Question:
Why do some people lose withput exercise of any kind!!!!
I have a problem today. I am frustrated because it seems my weight loss is slowing dramaticly. In two weeks I have lost very little. Also I keep going in and out of plateaus, geez! I know several people I know who do nothing and are losing as much or more than I am losing. I exercise 4 to 5 times a week and sometimes 6. I am just frustrated today I guess but I better results. — neneburge (posted on February 20, 2004)
February 19, 2004
It is totally unfair. I have worked my butt off since having surgery 10/02,
and stopped losing at 8 months out. I eat right and really work out nearly
every day. I work with two women who had surgery, (both are a few years
younger than me) don't exercise and eat junk, and are at goal or below!
Maybe I am fatter than them, but I hope I will be around longer!
— koogy
February 19, 2004
Anita, don't get discouraged. The surgery is designed for us to lose
weight whether we exercise or not..the difference is you are exercising
thus building muscle whichs weighs more than fat. Those people who are not
exercising and still loosing are probably losing muscle also. It will be
hard for them to recover from the muscle loss. Stay your course...you are
doing great. You have a good program and plateaus are inevitable no matter
what you do. This too will pass.
— Patty.W
February 19, 2004
I am one of those non-exercisers who has never experienced a true plateau.
Sorry. The important thing to consider is that the true benefit of
exercise isn't in that it will necessarily speed weight loss; rather, it is
an integral part of a healthy lifestyle, particularly given its ability to
stave off bone loss, improve cardiac functioning and generally confer upon
exercisers a feeling of well-being. [Although I don't exercise per se, I
do have a very active life except fo the bouts of time spent in front of
the computer.] Good luck.
— SteveColarossi
February 20, 2004
I'm sorry you're frustrated but if you could measure feeling good
physically, I'll bet you would come out way ahead of those who never
exercise. I'll bet your body fat count is much better too. Our bodies are
designed to move, move, move and I believe the more we move, the better our
bones and joints and organs will work. I know I have found that to be true
for me. I don't work out at a gym or take classes but I do use the walk
away the pounds tapes, I walk during my breaks at work, and I make sure I
move around a lot. Since I've always been a couch potato, this is a real
change for me but if I miss a couple of days of walking, I can feel the
stiffness in my lower body everytime I stand up. I symphathize with you and
am sorry you're frustrated but in the long run, all that exercise is going
to make you very healthy.
— SCbabe B.
February 20, 2004
I never did much in that department myself the first few months or so b/c
the more I tried working out the slower I lost or I would stop for weeks,
so I let the weight melt off first and then started working out at least 3
times a week and I did really good until this winter, now im lazy and my
skin is more droppy since I stopped, so of course I finally kicked myself
in the butt and started back up(3x's wk) and have still been the same
weight. Good luck!
— Sandy M.
February 20, 2004
Man, I am soooo hearing you on this!!! I am only 7 weeks post op and I
seemed to have stopped losing since I have started going to the gym every
day. I am tempted to not go at all next week and see if my weight loss
comes back. I really like going to the gym though and I miss it if I don't
go.... but I am very frustrated right now!!
— Chickadee B.
February 20, 2004
Anita - I'm right there with you. I've lost 130 pounds over 16 months, but
would like to lose another 40 or so. Since October, I've only lost about 4
pounds. I've been working out at the gym since July 5 days per week. I
think our metabolism is just messed up. I don't understand it. I follow the
pouch rules, I exercise and I'm still in the obese BMI range. People always
remind me how much healthier I am now, and that's TRUE! In my support group
though, I see that the people who never exercised are having a harder time
fighting regain, but they also didn't follow the rest of the rules of the
pouch either. I don't have an answer for you, but know that you are not
alone in your frustration.
— Yolanda J.
February 20, 2004
It might not seem like it now, but the years ahead will tell how your
exercising NOW is building the foundation for a healthy future. I know of
post-ops who didn't take the advice of the bariatric team seriously to make
exercise an important part of post-op life. And suffer for it now. Some
experience all kinds of serious malnutrition problems, and look unhealthy
too. They have no muscle mass whatsoever, and struggle to put on weight.
Would you rather be healthy and strong, or critically unhealthy looking?
Keep up the exercise, and get your nutrition in too. In the long run your
hard work will pay off. Let's be serious- how can we really think that
exercise is BAD for us?!?!?!!
— kultgirl
February 20, 2004
I am one who did no organized exercise, just busy work here 'n there. I do
some nutritional things that others don't agree with, but since I know
myself, and I'm not going to do much more, it's important to me to hold my
weight nutritionally stable. When I have worked out, it's always been
about muscle or bone mass. I enjowimming, but with Raynaud's (a circulatory
disorder that I've had since at least 10 yrs PRE-op), they just can't get a
pool warm enough for me. I still weigh around 110, 9.5 yrs postie
— vitalady
February 20, 2004
I know. Sometimes that irritates me too. But think of it this way.
Exercise is for a healthy life, not just for weight loss. Anyone who
doesn't exercise puts themselves at risk for heart disease, fat or thin.
Plus, I like to exercise now. Those people don't know what they're
missing.
— mrsmyranow
February 20, 2004
I think you're looking at this all wrong. The only way you'll be able to
keep exercise in your life, in the long run, is to clearly appreciate the
benefits it provides to *you* (not somebody else). Otherwise, yes, it
would be frustrating and aggravating, etc. to exercise and not see
"payback" from the scale. You gotta love it regardless whether
the scale does.<P>Maybe you're exercising too much. I used to
exercise 4-5x a week, now it's 3-4x, because I do much, much better when I
take a day off between workouts. Once I realized that ... by concentrating
on how the exercise made me feel, instead of pasting my nose to the dial of
my scale, I felt better.<P>You'll also notice that you've built
muscle, the longer you keep doing it. That's no small bennie (and it helps
your metabolism hum along better than it would without exercise). We have
a hard time seeing much beyond what we have left to lose, or "hanging
skin," to appreciate the muscle at first. Eventually, you will,
though.<P>Finally, there are people out there who work out like
maniacs, eat next to nothing, and lose less than you have despite it all.
We're all different. I don't know why some folks lose to goal and beyond
without exercise, but it's really kind of irrelevant, since you can't go
out and buy their bodies/metabolisms and wear 'em instead of your own. You
gotta figure out what works for *you*, what *you* can live with doing in
terms of effort, and go from there.
— Suzy C.
February 20, 2004
I am one of those lucky ones who have lost 98 pounds without a stitch of
exercise. The weight loss has slowed down and I am going to have to begin
an exercise routine. Hang in there! Keep up the great work!
— Terri G.
February 20, 2004
I tell all new post-ops this-if you take two people of the exact height,age
and weight and give them this surgery and they eat the exact same things
every day, they will still lose differently. We are all different and to
compare yourself to those who do not experience plateaus (yeah, I hate them
too!), or those who lose without exercising or even those who lose a
gazillion pounds in a month and eat junk food non-stop, is useless. It
doesn't take away from your achievements. During the first 6 months to a
year of this surgery, most will drop dramatically without exercise due to
the small amount of calories taken in. After that though, they will have a
hard time maintaining that loss unless they either continue to eat less
(and most of us eat more the further out we get)or exercise to burn those
calories taken in. I tell you, I work out 3-4 times a week because I have
to. Yea,yeah, I know its good for my heart,stamina,lungs,muscle,
metabolism and bones, but frankly I have NEVER enjoyed it. Sorry gym
rats...however, I do it because I LOVE to eat and it is truly the only way
I can have all my food and maintain my weight loss.
— Cindy R.
February 20, 2004
I think it depends on what excercise you are talking about. When people
say they don't ever excercise I find that hard to believe. I don't do
workouts but I do walk ... a lot... I clean the house, I climb stairs all
day doing laundry.... and so on. I don't like the gym but I like the
outdoors and going shopping in the mall. People brag that they don't
excercise I say good for you, but I want to keep doing what I'm doing I , I
LOVE to walk.... THANK GOD I can again. P.S. I'm a slow loser( hey it
took me many years to gain the weight, so why rush it now) But I have no
sagging skin . I want a tummy tuck only cause I want a flat stomach but
that can wait til I have the money.
I'm 2 years and 2 mos post...310 down to 165 and still losing. These years
went by so fast. Keep doing what you doing you'll be glad you did....
Take care.
— Rebe W.
February 21, 2004
I am 8 months out and have lost 110 pounds,I truly haven't exercised
once.I have fibromyalgia and it is painful to do so.However,I know that
exercise is important,seperate from the weightloss.So I have recently
started to rollerblade.
— jennifer A.
February 22, 2004
Some people are just lucky. I wasn't one of them either. However, in the
end, if you exercise, you look (and are) more toned. So this will make you
appear thinner and a LOT less jiggily!!
— Patty H.
February 23, 2004
remember muscle weighs more than fat. Since you are excersizing so much
your probably biulding muscle.
— Alvin H.
February 23, 2004
Common misconception.........I couldn't resist replying. Muscle does not
weigh more than fat........it is just more dense therefore it takes less
room. For example a pound of lettuce and a pound of chicken weigh the same
thing but the chicken looks like it weighs much less. So, you are probably
losing fat but since you are building MORE muscles, you may not show a loss
on the scales, but you should see a loss in inches for sure and you will
definitely be healthier!
— SCbabe B.
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