Are you being active or passive regarding your weight loss?

I focused on maximizing my postop weight loss every day for the first year. Then I relaxed a little, but found it was easy to slow down or even creep up, so I refocused. I weigh daily. I tracked my food calories every day for the first year and i do it again if I find I'm getting off track. Now I make smart choices and have made being active a big part of my life. I don't go to the gym anymore, but i ride a bike, play tennis, walk, run, swim. I eat a cookie if I want one, but I do not go crazy. It's more important to me to be healthy, happy and at a healthy weight than to eat icecream.

Very Relaxed I would say, in regards to exercise.
I think about it a lot, but do not get off the couch much.
I do however park at the back of shopping centres and walk a little bit.
I do 1 week of skiing in winter.
I am hoping to get in the pool this summer, and now that it is just outside my back door I really have NO EXCUSES.

12 months out

Passive. Definitely.

Kinda wish I had my been more active early on and gotten into a routine with exercise.. But being nearly a year out and having done zero exercise the whole journey, I just can't do it.

I work away and unfortunately my lifestyle (what I enjoy anyway) just doesn't allow me to put my all into exercising. Working 12-14 hour days don't leave me with much time to hit the gym.

My body definatly wasnt one that was able to rely on smaller portions for weight loss. Without exercising and changing my eating plan and watching calories, my weight didnt budge. Im almost a year out and in that time my body has still gotten used to doing the same exercises and eating the same things, so im constantly having to change things up just to get the weight moving again. If i dont exercise, i dont lose. Ive definatly eased up tho - from about 2 months post op i was working out anywhere between 4-6 times a week and eating no more than 1000 calories a day. These days im lucky to exercise 3-4 times a week and dont count calories. I lose maybe 1 kg a fortnight these days. In saying that, regardless of my exercising etc, i was still a "slow loser" compared to alot of others. It averages out around 1kg a week across the year, but i think thats maybe less than others? Im not sure, i feel like its less tho as i know alot of other ppl on here seem to lose 2kg a week. So yes, in short ive definatly had to work at it to lose it! :)

Lin1970, I definitely wouldn't try to do much before week 6, your still recovering from your surgery and should give yourself every opportunity to heal properly. As for eating, that gets easier from week 5.

Melissa I agree, the operation wasn't a "get out of exercising and dieting free card" but I wasn't into either before my op!! I feel I could be losing more and have goals to lose weight, just like everyone else. I just know it's hard to become and remain motivated. I've just found out a friend of mine will be getting sleeved in 9 days so that's made me feel like I'll personally know someone going through the same thing.

What are the Facebook pages called? I'll check them out!

Thanks for sharing, everyone. It's really helpful!

Hi all

I think alot of us have to work for the sleeve, since coming home from hospital I only did light walking for 10-15 mins twice a day, then at the six week mark, I was told I could exercise properly. I do an aqua aerobic class each week, a boot camp session each week and walk on my treadmill approx 3-4 times a week. It has really changed the shape of my body and I have lost good centimeters from all over including my thighs (always a problem area) 13cm off each. I have been and probably always will be a grazer and even when I am not hungry I still graze due to boredom. I have just made sure that I graze on nuts, cheese and slices of ham etc as they are much more filling and less calories than chocs or biscuits.

I think it takes along time to change our eating habits as most of us have been like that for many years, so we just need to use our tool as effectively as we can and hope that we get there in the end.

Melissa

Hi,

I am only 3 weeks out so I am still getting use to this smaller tummy. I am finding that when I eat/drink even a teaspoon over I get sick, it becomes painful and I burp for ages after. I had some spinach/ricotta canilloni (without the pasta) yesterday then a few hrs later had some more, both times abit too much and felt sick. I am struggling with not drinking 1/2hr before food. I am finding myself thirsty alot. I am struggling to eat so I guess the food isnt a problem per sa. I have desire for sweet food.

In regards to exercise I had abit of a hard time after the surgery so it has been difficult. I have been for a few walks, maybe not as many as I could. I did gardening and was raking and weeding, after I was in alot of pain. So have found that I have to remember not to overdo it. Was going to do some aquarobics but missed the start of the class, will attempt some this week. I will just do what I can. I am not a gym person so when I am ready I will see what classes are available at the community centre.

My surgeon said that even though you have the sleeve if you dont use it as an advantage you still will gain weight. Remembering that we can drink lots of high calorie drinks and like you say somethings go down easily.

Hope this makes sense :)

Yep, I hear ya!!! Old habits are so hard to break

Kylie i totally agree. If i get off my but and eat yogurt or bananas they are a great filling snack for me. However for some reason biccies and choc seem to slide down way to easily :(

I can be good all day but the min the kids are in bed i am telly on and relaxing thinking about what to eat. The stupid thing is i am so full already from dinner and want to eat but really shouldnt.

That raises another valid point - after being sleeved, I find the food that is not as good for me like chips and nibbly food mushes down to nothing and much more of it can be eaten before I get full. When I had a quinoa salad for lunch about a week ago I literally had 4 mouthfuls and I was so full!

I struggle in the evenings once the kids are in bed, it's couch and Telly and snack time

Great question Chylee.

I have my good and bad days but i seem to only get success when i actively think about my sleeve and exercise and eat decent. The days where i am totally not thinking about healthy eating i stay the same or put on. This may sound negative to those that havent been sleeved yet but it is not. The times i stray off the rails my new tummy only allows me to eat a bit of crap and by the time my head has decided to get back on track i didnt have the same oppertunity to ruin my efforts as i have in the past.

This has probably been covered before, but I'm interested to know how many of you actively try to lose weight by eating healthy and exercising, or is the weight dropping off as a result of portion controlling caused by the sleeve?

I'm almost 8 weeks post-op and I only just started using m Wii Fit during the week - but to be honest (it's what this forum is all about I guess) now I'm not restricted to just fluids or mushy foods I'm finding I'm eating the things I love the most, just a lot less of it!!!

How long post-op did you wait until you knuckled down and started actively assisting your weightloss?