I am getting banded early next year. For those of you who have the band how can you or what makes you motivated to exercise after the band. You know for most of us we didn't exercise before the band. So why, how does everyone exercise after it?

It seems like after people get the band they say ok now I will exercise. Why can't we just exercise now????

:help:

I couldn't exercise before because it was too difficult to move! Now I run 4 times a week, I did my own 1/2 marathon 2 weeks ago and am building to a 30 km in the spring!!

Dawn

Banded April 4th, 2006

Montreal

358/157.2/148

I am honestly coming to believe that way too many people getting the band have no intention of ever exercising. They think that this miracle band is going to make them thin and it is going to be easy sailing all the way. Well, sounds like you know you have to exercise, so that is a plus for you!!!

I was very jung ho about exercise for the first 4 months after banding. I lost a large amount of weight in that time too. It has since then slowed down with the likes of college and the cold, but I still do it. I strength train also. The motivation comes and goes for me. Sometimes, I really can't get enough exercise and then sometimes, I don't want to do any. BUT, I am now learning to look at it for my heart and body, not to lose weight. I want to have a healthy body and heart, as well, as a fine looking waist. HTH.

Right now I think I would have a heart attack if I ran a marathon. Good for you!!

I'm only 38 and I feel like I'm 80. My knees hurt just walking up my stairs.

jlove69... I have been there... I was 358, but now I can say that I can't wait to run my 12 km tomorrow morning... and I live in the Arctic and its -30!!!! But I run because I CAN!!

Dawn

Banded April 4, 2006

Montreal

358/157.2/148

Deltadawn, I am 260 5'5''. people tell me that I carry my weight well, and I tell them I don't want to carry it anymore. I will be able to run someday.

How is your band have you had any problems with it so far?

Two things:

First, I really couldn't move well enough to exercise. I didn't start really aggressive exercising until I was 4 months post-op and down 50 lbs.

Second, I paid WAY TOO MUCH, even with insurance, to let this thing go to waste.

So manatee I'm wondering how much do you exercise? You have lost a lot of weight in a little time. Good Job!

I weight train 3-5 times a week with a personal trainer. Not a fancy place, just a bunch of metal to move and a place to shower.

Works for me. Pretty expensive, really, but a new body is worth more to me than a new car.

I can't afford a trainer. I have weights and an exercise bike. I guess I need to start using them... LOL

I didn't have any complications with my band, and have only had 1 initial fill. That seemed to work for me.

There is no 'gym' here in the arctic. I started 6 months post op with running 30 seconds and walking 2 minutes. Slowly I ramped it up.

I have been blessed and really wanted to get these last few pounds off. Good luck!!!!!!

Dawn

Banded April 4th, 2006

Montreal

358/157.2/148

jlove, get on that bike girl!

I started exercising before my band. I didn't used to love it, but I do now and get antsy when I can't get a workout. The biggest motivator for me, other than results on the scale, was finding a gym that I loved being in. It's not the cheapest in town, but it was in my budget and it's not too crowded or noisy and it has good natural light, which is important to me. Other than that, just knowing that I feel better when I move my body, and knowing that I see results on the scale, have been the best motivators. You can absolutely start now, before the band! And I started walking as much as I could right after the band. I used a treadmill which my doctor ok'd as long as I didn't go crazy and didn't try to do crunches or any ab work.

It is soooo much easier to exercise now and with each workout it will get easier for you too. I do some sort of exercise every day. Sometimes I walk, jog, do yoga or dance on my mini trampoline. I remember watching people jog by my house and wondering how the heck do they do that-why would they do that-Now I know how they feel. Like any major time commitment, you have to plan-but that's the hard part now. I actually enjoy my exercise!! Start slow but keep pushing yourself a little at a time and you will see too.

there is no way i would have lost 140 pounds so far without working my ass off at the gym.

unfortunately, i did not start before surgery. i started about 10 days after and walked on the treadmill for no more than 8 minutes. i increased the time by 2 mins each time i went.

after being banded for about 2 months, i was going 6-10 times a week. taking kickboxing and step classes. weight was falling off of me (about 6+ pounds a week).

since, i have tapered off. i need to get back to doing it. i now go about 3-5 times a week, but i am now running. i love it, but i just cant find the motivation to go more often. you'd think dropping the weight would be enough. since not working out much, my weight loss is maybe 1-5 pounds a month. huge difference.

so yeah, exercising plays an enormous part in weight loss. the band is a tool, not a cure all.

sorry for the rant... this was mostly a kick in the pants for me to get my ass out of bed in the mornings...

good luck with your band... :Banane20:

I think it would be interesting to do a poll - for those who have reached goal- how much did you exercise?

None

1-2 days/week

3-5 days /week

6-7 days/week

I would bet the majority of people are in the 3-5 days/ 6-7 days. It makes a HUGE difference to get your metabolism going. I can eat around 1400-1600 calories a day when I exercise and still lose 1-2 lbs/week.

I started running but have a stress fracture in my left foot so am stuck with the eliptical for a few months.

I almost passed out the first time I was on the eliptical- now I can go an hour at resistance 9-10!

get on that bike! you will thank yourself later and the results you will see in the mirror, your measurements and clothes make a difference.

Personally I go to the gym 5-6 days a week- do the eliptical for 45 minutes; sometimes will do stair stepper/treadmill; 3 days a week work with a trainer for an hour to build muscle and the days I don't go to the gym its usually a 35-40 minute walk with the dogs. From being someone who thought that getting up to get food was exertion to doing this kind of routine- its a huge change and it didn't happen overnight. Schedule the exercise like you would anything else. I get up and go before work because otherwise there was a good chance when I started I'd blow it off. Now I know I'll go after work if I miss the morning but I still am now in the habit of exercising first thing in the morning- helps my whole day start off on the right foot.

good luck to you!

yea for those runners out there! I hope I'll catch up to yall soon!