I am over a month post op now, down 8lbs....im sure you've heard this in my other post. That's exactly how disappointed I am, thought I was doing most of everything right.

I had my 1 month follow-up on last week with my surgeon. I let her know what I've been eating, drinking and doing. I was walking 30 mins a day on my breaks at work, then taking the kids to the park on the wknd and walking around the park. She says that was good, Im doing great!. Why do I feel like I should be doing more and that's partly why my weight hasn't moved? SO I've decided to go ahead and join a gym and will be starting this weekend.

BTW-Per Dr.s orders I upped my calories and dropped a few OZ over 7 days......not pounds...ounces!

How did exercising affect your weight loss? I'm SOOOO hoping this is the answer, otherwise....I am hopeful and trying to stay positive but I may be one of the rare one's that this surgery didn't work for

Edited July 21, 201610 yr by reachbree

None of us lose at a constant or steady rate. We all experience stalls and slow downs in weight loss. Stalls are a normal, natural and necessary part of the process of losing weight and almost everyone experiences a stall about three weeks after surgery.

To answer your question about exercise, my preferred method of exercise is swimming. I have been in the pool since I was cleared to get in the Water after surgery. I love it. I swim laps, take water aerobics, use water weights, etc. Almost 95% of my exercise is in the pool.

Embrace the Stall

http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

I'm currently in the midst of a stall as well, and while it's frustrating, I understand that it's all part of the process. I'm following my NUT's instructions, tracking my food, and exercising.

As for my exercise, I've been biking (both at the gym and outdoors), using the elliptical, walking, and I started C25K this week. I need variety! For me, exercise also needs to incorporate strength training which I do 3x per week. (Upper body, lower body, and core are the three rotations that I work through.)

There are a lot of smartphone apps like Mapmywalk, Couch 2 5K, and Jefit (strength training) that can give you ideas and track your progress. Stay positive and stay active! (And put your scale away--I hid mine in the back of my closet for now!)

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I'm at 15lbs lost since surgery (I'm in week 4 now). My exercise hasn't been consistent (it wasn't before either) but like you, when I do walk it's at work during my two 10 minute breaks and 30 minutes (or close to) at lunch. Weight loss is 80% diet so you may be like me and need more calories to lose. Not sure how much you're getting in but I try to hit at least 800 a day plus around 100+ ounces of fluids. Good luck, I know first hand how frustrating it is to see so many posts of people losing rapidly while we're in the slow lane. I just keep reminding myself a loss is a loss.

Early on cardio in the form of walking and jogging helped me lose weight as I went from mostly sedentary to moving more. Walking is a great form of exercise and one where distance matters. Ideally you should either increase your time, i.e. walk longer or your intensity i.e. speed. For example, shoot for a distance goal of 3 miles a day to start and then determine if you will jog is and spend about 40 minutes getting there or walk and take an hour to get there. Adding a bit of resistance training at a gym is a good thing too. Start simple: 3 sets of 10 sit ups, push ups, squats and lunges will help you build muscle.

It's been just over two years since my sleeve surgery, @reachbree, and I can still remember that awful feeling around the same time, that maybe I was the oddball one for whom it wasn't going to work, because I was losing so slowly for a few weeks in there. Then I heard there's very often a period like that 3 to 6 weeks out from surgery, and sure enough, the loss started up again at a slightly better pace. I never did have huge losses week to week like so many do, but it's been steady and glorious.

And you are so smart to be thinking about the gym in relation to this! So many discount the benefits you can get with working out. My biggest one early on was that it helped give me enough energy that I'd do more and have a better outlook. At first I did just walking, then 6 weeks from surgery started with gentle weight lifting work and intensified my cardio, hitting the gym three times a week. I think for me that helped my weight the most--maybe it made me a more efficient burner?

Now I'm closing in on goal and more than 125 lbs down (I'm 5'4" and 54 years old)--and I go to the gym four days a week, without fail pretty much. Three of those days I add cardio to my lifting. I don't look like a body builder or anything - but I love the definition in my arms and legs, and the energy! Oh, the energy!!

Good luck - try to not panic during this awful waiting/slow loss phase, and know you are NOT alone.