But what if you didn't enjoy exercise before the surgery?

OK. I know how important exercise is in general. I also know it is even more important post-op. But what if you didn't like to exercise pre-op? Not that you couldn't exercise because of co-morbidities but that you just didn't like to exercise and you didn't have the time? How did you change your entire routine post-op and suddenly acquire a "taste" for exercise? I'm all ears.

Im one of those people. Didnt like exercise...still dont care for it. Before surgery...it just plain hurt, not to mention its boring! It took me a long time even after surgery to get into a routine. I have a gym here at work so I am really lucky. But it took me awhile to get going. The hardest part was for me to pick my butt up and get into the gym! Once you get there its not AS hard to work out... but even some days I really have to force myself to go... my motivation is that i am loosing inches and i feel soooo much better, in fact even though I had lost alot of weight I didnt really "FEEL" the weight loss until I started to work out...then I had that bit of extra energy and started to "feel" my body more. Now I make myself do it because it feels so much better and when I eat the wrong foods I know that I am doing something that can counter act that. yep you still can eat the wrong foods of course... potato chips and bad carbs... I work so hard in the gym to get those extra calories off that I think twice about it and grab chicken or something substantial instead. Just remember the hardest part is getting to the gym! Try curves, i hear that alot of people really like it! only 30 minutes and your done Best wishes! Elizabeth M -90 lbs

Hi Cassandra, I was always quite active in my pre weight problem days. As I got heavier the less I wanted to move, it was a vicious cycle. I exercise everyday now without fail, it makes me feel very good. It may sound harsh to say but anyone willing to go through surgery needs to be willing to just do it. You might enjoy it once you start, then again you might not. It's like anything else, there are certain changes we must be willing to make to be successful in this whole deal. I approached my surgery with a do it all the way or not at all attitude. I think that's one of the reasons why it's so important to have a good bit of time between your first consultation and actually having surgery. It gives time to soul search and know in your heart if you are a person who is willing to be compliant and truely give 100 effort or someone who deep down inside really is looking for a fast cure. I spent my childhood / teenage and early adult years in a thin body. I have spent about 15 years of my adult years in a fat one. Thin is better, it's healthier, it looks better, it feels better and it's a hell of alot more fun. I will do whatever it takes to succeed. Linda

Cassandra, The WLS alone will not succceed unless you maintain a strict nutritional program, including vitamins, protein & exercise. So don't waste your time if you don't buy into the whole process. Honestly after you start loosing, you get energy. That energy should be used to exercise to assist in getting healthier. After all, that's why most of us had the surgery. To get healthy. To me I consider this whole year and a half journey as a miracle. I am off BP meds, cholesterol is down to 173 from 290's & the sleep apnea is gone. This has been one of the best years of my life. Elissa

It is really important to make time in your life for exercise. Like Brett says, you have to give him twenty a minutes a day now for the rest of your life. Your routine can change if you make it change. Without exercise there is no way for this transformation to be successful. You can lose weight, but you can also regain it. Who among us liked to exercise pre-op? I didn't even like to show up at a gym. No one says that you necessarily enjoy exercise, maybe you just tolerate it, but you have to do it. I am now an "exercise addict". There are so many things out there that I couldn't do pre-op, and now there are really no barriers standing in my way. My taste for exercise was enhanced first by listening to good music on a CD or listening to a book-on-tape. Now I just enjoy a good sweat and pushing the limits. It just makes me feel good and I can get a lot more done during the day cause I'm not wasting as much time. Saturday at the Dover 50-mile Ride through Amish Country... The convert, Rob

After my surgery,In the first two weeks I had lost over 35lbs, It was amazing how much energy that I had, compared to how much that I ate. I had to get up into the back of my pickup truck, I step on the step bumper and swong my leg over the top,I was able to get into the back of the truck easy!, and without a lot of huffing and puffing!!! You don't have to join a gym--It helps.(lifting weights or using weight machines increases muscle mass which burns more calories and helps to tighten loose skin.) All you have to do is start going for a walk 3-4 x a week, start slow then go faster!! as you are able to feel and move better, try new activities-- you can walk when you play golf as an example. maybe golf wont be your thing--try Ballroom and latin dancing, dont like that try country western line dancing, the point is find something you like and get active, after all you will have a body capable of exercise and activity. Beside the hormones (endorphines) that are released from exercise help make you feel good.