My New Attitude to Exercise

When I was morbidly obese exercise and moving around generally was hard. I used to be really good at avoiding activity and would make sure I never had to stand or walk around too much because I just couldn’t handle it. As I started to lose a significant amount of weight gradually all of this got easy again.

Exercise used to be extremely exhausting. If I had done some exercise, any given day, that was that. I would be pleased I had done some but would not let myself overdo it by doing any other extra activity. It was so hard on me I used to want to have a nap after and it would make me incredibly hungry.

I’m two years post gastric bypass now and how times have changed. I will admit right from the beginning that my exercise has not been as consistent as I would like and that is one of my main goals for the year. Not only to get really fit again but to stay at that level. I’m not sure when my attitude to exercise changed but there has been a major shift.

Today for example I got up at 5.15 am and did some light cardio type stuff on my Wii Fit and did some lunges, planking and arm exercises. That was about 45 minutes all up. Prior to surgery that would have been a mammoth effort and I would have been done. Then at lunchtime I went for a wander around the shops and tracked it on my Fitbit. I ended up walking almost 3.5k in just over half an hour on my lunch break. I love seeing all the measures on my Fitbit turn green as I reach my targets and I’ve been having some really good days like the one below.

Then I got home from work and went for a 3k run. That’s over 6k in intentional running and walking activity and muscle exercises in the morning too. I’m finding my body is getting back to being fit much quicker with me doing a combination of lots of different things and I’m starting to see the benefits and changes brought about from it already.

I do wonder if my Fitbit has had some influence in me taking every opportunity to get some activity in. I’m a numbers geek and I love tracking and seeing what I have done. As well as that though it ensures I’m aware of not only how many steps I’ve done in any day but approximately how many calories I’ve burnt off and how many minutes of my day I have been active for.

I still can’t get over the fact that I actually enjoy exercise now and do not in the slightest see it as a chore. I enjoy how it makes me feel physically, I know it helps me stay at the top of my game mentally and I really like the little bits of ‘me time’ it helps me find in my day to look after myself.

I know now that my body is capable of far more than I ever gave it credit for physically and I feel a bit sorry for myself that I underestimated myself so much for so long. When I told my husband how much exercise I had done today he told me to be careful not to overdo it. I know he’s looking out for me but while today is a particularly heavy exercise day I make sure I take rest days and don’t do so much every single day.

It’s amazing being able to go out and grab every opportunity I get to use my body and do things to ensure it continues to feel good to be inside. I may have an abundance of endorphins in my brain after all of my efforts today and I think that’s awesome. Have you found your attitude to exercise and how you perceive your own physical abilities change after losing a significant amount of weight? Comment below and let me know.