Will I be this way post-op?

Not sure how to ask this exactly.  I usually love exercise once I get started and start seeing results...but until then, it's torture.  Even just working up the motivation to start typically requires a huge amount of self-talk and energy.  I promised myself two weeks ago that I would start by just walking daily in these months before surgery to (1) try to lose some weight and (2) develop good habits now so I have a better chance at being successful with this post-operatively.  However, I keep failing at my promise- right now, I weigh 235 pounds and my back hurts when I walk for long distances.  So how many days have I walked in the last 2 weeks, you ask?  One.  One measly 20 minute walk.  And I felt so good after I did it (despite my back discomfort).  I cannot understand why I do this.  I know I need to work through it despite the discomfort (after all, it's not an injury, it's just the effect of the excess weight on my bones/joints).  What scares me, though, is that this is some kind of indication that I will not do well after the surgery...that if I can't even muster the motivation before they go in and remove a large portion of my stomach, what makes me think I will do it after?  I know it's so important...I just can't seem to find the motivation/drive to do it consistently.

 

Any thoughts from those who have had surgery already?  Did you exercise consistently pre-op, or did something just "
click" post-op? 

Any advice/feedback would be appreciated- I do NOT want to fail!

All I can do is give you my experience on this one.  After surgery, I was so much more motivated to exercise, because I wanted to really make the most of my sleeve.  Granted, even that motivation wasn't permanent, but I was so set on getting to goal as quickly as possible that there were actually days when I would get cranky or disappointed if I didn't get to exercise because I didn't want to lose less weight that week lol. 

My way of thinking is that doing what you've been doing hasn't worked... might as well give the sleeve a chance, right? :)

I will admit that when  I first had the sleeve,  I was so excited about working out.  Then as time went on, and I continued to lose weight either way, I dropped back into my kind of lazy ways.   Then I realized that I felt better when I worked out and it really had nothing to do with whether I was losing weight, that was happening anyway.  Now I am working out much more regularly because I like the fact that I can actually see the changes that occur when  I work out.  I do not have to concentrate so much on loosing weight but instead my focus is toning and sculpting.  So my journey changed because of the surgery and so did my focus. 

Well said.  You make a very good point.  Your focus does seem to change as you go through this weight loss journey.  

I haven't been sleeved yet, but I have the same fear! I'm kind of the same - when I get some momentum behind me with exercising I enjoy it, but every single time walking out the door to the gym is hard work.

I have lost weight in the past and noticed that after a small loss of say 10lbs or so everything is so much easier - getting up off the couch, walking up stairs etc. I think it's because my muscles are so used to dragging 300lbs up a set of stairs that when they "only" have to drag 290lbs up a set of stairs they think they're on holiday.

I hope that once I have my surgery and have lost a small amount this will happen again and kick start my motivation to exercise by making it seem easier than it has. Maybe the same will happen for you?

That's certainly my hope! I do think you're right...sometimes the motivation of a loss is all I need to light that fire. My surgery is on 12/16, npt too far away.

I packed my gym shoes & socks in my work bag tomorrow. There's no excuse for not taking a lunchtime walk!