Help-no energy to get ready for Lap Band

Pix · March 16, 2008

Exercising wasn't my problem. Mine is eating right. I actually forget to eat I get so busy with my kids, oddly enough I don't forget to feed them (which makes them very happy I would think LOL). I am getting better about eating 3 meals a day, Breakfast is still my yucky point. BUT I do spend the extra to get the prepackaged salads (chef salads, green salads etc) and the prepackaged meals (the ones in the green box's in the freezer section are my all time FAVE!! (can't ever remember there names)

Just start small, change where you park. Park as far out as you can manage the walk, take one flight of stairs then the elevator. Simple changes like that can add up in the end. They helped me immensely when I started working out again. Now you are hard pressed to get me to park close or take the lift. Also, I spent 65 on a cheap elliptical (that gazelle thing) and I do that for 30-60 minutes a day.

Like I said, small changes will make a huge difference in the exercise area and before you know it you will have more energy for more working out.

jjsmiles · March 16, 2008

People have posted some really great suggestions - here is mine to get started.

Take a couple of weeks, buy a $0.49 little notebook and write down everything you eat (including quantities). Make a commitment to yourself that you will write it down, no matter what it is you eat. You don't have to show it to anyone and you are only lying to yourself if you don't write it down. You can choose to add the calories or fat or weight watchers points or not (doesn't really matter at this point).

After 2 weeks, look at what you ate and then think about how you could make small changes that would either reduce the quantity of what you ate or make it healthier, but will satisfy you. For example: two bologna sandwichs on white bread with mayo and butter and an apple. What could you do to make this healthier? Change the bolgna to turkey, use whole wheat bread, use mustard instead of the other Condiments. Maybe you could reduce from 2 to one sandwich and add a salad or veggies or yogurt or another piece of fruit. You have added fibre and reduced your calories and fat with little or no effort.

I know when I first started writing things down, I absolutely hated it, but it sure did make me aware of what I was putting in my mouth. I was totally shocked about the what I was eating and the quantities of what I would eat (especially in the evenings at home). Because I had to write it down, I started to think more about whether I was really hungry or just bored or emotional. If I was really hungry I ate something, if not I tried to find something to do to distract myself or got something to drink. This really helped me get started. I still write everything down.

I passively (or actively depending on how you want to look at it) resisted doing any real exercise until 2 months after banding. I now also exercise 4-5 times per week for at least 1 hour each session. 3 days a week I combine sprint circut (Curves like activity) for 30 minutes and also sandwich that with 40-50 minutes of cardio (eliptical and treadmill). The other 1-2 days, I do at least 60 minutes of cardio. If I stretch it 65-70 minutes of cardio I am managing to go 4 miles at one time!! I am so much fitter and stronger now, and I started with a BMI of 55.:biggrin2: