Do I have to exercise for the rest of my life!!!!

Ok. I must admit  that I have never been the exercising type. And honestly, I am having difficulty incorporating a routine exercise program in my daily life. I know that exercise is the key to weight loss, but if I had the drive to exercise on a regular base, I wouldn't have needed the lapband in the first place. I have read numerous posts from those who have implemented strenuous exercise regimes and many have even hired personal trainers. I have had my band for 2 months and I haven't developed the exercise drive yet. What is it that causes those to start exercising like crazy after the band?? I really want to know how to motivate myself. And is it realistic to say that I will exercise for the rest of my life in order to keep the weight off. Dilemmas.....dilemmas.

I just couldn't get the motivation much in my first year so I was not a very fast loser, but once I had about 60lbs off wow was it easier. I think that the answerto your question is yes you will have to exercise the rest of your life but once you start losing, and your body hurts less, and your energy increases you'll find more motivation.

 I don't know if I even WANTED to start exercising, but once I didn't feel like death warmed over anymore, I ENJOYED being ABLE to exercise. I just simply joined Curves - a nice, easy but thorough workout - and found that being able to move without feeling horrid was (wait for it) kind of fun. 

This was my thought exactly. I was never unable to exercise, I just didn't... but now that I have really gotten into it, I enjoy feeling really ABLE. I can walk 7 miles and sweat... and it feels good! I used to stop exercising when I started sweating... which was about after 5 minutes! 

I just said last night that my butt muscles felt weak because I had to take a (doctor imposed!) hiatus from working out and I hate it!  I NEVER thought I'd say such a thing... blasphemy. 

That makes a lot of sense. The heavier you are, the harder it is to exercise. I believe that when the weight comes off...the easier it will be to exercise. I can't wait !!!

Because I'm a X File...

I'm heavy right now, but I can workout for hours at a time. I'm more fit now... even in spite of being heavier than when I had my band.   I couldn't work out when I had my band due to the chronic pain issues. I think that's why I don't complain about exercising now... I COULDN'T do it a few years ago.


What kinds of things do you like to do? If you like swimming, dancing, hiking, etc. it sure makes it easier to stick to it than just plodding along on a treadmill, bored outta your gourd! 

I've only been banded for almost 5 years - so it is always possible that I might get the urge to exercise. Hasn't happened yet, but who knows what the future holds!

Kate

Hi Kate - wow, another "non-exercise" afficionado - I HATE it always have always will - my parents never had me involved in sports of any kind and I was FAT since the age of 5 (now 47) - don't know if that has anything to do with it, or the depression that makes me just too tired to sometimes get out of bed, which I do, because I have to work.  I have SO much flab (before at my heaviest and now) that honestly, I don't believe it would cure my bat wings or thunder thighs, etc...benefits, yes it has that...but I haven't reached that milestone yet - I am still losing but probably could lose more/faster &/or EAT more (yum) if I did some daily exercise...am hoping tomorrow is a good day for me (will see how things go) and my life will be on an even more upward battle and maybe I will feel better and start to walk every day or use my mini trampoline with ifit on the t.v. or....

I really don't have the urge to exercise, and I have lost all my weight by not doing anything on a regular basis. I will do 5K races every once in awhile, but nothing really other than that.

I didn't do any exercise the first year and I was doing a miserable job at losing weight.  So I decided to try to incorporate exercise into my daily routine.  I have friends that come with me every day...which helps.  I guess at first I wanted to see if it would make much difference.  Again I was not a band success I hadn't lost any significant weight in months.  I started to exercise and I lost 16 lbs in one month.  The next month I lost 13....and so on.  The weight loss was enough to make me go every day and work harder.  All of the sudden my fantasy weight goals didn't seem like such a fantasy anymore.  I now have goals that at 354 lbs didn't seem possible.  I am hoping to run in a 5k in the Summer.  That is more than enough motivation for me.  Not to mention I have more energy and I feel great!!!  

I know it can be hard to fit exercise into your daily routine but it can be done.  Now granted I don't have any little kids (mine are grown) but I do work from 6am-5pm (sometimes later) and then I go to the gym which is in the same building I work in.  I workout from about 5pm- 6:30pm.  I get home at 7pm.  Are there times when I don't feel like working out...sure...especially after working 11+ hours or when there's 10 inches of snow outside or someone invites me to the movies.  I just ALWAYS workout!!!  Six days a week.  I have lost 140 lbs so far!!!  I know for fact that I couldn't have done it without working out.