So I finally got back to the gym/pool today (NSV)

It's been a long hiatus for a number of reasons. I joined a local gym with a pool just after surgery because with my auto-immune arthritis, the pool is the best way for me to get active when I haven't in a long time. I did pretty good until health issues popped up in December and I hadn't been since.

Anyway, finally got off my duff today at lunch and went to do laps in the pool (walking/swimming) and managed a good 20 minutes of good heart rate elevating work. That felt good. It had already felt good to have to order a new workout swimsuit 8 sizes smaller than the last one I used.

But what was completely unexpected was that my towel after my shower wrapped more than 1-1/2 times around me. I use beach towels because before that's what it took just to wrap once around with enough extra to tuck well. Now that same beach towel wraps almost twice around!!

I also did my initial consult today with my registered dietician from Good Measures. We won't get into the changes my diet needs until next week after I've logged more, but I really liked her and she was knowlegeable about WLS (VSG/RNY/Band at least, not sure if they get a lot of DS'rs) and modified my goals to reflect the increased protein intake I need for post-WLS as well as getting back to the gym and hopefully getting some more muscle built up.

So I had a really good day today. :)

Great Job

AntiChick, those are some awesome wins. So glad you're doing so well. Congrats to you. :)

I AM A SWIMMER TOO!!

How cool is this! And you had surgery 1 day before me-are we twinning!!?

I have not gotten back in the pool yet. When I went out I was doing a couple miles....sure it will take baby steps to get me back to that-

Good luck to you, to US!

T.

OOPPSS... 1 year and 1 day from me.

I haven't swum seriously since high school. If we'd had a swim team where I grew up, I'd have wanted to try out... I LOVED being in the water. My dad even dug us a pool when he built their house because I loved swimming so much. But once I moved out, my options for swimming dropped to few and far between.

Though funny story - I grew up in Alaska until the age of 8. Not a lot of swimming up there. ;) Then moved to Hawaii, where I found I couldn't keep water out of my nose, and failed beginning swimming 3 times in the 2 years we were there. Stopped for an extended visit with an old family friend on the move to Texas, she'd been a Water Safety Instructor for multiple decades. She took me out every day for the week we were there to her community pool. The next summer here in Texas, I got moved past Beginner and Advanced Swimmer directly into Intermediate (I think that's the progression...). Loved it ever since.

Back in 2008 when I had my knee reconstructed, I wasn't getting my range of motion back the way I was supposed to. They were threatening another surgery to free up the joint if I didn't do something. I finally got cleared to get in the pool, and got permission to go to the city indoor pool during the senior citizens' time. I got a water jogging belt and started deep water jogging, and within 2 weeks I had progressed enough range that I avoided the 2nd surgery.

Now that I have pretty systemic arthritis, it's the absolute best way for me to get moving again, since it reduces the load on every joint, and the cool water helps keep the swelling down while moving.

Right now my cardio level won't let me do any type of crawl, I get too winded too fast. And since I had this long break away from exercise, my muscles don't have the stamina anymore either. So I mainly walk back and forth in the lane, maybe use a board and kick a few laps until my legs get wobbly... but I'm building it back up a little at a time.