Is anyone NOT exercising???

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

So let's all stop being catty bitches shall we? Original poster and me included!

With all due respect, you really don't speak for everyone.

If you want the thread to end, stop posting in it. Personally I don't care if it ends or not, makes no difference to me.

[Froggi 4]

To reply to this post. I never have the energy to exercise. I started at 419 lbs. At the moment I am at 396 lbs because I exercise! And eat between 1200-1600 calories like my nutritionist tells me. I am not banded yet...and I am already losing. I won't be banded until November. So being tired is no excuse. Almost all obese people are tired a lot. Just get up and do it. It helps!

[snuffy65 1]

Sigh. give the poor girl a break. It's her own road to travel down. 35-40% of her excess weight might help her get the apnea under control and then start exercising or maybe she's doing it this weekend. Dear God just leave it. She's got the message - exercise aids weight loss and a healthier lifestyle.

So let's all stop being catty bitches shall we? Original poster and me included!

Well, just to seperate me from everyone else here, I am not talking about losing the weight. I too, was struggling with the same thing. It's funny becuase the op's arguements that she is making in this thread sounds much like the arguments me and my PCP had for the last two years.

He told me I will never get out of this depression if I don't exercise. I would always respond with "I am always too tired to exercise" and "I just go home and sleep because I am too tired". I was always trying to have him give me that "silver bullet" treatment that would get me out of the slump.

It was an endless cycle which amaziningly is alot like the OP's situation. I am too tired to exercise and I was tired becuase I didn't exercise. Then I lost 20lbs pre-op. That didn't help any. I lost another 10lb after surgery and I was STILL tired.

Finally, the band and surgery gave me enough incentive to just go out and do it. Even then it was hard for me to exercise the first fews days. I almost fell into that same cycle even after the surgery. But luckliy I didn't. Its that nudge out that door the first few days that will change your life.

Sorry if it sounds like a lecture, and maybe it is. But its SUPPORT none the less. We suggested exercise, because its the right thing, the only thing, that will make you feel better. We are blunt because we DON'T want you to fail. If everyone on here said "don't worry about your sleepiness, just keep losing the weight", then 6 moths down the road when you lost 60lbs and still feel tired, then what? I myself would be even more depressed. We as a group, would have let you down because we weren't honest.

The worst thing a support group can do is feed the excuses. Excuses are not holding most people back. sleep Apnea doesn't keep people from exercising. Work, school, children, do not keep you from exercising. Borderline "coma" feeling when coming home from work does not keep you from exercising. Its the idea that all these excuses are the cause, that is holding you back and if we feed this idea by holding back and trying to be "polite" we are making these forums pratically useless.

This will be my last post in this thread, for I think the June people have been going nicely. I just hope we can still give "correct" and "good" support to people without them going into denial and snapping anymore.

Edited August 9, 2008 by snuffy65

[areellady 1]

Snuffy...well said!!

[greythope 0]

Snuffy your advice is spot on! I have fought depression for years, ha - like since birth! Exercise really helps. I do take meds also but if I exercise they work much better and I am in a better mood.

I had a real downhill snowball effect earlier in the year. I was doing relatively well at the exercise thing (crap at dieting, but that was pre-band). Not sure what I did but my back and hips (I'm hyperflexible, they pop out of place sometimes and swell) flaired up something severe and I had to start physical therapy. So I was told the only exercise I could do was what they were having me do there. A nice combiniation of pain all the time, weight gain, and not getting good cardio and I was a complete mess. I didn't start coming out of the funk again until I got over the hump of my pre-op diet and then recovered from the surgery.

Back on the road to wellville now. Still having pain but of course exercise helps that too as long as I don't start thinking I am training for the Olympics again! My PCP says once I get to a weight where they'll take me seriously I can go to a sports medicine specialist.

We can give each other good and correct info but you catch a lot more flies with honey as they say.

[Jachut 487]

I've got sciatic issues but I find that running, although it is hard on your body, really helps manage it. Regular running and diligent stretching keeps me flexible, mobile and in less pain overall than if I sit on the couch. That's when I stiffen up and get sore.

Like you say Greythorpe, exercise is also at least as effective with milder cases of depression as medication is, and it helps your meds to work a lot better.

[greythope 0]

My mom and I always laugh about how exercise is the cure for EVERYTHING and how we know it's true but it doesn't stop us from wanting to kick someone for telling us no matter what the issue is, how we should work out to cure it.

But honestly it is true for a lot of things. The chronic pain suffered by fibromyalgia patients is meant to be better with exercise. The strange thing for me is that even though the pains I have are still there it's like my body thinks they're soreness due to exercise and therefore not that bad.

When I lived at the gym I thought all the pains were because of that. Now in fairness I didn't help it with running, but they seemed worse during periods of not exercising.

So to me weight loss is just an added benefit of exercise, I need to do it to help physical and mental pains.

I had SUCH a good day today and I think it's because I started it off with a workout. I got up and did Breakfast, worked out, and then went swimming with the wee man. The pool was perfect and I got a bit of extra workout swimming around the pool worried he'd jump in.

Once we came in I bathed him, showered, and then cleaned. Got all the laundry done too. I was tired but had energy too.

All of what they say about exercise is true, we just have to discover it on our own.

Just found out my next door neighbour got lap band so I will try to see if she needs a walking buddy.

[Fernando 0]

I bumped into the bariactric coordinator for my surgeon at the walking trail Friday nite... I told her that if I was gonna get "caught" anywhere that was where I wanted to be

It just happened to be nice enough to go walk outside that night...

the rec center is nice and air conditioned!!!

I actually went in public in a swimsuit on vacation to a Water park and I think the time logged in on the eliptical machine helped me be able to climb all those stairs to get to the top of the Water slides... God love our kids they didnt care that they were with their obese mother in a swimsuit just that she was climbing those stairs and going down the slides with them... it was so much FUN!!!

Edited August 10, 2008 by Huggie Bear

[triser72 0]

So, the last two weeks have been a transition into a new daily routine. With the transition and adjustment, exercise was that last thing to be factored into the equation. Sad, but true. But over the weekend, I read this thread from top to bottom.....and high-tailed it back to the gym! Thank you for the indirect support and inspiration, it was the kick in the butt that I needed!

I don't know what kind of mental bridge I've crossed, but I now book hotels that have an exercise room. And maybe they all had them before and I didn't use them? But suddenly, this element has become important to me. And I enjoy it!

[areellady 1]

I bumped into the bariactric coordinator for my surgeon at the walking trail Friday nite... I told her that if I was gonna get "caught" anywhere that was where I wanted to be

It just happened to be nice enough to go walk outside that night...

the rec center is nice and air conditioned!!!

I actually went in public in a swimsuit on vacation to a Water park and I think the time logged in on the eliptical machine helped me be able to climb all those stairs to get to the top of the Water slides... God love our kids they didnt care that they were with their obese mother in a swimsuit just that she was climbing those stairs and going down the slides with them... it was so much FUN!!!

Awe, bless you heart!!!! I think we are more embarassed than anyone that is with us!!! And you are making a ton of memories with your kids is more important than anything ANYONE COULD EVER SAY OR THINK!!!! Keep it up!!

[greyhoundmom 0]

hi everyone, boy this is some topic! i'm glad it's out there tho. we all have something going on physically or we wouldn't be here to begin with. to achieve our goals we need to listen to our own bodies - very closely - and do what we can. push when we can, don't when we aren't up to it. it's not always laziness like some think (tho in some cases i'm sure it is and sometimes is for me!). it's just not that black and white.

i don't like the judgemental stuff going on here. do i have sleep apnea, thank God - no. so can i relate? i have worked myself to complete exhaustion, falling alseep while driving, literally moving to a new home so i didn't kill myself while commuting, etc. etc. BUT NO i cannot relate to sleep apnea in any degree. one of my best friends has it and it devasted him in so many ways until the cpap started helping him. there are all kinds of conditions i can't relate to. i have strong insulin resistence and low blood sugar - that has it's own can of worms with regard to energy and fat loss. i don't expect anyone to relate to it much unless they have it too. i don't expect anyone to 'get it' or the challenges it causes for me.

so, i say, with true compassion for us an all or our issues that we deal with daily, do the best you can. we are lucky in that our bands are going to help us get better over time with these challenges. it's why many of us did it to begin with.

if you can exercise, go for it! if you aren't up to it right now, pay close attention to your band eating habits and the time will come. i don't see illnesses as excuses. i see them as challenges that we work with to the best of our abilities. we can't will them away like a strong desire to sit on the couch and watch a movie - we can will that away and get moving - but when we are ill, we have to take care of ourselves and that does not mean pushing beyond our limits because someone says we should but is not 'walking in our shoes'.

good luck out there! do the best you can! you've taken a huge step already or we wouldn't be on this list!

by the way, i'm an exerciser - i do get the rush and i love it- but before surgery my heart rate was going up and up and up for the past few months with each workout (elliptical) and one day it wouldn't stop and i was at the hospital (turned out to be partly dehydration thankfully). i've been afraid to work out hard since. i went yesterday - 33 lbs lighter - and my heart rate did not even get close to the scary point it was at before. what does that mean to me in retrospect? in my desperation to lose weight i was pushing my body WAY TOO HARD for where it was at. i didn't help myself at all. i harmed myself. i wasn't listening - i was pushing thru it and ignoring what my body was saying. it was saying slow down you are pushing too hard and i wound up in the hospital and frightened. i have to learn from that and i am trying to. we each have to figure this out in our own way.

[Love2Lose 0]

Greyhoundmom, I just want to thank you for your post. It's because of people like you that I started coming to this site and will continue to do so! Level-headed, sound advice from people who care!

Thankfully, my struggle is getting easier as the days go by. I had my second fill this morning and the nurse practitioner told me that the energy and exercise will come with time. She also said that I shouldn't be down on myself and to keep a positive outlook because I've already taken major steps to change my lifestyle!

It's easy for people to be judgemental when they haven't walked in your shoes and talk is definitely cheap. So I've resolved to take what people say with a grain of salt. I can't tell you how much some of the postings that people made on here has bothered me for the last week. It just amazes me how self righteous and uncompassionate people can be.

Yes, I'm 26 years old but my life experiences are at the same level as some 50 year olds! But life itself is a learning experience and I know that there's so much more to be learned still! I just try to keep my mind and heart open so that I can pass on some of my knowledge to others in need in a compassionate and understanding way...much like how you just did.

Best of luck to you with your health and struggle to fight the obesity!! I know you can overcome your personal demons and obstacles...and I'm sure that I can too!!!

[brown bear 0]

mekadig - Good luck with that second fill!

[Great2BThin 5]

Greyhoundmom, I just want to thank you for your post. It's because of people like you that I started coming to this site and will continue to do so! Level-headed, sound advice from people who care!

Thankfully, my struggle is getting easier as the days go by. I had my second fill this morning and the nurse practitioner told me that the energy and exercise will come with time. She also said that I shouldn't be down on myself and to keep a positive outlook because I've already taken major steps to change my lifestyle!

It's easy for people to be judgemental when they haven't walked in your shoes and talk is definitely cheap. So I've resolved to take what people say with a grain of salt. I can't tell you how much some of the postings that people made on here has bothered me for the last week. It just amazes me how self righteous and uncompassionate people can be.

Yes, I'm 26 years old but my life experiences are at the same level as some 50 year olds! But life itself is a learning experience and I know that there's so much more to be learned still! I just try to keep my mind and heart open so that I can pass on some of my knowledge to others in need in a compassionate and understanding way...much like how you just did.

Best of luck to you with your health and struggle to fight the obesity!! I know you can overcome your personal demons and obstacles...and I'm sure that I can too!!!

Well, Mekadig, now it is my turn to be offended. I don't like your comment about being 26 and your life experience being like a 50 yr olds. I may be 50 but I am not an invalid yet. I on the otherhand am exercising daily and trying to remain active and I felt that you are saying because you aren't exercising you are like a 50 yr old. How about showing some of that compassion to which you are referring to? But I will try and do what you say you do and take your comment with a grain of salt as well. Good luck to you in finding what works for you.

[Love2Lose 0]

Long2bthin, I honestly shouldn't even be responding to your message right now because your comments are just ridiculous. You're obviously just trying to pick a fight here, but this is one I'm going to just let go because although I did not even in the slightest way suggest that you are "invalid"....your comments definitely are. Take it how you want it...but I think everything I said and meant is quite clear. Maybe you should try reading the post for what it really is and not make assumptions of underlying implications.

If you posting your message makes you feel better about yourself, then I'm happy for you. I guess you're also another person that feels a great satisfaction by belittling others! So congrats on being 50 and exercising! Good for you! "I on the other hand"....am not exercising as much as I should be, but I still feel great about my weight loss and there's nothing you can do to change that!!!!