Walking Isn't Enough
mrdalton
Posts: 95 Member
I was sleeved on March 25, 2013. So far I have lost 45 pounds. I am very happy with it so far and hope to lose another 55 to reach my ultimate goal. I went to see my surgeon for my three month check up. He was happy with my loss but very disappointed in my exercise. I told him I was going for 60-90 minute walks about 4-5 times a week. He said, "Walking is activity, it is not exercise. You need to get your heart rate up higher." Ok, fine. He is right, I know. But ever since he said that I feel as if walking just isn't good enough and I gave up completely doing it. Now I do nothing. I feel guilty and ashamed of myself but its almost as if why do it if it doesn't count. I cant get myself to workout in the gym, despite a high monthly fee and prepaid personal training sessions. I just lack any motivation now. How do you get back on track? What worked for you? I need a swift kick in the rear I think!! I want to tone up but Im afraid of failing. Im afraid of being sore. Hell, I may even be afraid of succeeding.
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your doctor is a jerk imo! there was nothing wrong with what you were doing and you were getting results. sometimes the stupid doctors only care about the end goal and nothing in between - i.e. his comment demotivated you instead of motivating you (i.e. there was wayyy better ways to say what he was getting at). Additionally its about making a LIFE LONG change and for some of us going to the gym and exercising like madmen is NOT possible and not something that we can sustain in the long-term, where as a daily hour long commitment to walking is.
What I believe he meant was to get better results you should increase the strenuousness of your exercise and that can be jogging, swimming, bike riding, hiking, at home work out videos, etc. I would not stray too much from what you were doing unless its something you are comfortable with and interested in.
I started with walking post-op and bike riding. Then as the weight came off I found that I REALLY disliked bike riding and continued the walking which lead to hiking which lead to jogging. I have tried going to a gym but find that I just cant get into it - its smelly, I dont like the atmosphere and its not for me. I want to do more activities to change the variety of exercise, and nothing more. I dont fee guilty because I dont work out like mad, or take zumba classes or bike a million miles a day or one of a thousand other exercise the other do - I do what works for me and thats all that matters.
SO dont listen to him. do what works for you! :happy:0 -
Thanks Lee91356
That was exactly what I was trying to say. He demotivated me!!
I want to walk again. Its nice to hear someone say that is good enough.0 -
I thought walking was the best thing for u? Don't give up!0
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what a kook!! walk walk walk0
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What! Walking is better then nothing imo. Walking is all I did for the first 6 months after surgery. They had me walking rounds at the hospital the day after surgery and I never stopped. Started with just 20 min a day up and down my street outside the house. I did work up to more but I have never had a doctor say walking was not exercise. Don't feel bad get back to walking it does help.:)0
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How about trying to walk at a faster pace? That will elevate your heartrate !0
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You walking is better than you sitting on the couch doing nothing.
I will say working out in a gym is probably one of the most hardest things to overcome, We were given a free year to the hospital owned gym, but the hours and motivation weren't there for me and I squandered a great gift.
I now pay for a 24 hour gym, and go at least 4 - 6 times a week on my schedule. A constant, focused exercise session is key it is the other half to eating right. Find something you enjoy and do it, get some headphones hit the gym and focus on what you are doing.
Hope this helps to motivate you.0 -
Walking is better than no exercise. I did alot of walking pre op and post op for the about 6 months after my sleeve. I found it wasn't raising my heart rate enough so in Jan 2013 I joined a gym. I had never walked into a gym before in my life till then! I joined Planet Fitness cost me $10 a month and did cardio on treadmill and elliptical machine and did weight machines every other time and cardio every time. That worked till June of 2013. I was getting bored with just machines so I quit Planet Fitness and joined Fit Club that has classes and a pool and love it! I try to go 3-4 times a week, usually Mon, Tues, Wed and Sat. It cost me $43 a month but worth it I feel. I am doing the premium classes that usually cost extra for the 1st 30 days since they are free and I love the dynamic training. It is like having a personal trainer since there is only 6 people in the class. After those freebies are done I will do other classes included in my membership.
You can do it! Your dr sounds like a jerk and not very motivating. Get out and walk if you don't do anything else.0 -
My Dr suggests walking. He does want me to continue to increase distance and speed and avoid just walking the same route every day fir the same amount of time.0
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I've worked up to 30 minutes about 3 times per week. My doctor was very pleased that I was exercising at all.
Your doing 60-90 minutes each for 4-5 days a week is outstanding! I'm in awe. Thank you for being a role model.0 -
I hate going to the gym. It is not fun and not something I cannot maintain over a long period of time. What I do enjoy is riding my bike, so I got a new bike actually 2 (one basic and one electric assist) and I ride to work and back each day. By building the activity into a daily routine has made it easier. My electric bike is pedal assist meaning I have too pedal for it to work, but I live in a very hilly community and when I am coming off night shift in the pouring rain it helps getting home. I seldom move the power level above 1-2 which will give me assist to 13 km/hr, I bike at 15- 20 km/hr most of the time. It is nice having a throttle to get you out of traffic and around some dumb drivers.
Find what works for you and keep active.0 -
I want to suggest a Chris Powell DVD! They give you a great work out!! (plus he's not bad to look at either!)0
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Don't give your Dr. the power to make you give up. Only you have the power to do that. You can't control what others say but you can control your reaction to it. Let it roll off your back. It's your body, your sleeve, your weight loss, your health. You have to do what you need to do for you. In 5 years is what the Dr. said going to matter. Don't give him that kind of power. You are a powerful person and in charge of you. Just DO IT.
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By the way, my doctor (who is a GREAT doctor) said walking is the best exercise to start with. So now you have another doctor's opinion to choose from. Hoping you can feel motivated again.... :-)0
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I am learning, (it made the dietician laugh) to tell naysayers no matter who they may be, to buzz off. I have a co-worker who now claims relative #2 has died due to weight loss surgery. Well this one died and the other one is eating baby food three years after having the surgery and will for the rest of her life. This guy is almost 400 pounds himself and went to hear about the surgery and said he walked out because he thought it was a bunch of BS. The thought of me having surgery and losing my weight is killing this guy. Guess what, he can bite my rear end I don't care. Walking is very beneficial and great exercise if you walk a good pace and find some hills to climb. I'd like to have that Doctor come to downtown Asheville NC and walk these hills around here and tell me it ain't real exercise. He would probably be so winded he wouldn't be able to talk. You go girl!0
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I am sorry but that i ridiculous!!! I was sleeved over a year ago and I am now 11 stone lighter thanks to walking. I walk everywhere. I wear a pedometer and do an average of 15,000 steps a day. I go to the gym once a week and do more cardio and weights but walking is what does it for me. I walk as much as I can. Sometimes I power walk but sometimes I go off to the park and just walk at my normal pace. It's all motion, and calorie burning.
You need to do what works for you. If it works and is healthy then keep doing it! My doctor told me I am my best doctor as I know my body best.0 -
I agree with all that have voice their opinion here! Please do not give your doctors, lawyers anyone with any remote influence that kind of power over you! This is your time and your opportunity for re-birth! You get to write the next best chapter in your own story so don't give ANYONE your purple crayon! (Please read Harold and the purple crayon!). I was sleeved last October! In December I got a Jack Russel-Border Collie mixed one year old girl-y girl I call Belle! She was suppose to be a 'rescue' and she rescued me. We walk 3-5 miles per day as her breed (s) gets bored very easy, needs the walk and has tons of energy. Nervous energy! So we walk. and walk and walk and then we take another short walk! That is how the pounds have fallen off! You have to do you and are obligated to do only you! You know what works for you and not your Dr or anyone else! So go get your motivation back! Buy a new pair of walking shoes or new clothes to walk in! take a different walking route. Volunteer to walk someone's dog or walk a kid in a stroller (extra workout pushing a stroller!) or pull a kid in a wagon! Do anything that excites you to take that first step, but by all means, take that first step! And friend me here so that I can encourage you to keep it moving!!0
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My friend, check out this video from Dr. Mike Evans - entitled "23 and 1/2 hours: What is the single best thing we can do for our health?" I was inspired by what he shares and I hope you will be too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUaInS6HIGo
Take care and keep up the good walking.0 -
Isn't enough for what? You're doing great. I have NEVER wanted "planned" exercise to be part of my weight loss. I know me, I know how quickly I can lose focus, get bored. I wanted LIFESTYLE changes I could live with forever. I do NO exercising, I haven't stepped in a gym for ten years and I will not. I park way out in parking lots, I walk the mall, I have a 5 lb weighted ball that I toss around every so often, but that's it. Healthy heart wise, I SHOULD exercise, but I don't. The changes I've made will not come to an end due to age, a twisted ankle or boredom.
Listen to your gut. Congrats, you really are doing good!0 -
I think we are all in agreement that walking is exercising and much better than nothing. I too was walking for all of my exercise and using, rarely, my pilates machine for strength training. The exercise specialist at my surgeon's office was very happy with what I was doing, how often and how long. Now I ride an exercise bike on my lunch hour because the building I work in provided a workout room and equipment this year. Like you I'm not a gym fan for cost and because I really don't want to work out around a bunch of other people.
Don't allow anyone to demotivate you! You aren't doing this for your doctor, you are doing it for you. So get out there and walk all you can, because it is helping the weight come off and it is making your heart stronger.
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Walking is great exercise !!! I live in Orlando, Florida. It's so hot, that I find it more comfortable to do 30 minutes on the elliptical machine in front of a fan, in the air conditioning and in front of the TV, I also like to swim laps. I have a waterproof MP3 player, so I put on my headphones and hit the pool. Swimming, for me is like relaxation, meditation and exercise all at the same time. There is no impact, and it uses every muscle in the body.0
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I agree that walking is better than nothing, but I do think you need to add another activity to take advantage of your post-op recovery. I was sleeved in March 2013, and see it as giving me a year to incorporate a lifestyle change to prevent a "relaspe". I added biking as a low impact exercise and commute to work for my daily exercise. I plan to also incorporate an weight workout in the coming weeks.
Keep walking and keep looking for new activities. Find one you enjoy and immerse yourself in it.0
