I am due for my surgery on January 6th. I currently suffer from near daily chronic migraines (I just got out of the hospital for a 30 day one), fibro, and cervical facet disease. I am pretty limited in my exercise options. I used to be pretty big into eliptical and pilates, but that was 35 pounds and 3 health conditions ago. Now I have been sticking to walking and swimming. I am ready for surgery mentally and am ready for all the food rules as I am used to them from the band, but exercise options are scaring the crap out of me. We are getting into winter here in eastern PA so going out for walks is out of the question. I found an indoor pool so at least I still have that, but I feel like that just isnt good enough. I am  going to start physical therapy and water exercise for my fibro soon, but I know that won't really cut it either. Help!

Hang in there and have faith in yourself.....

but here are a few things that I discovered....

1) weightloss is 70% diet and only 30% exercise so the weight will start to come off even if your movement is very limited.  

2) Also as you lose weight it gets soooo much easier to be active.  The things I couldn't imagine doing before surgery are often pretty easy for me at nearly a year out.  

3) the surgeon wouldn't have scheduled you if you weren't capable of succeeding so what the heart can dream can be accomplished.

Best of luck to you.....

YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!

Angel

Great post. 

I actually think it's 90% diet and 10% exercise. 

I was nearly completely sedentary at first. Now I run 3k on the treadmill. If you'd told me that a year ago, I'd of fallen down laughing. Seriously, I don't think a masked man chasing me with a running chainsaw could have inspired me to walk quickly, let alone run.  

What Angel said.

You cant outrun a bad diet. It is impossible and not enough hours in a day.

In addition to swimming, try aqua bootcamp and aqua aerobics. Aqua boot camp does pullups and uses floaty weights. It is different and awesome!

Also, when larger the perceived exertion from exercise is much much more. The low step at 270 lbs in step aerobic wiped me out. In tae bo, there would be sweat puddles on the floor. Post-surgery- middle step is easier with me being light than low step ever was when I was MO>

Dont freak out about exercise. For the first 4 months all I could manage was walking in teh concourse at work.  I couldnt do yoga because I would almost pass out. Ellipitcal was out of the question. Then one day, walking became freakishly easy (I.e. the amount of force that I used to step forward was WAY more than what was needed. I was STRONG again..and that is how I knew it was time to head back to the gym and all it intensity). Perhaps a cue like I had will come for you...

Hi Angelique, Congratulations and good luck with your surgery. I too live in Eastern Pa. and I am six days from surgery so getting out to exercise in the cold was worrying me as well. I thought much about it. For the first few months walking and more walking will be essential so I decided to go to nearby large supermarkets and walk every aisle. I actually work in one and I have been wearing a pedometer to work and you can put on some serious distances walking all the aisles and while you are at it stop once in a while and examine the nutritional values of items. That will have the double benefit of broadening your knowledge of good food and especially choices for the future as well as getting your exercise in. You'll do great!! 

What a great idea Zonechef!

I have rheumatoid arthritis and had severe mobility issues before surgery. I have lost 145 pounds and the majority of my exercise has been walking. I bought a fairly nice treadmill on sale when old models were clearanced and use it everyday. Now I have added 30 day shred DVD by Jillian Michaels for some toning and an work. I have been at my goal weight for 14 months. You can have a healthy normal life if you do as your doctor says and take it one good choice at a time. Congratulations on taking control of your life. You will be so thankful!

Any kind of exercise will help;  just make sure you enjoy it.  If it ain't fun, you won't do it.

As you progress you will find your weight loss will allow you to challenge yourself more and more.  

Enjoy your new life!

Just have the mindset of move more. I echo the mindset that your diet is more important. I know they don't want you missing muscle... 35 pounds will be off you before you know it, and you will feel better. I had my surgery during the summer and I love to swim in my pool so it was easy and then summer was over, now what? I have been walking here and there, try to take a few extra laps around the food store or where ever. Just started going to my local mall, they open it early for walkers. One lap is a mile. My goal is to go a coulpe of times a week. You can be successful. Good Luck!

As you lose weight, it might get easier to do things like the eliptical and pilates again. What about yoga?  There are some pretty difficult yoga poses, but there are others that just about anyone can do.  You can find videos online.  And of course you can find other exercise videos online.  There are even videos of "chair exercises," designed for people that can't even stand.  Obviously those aren't a real vigorous workout, like going to the gym and taking an aerobics class would be.  They can be a good starting place, though.

I'm in north central Ohio and it's pretty cold here but I've still been getting out for walks most days.  I just bundle up in lots of layers.  When it's really cold, I don't walk as long as I do on nice days, of course.  You could also consider getting a treadmill.

Walking is pretty much the only exercise I do now.  I have degenerative disk disease and a herniated disk in my lower back and I also have fibro so anything more strenuous is painful for me and risks hurting my back.  Water aerobics or swimming might be an option for me but there is no indoor pool nearby (I live in a very small rural town).  I'd have to drive about 40 minutes to the nearest Y.  In addition, unless the pool is really warm, a lot warmer than the pool was at the Y where I took water aerobics in the past, it tends to make my fibro worse. 

So I walk.  I manage at least a 30 minute walk every day unless it's raining really hard (I walk if it's just drizzling) or the temp or windchill is below 20.  20 or above, I bundle up and walk.  If it's above freezing, I usually walk about an hour.  In the summer I was doing about 90 minutes a day.