Hello - I am preparing for my surgery on 6/18 by starting to see a therapist for eating issues, reading the Big Book as well as a few others, getting cookbooks for post WLS, doing research on good Protein drinks, etc.

One area that concerns me is motivation to exercise. I know that I need to do it but I have known that for years and haven't done so. My question is to those succesful sleevers who weren't exercisers before WLS, what made the difference to make you an exerciser post WLS?

My plan is to walk 30 minutes per day and add in strenght training 2-3 days.

Any advice is appreciated.

Great question! I'd love to know the answer, too.

Like Nike says.. Just do it. There is no secret answer to the question.. You have to set up a schedule for yourself and stick to it. Use a calendar, an app, whatever, and schedule it with a reminder and stick with it.

After a couple of weeks, you will be in a routine and it will be easier to stick with. Another option would be to get involved in some sort of class, or find a workout buddy who will push you to go even when you don't want to.

Start slow, and don't overdo it. When I returned to mma, I did 3 days a week of yoga then did 2 days yoga 1 day jui jitsu. Now I am doing 5 days a week 2 days jui jitsu, 1 day kick boxing, 1 day wrestling 1 day cross training. I also do an hour of yoga before each class. So about 2 hours a day. I may add another day to the mix

For me it's that I feel like since I went through surgery and all it entails, I am going to do everything I can to make the most of it.....which means excercise is essential

"NuLife"............for me, it's about getting and staying motivated. What motivates you? What are your goals as far as fitness, physique, athletic performance, etc? There are really no wrong answers, it's a personal thing that we all are entitled to. Clearly defined goals and staying motivated can help tremendously. It's not always easy and there's no magic potion, but as with almost everything, motivation is usually the key.

What motivates me:

-The feeling I get from getting away from this desk and moving, if only for an hour

-The tired, yet refreshed feeling and rush of hormones that I get afterwards

-The feeling that something is missing or it's just not a complete day if I don't exercise

Goals:

-Being strong and lifting/moving heavy things

-Health

-Physique or not looking as gross as I once did.

My motivation was the prevention of blood clots after surgery. The 1st week I was walking to prevent blood clots and from there on, my walking kinda took on a life of its own. :-P

Thank you all for your advice. I need to make myself a priority - I know this is an issue for me with working full time in a stressful job, husband, three kids (10, 12 & 13), dogs, chickens, horses and a partridge in a pear tree! I just need to love myself as much as everything else in life - anyone else have that issue?

Scheduling exercise in the morning is going to be key. Really hoping that I will have a great deal more energy post surgery - that should help with exercise since right now, I am always tired. Anemia and FMS don't help but I know that my weight is the largest (no pun intended) contributor!

I find that writing down what exercise I have done on a calendar helps me stay motivated. Mostly because if I see a bunch of blank squares because I've gotten lazy it gets me moving again!

Thank you all for your advice. I need to make myself a priority - I know this is an issue for me with working full time in a stressful job, husband, three kids (10, 12 & 13), dogs, chickens, horses and a partridge in a pear tree! I just need to love myself as much as everything else in life - anyone else have that issue?

Scheduling exercise in the morning is going to be key. Really hoping that I will have a great deal more energy post surgery - that should help with exercise since right now, I am always tired. Anemia and FMS don't help but I know that my weight is the largest (no pun intended) contributor!

4 kids here that are in sports and scouts. I also work out of town. But I have no chickens, horses or a pear tree. So that's why I usually workout Mon-Fri on my lunch break and anything I do on weekends is an added plus. So yes, try and make it a priority, at least during that hour or so each day to set aside a time to do it. Good luck!

The only thing that has worked for me is the Couch to 5K program and signing up for a 5K and doing it. I had surgery in January and just finished the 8 week C25K program. I ran a 5K this weekend (slowly, but I finished). I'm going to do the Bridge to 10K program next. I have osteoarthritis and chondromalacia in both knees and have had two knee surgeries, so I have a lot of excuses for not running, but if I take it slow it doesn't hurt any more than walking.

My initial motivation was strictly medical. I wanted to be healthier and avoid having the same medical issues I had pre-surgery. Once I started seeing results, i.e. biceps and stronger thigh muscles, smaller butt, etc, then I was motivated to keep going because I wanted to be better. At this point, 21 months post-op, I'm exercising most of the time just because I can. There is NOTHING like the feeling I get when I hit that endorphin rush after a really good workout!