Good Morning!

I am now 7 days post op and since last Thursday I was to walk 30 minutes 3 times a day. I found relatively flat areas to walk and always started with a 30 minute walk however if I was active during the day - errands/shopping etc- I counted that as exercise and then I finished the day with a 15-20 minute walk. I simply found it difficult to get all that concentrated walking in on the liquid diet.

Yesterday I was moved to a more inclusive eating plan featuring protein!

Now, between the 10 pounds i've lost and the Protein last night, I woke up raring to go this morning. The doc changed my exercise from 3x a day walking to 3x a week 30-45 cardio which he defined as breaking a sweat. I am not a member of a gym yet but I do live in the 'mountains' of NJ. So off I went this morning, with my poor unsuspecting dog, for a 45 minute varied up and down hill walk and sweat I did. I am by no means in good shape yet but darn if it doesn't feel good after that walk!

I'm curious- what did everyone else find to do for cardio? what's your fave? and when did you start lifting weights to tone/etc.?

Walking for me, as well. With my spine, there's not a whole lot left for me to do, so do it I do!!

The REAL question here is HOW DID THE UNSUSPECTING DOG DO?!!!!

I started with walking as well, my wife and I would go to the mall or some place with scenery and people watching. Before my surgery we would go to Vegas and have to drive everywhere as I could not walk very well due to an injury. About a month and a half post op and 30+ pounds lost we went to vegas I was able to walk a little more. At 5 months out and 100lbs gone I was able to walk everywhere. My daily workout is I walk about 3 miles and 3x a week I run on the elliptical about 2-3 miles at a 7 min mile pace (something I could not due before). When I started 5 min on it and I was done, now I am up to 25 min running. I have not tried running g on the treadmill yet but will be soon! I also weight train 3x a week alternating between upper/lower body workouts, also do core work with my gym days. Plus I am very active with my athletes I coach, and when they have "punishment" exercises I normally do that with them as well.

I did not really start weights till 6 weeks post-op and took it kind of slow the first couple of weeks. Now I am Full throttle in the gym. I put in my head phones with heavy music on and go into my "zone" and go at it.

Congrats to you! I was sleeved on 1/16/15 and waited about 6 weeks to really do anything. I would take walks around my office building while I was healing up.

Then, I joined the gym and started doing a mile a day of walking. I hadn't really worked out in years, so I started slow (at about 2.5) and worked my way up over the course of about a month. Now, I do a speed of 3.4 and a hills workout. I get warmed up for a bit, then increase the incline by 2 every few minutes, then decrease by 2 every few minutes. I can only go up to 8 incline...but it gets me sweaty!

After I do my mile of hills, I use the weight machines.Right now I do 3 sets of 10 on:

1.Bench/Chest Press machine at 80 lbs

2. Lat Pull Machine at 80lbs

3. Ab machine at 90 lbs

4.Leg Press Machine at 110lbs

5.Tricep push Machine at 110lbs

6. Chest supported rowing machine at 80lbs

I have worked my way up to this over the last few months. I go to the gym Tuesday, Thurs, Fri, Sat and Sun.

Now that I wrote that all down...holy cow! It is amazing how a little help (the whole stomach getting cut out deal) can give someone such a good push to getting healthy!

Also, just a heads up- doing strength training will make the scale numbers go down slower-- muscle is heavy! I have been steadily losing, just slower than my other sleeve buddies. But I can probably out lift them! Plus, when I am all done, I will not have to re-gain weight via muscle mass. That is my two cents, anyhow!

Cheers!

@@CanyonBaby the Unsuspecting dog made it! Although he promptly went back to sleep after we got home!

Wow- everyone sounds so good! It makes me look forward to working out!!