I am going to freely confess that I have always hated exercise. It am shocked and amazed to hear so many previously overweight couch potatoes are now seemingly fitness fanatics. i know I sound stupid but I just don't get it. I can stick to eating as per guidelines but I seem to be a hold out a rebel when it comes to getting myself to exercise. I know NIKE says Just DO It, but I can't seem to get myself to do it! It must seem foolish to ask advice because clearly all of you have Just Done It.

I can't even ask for advice because I know the answer is that I must find a way to exercise. I just don't understand how others have found a way to embrace exercise? It truly boggles my mind. If "we" were all so smart we would have eaten right and exercised and not needed the surgery. But now I am feeling that everyone else is smarter than I am and has figured out how to start exercising. I am ashamed of myself. I wish there was a magic something to get my exercise mode into gear.

I bet you exercise more than you think you do. Being in the islands I would guess that you spend time on the beach and in the ocean. Walking on sand has got to be more strenuous than walking on asphalt.

This is an area that I too have to work on. I am not too worried about it and I refuse to force the issue on myself because then I will despise and resent it. Since we're raising two of our grandchildren (aged 7 & 8) and a major goal of mine is being able to play with them, I suspect that soon enough I will be getting enough exercise without having a formal plan or gym membership.

Then again, perhaps I am deluding myself and if I don't force myself to sweat and build muscle I will never lose enough weight to be ABLE to play with the kids !

I have to remind myself that if I aim for nothing I'll be sure to hit it. Time to think about exercise, eh ?

I can kind of relate to what you are saying - I had previously lost 140 lbs on Weight Watchers without doing ANY exercise. Granted, it took me like 3 years to lose it and I probably would have lost it quicker if I had exercised, but it still proves the point that it is possible to lose weight without exercising.

This time around, however, I am making more of an effort to exercise, but it's certainly nothing drastic by any means! I've been doing 20-30 mins on the treadmill about 4-5 times a week, or if it's really nice out we take the dogs for a 45 min walk. I highly doubt that I'll ever be running any marathons or anything like that, and that's fine with me. A little exercise is better than nothing!

Do you have a treadmill? That would probably be the easiest way to start getting some exercise in, or just good old walking! For me, I notice now that I've been doing it for awhile, I actually kind of like it! Go figure! LOL

I bet you exercise more than you think you do. Being in the islands I would guess that you spend time on the beach and in the ocean. Walking on sand has got to be more strenuous than walking on asphalt.

This is an area that I too have to work on. I am not too worried about it and I refuse to force the issue on myself because then I will despise and resent it. Since we're raising two of our grandchildren (aged 7 & 8) and a major goal of mine is being able to play with them, I suspect that soon enough I will be getting enough exercise without having a formal plan or gym membership.

Then again, perhaps I am deluding myself and if I don't force myself to sweat and build muscle I will never lose enough weight to be ABLE to play with the kids !

I have to remind myself that if I aim for nothing I'll be sure to hit it. Time to think about exercise, eh ?

You did make me smile. Another rebel perhaps? I am laughing most about your eh? Are you a displaced Canadian such as myself, Eh is supposed to be a Canadian expression but I am happy you use it too.

I had my surgery in the hopes that it will prolong my life and I will enjoy better health. This sounds wise coming from someone who can't seem to get myself into exercise mode. My goal was to live long enough to have grandchildren. I am in no hurry as my children are 17 and 23 and both still students. I guess I started late in the motherhood role and now must ensure I do live long enough to be a fantastic grandmother., I guess we all have our motivations and bravo to you for wanting to play with your grandchildren. I don't think my goal is to raise my future grandchildren but congrats to you on being willing and able to do so. Maybe you are also getting more exercise than you think. I bet you are picking up lots of toys!

I can kind of relate to what you are saying - I had previously lost 140 lbs on Weight Watchers without doing ANY exercise. Granted, it took me like 3 years to lose it and I probably would have lost it quicker if I had exercised, but it still proves the point that it is possible to lose weight without exercising.

This time around, however, I am making more of an effort to exercise, but it's certainly nothing drastic by any means! I've been doing 20-30 mins on the treadmill about 4-5 times a week, or if it's really nice out we take the dogs for a 45 min walk. I highly doubt that I'll ever be running any marathons or anything like that, and that's fine with me. A little exercise is better than nothing!

Do you have a treadmill? That would probably be the easiest way to start getting some exercise in, or just good old walking! For me, I notice now that I've been doing it for awhile, I actually kind of like it! Go figure! LOL

140 lbs lost on Weight Watchers. Wow!! You definitely have willpower and discipline. I have been begging my husband to walk with me early in the a.m. before it gets so hot here. He absolutely refuses. I don't want to walk alone. I DO have a treadmill. Shame on me. I am going to open it now. It has been a hanger for the past 3 years. I have my concerns that it may no longer work. i live on the ocean (I know I can be walking on the beach), and my patio doors in the bedroom where the treadmill is located, are open for several months a year and I bet the rust may have gotten into the mechanism of the treadmill. But I will never know if I don't open it up!! I will get back to you on whether it still works and if it does... no more excuses from me for not at least using it. Did I mention that I live in the Caribbean yet HATE to sweat. Go figure. Makes exercise very difficult and there is no amount of air conditioning that will cool me down!

140 lbs lost on Weight Watchers. Wow!! You definitely have willpower and discipline. I have been begging my husband to walk with me early in the a.m. before it gets so hot here. He absolutely refuses. I don't want to walk alone. I DO have a treadmill. Shame on me. I am going to open it now. It has been a hanger for the past 3 years. I have my concerns that it may no longer work. i live on the ocean (I know I can be walking on the beach), and my patio doors in the bedroom where the treadmill is located, are open for several months a year and I bet the rust may have gotten into the mechanism of the treadmill. But I will never know if I don't open it up!! I will get back to you on whether it still works and if it does... no more excuses from me for not at least using it. Did I mention that I live in the Caribbean yet HATE to sweat. Go figure. Makes exercise very difficult and there is no amount of air conditioning that will cool me down!

You crack me up!! It is kind of hard to fathom living on the ocean and not taking advantage of walking on that sandy beach, but that's probably because I live in Minnesota and I would give my right arm to live somewhere tropical like that! LOL! If your husband won't walk with you, do you have any friends who could go with you? Or better yet, get a dog!! They make great walking companions

I'm not sure where I've found motivation to work out. I certainly would have laughed at you if you'd told me, pre-op, that I WOULD ride that exercise bike every day and that I WOULD find some way to incorporate weight training into my workout plan. Heck, I wouldn't have believed I'd HAVE a workout plan!

Exercise releases endorphins that make me feel good.. and I'm working on challenging myself to do more daily. It was really haphazard until I started actually seeing results and then it was like lightning struck and I just can't get enough!

Exercise has been an interesting part of this journey for me. I used to think I hated exercise. But now I realize I think it was mostly my fat that hated to exercise. I'm not a fitness freak or anything now, but I have been exercising about 5 times a week consistently since January. (Was sleeved last July.) My main motivation has been to reduce excess skin. I recently skipped a few weeks when I had my gall bladder out and I found that I was actually looking forward to getting back into exercising - it was shocking!

I still have to make myself do it, but now it's just something I have to fit into my day. It's no longer an option or something I can find an excuse to avoid (most days). I find that I'm having fun just discovering all the things that my body can do now that I'm not as heavy as I was. After losing 50 pounds, I decided to see if I could run a mile. To my amazement, I did! I've done it a few times since then and my face is red for hours afterward and my lungs burn, but I'm just grateful that I can actually do it.

Thinking that I really hated to exercise has been one of the more salient examples of lies I used to tell myself because I was fat. I'm not saying that you (or anyone else) should love it now, I'm just personally excited to look at new things with an open mind. I'm a different person than that fat told me I was and this journey is largely one of discovery for me.

There are many types of exercise and some of them do not require to hate it or go to a gym. Walking is one of the best and can also be enjoyable. We have several areas where I live that have paths that go around some wonderful small lakes and through some beautiful parks. You might enjoy the view, flowers or birds on your walk. I enjoy taking my dog out for walks. You can also do work outside such as working in a garden, either veggies or flowers, you can mow the lawn which also burns calories and needs to be done regularly. You could get a bicycle and go for a nice ride enjoying the weather as spring is here and the weather is great. Find something that you enjoy and try to incorporate some exercise into this activity. Many just come with exercise.

gettinthinner: no, I'm not Canadian but I grew up in upstate NY and I work with quite a few Canadians so I have been "exposed" :-)

I think I coninue my workouts because of results. It is human nature to want to continue something if it is working and we can see tangible results. If I were to workout and not see the weight loss or the toning definition, I would have probably given up by now. I workout at least 5 times a week. I continue going because my results get better every week. I have been doing this since I was cleared after surgery, my surgery was 10 months ago. I have reached my weight loss goal, toned up and have very little loose skin. That is my motivation.

Gettinthinner,

I don't think you are either stupid or a rebel! You are just YOU... do what is right for you.

I am a re-formed exerciser... I did a lot of exercise when I was in my teens and twenties, then as the weight increased the ability to exercise decreased; it became painful and frustrating as I knew I wasn't able to do what I used to do and at the level I used to do it at. This might sound a lil weird, but one of the reasons that I went for the sleeve was to get light enough to be able to exercise again.

Since I was cleared for exercise at 10 weeks post op I have been working on my fitness, and slowly but surely I am getting there. I agree with the other poster who said that the results in the change of the body and gaining muscle keep me going and it is good to 'see' results.

That being said, I am currently suffering with a bad back/groin which is stopping me even walking at the moment. It is reoccuring injury that I am waiting to see a physio about... and I have to be honest, I am frustrated that I can't do my exercise at the moment.

Good luck with that treadmill... fingers crossed you can at least try it and see how you feel.

I too would love to live somewhere are tropical as you, I am afraid that here in sunny UK (Wales) it is not as tropical or hot! I think if I lived near a sea, I would have grown fins by now...lol

Good luck to you ... let us know how you get on! =]

All you have to do to get excited about exercise is go to the gym for one week and see how it boosts your weight loss...then it will be fun to go and watch the progress!

After reading all your posts full of encouragement and stories of success regarding exercise... I feel very motivated. I didn't think anyone could say anything to get me motivated as I knew it had to come from within and I sure was fighting the idea of exercise. Now I am pulling on my treadmill and trying to get it set up. Let's hope it still works.

Last night I tried on many old clothes that no longer had fit me and I was thrilled to find them fitting and looking better. I know the next step towards reaching my goal is to exercise and I think after receiving your replies, i may have found the right mindset to do it.

Thanks so much for all your support. I hope to become a good role model such as all of you have been. Maybe one day I will report that I enjoy exercising. Now that would be a real accomplishment. I have to be grateful for being able to have

the surgery and feel that incorporating an exercise routine is my responsibility to show that I am doing my part to work at the weight loss. I think people expect that having surgery is an easy way out but I believe that it is more difficult than I initially realized. As everyone says, it is only a tool.

Thanks again. I love these forums and find they really have become my biggest source of support.

i dont love exersice too

in real idont like idea of exersicing alone

can i count walking into collage and sgopping as an exersice?

UPDATE:

I cleared off the treadmill and it still works! First hurdle overcome. Then I actually got on it and walked for 45 minutes. I was only in the warm up mode but it seemed like a good walk and at a steady pace. I plan on trying to do another hour tonight. It's a start!!! I WILL use it daily as it is right in my bedroom and it is a huge eyesore so it will be difficult to ignore.

I am hoping that it will be the start of my exercise programme and that I will add to it with other forms of exercise. Still trying to decide if I should join a gym. But I will take step one in that regard and go check one out tomorrow. I liked Curves in Canada but here it is run by a man who sits in the middle of the action (it is a women's only gym) and does not have up to date equipment so I paid for one year of membership and went only twice. Guess I don't want to waste any more money. Thanks again for inspiring me to get started.