The Deal on Exercise

Nov 01, 2009

Here the facts:

If you want to look fit, nah, you don't need to do much.
You want to be fit? You'll have to move.

This is the place where we find out what you're really made of when you say "I did this for my health."
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When I started, Spring of 2007, I could physically literally only walk to my car-- which is maybe 100 feet from my back door. Climbing my steps at night meant resting a few minutes on the landing, and hellfire and brimstone would fly if I discovered I needed to go back out. Sig Ot and I *tried* to take a walk once, and after we'd passed 5 houses (which were all very close) I started hyperventilating and threw up in the bushes. My edema caused my feet to swell so large my shoes couldn't contain them. (That still happens on occasion.)

I started my pre-op diet. Lost about 30 pounds, and discovered I could walk a little further-- halfway around my block-- about 1/4 mile.

After I'd lost 60 pounds, in June 2007, I could walk a mile. It killed, but I did it. It's at that point that I bought a "Sit Down and Tone Up Video" and started using light (2 pound) arm weights. At first, I couldn't do the whole tape. I'd try, maybe twice a week.

I had my RNY in July 2007.

By the time I was down about 70 pounds, I was in Deep Water Workout classes twice a week, and taking 1 mile walks once or twice a week.

By the time I'd lost 200 pounds (about 1.5 years post op) I was walking in earnest-- about 2 miles most days. I saw a personal trainer for 4-5 visits and learned to do a weight circuit safely.

In May of this year I bought a GoWear and started DAILY exercise-- either an hour to old Jane Fonda videos, freestyle dancing to my MP3 player, doing weights (twice a week) or walking 3 miles a night.
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This fall I added group exercise classes. So now a typical week (I'll use this one as an example)is something like this:
SUN- 1 hour Zumba class, 2 mile walk, 1/2 hour weight circuit
MON- 300 cals worth of cardio dance with my MP3 player
TUE- 300 cals worth of cardio dance with my MP3 player
WED- 1 hr Cardio class
THUR- 1 hr Zumba Class
FRI- 3 mile walk or 1 hour video exercise
SAT- Walking and shopping, usually about 400+ cals worth

I also added more activity. I clean tables all day, sweep my classroom floor, pick up trash constantly while on hall and cafeteria duty, walk to people's rooms to deliver messages instead of calling, walking to drop off my rent, etc.

Am I losing fast? Nope- 8 pounds since May including plastics...but I am pretty close to my body's goal. And with a little plastic surgical intervention and a goodly amount of protein, I went from this in May:

To this, last month:

So for a girl who literally couldn't walk around the block a year ago, I do alright. ;)

I exercise every single day, without fail. It's part of my day. It just makes my body feel better and helps me to understand who I am inside this new package. Don't get me wrong, I dread it like hell-- but I think of it as a celebration of what my body can do. Every dance, every class, is a prayer, and a celebration of gratitude. Dig that!

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About Me
Near Media, Pa- South of Philly, NJ
Location
24.8
BMI
RNY
Surgery
07/16/2007
Surgery Date
Nov 16, 2003
Member Since

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