Questions

Ok I have a couple of questions  1) I have been exercising several times a day..7 days a week, and alternating cardio and strength and stretches on a daily basis, I am watching what I eat in terms on portion control and calories, however with all this the scale isn't budging, I haven' gained, I haven't lost!  I am happy I haven't gained, but what is up with not losing.  I was hoping to have lost at least a couple more pounds before going back to see my Weight loss Surgeon Thursday.  I have maintained the weight I have lost over the past i guess 8 months, However, I have only started my exercising back over the past 3 weeks or so.  So what is going on with the scale not budging???? 2)  I don't belong to a gym, and the only weights I have are the hand held 5 pound weights, is this enough to challenge my arms over a long term basis? Any suggestions or comments are welcomed Thank you JudyB

You could just be done losing weight, but that is no reason to stop excercising. I can't tell you how many people come to our support group who after 2 or 3 years are starting to gain, because they never started to excercise. (I know you didn't say anything about quitting, I am just encouraging you to keep on keeping on.)

Hi Chunky Thank you for replying I won't let my body stop losing right now!!! Ijust am not ready to let that happen yet.  And I just won't give into the fact of regaining any...I am not willing to let that happen either.  I am religiously exercising and will continue to do so   Thank you for encouraging me to keep going, i certainly can use the encouragement.   hugs JudyB

Hi Judy, Based on what I have read and seen here on the message boards, you may need to give your body a day of rest once a week.  It helps it to catch up and process the changes that you've caused all week by faithfully exercising.   Also, are you meeting your calorie requirements for the amount of exercising you are doing?  If you get too few calories, you have to deal with the "survival mode" thing wherein it won't let go of any fat. Make sure you're getting in all of your liquid requirements, too.  You have to drink more than 64 oz. if you do a lot of sweaty workouts! As for the weights, if you find that you're having to do a lot of reps to feel any burn, you need to move up to a heavier weight.  You sound very dedicated to your fitness program!  I admire that so much.  It's hard for me. God bless, Steph

Hi Stephanie Here is the thing...I am addicted to exercising.  I do think about resting a day a week , but just sure as I am sitting resting, I feel guilty, so up off the recliner I get and my body goes into motion!  And before you know it I am sweating!!  I do think I am getting enough calories, however, I don't thinkI am drinking enough water.  I am going to buy some 10 pound handheld weights in a couple of weeks to boost my strengthening exercises on my upper body.  You are right I am very dedicated to my fitness program and in fact now more than ever!  I believe it is very important not only for our physical health but our emotional health as well.  Good luck to you in becoming motivated.  If I can help in any way..please let me know.   hugs JudyB

Hi again, Judy, You are pretty blessed to have an addiction to exercising instead of our old one, to food!   I want that one!  I actually was getting there...I went for two months, I guess it was, exercising at least four times a week.  That's big for me, believe me!  I loved it.  I felt better, my weight started dropping again, my muscles were tightening up, etc. I was jogging, doing step aerobics, etc.  Then allergy season hit, and my asthma started making it impossible to breathe without pain in all my chest and upper back muscles all the time.  It hurt so much.  This was with medication, unfortunately! It has gotten somewhat better, and I think I'm safe to exercise again, though maybe not some of the jogging I was doing.  Trouble is, when I think about doing it, I am easily persuaded NOT to do it.  All the reasons I have for not doing it that day immediately pop into my head, like a)the kids and my husband are already awake, and I hate exercising in front of them (with my Leslie Sansone dvds, which I really like) or b) I hate doing my treadmill! or c)my hip hurts again, or whatever.  I'm so rotten, I know.  Well, I hope that you find what works for you.  Maybe you could do one day of yoga or pilates with no cardio to give your body the "catching up " time it needs.  I know that when I WAS exercising faithfully, I would have a loss on the scale after my day OFF.  It was definitely a noticeable pattern. Then at least you wouldn't feel guilty, you'd be building flexibility and strength in your core, which we women need as we get older.   I have a hard time getting in enough water, usually, but I recently found Propel Calcium fitness water, and I love it, so I'm getting in plenty now.  It's great and contains calcium citrate, which is the kind we need. I hope you're having a nice evening, and thanks for the "chat!" Steph 

hiya Steph I am so sorry to hear that the asthma condition prevented you from continuing your exercise.  It is so unfortunate when we have life cir****tances that cause us to alter our day to day activities. (((((hugs))))   I do know what you mean when you say that reasons pop into your head to not exercise.  Lord knows I get those reasons, like I suffer from migraines alot and any amount of a pain twinge in my head I'm like okay I can't exercise today, but then i immediately start changing my thinking.  My mother used to call it my stinking thinkin....LOL..she had her way with me. I miss her so much!  Anyway I am getting off topic here.  I find that  Icould easily give into not exercising due to my degenerative disc disease in my spine but i also find that if I don't exercise, I can't function either.  I sure hope that things get better for you and that maybe you can find a "good place" where you can start slow again and just move a little.  With myself, i am worried about getting bored sooner or later.  I think I will try what you suggested with the yoga or pilates on an "off" day to change pace a little bit and let my body catch up a bit.  Thank you for the suggestions. And hope to chat again with you soon.

Good evening, Judy, I'm glad we had this discussion; I'm really going to try to haul myself up out from under the covers in the morning and get some exercise.  Even fifteen or twenty minutes would be an improvement over nothing!   Thanks for the hugs; I hate having asthma, but I know people who have it much worse, so I count my blessings.  I hope your disc disease is not too painful, and that exercising helps keep it from progressing.  I have migraines, too; they are the pits, but I have fewer since WLS, for whatever reason.  I am thankful! If you don't already have a yoga or pilates dvd, Leslie Sansone's are a good starting place. She doesn't get all mystical/spiritual on them, she strictly teaches the exercise as a way to maintain or improve flexibility, strength, and balance.  I can tell a big difference in my body when I do them.  Maybe that's where I'll start tomorrow, as I really enjoy each of them.   Have a good night, and thanks so much for the encouragement!  I needed it. Steph 

Hey Steph I love Leslie Sansone...I was doing some of her in home walking on our on demand.  I was thinking that maybe if you could get one of those masks and wear it out when you are going for a walk outside that that would help with the allergies and maybe it would prevent your asthma from acting up so bad.  I love your attitude toward your asthma..however, i am sure it feels pretty bad when it flares up.  My mom suffered from asthma and copd ..in turn had a stroke and died this past november.  I am going to try to do some yoga today and then this evening take a paced walk.  Nothing too strenous, but still get some movement in but allow my body time to adjust a little. Good luck with your workout today, whatever you choose to do..even if its say 10 minutes maybe twice a day for a while...thats a great start!  Take it easy on yourself and be proud of yourself for just moving your body!   hugs

Good morning, Judy, I love Leslie's walking, too.  She has been great for me, as her stuff doesn't take a degree in modern dance to succeed with, as some I've tried seem to!   So sorry about your mom; it hurts to lose our moms, so so much.  I'm sure it has been a hard few months without her being in your life; my mom passed away in 2003, and I remember that early pain so well.  She was only 62, but had had diabetes for twenty years or so, plus rheumatoid arthritis, and high blood pressure.  Dad woke up one morning and found that she had gotten up early in the morning and had a heart attack and died before he woke up.  It was very traumatic, and definitely unexpected.  Losing her has been a huge catalyst for my having weight loss surgery, and supposedly for exercising, though the past three weeks, you couldn't tell it!  That's going to change, though.... I did a workout today!  I did haul myself up out from under the covers, and I did a Leslie two-mile walk with my Walk Blaster (that step thing she has.)   I do enjoy it, it's just making myself get back to it that has been hard.  So today was day one, and I pray that each day I'll find the strength to do it again.  My asthma was fine, by the way.  I needed to use my inhaler before I started, but it got me through it well. I like your plan for the day; yoga is so relaxing, and a gentle walk will benefit you while allowing everything to "catch its breath," so to speak.  I hope you enjoy it! Have a lovely day! Steph