Question:
What does everyone think?
Hello, AMOS friends. Tomorrow, I will be 8 months out from my lap RNY and I have done well with no complications (thank God). I have not been on a steady exercise program since my surgery, with the exception of one month at Curves and a few workouts here and there. My husband and I just joined our local YMCA, though, and I am now committed to working out and getting the rest of this weight off. I have lost 120 pounds to date and I have 44 more to lose to get to goal. I want to share my plans with you guys and hopefully get some input about what you think about it. Please let me know. Feel free to email me if you would like to talk in more detail. The plan: AM Workout - Seven days per week - Step Aerobic Workout Tape - 45 minutes; PM Workout - Six days per week - MWF - Eliptical Trainier - 45 minutes - TTS - Weight Training - 45 minutes. I am planning on sticking to a calorie range of 800-1200 per day and I want to get in 80 grams of protein and 112 oz. of water. How does all of this sound? I would really like to get to goal by my one year anniversary, but I don't know if it is realistic to expect to lose 44 more pounds in 4 months. Your responses are greatly appreciated! Hugs, Kristy (lap RNY 9/18/03 - 332/212/168) — kristynush (posted on May 17, 2004)
May 17, 2004
Hi, Kristy. Well, here's my opinion, for what it's worth: the single most
important thing about a workout regimine is that it is sustainable. I can
tell you from personal experience that you are most likely setting yourself
up for failure with such a heavy schedule. I've just started working as a
Certified Personal Trainer in my local gym and have worked out there 3-4
days a week for over a year. I see so many people start out like you plan
to, only to find that they just can't stick with it. Things interfere,
family happens, and you don't have enough rest planned into your workout
for your body to recover properly. What I suggest for my clients just
starting out after a long period of not exercising is 30 minutes
heart-pumping cardio (when you are just starting out, that can be as simple
as a brisk walk on the treadmill) and 30-45 minutes weight training, cardio
circuit style to burn more calories. This should be done 3-4 times a week.
As you get more fit and find things you like to do, add them in. On days
when I'm not in the gym, I play racquetball with my husband, swim, or ride
my bike with my 30 lb son in a carrier on the back...now that's a workout!
:) Anyway, you will do what you feel is best and you may be very
successful at it, but please think hard about starting out a little easier
on yourself. In addition, you will really have some muscle fatigue issues
at that calorie range with the workout you have planned. So, whatever you
choose, best of luck to you! :)
— Rachael B.
May 17, 2004
I'd have to agree with the last poster. Begin with a plan that is
sustainable. I've been working with a trainer and have been told from the
beginning that you should never do weight training more than every other
day. Your muscles need the time to heal in between workouts. I so admire
your enthusiasm and committment, but would love to see you start slower.
Cardio 3-4 times a week for 1/2 hour (try walking, eliptical, bike, etc.)
and weight training twice a week. Give yourself some time to make this
schedule a habit. It takes time and perserverance. THEN you can increase
time, intensity a little at a time. I've been training to walk a marathon
on May 30th and have been advised not to increase running (vs. walking)
more than 10% a week. Similarly, I've increased my mileage by two miles
every other week until I've been able to do 21 miles so far. Slow and
steady is the key to building a program you'll be able to live with. Good
luck to you!
— Kimberly C.
May 17, 2004
I want to commend you on your inspiration toward exercising, but don't go
over board and do too much to start with, or you'll burn yourself out!!!
good luck , keep us posted okay??
— bikerchic
May 17, 2004
Kristy,
I think it is awesome that you want to be so active and committed to your
plan. I also tried to whip myself back into shape after the birth of my son
(9yrs ago), I decided on swimming, I started with a few laps and every
couple of days added a few more. Within a week or so I was up to 15 laps
(in an olympic size pool). This was way too much, way too soon, I pulled
every muscle on my left side. Even my muscles that connect my ribs to my
chest, I woke up and thought I was having a heart attack because of all of
the left side arm and chest pain, it even hurt to breath. Well it took me
weeks to recover, and the doc told me that It was great to get into shape
but to pace myself and increase slowly, this way my body can recover after
each workout and I will be more likely able to stick to the program. As it
turned out, I couldn't get back into the routine after I healed and I ended
up gaining 140lbs over the next 9yrs. Until surgery. Now I am slowly
getting into a workout program, I learned my lesson. Give yourself a break
and realize that you are building new habits that are going to last you the
rest of your life. Good luck!! Lisa lap/rny 10-23-03 339/217/??? -122lbs
— Lisa H.
May 17, 2004
Do start with something that you can stick to. It only winds up being
failure and disappointment if you can't live up to an overly stringent
schedule. That sounds like a lot of exercise to start with for someone who
was a sporatic at best exerciser in the past. Just my opinion though. I
applaud your motivation and desire. If you are able to stick to this plan
please let mew know HOW you manage to do it! (because I need to get more
disciplined too)
— LMCLILLY
May 17, 2004
I think the other posters have given you great responses to the effect that
a workout routine like this is probably not sustainable or best in terms of
letting the body rest a bit between workouts. But what struck me most
about your question was the desire to get to goal by your one-year
anniversary. Question: Why? Very few people who have 160 pounds to lose
manage to lose all of it in 12 months.<P>Exercise is a great thing
and weight loss is a great thing. But overdoing both in honor reaching a
certain weight by a certain day is losing perspective on what this surgery
is for, which is giving us tools to *sustain* a good eating and exercise
habits. Which is much easier said than done or planned, for that matter.
My concern about this plan is that it shouts "DIET!" to me. If
that short-term thinking didn't work before, it will not work now even if
your methods are a bit different than before. For those reasons, I would
actively recommend against a plan like this one. You risk getting too
focused on the scale at a time when you need to begin thinking about what
will work for maintenance down the road, and this plan won't be preparing
you for that at all. Gradual, strong, transitional steps is what you want
to go for at this time, not land-speed-record weight loss that could be
followed by a whole host of problems later. JMHO.
— Suzy C.
May 18, 2004
As with most of the other posters, I agree that the plan you have devised
for yourself is entirely too much. The most important response I want to
echo is that attempting a plan such as the one you have devised is setting
yourself up for failure. Often times as morbidly obese people we are
incredibly motivated and enthusiastic on day one of a diet and by day 5
we're frustrated, grouchy and hopeless. This is generally because we've
made our diet too restrictive and not allowed ourselves any normal
pleasures. I advise my WLS patients to make an inner vow prior to surgery.
I stress that they make it a reasonable vow. For example "I will
never eat anything sweet again" is an unreasonable vow. "I will
completely give up sugared beverages" is a reasonable vow. 45 minutes
of brisk walking or cardio exercise 5 days a week is a reasonable inner vow
and sufficient for any normal adult. An hour and a half of your combined
exercises seems that it would quickly become a burden rather than a
motivating, energizing work out. I also think 1200 calories a day is fine
but 800 calories a day is entirely too low. It will cause your body to
believe that it's starving and may result in even slower weight loss. Your
protein and water goals are right on the money. Your enthusiasm is
wonderful and will probably motivate others to get back on track. I'd just
hate to see you burn out too quickly when in fact, if you'll take it down a
notch or two you can keep shining forever. Also, don't put restrictions of
losing 44 pounds in 4 months on yourself. It's unlikely that you'll lose
that much. It will also prevent you from celebrating a reasonable loss of
say 15 to 20 pounds because you'll be sad that you didn't lose 44 pounds.
You're on the right track - just in overachievers mode and you can fix
that. Best wishes to you!
— ronascott
May 18, 2004
I'm going to have to agree with the others here. Start small and work your
way up. Start out taking an aerobics, y-flex or yoga class two or three
days a week. If you are feel like doind more, then go use the eliptical
one day. Don't make yourself. Set the goal as the two or three classes
per week. After a couple of weeks, those will be second nature. Then add
something else. Do that a couple of weeks....again, second nature. Work
up to it. <br><br>I went two years post-op without exercising
and a lifetime prior without. If I would have started out like what you
have proposed, I would have become frustrated and given up after a week.
You are making life changes now, changes that you want to keep a lifetime.
You have that lifetime to get to where you want to be, you don't have to
take it on all at once.<br><br>Most people do not hit goal by
the one year mark. It's nice, but rare. Don't make that your goal. This
should be a positive experience, not a dissapointing one. /hugs Rebecca
Perkins 10/03/01
— RebeccaP
May 18, 2004
Overachievers Unite!! But I have to agree with everyone else: your
enthusiasm is admirable but you are setting yourself up for problems.
I did the same thing and after a week, I was exhausted, in pain and really
cranky. Start slow-- do one workout a day, no more than an hour at a time,
say a half-hour of cardio and a half-hour of weights. Maybe if you take a
walk on your lunch hour, you can do a yoga class or weight training in the
evening. If you miss a few weekdays, take a long bike-ride on the weekends
or on your days off.
This is not a race and you are not expected to be able to run a marathon
right away. You really do not need to spend hours exercising-- consistency
is much better than quantity. Try to build exercise into your day-- if you
make it a habit, it will be difficult to get obsessive about it.
I think your water and protein intake plans are great.
— lizinPA
May 18, 2004
I think your plan for eating and exercise is wonderful BUT bet it'll take
more like 5 mos. to lose 44#. I recently dropped 12# in 6 weeks working
out 6 days a week including the following:
Weight training 2 days a week for 1 hr + 45 min cardio of either rowing or
doing a 10-15 degree incline on treadmill @ 3.5 mph. Talk about intense
cardio! Then 4 days a week I do 90 min of cardio-45 min rowing AND 45 min
treadmill as I described above. I have lost 3" from my waist,
1 1/2" from my hips and 1" off each thigh, taking only Sundays
off to rest. I am eating 5 oz lean protein 3 x a day w/ salad and
non-starchy veggies and only ONE fruit a day, along with about 4 liters of
water. It's very intense training. I would like to drop another 10# and
think it'll take about 4-5 weeks - realistically. Here's why~~~ I'm
building muscle and getting leaner, BUT muscle weighs more than fat. My %
body fat has dropped by 5.5%. Each 1% = 2.5# of fat per my trainer.
Keep up the good work. I love weight training and working out. Never felt
better :-)
My body is scupletd and I an very strong but NOT bulky.
Diane N
WeightlossSurgery.ws
— DianeN
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