I have a question for you seasoned banders...

Obviously I didn't get to where I am at due to my love of excercise lol. So I have to ask ... after getting banded and losing a bit of weight is it easier? Currently I hate excercise, it is the bain of my existence and I know excercise is a key part of the banding process. Right now becoming someone thats an "excercise junkie" seems like a hard concept to wrap my brain around.

Exercise is my biggest issue also. It's tough but once you find something that you enjoy, it becomes a little easier to do. I took up water aerobics and I absolutely LOVE it. I wish that it was available everyday, but unfortunately I only do it once a week. I have also recently started jogging. Of course I don't go far, but I'm working my way into it. I also got an exercise ball and I enjoy working with that while I'm watching TV. I completely understand where you're coming from. My lack of exercise has shown on the scale...it has been sitting still for almost four weeks and it's driving me crazy.

Start slow and make it part of your day like anything else if you can...I have bought some tapes so I do not get bored.

good luck because it is hard to stay with it..I find if I do it in the morning my day is better.

I have a question for you seasoned banders...

Obviously I didn't get to where I am at due to my love of excercise lol. So I have to ask ... after getting banded and losing a bit of weight is it easier? Currently I hate excercise, it is the bain of my existence and I know excercise is a key part of the banding process. Right now becoming someone thats an "excercise junkie" seems like a hard concept to wrap my brain around.

yes... YES ... YES!!

i started out very slow (about 7-8 mins on the treadmill at 2MPH), every day i went to the gym, i increased it by 2 or more minutes.

i can now run/walk/run combo for 30+ minutes. i honestly think it helped 100fold with the weight loss. for example - when first banded i was working out 6-10 times a week and weight was flying off of me (about 65 pounds in 2 months). now, im not working out nearly as much as i should and ... well, the weight isnt coming off either.

get out there, start slow, take it easy and dont hurt yourself... but PUSH yourself as far as you can ... it's great to sweat!

Ang:

I love walking. Get an mp3 player and load it up with your favorites and get moving. I walk 4 to 5 miles per day. I do 2 to 3 individual miles, plus a two-mile walk at lunch time. It definitely gets easier as the weight comes off.

Enjoy!

Sue

Thanks ladies!

I forgot to ask my surgeon so I will ask him what he thinks but.. how long after surgery did you have to wait before doing exercise? What would be considered a safe time frame to start doing more than just walking?

walking? i was told to walk as much as possible after surgery. the 4th or so day i was outside going to the mailbox and back ... neighbors must have loved the show....

'serious' treadmill walking? after my post op appt. my doctor basically said, try it, if it hurts, stop. but no ab exercises for 4-6 weeks.

I Am Right With All Of You! Exercise Is The Hardest Thing For Me, Although I Have Been Using My Son's Mp3 Player And Listening To Kim Possible ( For Those Of You Who Know Who That Is) It Is Very Up Beat!! I Started With A 1/4 Of A Mile, Then I Worked Up To 1/2 A Mile After A Week, I Am Now Walking/ Jogging/walking The 1/2 Mile And Lifting Legs Real High When Jogging For Those Stubborn Thighs. It Goes Fast When You Are Jigging To An Upbeat Song! It Is Alot Easier The More I Do It!!

Sue,

You are kicking ___! That is an awesome weight loss. What type of foods are you eating? Any breads or pasta's? Just cuious. Thanks, Heather

I have a hard time with exercise, too. But as I get smaller, I find that I LIKE moving around more. I like how my body feels while I'm moving compared to before, but I also like how I feel knowing that I actually exercised. Just slowly add things in. In the past, I went for overkill right away and it made it impossible for me to stick with it. I started with adding walking. I'm adding fitness classes next week. Eventually I'll get back into running.

It was probably somewhere between about 220 and 200 pounds that I felt like I'd found my groove with exercise and started to enjoy it cos.....it got easier. Even now the more I lose, the easier it gets. Funny that. Can't wait til I'm at goal, I'll be nearly flying haha. Just do what you can, and build on that time, your weight loss and your increased fitness will get you the rest of the way. Good luck!

There seems to be two major types of people out there that get the band. There is one type that has never been active or at least not real active since grade school, doesn't play sports and hopes the lap band will help them get to goal. I think these people get to 50%-60% percent of their goal and then realize that it will take more. Then there is the group that considers themselves "athletes" that somehow got trapped in a obese body and use the lapband to spring board them back into shape. I know this doesn't cover everyone but that has been my experience. I have friends at work that have had the surgery done and after about 60 pounds of weight loss they just level out and you almost forget that they ever had the band. They just don't have the lifestyle to get any lower and finally give up.

I have spent hundreds of dollars on gear in the last two months to help me get in shape besides the cost of a lapband. My wife looks at me like I am crazy but the gear I buy is not the traditional crap like weights and a treadmill. ( I do have both of those from past failed attempts) I bought a long board which is like a skateboard but much longer and more stable. It is like I am cruising down the road on a surf board. I bought a speed bag like the boxers use and that gives an awesome work out and cost 40.00 bucks from Academy sports. It takes about two weeks to really learn but is fun and can be done to music, if you like to dance you will probably like doing it.

I joined a basketball church league and have played 5 games so far this season and do you know how many points I have scored? NONE, I don't shoot I just rebound and pass to my team and each game I burn like 750 calories running back and forth and my team just loves my effort and they don't notice the lack of offense.

The last bit advice I will give to anyone that is fighting the exercise or being active part is to please go buy yourself a bodybugg. The bugg will tell you exactly how many calories you are burning so you know what you can eat. This way if you are going to cheat yourself you will know it before you ever get on the scale.

I too hated exercise. I think that the key is finding something that you really enjoy doing. Try different exercises, classes, sports and when you find something that is "fun" you will want to continue doing it bc it's not a chore, its "FUN".

Anyway, you can start walking immediately after surgery.I started walking 2 miles a day about 1 week post op and then started going back to the gym on week 4, taking it really easy and NO AB work for at least 6-8 weeks! However, you should check with your dr, to see what his rules are.

Also, it doesn't all have to be at one time, just buying a pedometer and trying to reach 10,000 steps a day is an improvement. Park further from the office or store, take the stairs instead of the elevator, etc. It all adds up.

Now I work out 7 days a week and it's just part of my lifestyle. It also really kicks the weight loss a couple notches. I wasn't losing anything...I was plateaud for at least a month until I started getting more fills and getting consistent with my exercise routine. I also am more active, like taking the stairs at work (6 flights that I couldn't do before).

Of course the weight loss helps too, but the motivation has to come from you.

I'm with you, and my surgeon was very much up front about how important the exercise is for this process. I just went in and had not lost anything and gained one pound. Why, because my exercising has slowed...almost to nothing. I swim, and if you have access to an indoor pool, you can get one of those "joggercize" vests and work every muscle in your body with no pressure on your joints, without sweating, etc. I think you will enjoy that... it doesn't feel like exercise.

hi Living,

thanks for responding. im one of those oddballs (heh - imagine that) who did not move when i was fat. i would ask DH to get up off the couch to get me something to eat/drink... pathetic.

im now running and love it ...

i agree with the bodybugg. it is the perfect compliment to the band.