Question:
HOW MUCH EXERCISE IS NEEDED TO KEEP LOSING WEIGHT

I USE TO WALK 3 MILES BUT HAVE NOT BEEN FOR AWHILE HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS TO KEEP LOSING WEIGHT? WILL I STILL LOSE WITHOUT WALKING?    — amy G. (posted on June 20, 2004)

June 20, 2004
Well some are just plain lucky and can loose it all and occasionally some end up under goal who never exercised or were diet compliant. Now I lost it all but started regaining. Adding lots of exercise and watching carefully exactly what I am eating I lost the excess pounds again. I didnt risk my life on the OR table to have surgery work then ignore what I was informed of in advance is necessary for success. 3 vigirous exercise sessions a week for about a hour where I cant sing but am able to talk but somewhat out of breathe. there are 168 hours in a week, deducting 3 hours a week still leaves 165 hours in a day to live. I encourage you to return to the basics, Get in your water, protein, and exercise for a lifetime of success. I am NOT perfect, and had a bag of M&Ms today:( But I work at it constantly...
   — bob-haller

June 20, 2004
You may keep losing weight but not as quickly and you will have more "hangy" skin. I am 10 weeks post op and cannot walk due to very bad knees but I do water aerobics at least 4 times a week for at least an hour per session. The more exercise you get the better the weight will come off and the easier it will stay off.
   — mary M.

June 20, 2004
I can't do a lot of vigorous exercise but I do walk as much as possible. I had foot surgery in April so haven't been able to walk very far at a time or to even put on walking shoes and I've still continued to lose VERY SLOWLY but I know, as soon as this foot is healed, I'll be back walking again and I'm trying to figure out a schedule to get in some weight lifting too. I don't want to go thru all this and then gain it all back because I didn't follow the rules. I've even been toying with the idea of starting running. I think I'd like to try running in some organized "senior" races.
   — scbabe

June 20, 2004
It really comes down to burning more calories than you take in. Exercising builds muslces which in turn burns more calories. Like Bob said there are some people who didn't exercise and yet made it to goal. Those people are the exception. Most people will lose weight will initially lose weight, however without exercise their weight loss will stall. One thing I have found by reading postings on this board, is that exercise is a key component. I don't know how many times I have seen posts from people who are frustrated that they have hit a plateau or their weight loss has stalled, yet the next thing they say is that they are not exercising like they should. Again like Bob said I didn't have this surgery to lose my weight for a few months of years and then start gaining it back. I did it to become healthier for the rest of my life.
   — jmusser

June 21, 2004
When you stop exercising you lose muscle and so not only do you have to eat less calories for not exercising, but even less because you have less muscle to feed. I'd rather eat a bit more food and exercise. It's really up to you.
   — mrsmyranow

June 21, 2004
The first 6 months to a year, the surgery works by itself to help you lose weight, after all you cannot consume enough calories to avoid losing weight. You can and will continue to lose without VIGOROUS walking..for a while... However, after a time, the loss slows and eventually will stop and may even reverse without exercise unless you watch what you eat very carefully. As Bob mentioned, some are lucky, never exercise, and can maintain below goal. Trust me, they are the exception. Most of us need to keep up with the aerobic, heart pumping exercise to boost the metabolism to burn those calories more efficiently. Not to mention, weight bearing exercise tones the underlying muscle (now that the fat has melted away) and is heart healthy. Too many good benefits out there from exercising. I'm a basically lazy person and grumble alot as I hate to exercise (some love it, but not me!), so I JUST DO IT because I know it works. I have found that I cannot eat my daily treats and not exercise. If I want to eat as much as I do and maintain, I gotta do the exercise....
   — Cindy R.

June 22, 2004
In a word - PLENTY. The average person needs to take in 10 calories for every pound they weight to maintain that weight. I.e. 160# = 1600 calories. Want to maintain? need to take in no more than 1600 calories - UNLESS you burn the excess off with exercise. Even then, be careful. Stick to lean proteins,fruits and veggies and high fiber grains/carbs. No sugar and flour-trust me they're not worth it and pack on the pounds. AND LOTS of H2O, please :-) Diane N www.WeightlossSurgery.ws
   — DianeN