exercise

I think keep on exercising if it makes you feel good.

Make it your time. It helps with the mind and spirit to exercise I think.

When I exercise I know I feel better mentally. I follow what I am supposed to eat.

I will start by saying that I have a strong opinion about exercise. It may not be needed for weight loss, but I truly believe that it is needed to get a strong, healthy body. When I decided to have WLS, I couldn't walk for 5 minutes, my blood sugar and asthma were out of control. I started walking the day of surgery for 5 minutes at a time, very slow. I would walk a few times a day. I kept at it and worked my way up in time and speed over the next few months. Now I can walk and hike for more than 2 hours without getting out of breath. I swim for an hour most days. My blood sugars are on the low side, and I have more than doubled my lung capacity and am off all of my meds for diabetes, high blood pressure and asthma. While I have lose skin, I have muscle under it.

Exercise has also helped me to feel stronger in my body and to get in touch with this new look. And most of all, exercise has helped to keep me sane. That hour or so is ME time. It is time to focus on me and my body. It is time that no one else interrupts. I love that hour and find that if I skip it that the rest of my day doesn't go as well.

I hope that you keep with the exercise, because it does more than burn calories.

Exercise is fantastic and everyone should be doing it. :) While it plays a very small role in weight loss, it will help you maintain muscle as you lose weight, which is important. Exercise, especially as we age, also helps slow physical and cognitive decline.

Definitely stick with it - your body and brain will thank you.

My exercise experience:

I started walking as soon as I got home from the hospital and did that exclusively for the first 6 weeks as per doctor's orders. I started just going up and down my street, so I was never too far from home. I worked up to walking an hour a day. After I'd lost about 60 pounds, I felt the urge to try running, so I did. I started with really, really slooooow intervals, but I ran. I kept running. I did my first half marathon in March! Woo! (Running also involves stretching - I have a great post-run yoga routine that I use for this.)

About the same time that I started running, I also started fitness classes. I joined my local community college's group exercise program and pretty much tried everything that seemed remotely interesting. I forced myself to give each new thing 4 tries before giving up, just to get over the "I feel stupid and uncoordinated" phase. I found I love tai chi, yoga, and pilates, so I kept doing those. I still enjoy trying new fitness classes when they're offered.

I also go through periods of weight lifting, but it's the thing I like least so when time becomes more limited, it's the first thing I drop.

And now... I really miss exercise because I've been recovering from one reconstructive surgery or another since June. I can't wait to start up again. Hopefully in January I'll be recovered enough!

Multiple studies have scientifically proven in the long run exercise is not going to make you lose weight, ultimately it's about what you put in your mouth.

An active lifestyle Is part of a healthy life. My surgeon makes you agree to 30 minutes of activity daily. In the beginning that meant turning on the timer and dancing in my kitchen.

This is about healthy not just skinny. Just like our food it is about figuring out what is sustainable long term.

I did increase in activity, with some exercise morning, afternoon and isometrics at night... all brief sessions stared with 20 min total /day.. added as i was able. Exercise does help keep my weight loss going, and as I get older am less able to do standard exercise regimines.

I concentrate on parking further out, making an extra walk to the mailbox, walking the dog an extra time. Little things on a irregular basis, so I don't get stuck at one activity and one metabolism..

Do what makes you feel best and loose what you need to, generally very heavy exercise does not aid weight loss directly..., but builds muscle...which can lead to higher metabolism and weight loss. ...later.

The bulk of my exercise comes from walking. I had a gym membership for a few years, but shortly after WLS when I'd started back there, my best friend keeled over on one of the machines and he didn't make it after hours of effort.

I tried to return but the 2 or 3 times I went, I left feeling worse than when I went in. I just couldn't find my way in there. I'm thinking that I'll try again with another membership, maybe a different gym, but for now I'm walking 11-16 km per day, plus a bit of cycling (which has tailed off with the ice/snow coming on). I agree though that it's not going to cause weight loss as much as the food choices, and it certainly does improve overall health, physically and mentally. It's good for you despite the scale, not because of it. It gives me a bit of me-time as well, and I often get lost in thought.

I am looking forward to weights again though.

Below is a copy and paste from DX...very knowledgeable man. It might help. He had said after WLS it is like decending stairs...

Still staying on-track calorie-wise? And the scale shows you stopping? Or Even Gaining?!?!?--Re-Post Unsolicited advice/info... -------------------------------------- Pull back from your 'daily' charting, and look at a weekly or even monthly. There are up and down spikes each day, But if you 'graph' the highest to the lowest, I'd bet there is still A downward slope over the course of the month. There's an 8 to 10lb. volume of "wiggle room" due to water alone. And it comes into play a lot. This has to do with our bodies using glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, But it is stored in our muscles for quick energy - One pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs of water to keep it soluble, And the average glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs. So, when you are not getting in enough food, (Like when you drop down to your calorie intake) Your body turns first to stored glycogen, Which is easy to break down for energy. And when you use up 2 lbs of glycogen, You also lose 8 lbs of water that was used to store it Voila -- the "easy" 10 lbs that most people lose in the first week of any diet. As you stay in caloric deficit, however, Your body starts to 'realize' that this is not a short term problem. You start mobilizing fat from your adipose tissue And burning fat for energy. But your body also 'realizes'---- (by way of your liver releasing hormones signaling low Cal intake) ---That fat can't be used for short bursts of energy - Like, to outrun a saber-tooth tiger. So, it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, And rebuilding the glycogen stores. And as it puts back the 2 lbs of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though you might still be LOSING energy content to your body, (Thus showing negative Calorie load overall) Your weight will not go down or you might even GAIN for a while As you retain water to dissolve the glycogen that is being reformed and stored. Yes? The whole 'weight-loss' process is not a straight "Slide" down the scale. More like "Stair-Steps," (Down then forward, then down, then forward, etc... As your body cycles fat out of "deep storage" and through the Liver Into the muscles as Glycogen. The muscles and Liver can hold about a 3 weeks supply. This is why many people find that their "Stall" or "Plateau" Breaks when adding a bit of exercise And upping their water intake, or in the case of an "extreme exerciser," The total Calorie or Protein Intake, To signal the liver to let go of more Glycogen. Fear not, many people who are now enjoying life at a normal BMI Once had a few weeks or so of thinking- "...my weight loss has been awfully slow, has it stopped..."? Hope this helps some. You are doing Great! Keep it Up! Best Wishes- Dx

As many others have stated, exercise has never had any impact on my weight (I recognized that years ago when doing weigh****chers and realizing that I couldn't add points when I exercised). BUT, it makes you feel good, it helps you gain health and it makes you feel good about yourself. And when those things happen, it is easier to to stick to a healthy eating regimen. IMHO.

exercise is great for overall health. It is not necessary for weight loss. I have lost 122# and maintained the loss for 8 years with no exercise.

Weight gain, loss and maintenance is about what and how much you put in your mouth,imho.

I probably wouldn't want to work out if I had a cold and a cough anyway. It seems to make things worse.