For all the sleevers, when were you able to get back into exercise? I want to avoid saggy skin. When did you heal fully where you could walk/run? When did you add in cardio?

Walking can begin within hours of surgery and increased as you feel comfortable. Walking helps with the trapped gas after surgery as well as helps to prevent blood clots. Your surgeon will guide you as far as more vigorous activity, as everyone is different.

Best of luck on your journey! I can still remember how excited I was ?

To be honest, I never went back to "exercise." All I've really done since surgery is walk, and I didn't even do much of that for about a month after surgery due to extreme fatigue. I now try to walk every day, but that's it--no cardio or weight training--and I've done very well in terms of weight loss. Diet is by far the most important component of weight loss, not exercise.

Walking for the first two weeks. I'm now three weeks out and starting to do some you tube videos with 3 pounds weights after I go the ok from the doctor. I don't like to walk and it's way to hot to do anything outside so a gradual increase in effort inside will have to do for now.

I’m 4 weeks out and the doctor has given me the ok to go back to cardio and strength training. This is really the first week I would’ve felt ok to do so anyway, clearance or not.

On 7/4/2020 at 6:35 AM, Recidivist said:

To be honest, I never went back to "exercise." All I've really done since surgery is walk, and I didn't even do much of that for about a month after surgery due to extreme fatigue. I now try to walk every day, but that's it--no cardio or weight training--and I've done very well in terms of weight loss. Diet is by far the most important component of weight loss, not exercise.

Motivation is the key to long term success. It's been eight years since I've been overweight. I'm now at a point where I do NOT have uncontrollable cravings & am able to eat what I want as long as I balance the 'splurges' with healthy choices. Exercise is also key to long term success, as your weight goes down, your body will use less calories in general, exercise will fill in that growing gap between what you take in and what you burn off.

On 7/4/2020 at 8:56 AM, It's time. said:

I don't like to walk and it's way to hot to do anything outside so a gradual increase in effort inside will have to do for now.

Then find something that you can enjoy and stick with. It is vitally important to change your relationship with food & exercise, one small step at a time, right from the start. Otherwise, the surgery was for nothing. The surgery is a tool only.

24 minutes ago, TheRealMeIsHere! said:

Motivation is the key to long term success. It's been eight years since I've been overweight. I'm now at a point where I do NOT have uncontrollable cravings & am able to eat what I want as long as I balance the 'splurges' with healthy choices. Exercise is also key to long term success, as your weight goes down, your body will use less calories in general, exercise will fill in that growing gap between what you take in and what you burn off.

Then find something that you can enjoy and stick with. It is vitally important to change your relationship with food & exercise, one small step at a time, right from the start. Otherwise, the surgery was for nothing. The surgery is a tool only.

I’d argue it’s not even motivation. Motivation comes and goes. Discipline is what gets you to your goals. Doing what you need to do even when you don’t feel like it.

6 minutes ago, colormehappy said:

I’d argue it’s not even motivation. Motivation comes and goes. Discipline is what gets you to your goals. Doing what you need to do even when you don’t feel like it.

True!

I have been doing 6 pound weights for a long time, way before I ever decided to have the surgery. I did ask how long I had to wait before I could go back to doing that after the surgery. They told me to wait four weeks postop. I also have never liked going to a public gym, only because I do not like germs, so we recently bought an exercise bike that we have here in the house. I do the bike every other day and I lift the weights while I’m on the bike.

On 7/5/2020 at 10:09 AM, colormehappy said:

I’d argue it’s not even motivation. Motivation comes and goes. Discipline is what gets you to your goals. Doing what you need to do even when you don’t feel like it.

Agreed. I really dislike weight/strength training, but I do it almost every day anyway because I know it produces results.

it took me about 1.5 months before I had the energy to really start working out and another half of a month to get back to it. I walked here and there in the first couple months, but my energy levels were way low and it was exceptionally hot out and it really wore me out. it's tough to get the energy when you aren't really eating much in those first few weeks.

Now I am a little over 3 months post-op and I work out everyday for about an hour and make it a priority. I do 3 days of 30-minute full-body strength routines and aim for 250-300 minutes of cardio a week, usually hiking (2 hours a week but I am trying to do more) and walking (usually 2.5-3+ miles at a time with hills). I also add in random 10-min barre/toning workouts a few days a week when I have the time.

Edited September 27, 20205 yr by angryspice

Only in healthy eating, I see the desired changes in my weight.

On 7/4/2020 at 6:35 AM, Recidivist said:

To be honest, I never went back to "exercise." All I've really done since surgery is walk, and I didn't even do much of that for about a month after surgery due to extreme fatigue. I now try to walk every day, but that's it--no cardio or weight training--and I've done very well in terms of weight loss. Diet is by far the most important component of weight loss, not exercise.

Feel really fatigued, all the time. Haven’t lost anything in 3 weeks.. trying to get into walking.

I was walking within a few hours of surgery. And up until this week - walking was really about all I did - at least 40 mins a day, 5-6 days a week. My surgeon and RD both said it was time to up the intensity (they even said that while walking is great activity - it's not true 'exercise' anymore for me) - so I started working out with a trainer this week - and gosh, I'm SORE. The plan is to continue cardio at home (exercise bike or rower at least 3 days a week), and do strength training at the gym with the trainer (also 3 days a week).

Walking and more walking almost since day one in my case. I don´t like to run (plus my knees can´t stand that high impact anymore), so there you go.

I was back just few weeks ago, however my work and studying is definitely against my workout