Question:
What level of exercise is good- so as not to have to exercise to lose weight?

I am 13 weeks out of lap RNY and have lost 76 pounds. I am doing weight training 3 half hours a week and either walk in the park or on a treadmill for 30 minutes another half hour. My concern is I do not want to exercise so much that if I do not exercise for a day or 2 I will stop losing weight. Would greatly appreciate feedback-TY!    — eem211 (posted on July 29, 2009)

July 29, 2009
i just got home from hospital today and having a pool installed this week to do some water arobics maybe 3 times a week.i heard they are great and fun at the same time.i have a friend that all she does is water arobics and she has lost just fine..best of luck!
   — carolyn1970

July 30, 2009
The fact that you are doing toning and aerobic exercise is great. As you build muscle from the exercise it will continually help you to burn fat. So even if you miss a day or two you will still burn some calories. Not as much of course as if you were working out but you will still burn. My doctor recommended working out 150 to 300 mins a week for best weight loss. I was doing around 200 mins and then I ran into some back pain issues and have had to cut back and work out when I can. I am still losing weight but not as much as when I was working out more. I have also found that I will platue or stop losing for a day or so and sometime even go up a pound or two but as I watch what I eat and make an effort to increase my activity and make sure I'm getting enough fluids to flush things out I start losing again. I am 4 months out and I had VSG but I've heard others tell of similar situations with RNY. I hope you have great success.
   — Lisa von Wallmenich

July 30, 2009
Hi Eve... the notebook my surgeon gave us prior to surgery has sections to cover everything you'd ever want to ask. The section on exercise advises us to do Cardio Training (biking, walking, jogging, swimming, rowing, elliptical, etc.) 4 - 6 days per week for AT LEAST 30 minutes, and preferably 60 minutes. He allows one day off to prevent muscular skeletal injuries. I do 1 mile on the treadmill in 24 minutes (that's a rate of 2.5 miles per hour, and it gets my average heart rate up to about 112-115) - or I walk around the lake in the park near my house, which is a little more than one mile...then I get on the stationary bike and pedal at about 10.5 miles per hour for 30 minutes and get my average heart rate up to about 130. Finally, I get on the elliptical, which I can only stand for about 12 minutes max. That makes a total of over one hour doing cardiovascular training, bringing my target heart rate up to his desired level. His recommendations for "strength" or "resistance" training is 2 - 3 times per week, leaving at least 24 hours between sessions in order for your body to relax and recover. I try to exercise most days of the week, but for instance, last week, my partner and I were so busy helping a friend with some legal problems that I only got to exercise twice. I still lost weight (I am almost 5 months out)... but I tend to lose a pound here and a pound there, then gain one back... I don't know what the problem is. I'm keeping my carbs below 50, my fats below 35 (usually below 25), and my protein between 80 - 100 grams. Only 5 or 6 more pounds, and I'll have lost 100...but it feels like it's coming off so slow. That's why I exercise every time I get a chance, because I feel like you - if I don't, the weight won't come off.
   — Erica Alikchihoo