I have to say that I'm not, have never been and am not likely to be one that likes to exercise. That said, I recognize that it's necessary to support my new life;

- It helps me build muscle so that I'm more toned and my body's metabolism allows me to enjoy more of the foods I'd like to have.

- It helps me build bone density that helps me fight osteoporosis.

- It helps me manage my my emotional eating by providing an effective distraction and elevating my mood.

So while I'll probably never be a 'Gym Rat', I've found ways to incorporate it into my routine. Since, I'm not so good at 'exercise', here are a few things that I do to support my health and well-being: 

* Wear a pedometer - it helps me remember to move my tail as I work to make sure that I'm getting in at least 10K steps a day. It prompts me to park farther away from my destination, take the stairs, etc... so that I can rack up those steps. 

* Dance - I never really equate dancing with exercise, so even though I'm no Ginger Rodgers, I will crank up the music in the house and dance while I do my household chores, enjoy a Zumba or Jazzercise class or go dancing. It gets my heart rate up and I feel wonderful while doing it. 

* Gardening - I have never really liked getting dirty or sweaty, so gardening was something I always hired out or got someone else to do, in part because I didn't like doing it and in part because it was just to hard to do. Now, I still don't 'like' doing it, but I love the result I see in my garden and my body, and absolutely LOVE that I can do it. 

* Swimming - Swimming was one of the few exercises I enjoyed even when I was heavy. I used to be somewhat concerned about what I looked like in a suit when I was heavy and I still have concerns now that I'm slender, but it's an activity I enjoy so I do it when I have the opportunity.

TRICARE covers gastric bypass, gastric stapling and gastroplasty to include vertical banded gastroplasty and laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (Lap-Band surgery) is covered only when the beneficiary meets one of the following conditions:

• Is 100 pounds over ideal weight for height and bone structure and has one of these associated conditions: diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cholecystitis, narcolepsy, Pickwickian syndrome, hypothalamic disorders or severe arthritis of the weight-bearing joints
• Is 200 percent or more over ideal weight for height and bone structure
• Has had intestinal bypass or other surgery for obesity and because of complications, requires another surgery (takedown)