Support after Mexico

Oh, I most definitely have an exercise regimen.

First and foremost, before I launch into my rant about exercise, let's talk big picture. You must MUST must be a model patient. Follow the doctor's orders. You see the vets on here say it time and time again, but it's true. You must meet your protein needs, you must stay hydrated, you must follow the pre- and post-op diets suggested by your surgeons, you must take the recommended vitamins and supplements to make sure you don't get deficient in anything, etc. WLS is no joke. You are going to have to put some serious mental and physical effort into this journey. And it'll suck at times (especially newly post-op). I know I sound pretty intense, but the truth of the matter is that it's what you're signing up for when you decide to have WLS. And, like it's said on these forums over and over, the WLS is just a tool. Your success is determined by what you put into it. Honestly, I'm only about 15 months post-op and I'm at the point now where if I wanted to, I could drink chocolate milkshakes for every meal. My stomach can now tolerate enough variety of foods and quantity that if I am not diligent, I will start gaining again. That's why so many people fail, they don't continue to keep themselves in check when they are 1, 2, 3 years post-op. Etc. I am EXTREMELY aware of this and determined not to fall into that trap. Thus, I continue to see my nutritionist, I stay on top of getting regular blood work, I exercise 5 days a week minimum. But...it's all worth it because I feel amazing! Getting 60% of my stomach removed was the best thing I ever did. 

Okay, now that that rant is over, about the exercise.

As soon as my surgery incisions were healed, I started taking water aerobics at the Y. Yes, water aerobics. With the grannies. (I'm 31...so I was by far the youngest in the class.) But you know what, it helped...and I loved it. It felt great to be in the water, and honestly that newly post-op you are at such a low calorie intake that anything more intense probably would've made me keel over. Not to mention that I was still super heavy and water aerobics was much easier on my joints. The weightlessness of water exercise is very good. Once I lost enough weight and built more strength, I started taking other classes. Zumba, then some sets & reps classes. And now I've progressed to kickboxing, tabata, and high intensity interval training (HIIT) classes. I also run every once in a while. Like, 3-5 miles...I'm no marathoner. I must point out, though, it didn't happen all over night. I slowly but surely lost weight, ate right, and just kept showing up to classes and trying new things. You can't have an ego about it. You cannot care if you look stupid or whatever. So what if you look flabby in your swim suit. Who gives a turd. You must realize that you are exercising just for you and to make yourself feel better. It's a great stress reliever anyway, so it improves my mood. Bonus!  I highly recommend finding a gym that offers classes. This is because workout buddies can be flaky and if they cancel on you, then you are less likely to go. Personal trainers are expensive. But if you join the local Y, or find any other gym that has a diverse fitness class schedule, you have a lot of options available to you. I myself try other classes every so often. If I find something new I like, I start going to that. I'm thinking of trying pilates and the spin classes. I take yoga every so often. Variety helps. And the thing about fitness classes is that you just show up and the instructor is going to tell you what to do. All you have to do is get your butt to class, even if you're dragging. And trust me, you never regret a workout! Oh, and I really think that a combination of cardio and weight bearing exercise is important. So try to mix it up. The weight exercises will really help with toning up.

Well, I've probably rambled on far longer than necessary...perhaps you're not even reading anymore. Haha. But I hope you found this helpful, and possibly humorous. Keep us all posted on what you end up doing!

Lol, no no no I read every word.  A lot of which I had already been thinking anyway in terms of combining exercise with diet.  Some things I hadn't considered were water aerobics and the possibility of not getting sore from that, NICE!  I also hadn't planned on needing a nutritionist because I thought with VSG you weren't restricted from malabsorption so I thought it was unlikely to have any deficiencies.  I agree with being a model patient, and that WLS is only a part of it and that in the end it may be a small part of it waaaaay down the road.  I also gave up alcohol I think for me that is a big trigger to get drunk and go benge eat.  

I don't think you must have a nutritionist, but mine has been especially helpful to me. So find out what works best for you. And regarding deficiencies and such, it's most important to take all your recommended vitamins and supplements when you're newly post-op. This is simply because at that point you are consuming so few calories that it's hard to get all the vitamins/nutrients you need just from the food/puree/clear liquids that you take in. As if you don't feel tired enough because a.) your body just underwent major surgery, and b.) you're consuming like 500 calories a day...but if you get deficient...woo, that'll make you feel even worse! It's not as big a deal the further out you get from surgery. As you mentioned, sleevers don't have the malabsorption issues as RNY people, but I still think a good multivitamin is worthwhile. Good for you for giving up the alcohol because you recognize it as a trigger. Definitely a lot of empty calories!