame and how in my soul there has always been an inner athlete dying to get out. I doubt I'll ever be Iron Man ready but it is exciting to see that someone can go from where I am to where you are.

Really, the world is ours to conquer! I am so excited!!!!

I absolutely adore you. Could you send some your motivation my way? I just can't do it today. I know I need to, but I don't want to.

But, I'm uber proud of you, and I bet you'll love Hip Hop Abs.

Isn't it awesome?

I'm still not cleared for anything more than walking (but, shh, I've been doing light upper body -- non-abs -- work with a 15 lb dumbbell), but even that feels AMAZING.

When our bodies are slim enough that they work right, exercise feels really, really good. The combination of the physical feelings of a satisfied, well-worked body and the mental satisfaction of doing healthy, good things for yourself -- what a rush!

GREAT JOB Anna! Very proud of you ... and yes, please find a way to bottle that motivation/energy and send some this way.

Good for you!! Doesn't it feel wonderful? It feels SO good to work hard and get just dripping-sweaty, then get cleaned up afterwards and feel fresh and energized. The hardest part is getting going and keeping it up regularly, but you're well on your way!!

thankyou for inspiring us and keeping us motivated.....i have misbehaved and for one reason or other i haven't been able to do my exercises, but for sure tomorrow, i am going and i will remember your experience and your motivation!!! thanks again.

How nice for you! It is very empowering to not only do what you set out to do but also feel energized afterward. I, too, have to remind myself of how good I feel after a workout. Pre-op I didn't ever routinely incorporate exercise into my life. now, I feel like I can actually do it!

Part of learning to love exercise is getting used to the sensations of pushing yourself hard. People that dont exercise have a natural kind of panic reaction to the pounding heart and gasping breaths. But you soon realise that that doesnt kill you and in fact brings rewards of its own.

You've already got the post exercise high, becuase you're so proud of yourself. That's fantastic. Wait until you can do so much at such high intensity that you get the real endorphin rush! You'll be hooked.

The endorphin high when you're really pushing yourself is just amazing... It's like drugs.

Well, it IS drugs -- your body's natural drugs.

I'm gonna check out hip hop abs in preparation for afterwards!! Thanks! (I think!! ) lol

Kathy

I can;t wait until after surgery to try some exercising. When was everyone cleared? Can anyone recommend a good Zumba CD to try at home? (sorry to hijack - keep on sweatin'!)

Way to go!!!!! So far I am only doing walking but it's definitely giving me that feeling you are talking about. It feels so good to be moving my body and it is definitely empowering. I can't wait to get the all clear to do other types of exercise!!