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Exercise!?! What's that?



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Hey everyone I am coming up 5 weeks post op and a bit confused about exercise. Doesn't help I've never dobe any in my fine but whilst laid on my sofa decided I feel fit enough now I realised I have not been told what to do or given any tips! I vaguely remember reading a pamphlet pre op about getting in 20mins walking a day which I do strive for but... Barely gets my heart rate up. What kinds of things does everyone do? Any useful links or tips? I have a treadmill ( I'm about 11lbs to heavy for the reccomend weight though) but otherwise it'll just be my body moving. Thanks.

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Hi there! I was in the same boat as you, not having exercised since my mid 20s (fifty years old now). I was not completely inactive given it's impossible to get around NYC and the subways without climbing stairs and walking.

The best thing to start is to walk and take stairs. If you have hills walk at inclines. Walk at a pace that gets your heart rate up. This assumes you have no joint issues and are cleared by your doctor to do so.

I was interested in developing strength and flexibility so I hired a trainer given I probably had a pretty good shot at injuring myself without learning proper movements and form.

I got lucky and found someone who owns a small boutique studio who is trained and educated in different disciplines. Two months later I am without question stronger, more flexible and have better balance.

As others will tell you what drives the weight loss is diet. However as the weight has come off I can now work on my other things I would like to accomplish with my well being.


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Hi there! I was in the same boat as you, not having exercised since my mid 20s (fifty years old now). I was not completely inactive given it's impossible to get around NYC and the subways without climbing stairs and walking.

The best thing to start is to walk and take stairs. If you have hills walk at inclines. Walk at a pace that gets your heart rate up. This assumes you have no joint issues and are cleared by your doctor to do so.

I was interested in developing strength and flexibility so I hired a trainer given I probably had a pretty good shot at injuring myself without learning proper movements and form.

I got lucky and found someone who owns a small boutique studio who is trained and educated in different disciplines. Two months later I am without question stronger, more flexible and have better balance.

As others will tell you what drives the weight loss is diet. However as the weight has come off I can now work on my other things I would like to accomplish with my well being.




Thank you very much. I am going to speak to my surgeon and with guidance get a personal trainer. But first walk more and more. I just feel frustrated as walking doesn't feel like I'm doing anything.

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I'm still pre-op, but I started swimming years and years ago. It was hard to be seen in a swim suit at my size, but I have yet to see anyone at my YMCA pool who actually looks good in a suit :-) Anyway, I lap for 30 minutes 5 days a week, and M-W-F I belong to a class called Hydro Power (aerobic exercise in the water). That class is 60 minutes. I look forward to post weight loss so I can weight train, and I want to learn Ti-Chi. Once I lose 130-lbs, the possibilities are endless ! Good luck on your journey !

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I was told to walk 2 miles a day. I used a FitBit after for about 2 weeks after I started getting more energy. I averaged about 6 miles a day just at work so I stopped wearing the FitBit and never really did much after. My weight had been stable at between 140 and 145 for 2 years. About a month ago I started going to the gym with wife. In the classes they start you off by running a mile. I am usually not out of breath or even broken a sweat. But I always feel better after I go no matter how tired I may be of how sore I am.

Until you see your surgeon again, try walking as much as you can. I remember they had me up within a few hours after I woke up to walk around the hospital wing.


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I would walk. Also, consider asking your surgeon for a physical therapist referral. Trainers are good, but being obese and never having exercise, you want appropriate exercises, not just things that may injure your body. A physical therapist treats people with diseases, obesity is a disease. Then once stable with a Physical therapist, think about a gym.

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On 26/09/2017 at 0:27 AM, Skinnycows said:

What kinds of things does everyone do?

75-125 minutes at the pool. (25 metre pool)

I try to do 120 laps or three kilometres of breaststroke and walk (wade chest-deep) another 20 to 30 laps.

Swimming is very kind to joints and arthritic pain whereas walking is tougher for me because of pain.

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On 26/09/2017 at 6:33 AM, insul817 said:

It was hard to be seen in a swim suit at my size, but I have yet to see anyone at my YMCA pool who actually looks good in a suit

Big board shorts and a 5XL rash vest when I started. In a 3XL rash vest now (and smaller board shorts).

Except for the youths and school kids at the pool, everyone looks fat, obese or "well-worn". Mind you, those of us who have been at it a while are less fat/obese.

Swimming is good for the lungs and toning most muscles.

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You need to not think of it as exercise. I just get off my butt and do something. Anything. Go out and window shop. Walk to the store if you have one near you and get yourself a Water and peanuts. You'll have Protein when you get home. Make a point to only get things you need for a day when shopping so you get out more. Eventually you'll be active and you'll feel so much better. Making new habits and consciously being aware to rid the bad ones. Sounds too good to be true.... that's what I thought.

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On 9/25/2017 at 10:27 AM, Skinnycows said:

Doesn't help I've never dobe any in my fine but whilst laid on my sofa decided I feel fit enough now I realised I have not been told what to do or given any tips!

what the f*ck does any of that mean?!?

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58 minutes ago, JohnnyCakes said:

what the f*ck does any of that mean?!?

Couple of typos: First line is "Doesn't help I've never done any in my life . . .", or so I'm guessing.

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Couple of typos: First line is "Doesn't help I've never done any in my life . . .", or so I'm guessing.


Yes Thank you. A little common sense goes a long way when autocorrect destroys a sentence. Good to know someone can decipher!

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      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
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