Exercise at 2 weeks out??

I have been walking since day one.  I go a little further every day, and I'm up to about a mile I guess.  Today was my first day back at work, and I didn't walk before work and after work I was just exhausted.  I have a primarily sitting job, with some walking.  I'm just not sure what I should expect of myself at this point.  I feel fine, have good energy except for today, and feel like I need to set a routine.  My surgeon cleared me for anything that I feel up to.  

Our city pool opens this weekend, and they have a morning lap swim I am considering.  I wouldn't mind walking in the morning or evening, but I really feel like I need a buddy to be accountable.  I am too embarrassed to ask any neighbors, because they are all in better shape than I am.  I also have a treadmill in the basement and I have a few exercise DVDs.  

I'm just not quite sure where to start.  I work 40+ hours per week, and usually at the end of the day I am exhausted.  However I am hoping this will change as the weight comes off.

any advice or experience?

thanks!!

Renee

Renee, I would go slow for the next couple weeks. Once you get acclimated to being back to work (and believe me, I understand how taxing that can be) and re-incorporating your walks (you might not be able to do that for a few days, but give it a shot every day), then start planning some systematic exercise. 

Like you, I started walking every day, a little bit at a time. After about ten days I was able to walk a mile or so, and then I started back to work in earnest, and had to chill for a day or so before picking up the walking where I left off. Now I am walking about a mile and a half a day plus working. At the end of the month, four weeks out from surgery, I am starting up with a pilates trainer at my gym. She trains individuals AND teaches a class three days a week. I plan on starting out with once a week, possibly twice a week, then adding in swimming or water aerobics, while maintaining walking on the days I'm not at the gym.

Be gentle with yourself, ok?

Sherry

One thing: I think you have to stay out of the pool until your incisions are healed.

Be gentle with yourself with exercise, too. Maybe get a walk in at lunch and then you can rest when you get home. You are still recovering from major surgery.

I was given clearance to take a bath or swim at my one week follow up. My incisions are just little pink scars now. I'm a really fast healer. I love to swim, I just worry about getting there, swimming, home and getting my girls and myself ready for school/work in time. 

I guess I do need to ease up, it's just my first day back and I don't want to overdo it. I'm just afraid of not losing. 😩

Really?  I was told no bath, pool or hot tubs for six week.  I wasn't cleared for exercise for 6 weeks other than walking.

I actually talked with a dermatologist about this just the other day and he told me that current research has debunked the "don't swim for 6 weeks" requirement because skin, at least the outside layers, heal much more swiftly. So maybe the OP's doc is more current on this stuff!

I've been walking for 30-45 min a day.  It's a new thing.  I listen to some of my favorite podcasts while I walk.

I was only allowed to walk for 6 weeks, but I made the most of it!  I started at 15 minutes and worked my way up to 60 minutes in 5 minute increments, then I started increasing my speed. Still walking though. 

When the 6 week mark came I felt I would have been ready to start a C25k program, but ended up back in physical therapy for a back issue unrelated to this. 

Thanks for all of your replies.  This morning I woke up feeling so much better, and just got back from a 20 minute walk.  I stopped and chatted with my next door neighbor who is an ER nurse and I had told him about my procedure a few weeks ago. He had taken the time to look up VSG and knew all of the percautions and steps of recovery and food etc. he is always offering to be there if we need anything health related, and I was so impressed he took the time to look this up.  

I still can't stop thinking about swimming though, the pool opens this weekend!!