please help

 hello oh, i am am 2mos 2days post op i had rny. i was 311 before surgery the day of surgery i was 302lbs by the time i left the hospital 2 days later i was 309 and today im 264.5lbs. my energy levels has picked up but i know im my exercising the way i should i haven't been going to the gym, but i have been walking . on the days i work 12hr shift i can walk 11,000 to 16,000 steps but im struggling to go to the gym because i dont drive and when i get off in mornings i just wanna go home. when i try to workout my joints ache and i give up after about 10-20 mins, i really want to be more active will this get better over time or am i just failing. can anyone please help me 

Sounds like you need to find a type of exercise that doesn't involve going to the gym. There is walking at lunch time, riding a bike on the weekends (or to work if that's practical) and a host of other choices.

You also may find you do better if you go on the way to work instead of after or in the middle of the day.

Maybe some workout videos for home that you can do on your time - there are so many to choose from - kickboxing, walking, yogo, dance, etc.

 i tried zumba but got tired after 10 minutes and quit cause my legs hurt  and did my ellipical for 10 minutes

10 minutes is great! (i got tired looking at the ad for zumba!) When I started exercising, I could barely walk 2.0 mph on the treadmil for 10 minutes, but I just kept on going. After 10 months, I've made a lot of progress (I haven't had surgery yet) and can walk a couple miles, uphill. Just keep going and you'll be able to do more.

i work 7pm 7am and i take a nap before work so i wont fall asleep while at work and i work 4days a week so either way i would have to go after work because i wouldn't get enough rest before work if i have to wake up earlier to go to the gym and i don;t have a car so catching to buses to gym and back home and then to work adds 4hrs of traveling it will b a lot easier once i get a car

If you only did 10 minutes of Zumba or the elliptical that's OK don't let that discourage you.  When I first started walking I could do maybe 20 minutes...or now that I'm trying to run a mile.  I can only run 3-4 minutes before needing to slow down to walk.  It's all about baby steps.  So ten minutes... then in a week or two add five more minutes.  Before you know it you are doing a half hour or more.  A lot of people start exercising and when they can't do as well as they expected or hoped they give up.  I'm so glad I stuck to it. 

You mentioned leg pain.  When I first started to jog I started feel pain in my knees.  My doctor suggested that I build up my leg muscles (specifically your hamstrings and quadricepts).  Strong legs muscles prevent injury and pain.  I work on my leg muscles 3 days a week and I no longer feel any pain.  You also need a good pair gym shoes...and these will need to be replaced every 6-8 months depending on how many miles you walk and how heavy you are. 

Good luck and don't give up!!!

 

I agree with the previous poster.  I started out soooo out of shape that I could hardly do anything.  It's amazing how quickly our bodies respond though.  I'm already able to do much much more and I just had my surgery around the same time as you.  I believe that the key is consistency.  Try to do a little exercise on most days of the week and just add a minute or so every few days.  Think of the gals on Biggest Loser.  Look how quickly they progress.  When I'm exercising (and it hurts or feels really hard) I think of them.  If they can do it at 200+, 300+, 400+ pounds, I can do it! 

Honestly dont worry about the leg pain and joint aches, they are temporary. Just keep pushing and i promise you it will get easier.Ssoon you will be doing 20mins of cardio easily. Those pains  that you feel are adjustment pains. Your body is not use to that type of activity, but the body is a beautiful thing because it adapts to routine. Dont get depressed just keep trying your best.

I'm not a banded yet, because i cant seem to find a surgeon that accpets my insurance in NYC, but i hope to be apart of the losers league soon :)

You have the full support of the board on this.
Gd luck

thanks everyone for your advice and support ,since i posted this i have been working 4-6 days a week so still haven't made it to the gym but i work or a surgery floor, which we get  alot of gastric bypass patients, and we always encourage them to walk 8X around the unit is a mile, so i took our advice and i walk maybe 3-4 miles by the end of my 12hr shift i just hope its enough