Nervous

Well, I'm really nervous this week is gonna be a big one... I've NEVER been one for excersize... granted.. I've always been large.. earliest memory is kindergarden, when I weighed in at 85lbs.. and all the other girls were around 45. It has been that way forever. To this point the only excersize I've gotten has been normal walking.. no purposeful work outs. On Tuesday, I star****er aerobics. I've been wanting to do these for a while.. and I'm glad I finally can. On Wednesday, my support group has arranged to visit a pilates instructor. She is giving a class for WLS paitents only! I'm really nervous about this one.. I know it'll hurt like Heck! On Thursday, if I'm still alive, I'm going back to my water aerobics class. Has anyone else tried any of these things? If so, how do you feel after doing them? I've been a moderately slow loser so far, so I'm looking to step it up.. When I started this journey I had 253lbs to be at my ideal weight.. and now I have 208. I have lost appx 35 since surgery, and I'm coming up on 2 months. I've lost 45.5 since I began. (I know that .5 is retarded... but every half a pound counts! ) Anyways... can I get some support?! ¢¾ Amy

Amy, I can completely relate! I've lost 32.5 pounds since surgery and yes, that half a pound counts!!! I haven't tried the water aerobics or pilates but I think it's wonderful that your WLS support group is going to give pilates a try together. I'm so proud of you that you are stepping way outside your comfort zone and giving these types of exercise a try. I haven't been able to walk into a gym yet so yesterday I re-joined my local Curves. I'll do that until I get up the nerve to go work out with weights in a gym. I'll follow your progress and mine to see how regular exercise effects our weight loss. Let us know how the water aerobics and pilates go. I'm very interested in the types of things done in those classes. - Stephanie

Stephanie, Thanks for the encouragment! I'm looking forward and dreadding them all in the same breath! LOL. Good luck with curves.. I signed up in 04 and only worked out there a month. I get bored too easily... not to mention.. I'm LAZY!!! yay me! lol. ;)

Those sound great! I've wanted to try pilates but havn't yet, I have a DVD "pilates for dummies" but have only gone to the gym so far. I really want to try a water aeorobics class too but my gym only has classes during my work hours, I should search for a weekend class. Some advise: don't try to do too much too fast, take it nice and slow and at your own pace. If your muscles hurt too badly it can discourage you from going back. Slowly work up to doing more and for longer and you'll have a greater long term success rate. Compare yourself only to you, not to what anybody else can do. Compete with yourself, doing a little more or working a little harder when your body feels ready. I know you can do this!! Keep us up to date on your thoughts and progress.

Thank you! I couldnt afford Gym membership, so I did some research and found out that a local community was offering classes in the evenings and on Saturdays for a small fee per time. You can get a discount for paying for the whole month, but for now, I just want to see how much I like it first! I doubt I'll be able to do the pilates after the first lesson, only because the fees are alot... but it'll be good to learn a few things and take them home with me. ;) Good luck to you!

Pilates should not hurt - just remember to go slow and modify to what you can do. I love it. if you like and and want some recomendations I woudl be glad to give you names of dvds and books that are good. I am so proud of you for going at all you will feel better after working out - you really will. even when I work a little to hard (I am very stubborn LOL) and my muscles are sore the next day it is a good feeling like "hah look what I did I worked hard enough my muscles noticed" and then I go though a lot of positive imagry about how working out will give me a firm non jiggly body that is long and lean. sometimes I honestly think I over do that part b/c I wil work out for a few days and then expect my body to be lean and strong - totally disregarding the fact that I am at least 140 pounds AWAY from lean and strong give the class a try - if you love it or even feel like ok I can do this and the instuctor is willing to work with you than you will find the fund to keep doing it. part of using our tool is not just eating right it is learning to work out a minimum amount a week/day to keep us healthy. losing all our wieght won't help us if we haven't learned better ways. I am not preaching at you promise but restating things that I have to tell myself a zillion times a day hugs danni 372/314/170

Thanks!

Hi Amy, I do water aerobics and Pilates as well. I love them both. I am probably the world's only obese gym rat. The great thing abou****er aerobics is that it is very easy on your joints, yet you still get a great workout. If you are new to exercise, take it easy and do what you can at first, then step up the intensity as you get more fit. I've been doing Pilates for over a year now. I wish I had tried it sooner. Strengthening your core muscles makes everything in your life easier, even sitting in a chair or standing in line. Pilates shouldn't hurt, but you will feel sore in muscles you did not even know existed! That's a good thing, because it means you're getting stronger. Pilates yields results very quickly. Again, take it easy at first and do what you can. There are a lot of things I still can't do after a year. I'm expecting that will get a lot better as my body fat decreases. In Pilates, doing the movements correctly is the most important thing, no matter how slowly you go. If you want to continue with Pilates and can't afford classes, I'd recommend a book by Brooke Siler called "The Pilates Body" (I believe). I'm not sure of the title but I'm sure of the author. I'm in the middle of moving and my book is packed away still. There is also a companion set of exercise cards and a CD that go with the book. I got the book and cards at Barnes and Noble. I have not found any Pilates DVDs that I've liked. All the ones I've tried have gone much too fast for someone who is trying to learn the exercises, even the "beginner" ones. Most importantly, enjoy your new activities! You'll feel so good afterwards. Best of luck, Cathe

Amy, I think you will LOVE water aerobics. The good thing about that is all of your body parts that will be jiggling will be under water and nobody will see them! AND...in mos****er aerobic classes I have ever gone to - 60% of the class were older women - 65+ and were just as sweet as can be. It is WONDERFUL exercise...I don't know why alot of younger women don't do it (guess they are the little skinny things that tool around in spandex and halter tops!). I have done water aerobics off and on for about 8 years. I plan to go back in the fall to Gold's Gym (I had to quit earlier because of the hours of the classes and my work schedule) but my work schedule has changed and I can accomodate the hours. I go to Lady's Workout Express (alot like Curves) and my membership is good through September - so after that I want to go back to Gold's Gym. I really think you will enjoy water aerobics and you feel so good after you finish. Our gym as a huge hot tub (accomodates about 25 people) and it is at the end of the pool, so it really makes you feel good to hit the hot tub after the water aerobics. Let us know how you like it - you have an ambitious week ahead of you, but YOU GO GIRL! Barbara

I do water aerobics at least 2 times a week. I love it. You can step the class up or slow it down to accomidate your progress. I normally do a high impac****er class for 1/2 an hour and a strength and toning class for 1 hour. The water resistance is really good for toning and strengthening your muscles. In my case I'm working on tryihng to keep the loose skin to a minimum. I wasn't crazy about pilates. My personality didn't work with it. I was bored because it wasn't as high paced as I was hoping for, but I know many people who love it and it relaxes them! SLM