Greetings

For my new years resolution I wanted to stop drinking diet soda, learn to love exercise again, chew 25x with each bite, and not drink 30 minutes before, during or after meals in anticipation of being banded.

First let me say that I never realized how acustomed I had become to WOLFING down my food. Yikes. Chewing 25x seems like a joke. I had to start using a lobster fork to help with the portion size. It seems to be working.

Ok, lets talk about the exercise. I knew when I made this resolution to learn to love exercise again that it would be a double edge sword. So I dont know about you people but I get bad cramps in my legs when I over do ANYTHING. Walking to far, wearing a slight heel etc.

So here I am a 330 pound 28 year old, getting onto my recumbant bike to get some exercise. I start to pedal, so far so good. I had put on the simpsons season five dvd for entertainment. All of a sudden I start to feel a slight tight feeling in my right calf. I know that it means I better stop or I will wake with a soft ball sized cramp in my leg. I look down and the timer says :angry 15 minutes. BOOOOOOOHOOOOOOO!

Can anyone relate? My brain is completely in the zone and ready to go and my body is like "YOU DORK, I CANT KEEP UP!" Has anyone experienced these calf cramps? For me they come at night, I scream so loud I am really surprised that no one has called the police.

How has it been getting back to exercise for you all? I get so frustrated with my limitations, even though I know that in time my body will catch up to my brain.

P.S My husband Angus got me a sippy cup for Christmas, LOL how cute.

Oh I so can relate to down to the lbs and age hehehe Im not banded yet either and also trying to not to drink cokes, beer, and to take smaller bites. I have always eattan really fast usally the first one to finish eating first. Im 320lbs (last time I checked) and Im also 28 yrs old... Right now Im unable to excersie the weight of my body is so large that im messing up my ankles, i wish i had a bike to ride myself, so then i wouldnt have to bounce my flab around in worries of breaking something.

At night I dont get calf cramps but my upper thigh gos numb and the burning is soooo bad I want to cry, and sometimes I do. We will make this work Rachel You, I and so may others, we need to take control of our selfish body with the help of the band.. and be able to do anything! Thanking for your post... its nice to know that there is other people out there thinking just like me...

Take Care and Good Luck keep me posted

It begins with a single step. And you've already begun your journey to better health. Start with a very short routine (walk, bike, exerwork-out). Baby steps, then gradually increase your time, and before you know it you'll be breathing easier, legs and ankle hurting less, and pushing yourself a little harder to see what is on the next block. Best of luck to both of you!! I know you can do this!

I definitely had to begin with baby steps. It used to be that I would get shin-splints so bad I was afraid I may not make it back home while trying walk. I had to buy better shoes. That helped tremendously. After suffering a Pulmonary Embolism, I had no air or stamina to do strenous exercise for long periods of time, either, so I started with the treadmill. Not as hard on the legs as the pavement and I could measure my distance/time. I started out only being able to eek in about 10 minutes. Over time, I worked up to 30 minutes, even an hour and I felt successful working up to that. I have since moved on to Curves, which is a total body workout and requires much more movement than just the treadmill. I would recommend it for anyone who is out of shape physically and needs to work up to something harder. I lost 14 inches my first month there. I have since bought myself a bicycle and am riding it about a mile outside and I have purchased a stationary recumbent bike for inside, which I currently ride for 30minutes/5 miles. To me, this is a great acheivement. It takes time too. This is not something that you can just change overnight. I have been working up to this point since 2003. Just the fact that I can now GET ON a regular bicycle is major progress and gives me a whole new attitude about what other things I might be able to try eventually. Progress, not perfection..

Rachel, you don't have to do 15 minutes today. You can start with five minutes. Heck, you can do five in the morning, then five at night. First, pat yourself on the back for getting on the bike. Go easy on yourself, start slow. I promise, if you stick to five minutes a day pretty soon you body won't even notice it and you'll find yourself WANTING to go for 6 or 7 minutes. It will get easier, and you will start feeling a lot better. And try not making so many changes at once. Stick to one or two things that you know you'll be able to change. This is the first year that I didn't make drastic NY Resolutions. This is the first year that I would really like to keep at least one. I don't think I've ever kept one.

I just need to at least take the baby steps. I need some serious exercise for my inner thighs. I realized today that I'm already starting to get sagging skin there. I thought with this small of a weight loss I had a ways to go before being concerned about sagging skin. Jack you go any good inner thigh exercises.

Thanks everyone,

It just really frustrates me. I remember how athletic I used to be. ARGGHHH.

LOL Thats ok. My husband reminded me as you all did that the fact that I got on the bike in the first place shows a great comitment to my new life.

My plan is just to try to get on every day and gradually build up my endurance.

Then I have that elliptical machine to conquer. It stares at me on the other side of the living room every morning, like a dusty challenger.

Oh well one battle at a time!

Thanks everyone, I will keep you posted on my progress.

Delara,

Keep one resolution, Sounds great! Such a practical goal.

Yep. When I was 18 and weight 118lbs, I used to ride my bike all over town or to the park and THEN go swimming, then ride it back. We're talking several miles on a bike and at least 1-2hrs swimming. I had no idea this was EXERCISE at the time or that my body would ever consider rebelling against such a thing. It was just fun - a means to get closer to where the action was. Now, just throwing my leg OVER a bicycle seat is a major accomplishment. lol.

This too shall pass... I hope.

Rachel, if you were once athletic, that athlete is still inside you ready to emerge, even if just a little bit at a time.

I agree with DeLarla's suggestion: even five minutes is an improvement over zero. I've been gradually building up my exercise time and intensity. Before I got banded, I'd get winded walking at a slowish pace for 15 minutes. Now I can go for an hour and a half and keep up with my average-sized friends. OK, I'm not ready to do the 70-mile-a-day bike trip I made when I was 19, but I'm moving, and feeling, a lot better than half a year ago.

I don't know how y'all manage those elliptical machines. I can't imagine getting on one -- but then, my only real exercise is walking (on the ground, that is, not a treadmill).

I know what you mean Zoe, the ellipitical is quite an invention. LOL It cracks me up to think that I used to be able to do 45 minutes straight. Haha It is a great machine though. When I went to the Duke Diet and Fitness center in Raliegh, I lost 5 inches in my waist in a month due to that machine. Melted my Butt right off. Of course when I came home the lack of exercise made the 5 inches incame back with reinforcments. Oh well

Rachel, I was the Queen of Couch Potatoes for years. I was never athletic. But after banding, I started walking...a little at a time. It was good ole summertime here in Houston. Once around the block (1/3 mile), huffing and puffing, ankles feeling like they would explode with pain, sweating like a pig (glamorous pic, heh?). Gradually increased up to 3 miles. Then started bike riding...little at a time. Have since taken part in two 20 mile benefits. Hiked 4 and 5 hours up and down the Rocky Mountains in October. I never could have done this previously (or would have even tried!) My ankles don't hurt any more. Biked 3 times last week - 10 miles each. And you're a heck of a lot younger than me, girl! You'll be blaring past me in no time! Just take baby steps...you'll get there.

Hey

Well I am not quite the exercise guro YET, but I have made it to 25 min without a cramp. Yay, next step 35 then 45.

Thanks for the encouragement,

Trish,

I had the burning, numbing pain in my thigh and back for quite a while. It was awful. I drove 100 miles a day and sometimes thought I wouldn't make it home. Then it was worse at night.

It has improved tremendously since losing weight. I get occasional pain, but nothing like it was before. I hope yours improves as well. There is hope.

That's great! Keep up the good work! And even when those scales don't always show a change, you'll notice it in the way your clothes fit.