I am really struggling with this! I am about 5.5 months post op. The first three months I worked out a lot, hated every second of it, but I did it. Here I am a month and a half later really struggling to continue working out. I didn't for a long time, and this week I did 40 minutes 4 days a week on the arc trainer. I got done today and seriously asked myself if this is something I can see myself doing long term realistically. The answer is no. If I can make myself continue to do it, it will be til I get to goal weight and then I will just rely on nutrition. Since I really don't plan on working out consistently forever, should I just stop now and take the slow weight loss instead of getting to goal by working my rear end off and then stopping? I'm just babbling. Is anyone losing weight without working out?

I have always loved exercise so i do not understand, however my wife does. she absolutely loathes exercise of any kind. When we were young she tried for a year because of the benefits. (fortunately for her she has never had a weight problem). I remember after two years of doing it five times a week she came up to me and said, "I am stopping, i would rather die early than continue." i gave her many props for giving it her all.

if you are doing it despite hating it, that is great work!

The best comparison for me that i have come up with is shopping! If i had to do that more than once a month I think i would need serious drugs.

Alex

I swim laps everyday for an hour, and then do water weights for an hour. I also TRY to walk as much as possible. I haven't started regular weights (I guess what's what you'd call it) but that's because there is only a short amount of time that the YMCA pool is open for laps, and weights and I don't want to miss out on that! I LOVE it! I have a treadmill that I never use. lol. I should though. I really enjoy it. I think it's because for so long I could hardly walk, and now I can do so much more! The only thing I wish I could do different is start earlier than I do. I would love to hit the bike paths around 6 or 6:30 in the morning before I go the YMCA.

Now looking back I realize that I need the gym even more when I'm feeling depressed because it lifts my mood. I keep my workouts short and sweet now, whereas in the past I would do cardio for an hour and then lift weights for a hour. My body seems to be responding better now that I shortened them and I retain less Water.

My friends don't exercise at all and I honestly don't get it because exercise is so enjoyable for me. I did try the personal trainer route for about 6 sessions and didn't like it at all! I don't like being told what to do or being pushed to muscle fatigue. I like doing what I want to do and if that involves walking instead of running one day, then that's what I do. I workout alone and find working out with a partner very distracting because I'm very social and will just talk and BS the whole time. Sorry for rambling. The main reason why I exercise is because it suppresses my appetite and I am less hungry on days when I workout. It controls my appetite and cravings and I figured if I can sit on my butt and watch TV for hours, I can definitely fit in a 20 mins cardio and 20 mins weight lifting session.

That's awesome "MinkyWinks"! I can relate to the feeling of being out of sorts if I don't exercise or how great I feel after I do exercise. Sure, I'm a little tired, but feel even better than I did right before my workout. For most of us, I don't really think there's a need to exercise endlessly or do hours and hours of cardio a week. From what I've read, spurts of exercise, even 15/20 mins a day is usually very beneficial.

I might get slammed here and I didn't read all of the posts here (I usually do but skipped to the end) so this might have already been covered or attacked previously.

But, here goes: numerous studies have shown that exercise is not the biggest factor in weight loss. It's diet.

I got to goal and maintained easily and I think the only structured exercise I got was a week of working out at home. I absolutely hate exercising.

Am I more active? Oh yeah. I do a lot more, I'm on my feet more and I actually chase my kids now (I'm not just waddling behind them out of breath reminding them to slow down for Mommy anymore), so I am more active.

That said, exercise is great for us. We know all of the health benefits because we've heard them before. Losing weight is going to help you be healthier, sure. I know skinny people that can't climb a flight of stairs and I know big people that do Tough Mudder and half marathons in their spare time. Your heart gets a benefit from that cardio and your body looks a lot better if you build that muscle up as you trim down.

Truth be told? I'm right near goal again (just had a baby) and have actually started to (very reluctantly) exercise. I still hate it, but my arms didn't rebound as nicely this time and I'd like some definition in other areas after I have plastics. Strength training will reshape your body and cardio will help your heart and circulation and help burn off some of that fat.

It's up to you what you decide. Many of us don't do it. Many replace their food addiction with a fitness addiction. But there are most definitely benefits to it - not the least of which is stress relief and a nice, natural high.

~Cheri

I hate to exercise too but I get out and do it 4-5 days per week. I'm down 85 pounds since August and I know that if I didn't force myself I wouldn't be this far.

I too have friends who've had WLS and don't exercise but still lose. I hate hearing their stories but I still push myself. What helps me is variety, I use dvds and I walk outside. It is a struggle to keep going but I don't want to gain the weight back.

You can lose weight while not working out, diet is the most important factor, but look at folks who've lost a ton of weight by restricting calories and not working out much, and then look at folks who worked out and get their diet on track. The difference will make you want to work out. Everyone is different and everyone has different goals, mine wasn't only weight loss, it was also not looking like I sewed on 50 pounds of extra skin from a cadaver.

You can lose weight while not working out, diet is the most important factor, but look at folks who've lost a ton of weight by restricting calories and not working out much, and then look at folks who worked out and get their diet on track. The difference will make you want to work out. Everyone is different and everyone has different goals, mine wasn't only weight loss, it was also not looking like I sewed on 50 pounds of extra skin from a cadaver.

Welcome back bud!

I walk... A lot. Sometimes many many miles a day. And if I don't walk I'll bike. But that's it. Unless I count getting my ass out of bed, I don't lift weights. Or unless I can count sitting indian style during reading circle I don't do yoga or unless I count doing the hokey pokey, I don't do Zumba either. And it's extremely very unlikely I ever will do anything other than walking and biking.

Walking and biking is something I see myself doing forever and so that's what I'm using to get healthy skinny

Do what you know you will be doing forever. Make it something.. But not nothing.

Antiband-I'm with you, I walk every day and just started doing my stationary bike. I walk over an hour every day and today I walked 75 minutes. I love doing ellipitcal but don't have access right now. I can totally see myself walking the rest of my life. I truly love it.

P.S. I entered a 5K for this Novemeber 23. Step out for Diabetes Walk. First ever. I'm so excited.

Hey now! I think that while I appreciate the sentiment behind mark's post, I think it's misleading to say we'll look like we have cadaver skin if we don't work out.

Is exercise going to help with some of that? Well, at least it will make the muscles under the skin look great and burn off more fat. But I'd argue that a huge part of the loose skin is due to genetics and a personal ability to bounce back more than it is to exercise. I have loose skin around my midsection but I also had a set of twins. The rest of me bounced back quite nicely around 18 months post op, and as evidenced by the photos below, I don't have cadaver skin despite not exercising!

Again, though, I stress that exercise IS beneficial in a lot of ways. But I'd focus more on building strength, restoring depleted muscle and a sense of overall well-being as the better benefits. I'd hate for newbies to stumble here and think that exercise is the magic bullet for loose skin. It's not. On the other side, people should understand that my genetics allowed me to bounce back in a way some other's might not (and trust me, that's about the only good thing they did for me!) so you can't look at anyone else's progress and predict your own. A good way to hedge your bets is to find a way to exercise that you enjoy and take care of yourself!

~Cheri

Hey now! I think that while I appreciate the sentiment behind mark's post' date=' I think it's misleading to say we'll look like we have cadaver skin if we don't work out.

Is exercise going to help with some of that? Well, at least it will make the muscles under the skin look great and burn off more fat. But I'd argue that a huge part of the loose skin is due to genetics and a personal ability to bounce back more than it is to exercise. I have loose skin around my midsection but I also had a set of twins. The rest of me bounced back quite nicely around 18 months post op, and as evidenced by the photos below, I don't have cadaver skin despite not exercising!

Again, though, I stress that exercise IS beneficial in a lot of ways. But I'd focus more on building strength, restoring depleted muscle and a sense of overall well-being as the better benefits. I'd hate for newbies to stumble here and think that exercise is the magic bullet for loose skin. It's not. On the other side, people should understand that my genetics allowed me to bounce back in a way some other's might not (and trust me, that's about the only good thing they did for me!) so you can't look at anyone else's progress and predict your own. A good way to hedge your bets is to find a way to exercise that you enjoy and take care of yourself!

~Cheri

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Can I ask what your starting weight was and your weight now? Just curious bc you do not look like you have ever been overweight one bit! Very beautiful by the way!!

Can I ask what your starting weight was and your weight now? Just curious bc you do not look like you have ever been overweight one bit! Very beautiful by the way!!

Thank you, I was 242 day of surgery and weigh 140 right now. I had a baby a few months ago and am still shedding those last few pounds. My maintenance window is usually 137-141 so I have a little bit to go yet.

However, I do not want to derail this thread and turn it into a yay me post - so if anyone else has questions either check out my profile or my posts! I mean that in the nicest way possible, too.

~Cheri

I understand lol I just haven't quite figured out how to find anything on a persons profile however I am using the app on my iPhone so maybe that's why... Thanks

I've lost 50 with no exercise. However my energy level is higher now so I move around and am more active than before!

How about dancing? I belonged to a line dancing group until I got too out of shape and really enjoyed that. When I was younger and thin, I thought that I didn't get any exercise, but then remembered that I used to dance almost every day to some music. That was "my time" and the movement apparently did help me keep my weight down back then.

I am 13 weeks post-op & went to my 1st yoga class last week. Prior to surgery, I worked out HARD 6 days a wk with a trainer on 3 of those days . . Super high impact cardio, weights, biking, running, on & on & on & barely lost weight. I have zero metabolism. Hence, surgery. I am consistently losing weight now but miss the muscle tone. I never did yoga because, frankly, I felt I couldn't get enough calorie burn from yoga. My 1st yoga class was Devine. To think I may be able to slow down a bit & actually enjoy something relaxing like yoga is a gift. My goal before was to burn as many calories as possible . . My goal now is to find exercise more rewarding & enjoyable. It's like a whole new world that I still don't really believe is "my" world now.